One Hell of a Bartender NPC

Living Nightmares

punishmentismyjob:

Once Chloe had settled him on the couch, he rest his head against the cushions and stared at the television. He ached for a whiskey but settled with water, which was placed on the side table. After a half an hour, his eyes started to close, barely hearing the child whispering with her mother.

“Mommy, what’s wrong with Lucifer? Why can’t I watch TV with him?” Trixie asked trying to move to catch a glimps of her friend. “He looks so sad. I can try to cheer him up.”

Lucifer drifted off to sleep and it wasn’t long before the nightmare started again, his head twitched and the devil himself let out a whimper.

Chloe bustled around the house as she got Lucifer settled onto the couch, making sure he had water nearby, knowing his hangover would no-doubt be terrible when it finally hit him.

“Lucifer isn’t feeling well right now, monkey,” Chloe told her daughter, knowing the girl was too young to understand right now. “He’s going to sleep, he’ll be kay when he wakes up. Let’s go watch TV in my room,” she suggested, taking her daughter’s hand and leading her away from Lucifer.

Getting her settled in front of the TV, Chloe took a moment to call Jo, leaving her a voicemail before focusing her attention on her daughter.

Living Nightmares

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“It seems the biggest mystery is finding out who she is… Or was,” he replied, quietly. “As most of our cases go, it’s seems rather cut and dry. He thought about the girl and stopped talking. His mind went to Jo, and he remembered the moment her life slipped away, as he arrived just a few minutes too late. He looked down at his hands still fiddling with his ring. “I’m tired, Chloe. Do you think I might rest on your couch?”

“Of course. You rest as much as you need it. We have food in the kitchen if you get hungry,” Chloe said with a smile, turning into her driveway a few short moments later. “Put something on the TV, rest, and I’ll wake you up when Linda gets here, alright?” she offered, parking the car and climbing out quickly, wanting to get Lucifer inside and on the couch as soon as possible.

Living Nightmares

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“Repeatedly is usually rather passionate,” he agreed, leaning back in the seat. The drugs in his system were almost gone and the alcohol was not far beind. He focused on the traffic as Chloe drove and started to fidget with the ring on his right hand.

“Yeah, that was my thought,” Chloe agreed, her eyes on the traffic in front of them as she drove through town. “Probably an angry spouse or lover. That’s most common in cases like this.” Lucifer knew that, of course. But talking about it was keeping him calm, so she’d keep talking.

Living Nightmares

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“I know. You’ve been there when I’m at my worst. Best partner ever,” he chuckled a bit and cast Chloe a soft smile, then tried to sawy his thoughts from his emtions a bit. It was easier to talk about facts than the clamor of confusion in his head at the moment. “So what did happen to the victim?”

Chloe smiled as Lucifer seemed to relax more, grateful for the bit of smile he flashed her. That was a good sign, she was sure of it.

“She was stabbed, repeatedly. Purse and phone are gone, but it doesn’t feel like a mugging. It feels personal. Angry,” Chloe explained, more than happy to focus on something more familiar. “Ella will need to ID her before we can start questioning people.”

Living Nightmares

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“Well, he tends to go for drugs and alcohol–He may have done something of an upper, but the alcohol will bring him down, mixing is never a good idea, but in his traumatized state, he probably didn’t even consider it,” Linda answered, then added. “He’ll eventually be fine, he’s careful not to go too far and overdose. Maybe get some food and hydrate him. You’re very welcome. I’ll see you in an hour.”

Lucifer shook his head in answer to Chloe’s question about having eaten and he closed his eyes as he leaned his head back against the headrest, “I”m sorry, Chloe. I just… Linda warned me this could happen so many times, but I’ve been fine for months.”

He turned to look at Chloe as he spoke to her.

“You don’t have to apologize, Lucifer. I know it’s rough for you,” Chloe told him quietly, pulling away from the crime scene. “This is the first time you two have been apart for any real time since she was kidnapped so it makes sense it’d be difficult for you.” She glanced at him for a moment, flashing him a reassuring smile.

“I’ll always be here for you, Lucifer. You know that, right?”

Living Nightmares

onehellofabartender-npc:

Chloe licked her lips and nodded, glancing to Ella for a moment. “Of course. I’ll call as soon as I get the chance. Thanks, Ella,” she said quietly, before looking back to Lucifer.

“C’mon, Lucifer. You’re right, everything is fine. Let’s just get you to my place. You can rest until Jo calls,” she told him gently, taking his elbow and leading him to the car. “I’ve still got Linda on the phone, if you want to talk to her more.”

Lucifer nodded again and slid into the passanger seat of Chloe’s sedan, still quietly repeating the mantra to himself, when he heard Linda’s voice on the speaker phone.

“How do you feel now?” She asked calmly.

“Calmer,” he replied, staring straight ahead out of the windshield, and putting his hand to his mouth.

“Good, I’m going to let Chloe take you home and I’ll drop by in an hour, okay?” Linda assured him softly. “Chloe, can you handle that?”

