Disclaimer: Don't own Lucifer, don't claim to own.

Calm… Keep Calm. She needs to know. Lucifer kept those thoughts present in his mind and he drove through the city towards Chloe's apartment. He couldn't lose his nerve and back out, not after all but promising to tell her the truth over the phone.

And after going back on his word twice in the space of a few months, she deserved better than that.

Lucifer knew that he should've told her by now. He had tried, months ago, when pressuring her to test his blood, but she'd backed out. Maybe she hadn't been ready to know – and maybe he hadn't been ready for her to know, either. And then later, when it would've been easier for her to know, to understand everything he was doing was to keep her safe (and he hated having to keep secrets from her), he couldn't bring himself to tell her. He couldn't face the possibility of her shutting him out of her life, like Linda had almost done, especially since he had grown to…to…

He flinched. That wasn't real. They were friends. Just friends. Nothing more. They couldn't be.

"I walked into this with my eyes wide open. Chose to be your friend." As always, Linda was right. In not telling Chloe the truth, he was denying her that choice; to continue to be his friend despite knowing what he was. She was putting her life at risk without even knowing it, which wasn't fair on her.

The Detective was right in that he didn't tell the whole truth. An omission was still a lie, and he was lying to her. They were going backwards – and as she said, that wasn't good for anyone. If they were going to continue their friendship and partnership, she needed to know the truth.

"You're just like your parents." Maze, too, was right. In not telling Chloe the truth, he was almost manipulating her into a friendship, robbing her of her free will. It hurt when he realized that.

Lucifer gulped. He had to tell her. And if she rejected him, well, it was no less than what he deserved. Ignoring the sudden bout of itchiness in his back, he drove onwards.

All too soon, he pulled up in front of the Detective's apartment. The light was on, so she was up. Waiting for him to arrive, no doubt. No backing out now, not that he wanted to. He sat in the Corvette staring at the door for longer than was probably normal, but eventually he pulled himself back into the moment and got out the car.

Taking a deep breath, he strode up to the door and knocked before he could talk himself out of it. His back was still itchy, and he reached behind him to give it a good scratch. Perhaps it was the shirt causing it? He'd worn it before, but it was messy after the day's hectic events, and he hadn't had a chance to make himself presentable, determined as he was to tell Chloe the truth…

He quickly stopped scratching when the Detective opened the door and gave him a polite smile. "Hi. I got your message." She'd changed out of her work clothes, instead wearing a long-sleeved baggy top and a pair of slacks.

It was so simple, but so her, and Lucifer couldn't help but find her beautiful. She could wear a potato sack and still look beautiful.

No. I can't have those thoughts about her. Stop it. He gave her a nod. "May I come in?"

Wordlessly she stepped aside, and Lucifer entered the apartment. "We'll have to be quiet. Trixie's asleep," she explained as she shut the door silently behind him.

"I thought your offspring was with Dan tonight?" Lucifer asked, frowning. It was why he'd decided to come over, thinking the Spawn would be far away, so Chloe wouldn't wake her with her potential screaming…

"Change of plans. Dan's at the hospital with Charlotte," said Chloe.

"Oh." Lucifer nodded. It made sense, considering how…close Dan had become with his mother, disturbing as that was to think about. He wondered how he was going to explain that to everyone; that his "mother" couldn't remember him. Amnesia would be a good excuse, but it would only work so far.

Perhaps it was time to tell Dan the truth, too. Maybe Ella, as well. They both deserved the right to choose as much as Chloe did.

The Detective walked over to the couch, and Lucifer noticed two empty glasses on the coffee table along with a bottle of wine. At least she had the foresight to have some alcohol on hand. She was going to need it.

"So," Chloe began, taking a seat and Lucifer following her lead, "what did you want to tell me?"

Lucifer went to open his mouth in order to begin (he wasn't sure where he wanted to begin, he just hoped that words came out and they came out in the right order), but he was distracted by the itching again. It hadn't gone away; it had only gotten worse.

"Well…" Not wanting to cause a fuss or distract her, Lucifer made it look like he was simply taking off his suit jacket, and as he bent his arms around he scratched his back as much as he could. It was a strange itch, and it felt like it was coming from his scars…

"Are you OK?" Well, so much for not distracting her.

He gave her his best innocent smile. "Yes, I just…seem to have a rather itchy back, is all. Not sure what's causing it. Maybe the shirt."

She looked concerned. It warmed his heart that she cared, even if that caring was potentially fake and all part of his father's plan…and would potentially go away once he told her the truth… "Do you want me to have a look?"

The thought of Chloe's warm hands on his back almost left him speechless. He didn't even mind that she would touch his scars; she was the only person other than Maze who was aloud. "If you don't mind?"

"If it helps you get comfortable," she said. "I can tell this is gonna be one hell of a talk."

"You have no idea." He tried to give her a smile but it probably came out looking fearful instead of reassuring. If she noticed, she didn't comment.

With his suit jacket removed, he turned his back to her. He felt her lifting up his shirt, and Lucifer was hit by the thought that he was laying himself bare for her, only physically instead of emotionally like he intended. He braced himself and prepared not to flinch if she touched his scars.

When the shirt was lifted, she paused. Lucifer was about to ask why she wasn't touching his back when a gasp stopped him from speaking. "Lucifer…"

"What? What is it?"

"Your scars…"

"Yes, you've seen them before." He sighed. "I know they look horrific, but it was necessary to cut my wings off-"

"No, they're…they're almost gone."

"What?!" It took some seconds for Chloe's words to register, but when they did he sprang to his feet and made for the stairs. He ran up them and into the bathroom, tearing his shirt off completely as he entered, and he turned his back towards the mirror and looked over his shoulder…

And she was right.

"Lucifer!" Chloe tore up the stairs after him and appeared in the doorway. In the mirror's reflection, he could see her gaze go from him to the scars on his back. "They're healing. It happens."

"No." Lucifer shook his head. What was happening to him? "These scars shouldn't fade. They're meant to be there always, as a reminder of what I did. Wing scars shouldn't heal, Detective!"

"Lucifer…"

He grunted, cutting her off, and reached behind him once more to scratch at the now unbearably itchy scars. Watching his reflection, he and Chloe stared with wide eyes as each scratch…well, "scratched" away his scars.

