Hello fellows!

I know it's been super long since I last updated but I am back now. My story's plot line is in place, chapter 5 has already been written, I just want you guys to let me know if my writing pace is okay. Am I going too fast? Too slow? As this is my first ever writing adventure I am seriously in need of your constructive criticism.

Please leave your reviews. Tell me what you think of the story and how should I improve it.

If you think I am lacking character development please let me know.

Miss. J. nori : This is the day my friend :D I finally took it again. Something to keep me busy in these depressing times. Hmm What is Sera?! Interesting!

C.R. Carmine : Thank you for pointing it out. I went back and tried fixing all the chapters. They had a lot of stupid mistakes. I would have to up my editing game I guess. Please let me know how else I can improve. 3

Selyne nightshade: Updated! Please review! :D

FINALLY. KEEP YOURSELF AND YOUR LOVED ONES SAFE IN THIS PANDEMIC!

Chapter 04:

I was in a trance. I didn't feel a thing.
My mind had always been freakishly good at blocking out situations that I didn't want to face.
It was like I could physically put a lid to all the feelings.

Closing up. Tightly.

I didn't know if that labeled me as impressively strong or pathetically weak. Whatever it was, it helped me survive.

The party had cut short when I got a phone call from Dad's number 4 hours ago. Dan had instantly booked three seats on first flight to Silverton.

So here I was right outside my home, dolled up in a pretty dress with watered gaze fixed on the front door.

I deliberately ignored the police cars parked around me and multiple men in uniform hurrying about.
A shudder coursed through me threatening to crumble my resolve. Chloe who somehow noticed my distress, abandoned her talk to one of the police officers rushing to my side. She slipped her strong calloused hand into mine as I crossed the porch, my misty eyes landing on my father's empty rocking chair to my right.

We used to spend our evenings here, Dad smoking cigar while going through the local news and reading the ridiculous ones out loud for me and I'd just sit here on the porch steps looking over at the sinking sun.

So much has changed. There would me no more carefree evenings, no more of him fretting over the breakfast, no more of movie mania, no more seeing the only person that I ever loved and lived for.

I didn't want to see him. I knew his lifeless body might just break me.
Chloe put her hand on my shoulder and gave me an encouraging nod.
Right then, a frantic junior officer came and led her inside, telling her how they got one of our neighbour's call at the break of the dawn.

I dragged a finger across the coffee table, then rubbed away the dirt. A half empty coffee mug lay forgotten in the middle starting to attract bugs.
I entered the living room and my eyes landed on him before I could steel myself.
He didn't look…dead. Not at the first glance at least. He looked asleep. Peaceful. Handsome as ever.

Except there was a small familiar dagger protruding from his chest, right over his once beating heart, deep red liquid streaking down from it that had now crusted and was turning into a dark shade of brown.

I wasn't that strong after all. I stumbled, my arm unconsciously reaching out to brace myself, to the nearest anchor; which happened to be Daniel. He reflexively gripped my upper arms from behind and supported my sagging body.

I tried to stifle but a weak sob escaped.

Chloe was a few feet ahead intently listening to an officer, who was animatedly pouring out all the details of my father's case.

"There were no signs of struggle. We found that the fingerprints on the weapon are victim's own. From the looks of it, it's a suicide case."

SUICIDE?

The word slammed into me, suddenly breaking me out of the trance, like a strong stench piercing through the brain. I wrenched out of Dan's hold and marched straight up to the unassuming officer.

"Suicide? You think he...killed himself? Just because you weren't able to get the murderer's fingerprints, does not mean that it was a suicide. My father i...was the happiest man I had ever known and YOU had the audacity to dump your ill..."

"Sera, calm down honey." Chloe wrapped an arm around me effectively cutting off my angry rant.
"Chloe, you tell them how it's done. You are the best. You always manage to capture the killer. Take this case. He didn't kill himself...he would never do that. He would never...le...leave..." I shrugged her arm with more force than necessary, voice cracking at last.
My emotions were simmering and my voice was cracking repeatedly but I was desperate, desperate to make them understand, to make them see how absurd the idea of my father committing a suicide was.