#punishmentismyjob #char; Chloe decker

"I can handle that. If something comes up, I'll give you a call." Chloe closed the door behind Lucifer before continuing her conversation with Linda. "He's strung out on... something. But he definitely is looking calmer," she assured the therapist, pausing as she reached her door. "Thanks for the help."

Hanging up the call, she climbed into her car, glancing to Lucifer as she started the engine. "Have you eaten anything today? We can grab burgers on the way," she offered, wanting to try and sober him up a little more.

Living Nightmares

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Lucifer nodded at Chloe’s instructions and stood up to follow her. His mind was still arguing with what he’d thought had happened. It was silly, wasn’t it? Chloe and Linda had be right, Jo was fine, it was him. This was just like when Jo panicked othat he wasn’t really there. It was all in his head. “Trauma. Forgive yourself. Everything’s fine.”

He blinked and looked at Chloe, “Oh, that was out loud wasn’t it?”

Ella approached Chloe and reached out to gently touch Lucifer’s shoulder, “It was, but it’s gonna be okay, Lucifer. We all have bad days.”

She turned toward Chloe, “Call me later, I’ll fill you on in case details once… Once Lucifer’s feeling better.”

Chloe licked her lips and nodded, glancing to Ella for a moment. “Of course. I’ll call as soon as I get the chance. Thanks, Ella,” she said quietly, before looking back to Lucifer.

Living Nightmares

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“I…” Linda prompted over the phone. “Come on, Lucifer, you can do this…”

“I forgive myself,” he said softly then took a deep breath and repeated, “I forgive myself. I forgive… Myself.”

His voice was still a bit shakey, but he closed his eyes and consentrated on the repetition. Linda nodded and affirmed her praise, “Very good. Jo is okay, we’ll try to get a hold of her, okay? I want to remember, she’s fine. The dream is just your doubt and subconscious telling you miss her.”

Chloe smiled softly as she listened to Lucifer’s mantra, reaching out with her free hand to gently rub his arm. “Let’s get you to my place, okay? We’ll get you some water, and I’m sure Jo will be calling us back any minute now,” she offered.

“And if we need Linda again, I can call her for you.” Licking her lips, Chloe looked towards one of the other cops on the scene. “Miller, you’re in charge. If you need anything, call me,” she said briskly, before looking back to Lucifer. “Ready?”

Living Nightmares

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He nodded slowly, “I had that nightmare again. It’s been months since I’ve had it, that she was still dead, that I hadn’t… I hadn’t gotten her back and when I woke and she–she wasn’t there–” His voice caught and he took a deep breath. “I kept pacing, thinking she was… I couldn’t handle it, not again.”

Linda knew what he was talking about so it was time she make herself known to him. She leaned forward on her desk and spoke to him calmly, “Lucifer, it’s Linda. I’ve been listening and it was only a nightmare. Everything will be fine, I know it’s your first time away from Jo for an extended period of time. Do you remember the mantra I we talked about?”

Chloe glanced towards her phone as she heard Linda talking, lifting it so it’d be easier for Lucifer to hear it. “Jo’s not gone, Lucifer, she’s just away for a couple of days. She’s with her friends, she’s plenty safe,” she said, trying to keep her voice steady, hoping she was helping to calm him.

“What’s the mantra, Lucifer? We can say it together, alright?”

Living Nightmares

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Linda was just finishing up her day, making a few notes on her final client of the day, when she heard the phone ring. She reached for it and noticed Detective Decker’s mobile number and answered, “Hi Chloe, this is a surprise. What’s up?”

She didn’t hear an immediate response, instead she overheard Chloe speaking to Lucifer, and her expression grew serious as she overheard his answer.

Lucifer lifted his head at Chloe’s assurance that saving Jo hadn’t been a dream, that she’d been here. He wasn’t crazy or imagining what he’d believed to be true. He searched his memory and slowly explained, “I came back from the station after we’d solved the last case and showeored, got re-dressed and went down to LUX to make me appearance. Liz had everything under control, I had a few drinks and mingled until close. Then, I went upstairs and Jo called. We face timed and she filled me in on the case she, Sam, and Dean were working on then I … I went to sleep.”

Glancing towards her phone for a second, Chloe tapped the speaker phone button, before turning her attention to Lucifer completely. “See? You talked to Jo yesterday,” she said with a smile. “Face-time and everything. So she can’t be gone, right?”

She felt almost like she was talking to Trixie, but Lucifer seemed incredibly inebriated at the moment, so clearly logic wasn’t his strong suit. “She’s not dead, she’s just not at home right now. You believe me, right?”

Living Nightmares

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Ella rose watching Lucifer and Chloe, obvious concern crossing her features as he shouted and backed up. He looked as if he was losing it.