"How is this possible…?" Lucifer wanted to stop, but he couldn't, because he wanted to know how it was happening, and each scratch eased the itch on his back. His scars were the itch, and he was scratching them away. But it shouldn't be possible, not even remotely. His scars were the kind of scars that would never heal, always there as a constant reminder of what he had lost and could never have again.

The scars were an outward representation of the scars on his soul. Scars that would never heal.

"Lucifer… What…?" Chloe hadn't moved from her position in the doorway, her wide eyes watching his movements as he scratched away the last traces of his scars. Of course she'd be shocked. Scars shouldn't just scratch away like that.

Maybe that was all the proof she needed? Maybe he didn't need to show her his face…?

"Detective…" Lucifer finally turned his head away from the mirror and he faced her. "This is just a glimpse of the real me, and all that it entails. I'm sorry, but-"

He was cut off by a sudden stab of pain in his back. With a painful cry, he fell to his knees and took in several deep breaths.

Chloe was by his side, calling his name and trying to help him to his feet. "Lucifer, what is it? What's wrong?"

"I…I don't…" Lucifer let out another cry of pain. It felt like something red hot was moving beneath his skin, trying to claw its way out.

"OK…we need to get you downstairs, then I can call 911. OK?" said Chloe. She wrapped her arms around him and managed to haul him to his feet, with Lucifer trying his best to help. The Devil clutched her like a lifeline, her touch only barely making the pain a little easier, and together they stumbled down the stairs.

When they reached the bottom, Trixie had appeared from her bedroom, bare-foot and dressed in her pyjamas. "Mommy, what's going on?"

Lucifer watched the conflict on his partner's face, debating whether or not to send her daughter back to bed or let her stay. "Lucifer's hurt," she explained, the latter option winning out. Maybe she just knew that Trixie wouldn't go to back to bed with all the commotion. "I need to take him to a doctor."

She gently eased Lucifer onto the couch, laying him on his front so as not to aggravate whatever was happening to his back. The pain was getting worse, and Lucifer grabbed a pillow, because he needed to hold onto something and he preferred not to crush the Detective's hand. "Can you see what's happening?"

He saw Chloe lean over him, and a gasp escaped her mouth. "Something…something's moving under the skin."

"Is it a bug?" Trixie hurried over to take a look, as well. "There's these bugs which bury under your skin and lay eggs, kinda like the aliens do in that film-"

Chloe briefly turned to her daughter. "Did Maze let you watch Alien? I specifically told her not to let you watch that movie-"

"It's OK, Mommy. It wasn't scary. It was really cool."

"Ladies, if you don't mind-" He cried out at another stab of pain. "Can we focus on the excruciating pain in my back? Where is there something moving?"

"Um…where your scars were," Chloe replied.

If Lucifer didn't know any better, he would say that Amenadiel had stopped time again. Everything froze, and the Devil felt the cold caress of worry begin to eat at his insides.

He couldn't… He wouldn't… But the evidence was clear as day. His scars were gone, and there was a pain in his back. Something was clawing its way out.

It could only mean one thing; only be one thing.

"Oh no."

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Chloe take out her phone. Realizing she was dialling 911, he reached out and grabbed the phone from her hands, hanging up before it even started ringing and sliding the device across the floor and out of reach.

"Lucifer, what the hell-"

"Chloe!" Her name from his lips made her pause. "If you trust me, if you well and truly trust me with your life, then do as I say. Take the child and lock yourselves in her room. You really don't want to be near me when they come out."

"They? Lucifer-"

The pain levels hit critical. They had seconds. "Do it now!"

He turned and watched Chloe hesitate. Her determination to stay by his side was admirable, but as always, her motherly instincts were stronger. She grabbed Trixie, who protested in her grasp, and they raced into the child's bedroom. The door slammed shut behind them, and Lucifer heard the lock twisting into place.

Certain that the Detective and her child were safe, Lucifer stopped fighting the pain and let it consume him.

"Why, Dad?"

There would be no blood; it didn't work that way. But he knew it was going to be painful, seconds before it happened.

His skin broke, and two white wings burst forth.

He screamed in pain.

There was a flash of light before the world turned black.

Seconds before he passed out, Lucifer heard the bedroom door opening and Chloe calling his name.

Your partner suddenly sprouting wings and passing out, confirming that he's Satan like he always said he was? Definitely wasn't in the Police Handbook.

Chloe stood in silence, staring at where Lucifer was unconscious on her couch, with two humungous and gorgeous wings attached to his back. She could feel the numb shock threatening to creep up on her, but she pushed it down and told herself she'd deal with it later, because her daughter was with her and her partner and friend was passed out and probably still in pain. His skin looked a little red, like he'd just been sunburnt.

And having wings clawing their way out of your back had to be painful, too.

She took in deep breaths, keeping herself calm, stopping her vision from going black and joining him on the couch in the land of unconsciousness. Her daughter was with her, probably scared out of her mind…

But when Chloe looked down, she found that Trixie didn't look afraid at all. Well, she did a little, but she didn't look afraid of Lucifer. She looked afraid for him.

"Mommy, is he hurt?" she asked. It looked as though she wanted to go to him, but was unsure if she should. Maybe afraid to touch the wings without Lucifer's permission.

Chloe wasn't sure if she should without permission. "He might be." Taking the lead, she walked over to him and sighed with relief when she saw that he was still breathing. Trixie followed, and stopping in front of the wings, she looked awfully tempted. She reached out, but pulled her hand back at the last second.

Observing her daughter, Chloe saw that she didn't seem all that shocked.

Allowing herself to think, she realized that she didn't feel that shocked, either.

Shocked that it had been confirmed, maybe. But as for him being right all along; that he was the Devil, that he actually existed, that Heaven and Hell and God existed, that Maze (her roommate) was a demon and Amenadiel was an Angel, and Charlotte was probably a Goddess of some kind… It all made sense. The dots connected.

Perhaps she had always known on some level, and just never wanted to confirm it. Maybe she wanted Lucifer to tell her himself, when she was ready to hear it, when their friendship had gotten to the point where she wouldn't abandon him no matter what he told her.

He was the Devil, but she never doubted that he was a good person. Even when he hurt her, even when he broke her heart…

…which she was suddenly realizing could have been because of some kind of divine intervention. It would make sense. There was a story behind that, she knew it.

But that could wait. At that moment, her friend needed her, and she had to help him.

Not knowing what else to do, she fetched her phone from where Lucifer had slid it across the floor and dialled Maze's number.

It took a while, but Maze eventually picked up. "What is it, Decker?"