My father was the only person who knew how much I missed my mother even when I'd never got to meet her. He witnessed my pain when after years of wait, I subconsciously gave up on her. Hell, he shared my pain. He wouldn't think to leave me like mother did.

No my father was never selfish, nor weak.

"There is no suicide note. Isn't there supposed to be a suicide note?"

I frantically plucked off a few cushions from the couch where his body was...MADE to pose like he really didn't try to defend himself against whoever plunged that knife into him.

Before I could search my dead father's pockets, I was pulled away by Dan while Chloe blocked Dad from my view.

"Miss Sera, you're not allowed to do that." A very strained voice interrupted my jumbled thoughts. "Besides an absence of a suicide note is really not the way to label a case as homicide."

A black man in uniform with an air of authority around him, stepped down the stairs making his way towards us.

Chloe discreetly motioned for Dan. He gave her a slight nod and began to lightly nudge me away from the scene.

"Come on, let your cousin handle this." Bending down, he spoke softly in my ear. My head was an aching mess of thoughts and swirling emotions. But I trusted Chloe enough.

I let Dan drag me out of the living area and up the stairs into my room. He had his one hand bracing my back and the other was speedily texting away on his cell phone.

"Who are you texting?" My voice sounded empty even to me but anything to get mind off of this wretched reality.

I had already started stuffing these events in that little black box at the back of my mind. It wouldn't be long before I'd be twisting a lock on all these memories and flinging it away, never to reopen.

"Oh the asshole king of darkness." He answered without looking away from his phone.

"I am surprised he didn't throw a tantrum about leaving him behind." I spoke distractedly perching down on the edge of my bed.

"Actually he did. It's just that Chloe knows how to handle the big whiny baby." He gave me a wicked wide grin that died down after seeing my glazed expression.

I was busy staring into nothingness when the head officer from earlier gave a sharp knock on the open door and stepped in without waiting for an answer.

"Miss Sera, let me officially introduce myself. I am Detective Grant Hugh. I know this is a difficult time for you but we have a few questions for you that might help us reach a solid lead." Dan stood up as well.

"Can't you do it later. She is in shock right now. It'd be best l…"
"No, it's fine Daniel." I softly spoke up. "I want to speed up the process. The sooner they find the killer, the sooner he'd be brought to justice."

Dan just shook his head and moved away to lean against the open bedroom door.

"Right then." Detective Grant cleared his throat looking at me with something close to pity in his eyes. I did not like that one bit. All the more reason to quickly get this over with and prove him wrong that this isn't a suicide.

"How was he? Your father. Was he depressed lately? Got into trouble? Confided in you for…"
I cut his insulting questions off.

"My father…was never depressed Detective. He is…he was a very loving person, very cheerful and…young at heart. He always told me to live my life to the fullest." I cleared my throat trying to dislodge the building emotions.

"Did he ever mention any rivalry? Any run ins with difficult situations?"

"What? No. He was loved by everyone in the town. He always went out of his way to help others, even for the strangers. I called him a saint often. Jokingly of course, because I knew he hated being called that." I smiled remembering his frown whenever I teased him.

Detective Grant then pulled a plastic bag out of his coat pocket, dangling it in front of my face. It had a small sleek bronze dagger coated in blood. The same one that was peeking out of my father's chest earlier.
"Do you recognize this, Miss Sera?"

"Y…yes." I whispered. It was my dad's. I had seen it multiple times on his study desk and his side drawer. He told me once that it was a gift from one of his close friends. "It's my dad's. He loved to collect antique weapons."
It was a beautiful piece, a rare antique, one of its kind on the planet as my father once told me and I had laughed dismissively.
Detective then proceeded to open up a cardboard box lying in a corner of the room. I recognized dad's belongings in it which meant police had already gone through dad's room. He rummaged through it carefully and finally pulled out a hospital bill handing it to me. I looked over it confused as to what it had to do with my father's murder.
"Miss Sera, you were attacked and was in a coma a few weeks ago. Who covered all your hospital bills?"
"Wha…i don't…my dad of course. We have a joint bank account. How…how is this helping the case again?" I was lost.
"You father had been under a huge amount of debt for a year now. Did you know anything about it?" My blank stare must have answered his question. He continued.