Lucifer pulled his arm out of Chloe’s grasp and shook his head, then sank to sit down on the parking bumper. He ran his hand through his hair, paying no mind that the usually coifed stile was left a tumble of curls. “It’s simple. I went to sleep and when I woke up, she was gone. Her bed hadn’t been slept in, nothing. All this time, I thought… I thought she was here me, but it was just a dream.”

His face twisted and he dropped his head into his hands.

Chloe frowned as she watched Lucifer, moving to kneel in front of him. “Lucifer... I thought the two of you were together,” she said quietly, glancing at her phone as it finally picked up on the other end... the sound of Jo’s voicemail greeting her.

Letting out an annoyed sigh, Chloe hung up, quickly flicking through to find Linda’s number, keeping the phone low as she dialed it. “It’s been months since she came back, Lucifer. I saw the two of you together on Tuesday. It’s not a lie or some stupid prank. What’s the last thing you remember, Lucifer? What did you do yesterday?”

Living Nightmares

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“You’re not making any sense, Jo’s dead. She has been for months…” he answered looking as if Chloe were trying to play a cruel joke on him. He shook his head and backed up, stumbling over a cement parking bumper.

His eyes shone too bright and his lower lips quivered, “Why would be so cruel to make me believe she’s okay? Did Dectective Douche think it’d be a riot?”

It wasn’t processing that Chloe was simply telling him the truth. The dream had been so convincing and the combination of drugs and alcohol fuled his dillusion. “You’re ALL in on it, aren’t you!”

“Lucifer. Lucifer, listen to me,” Chloe said, reaching out to take his arm, trying to stop him from stumbling. “We’re not in on anything. You know me. Why would I lie about this?”

She ran her eyes over his face, her worry obvious. “Please, Lucifer. Talk to me. What happened last night?” Her hand reaching into her pocket, she pulled out her phone, keeping it down by her side as she dialed Jo’s number.

Living Nightmares

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Lucifer shook his head at Chloe, he couldn’t actually put what he was feeling into words. It wasn’t guilt it was sadness and lonliness, Chloe should’ve known he’d been feeling like this for so long now. He tried to listen to what Jo had asked him to do. She’d asked him to move on eventually. Eventurally, luckily for him, was a long time off.

“She’s still gone and while I can come to work, I can’t bring her back,” Lucifer finally said. “I’m tired of feeling helpess. I’m so tired, but then all I do is dream of Jo. I can’t move on like she wanted. I can’t do anything but hurt.”

Chloe listened to Lucifer, but his words only caused her even more confusion. None of what he was saying made any sort of sense. “You’re not making any sense,” she told him, tugging him further away from the crime scene, keeping her voice low.

“What do you mean she’s ‘still’ gone? Jo’s been back for months now,” she said, her heart thudding heavily as she began to panic. “Did something happen to her? Is she missing again?”

Living Nightmares

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He let out a manic laugh and pulled out his flask to take a drink, “Mm… Something like that, detective. So what gruesome end did this poor lady experience. By the look of her, she might’ve wished for a wood chipper!”

Ella’s eyes widened at his description, “You know, I’m all for bit of dark humor, but this is particularly dark for you Lucifer.”

He leaned in almost conspiratorially to Chloe and Ella and whispered loudly, “The secret is…You can’t be brave if you’ve only had wonderful things happen to you, but I’m tired of being brave. I’m tired of pain.”

Chloe leaned back as Lucifer leaned closer, the man’s breath positively reeked of booze. She swore she was getting a little buzzed just being close to him. “Lucifer, what are you talking about?”

“Forget the body, and the sick jokes,” she told him, grabbing his elbow and trying to pull him away from the corpse. “What happened? Why are you like this?”

Living Nightmares

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@joannahunts | @onehellofabartender-npc plotted starter

Last night had been the first night in months that he’d slept alone, without Jo at his side. She was on a case, hunting some demon that needed killing or banishing with the Winchesters. She’d called before he’d gone to sleep, and everything had seemed fine, until he went to sleep. That’s when the nightmares started. He’d had them a once or twice since returning from Hell. Nightmares that reminded him of the dream he’d met Jo in to say goodbye. While that dream had been bittersweet, this one was anything but. He woke thinking that saving Jo and bringing her back from Hell had only been a dream. That Jo was still dead and ash…

Lucifer had spent the night pacing, doing drugs and drinking heavily, swamped in grief, but he’d dragged himself to the crime scene Chloe had called him to. He was dishevled and darkly off when he arrived on scene. Ella and Chloe were examining the body already.

“Another dead body, hm?” he asked swirving as he walked and crouched in front of the body on ground, “What happened, did she fall on some bullets? Ooh or stabbing, particularly violent… Dead before anyone could try and help?”

In the middle of a conversation with Ella, Chloe stopped mid-sentence as Lucifer approached the crime scene. She flicked her eyes over the man, manicured brow furrowing as she slowly stood up. She hadn’t seen him looking this bad in a while. Not since Jo had suddenly reappeared.

“Have a bit of a rough night, Lucifer?” she asked, unable to hide the concern in her voice. Maybe something had happened to Jo?