"Maze, it's Lucifer." Chloe cut right to the chase, not wanting to beat around the bush in case Lucifer was in pain and needed immediate attention. "He's here with me, but he's hurt, and he has wings, and I don't know what to do."

The other end was silent, and Chloe wondered if there had been a connection failure, or if Maze had even heard what she said. As she waited, Chloe glanced down at Trixie, who was sat cross-legged next to Lucifer's wings, still uncertain about touching them.

"Wait…" Maze eventually spoke again. "Wings? He has wings?" She sounded shocked, which told Chloe that wings suddenly growing back wasn't something that happened every day, as if Lucifer's reaction hadn't told her that already.

"Yes," said Chloe. "His back started itching, and when I looked at it for him, I saw that his scars were nearly gone, and he freaked and ran into the bathroom to look, and every time he scratched at them, they scratched away. Then, when they were gone, his back started hurting, and it looked like something was moving under his skin. He must've figured out what was going on, because he told me to take Trixie and hide in her bedroom, and we did, and then there was a bang and a flash of light, we ran out again, and there he was, unconscious with wings on his back."

Maze was silent again, but only for a few seconds this time. "Anything else you've noticed about him?"

She looked at Lucifer again. "It looks like he's been sunburnt. A little crispy."

"Does he still have skin?"

"What?" Chloe looked at him again. "Yeah, he still has skin. He just looks a little red. I've seen worse sunburn at Venice beach."

There was a sigh of relief at the other end. "That must've been the divine light burning him when he got his wings back. It should start to peel away after a day or too, if he stays out of the sun."

"OK." Curious, she asked, "What did you mean when you asked if he still has skin?"

"Well, I guess you know now, so there's no point hiding it," said Maze. "And first off, I'd like to congratulate you on handling this well, Decker. Most people go insane. Linda locked us out of her office for a couple of days when she found out."

Chloe remembered Maze's annoyance at Lucifer, Lucifer's worry about Linda… "Thanks."

"OK, so what you see now is a kind of glamour we use to hide what we really look like," Maze explained. "In reality, Lucifer is red all over and looks like he doesn't have any skin. No hair, red flaming eyes, no horns or tail, though." At Maze's words, Chloe thought back to all those months ago, when they were in the warehouse and she saw Lucifer's reflection flicker and change into a red face with eyes of flame… "I have another face, too. The kid's even seen it."

"What does yours look like?"

"Like half my face has been zombie-fied. Don't worry, your kid thought it looked cool."

She once again glanced at Trixie, and it figured that her daughter wouldn't be shocked by wings if she'd already seen a demon's face. Her gaze found the wings again, and she said, "I thought he cut them off?"

"He did. Or I did, when we first got here," Maze explained. "Then they got stolen thanks to Amenadiel and one of his schemes to try and get Lucifer back to Hell, and after that Lucifer burnt them. I have no idea they could even grow back."

"So you have no idea what to do?" And she certainly didn't. How was she supposed to help Lucifer now?

"Even if I did, I…I don't wanna leave Linda." There was actual emotion in the demon's voice, which surprised Chloe. Sure, Maze had been changing as much as Lucifer had, but what she heard was something different entirely. "Call Amenadiel. If anyone knows what to do, it'll be him."

"I don't have his number."

"It should be on Lucifer's phone. He changed his password to your name. Chloe, I'm sorry, but I have to go. The doctor's just entered Linda's room, and I need to hear what he says. Update me when Lucifer wakes up." She hung up before Chloe could say anything else.

But at least there was a plan. Call Amenadiel, and he'd be able to help Lucifer. Nodding to herself, Chloe hurried over to the suit jacket and pulled out Lucifer's phone from the inside pocket. When it asked for the password, she typed in her name (trying not to blush at the fact that her name was his password), and the home screen popped up. She clicked on contacts.

Amenadiel's name didn't show up under 'A', so she had to scroll through the whole list. Some names she saw were reasonable, like 'Doctor Linda', or 'Maze', or 'Mum', or 'Miss Lopez'. Others were just so…Lucifer that she couldn't resist smiling. She was listed as 'The Detective' (she could probably count on one hand how many times he'd used her actual name), Dan was listed as 'Detective Douche' (no surprise there) and Trixie was listed as 'The Detective's Spawn' (really?).

Finally, she found Amenadiel's contact, listed as 'My Idiot Brother'.

Instead of wasting time coping his number into her phone, she pressed the call button on Lucifer's and held it up to her ear, waiting.

Amenadiel picked up faster than Maze did. "I'm sorry I yelled at you, Lucifer. I just didn't get the chance to say goodbye-"

"Amenadiel, it's me. It's Chloe," she quickly interrupted him. "I'm sorry, but… You have to help me. It's Lucifer."

"What? What happened?"

"He has wings."

There was a long silence, though not as long as Maze's. "Guess I'm not the only one Father forgave today."

Chloe ignored his words for now. The explanations could come later. "Look, he's passed out and he's covered in burns. I've already called Maze, and she said that the burnt skin was from the divine light of his wings bursting forth, or something. I didn't really understand it, and I still don't, honestly. I think he's still in pain, and I want to help him, but I don't know how. Can you help?"

He sighed. "What exactly happened, Chloe?"

She gave him the same recap that she gave Maze. "And now he's just lying there, and he's not waking up."

"Chloe, I'm…I'm sorry, but this has never happened before," Amenadiel explained. "I didn't even think it could happen. My brother is the first Angel to ever cut off his wings, and definitely the first to burn them. I wouldn't know the first thing to do about re-grown wings. There's really nothing we can do apart from wait for him to wake up. If he's still alive, then he will. Just remember that."

"OK." She nodded. It wasn't really helpful, but that wasn't Amenadiel's fault. "How long do you think it'll be before he does?"

"I can't say," he replied. "You're taking this extremely well, by the way."

"Maze said the same thing." She said so with a slight smile. "And before you say anything, I don't plan on telling anyone. I get it. The first rule about Fight Club is you don't talk about Fight Club, right?"

Amenadiel chuckled. "We really shouldn't reveal our existence to humans, but honestly, it was only a matter of time before you found out. For many reasons."

"Reasons?" She suspected that there was more to his words than the simple reason being that Lucifer was her partner.

"Lucifer should be the one to tell you that, once he wakes up. Keep me posted and let me know when he comes to."

