Lucifer put his glass down and cleared his throat, readying himself for the topic that had been eating at the edge of his mind. He had to know why. Why Chloe had been so adamant and emotional on the stand? Was she serious about saying she trusted him? How could she trust the devil? "Detective, what you said in the courtroom-"

"It was the truth." Chloe leaned forward and Lucifer found a warm hand wrapped around his fingers. He actually had to look down to make sure he wasn't imagining things. Chloe looked up at him with such honesty and the corner of her mouth quirked up and... wait, were her pupils dilated? Lucifer gently tightened his hand around Chloe's small fingers and felt her pulse jump.

One part of his brain was carefully cataloging the signs of desire, while the other was going absolutely batshit insane. Instead of feeling the satisfactory rush of finally persuading someone to give into their deepest desires, he felt his chest tighten. What was this feeling, this... worry? Chloe gazed at him with the city lights reflecting in her eyes and the oddest thought passed through his head. "Don't fuck this up."

He tugged on her hand slowly, intending to raise it to his lips as a test, but somehow Chloe moved with it. Lucifer could not stop staring into her green eyes getting closer, and he felt her breath against his lips before it hit him that he was actually going to kiss Chloe Decker.

Or would have, if the elevator's ping hadn't startled them both.

Abruptly broken out of the spell of Chloe's presence, Lucifer could only watch as Maze walked in with a bloodied man draped over her shoulder. "Little help here?" she called, and the light hit on the horrible gashes across his face.

"Dan!" Chloe jumped out of her chair and helped Maze lay him across the sofa.

Lucifer shook his head as he joined them. "I should have known Detective Douche would show up where he was least wanted."

Chloe gave him a look. "Seriously?"

Lucifer shrugged. "It was an inopportune moment, you have to admit, Detective."

Chloe's annoyed look deepened. "A man is bleeding, and all you care about is yourself?"

"Detective! Of course I care about the fact that he's bleeding on my leather sofa," Lucifer quipped, and Chloe let out a disgusted noise.

Maze's eyes flicked between the two of them, the wine glasses on the table, and the state of Lucifer's (now tight) pants. "Uhn huh." Her eyes lit up with a glee that had Lucifer wiping a hand down his face. "I'm sorry, did I interrupt something?" she asked Chloe in an innocent tone.

Chloe ignored Maze and evaluated Dan's wounds. Still breathing, probably passed out, with a pattern of shallow oozing gashes across his face and a nasty bump on his forehead. "Focus!" she snapped at Maze in the authoritative tone she reserved for street punks. "What happened?"

"About five tons of steel rammed into us," Maze shrugged at Chloe's incredulous expression. "Yeah, the Challenger is toast."

"Wait. You got in a car accident and you decided to bring Dan here rather than to a hospital?"

"Well... yeah... I mean..." Maze looked over at Chloe, struggling for some excuse other than we let the Chinese gang kidnap the warden and I think some of the Russian gang tried to kill us for revenge. "I hate doctors. Don't trust them with a healthy person or you'll come back and find them dead from mysterious circumstances." Chloe looked like she didn't buy it at all, but Dan started groaning. Taking advantage of Chloe's distraction, Maze whispered to Lucifer, "Don't let him out of your sight. This was a hit."

"By whom?"

"The Russian mafia."

"What did you do to provoke them, Maze?" Lucifer hissed.

"Remember our friend Warden Smith, who was doing the Russian mafia's dirty work, and who murdered Chloe's dad?" Lucifer's eyes blazed with the memory of how he had smirked as he passed by Chloe after the trial had been overturned. "Yeah, well, let's just say the coward got turned into chicken chow mein."

"You turned him over to the Chinese gang?" Lucifer said a bit too loudly, but Dan continued loudly waking up and covered his outburst.

"Oh, ho, not me. Dan."

"Detective Douche?" Surprise on his face, Lucifer turned towards the couch. Layers, like an onion. Fascinating.

One of Dan's eyes was half-open, while the right eye was swollen shut. Chloe was attempting to ask him questions about what hurt and what he could move, but he was groaning and fading in and out of consciousness in between questions. "We need to get him to a hospital," Chloe worried, looking at Lucifer.

"I'll side with Maze on this one," Lucifer found himself saying. Chloe rolled her eyes and took a breath, gearing up for an argument. "Now hear me out, Detective. His wounds are serious but not life-threatening. However, most doctors aren't versed in the delicate art of removing glass without permanently scarring someone's face." Chloe gave him a look. "I happen to know a doctor who will not only care for Detective Douche's wounds, but will keep his pretty boy face intact."

