The Priest
"Lucifer, this isn't going to work" Kami complained, as they walked towards the Church.
"This preacher is up to something. I can feel it. C'mon, I'm helping you with your Dan theory…now you help me with mine" Lucifer insisted, as Kami let out a long sigh.
"Why do you think this Priest is even going to talk to me?" Kami pointed out.
"He's obsessed with one of the boys at the youth centre. You play the vulnerable teen, and he'll be putty in your hands I'm sure" Lucifer explained, as Kami cringed in disgust.
"Alright, here goes nothing, I guess" Kami mumbled, as she took off her jacket, throwing it towards Lucifer.
She had a wardrobe change in Lux, now wearing a tight pair of jeans, and a tank top that left little to the imagination. Lucifer's eyes widened a little, as she pulled the tank top down, her cleavage on full display. Running a hand through her hair, she managed to add some volume to her brunette locks, before applying a small amount of lip gloss. She looked back up to Lucifer's whose eyes were still staring intently at her chest, his mouth hanging open a little. Rolling her eyes, Kami elbowed him in the stomach, causing a chuckle to fall from Lucifer's lips.
"I don't think there's a man on Earth who would deny you" Lucifer smirked, giving her another appreciative look.
"Let's hope your right…" Kami trailed off, as she walked up the Church steps, taking a deep breath as entered the intimidating structure.
Her eyes instantly found the Preacher, who was at the back of the church, in deep conversation with a middle-aged woman. The heels that Lucifer had picked out for her clicked loudly on the ground, as the Priest slowly turned around. For the first time, Kami found herself wondering why Lucifer had so much woman's clothes. Could you catch an STD from heels—
"Can I help you?" The Priest's voice broke through her thoughts, as Kami gave him an awkward smile.
"I hope so. I think I'm in trouble" Kami replied, fluttering her eyelashes a little.
"Mrs Madison, could we talk later?" The Priest asked, as the middle-aged woman nodded, beginning to slowly walk away, obviously wanting to catch the first part of their conversation.
"What sort of trouble are we talking about?" The Priest inquired, as Lucifer snuck into the Church, heading for the Confessional.
"I go to the Youth Centre, and they've…I've been asked to do some things I know I shouldn't. Can you help me?" Kami questioned, a pleading tone to her voice.
"I strive to help all of God's children" The Priest nodded, as Kami took a step forward.
"Good, because what I really need is…protection" Kami replied, reaching out to touch the man's chest, who gave her an odd look.
"Uh, Miss…?" The Priest coughed awkwardly, looking for a name.
"Oh, right. Yes, my name…um, my name is…Chloe" Kami exclaimed, making the Priest frown.
"Are you sure it is my help you're looking for, Chloe?" The Priest queried, crossing his arms.
"Of course. You are just what I want, I uh…love a bald man" Kami went on, as the Priest looked even more confused.
"Excuse me?" He asked, brushing her hands away from his chest.
"Right. Touchy about the baldness, noted. You know, what I really like…is a man in uniform" Kami exclaimed, giving him a wink.
"…You don't happen to know a Mr Morningstar, do you, Chloe?" The Priest suggested, a look of realisation on his face.
"Uh, no. Never heard of him" Kami stuttered.
"Then why is hiding in the Confessionals filming us?" The Priest announced, ushering over to where she could see Lucifer poking his head out.
"You're almost as bad as your sister at flirting" Lucifer complained, marching out of the Confessional, placing his phone back in his pocket.
"I told you it wouldn't work" Kami shrugged, as the Priest looked between them both.
"Why were you filming me?" The Priest inquired.
"Catching you in a compromising position with someone you thought was in the Youth Centre. At least then I could prove to the Detective that I was right about you" Lucifer muttered, as the Priest scoffed, running a hand over his beard.
"What happened to your hand, Father…?" Kami trailed off, realising that Lucifer had never actually given her a name.
"Frank. I…had a run-in with one of the Counsellor's at the Youth Centre this morning. Arietta" Father Frank informed them, as Lucifer's face lit up.