The call ended, and Chloe turned her attention back to Lucifer, who was still out cold. Trixie had finally plucked up the courage to touch one of his wings, and was stroking it gently with a look of wonder on her face.

"Mommy, it's so soft," she said. "Like a cloud. Come and feel it."

Even when he was out cold, Lucifer was temptation incarnate. Chloe gave in, figuring that Amenadiel would have warned her if she hadn't been allowed to touch, and joined her daughter cross-legged on the floor. Then, hesitantly, she reached out and touched the wing.

It was exactly as her daughter described it; like what touching a cloud would be like, if clouds were solid and could be touched. Maybe it was like that in Heaven? White clouds, pearly gates, angels dressed in white robes… Or maybe that was just Hollywood's interpretation of it? Totally wrong then, since their interpretation of the Devil was so far away from how he existed in real life…

Chloe suddenly found herself angry on Lucifer's behalf, that everyone just assumed he was evil because he ruled Hell and because he made a bad choice millennia ago. Blamed for humanity's faults, ridiculed no matter how hard he tried to prove that he was nothing like the utterly evil interpretation in movies… It was horrible, and she had to fight the urge to leap forwards and hug the stuffing out of him.

But at least most of his behaviour and what came out of his mouth all made sense now. He was broken, hurting; she had known on some level that there was pain buried deep, but hadn't wanted to intrude unless he was ready, because it was important not to push people who were trying to heal. But she got why he was reluctant to tell her; both Maze and Amenadiel had stated that she was taking the revelation remarkably well, and if she was honest with herself she probably would've freaked out months ago.

She sighed, remembering how she had shot him in the foot after seeing a flicker of what she assumed was his true face. Granted, he'd asked her to, but she'd been close to shooting him without his prompting…

And when he'd been pestering her to test his blood, she'd eventually backed out of it. She'd told herself it was about faith and placing her trust in him, but the more she thought about it the more she realized that she'd been scared of discovering that it was all true. In a way, she hadn't been ready to confirm it; hadn't been ready to face that fact, had feared that she would react badly and ruin what they had…

But that didn't matter anymore. Now she knew, and instead of being afraid, she was actually looking forwards to discovering more about him. A door leading to a whole new world had been opened wide, and she wanted to jump right into it head first. She smiled as her fingers sunk deeper into Lucifer's white feathers.

"It's good that he's got his wings back," said Trixie. Her daughter now had both her hands buried in the soft, white feathers. "But I hope he can still do that cool thing with his eyes where he makes them turn red."

Chloe turned to her with a frown. She knew before I did. Why am I not surprised?

Is this what a hangover feels like? Lucifer thought as regained consciousness, his entire body aching. His memories were hazy, and he decided that he'd either fought with a Hellbeast in the deepest pits of Hell, or he'd simply gotten completely drunk with Chloe nearby the whole time.

Chloe…

Her name brought back the memory of his phone call to her, driving over to her house, determined to tell her everything… Had she panicked at seeing his true face, resulting in her knocking him unconscious?

No… He hadn't told her. He'd been about to, but then his back had started itching…

That brought the remaining memories flooding back. And the phantom pain on his back was no longer there, replaced with a feeling he hadn't felt in over five years. He felt…complete. Like two limbs which had been cut off had suddenly grown back, which was exactly what had happened, and he didn't understand why his Father would give him back his wings…

"Mommy, he moved."

"Then let's step back, monkey. He's probably waking up."

The gentle touch that he hadn't noticed before suddenly left, and he realized that someone had been stroking his wings – rather, two someones.

No one had caressed his wings like that, not since before the Fall. Maze had groomed them in Hell, but her treatment had left much to be desired. Suddenly afraid that they would leave and never touch his wings again, he called out without thinking, "No, don't stop." He pushed himself up onto his elbows and opened his eyes.

Chloe's gentle gaze met his in return. "We won't, so long as you promise not to overdo it. Your skin looks pretty bad. It's gonna sting when it starts peeling."

Lucifer thought immediately of the divine light that must have accompanied the re-emergence of his wings, and figured it was what caused his burnt skin. Reminded of them, Lucifer hesitated before glancing to his right.

One of his wings was spread out, draped on the floor and looking just as it had before he'd cut them off and burnt them. His left was presumably folded against his back, and he kept it there; he didn't want to take up the entire living room with his wingspan.

Trixie took his silence as an agreement to their terms and sprung forwards once again, burying her hands in his feathers. Such an action would usually have him jumping away from her in fear, but her touch felt wonderful and he couldn't bring himself to care. For the first time in what felt like forever, he was…relaxed. Calm. The closest to home he'd ever felt. His time on earth had come close…

And then the feeling extended tenfold when Chloe's touch joined her daughter's, and the Silver City be damned, this was the real Heaven. His eyes closed and he slumped back down on the couch, his wing moving into their touch all on its own.

"Thank you," he managed to say. Their gentle caresses distracted him from the hard questions, like why did he have his wings back, and what kind of game was his Father playing?

The wings were shackles; a symbol of his Father, marking him as God's "loyal" soldier, a pawn in his Father's grand plan. They reminded him too much of what he had lost. He had seen his wings and Hell's throne as a package deal, which was why he cut them off (and eventually burned them) in the first place. What did it mean that he had them back? Did God want him to return to Hell and rule it again? After all, his task was done; he'd dealt with his Mother.

Was his Father expecting him to fly back to Hell like an obedient soldier? If that was the case, he was going to cut the wings right back off again.

But those thoughts fell away at the gentle touch of the Decker ladies; they groomed and caressed his feathers, and for some reason he couldn't fathom it felt different compared to when his siblings had done it. He doubted that it was because they were mortal. This felt far more sacred; far more important.

If they promised to do it every day, maybe he'd consider keeping the wings.

A thought suddenly occurred to him, and he opened his eyes again to look at the faces that were unusually devoid of fear. "Wait, why are you still here?"

Chloe shot him a 'duh' expression. "Because we live here?"

"No, I mean…" Lucifer shook his head. "Why aren't you afraid of me? Why haven't you tossed me out on the street? I'm the Devil."

"OK, you're the Devil." The Detective kept her gaze focussed on him. "Are you still my partner? My friend?"

"Yes." He wondered where she was going with this.

"Then why would I turn my back on you? Nothing's changed." She shrugged. "I guess you have wings now, but that's not a deal breaker. The opposite, actually." Her eyes suddenly turned pleading. "Don't get rid of them again, please."