"Let me guess, they owe you a favor?" Chloe asked, annoyance in her voice.

"Please, Detective, let me make up for my earlier remarks by getting Dan the best doctor in the city." Chloe still looked skeptical. "I give you my word that Dan will be in good hands. I'll take him there myself."

"No, I want to go with you-"

"Detective, the convertible only has two seats, and showing up with a caravan at this particular doctor's house would be... unwise."

Chloe tried to change his mind, but gave up once she realized he was truely digging in his heels. She paced as Lucifer grabbed a shower curtain to protect his precious convertible seats from being destroyed. Dan was more awake now, and Lucifer showed infinite patience at his slow steps. Chloe watched them like a hawk until the elevator door closed, then she turned on Maze.

"Oh crap," she said, and Maze geared up for uncomfortable questions. "I never thought to ask. Are you all right? Are you injured?"

"Nah, I'm fine," Maze said, squelching the memory down of snapping her own neck back into place. "The car hit Dan's side and slammed his head into the window. I just got a face full of airbag."

"Ok, ok, good," Chloe said distractedly. She was staring at the blood on Lucifer's couch and she absentmindedly wiped her hands on the ruined surface.

"Hey, you ok?" Maze asked, frowning.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine." Chloe glanced at Maze and briefly smiled, but her eyes were still troubled. "I just need to... think some things through." Maze narrowed her eyes at her roommate. "Look, Trixie is staying at Grandma Espinoza's house, so don't wait up for us."

"Sure," Maze answered, and watched the confusing human walk away.

"Hey, Chloe, how's it hangin'?" Ella asked as the detective strode into her crime lab.

"12 feet of Christmas lights, that's how it's hanging," Chloe stated, tossing a bundle of bulbs and wires on the table.

Ella eyed her. "Seriously?"

Chloe grimaced. "Sadly, yes. Apparently one of L.A.'s star home decorators tried to take down an upside-down Christmas tree. They ended up getting tangled in the lights, falling off the ladder, and snapping their neck." Ella grimaced and nodded. "The whole case is odd. Why would they give their staff the day off and try to clean up a Christmas tree all by themselves? So, yeah, if you could-"

"Check the lights for prints and foreign material? You got it!"

Chloe smiled. "Thanks, Ella." She turned to walk out the door.

"Hey, Chloe!" Ella called, waiting until the detective turned around before motioning her over. "So, how was the date?" she whispered conspiratorially.

Chloe tried to look confused. "What date?"

Ella raised an eyebrow. "Come on, don't lie to your best friend, it's obvious. Maze texted me last night to ask if I was hanging with you because you weren't answering your phone. You're a work-aholic model parent, and thus unlikely to have a fun night on your own, so you must have been having fun with someone else." Ella made a tada gesture and waited for Chloe's reply.

"Since when do you and Maze text?" Chloe managed, clearly flustered.

"Oh, she's been coming over to catch up on Game of Thrones. But you're avoiding my question. Come on, spill."

Chloe fiddled with one of Ella's fingerprint brushes. "It wasn't a date. It was just dinner, and then it got interrupted, and Lucifer got mad at Dan-"

Ella let out a squee and grabbed Chloe's shoulders. "Wait, it was a date with Lucifer?!"

"It wasn't a date!" Chloe protested.

Ella frowned. "But Dan interrupted this... non-date?"

"Yeah, he got in a car accident-"

"Ohmygosh, is he ok?"

"See? That is the correct response!" Chloe flung out her hands. "Dan's ok, by the way. Lucifer just kept whining about how his couch was ruined and he didn't want his car to get blood in it and he's just... so..."

"Practical?" Ella suggested.

"Selfish." Chloe sighed. "Sometimes Lucifer does really sweet things, and other times - well, most of the time - he's incredibly self-centered. Dan was bleeding and Lucifer acted like he didn't care."

"Sounds like most of my brothers," Ella mused. "Guys just aren't socialized to think of other people's needs. Combine that with our cultural tendency to punish men who show emotions outside of anger or sexual desire, and some guys find it really hard to connect emotionally."

Chloe crossed her arms. "That's what I'm afraid of. I mean..." Chloe eyed Ella, trying to decide how much to trust their new friendship. Ella gave her a warm smile back, and Chloe decided to go for it. "I left Dan because he buried himself in work, and when he was home, he wasn't really there there, you know?" Ella nodded sympathetically. "The work was more important to him. My mom was never there when I was a kid, because the fame was more important to her. And then there's Lucifer."

