Prologue

Chloe is having dreams. Dreams that feel real. What do they mean? How are they possible? How will she deal with them when Lucifer returns?

That night was the night it started. The night he never showed.

"I want to tell you everything. No more going backwards."

She'd stayed up. She'd actually believed him. She'd sat, phone in hand, waiting on her couch, sinking lower and lower into the cushions, feeling more and more like an idiot until the world finally slipped away, allowing her to drift into another reality. That of her dreams.

Everything was fuzzy. Her sight, her hearing… even the way she moved didn't seem quite right. In the distance she heard the muffled hum of club music, but there was a sound that was sharper… clearer than it all. It was the light 'ping' of a coin being flicked.

A coin that floated above Lucifer's hand. He sat there, in the middle of the club, everything else a blur, but he was crystal clear.

"Your return the underworld has been requested."

Amenadiel's voice spoke. Echoing through her mind.

The blurred club around Lucifer vanished, but he remained. He stood, walking toward her slowly, that playful smirk tweaking his lips, the coin in his hand replaced with a bullet.

"You know exactly what I'm asking you…" it was her voice this time. Distant and far away.

"And you know exactly what I'll answer…" came Lucifer's reply.

Suddenly, Chloe felt as though she'd been doused in icy water, her feet touching firmly upon the ground and she felt certain she was awake.

And yet, she couldn't be.

Lucifer was right there. Shirtless, but not in the 'fun' way as he might put t.

He was furious as he stared out into the night from his penthouse. His knuckles white and clenched around the balcony railing, his eyes dark and barely containing his anger.

Maze stood behind him and she looked… wary, unsure… perhaps even… afraid?

Chloe tried to move forward, but she couldn't. She tried to speak, but no sound came. She was stuck, watching the scene that seemed so real unfold.

"Someone's got them Mazikeen," he said so lowly that Chloe nearly missed it. "Someone's got my wings."

She saw Maze's eyes flicker to the scars that seemed more noticeable than ever on Lucifer's back and Chloe swallowed, the nervous atmosphere of the room filling her despite her apparent non-exsistence to either party there.

She blinked once and she'd moved again. Cold sand engulfed her bare feet, night air softly caressing a few strands of her hair. Yet again, she could not move.

Even if she could, she didn't think she'd have been able to.

Beautiful didn't cover it. Nor gorgeous or magnificent. Nothing could describe the pure, effervescent white wings that lay on the sand around Lucifer.

The only thing that could break her gaze was the look on Lucifer's face. Cigarette in hand he still looked so casually handsome, even in his dishevelled appearance with his messy shirt and bow-tie undone. But for once that 'couldn't care less' mask was not upon his face. He looked… sad, maybe even dejected, and yet a hard determination stiffened the corners of his eyes. As though he'd set his mind to do something incredibly difficult and… perhaps not right.

He looked up suddenly and Chloe's stomach flipped as she was sure this time he could see her, the corner of his mouth twitching into a smirk.

"I knew you'd come."

Chloe's heart skipped a beat, she tried to say something, but-

"Of course I'd come."

Amenadiel was right behind her, his words stopping any that she'd hoped but failed to produce, her muteness still impeding her.

Lucifer stood up, but Amenadiel continued.

"It's my duty to return the wings to where they belong."

"Is that all?" quipped Lucifer.

Amendial breathed a short laugh. "After everything that you've been through. Waiting, searching, reaching to the high heavens for help. Now that you finally have your wings. Hasn't part of you longed to assume your form?"

For the briefest of moments Lucifer's eyes flickered downward, and he had no words to respond.

"Get back to where you belong," Amenadial continued, his earnest clear.

Lucifer took another breath, vaguely eyeing his lit cigarette, that atrabilious look crossing his face once more. Then, "Not exactly."

And Chloe's heart stopped as he flicked his cigarette over his shoulder and his wings… those incredible wings caught alight in an instant, flames speeding skyward to the heavens.

Then, Chloe awoke, Amenadiel's anguished cry ringing in her ears, Lucifer's dark eyes plaguing her mind.

She didn't move for a while, trying to reaffirm herself with reality.