If Lucifer didn't know any better, then he would've said that Chloe (and by extension Trixie) was taken by the divinity of the wings. She wouldn't have been the first mortal to be driven to insanity by merely looking at them, let alone touching them. But Lucifer did know better, and there was no sign in her eyes of that same insanity that had taken Carmen, and the biker who had thrown himself from a building. Her miracle-ness made her immune, unsurprisingly, and her daughter must have inherited that same immunity.

Reminded of her status as his Father's miracle, Lucifer narrowed his eyes at the Detective. "Why?" Was this his Father's plan? To put the Detective in a position that would prevent him from cutting off his wings again? Because God knew that he could never refuse a request from her? It would be a lot of work and effort for one small task, but his Father wasn't above such manipulation…

"Because you're my friend, and I can't stand the thought of you being in any kind of pain," said Chloe.

"Pain?" The child frowned at her mother. "Why would Lucifer be in pain?"

Lucifer ignored the Detective shaking her head at him and replied, "Because in order to get rid of my wings, I have to cut them off."

Her eyes widened in fear, and Lucifer instantly regretted his words. Not the first time he'd felt that feeling, but certainly in regards to the child. Why did it matter? He didn't care about the child…did he? She was certainly tolerable compared to most, and he respected the way she swindled everyone around her (including him, much as he was loathed to admit it), but that didn't mean he cared… But he certainly didn't want her being afraid of him…

Trixie grabbed the wing, and he yelped when she pulled it close to her, hugging the feathers like they were one of her stuffed toys. As if she didn't already have enough of those. "No, don't hurt yourself, Lucifer! And they're pretty! You can't get rid of them!"

Frowning at the child, Lucifer realized that she wasn't afraid of him; rather, she was afraid that he was going to hurt himself. That was new.

"Why would you want to cut them off?" Chloe asked. She looked just as fearful as Trixie, and for a moment Lucifer actually believed that the emotion was real and not a manipulation of his Father's. "Why would you cause yourself so much pain?"

"Because," Lucifer pulled the wing from Trixie's grasp and sat upright, keeping the feathered things away from the two who could convince him to keep them, simply by touching them, "they're shackles that bind me to my Father's plan. They're a reminder of all that I lost and all that I can't be again – all that I don't ever want to be again. In giving them back to me, he's all but telling me to go back to Hell and rule over it as I once did. But I won't go back to being his loyal soldier. I won't."

Chloe rose to her feet, as did Trixie, and the Detective placed her hands on her daughter's shoulders and pulled her closer. She was afraid, and Lucifer wasn't surprised. "How can you be sure that's what it means? Is your Father not allowed to give you a gift, or something?"

"Or something." Lucifer wanted to laugh to the High Heavens, and give his Father the middle finger while he was at it. "You don't understand, Detective. Even now that you know, you still don't understand. Dad's gifts come at a cost. He gave us wings, but in return we had to swear loyalty to him. He gave me free will, but cast me out of Heaven – and even then, I never truly got it, since I had to run Hell for the rest of eternity! My Father has never given me anything of worth, not even an apology!" He rose, fists balled at his sides whilst trying to stay in control. The last thing he needed was to scare the Detective further by letting his Devil loose.

But Chloe didn't appear to be frightened at all. There was instead concern in her eyes, and Lucifer tried to tell himself that it was fake; that it wasn't really her, it was just his Father controlling her…somehow. But the more he repeated that mindset to himself, the less it made sense. His Father couldn't control humans in that way, because humans had free will. All his Father really did was made sure she was born, possibly laid down other obstacles in their paths, but he certainly couldn't control feelings…

He hadn't thought of that before, too hurt by the revelation to really think. But it was true, that God wouldn't be able to control Chloe in the way he first thought, which meant… Lucifer screwed his eyes shut and refused to think of that possibility: that maybe her feelings had been real, that what she had felt for him had been real, that he had left her and hurt her all for nothing…

"Maybe if you explained, I can understand better."

He opened his eyes and looked at her again; saw the understanding and sympathy in her beautiful blue eyes, feelings that he didn't deserve from her but received anyway, because she was too kind a person. Too pure, too good. Her daughter too was sending him a smile, but he could see the confusion in her eyes. Only her lack of understanding was, well, understandable, because she was just a child.

His head was spinning and he looked away. He wanted to explain everything as he'd promised, but the reappearance of his wings had thrown him off, and he needed to think and re-evaluate. He needed to try and understand what his Father was planning.

"I'm sorry," he spoke aloud, and he truly was, because once again he was delaying answers; avoiding her, pushing her away. It was the last thing he wanted, but he had to get a hold of himself. It was for her own protection, and for the protection of her daughter; it always was. He didn't want to lose it in front of her and scare her away for good. It was a miracle that she hadn't run already (which made sense, considering a miracle was exactly what she was, but he didn't want to push it).

The Devil didn't dare look back at her, not wanting to see the inevitable disappointment on her face. He heard her sigh, and it didn't sound disappointed, but… "I get it. You need space to think about this. I…think I need some space, too."

Of course she did. Her entire world had just been turned on its head. Maybe she was holding it all in, and she'd only lose it and break down once he was gone? Perhaps. "Very well, Detective. You know where to find me once you're ready." Before he could change his mind, he grabbed his suit jacket from where it was draped on the back of the couch.

His phone was on the arm of the couch (he could've sworn it had been in his pocket), and he snatched that up, too. His shirt was most likely still on the floor in the bathroom, but he didn't bother to go back for it. He could collect it another time. He willed his wings away, and heard the pair behind him gasp, but he didn't stop to explain.

He put on his jacket, gave them one last apologetic glance, before hurrying out the door.

Chloe had wanted to stop him. She found that when alone, Lucifer could be self-destructive in a mental sense, since he was left alone with his thoughts. But at the same time, she understood that what had happened was just as shocking for him as it was for her, for more ways than one.

It was why she wasn't annoyed at him for not giving her anymore answers. And also because he'd at least revealed to her his true identity, which was probably enough for the night.

When Lucifer was gone, Trixie quietly excused herself and hurried up to the bathroom. Chloe let her go, choosing instead to send a text to Maze, telling her briefly what had happened. Upon realizing that she still didn't have Amenadiel's number (she forgot to copy it, too occupied with Lucifer), she asked Maze to give him the same update. When the text was sent, she allowed herself to sink into the couch cushions and let her thoughts run away with her.