"Who you're definitely not dating. At all." Ella managed to keep a straight face.

"Because I'm scared I'll become another one of his many one-night-stands," Chloe stated defensively.

"So you want more than a one night stand with the guy you're not dating?" Ella ribbed.

"Yes? No? Maybe? I don't know." Chloe threw up her hands. "I just don't want to get hurt."

"Well, you could walk into with eyes wide open. Assume you'll have some really great sex and then just go back to being partners. Cop partners, not romantic partners," Ella clarified. "And if it turns out Lucifer wants something more, well, it's icing on the cake."

"I just don't want to ruin our partnership. Lucifer makes me a better cop."

"Awww, you guys are so cute," Ella cooed. "Look, don't worry about that. Lucifer slept with half the higher ups, and that hasn't caused a problem."

"Way to make me feel confident."

"Oh come on, when you're around Lucifer never makes googley eyes at any of them." Chloe didn't look convinced. "Hey, it's just a suggestion. Think about it."

Chloe did think about it. Most distracting thoughts about how close she had been to kissing Lucifer and running her hands through his hair while she straddled his- Whoa, girl, get back to work!

"...and by the time I came back, the Detective was gone." Dr. Linda quirked her head but let the silence linger. Lucifer shifted on the couch. "Logically, I knew that it was late by the time I got back, and she probably needed to get back to her spawn, but I just couldn't help feeling..." Lucifer tensed and let out a breath. "...like I had done something wrong."

Linda smiled. "Lucifer, it's perfectly normal to feel uncertain on your first date."

"Yes, but I'm the devil!" Lucifer insisted. "I call to the dark desires in all women's hearts, except for Detective Decker, it seems."

Linda nodded and took in a breath. "You seem... upset that your powers don't work on Chloe."

"Look, I'm not... I just find it quite confusing. With other women, I can ask what they desire, and they'll tell me. Or do me." Lucifer flashed Linda a grin that had her toes curling in her shoes. "When I last asked Detective Decker if she wanted to get naked, she told me to stop talking and walked away. But last night she clearly wanted to kiss me. Either she's attracted to me or not, and I don't understand why she continues to beat around the bush instead of just jumping my bones." He made a frustrated noise and sat back on the couch.

"Lucifer, for many people, women especially, it takes a lot of trust to engage in an intimate act."

"Well, every person I've 'engaged with' in the past seemed to trust me to give them what they desire."

"Not every person is the same, Lucifer. Some people may need to engage in a deep level of emotional intimacy before they become physically intimate."

"Hold on, what's this 'emotional intimacy' you're rambling on about, hmm? I've been involved in every type of intimate act under the sun, and that's news to me."

Linda took a deep breath in through her nose, deciding how to phrase this. "People often want an emotional connection. To be able to share their feelings, their hopes and fears, with another person."

Lucifer looked confused. "Like what we're doing now?"

"Well, yes, in a way-"

"So I have been emotionally intimate with someone!" Lucifer exclaimed, looking pleased with himself.

"No, Lucifer. Emotional intimacy goes both ways. You have to share your feelings and truly listen to the other person share theirs. Listening and responding is what creates the emotional connection."

Lucifer gave her an annoyed look. "That sounds like a bloody lot of work if you ask me."

Linda's mouth quirked. "Yes, yes, it is Lucifer. It's called emotional labor." Lucifer snorted and mumbled something about 'made up terms'. Linda continued, "Look, Lucifer, I think it might be good for you to start sharing your feelings with Detective Decker. Try building that emotional connection before you look for physical intimacy."

Lucifer shook his finger at Linda. "You're in league with the Detective to give the devil blue balls, aren't you?"

"No, Lucifer, I'm simply concerned that you use sex as a way to avoid emotional connections." Lucifer shook his head, avoiding her gaze. "When you don't want to talk about emotions, you flirt or joke. By focusing solely on your lack of physical intimacy with Chloe, you're trying to ignore your uncertainty about whether she has feelings for you."

Lucifer tilted his head and stared his psychiatrist down. "Are you insinuating that the devil is afraid?"

"Well, are you?" Linda met his gaze head on. "If you're not afraid, it shouldn't be hard for you to be emotionally intimate instead of physically intimate." Lucifer looked like he had swallowed something unpleasant. "For, say, a week."

Lucifer looked intrigued. "Are you... making a deal with the devil?"

"Oh, no, Lucifer." Linda chuckled and then smiled sweetly. "Why would I need to bargain with you to do something you're not afraid of?"

Lucifer's mouth worked a bit before he responded, "All right, I will try this 'emotional intimacy' concept. For one week."