"Well, isn't this a funny coincidence? Arietta was found dead this morning. You have the right to remain irritating, it will certainly be used against you in Court!" Lucifer grinned, pulling pink fluffy handcuffs out of his pocket.
"Of course you have handcuffs on you" Kami mumbled, laughing lightly.
"I had troubles with the man, but he didn't deserve to die. And I certainly didn't kill him" Frank told them, but neither were convinced.
"Your gonna' need a pretty watertight alibi to convince us of that" Kami pointed out.
"I was with Mrs Madison most of the morning" Frank insisted, ushering over to the middle-aged woman he had been talking to before.
"Well, looks like your gonna' get your wish, Lucifer. Now Chloe will have to listen to your theory. C'mon, Father, we're taking you to the cops" Kami announced, as a smug grin spread over Lucifer's face.
"See, I told you. Anyone who devotes their life to 'helping people' has to be pure evil" Lucifer said, using finger quotations.
"…That's pretty much my job description" Kami stated, as Lucifer gave her an amused shrug.
"So, you don't go to the Youth Centre?" Frank questioned, as they walked down the aisle of the Church.
"No, I was just manipulated into helping the Devil" Kami mumbled, as Lucifer let out a low chuckle, opening the large Church doors for them.
"Thank you" Kami nodded, walking out of the building.
Just as Frank was about to follow, Lucifer quickly let the doors fall close onto him, as the man had to step back quickly to avoid getting hit. Lucifer quirked his eyebrow at the Priest, who surprised him by laughing at his childish behaviour, opening the door for himself.
"You never said, what is it exactly about this guy that has your panties in a bunch?" Kami inquired, as they walked down the stairs, with Father Frank behind them.
Before Lucifer could reply, something went whizzing through the air, smashing one of the painted windows behind them. Kami instantly realised they were being fired at, grabbing Lucifer's arm and hauling him to the ground, shielding him with her body. The pair fell with a thud, Lucifer's hands coming up to protect Kami's head as the bullets continued whizzing past them. Kami slowly opened her eyes which had been scrunched close, watching as an SUV raced past them, the window closing. Her breathing was coming out in short pants, as she looked down at Lucifer, his brown eyes wide. Kami felt her heart beat a little quicker, but it wasn't due to the shooting that just happened. Sharp pain in her arm had her pulling her eyes away, looking down to see blood dripping down from her shoulder. She pushed herself into a sitting position, grimacing when she realised one of the bullets had skimmed her arm. Lucifer's hand was suddenly pressing against the wound, blood running down his hands, as she turned back to him.
"Kami, are you alright?" Lucifer asked, concern clear in his voice.
"It's just a flesh wound" Kami went to shrug, grimacing in pain as she did so.
"I'm fine too, thanks for asking" Father Frank muttered, picking himself up from where he had been lying down a few metres away.
An hour later, Kami was inside an ambulance, having her arm patched up by paramedics, while Lucifer stayed close to her side. His eyes flickered down to the dried blood on his hands, his stomach lurching at the sight, as he shook his head. She could have died. For him.
"Oh, thank God" Chloe's voice broke through his thoughts, as he looked up to see the blonde rushing towards them.
"It's his bloody fault this happened, I don't know why you're thanking him" Lucifer spat out, angrily.
"I'm fine, Chlo. I swear" Kami tried to soothe her sister, who's eyes were wide with fear.
"Do you enjoy pulling my sister into dangerous situations?" Chloe stated, through gritted teeth.
"Hey, it's not his fault. He had a hunch, we were just following it" Kami explained, as Chloe ran a hand through his hair.
"I know, I know. I'm sorry, Lucifer. I just…how do you always get yourself into these situations?" Chloe sighed.
"It's a gift" Lucifer mumbled, his tone showing no sign of its usual humour.
"…I should have been here" Chloe exclaimed, guilty.