She couldn't imagine what it was like for her friend, cutting himself off from his Father, only to be reminded that he hadn't escaped. Well, maybe she could relate a little; she'd been determined to be nothing like her mother, only to be shown later that she still shared some traits with Penelope Decker whether she liked it or not. It was still nothing like what Lucifer had to be going through, though.

Before she knew it, her heart had gone out to him – and she found herself pretty darn pissed at the asshole Father everyone called God. Even if the wings really were a no-strings-attached gift, what kind of parenting had Lucifer been subjected to that he immediately assumed the wings were some kind of imprisonment of service? That was not OK.

Chloe wasn't sure how long she sat there, and was ashamed that it must've been a while when she heard the toilet flush upstairs and Trixie finally appeared. At first, she noticed Lucifer's shirt in the little girl's hands, the one he had torn off when his scars had been itching and had forgotten in his haste to escape the apartment, but then she saw her child's eyes red with crying.

"Monkey, what's wrong?"

"It's Lucifer," Trixie replied. "He was hurt before. He had wings before, and he cut them off, and now he wants to do it again. Did Lucifer's daddy hurt him? Is that why Lucifer hates his wings? Because they were from his daddy?"

The fact that Trixie had understood even the basics of what Lucifer had said surprised Chloe, but she was more concerned with the fact that her baby had been crying, and she'd been too lost in her thoughts to notice. She wordlessly held out her arms, and Trixie fell into her embrace and started crying again.

And Chloe cried too. She cried for Lucifer; for the happy, innocent little boy he must've been, before it all (literally) went to Hell. She cried for her broken friend; for all the pain he must have endured in Hell, watching over the damned and being blamed for all their misdeeds, because humanity refused to take responsibility for their own actions.

But in her sadness, a ray of hope appeared. Because for all that he had endured, he was still a good person. He hadn't let all that had happened to him change him. He hadn't let it twist him into a monster. Perhaps he called himself one, but Chloe knew it was far from the truth. A monster didn't help the LAPD catch criminals. A monster didn't scare a bully that was tormenting her child.

A monster didn't protect her as fiercely as he did.

"Oh Lucifer," she couldn't help but say aloud. Now that she knew, she could help him. She would give him all the help he needed, and give him the care and compassion that he never received from anyone.

Trixie pulled away and showed Chloe the shirt. "Mommy, can we go and give this back to Lucifer?"

"Now?" Her daughter nodded. "I'm sure it can wait until morning."

Her gaze averted to the floor. "But…I'm scared he'll try and hurt himself."

That was a scary thought. On the one hand, Lucifer had asked Maze to cut his wings off last time, suggesting that it was a task he couldn't do alone. And she doubted that Maze would agree to it again. But on the other hand, would Lucifer be desperate enough to attempt it himself?

She knew her friend – and she knew there was a chance that he could try.

"Alright, Monkey. Let's go." There was no chance of leaving her daughter behind. Maze wasn't even in, and she couldn't ask Dan. He would want to know what was up.

And Trixie was worried for Lucifer, too. There was simply no room for argument.

There wasn't time to change, so Chloe just asked Trixie to put a jacket on over her pyjamas, though she covered her bare feet with a pair of trainers. Chloe herself slipped on a pair of shoes and a jacket, and then they were away, out the door and into the car and driving through LA traffic. Not as busy as it would be during the day, but there was a fair amount.

They pulled into the car park beneath Lux, and Chloe hoped that it was where he had gone. She didn't fancy chasing him across the city. And she couldn't think of anywhere else he would go, except maybe the beach he always seemed to favour; the one Maze had mentioned before, the one she claimed they washed up when they first escaped Hell…

Her worries left when she saw his Corvette parked up, and she pulled her car into the space beside it. But they returned when she reminded herself that he had wings now, and he could fly anywhere he pleased. Unless he needed to relearn how to fly? She didn't know. She wasn't exactly an expert on celestial beings.

Chloe shook herself. She was letting her thoughts run away with her again. Focus on helping him now, let your mind wander later, Decker.

Time moved quickly. They were walking through the mostly empty parking garage, then they were waiting for the elevator, then they were riding it up, up, up… Before they knew it, the doors opened with a ding and they stepped out into Lucifer's penthouse. It didn't take Chloe long to find the apartment's resident Devil.

He was sat at the far end of the bar, tumbler glass in hand as he downed its contents before slamming it down. A large glass bottle was next to him, open. He hadn't found another shirt to put on, so was bare chested – something Chloe found herself appreciating a lot more than she should've done, and she attempted to push her blush down and away. She was relieved to notice that he was still wearing trousers, though his shoes had been removed.

"Lucifer!" Trixie sprinted forwards towards him, but not in her usual way; normally she was full of energy and happiness, but instead her actions were out of relief and fear that was unfounded.

The Devil glanced in their direction, and upon seeing Trixie charging towards him he leapt from the stool and tensed up. He kept his hands raised in uncertainty as Trixie barrelled into him, her arms wrapping around his waist and hugging him tight. Lucifer just stared down at the child with a frown, and Chloe smiled as she thought that, despite what had happened, some things never changed.

"Spawn? Detective?" Lucifer's gaze flickered between them, from Trixie to Chloe, then back at Trixie before returning to Chloe. "What are you doing here?"

"You forgot your shirt." Chloe held out the shirt for him to see before laying it on top of the bar. "And Trixie was worried."

Lucifer glanced down at her daughter, even more puzzled than before. "Worried? What on earth for, child?"

Trixie kept her face buried into him. "I thought you were gonna hurt yourself, and I don't want you hurting yourself. I know why you want to. Your daddy gave you your wings, but you don't like him, so you don't want them. But that doesn't mean you have to hurt yourself. I'll be sad if you get hurt, and so will Mommy. Please don't hurt yourself, Lucifer."

The expression on Lucifer's face was a mixture of concern for Trixie's wellbeing, surprise that someone cared about whether or not he was hurt…and slight panic, in case she started crying. That emotion he aimed directly at Chloe, as he gestured down at the child clinging to him. "Please can you remove your offspring, Detective," he whispered. "Before she ruins my perfect skin with her snot."

Of course Trixie could still hear him, but his words didn't offend her at all. They just made her laugh. "You can just take a shower, Lucifer. That'll wash it off."

"True." His eyes never left Chloe as he grinned. Uh oh. "Especially if your mother was there to help me. I'm sure she'd make sure every speck of dirt was washed away."

