"I think Eve is a bad influence on you" Chloe said with an air of superiority.

Unbeknownst to her, Eve had just opened the door in time to hear those words...and she was pissed.

"Luce, do you mind if the Detective and I have a word..alone?".

"Certainly," Lucifer drawled, "just go easy on her Evie, she might not be able to handle it, otherwise".

Once he left the room, Eve sat in a chair facing across from Chloe, the look on her face was both dangerous and eerily similar to her eldest child.

"Listen, Eve, I..."

"Hypocrite".

"Excuse me?!".

"You're a hypocrite," Eve said calmly," you say I'm a bad influence on Lucifer, and maybe that's partly true, but at least I let him CHOOSE what path he wants to follow, even if the consequences aren't always the best. When is the last time he truly had a choice around you, Chloe?".

"I have never forced Lucifer to do anything!".

"Haven't you?" She asked, " he's allowed himself to be caged, hurt, manipulated, even killed...all for you. You took a man, that you knew from the start didn't have confidence in himself, and broke him down into what you wanted, throwing away the parts that didn't fit...regardless of what it did to him. Lucifer said you once told him you 'needed the eggs' as it were. Basically, you made it clear he has to be useful to be wanted".

Eve got up from the table and walked up to Chloe, staring her down.

"He doesn't have to change, he's already perfect. In a way, he's the only one of us that is. I suggest you figure out what your priorities are, Detective, or he will leave you forever...and I can't say that I'd be sad about that".

She walked out of the conference room, leaving a stunned Detective behind.

*

"You know I was thinking...maybe we should cut back on the punishing a bit ".

"Okay," Eve said as she flopped onto the bed.

"Really?".

"Luce,you don't have to do everything you think I might want," she told him," I want you, whether that's punishing the bad guys or lounging on the couch watching that Bones show you like so much ".

"I do love that delightful piece of cinematic genius".

Eve shook her head before putting her arms around his neck, " You have my full support for whatever choices you make in life...even the bad ones".

He smiled and gently pressed his lips to hers. "I love you, Evie".

"And I you, my devil, and I you".