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"Hey, Chloe."
For Daniel, it had been a pretty uneventful day. Mostly just paperwork he had to finish up after he'd dropped Trixie off at school. This was his first case of the day - the death of a young woman named Delilah. He was working it with Chloe, of course - and he offered the Lieutenant a warm smile as he approached, pulling on a pair of gloves as he stepped past the police tape they had already set up, reaching Chloe's side. Her gaze was fixed on the dead body, her face shadowed with grief.
Daniel marveled at that, how she could be so heartbroken over someone she didn't even know. He felt the same way, to be honest. But seeing that look on her face hurt more than anything.
"Hey, Dan." Chloe forced a smile at him, then got straight to business. "Multiple gunshot wounds, worst one on the neck, it looks like. The guy who did it apparently crashed his car not too far from here, and…" There was a long pause, and Chloe suddenly raised a hand and pointed toward one of the ambulances. Daniel turned to look, eyebrows raising when he saw a young child about nine years old perched in the back of one, looking annoyed as the medics fussed over him. "Apparently the kid was at the scene, too. Right near Delilah when it happened."
"Is he hurt?" Daniel's eyebrows furrowed, his face scrunching slightly in thought. The kid was trying to get a good look at Delilah, irritation shining clearly through his eyes, but also worry. But he didn't look… fazed. Blood covered his hands, his shirt, as if maybe he had tried to stop the bleeding. Daniel wondered how long that kid had been there with her.
"He was grazed," Chloe replied quietly. "Nothing serious. He doesn't even seem hurt." She paused. "I haven't spoken to him yet, if you want to…? You've always been better with the kids," she teased lightly, and Daniel laughed a little bit.
"I'd say we're pretty equal on that front, Chlo," he replied, kissing her on the cheek. "I'll go talk to him." With that, he headed past her, stepping carefully past the others and heading toward the ambulance. The kid looked up at him warily as he approached, his tiny face scrunched up with an anger that a child his age should never possess.
"Hey there, kiddo," Daniel said gently, settling down beside the kid, who scooted away from him as if on instinct. "I'm Detective Espinoza, but you can call me Daniel. Can you tell me your name?"
The kid huffed, as if he didn't even want to be talking to him in the first place. But he seemed to pause, seemed to think he was supposed to be polite despite his annoyance, because he looked down at his blood-soaked hands and grimaced. "Lucifer."
Daniel's eyebrows twitched, furrowing together in confusion for a few moments. Lucifer? What kind of parent named their kid Lucifer? He went silent for a few seconds, unsure what to say to that. Eventually, he just cleared his throat and nodded. "So, how did you know Delilah?"
Lucifer grimaced, looking over at him through slightly narrowed eyes before turning his attention back to the crime scene. "She's simply an acquaintance of mine. We were supposed to meet up with Mazikeen earlier, but…" He finally seemed to falter, something akin to grief crossing his face before the anger returned. "Well, that car pulled up, and there were gunshots, and Delilah…"
Daniel's head was reeling. He'd never heard a child talk like this before - even Trixie, as smart as she was, and she was smart, she didn't speak so formally, so… quietly, monotonously. He swallowed and took a deep breath, nodding once more as he stood up and headed deeper into the ambulance to grab some wet wipes. "Did you see who did it?"
"Yes, I did." Lucifer was watching him carefully as he came back, taking his seat next to the kid once more and pulling a few wipes from the pack, handing them to him silently. He took them with a frown, seeming confused at first, before slowly beginning to rub the blood from his hands. "Actually had a lovely chat with the man just before he died, as well." Another huff escaped his lips. "And here's an interesting bit of news; He'd said 'I only pulled the trigger'. As if someone else had loaded and cocked the gun. Isn't that interesting?"
"It sure is," Daniel murmured softly, shaking his head a little bit. He eventually reached forward to help Lucifer, noting the visible flinch as he reached for the kid. He relaxed when he realized Daniel wasn't going to hurt him, though, watching him carefully. "Do you know how I could get into touch with Mazikeen, maybe see if I can get her to come pick you up?"
