After the storm

Chapter 26

Chloe woke and sat up in bed. She was surrounded by total darkness. After a moment, when her eyes grew accustomed to it, she started noticing some details that didn't make any sense. Something was wrong. She remembered falling asleep in a hospital bed but it wasn't the hospital room anymore, she was back at home in her own bedroom. She checked the place beside her – she was alone, she wondered where Lucifer was. She put her hand on her belly as she already got used to that gesture but somehow she felt subconsciously there was no one there. She swallowed hard and she felt a surge of panic.

Where's the baby? she thought.

Suddenly, she heard a soft wailing coming somewhere from down the hall. She got out of bed, went to the door and opened it tentatively. Then she moved quietly forward and tried to locate the source of the faint sounds. They brought her to a room that was a guest bedroom but wasn't really used much.

The door was slightly ajar so she pushed it open and froze standing there. She didn't recognize that room at all. She looked around and couldn't believe her eyes. A small lamp was on so she could notice most of the things that were there. The walls were painted grey, the white furniture consisted of a wardrobe, a chest of drawers and a changing table. In the corner of the room there was a big white crib with a canopy.

But what touched her the most was the sight she saw next to it. There, in a spacious rocking chair, was her Devil sitting and holding gently their baby. She felt so overwhelmed with emotions that tears instantly pooled in her eyes. She didn't want to interrupt this moment of father-daughter bondage so she just stood there taking in the scene, not moving or saying anything. However, Lucifer somehow sensed her presence, he raised his head and met her gaze. When their eyes locked, they both smiled.

"Hey." She whispered.

"Hey, yourself." He replied in a hushed tone.

We finally have the baby, she thought and just as she was trying to enter the room, his face became serious and his words made her anxious.

"Check on Trixie, she needs you."

Chloe didn't wait any longer, she just moved quickly downstairs and stopped outside Trixie's bedroom. She reached out with her slightly shaking hand and opened the door. It was dark and when Chloe went inside, it turned out the bed was empty. She drew in a sudden breath as panic started rising in her body.

"Trixie? Where are you, monkey?" She asked and bent to check under the bed and then in the closet. She wasn't there either.

The moment she was leaving the room, she felt a whiff of air and what she saw in the middle of the living room, made her stop dead in her tracks. There was a woman standing there, obviously a celestial. She had curly brown hair and she was wearing a blue robe. To Chloe, she seemed a little apprehensive and uncertain.

"Hello. It's Gabriel, isn't it?" Chloe asked.

Now the unexpected guest obviously became surprised.

"Wow, you're good. How did you know it was me? We've never met as I recall."

"Lucifer told me it was you who messed with my dreams not long ago." Chloe stated and crossed her arms.

"Oh, about that...," Gabriel whispered, "I'm really sorry for what I did to you. I shouldn't have listened to Michael. He's always been jealous of Lucifer." She said. She seemed truthful but Chloe felt there was something Gabriel wasn't telling her.

"Okay, now you can tell me why you are really here."

Gabriel looked stunned. "What do you mean?"

"I don't believe you would leave your celestial duties and come here only to apologize to me for your actions." Chloe told her, switching into her detective mode.