"He was under so much debt that when you landed in hospital, the expenses of keeping you hooked to the machines for 3 days were the last straw. He even sold this house a day before committing suicide. Probably knowing that he wouldn't be able to handle it after all."

I curled my fist at the side to keep it from flying and catching detective's jaw. I knew my father. He wouldn't just quit. Specially not by taking away my safe havens like that. He was a fighter.

Oh the nerve of this man. Trying to brush a murder under the rug by making my father seem like a coward.
"He DID NOT kill himself." I repeated through the clenched teeth.
Dan who had been quiet all this time, decided to intervene sensing my aggression.
"Right. Thanks Mr. Grant. We appreciate your help. I think you should leave now."

The officer dusted his suit jacket wordlessly, gave a curt nod and left, his shoes leaving an echo behind.

I fell back down on the edge of my bed, hands firmly gripping the sides and eyes fixated on half opened box.

The funeral was efficiently taken care of. Thanks to Chloe and Dan. They never left my side.

As for me, I had been too numb for the past two days to utter even a single word or shed a tear at my father's own funeral.

The police had labelled the case as suicide despite my constant outbursts, refusing to go further along with the investigations.

A steaming mug of hot cocoa was placed by my nightstand. Chloe stood there with a warm comforting smile.

"Thought you'd like some cocoa."

Dan had to fly back as there was a new case opened up, which Lucifer thought needed urgent attention by Chloe but she was considerate enough to decline and sent Dan as her replacement. I couldn't be more thankful.

"I'm sorry you had to babysit me." I folded my legs to make enough room for her to sit.

"I don't mind Sera. You are family."

"Yes but Lucifer needed you back and I feel like I'm…"

"I stayed because I wanted to Sera. Besides Lucifer is quite capable of holding the fort on his own."

She blew the steam off of her cocoa contently.

I too, took the first sip welcoming the sweetness. It didn't comfort me as much as it used to.

With a sigh I realized that my life won't be the same without Dad. It was like the thick branching tree I had always been under, was suddenly cut off leaving me to simmer under the direct harsh piercing sun.

Everything hurt.

We sat there in silence then Chloe decided to address the proverbial elephant in the room.

"You should start packing your stuff."

"What?"

"You can't live here anymore Sera. I met the guy your father sold this house to. He was considerate enough to let you stay for a few days to get your stuff sorted out. But he won't stay put for long."

I could only stare blankly at her.

"You do know that you're coming with me, right?" she spoke softly.

"And leave my dad here? My home? My memories?" If Chloe sensed my acrid tone, she didn't react to it.

"Sera this is not your home anymore. And your father's love will always be in your heart, no matter where you go. No one can take that away from you. Memories can fade, houses can crumble but love is the only thing that withstands the wear n tear of time and distance."

She wrapped her hands around my trembling ones, effectively steadying them.

"Come with me. I'll let you play with the shot gun."

I barked out a humorless laugh at that.

"Dad will yell at us both." I smiled through the watery gaze.

"He would." Chuckling under her breath, she bear- hugged me.

A shrill ringing broke the moment. I caught Chloe's phone screen light up with a name that made me chock on a laugh.

She gave a sigh and picked up.

"What is it? Did Trixie put make up on you again?"

She rolled her eyes at whatever he said leaving the room.

"You were supposed to be babysitting, not having a food coma and passing out on the couch Lucifer."

I busied myself around the room, finally gathering enough courage to start the final packing.

I was securely duct tapping the carton of Dad's belongings, which I'd planned to go through once I am ready, when Chloe walked back in.

"We need to leave as early as possible. Can you manage all the packing by tomorrow?"

"So soon?"

"Lucifer says there's a new bizarre case of a serial killer he needs help with."

"Off course he does." I couldn't help rolling my eyes.