She looked around her, very slowly pulling herself up and feeling her back twinge with pain from her position where she'd fallen asleep on the couch. She breathed out slowly, burying her head in her hands. It was just a dream. A very vivid, insane dream. She pulled out her phone, noting that it was now 4am and she'd received no other calls from Lucifer.

She shouldn't be surprised. But, disappointment flowed through her all the same.

She didn't want to think about that. Especially after that… dream. Clearly Lucifer was too much on her mind already. She stood up carefully, still feeling quite out of it before she slowly moved toward Trixie's room.

She peeked through the door, a vague feeling of calm finally settling over her as she watched her daughter sleep. It was one of the few things in life that could truly bring her peace.

She spent a while like that before finally closing the door again quietly and heading to her room to shower. She couldn't bring herself to face sleeping again right now. She was glad Maze wasn't here, even though that meant she was still with Linda in hospital. But, she didn't want to talk either. Her mind set on distracting herself with paperwork instead.

Chloe frowned at the paper coffee cup in her hand as she sat at her desk in the precinct. She was barely restraining herself from glancing around the office again to look for any sign of an approaching Lucifer. This wasn't unusual for him at all. But, after all that had happened recently… and that voicemail last night…

Well she'd hoped he'd show up this morning.

"Hey Chloe," Dan's voice snapped her out of her trance.

"Morning," she said quickly, throwing him a quick smile and tucking a strand of hair behind her ear while pretending to look interestedly at a form on her desk.

Dan hesitated for a moment, then, "Hey I… wanted to talk to you," he said quietly, the uncertainty to his voice making Chloe look up. "About yesterday," he continued quickly. "All that happened with Lucifer and… Charlotte at the pier."

"Have you seen Lucifer this morning?" She asked a little too quickly.

"Huh? No," frowned Dan. "But… so much of what happened just doesn't add up with me." He broke off for a second, shaking his head. "That family… I just…"

Chloe sighed. "I know. I've given up trying to explain what happens around him by now, Dan."

Dan's frown remained in place. "It's more than that Chloe," he said very seriously, lowering his voce. "I mean, first he shows up with that crazy knife which looks just like the murder weapon from that yoga massacre case a little while back,"

Chloe frowned too, internally slapping herself for not making that connection already. She'd had so much else to think about.

Dan was still talking. "After he took… whatever that was from my pocket, and don't get me started on where the hell that came from…"

Chloe tapped her finger against her cup of coffee, not fully listening, instead thinking back to Lucifer's words, demanding Charlotte release her. What the hell had that been about?

"Then I blink, they're on the beach. Knife gone. Charlotte's memories gone. Like… it just…it just doesn't make sense."

Chloe looked at Dan seriously, noting how clearly disturbed he was by all this. It got to her less and less now days. But, she realised that maybe that wasn't a good thing.

"Dan, I can't explain it either," she sighed. "You could ask Lucifer, but-"

"You know exactly what he'll say."

Chloe clenched her jaw, a brief snippet of last night's dream flickering through her mind. "Yeah, Dan. That he's 'The Devil'." She shook her head distractedly. "Anyway, right now I don't know where he is, so unless you have anything else to go on…?"

Dan sighed a little irritably. "No," he muttered, his disappointment clear.

Chloe felt bad for shutting him down, but after last night and with Lucifer still silent she did not feel like talking more about his and his family's 'weirdness'. "Ok then," she said quickly, turning back to her paperwork, glancing surreptitiously at Dan while he walked away.

Chloe hesitated in her car, the engine still running, parked across from Lux.

She tapped her fingers against the steering wheel. Should she go in? But, how would she react if he were in there, tied up with a few women or men from the club? He'd disappeared for much longer than a day before. She'd committed herself to not caring this time. Not worrying and stressing for him to return weeks later with a wife.

But what if… what if he was in trouble. What if something had happened and she turned her back on her friend we he needed her?

Her resolve nearly ticked over, she nearly turned that key in the ignition and got out.

But no. No, no, no. She'd fallen for that too many times before. No more getting hurt. It had only been a day. If he wanted to pretend he never made that phone call then fine.

That thought in mind, she flicked her blinker on instead, pulling out and driving away. Glancing once in the rear view mirror as the club disappeared over the hill.