"Oh, no problem there," Lucifer replied dismissively. "She doesn't have a phone." He grimaced. "Delilah wouldn't tell me where we were supposed to meet her. She said it was some sort of surprise, so… I have absolutely no idea where to begin looking." At that point, he looked uncomfortable, the idea of being lost in a big city. Daniel's heart ached for the kid.
"Well," Daniel spoke carefully, biting his lip. "I can't just let you go wandering off through LA, so you can come back to the precinct with us for now until we can contact her. Do you have any other family?"
"None that would care," Lucifer snickered a bit, a bitter expression crossing his face for a moment, accompanied by that overwhelming anger that, again, no child should possess. Then his face crumbled again, looking away. "No, it's just Mazikeen and I ever since Lilith passed."
"Okay." Daniel finally pushed himself up to stand, holding a hand out for Lucifer. But he let it drop when the kid just stood up on his own, ignoring the offer for help as he stumbled clumsily to the ground and staggered a bit. "Do you need anything? Food, drink?"
"Alcohol would be nice," Lucifer huffed a little bit, and Daniel's concern deepened. Lucifer paused, narrowing his eyes at him. "Joking, Daniel. Mostly. Whatever, it doesn't matter. I simply want to find whoever did this-" He gestured toward Delilah, the angry look on his face deepening as he shook his head. "And avenge her. Poor mortal didn't deserve to die."
Daniel tilted his head a little at the use of the word 'mortal', but he didn't say anything about it yet. He was probably just in shock, the poor thing. Daniel simply led him back over to Chloe to explain the situation to her, offering her a hesitant smile as they approached. "So, the kid's gonna ride back to the precinct with me. Chloe, this is Lucifer." He looked down at Lucifer. "Lucifer, this is-"
"Lieutenant Chloe Espinoza," Lucifer interrupted idly, shaking his head. "I'm aware, thank you." He blinked at Chloe, then offered a sweet little smile. "Oh, also the main actress in Hot Tub Highschool. Brilliant film, by the way. Excellent acting."
Chloe's eyebrows quirked up, amused and confused all in one as a laugh escaped her lips. "Well, thank you." She crouched down in front of him and smiled softly. "You're a really brave kid, you know. Not many kids would have stuck around for so long." She reached out to gently ruffle his hair. And judging by the expression on her face, she didn't miss the cringe that Lucifer gave at the contact. Neither did Daniel.
"... Right." Lucifer looked away, suddenly seeming uncomfortable. "Well, I certainly couldn't leave her in the middle of the street…" He trailed off and huffed, turning away. "Which car is yours, Daniel? I'll go wait for you."
"We're going, buddy," Daniel said softly, kissing Chloe on the cheek. "We'll meet you there." He turned away, instinctively reaching down for Lucifer's hand - they would be crossing the street and there was no way he was letting the kid cross on his own, mature or not. Lucifer gave a sharp tug, obviously trying to pull away, but Daniel held on firmly as he started walking.
"You have to hold my hand while we cross the street."
"Why?" Lucifer wrinkled his nose, following after him with a frown. "As if physical contact would protect either of us from a car. Besides, I'm immortal."
Daniel actually chuckled despite himself - now, this, he was used to hearing from kids. "Of course you are." He reached his free hand into his pocket for his keys, unlocking the car and opening the back door for Lucifer when he got to it. Lucifer eyed it up and down, then huffed and pulled his hand away from Daniel, climbing in wordlessly.
Daniel got in the driver's side, turning the car on and making sure the air was on - it was rather hot that day. "Buckle up," he chided, and Lucifer glowered at him stubbornly for a second or so.
"Why?"
"Safety." Daniel clicked his own seatbelt into place, and Lucifer eyed him for a moment before hesitantly starting to do the same. And as Daniel watched him, the realization set in; He was looking at the seatbelt as if he'd never worn one before, as if he didn't even know how to work it. And it took him a few tries before he managed to get it to click, looking rather triumphant when he did so.