"Does he know that you have his name saved as 'Luci…Poo'?"

"Nay don't think so…he'd slow bake me in his hell."

Folding my shirts and stuffing them into the suitcase, I raised my eyebrow at her knowingly.
"I seriously doubt that Chloe."

It had been a week and a half since I got back to Chloe's house. Dad's carton had been sitting in my closet ever since. I knew I was deliberately avoiding going through it. I was just not ready for a trip down the memory lane.

Chloe had been in and out of the house lately, her time exclusively dedicated to a new twisted case of serial murders. the town has seen three women being murdered under mysterious circumstances. Most of the days she only came to drop off Trixie, then hurried off to the station and came back after midnight.

Dan and Lucifer were also busy, both of them surprisingly going along while working to solve the case.

So here I was left alone with my depressive thoughts and violent nightmares to keep me company. After Dad's death, I had begun taking a sleeping pill every night ritually, to ward off the virtual demons but it wasn't helping much.

I sighed putting away the book in my lap that I had been staring at for the past forty five minutes.

The clock at the kitchen counter was reading 10:37am. I sat alone and bored in living room seriously contemplating finding a new job. I didn't want to be burden on Chloe and I definitely didn't want to gain by sitting on my ass all day. I needed a routine. I needed work to ground me into exhaustion.

I switched on the computer and spent the next hour searching through various local lab assistant jobs and emailed my resume to a couple of them.

I still had more than 2 hours till Chloe drops off Trixie. So I decided to search through the pantry.

I couldn't find anything to make for lunch but I did find a huge jar of peanut butter and some baking essentials.

There was no force in this universe that could stop me from making cookies now. Yes I was a cookie freak. Loved to bake and experiment with cookie recipes.

What better way to chase away the lonely depression than making crispy sweet treats.

"Oh sera your cookies will be the death of me…clogging my arteries…but…I can assure ya…at least I'll be a very happy dead man".

Dad's voice ghosted over me, stabbing at my heart. I shook my head to clear the thoughts and began creaming the butter and sugars together.

I had made sure to make a separate batch for Trixie with colored frostings. I also made two huge batches for Chloe's department. And one for Lucifer. I wasn't sure if he'd accept but I made 'em anyways.

Yeah I'd kept myself busy.

I heard the front door open knowing it was Chloe just dropping off Trix so I yelled without looking up from my work space.

"Hey honey! How was work?"

"Hey Sweetums!" I froze half bent to retrieve my cookie tray fresh out of the oven. Turned out it was the one person I'd been avoiding all along.

"Hey sera, bye sera." I frowned seeing Trixie literally zipping across the living area to her room.

"Long and hard." Lucifer voice rang out beside me making me jump.

"Huh?"

His eyes twinkled with amusement at my dumbfounded expression, cookie tray still in huge yellow mitten clad hand, long forgotten.

"Long and hard. The work." The asshole supplied taking pleasure in my discomfort. He knew my mind had wandered off to the dirty land and he did that on purpose.

I exasperatingly clanked the tray down on the counter, breaking a few cookies in the process. Then rounded the counter to tidy the living area putting a considerable distance between us.

A loud noise from Trixie's room alerted me.

"Don't worry. She is just very excited for her date."

I whipped around to face him who had helped himself to the cookies and was now braced against the counter with his back, happily munching on a fairly large one.

"Excuse me?"

"Calm down muffin. I'm just taking her to the station. I promised her I'd show her around all the cool detective stuff. You know, the badges, the guns, the corpses, the blood tracing…"

My eyes bugged.

Is he for real? How high would I have to climb him to throttle his neck?

As if the image that flashed through my mind right then wasn't enough to rattle me, my heart beat picked up flushing my cheeks down to the neck.

Lucifer, however took my ragged breaths and red face as a sign of total apocalypse and cut himself off.

"I meant the badges. Just the badges. And may be some guns…?" he trailed off asking for my approval.

Trixie came out after changing into her favourite green and black frock, backpack hung low on her back.

"How do I look?" she whispered to me twirling.

