As he lay in his bed staring up at the ceiling Lucifer realized to some degree that Chloe had been right. He needed to recover from the gunshot. He had been relieved to not encounter Maze or Amenadiel when he returned home. He did not want to deal with their betrayal -- the wound still too fresh even if as Chloe suggested it was for his benefit.
Much to his amazement, he had fallen asleep for hours after arriving home and pouring himself a drink even now he couldn't seem to muster the energy to get up. Then he heard the elevator open. He sat up in bed peering around the corner and felt his stomach tighten.
"Samael, I was worried, are you feeling better?" his mum asked coming into his bedroom.
"Do not call me that, it's not my name anymore!" he snapped at her.
HE scrambled for his robe lying at the foot of his bed and wrapped it tightly around himself. His mother gasped and he realized she had seen his scars. Her hands shook as they came up to cover her face; she stood trembling in front of him.
"Mum?"
She lowered her hands and he could see tears in her eyes. "He cut off your wings?" She looked as if she was going to be sick.
He closed his eyes not wanting to have to explain.
"Samael?" she cried out in desperation in her voice.
Nausea rolled over him. "Don't call me that, please."
She came and sat on the edge of the bed. "What happened to your wings -- what did your father do?"
He could feel sweat beading on his forehead as he edged to the far side of the bed ignoring the hurt in her gaze.
"He didn't do anything to them, I had Maze cut them off flipping dad the ultimate bird that I was done," he informed her angrily.
She blinked looking truly shocked. "I admire your tenacity son but your wings were so glorious -- you've given up your ability to fly all because of that self-righteous bastard!"
"Doesn't matter. I have no intention of returning to hell ever and it tied me to him and the heavens and to ... bad memories." He stared her in the eyes.
She looked away. "I am sorry for my part in that."
He longed to ask her if it had been real and if she was lying about it never having happened but he couldn't seem to bring the words out and ask her once and for all. If necessary he could use his power on her - he wasn't sure if she could fight it off.
She saw the wariness in his gaze and immediately got up: she hadn't meant to distress him. Forcing a smile she informed him, "I just wanted to make sure you were okay."
"Thank you for suggesting the freezer, it helped," Lucifer admitted softly.
"You're welcome...Lucifer." She smiled more naturally and left.
Lucifer breathed a sigh of relief but felt more confused and conflicted than ever, he sank back into the pillows.
Later when Maze and Amenadiel showed up he snapped at them to get out. Maze tried to explain but he didn't allow it.
The next day after literally spending the day in bed, he showed up at the police station bright and early. He was determined to go on the next case with the Detective. He found out that he had just missed her and she was on her way to a case.
"Is there a problem, Lucifer?" Dan asked wondering if the club owner had been running late and missed Chloe.
"Well Daniel, it appears I missed catching a ride with the Detective, I need to hurry to catch up with her."
Dan grinned. "Since apparently, I am not back to being Detective Douche yet, you can catch a ride with me if you like."
Lucifer rolled his eyes. "I don't like -- I have my vehicle you know."
Dan smugly informed him, "The location is out on a farm and since it rained last night your pampered wheels will get rather mud-splattered but as long as you don't mind feel free to take yours."
Lucifer stopped cold looking rather annoyed. "You might have bothered to mention that in the first place. Fine, I'll go with you I hope you don't drive like an insomniatic slug."
Dan chuckled. "I'm sure I won't disappoint you. Let's go."
Lucifer cursed under his breath.
True to his word Dan drove with lots of speed over the muddy ruts and potholes jarring Lucifer's teeth and rattling his nerves. The devil fantasized about enforcing hellfire on Chloe's ex and watching him scream and writhe in agony.
Dan was surprised by the little smile playing on Lucifer's lips, he was sure he would annoy him but instead, he seemed to enjoy the wild bumpy mud splattered ride. He had to admit the guy didn't rattle easily.
They arrived at the crime scene. She paled when Lucifer got out of the car and headed towards Chloe. She handed the other officer she was standing next to something and then met him halfway. "What are you doing here?"
"Helping. You can't force me to stay safe without tying me up. Although..." he mused, "restraints in a good way would be fun."
Chloe sighed sadness and worry in her eyes. She took his arm and led him further away.
"Yes?" He looked at her frowning.
"There is a reason I didn't call you for this case, I need you to respect that and go back home," she spoke firmly as if addressing a misbehaving child.
