Paradox

Chapter 19: Danger

"So here we are again," Chloe revealed unlocking the door.

"Mommy!" Trixie flew into her arms.

"Monkey, what are you doing up?"

Julia, the babysitter rolled her eyes. "It's like trying to put a hyper grasshopper to bed."

Chloe laughed, she was well aware of her daughter's antics. She paid Julia so she could go home.

"Lucifer! Are you here for a sleepover?" Trixie wrapped her arms around him. Chloe grinned as Lucifer made a noise akin to one made after stepping in something squishy.

Spotting the blood on his sleeve Trixie looked at Chloe with a worried look on her little face. "Did you shoot him again?"

Lucifer snorted.

"No monkey, a bad man did but Lucifer's okay, just a scratch," she assured her.

"Do you want to cuddle with my teddy bear again? Angel will make you feel better."

A look of horror crossed Lucifer's face. "Most definitely not. Shouldn't you be in bed by now?" he asked and winked at her.

Trixie looked guilty. "I guess so..."

"Off you pop then," Lucifer suggested.

Trixie shook her head. "You have a boo-boo you need a kiss to make it better."

Lucifer raised a suggestive brow and curled his lips seductively at Chloe. "Do you hear that I have a boo-boo and require a kiss so I can heal?"

"All right." Chloe nodded in agreement. "Go sit on the sofa, Trixie you can kiss him on the cheek, careful not to hurt his arm."

Lucifer's mouth dropped open then he threw a grumpy look at her. Chloe smirked. "Sit Lucifer, or Trixie won't go to bed and will want to talk to you all night."

Lucifer promptly sat. He managed to tolerate the eight-year-old's wet kiss on his cheek and arms around his neck. He even awkwardly patted her back. "There there child. I'm fine, all better now -- off to bed you go."

Trixie looked at him adoringly. "Good night Lucifer, night Mommy."

"Night monkey. Sweet dreams." Chloe hugged her and kissed her forehead.

She pulled out the sofa bed, fluffing the pillows. "I'm going to sleep here as usual; you can have the bed upstairs. I don't want my daughter waking up to find us in bed together."

When he didn't protest she looked over at him and realized he was struggling to get his arm out of his jacket. She went and helped him carefully slide it off. The wound was still bleeding. She got him upstairs and had him sit on the bed as she got some antiseptic, cotton balls, and bandages. He flinched when she put the antiseptic on> "Oww that hurts. Isn't this supposed to make me feel better, not worse?"

"Don't be such a baby," she calmly said. "It will feel better soon." Once she had him all bandaged up, he stripped down to his underwear and she got him to lie down.

"So what do you make of my mum helping me?" he asked nonchalantly but the tension in his voice, how he was clenching his hands into fists and the fact he wasn't making eye contact spoke otherwise.

"I think she appears to care about you. She ran her hand over your forehead and down your cheek before she left. It looked very loving and I don't think she did it for our benefit. She must feel guilty for what she did perhaps this was a small gesture to redeem herself?"

His eyes are large and vulnerable. "I'm glad she wasn't the one who took the boy."

"Me too. Now get some sleep. I'll stay here until you drift off," she whispered.