Evermore (Devil's ʻĀnela) [ON HOLD]

XVIII

Chloe and Lani got out of the car and a woman helped them inside her house. She got them something to eat and drink and cleaned up their wounds.

CHLOE'S HOUSE

"It was a random car crash," Chloe said.

"Are you certain?" Lucifer questioned.

Lani nodded. "Yes."

"But you two didn't see anything strange or out of the ordinary?"

"Like we told you at the hospital and several times before that, no."

"What's going on with you?" Chloe asked, noticing Lucifer's odd behavior.

Lucifer sighed. "Well, there's a minuscule, albeit highly unlikely, chance that your car accident was a result of my father trying to send me a message."

"Lucifer, it was a freak accident," Lani reassured. "A dog ran into the middle of the road. You had nothing to do with it."

"Right. Okay. Well, you two are about to be in another disastrous wreck that is avoidable."

"What?" Chloe and Lani asked.

"Living with Maze. Potential for sexy pillow fights notwithstanding, you two and Maze are like snow pants and elephants. You don't mix."

"Maze and us have become friends," Chloe replied. "Sort of. And we think it's gonna be fine."

"Oh, really?"

"With a short adjustment period."

"Mm."

Chloe's phone rang and she answered. "Yeah. What is that? Decker. Yeah, what's the address?"

"Hi, Lucifer," Trixie and Kiana greeted.

Lucifer pointed to the toy box. "Ah, um, toys. In there. Go."

"Yes. Thank you," Chloe said.

Trixie walked up to Chloe and Lani with a book, followed by Kiana. "Can you read this - to us, Mommy, Aunt Lani?"

Chloe sighed. "No, Monkey, sweetie. We just got a new case. You two have to go to school. And besides, that's your bedtime story. One of us will read that to you two tonight."

"No, read it to us now!"

"Now!" Kiana screamed.

"The best birth control in the world," Lucifer commented.

Chloe and Lani knelt down. "Come here. What's going on, kiddos?"

"Landa says your job's really dangerous," Trixie replied. "That cops get hurt all the time. We don't want you two to get hurt."

Kiana's lip quivered. "I don't want you to die, Mommy. My real mommy's gone, and I don't want you to die either."

"Oh, baby, sweetie. The car accident was just an accident," Chloe reassured. "And Mommy and Aunt Lani's job can be dangerous, but we're really careful, okay? We're not gonna get hurt."

"I love you, Mom," Trixie said.

Chloe hugged her daughter. "Oh, I love you so much. I love you."

Kiana threw her arms around Lani. "I love you, Mommy."

Lani smiled. "I love you too, so, so much."

"Oh, no, actually, this is better birth control," Lucifer said.

CRIME SCENE

"Hey, Ella," Chloe greeted.

"Hey," Ella replied.