"Gorgeous but a little nervous." I smiled.

"Yeah well, I am going on a date with freakin' Lucifer Morningstar."

"You do know this is not actually a date but more of a sneak around." I whispered back, fixing the bow in her hair.

"Sshh…don't ruin it Sera." Trixie glared.

"Don't be jealous…I'll keep my hands off of him." She added as an afterthought which drew out a huge gasp from me.

"Trixie!"

"Come on Lucifer. We're getting late." She motioned for him to follow.

"Yes ma'lady!" He abandoned his half munched cookie and followed her dusting the crumbs off of his white shirt with an unusual deference .

"Actually, could you guys give me a ride too. I wanted to visit the station today. If you don't mind the third wheeler, of course."

Lucifer looked at Trixie who sighed dramatically linking her arms behind her back.

"What's the magic word?"

"Err…I'm bringing cookies along?"

"That's the correct magic word. You can tag along lady Sera."

Lucifer barked out a laugh at the 'lady' and only smirked wider when I tried to give him my sourest glare.

Peanut butter cookies turned out to be a huge hit at the station. Everyone was rushing to Chloe's desk to get themselves a piece.

"These are little chunks of orgasm I'm telling you…"

"Where have you been all our lives, Sera?"

"Donuts what?"

"Marry me!"

"Oh my god these are the second most delicous thing I've ever tasted. First is still Lucifer. Yumm.."

The last comment was half whispered by a big boobed pathologist to her partner. I instinctively rolled my eyes so far back that my brain protested a little.

"Women." I muttered under my breath moving far away from her aura.

I was about to go clear up the aftermath of cookie storm from Chloe's desk when I saw her across the hall talking animatedly to someone on the phone. She looked upset.

Lucifer was entertaining some ladies as always while Dan had taken Trixie out for an ice cream.

I made my way towards her. She finished off her phone and stroked her forehead as if to sooth a headache.

"How's it going Chlo? Do you have any lead yet?" I knew she didn't but I wanted her to talk to me, let it out so I pushed a little.

"No lead and it was our boss. He suggested that I should hand the case over to someone else. I can't do that. And Trixie…she…" She shook her head cutting herself off.

"What? What happened to Trix?"

"No she's fine. We just had a fight. I told her I wouldn't be able to attend her Fashioncon. I simply don't have the time. Every minute I spend not looking for a lead is giving the killer opportunity to plot another murder."

She plopped on her chair, flinging the cell phone across the desk.

"I know. But Trix is a smart girl. I'm sure if you explain your situation to her, she'll understand."

"She won't pull out of this fashion thingy. She had been preparing for months for this. May be if maze went with her…" she was thinking out loud while I had no clue what the big deal was.

I saw Chloe's expression change from deep thinking to a light bulb moment in an instant.

"Wait… I know! Why don't you substitute me? Oh please Sera. You would owe me…big time. Please."

She was holding my hands and almost begging me with puppy eyes to go with Trix?

That seems simple enough.

"Sure."

"Really?"

"Yeah chloe. Don't worry I'll take Trix to her fashion thingy. No biggy."

"No no no. she is the one who'll take you to her fashion thingy." She quipped with a chuckle.

"I don't understand."

"Meaning you will be her model for the day. She'll take you as her 'project'."

When her clarification did nothing to change my deadpan expression, she hurried to add, "Don't worry you'll only have to walk a short ramp and the dress isn't too…"

"Ramp? Walk the ramp? And oh my god what dress Chloe?" A wave of panic sloshed inside me.

Calm down. It won't as bad you think, Sera.

"Umm…the dress Lady Arwen wears. Trixie's project is Arwen's costume, the warrior elf princess from her favourite books 'Lord of the rings'."

Okay it IS as bad as you think. Permission to full blown panic, granted.

"Are you freakin' shitting me? I am not walking any ramp."

"But you promised…"

"I thought I only had to tag along Trix, not be in some poofy pink dress and walk the goddamn ramp."

"Actually it's not poofy or pink…" Before Chloe could finish a third person jumped in on the conversation.