And this line of conversation was over. "OK, Lucifer. If you're well enough to make comments like that, then you're well enough to talk. So let's talk."

The Devil managed to remove Trixie from his person, and quickly hopped onto the stool again to avoid any further contact with her. "Alright. Fair enough. What would you like to know first?"

"Revelations and answers can wait," Chloe explained. She stepped towards him, taking a stand by her daughter's side. "I've got the day off tomorrow, so we'll have plenty of time to talk. Right now, I wanna make sure that you don't mutilate yourself in some kind of attempt to stick it to your Dad."

Lucifer turned away from them both and poured himself another glass. "I can't do it myself. That's why I got Maze to cut them off in the first place. She hated me for making her do it. Already sent her a text, asking her to do it again. She refused." He downed the alcohol in one go. "I doubt Amenadiel would help me, considering his reaction when I burnt my last pair. And I really don't want to ask Linda. Not only is she still recovering, but she tends to go a bit starry-eyed when it comes to the divine. Can you believe that she actually bowed when she met Johnson, who I thought was Dad at the time?"

Chloe narrowed her eyes at him. "Don't change the subject."

He rolled his eyes. "Would never dream of it. What is this, the wing police? Are you my parole officers, sent by Dad to make sure I don't cut off his new method of torture?"

"What's wrong with wanting to stop our friend from hurting himself?" Chloe folded her arms across her chest and levelled her gaze at him. She grinned when she noticed Trixie take the same pose.

The Devil sighed and looked away again. "So, you want me to do as my Father says? That would entail returning to Hell. Following his rules again. If I went back to stepping in line, my Fall and my time in Hell would have been for nothing. Is that what you want, Detective?"

"Why are you assuming that's what he wants?" Chloe asked, trying to believe that there was another way; another reason why God must have given Lucifer back his wings. She refused to believe it was what Lucifer said it meant. The thought of her friend being forced back into Hell was more painful than the thought of cutting his wings off altogether. "Can't he just give you a gift without expecting anything in return? Parents do that, you know."

Trixie nodded. "She's right. Mommy and Daddy give me gifts sometimes. On my birthday and at Christmas, obviously, but sometimes they give me something if I've been good, or done well at school."

Lucifer frowned down at her, and there was some understanding in his expression. Like a thought was just occurring to him. "I suppose they could be some form of "reward" for how I dealt with Mum. I didn't kill her, I didn't send her to Hell, and I didn't let her into Heaven. I sent her into the void, and in a way, that was best for everyone involved."

"See?" Chloe recalled the moment on the pier, when Lucifer and Charlotte had been standing with her one second, and the next had been down on the beach, Charlotte knocked out. And then Charlotte had woken up with amnesia. She suspected that was connected to what Lucifer was saying. "You're thinking. That's what you need to do, Lucifer. You need to stop jumping to conclusions so quickly, step back and actually think about these things. Don't act irrationally about this. There may be a good reason you have your wings back, and if you cut them off, you'll never know what that is."

"But it's not just that, Detective," said her friend, and the sadness and betrayal in his eyes almost made her cry. "He's forced them upon me, without my consent. It's a violation. I can't let this stand. I…I want to choose my own way; control what happens to me."

Chloe nodded, understanding. "We all do, Lucifer. We all want to be in control – but sometimes, that's just not possible. Life happens. Things happen to us that we can't control. But you know what we can control? How we deal with it. Sometimes we just have to make do with the cards we're dealt, and accept what life throws our way. I didn't want my Dad to die, but he did, and instead of wallowing in my grief and begging your Father to let him come back, I chose to move on with my life. I accepted that it happened, and do you know what? That choice led to me becoming a cop, a detective, and helping people, and meeting you." She uncrossed her arms and walked slowly towards him. "Accept them instead of reject them. You weren't the same man you were five years ago."

"I'm not a man." He looked away.

She reached out and hooked a finger under his chin, turning his head again to face her. "Yes, you are. You're a brave, wonderful man. You're also a smart man – smart enough to know that if God can give you back your wings now, he'll just give them back to you again. Over and over until you stop cutting them off."

He looked defeated. "I suppose you have a point there. But-"

"Not buts," she told him. "Embrace them. And if your Father wants you to return to Hell? Go back to being His obedient son? Don't. Keep the wings, embrace them, accept them, but don't do as He says. Make them your own, not His."

It was a relief to see the familiar grin on his face. "Yes… And wouldn't that be a better punishment for him? To accept his gift and do with them as I please, instead of what he wants me to do." He suddenly leapt to his feet and stared at the ceiling. "You hear that, Dad? These wings are mine now! Not Yours! You expect me to fight against them, but no! I'm keeping them, and You're not getting them back! I'll do with them as I wish!"

Trixie clapped her hands and jumped up and down with a cheer. Chloe just laughed. "See? It's your life. If your Father hits you with another gift, embrace it instead of fighting back."

Lucifer turned and gave her an odd look. "Yes. Maybe I should."

She decided to ignore that for now and turned to her daughter. "Come on, Monkey. Time to go."

"But…" Trixie looked back at Lucifer. "What if he starts feeling sad again? We need to stay and look after him! Look!" She walked up to him again, ignoring the way he flinched at her closeness, and pointed at his burnt skin. "He's still poorly. We need to make sure he feels better."

Chloe went to protest, but Lucifer added, "You could stay. There's a spare room, and Maze's old room. You said you had the day off, and it's Saturday tomorrow, so the child doesn't have school. I…" He looked down, "I would like it if you stayed."

He looked so vulnerable, and he didn't even make an eyebrow-wiggling suggestion that she share his bed, which was unusual. Part of him was still uncertain; about the wings, about her accepting his world, it didn't matter. He was so confident and sure of himself when they were out on cases and when he was down in Lux, but with her… She could see how little faith he had in himself as a person.

And now wouldn't be the first time she noticed just how lonely he was; how much he desired some form of companionship. Putting it into perspective now that she knew the truth, it truly hit her just how lonely he must've felt down in Hell, with nothing but demons and the dead souls of the damned to keep him company. How long was it before Maze came along? But even after meeting her, it still wouldn't be enough. One person wouldn't be enough.

She couldn't leave him alone. Not now.

"OK." She nodded. "We'll stay."

"Thank you, Mommy!" Trixie ran and hugged her, and Chloe noticed the relief and joy in Lucifer's eyes which he tried to hide.

