Chapter Five

Ella carefully opened the door to her lab, trying to avoid stretching the stitches in her side. She was glad to be back at work. Sitting around all day, even to heal, had never really been her style. It would help her to get better faster, really, if she got back into a normal routine. She didn't really think that being left alone, miserable, would help to encourage her body to recover.

Everyone had tried to convince her to stay home, naturally. They told her it was too early to return to work. It was sweet that they cared so much. Chloe and Dan had spent a bunch of time with her in the hospital. But Ella knew they needed her back doing her thing. After all, she was really good at her job. And, frankly speaking, those two were both walking disasters. Who knew what sort of trouble they'd get into without her keeping an eye on them.

Nope, a week away was definitely too long. Even just a quick glance around the room told her that some of the other techs had rearranged her carefully organized lab. Those rats. She was going to bake them brownies this week, but now… Well, she'd still make them brownies. But maybe she'd put walnuts in them or something.

Ella had just started reorganizing the chemicals cabinet - someone had reorganized them to alphabetical by common name rather than scientific. Amateurs. - when the door slid open behind her. She turned, with a smile, expecting to see Chloe, or maybe even Dan, and nearly had a heart attack.

"Lucifer?" There he stood, wearing one of his impeccable suits, smiling like he hadn't been gone for months and months. He was grinning in his usual over-joyous way, looking around the place with great interest, as if it were a whole new place he was just discovering. Then his gaze returned to her and-

Ella's eyes narrowed. Did he just check her out? Because the way his eyes rolled down her certainly seemed like it.

"You must be Miss Lopez. Well, I can see why Azrael has taken a liking to you. Did she tell you I was coming?" Ella decided that, acting weird or no, pissed that he had left or no, she was, ultimately, still happy to see him. She skipped over and gave him one of her Ella Hugs (patent pending).

Lucifer quickly gripped her arms and pulled them away from himself, backing up with a grimace.

"Ah, yes, hello. Although I understand the impulse to throw your arms around me, maybe in not so… Well, I can think of a few better positions for us to be in, love." His lecherous grin had recovered quickly from Ella's friendly gesture.

"Don't be gross, Lucifer. Welcome back! And where have you been? You just left without even saying goodbye." The look he gave him screamed reprimand.

"I've been in Hell, of course." His eyes narrowed thoughtfully. "You know, I'm very good with faces, but I don't remember you from the last time I was here. Have we met? Did you frequent Lux?"

"Haha, very funny. And I see you're still into that method acting thing." Ella shrugged. "Each to their own, I guess. Does Chloe know you're back? I can't imagine she does, since you're still walking." Chloe had lived in pretty much constant misery since Lucifer had disappeared, as far as Ella could tell. And, knowing Chloe, she was just as likely to be mad at Lucifer for leaving as she was to be happy he'd come back. No one made themselves miserable like Chloe and Lucifer. If the two of them would just cut the crap and admit they liked each other they'd be the cutest couple ever. But nooooo. They had to be difficult.

Lucifer cocked his head to one side. "You're the second person to mention this Chloe to me."

"Well, yeah. You two were practically inseparable."

He looked about to say something when the door slid open from behind him and, after a pause, a soft voice called out.

"Lucifer?"

Chloe kept glancing at the clock on her computer. Ella came back to work today. Although Chloe wanted to greet Ella upon her arrival, she thought that maybe it would be better to let her settle in before barging in. That's what Chloe would want for herself, and she always tried to treat people the way she would want to be treated.

It was hard, though. Especially because she was having trouble concentrating on work today. She was too busy trying not to think about the conversation she'd had with Maze the night before. She still didn't know how to process it. It would be better just not to think about it. But like a clock ticking in her head, the words kept replaying over and over.

"Every time you tell someone you have feelings for them they leave."

Chloe tapped her pencil against the desk, trying to think about anything else. Tap. Tap. Tap.

"He doesn't remember who you are."

Chloe stood up. You know what? Ella wouldn't mind being overwhelmed. Ella was very much a likes-to-be-overwhelmed sort of person. Chloe could just go visit her now.

Her steps slowed as she approached the lab. Through the blinds, she was a tall, suited figure talking to Ella. Dark hair. Strong shoulders. Perfect posture.

She would recognize him anywhere. But why would he be here? If he didn't remember her, he wouldn't be expecting to work for the LAPD, would he? Had Maze lied?

She opened the door and, barely able to speak his name - she hadn't said it in sixth months, but it still felt familiar on her tongue - breathed out, "Lucifer?"

He turned and saw her. His eyes took her in, roving up and down her body, taking all of her in. She felt like a deer caught in headlights. It wasn't really like her to not take charge of a situation, but she didn't really feel like she was playing in a fair game. She didn't have all the information. She didn't know where she stood.

"Detective?" His voice sounded more familiar to her than her own, and by calling her by her pet name, he told her where she stood. How could she ever have believed Mazikeen, a demon? How could she ever have believed Lucifer would forget her?

She ran to him, falling into his embrace.

"You came back."

Lucifer had been having a strange day ever since he stepped into the police precinct. Rey-Rey had mentioned that Ella worked at a precinct during their little talk, so he knew where to look. It hadn't taken long at all to confirm that there was an Ella Lopez that worked in Crime Scene Investigation and that she would be returning to work today.

But he didn't understand what was going on around here. First of all, everyone kept waving to him and welcoming him back. And although he was very pleased to be back in LA, he thought it odd that the police were celebrating it. The police usually disapproved of his general lifestyle. Not that he didn't approve that they were loosening up - he just didn't know that these people knew who he was. Although he supposed that he should be flattered that word of his return had gotten around.

But Miss Lopez also seemed to know him. And he did not remember her. A lot of pretty young girls came through Lux, but Azrael also seemed to think he should know the girl. And although he was offended she seemed to think he was some sort of method actor, the warmth with which she greeted him was unexpectedly welcome.