"Good job," Daniel said quietly, already knowing he needed the praise for that. The surprised look on Lucifer's face didn't faze him. He'd already figured the kid didn't get praised often, judging by his earlier interaction with Chloe.
Lucifer went silent. Daniel simply started driving.
He couldn't really figure this kid out…
But damn, did he want to.
It was nighttime by the time Chloe got to the precinct. Lucifer didn't really mind, to be honest. He was more or less focused on Daniel. He regarded him with a kind of gentleness that Lucifer wasn't used to - except, maybe, from Amenadiel. Lucifer huffed a bit at the thought of his oldest brother, staring down. He hadn't spoken to him since he'd been kicked out, since he went to live with Lilith and Mazikeen, in "Hell". But Daniel was also… different, somehow. Lucifer couldn't quite place it.
He kicked his legs back and forth in the chair he was sitting in. His feet didn't touch the ground at all. Beside him, Trixie was curled up in another chair, fast asleep. Daniel had gone to pick her up from school, leaving Lucifer with a female cop (who seemed more amused than anything at Lucifer's flirting attempts). The child was actually quite tolerable, honestly. Lucifer liked her, at least. She was fun.
He looked up when Daniel stopped in front of him, stifling a yawn and blinking rapidly as the man set down a cup of pudding in front of him, taking a seat in the chair across from him at the desk. Lucifer eyed the pudding warily, confusion darkening his features. "What's this?"
"Pudding," Daniel chuckled a little, though he looked confused. Lucifer didn't quite understand why. "You eat it. Come on, you have to be starving by now."
Lucifer eyed the pudding doubtfully. He was hungry, yeah, but this was new to him. He'd never had pudding before. It had only been a few months since he'd been kicked out of 'Heaven', after all. He hadn't been on Earth very long, or at least that's what he thought.
Either way, it was different. Different was scary, to him.
"It tastes really good," Daniel coaxed, putting his chin in one hand. "Just give it a try. If you don't like it, I'll get you something else. Anything you want."
"Anything I want?" Lucifer blinked and frowned. Yeah, that was new to him, too. Daniel nodded slightly, and Lucifer lightly traced his finger around the pudding cup before pulling it closer to open it. He did so rather easily when he figured out what he was supposed to do, taking the spoon as Daniel offered it to him and scooping out a spoonful curiously. He poked it with his tongue hesitantly at first before taking the bite.
It was squishy, feeling weird on his tongue. And it took a second or two for him to actually register the taste, swirling the pudding around inside his mouth for a moment. It tingled slightly in his mouth, taste buds reacting instinctively to the taste as his mouth watered, forcing him to swallow down the bit he had in his mouth. It was good. It was sweet, in a way Lucifer had never tasted before.
Daniel smiled at him. "Whattya think?"
"It's… adequate," Lucifer replied carefully, running his tongue over his lips a few times and looking up at him curiously. "And I can have this, then? All of it?"
Daniel's smile faltered a little bit, but stayed. Lucifer tilted his head slightly, confused by that reaction, but he didn't have time to question it that much. "Yeah, kiddo. It's all yours. And there's more if you want another after that." He sat back in the chair while Lucifer processed that, and the kid nodded a bit and scooped another spoonful into his mouth.
He had eaten two more by the time Chloe got there.
And he felt weird.
Energetic would be a good word to describe it, actually. Hyper-ish. He was spinning around in the chair when Chloe got there and, Trixie, who was now awake, was perched in the seat beside him, both of them giggling their heads off as they spun. Daniel just looked amused, watching the two.
"You having fun?" Chloe's voice broke through their laughter, chuckling a bit herself as she set a file down on the desk, looking exhausted. Daniel stood up and wrapped his arms around her from behind, settling both hands across her stomach and kissing her cheek.