"Sheeba is right. Terrible idea. I mean her in an elegant eleven dress? Nay." Chloe tried to shush Lucifer but he was hell bent on giving his unwelcomed opinion.

Sera! It's Sera, you retard!

"Besides did you not notice the height? She doesn't even has the appropriate amount of grace to make up for the lack of elven beauty. Nope. It'll be a disaster. Hey but Trixie could do a perfect hairy-feet hobbit cosplay with her. What do you think?"

By the time the jerk had vomited all his opinion of me, all I wanted to do was light his hairy balls on fire.

A promise is a promise.

No matter how unmanageable the dress was, how itchy the glue for elf ears was, how many hair were pulled out of my scalp like weeds while giving me a perfect braided elf hairdo. When your niece asks you to do something, you do it. Period.

While Chloe was busy at work catching the lead, I was here in a vast green farmhouse that was converted into an open air event area. In the middle of the green land covered with lush grass, a long black marbled ramp-walk was set for the models to showcase the attire that was styled by preteens. On either sides were rows and rows of white chairs with large ribboned pink bows on their backs. Half of them were now being occupied by the guests.

Deep red velvet curtains hung on either sides of the ramp-walk entrance which separated it from backstage makeup rooms.

This was where I was currently lurking casually peering through the thick ruffled curtains, which was doing opposite of calming my rising nervousness.

I was next in line and the thought was making me physically nauseous.

Even though I knew I was looking pretty. Well... prettier than usual at least. The dress was completely of silver silk, the skirts along with the bell shaped sleeves reached the ankles in soft ruffles while the body was adorned with thick white pearls. The sleeves were trimmed with beautiful simple gray and white lace and a broad silver belt shaped like two leaves, hugged my waist tightly. My usual unruly hair were tamed with some anti-frizz magic serum and a light dusting of makeup coated my features.

"Here. Your tiara." Trixie came out of nowhere handing me a sparkling silver tiara that I would never admit in a million years, looked gorgeous.

"Trix. Where have you been? Don't leave me again. And no I'm not wearing this hideous thing on my head." I whisper shouted wringing my fingers. Yes, it was gorgeous but that didn't mean it wouldn't look stupid on me.

"Relax Sera you just have to walk. In a straight line. That's all." I was being assured by a 9 years old. What was my life coming to?

"Just walk? With all those eyes staring at me? Judging me?"

"Well…let me make this a bit easier for you,hmm? Clear your mind…relax…take a deep breath…now imagine Lucifer…"

"What?" I snapped open my eyes glaring down at her to which she just nodded for me to do as I was told.

"Now…imagine Lucifer on the ramp…and you are walking all over him…with your 4 inches heels…"

"Oooh I like it." I imagined stabbing him in the gut and him writhing on the ramp.

"Ah ah…but not so much. We don't want elegant lady Arwen to come across as trying to stab random ants on the ramp. We want grace. So stab Lucifer with grace."

But that's not much fun.

I thought, slowly putting one foot forward. It was more like a frail lamb learning to walk rather than grace.

An announcement was made for all the guests to be seated. Trix gave me an encouraging hug one last time and ran off to her appointed seat among the other designer kids in front of the ramp.

I fixed the tiara on my head that got a bit tangled, even in my straightened hair.

Finally it was my turn to go out.

Heaving all of my courage I plastered a forced smile on my face and walked out.

The first few seconds under the literal spotlight blinded me which was probably the reason that I was able to make it so elegantly to the front of the ramp. But as soon as my sight adjusted to the brightness, I saw faces in the crowd, staring directly at me and cameras flashed clicking away.

My smile slipped. All the techniques to keep my cool, dispersed.

I forgot to pose. I forgot how to breathe.

And I stood there staring blankly like a freakin' android who just had its hardware fizzed.

Whispers. Stares. Cameras. Spotlight.

But then...

An ear splitting scream rose from the backstage and the spell broke.

All the models hysterically shrieking, poured out onto the ramp. Guests flew about in every direction bewildered. And then the chaos ensued.

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