Lost Soul ¦ Mazikeen x Ella

Chapter 3: Hearts and Jackets

Assuming Chloe is done sharing the details on the current investigation, Ella instantly goes back to her workplace. There are a lot of new fingerprints to analyze and with all the contradicting clues they've gotten so far, there is a big chance she'll be working all night.

A couple of weeks ago, a murder case was brought in where the victim's heart was removed with nearly surgical precision. It seemed as if they were close to uncovering the killer but after many attempts to solve it, it started to look like a dead end. Two days ago, however, another case was opened that most likely had something to do with the unresolved one. Ella, dying to figure out how the killer managed to remove the hearts of the victims with such clean cuts, was sure that the extra hours of work would be worth it.

Her one eye already peering through the microscope in front of her, she couldn't help seeing something with her other. Chloe hadn't moved at all, and with a little hesitation, Ella drops her work. 'Hey, Chloe, you okay?'

'Mhm?' She blurts out, distracted and clearly not realising she's still standing in the same room. 'Oh, yeah. I'm fine. Fine.'

Ella gives a hesitating nod. 'Right....' 

She's not sure whether to leave it there or to dig a little deeper but when Chloe sighs as if she's just had to carry the world on her back, her decision is easily made. Ella pulls out two stools and gestures her friend to sit down. Before doing so, Chloe stares off at the office, as if expecting an emergency to arise, or for a certain someone to arrive. After being disappointed, she sits down.

'Time to tell Auntie Ella what's on your mind. Okay? Is it Lucifer?' 

Chloe rolls her eyes a bit, trying to evade Ella's caring gaze, and fiddles with the ends of her blouse. Ella grabs her hands and gives them a little squeeze. Talk to me. It's okay. She's sure Chloe understands. 

'Okay. Yes.' She begins. 'It's Lucifer. I know he'll be back but ... I can't help but miss him. It's just not the same without him.'

Ella shrugs. 'I hear ya. Nothing's the same without him. But babe, he'll be back. And I'm guessing he'll be back soon. There's no way he can stay away from you for too long. I think the past has proven that already.' She winks at Chloe. 

An answer is at the tip of her tongue when someone barges into the room. 

'Hey, Ella. Oh, Decker, you're here too.' Maze walks over to them, jacket in her hands. She's wearing a short, tight skirt and the tallest pair of heels she could find. Her hair's like a crown of tiny curls around her head and her lips are painted a dark red. The many pieces of gold jewellery are what complete her look. A look to kill for, as said by the fashion magazine she had consulted. After going through the countless pages of advice, she decided she wanted to throw up and threw together something more ... Maze. The writers of those articles probably had never even killed anyone before. What a scam, she had thought while reading it. 

'Wow, Maze, hey! You look good!' Ella's smile broadens on her face. 'Do you have a date or something?' 

'No, actually.' She plucks a strand of hair from her lips. 'I came to return your jacket.'

'Maze!' Ella goes over to hug her, though careful not to ruin any of her hair or makeup. 'That is so sweet of you.'

The demon shrugs. 'That's a good thing right?' 

Ella looks at her with slight confusion. 'Of course it is! I hadn't even asked you to return it yet, that is real nice of you!' 

A look of satisfaction crawls on Maze's face. She then turns to Chloe, who was still in the middle of sulking but not as much as before Ella's little speech. 'Hey, Decker, you good?' 

Chloe looks at her as if she had just woken up and nods firmly. 'Yeah! Totally! I'll be getting back to work, good luck on the case, Ella! Let me know when you find anything.' 

Ella calls after her, knowing fully well she could use another pep talk before diving into work, but she is already out the door. Sighing, she plops down onto the stool. Maze is eyeing her carefully, afraid to say something wrong and unsure how to say anything at all but Ella is talking before she has to. 'I really thought last night had cheered her up! I love Lucifer but times like these I could really wring his neck!'

'I wouldn't try if I were you,' Maze snorts but as soon as Ella's big eyes find hers, she feels bad for joking around. 'Look, Decker is fine! She will be. Lucifer will be back soon and they will be all over each other again. Enjoy it while it lasts.' What was supposed to be positive Maze quickly turned into her expressing a slight grudge she holds for the both of them. Lucifer, Chloe, and Eve as well, they were all the same in the end.

She's unsure how long she was lost in her own mind but when she started paying attention again, she was sitting on the stool next to Ella, a warm hand tenderly placed on her arm as a sign of support. 

Ella had no clue what made Maze space out like that and as much as she wanted to know, she didn't wish to pry. Or at least, she didn't want Maze to lash out at her. Instead, she just said: 'it's okay.' And all the sweetness that is Ella made the demon melt inside and if she had a heart, it would be throbbing as much as it does with first love. 

In her mind, she asked herself: What the fuck is wrong with me?

Her mouth instead asked: 'What are you working on?' 

And Ella passionately explaining the brutal murder of a man, getting his heart ripped out from his chest was the most attractive thing Maze had ever heard.