Chapter Text
What justifies betrayal?
That's the question Chloe Decker asks herself. She had arrived in the penthouse. Dressed in a nice outfit and extremely nervous. But it was unfortunately not for the date. Lucifer had gone to prepare some music and the small bottle of sedative in her bag weighs abnormally heavy. And she's about to use it on her partner. "He's not your partner! He's the Devil! He's the man who killed Pierce! Who knows how many other people he killed or caused death?" Her mind yells at her.
He was also the man she had come to appreciate, who had given her a prom, who had supported her in all circumstances when everyone had turned their back on her. A charming man in the guise of a playboy. Who had never lied to her… "But that's the biggest lie isn't it..." Father Kinley's words echo in her mind.
Maybe she's acting too fast? Maybe she should think longer before doing that? She was going to drug her partner of several years! But...
She remembers Father Kinley's words. Of all the photographs and evidence she had seen in Rome. It was only second-degree evidence but...
The detective remembers Lucifer's look when one of the criminals arrested by the LAPD was released. The man was a father accused of assaulting a classmate of his son. His lawyer had succeeded in claiming his innocence with the judge. And he had been released. Chloe shivers at the memory of Lucifer's eyes as the man walks past them. The kind of look that promises they'll see each other soon and not in good circumstances.
She didn't pay much attention to it at the time. They had all been depressed after all. But with the information she had today, that gaze had taken on new meaning. Memories of their conversation come back to her.
-"Did you enjoy torturing all these people?" She had asked Lucifer.
-"It's a job. The workings of Hell are complex. I could talk as much as you want, Detective. But..." His gaze goes a little deeper.
-" Someone has to do it. After all, we clearly saw that human ‘justice’ was not very reliable..." Finished Lucifer… the Devil.
The implication was clear. He had amused himself by torturing their souls out of pure revenge! And keeps doing it! All those times Maze had told her that Lucifer was "checking up on everything at home" did he torture humans?
The man she had come to love had flaws. She had supported him like a friend. She probably would have met him as a girlfriend. But neither Chloe the friend, nor the partner, nor the girlfriend felt safe. She was afraid. Afraid of what she is about to do. Afraid of the thing in front of her! There were too many unknowns, too many incomprehensible things for her!
No, she couldn't live like that. Knowing that her daughter could be in danger. Not with the guilt of not stopping the Devil when she had the chance. Maybe she would never forgive herself. She was going to commit a crime... but maybe that's why she was put in Lucifer's way.
Her hand shakes as she pours the contents of the vial into Lucifer's wine. She corks the bottle and hides it. Just in time because she jumps at the sound of too loud music. The wine glasses are shaken by her sudden movement but remain upright.
-"Sorry about that! I forgot it was that strong!" Lucifer said appearing.
He has a goofy and ridiculously charming smile on his face. Even his scar can't spoil the picture. Like a normal guy just nervous on a date.
-"I also made cheese toast. Not the fancy stuff that smells bad! Just good cheese… just the way you like it." Continued the liar in front of her.
How could a man both torture people and be so caring… unless he was a liar.
-"So?" Asks the Devil.
Chloe looks up. The Devil's dark eyes stare at her with false light and attention.
-"So what?" She replies.
-"I… you must have a lot of questions. I can start answering them… then I have something to tell you."
The detective looks at him. The Devil in front of her looks like a nervous young man.
He is so different from the vengeful Lucifer she had glimpsed on rare occasions...
-"I... I'm glad you accepted me, Detective... I don't think I can repeat it enough. "
So much more like the man she had come to know...
-"I... I can't claim to be the nicest of Devils but...I'm willing to try..."
And yet this is not the case. So why can't she keep her eyes from clouding with tears?
-"Detective, I...."
-"I think I finally understood Lucifer." Chloe cuts him off.
The Devil looks at her, a little surprised to be cut off in his sentence.
-"I... Lucifer. I hesitated a lot but… I think it's the best for all of us. A new beginning." She said.
Chloe takes the glass of wine in front of her and raises it.
-"I... I think it deserves a toast." She finishes.
The Devil in front of her fakes a sweet smile and also takes his drink.
-"I think you're right Detective."
He raises his glass with her. Then brings it to his lips.
The seconds pass in a silence that is far too heavy and weighs highly on Chloe. She feels like she could break down crying at any moment because of the tension in her body. Her eyes don't leave Lucifer's face, waiting with trepidation for the sequel.
After a while, Lucifer's smile becomes more forced. Then a panic seized his face.
"Lucifer? Are you… are you okay?"