But then Ella had mentioned a "Chloe" that he should know. And this had reminded him that Eve and Mazikeen had said he knew someone by that name as well. Lucifer would have asked about it, but just then the door slid open behind him and a voice called him name. A familiar voice - the same one that had been praying to him.

He turned to look her over. She was certainly very beautiful. There was a slight red rim to her eyes and hollowness to her cheeks, as though she had been very sad for a very long time. But right now, she looked hopeful. Her lips - enticing, and hard to look away from - looked like they were almost ready to smile.

"Detective?" he asked. That was what he had decided she probably was. And here she was, in a police precinct. So it seemed even more likely he'd been correct in his guess. He was feeling very pleased with his inductive skills when the woman suddenly threw her arms around him and… held him.

This was different than the hug that Miss Lopez had given him. He wasn't sure how to articulate the difference, but it was. He felt his arms wrapping around the woman clutching him and holding her closer. But just for a moment. And then he was, ever so gently, removing himself from her grip and stepping back. His eyes swept over her face again, trying to place it. But there was no corresponding memory. Nothing.

"You… You prayed to me. No one prays to me. Do I - I don't know you, do I?" He wanted so badly to take the words back as her face fell and closed off. Maybe Dad was right to put him in Hell. The first human to pray to him and he immediately disappoints her.

"No." Her voice came out half whispered. "No, you don't."

"What are you talking about? Of course he does." Ella was looking between the two of them, totally clueless to what was happening. "Lucifer, what are you on right now? It was one thing to joke around with me, but you just disappeared and now you're acting like you don't even know who Chloe is? What is wrong with you?" Ella didn't often get mad, but she felt her eyes narrow. He was being a jerk.

"I don't lie, Miss Lopez. And, unfortunately, I don't know who this… this is Chloe? The one you mentioned before? I only guessed she was a detective because she mentioned she worked on cases when she prayed to me." His eyes didn't leave the detective's face. She looked sad, but resigned.

"Don't worry about it, Ella. Maze warned me. Lucifer seems to be suffering from some sort of memory loss." Her voice was clipped. Now that she knew where she stood, she felt more in control again. She could handle any situation, as long as she knew what was happening. She could deal with this.

"Memory loss?" Ella asked, at the same time as Lucifer asked,

"You know Mazikeen?"

"Yes." Chloe answered both questions at once. Lucifer looked away from the detective long enough to glance at Ella.

"Actually, that's a very good question. What do you mean, 'memory loss?' I don't suffer from memory loss."

"Don't worry about it, Lucifer. What are you doing here?"

"Well, I was asked to keep an eye on Ella, and she works here. And I very much am worried about it. I do not suffer from memory loss." Lucifer felt vaguely offended at the very thought, and it colored his tone. Humans suffered from memory loss when they got old, or got hurt. Neither of those things would, or could, happen to him. And how did the detective know Maze?

"You were asked to keep an eye on me?" Ella asked.

"Yes, my sister Azrael seems to like you. Since she's busy being angel of death and all that - and apparently she thinks running all of Hell is so easy - she asked me to keep an eye on you. And since I'm in the business of doing favors, I accepted." Lucifer grinned cheekily.

"You have a sister? Angel of Death? What?" Ella wondered if she was having a stroke. She was used to Lucifer saying weird, off the wall things, but they didn't usually involve her. She was having trouble keeping up.

"Forget about it, Ella. Lucifer, if you're checking in on Ella, then you can clearly see she's fine, and now you can go. This is a police precinct, not a place to just hang out. Ella, welcome back to work." Chloe flashed Ella a tight smile before walking out. Lucifer made an offended sound.

"Excuse me. I'm not done talking to you. Detective? Detective!?" Lucifer followed Chloe out of the lab.

Ella leaned against the counter. Was it just her, or were those two being even weirder than normal?

"Leave me alone, Lucifer." Chloe went back to her desk and did an admiral job of focusing on reading the case file in front of her.

"How do you know Maze?"

"We were roommates."

"Roommates? Maze had a roommate?"

"Yes."

"And she told you I was suffering from memory loss?"

"Yes." Chloe finally looked away from the file when Lucifer casually sat on her desk. For someone who didn't remember her, he sure was doing a good job remembering how to drive her insane.

"Why?"

"Look. There were a lot of things that happened when you were last in LA that you clearly don't remember. Thus, memory loss."

"What things?"

Chloe sighed. And then she looked at Lucifer.

This was the first time in six months she hadn't felt sad. She'd felt other things in that time, of course. Even occasionally felt happy. But all other emotions had been brought down by an underlying cloud of sadness. Now, though, that wasn't there. She was annoyed, yes. But not sad.

And she remembered what she'd been saying - it was better to have Lucifer in her life than not in her life. So she didn't have to push him out altogether. They could be friends. They could be partners again. As long as she didn't say she loved him, then even if Maze was right about the cause-and-effect of those words, then he wouldn't leave.

"We were… partners. Work partners. You consulted for the LAPD."

"Why would I do that? It sounds incredibly boring."

"Well you managed to make a lot of it about yourself."

"I see." Only Lucifer didn't see. He couldn't suffer from memory loss, and he didn't remember any of this. But why would the detective lie? What would she get out of it?

Was this some sort of trick of his Father's? It was the only thing he could think to explain what was happening. After all, anything vexing in his life was always Dad's fault.

Well. Lucifer wasn't sure what the angle was here, but he would figure it out and thwart whatever was going on. He would not let his Father manipulate him.

"Okay. So. Do we have a case?"

"What?" Chloe looked at Lucifer.

"A case. I'm ready to consult. Come on, Detective. If I'm your partner, then let's go."