"'Try' is a weasel word, Lucifer. I want you to promise. I need to know you'll make a genuine effort."

Lucifer hung his head for a second, sighed, and then said, "All right, you have my word."

"I'm confident you can handle this, Lucifer. It's only a week."

"Chloe, I need you to get out of town for a week."

"Dan, what?!" Chloe exclaimed, startling the beat cop at the desk next to her. She lowered her voice and whispered to her ex-husband, "Why do you-"

"Just trust me on this Chloe," Dan interrupted, urgency in his voice. "Look, I've been tipped off by an informant that someone is after revenge for Warden Smith's trial. The Russian mafia is mad their inside man was ratted out, and we can't take any chances. Remember what happened to Boris?"

Chloe remembered his frozen decapitated head being mailed to her desk. "So the Russians are after anyone who testified against Warden Smith. You. Me. Lucifer. They could target our families. What about Trixie?"

"I've already had my mom take her out of school. They're heading for Disney Land right now."

"Disney Land?" Chloe groaned, knowing how insufferable Trixie could be after she got a taste of the near-by theme park. "Was that really necessary?"

"It's a very public place with metal detectors, and they're staying at the resort in the park. It was the only way I could get Trixie out of harm's way on such short notice without her getting worried about missing school."

Disney Land. Metal detectors. Missing school. A fast escape. "You're really worried about this Dan." His bleeding face flashed through her mind. "Wait, does this have anything to do with your accident?"

The line was silent long enough for Chloe's heart to start to race. "They aren't kidding around, Chloe. I don't have proof that it was the Russian mafia, and Warden Smith was acquitted, so we don't have any grounds to get you into a safe house. But we can't take any chances on this."

Chloe took a deep breath and started making plans. "Ok. I've got at least two weeks PTO, although I was going to save that for after New Years. I can join Trixie at Disney Land once I get off my shift."

"I'm not sure that's a good idea, Chloe. They could be following you, and I don't want you to lead them to Trixie."

"Ok, maybe I can lose them at the airport." She tucked the phone between her ear and shoulder and started typing on her computer. "It's late in the day, so it's going to be really expensive to get a flight anywhere."

"Why don't you see if Lucifer can pull some strings?"

Chloe paused her typing and frowned. "Since when are you ok with Lucifer cashing in on his shady deals?"

Silence. Chloe let Dan stew. "Look, I still don't like the guy, but he got me to a safe place last night, so I owe him one. Let him figure out where to take you."

Chloe grinned. "You mean, 'Let the devil take me for a ride?'" Dan just groaned and hung up.

"Bloody hell!" Lucifer exclaimed after he hung up on Chloe. "Why this week, of all weeks, does the Detective want to be whisked away from Los Angeles?"

Lucifer poured himself a drink, and pondered his mental list of people who owed him favors. George Donnington owned a cruiseline to Baja California and owed Lucifer for taking down that unfortunate video of him seducing a tourist. Hmm, a cruise might be too crowded. Tia Hernandez was indebted to him for helping her escape her abusive ex, and she could certainly take them on one of her week-long Grand Canyon rafting trips. Lucifer wondered if Chloe could swim. He decided it would be best to choose something more laid back if Detective Decker was already worried. Somewhere relaxing. Secluded. Private.

Jens picked up on the third ring. "Whadda want?"

"Ah, Jens, you remember me? Lucifer Morningstar," he purred, turning on the charm.

Jens' voice warmed up at least 20 degrees. "Hey, buddy, what can I do ya for?"

"Well, do you remember that quaint summer camp I helped you wrest from your father's control?"

"Yeah, I owe you big on that," Jens acknowledged.

"Good. Does it have any tenants right now?"

"In December? When the kids are off for Christmas? Nah, the church retreat group doesn't have it booked until mid-January."

"Excellent! I'm going to need you to set it up for us."

"'Us' huh?" Jens' voice became both smug and conspiratorial. "Takin' your girl somewhere special for New Years, huh? You want me to leave a bottle of champaign on ice?"

Champaign on ice. The fire reflecting in Chloe's eyes. Her lips just a breath away.

"It shouldn't be hard for you to be emotionally intimate instead of physically intimate." Linda's words echoed jarringly through Lucifer's head, and he growled into the phone, "No." Clearing his throat, he continued, "No, that won't be necessary. Just leave us the keys and enough rations for two people for a week."

"Ok, your call, boss man."

Lucifer hung up and immediately regretted his decision. "Bloody hell, what have I got myself into?"