Lucifer stopped spinning to watch them, curiosity sparkling through his eyes. He jumped when Trixie launched herself across the desk to join the little hug with a squeal. "Mom!"
Lucifer blinked and glanced between them, head tilting. Right, Trixie was Daniel's daughter - and she was Chloe's, as well. He watched, silent, as Chloe pulled Trixie into a hug and planted a kiss on her forehead, smiling all the while. "Hey, Monkey. You ready to go home?"
Right, home. For a split second, thoughts of the Silver City plagued Lucifer's mind. He shied away from those.
"Yeah!" Trixie paused and pulled back a little bit. "Oh, can Lucifer come, too? He doesn't have anywhere else to go." Lucifer blinked in mild surprise at that, staring at Trixie. She wanted him to come back with them?
"Well, if it's alright with Lucifer, I don't see a problem with it," Chloe replied easily, exchanging a look with Daniel before smiling at Lucifer once more, leaning forward over the desk and reaching out to fix his curly mess of hair. Lucifer tried not to flinch that time, but it was more or less instinct at that point. He did lean into the touch after a moment, though, somewhat enjoying the feeling. "Would you like that?"
Lucifer blinked, responding carefully, "I don't want to impose."
"You wouldn't be, I promise," Chloe told him gently, rubbing her thumb down his cheek. Lucifer leaned into the touch somewhat subconsciously, his eyes growing a little bit heavier at the contact. The poor kid was touch starved, and he didn't even know it. "I think it's for the best, anyway, until we can get in touch with someone to come pick you up. I certainly don't mind it, and I think Trixie and Dan have grown rather fond of you."
Lucifer glanced over at Trixie and Daniel, both of which were smiling at him encouragingly, with Daniel chuckling a bit at Chloe's words. He shifted slightly in the seat before offering Chloe a hesitant smile. "Well, I…" He trailed off. "That would be lovely, Lieutenant."
"Good." Chloe beamed at him, pulling back. "I have to put these files away. Dan, you go ahead and get them settled in the car, I'll be out in a minute." She kissed Daniel, on the lips this time, and Lucifer raised his eyebrows slightly at the sight.
"Come on, Lucifer." Trixie grabbed Lucifer's hand with a smile, and Lucifer winced a bit despite himself as he was tugged toward the door. "I have a candy stash in the backseat, we can share."
"Oh, lovely." Lucifer blinked. "What's candy?"
So that was how Lucifer ended up staying with Chloe and Daniel.
It actually wasn't awful. Trixie was excellent company, and the babysitters that Chloe and Daniel often hired were tolerable, for the most part. Chloe would let them come into work with her every so often, and they would both assist her on cases. Or at least they would try to. Lucifer was honestly beginning to have fun.
It wasn't too long after when Mazikeen found them. She had been wary at first, but, seeing how attached Lucifer had grown to the little family, she accepted them rather easily. She, eventually, became their permanent babysitter. Which was great. Because she was a lot less strict than the other ones.
Lucifer still had his moments. Still pushed his limits.
But they were so patient. Daniel hardly ever got angry and lost his temper with him; He was always calm, always understanding. So different from Lucifer's father - honestly, the kid had a blast with testing his limits with that one. Chloe was a different story. She wasn't afraid to be firm with him, but she didn't snap, she didn't get angry or shout, and neither of them hit him. So, it didn't take long for Lucifer to get attached. Not that he would admit it.
Right then he was curled up on the couch, snuggled into Chloe's side and watching Willy Wonka and The Chocolate Factory. He didn't quite understand it, but it was rather amusing to see. He leaned his head against her shoulder, blinking tiredly and trying not to yawn. Trixie was curled up on Chloe's other side, in between her and Daniel.
Lucifer glanced at each of them in turn, taking in the quiet scene. Domestic.
Odd.
Different.
A smile appeared on his face despite himself, burying his face into Chloe's shoulder with a sigh and turning his attention back to the TV.
… Amazing.