"And then you might have got shot too. It's just one of those things, Chlo. It's no one's fault…and hey, I might even get a cool scar out of it" Kami suggested, as Chloe shook her head fondly.
"Alright, I'm going to go interview Father Frank. You two just…stay away from flying bullets in future" Chloe insisted, as the pair nodded.
By now the paramedic had finished bandaging her arm, as she gave him a nod of thanks, before turning to Lucifer who seemed lost in thought. She nudged him a little with her arm, hoping he wasn't blaming himself.
"That goes for you too, Lucifer. It was my choice to—" Kami began, but he cut her off quickly.
"Risk your life for mine? I never asked you do that" Lucifer insisted, as she gave him a small smile.
"Hey, what are friends for, right?" Kami joked.
"I'm not worth it. I can handle a few bullets, but you...you're fragile. You're all so damn delicate" Lucifer sighed, making Kami frown.
"You're not bulletproof, Lucifer" Kami pointed out, as Lucifer scoffed.
"Usually I am. But it seems there's something different about you and your sister" Lucifer mumbled.
"Have you ever thought that maybe it's just because we care about you?" Kami stated as Lucifer gave her a confused look.
"Perhaps you shouldn't" Lucifer exclaimed, pushing himself to his feet and walking away from the ambulance, as Kami watched him go with a sad expression.
"Nun strippers, huh? Nice touch" Kami scoffed, as she walked over to Lucifer.
After the shooting at the Church, it was clear it wasn't safe for Father Frank to stay there, and Lucifer had instantly offered his club as a sanctuary. Lucifer seemed almost obsessed with proving Frank wasn't as pure as he acted. But from the way Frank was humming to the loud music, and lounging against the couch he was sitting on, it didn't seem to be working.
"A complete coincidence, I assure you," Lucifer told her, his eyes darting between Kami and the strippers.
"So, you never did get to answer my question earlier. Why are you so convinced that this Priest is a bad guy?" Kami inquired, sitting down beside him.
"They're all the same. My Father's truest believers. Deep down, they're all sinners" Lucifer replied.
"Isn't everyone?" Kami pointed out, quirking an eyebrow.
"At least we're not hypocrites about it" Lucifer retorted.
"I don't know, Luce. Frank doesn't exactly look uncomfortable" Kami chuckled, watching the Priest tapping against his leg to the beat.
"Padre, does this not bother you?" Lucifer asked as a smirk grew on Frank's face.
"What can I say? I love this song" Frank replied, as Lucifer's forehead wrinkled.
"I'll get us some drinks. Looks like it'll be a long night" Kami announced, patting Lucifer on the shoulder as she stood up.
"Excellent idea. Getting him drunk will surely loosen his tongue" Lucifer suggested, as Kami walked away, shaking her head fondly.
Kami watched in amusement as Maze shoved the other bartender out of the way when she saw Kami approaching. She was already pouring a drink out for her by the time Kami jumped onto her stool. Kami let her eyes gaze over the gorgeous dress Maze was wearing, sinched in tightly at her waist and revealing a lot of cleavage. She brought her eyes back up to Maze's face, who had caught her staring, a smug smirk on her face.
"Two visits in one day, you're spoiling me" Maze purred, pushing the glass towards Kami.
"Just couldn't stay away" Kami grinned, taking a sip of the vodka in her glass.
"I see the Priest is back" Maze exclaimed, barely concealed jealousy on her face.
"Lucifer's newest obsession. Don't tell him I said so, but I think Lucifer likes him more than he's letting on—" Kami began, watching as the bottle in Maze's hand shattered to the ground, due to how she had been gripping it so hard.
"You and Lucifer still aren't on talking terms, huh?" Kami guessed as Maze nodded, her jaw tense.
"Maybe I can talk to him. Make him realise how he's pushing you away" Kami went on.
"I can fight my own battles" Maze retorted, as Kami shrugged.
"Doesn't hurt to have someone standing by your side" Kami pointed out, taking a long sip of her drink.
"Do you think this Priest is a threat?" Maze asked, protectively.