That night she was exhausted. She'd read Trixie her story about 6 times before she'd finally gone to sleep, finished a pile of paperwork, cleaned all of the dishes, done a load of laundry, tinkered with a leaking tap in her bathroom before she finally relented to needing to sleep. She glanced briefly at Maze's note on the kitchen counter claiming she'd gone 'bounty hunting' before heading slowly to her room.

The dream from the night before had left her feeling so hypnagogic all day she really didn't want to have another one. But, she couldn't not sleep for ever. At least she'd suitably worn herself out so surely she'd be in for a deep, dreamless night.

If only that could have held true.

The moment darkness took a hold, her head buried in her pillow, long slow breaths moving her chest… the dream began. And not slowly this time. She was straight into it, frozen and mute, but so very there.

She was back in the warehouse. That horrible warehouse where Malcom had nearly taken Trixie from her. And nearly taken… Lucifer from her.

Chloe's heart jutted in her chest, for Lucifer lay there again upon that same ground, blood pooling beneath him, his body twitching as it fought for life.

She tried desperately to move, her eyes fixed on her dying partner. But she could not shift.

Then, so quietly. So, so quietly she heard his voice. Lucifer was saying something.

"I know this isn't part of the plan…" he sounded so weak, so frail she desperately wanted to run to him. "I'm not sure if you can even hear me…" he actually tried to laugh at that sentence, a weak, humourless laugh. "But if you're up there…Dad…" he was almost begging now. "I need a favour," she could hear the desperation in his voice. "I'll be the son you always wanted me to be…" he was choking on his words now, it was so heart wrenching to witness, Chloe couldn't take it, yet her eyes were glued to this torture. "I'll do as you ask…go where you want me to…I…" Lucifer's voice had nearly faded now. "In exchange, all I ask…is that you protect Chloe…"

Chloe's heart nearly fell from her chest, pain gripping her from inside and Lucifer went still, his last words burned into her ears.

But, before she had time to process them… the scene changed.

The sound of never ending flames fought to drive her mad, and yet the icy chill that froze the air did not lift. The smell of brimstone clung to her nostrils, yet the source was nowhere to be seen. Chloe blinked, still unable to move as ash slowly dusted her lashes and a sole pair of footsteps was added to the mix.

Chloe stared in terror of this place as she watched Lucifer walk slowly down the corridor, all too familiar with his surroundings. Without moving herself, she was gliding after him, following him through the emptiness that was this place.

Chloe's eyes fell on a huge, impossibly heavy door that was torn from its hinges, chains broken and hanging uselessly from its bars.

"It can't be…" was all she heard Lucifer mutter before the scene changed once more.

Lucfier was playing his grand piano in his penthouse, singing along with his song. So many emotions had been playing with Chloe's insides, yet she couldn't help her smile and blush as she watched him silently. His talent still impressed her.

The elevator dinged and Lucifer turned.

"Oh," he said in surprise, throwing his cigarette in the ash tray on top of the piano. "Well I didn't realise I had an audience," he muttered, standing up. "Is there anything I can do for you?"

But, Chloe stared in shock as Charlotte Richards stumbled from the lift. Her hair a mess, her clothes torn and… bloody.

There was a long moment of silence before…

"Lucifer…" she breathed and Lucifer's brow puckered with emotion.

"Mum…"

Chloe's jaw tightened as she watched the scene unfold. Charlotte's story… her insane, impossible story boggling even Chloe's dream mind.

She watched Lucifer snatch the bloodied screwdriver from Charlotte's hand, his face serious.

"I simply don't believe your wounded bird story," he was telling her. "You're the Goddess of all creation…" he said it like an insult.

But, once again, before Chloe could get close to getting a hold of her mind's situation the scene changed once more.

Chloe could barely get her bearings as she was thrust into an old, ruined church where right in the centre Lucifer was fighting viciously with a stranger. Fear grasped at Chloe's insides as she watched the strange man thrust Lucifer into a broken pew, shards of wood flying with Lucifer's grunt of pain.

"You're lucky I would never use Azriel's blade on you, brother," said the man, and Chloe just stared in shock.

