See Me As I Am

ChloePOV: Trials and Sacrifice

Chloe was awake before her alarm went off. As if she could sleep in on a day like today. She almost wanted to curl up in bed and avoid the entire thing, but she knew that was impossible. Today was too important for her to miss. Her mother was in town, which usually meant extra stress, but not today. Today she needed her mom. It didn't seem to matter how old one got, your parents were always your parents.

"Do you have everything?" Penelope asked. Chloe just nodded. Dan had already picked up Trixie to drive her to school and they were just about to leave when the door burst open to reveal Maze looking only slightly scarier than usual, but it was enough to make Penelope jump.

"Good lord!" Penelope exclaimed, bringing her hand up to her mouth in surprise.

"This is my roommate," Chloe explained to her mother. "Maze, could you please try not to be so scary when we have company."

"Car bomb," Maze said as if she were commenting on the weather.

"Come again?" Chloe asked.

"Already did this morning," Maze said, making Chloe regret her choice of words. "Also there was a bomb in your car. I think it was her."

"Her who?" Penelope asked. "What's going on? Is this about the trial?"

"Different case," Chloe told her mother, making a mental note to embarrass Maze at the next opportunity. If indeed it was possible to embarrass Maze at all.

"Can I talk to you outside?" Chloe growled at Maze who agreed easily. Chloe turned to her mother and added, "I'll be right back."

Shooing Maze out of the door she'd just entered by, Chloe shut it behind her. Once she was sure her mother was safely out of earshot, Chloe rounded on the demon and put on her best parent lecture voice.

"You can't, I repeat CAN NOT talk about stuff like this in front of my mother," Chloe stated firmly.

"Right," Maze replied slowly, clearly immune to her parent-voice. "Yeah. I got no idea how that mom thing is supposed to go so... the point is that I think Lucifer's mom is trying to kill you."

Chloe groaned. She wasn't even sure if she was more upset about the bomb in her car or about the way Maze had acted in front of her mother. Penelope didn't need to be worrying about car bombs on a day like today.

"What did you do with the bomb?" Chloe asked calmly.

"Moved it," Maze said with a grin.

"Maze you can't blow people up for fun," Chloe groaned.

"It's okay," Maze smiled. "I promise to make sure Amenaideal isn't in his car when I blow it up."

Chloe took a deep breath. Celestial beings fighting other celestial beings was outside her jurisdiction. She decided to let that slide. She had bigger things to worry about today.

"Thanks for finding it," Chloe said because she knew Maze had very likely saved her life today. "Mom and I have to get to the court house."

Maze shrugged. "Okay, I'll just go tell Lucifer then. He's gonna be so mad." She laughed as if watching the devil get pissed was gonna make her day, which Chloe reminded herself it probably was.

She also had to admit, if only to herself, that Lucifer had been right to worry. His mother really did consider Chloe a threat worth eliminating.

With a cheerful farewell, Maze left and Chloe went back inside to tell her mom the bomb was a fake prank organized by some ex-con she'd put away. Penelope didn't need more to worry about today.

"What a strange prank," Penelope commented. "It isn't even funny."

"People are weird," Chloe replied, trying to kill the topic. "We really should get going or we are going to be late." Penelope agreed and they were almost to the car when another one drove up and parked in front of her house.