"No. I think he genuinely…what?" Kami frowned when she saw how Maze's eyes had flickered down to her shoulder.
Kami grimaced as she saw blood seeping underneath her shirt, most likely having ripped her stitches at some point. Kami pulled her sleeve up to see the bandage underneath was growing soggy and let out a groan. What were the chances that Lucifer had a first aid kit—
Her thoughts were cut off as she felt fingers reaching out to delicately touch her arm, a barely-there pressure as if the owner of the fingers was scared to hurt her. Kami looked up to see Maze sliding over the bar counter, jumping down in one swift motion, her brow furrowed with rare emotion. If Kami didn't know the woman any better, she'd say it was concern.
"What happened?" Maze questioned, her eyes wide.
"I realised a job as a human shield isn't for me" Kami chuckled, reaching out with her hand to apply pressure to her bleeding arm.
"Do you have any…" Kami trailed off, as Maze suddenly began ripping at the hem of her dress.
Kami's jaw dropped open as Maze ripped off a long strip of her outfit, which she expected would have cost thousands of dollars. She handed the cloth to Kami, who took it gratefully, feeling blood beginning to run down her fingers.
"That'll do" Kami chuckled, as she started to wrap the makeshift bandage over her upper arm.
"Does it hurt?" Maze inquired, as Kami finished tying it around her arm.
"A little" She mumbled, as Maze grit her teeth a little.
"Who hurt you?" Maze insisted, as Kami gave a half shrug.
"I don't know. It was a drive-by shooting. We got off lucky" Kami explained.
"This doesn't seem lucky. You're dripping over the floor, and not in the way I like" Maze exclaimed, as Kami giggled.
Just as Kami opened her mouth to respond, she felt a large hand touching her shoulder, causing her to turn around. Her eyes met Lucifer's brown ones, blown full of guilt. It was almost overwhelming having so many people caring about her all of a sudden. She wasn't sure how to respond to it.
"I'm fine. Really. I just ripped my stitches" Kami insisted, but Lucifer still didn't look convinced.
"Maze, fetch the first aid kit from the Penthouse" Lucifer ordered, as Maze bit her tongue, quickly doing as she was ordered.
"You shouldn't talk to her that way, you know…wait, since when do you have a first aid kit?" Kami questioned, a little surprised.
"I'll have you know this establishment is very much up to code. And those fancy little defibrillators can be quite pleasurable when used right—" Lucifer began, being cut off by Kami's laugh.
"You are one of a kind, Lucifer" Kami scoffed, with amusement.
"So, wait…you really are a cop?" Father Frank inquired, unable to keep the shock off his face, as he looked at Lucifer.
"Well, civilian consultant. But yes. All I'm missing is a badge" Lucifer grinned, as Kami huffed.
"And any knowledge at all on law enforcement" Kami added, with a teasing tone.
The three of them had been conversing for the last hour, finding that Frank was surprisingly easy to talk to. There was something different about him. Whatever Lucifer seemed to think was hidden in the Priest, Kami found it hard to believe. With her arm now successfully bandaged again, the bleeding had lessened, but the sharp stinging remained.
"How did you two meet?" Frank questioned.
"My sister's a real cop, they work together. I'm the buffer between them sometimes" Kami explained.
"And you two are…?" Frank trailed off, trying to figure out what the pair were to each other.
"Friends" Kami stated.
"With benefits if she ever plucks up the courage to ask" Lucifer smirked, sending a wink her way.
"I think the free alcohol is enough of a benefit right now" Kami laughed, clinking their glasses together.
"What about you, Father? I suppose your first word was God?" Lucifer suggested as Frank shook his head.
"Quite the opposite. I grew up in places like this. I was just Frank Lawrence, touring musician" Frank explained, as Lucifer was a little taken aback.
"Really? Let me guess…cowbell?" Lucifer exclaimed, making Kami snort.
"Close. Piano. Good ol' rock and roll. Opened for Dylan, Bowie, the Stones—" Frank admitted, as Lucifer cut him off.