But then, Maze was there, daggers ready, threats even more ready as they fell easily off her tongue. And that's when the man pulled out the blade. That same damned blade Chloe kept seeing in the waking world.

She couldn't watch, but she couldn't close her eyes either as the man fought Maze brutally while Lucifer lay in the rubble. She just wanted it to end. She couldn't take it. Especially not when Maze was the next to go down.

"Because you made it so difficult," the man was leering. "Now I'm going to take out Mum… and the Detective," he said as he moved toward the broken organ. "You can't stop me, bro."

And that was what shocked Chloe the most.

Suddenly Lucifer was there, that blade in his hand, his eyes a turmoil of fierce emotions before he plunged the knife into the stomach of the man that called him 'bro'.

Another scene change. Just as suddenly as the last.

She was back in Lucifer's penthouse. But, she had never seen her partner like this.

Hi stumbled through his elevator, his clothes dirty with blood and dust, untucked and dishevelled. But his face…

Chloe didn't take note of Charlotte, she heard her ask "Where's Uriel?" but she could not take her eyes off the broken face of her partner.

There was a moment, and then, "What have I done?" he spoke, and Chloe could feel the distraught grief in his voice. And then, he broke. Tears streamed down his cheeks, his face contorting in guilt, anger, sadness…

And Chloe's heart shattered for him at the sight.

She wasn't taken aback this time when her surroundings changed. She almost expected it.

"I'm a monster," he seemed to truly believe it as his voce shook while he confided in Doctor Linda Martin. "A monster who deserves to be punished!"

"I believe you feel that way!" Insisted Lind seriously. "And I want to understand. I truly do! But Lucifer you have to help me. I need you to be honest with me. Completely honest about who you are."

Lucifer looked at her slowly, unsure, but that desperation clear in his eyes. "Completely honest…" he repeated lowly, his voice hesitant, uncertain and… she was almost certain he sounded scared. "Are you sure?"

"Yes!" insisted Linda almost in exasperation. "Yes, I'm sure. That's what all of these sessions, our entire relationship, is about. Getting to know the real Lucifer," she said seriously and so full of certainty and earnest. "No more lies. No more metaphors…"

Lucifer breathed for one moment, then, "Very well," he said more solemnly than Chloe had heard him speak in her life.

Then,

Nothing could have prepared her.

Before her eyes… he changed.

Skin torn, flesh scorched, burned sinew replacing the face she'd known as Lucifer. His eyes, his warm, chocolate brown eyes replaced with deep, scorching burgundy.

She couldn't breathe. She couldn't think. She couldn't blink. She couldn't-

She awoke.

She sat upright in her bed immediately, her heart thudding in her chest, her cheeks stained with dried tears while her eyes still felt wet.

What was happening to her?!

Then,

"Mummy?"

Chloe's heart thudded even more as her door cracked open, her daughter standing in the small splash of light from outside her room.

"Trixie?!" She breathed desperately, her hands shaking and she pushed her hair from her face. "Monkey, what are you doing up?" she breathed quickly and as normally as possible, though her voice did not sound like her own.

Trixie hesitantly walked into her room. "I heard you crying mummy…" she said quietly.

Chloe swallowed thickly. "Oh, baby its ok," she said quickly. "Come here, monkey," she gestured to the bed, opening her arms out.

Trixie quickly trotted over, hopping up and into her mother's arms.

Chloe cuddled her into her chest, burying her head in her daughter's hair. "Thank you sweetie," she said softly. "Mummy's fine. Just a… just a bad dream."

Trixie breathed softly. "You don't have to pretend with me mummy, remember? Just like you said."

Chloe nearly laughed hearing her own words coming from her daughter's mouth. "I'm not pretending, monkey," she told her quietly, even though inside she was still falling apart. "It was just a dream."

Just a dream. So why did those 'dreams' feel so real? She clutched Trixie tighter, tears threatening to overwhelm her again as she felt like she must surely be going insane. Is this what it felt like to lose your mind? She couldn't take it, feeling like she had no control over her reality, everything she thought was real and true seemed to be falling apart from some damned dreams.

She closed her eyes, trying to focus on her daughter.

What was happening to her?