Lucifer gets up and comes over to her. Did he notice?! Will he kill her?!
She also gets up. Heart pounding in her chest. Panic overcomes her. But Lucifer grabs her arm. Always with this fake sweetness.
-"Detective! There's a problem! I... you have to... get out of here and..."
The Devil's eyes roll back, rolling inward into his skull. Then his whole body collapses.
Chloe barely catches him. And the slender body collapses to the ground with a thud. She remains frozen in front of the body. Then with still shaking hands, she pulls out her phone and texts Kinley.
The policewoman starts pacing around the room. The reality of what she had just done finally catching up with her. The woman takes a deep breath to try to calm herself down.
She looks one last time at the Devil's face. Far from relaxed, his face is tense and pale. His scar sticks out and looks scarier than ever.
-"I'm sorry Lucifer."
The sound of the elevator opening fills the room.
...
Lucifer had struggled with emotions. When he was a child, when he was an angel and even more when he became the king of the underworld. He had grown up on top of the universe and seen civilizations rise and fall. It was hard to feel something when you had seen almost everything.
Maybe the problem was with him too. He had come to terms with that through his sessions with Linda. But he never understood why.
However, everything had changed since he had met the Detective. It was the first time he had managed to feel so fully, so intensely! Even his ability to sense the Desire of others is weak and pale in comparison! He finally felt... human.
Hatred, revenge... those were easy things for immortals to live with. But acceptance, affection... love. They were much more complicated and rare for those like him.
He had come to like the detective. Considering her a friend despite all of Maze's warnings. Despite the fact that her birth had something to do with his... God.
Even better! He and the detective can now help each other on God's chessboard.
Over the past few years, he had come to do things his old self would have found ridiculous. Even Amenadiel had become less boring!
Lucifer had had many one-night stands, a few lovers but never an official relationship beyond that. Linda would say that's a big step for him. And despite all the worries that can come from a relationship with the Detective, he finally feels ready!
He had everything ready. Even the horrible music the detective loves.
The date seems to be going well. The detective looks nervous, it's adorable. Well, he was too, to be honest.
They raise their glasses to the toast that should be their new beginning.
But there was a problem. Suddenly he feels like someone has plunged their hand into his insides and is trying to tear him apart! One second before he was fine!
He panics for a moment before realizing the obvious... the wine! It wasn't the first time someone had tried to poison him. But he was far from suspecting that someone would try to attack him at home!
He looks at the woman in front of him. Did she feel it too?! Luckily, she didn't seem to be in pain. But she had to get out of there! If she walks away from him, then...
He feels the control of his limbs slipping away from him. His muscles can no longer contract. He is vaguely aware of being supported by Chloe. But he can't see past the darkness that takes hold of his eyes.
...
Father Kinley had always done God's work. He had chased the Devil for years but had never been able to find a weakness until recently.
Chloe Decker is truly a miracle from God to be able to make the Devil vulnerable. He had also benefited from outside help to obtain equipment: ingredients for the "sedative" and chains capable of restraining the Devil.
The priest enters the penthouse. Full of riches: furniture, works of art. Worthy of the Devil, he selfishly enjoys the riches of men.
Two men behind him, they are there to help him send the Devil back to hell. The men get to work before the Devil's disappearance is noticed.
...
In Heaven, everything was abnormally quiet in the palace. A kind of tension within the royal family reigns. The calm before the storm.
Michaël had spent most of his time with Lord Raphaël these days. His useless brain was very slow and damaged. He wasn't very helpful in his job.
Lord Raphaël was... quite nice. He does not ask him to do things that are too difficult. Moved medicine, helped with band-aids, and sometimes used his powers to grow medicinal plants. He feels useful.
Lord Raphaël had scolded him the first time he saw him use his powers. His nose had started bleeding. The Angel of Healing kindly reprimanded him (not the screams of cruel words from others). He had told him not to tire himself and to be careful.
That's exactly what he's doing right now, in one of the marble rooms of the infirmary. The stem of the plant in front of him wraps around his slender fingers. Divine energy flows through his veins and pours into the plant. The golden threads leaving his fingers and melting into green. Plant cells multiply and greenery grows and flourishes before him.
He had to harvest the nectar from the plant for Lord Raphael to make balms. Michael gets up to retrieve the necessary vials.
But suddenly a searing pain hits him in the stomach. The angel drops the vials and curls up. The pieces of glass scatter on the ground with a crash.
The pain goes away as quickly as it came.
Michaël finally manages to raise his head after several minutes and looks out the window.
-"Lucifer?"