A stubborn glint entered Lucifer's eyes and he lifted his chin defiantly. "I thought we had worked this out, Detective. I am no more at risk than you are."
Chloe shut her eyes for a moment garnering some patience. "Trust me Lucifer, I don't need you on this case."
He looked suspicious. "Do you suspect this involves my mum?"
"No, not at all, now trust me," and please just go home. I don't need your help," Chloe decided.
"I can't, Daniel drove me here."
"Fine, I'll drive you home and then come back," Chloe decided.
"Wrong Detective, you can't just force me to leave. You are going to have to trust me. I can handle whatever this is the same way you can."
Chloe shook her head. "Not in this case."
"Detective Decker, we put out the APB on the stepfather." One of the officers yelled from the barn.
Lucifer looked confused. "Are you going to fill me in?"
She stared at him biting her lip. "A mother came home to find her 12-year-old daughter dead in the barn. She'd been raped. The mother had been estranged from the girl's stepfather, she suspects he did it as a form of revenge."
"Oh." A chill washed over him freezing the blood in his veins. He knew Chloe was speaking, but he couldn't hear her until she touched his arm. "Lucifer, are you okay?"
"I'm fine Detective, I can handle this...I promise," his voice was tight and controlled.
"I know, but you don't need to." She kept her hand lightly on his arm. "It's okay to sit this one out -- it strikes a little too close to home."
He jumped back putting at least three feet between them. "Detective! I'm not some traumatized fragile child - I'm the devil remember? You don't need to handle me with kid gloves," he told her exasperated.
"Okay." She put her hand in the air conceding defeat.
"Okay." He nodded, his black eyes troubled.
She went back to the barn and Lucifer followed. The forensics team had uncovered the body again. Despite having seen many bodies over the years, some of them children Chloe looked away -- she couldn't help but think of Trixie and had an overwhelming urge to hug her just then.
Lucifer looked at the body of the young girl; innocent face, red curls spread on the dusty floor, freckles everywhere. He couldn't bring himself to look lower at the blood from the stab wounds and the injuries from the attack. Bodies had never really bothered him until Father Frank's death and even then it was just that one death. The bodies were just shells and the spirit was long gone. He felt his skin prickle and looked away taking some silent deep breaths. The Detective was right -- this did affect him but he wasn't about to show it. Someone needed to be punished.
"Detective, the suspect's truck was seen on route 3, he has a cabin off the main road," an officer informed her.
"I'm on it, send back up after us," Chloe ordered. She paused looking at Lucifer. "If you are sure you are up to it?"
"I am." he immediately responded.
They got in her car and endured the rough ride back onto the road. Chloe drove faster than usual impressing Lucifer. "Now remember you need to let the police handle this," she warned him.
"Of course, Detective," he assured her, his eyes narrowed on the road.
She found the dirt road surrounded by pine trees and maple trees that led to the cabin and followed it partly in. She stopped. "We have to go the rest of the way on foot and no whining that you aren't wearing the right kind of shoes." She joked wanting to keep the mood light for his sake.
"Wouldn't dream of it," he responded heading up the path.
"Stop, we can't walk on the path, we have to take cover in the trees so he doesn't see our approach and start shooting - if he has a gun."
"Right." He deviated into the trees.
They approached the small wood cabin and saw smoke coming from the chimney unusual considering the day was warm. Chloe held her finger to her lips to indicate no speaking then snuck up to the door gun in hand. She peeked carefully through the window and was about to nod to Lucifer when she heard a click as Lucifer walked through the door. She ran after him and yelled out for the suspect to put his hand up in the air.
The man was wearing pants and had just been in the process of throwing his bloody shirt into the fire when Lucifer walked up to him.
"Lucifer! STOP!" Chloe ordered fury in her voice.
"What is your deepest desire? What did you do?" Lucifer turned his black eyes on the suspect and cooed in the low seductive voice he used on men and women when getting them to confess.
The man's blue eyes glazed over as he stared transfixed at Lucifer. "I...I wanted revenge on that bitch for dumping me - so raping and killing her daughter was the best way. I only wish I could have seen the look on her face," he spat spittle clinging to his jaw.
Chloe saw Lucifer stiffen and the room suddenly became hot as an inferno.
"Lucifer," she said softly as she slowly approached him. "Let the police handle this."
The man gave an earsplitting yowl and fell to the floor. "That's for taking the innocence of a child and ending her life." Lucifer snarled so menacingly a shiver worked itself up Chloe's back.