"The Rolling Stones?" Lucifer asked, unable to keep the awe from his voice, as Frank nodded.
"Careful, Lucifer. Sounds like you might have some competition" Kami teased, nudging him with her elbow.
"You play too?" Frank inquired, as Lucifer nodded quickly.
"I was a lot like you back in the day" Frank confessed.
"That's literally impossible" Lucifer stated, firmly.
"Thought the fun would never stop. Then, uh…" Frank trailed off, with a grimace.
"You lost someone?" Kami guessed, knowing the look well.
"Car accident. Ten years ago. I was travelling with Connor and his family. Uh, Connor's dad was a drummer, we used to play together. Another car swerved into our lane and, uh...Connor lost both his parents that night…My daughter was with us, too. She didn't make it, either" Frank went on, as sympathy flashed over Lucifer's features.
"How'd you cope?" Kami asked, as Frank shrugged limply.
"I didn't. Not at first. Thought I'd seen some dark days. Nothing compared to losing my little girl. My heart just...cracked right open. I was so...untethered. Lost. Turning to Him is what saved me" Frank told them.
"So...hold on. God stole your spawn and then you decided to worship Him?" Lucifer questioned, as Kami gave him a look of disbelief.
"Dick" Kami mumbled, smacking him around the back of the head, which was becoming a far too common occurrence.
"Ouch! I'm going to end up with brain damage if you keep doing that!" Lucifer complained.
"You'd have to have a brain first" Kami replied, as Lucifer rolled his eyes, as they slowly turned their attention back to the Priest.
"I can't really explain it, but somehow it made me feel that she was safe. That's when I discovered my faith. The church gave me a purpose. It was there that I crossed paths with Connor again. Me, a parent without a child; him, a child without a parent…We might not always understand it, but God has a plan" Frank informed them.
"Yes. I know. But why does everybody always think it's a good plan?" Lucifer pointed out, as Frank tilted his head, finding the idea interesting.
"Please don't get him started on his daddy issues, Father" Kami chuckled.
"You say you don't believe in God's plan, Lucifer. But look at your life. It seems pretty great from where I'm sitting" Frank explained.
"Well, that's because I've rebelled. This isn't the life my Father chose for me" Lucifer insisted.
"How do you know that he didn't plan for you to rebel all along?" Frank retorted, watching Lucifer's eyes widen.
Sensing Lucifer was uncomfortable at this potential realisation, Kami quickly pushed herself off her stool and came to stand in between the two men, a mischievous look on her face.
"I think it's competition time, gentlemen" Kami grinned, patting them both on the back, far harder than needed.
"Alright then, where's your ruler?" Lucifer exclaimed, gesturing to his crotch.
"I have something a little different in mind" Kami smirked, pulling them both from their seats.
Kami watched in amusement as the two played the piano, both trying to one-up the other. It was pretty clear to her they were both just as good as the other, not that they'd ever admit it. Kami realised she had never seen Lucifer look as carefree as he did at that moment. He was grinning from ear to ear and didn't even hear Chloe arriving at the Penthouse.
"They seem to be getting along surprisingly well" Chloe exclaimed, coming to stand beside her sister.
"What can I say? I'm a miracle worker" Kami chuckled, as Lucifer's eyes flickered over to them.
"Oh…hi" Lucifer mumbled, having got lost in the moment.
"Well, I suppose that wasn't completely terrible" Lucifer admitted, making Frank chuckle.
"Not completely" Frank agreed, hitting Lucifer's shoulder, playfully.
"Sorry to interrupt but I've got a lead. So…" Chloe announced, gesturing towards the lift.
"Oh…right. You stay here. You need the practice" Lucifer told Frank, looking disappointed.
"I'll make sure he's still here when you get back. Hey, maybe he can braid your hair? Or what about friendship bracelets?" Kami teased, poking Lucifer in the chest.