Their host for the night showed them to the guest bedroom, where Trixie would be sleeping, and Chloe tried to ignore the fact that the room was bigger than hers and Trixie's combined back at home. He pointed her to Maze's old room across the hall, before leaving them to get settled. There was no suggestive wink or an invitation for her to join him in his bed. Still odd.

Right. She needed to find out what was up.

After tucking Trixie into bed and waiting for her to drift off to sleep, Chloe walked back into the main area of the penthouse to find her Devil. She smiled when she spotted him.

He was sat on the couch, and she was happy to see that his wings were out. They looked a little ruffled and he was trying to, well, groom them. He resembled a tall, proud bird pruning its feathers, and she couldn't help but giggle at the mental image her thoughts conjured.

Lucifer turned his attention to her. "What exactly is it you find funny about this?"

"Oh, nothing." Chloe gave him an innocent look as she approached. "Need some help?"

There was a moment where he appeared startled by her question, but he covered it up quickly. "If you don't mind."

"Not at all," she said, before taking a seat by his side, mindful to avoid sitting on any feathers. She considered his position and said, "Why don't you lie on your side and open one out, so I have better access to most of it?"

He shrugged, but instead of lying away from her like she expected him to, he came towards her – and what was more, he laid his head on her lap. Judging by the smile on his face, there was no misunderstanding. He was exactly where he wanted to be. Chloe couldn't even bring herself to care.

His left wing stretched out, covering his front, and giving her easier access to the feathers that looked the most ruffled. Very slowly, Chloe reached her hand out and began to gently stroke the feathers into their proper direction. The wings felt, for lack of a better term, Heavenly. She found herself drawing little circles as she went, into the feathers and against the skin underneath. Lucifer's obvious moan let her know that he was enjoying the attention as much as she was.

Her right hand absentmindedly began to mimic the same movements in his hair, petting him as if he were a dog – or rather a bird, which was far more appropriate. She lost herself in the movements, allowing herself to relax and enjoy. The entire experience was divine, and she herself almost moaned in pleasure.

Chloe didn't know how long she was sat there, stroking her partner's wings and head, but eventually she felt him shift his weight. His eyes were closed, and he was moving his wings into a different position; trying to encourage her to stroke a different area, she realized. She figured out where he wanted her hand, and moved it further down the wing. Her hand continued to bury the fingers in his hair.

But he kept on moving, arching his back more and more, seemingly losing himself in her movements…

And then, without warning, he tumbled onto the floor.

He yelped in shock, and Chloe's hands instinctively covered her mouth with a gasp. The wings flailed in all directions as Lucifer hurriedly pushed himself to his knees. His eyes darted about him in panic, unable to comprehend what had just happened.

It was, in all honesty, adorable.

The Detective burst out laughing.

Lucifer went from startled to annoyed as he gazed up at her. "Oh, I'm glad you find it funny."

She gave him a teasing grin. "I think you were enjoying that a little too much."

The Devil's eyebrows rose and he gave her a knowing grin. "Judging by how red your face is, I'd say that you were enjoying yourself, too."

Damn, were her cheeks flushed? And was she really enjoying herself that much? It suddenly occurred to her that the entire experience had been turning her on, and she hadn't even noticed. She'd been too lost in the pleasure of it. Do I seriously have some kind of wing kink?

She quickly stood up and turned her back to him. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Ooh, in denial, are we?" She heard Lucifer rise to his feet and approach her. Then out of the corner of her eyes, she saw his wings encircle her. Oh, he knew exactly what they were doing to her. "Looks like I've finally discovered what you desire."

"You."

The word was out of her mouth before she could stop it. But it was true. He was what she desired, not his wings. She would never do the same with, say, Amenadiel's wings. They would never feel as soft, nor as comforting, nor as relaxing as Lucifer's.

Maybe it wasn't a wing kink she had, but rather a Devil kink. A Lucifer kink.

Though kink and desire implied lust, and while the feeling was there, it was far stronger than that; it was also four words long and began with an 'L'. It was something she'd ignored for too long, something she'd tried to push down after he left her and came back married to someone else.

That feeling exploded within her, and she made sure it was there in her eyes, clear as day, when she turned to face him. He was staring at her with an expression she was familiar with; one she had seen before, on that beach over a month ago. Shock, confusion, bewilderment, surprise…affection, care, wonderment…

Love.

The wings that were around her suddenly moved in closer, quickly but with gentle care, and they came close to scooping her up. Instead they embraced her, cradled her even, and brought her closer to their owner.

"Chloe…" There was a tear in the corner of his eyes, and she reached up to wipe it away.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

He smiled. "Embracing a gift."

His arms too suddenly slid around her, and she was carried away into his bedroom. She laughed out loud, feeling safe and cared for while pressed against his body. They fell onto the bed together, and Lucifer made sure she fell onto one of his wings. It was like falling only the softest bed in the world. He then brought his other wing around and laid it on top of her, sandwiching her between them.

Chloe rubbed her cheek against the feathers and giggled a little. They tickled, but she wasn't about to tell him that. The last thing she wanted was for him to torture her into submission through tickling.

She met his gaze, and found herself on the receiving end of a beautifully sincere smile. Oh, she wanted to kiss that smile, and began to lean in to do so…

"Cool! Feather bed!" Suddenly there was Trixie, jumping onto the bed and crawling around by their feet, before diving into the feather sandwich. She crawled up in between Chloe and Lucifer until her head popped out at the top, and annoyed as her mother was that her time with her partner had been interrupted, that was adorable.

Lucifer looked annoyed, but she could see the fondness in his gaze as he stared down at her daughter. It was moments like that when she realized that he truly cared, no matter how many times he insisted he hated children and flinched away from Trixie.

He gave her a pleading glance, but she just shook her head. She didn't have the heart to ask Trixie to leave, not after how worried her daughter had been.

The Devil huffed, but he didn't look all that upset about it. After all, they didn't need to sleep together right away. They'd have time for that later; after he'd told her everything, and there were no secrets between them. She didn't want to rush into things, and hoped to keep him on the same page as her.

There would be obstacles, both normal and divine, and some caused by Lucifer himself. But cliché as it sounded, they could overcome them so long as they worked together. He was the best partner she ever had, and she had no doubt that would stay the same in upgrading to a romantic one. He was her handsome, loyal, winged devilish partner, and she wouldn't trade him for the world.

He ruffled Trixie's hair, making her giggle, and Chloe's heart expanded at the sight.