"I'm sorry, oh God make it stop." The man writhed in agony.
The devil chuckled mercilessly. "Do you think my father will respond to a truly evil miscreant like you when he doesn't even ever speak to me?"
The man screamed.
Chloe got to Lucifer's side -- he was out of control. She knew right from the start this was a bad idea. She put her hand gently on his arm but he immediately shook it off. "Lucifer stop...I know the trauma of what your mother did is making you lash out but you've punished him enough."
Lucifer ignored her as the man screamed again. Chloe tried again. "Lucifer, if you incinerate this man -- and all that is left of our suspect is a pile of ashes how will I explain that. I have to stop you and the only way I can do that is to expose myself to your hellfire." When he didn't respond she took a deep shaky breath and was about to step in front of him.
He gasped in alarm and turned his horrified eyes on her. Then almost bonelessly slid to the ground as if every last ounce of strength had been zapped when he stopped the hellfire. His breathing was labored, his skin pale, Chloe immediately put her hand to his forehead surprisingly he wasn't even hot -- he seemed rather cool to the touch. It was just then that Dan walked in.
"What happened?" his eyes landed on the suspect screaming, babbling incoherently, and whimpering, and Lucifer on his knees with Chloe by his side.
"Dan, I need you to do me a favor and not ask any questions. Can you please get Lucifer out of here as fast as you can?"
Dan sank with them. "Is he hurt?"
"No, well not physically -- please just get him out of here. You have a blanket in your car right? Can you wrap it around him," she pleaded
He nodded. Lucifer almost seemed to be in a trance. Dan summoned Chloe over to the side and whispered, "I've seen the scars on his back -- something really bad must have happened to him at some point?" he gave her a questioning look.
Chloe whispered back. "Let's just say this case hit a little too close to home."
Dan's eyes widened and then filled with sympathy. He nodded again then went over and got down to the club owner's level. "Hey Lucifer, don't know about you but this guy is getting on my nerves. What say we get out of here?"
Lucifer's dark eyes turned to him startled to see him there. "Lucifer, go with Dan everything is taken care of here -- just boring police work," Chloe assured him as she squeezed his shoulder.
"Okay, if you think it's best?" his eyes narrowed. She nodded and smiled reassuringly.
"Come on." Dan slipped his arm through his and hauled him to his feet although Lucifer immediately pulled away.
"I'm fine Daniel, just got dizzy for a moment from that man's excessive screaming." Lucifer pulled himself together as best she could. He was used to putting on a show.
"Drugs were involved with this guy -- must have taken them to celebrate after what he did," Chloe explained.
"I hope he overdoses," Dan said heatedly. "I couldn't help but think of Trixie."
Chloe took a shuddering breath. "Me too but likely she has pretty decent parents." Her worried look landed on Lucifer again who seemed to be a million miles away.
Dan nodded in agreement as he headed out the door with the club owner.
Lucifer leaned against the outside wall of the cabin, looking a little queasy and still breathing rapidly. "Do you want to sit for a moment?" Dan asked.
He shook his head. He was trying to remember. When he had inflicted hellfire on that foul man a sudden memory of his mum had surfaced that seemed so real and left him feeling nauseous. It had come and gone.
Something had traumatized the club owner and considering what this case was about it curled in Dan's gut. "Come on, let's get you to a place where you can relax and start to feel better," he suggested gently.
Lucifer shivered, he hated showing weakness, especially in front of Chloe's ex of all people but he seemed to have lost control. He tried taking slow even breaths but his heart was racing too fast making him gasp for air. He semi-closed his eyes and let Daniel guide him to the car. Once in he slumped back in the seat he barely noticed when a blanket was placed over him and Dan softly said, "Try and get some sleep."
When he opened his eyes they were just pulling into the police station parking lot. "How are you feeling?"
Lucifer frowned, then disdainfully pulled the blanket off himself and threw it in the back seat. "I'm fine Daniel. Much obliged for the ride here." He nodded and gave him a quick smile.
Daniel was amazed by the rapid recovery. "All right then -- you sure you are okay to drive? Chloe would have my ass if I let you go before you were ready."
Lucifer grinned mischievously. "All the more incentive for me to leave."
Dan sighed. "Being an ass just comes naturally to you - doesn't it?"
Lucifer nodded proudly. Then a more pensive look entered his eyes. "I do appreciate the ride, Daniel, out to the crime scene and back."
Dan rolled his eyes. "You are welcome, I guess."