Kami let out a little yelp as Lucifer suddenly lunged at her, a mischievous look on his face. She quickly jumped over the bar counter, almost sliding onto the floor as she did so. Lucifer leaned over the counter with grabby hands, a laugh leaving his lips as Chloe turned around to see the two play fighting.
"It's like working with children" Chloe shook her head, fondly.
Father Frank was howling with laughter as he watched Chloe grab Lucifer by the ear, dragging him towards the lift. They were certainly an odd group, the Priest thought to himself.
"You know I don't think I've ever seen Lucifer warm to someone as quickly as he has to you" Kami admitted, as she came to sit next to him, still a little out of breath.
"I find that hard to believe. You two seem very close" Frank pointed out.
"Yeah, I guess we are" Kami said, with a small smile on her face.
"…I get it, you know. Why you're helping Connor. You think you can save him. That it's your purpose to put him on the right path. But trust me, some kids are just too…damaged." Kami suggested, as Frank tilted his head.
"I've never met a soul that was too far gone to be saved" Frank answered.
"Wish I had your faith, Father" Kami mumbled.
"All it takes is a leap" Frank pointed out, as Kami's lips twitched into a smile.
"I'll help you," Kami told him, as Frank frowned.
"If you don't believe he can be saved, then why help?" Frank asked, watching her shrug.
"…If it wasn't for someone taking a leap of faith for me, I'd probably be in Connor's position right now" Kami admitted.
Only an hour later, Chloe and Lucifer returned with bad news. The traffic cam footage was back and revealed that Connor had been the one to shoot up the Church. The one who was responsible for the injury to her arm. For some reason, Kami found that she wasn't angry, just sad. The boy was throwing his life away.
"Connor's been declared armed and dangerous. We'll try everything we can to bring him in peacefully" Chloe announced, as Kami scoffed harshly.
"If you'll excuse me, I…I need some air…" Frank stuttered, walking towards the balcony, visibly upset.
"What's with the look?" Chloe asked, seeing how unimpressed Kami seemed.
"Well, we all know what 'bringing him in peacefully' means, Chlo. Shoot first, ask questions later, right?" Kami suggested.
"He shot into a room full of people, Kami" Chloe retorted.
"So, he deserves to die? He's a kid" Kami insisted.
"He could have killed you!" Chloe cried, her voice raised.
"But he didn't. Either he's a pretty lousy shot or…" Kami trailed off.
"…He wasn't trying to kill anyone" Chloe realised.
"You better hurry back to the station. A dead body is going to mean a lot of paperwork" Kami muttered, as Chloe held her hands up.
"Woah, woah. Where is this coming from?" Chloe inquired.
"I just…I've known people like Connor, okay? Once the police get involved, there's only one place they end up" Kami exclaimed.
"Kami, what do—" Chloe was cut off as her phone rang, seeing it was dispatch.
"Dammit, look I need to take this. We'll talk later, yeah?" Chloe asked, as Kami nodded, her eyes flickering to something behind Chloe.
She watched as Frank walked quickly towards the lift, his phone pressed against his ear, a nervous expression on his face. Before the lift doors could close, she was marching inside, seeing Frank hang up the call immediately.
"What was that about?" Kami asked, as the lift began to go down to the next floor.
"Nothing—" Frank began, as Kami grabbed the phone from his hand, quickly finding the name of the last person who called him.
"Connor? Frank, you can't seriously be thinking about meeting him?!" Kami exclaimed.
"He needs me, Kami. I know you can understand that. Don't follow me" Frank warned her, as she shook her head.
"Yeah, like that's gonna' happen" Kami scoffed, as the pair exited the lift.
Before Kami could stop him, Frank had suddenly rushed over to the nearby fire alarm, smashing the glass and pulling the lever, as an alarm sounded. The whole club was thrown into chaos, people rushing left, right and centre. Kami tried to keep on Frank's tail, but she was split up from him by a group of drunken men, losing sight of him completely.
"Frank!" She shouted, her voice drowned out by the alarm whirring around her.