IZZY HADN'T REALIZED how dependent she was on her tightly-knit group of friends until she was walking down the hallways of the Richards & Wheeler building all alone, how she hadn't really met new people after befriending her co-workers, Mazikeen, and Benjamin — if you didn't count the criminals she was taking down on the daily now or the suspects she was simply another officer to, it had been a while since she had had a face-to-face conversation with someone new. It was putting a heavy weight on her heart and causing her to twist her fingers anxiously as she trekked towards the right office, beginning to wonder if approaching Lucifer's mother, a self-proclaimed Goddess, had been quite the awful idea, after all, and whether or not running out now was of the same sort.

Truthfully, she was a little puzzled with the whole thing, too. Charlotte Richards being Mama Morningstar was rather unexpected, but then again, who was Izzy to judge other people's families — perhaps she was a step-mother, or something just as reasonable. Her being a celestial being, though, the other parent of the Devil himself, was something Isadora wasn't even going to try and wrap her head around. She had once tried to investigate Lucifer and the people in his life, but putting together lists and notes had barely helped. And, after actually growing closer with Lucifer, she had thrown all that out and given up on trying to find a deeper meaning to it all. Sometimes, people were just complicated, not to mention whole families, and that was what she tried to keep in mind as she finally knocked on the door with the shiny nameplate of Attorney Charlotte Richards proudly plastered across the wood.

"Yes, come in!", a voice that could be easily described as seductive and mischievous called out from behind the door, and although Izzy wasn't sure if it was because of this specific time or a scheming personality altogether, the officer was brave and followed instructions, stepping in head-first to ensure safe surroundings. As soon as the awfully quiet redhead had entered the room, Ms. Richards cleared her throat and started to button her shirt, the top of it undone and making Izzy turn around quickly to avoid seeing something she wasn't supposed to. "Oh. Well, you're not the charming intern from earlier today", the older woman muttered in disappointment, her eyebrows knitting together as she hesitated and looked over to Isadora, who was stammering out an apology. "But perhaps...", Charlotte began, trailing off, and partly disgusted at the idea of being with Lucifer's mother, partly horrified of the idea of stabbing Maze in the back like that, Izzy turned around and waved her hands in the air.

"Oh, no, I have a—", she tried to defend herself, but when she tried to label Maze as something, she ran short with ideas and choked on her own words. She didn't know what they were, so all that came out was an embarrassed, "a girl", and already getting the wrong idea, Charlotte nodded approvingly.

"Ah, I know a thing or two about children myself. Though that hasn't stopped me from keeping my life sexually active, as humans tend to do. But, to each their own, I gather", the woman shrugged, and sighing, Izzy tried to correct herself while moving towards Charlotte, who seated herself by the grand desk in front of an equally large, tall window. "Who might you be, then?", the attorney continued, however, before Isadora could clarify the situation.

With her hazel eyes wide and mouth agape, Izzy was trying to put her mess of a mind back together, taking a deep breath as she rolled up the sleeves of her jacket and coughed. "Izzy Holt, from the LAPD. Though, that's not why I'm here, don't worry", she introduced herself with a soft smile, before letting her gaze roam the impressive office. From what Izzy could tell, extravagancy sure ran in the family, and with Charlotte's straight-forward antics, she was coming to the conclusion that perhaps she truly was related to Lucifer, in one way or another. They both carried themselves with a sense of utter confidence, borderline arrogance, and there was the same kind of sparkle in the corner of her eye as Izzy had seen with Lucifer many, many times.

"Oh, you work with Lucifer, isn't that right?", Charlotte put two and two together quickly, her leg thrown over the other as she reviewed the woman before her from head to toe, a calculating stare in her eyes. The mention of the man caused Izzy's head to snap back to Charlotte, who hummed in slight satisfaction before elaborating, "I don't understand his infatuation with the work or the people he surrounds himself with, but your name has come up quite a few times. You must be good friends", though the words didn't come out as statements — it was more like a question as if she was trying to figure Izzy out and see whether or not she was worth Lucifer's care.

"Yeah, I'd say that. We have each other's backs, for sure", Isadora was quick to defend herself and the bond she had developed with Lucifer, nothing but the truth behind her sternly spoken words. She protected him, and albeit she didn't know it, Lucifer protected her too — his Mother had been rather adamant on going after Izzy and seeing what kind of a woman she truly was when the name had been first brought up, only for the Devil to step in and announce his loyalty to her. He wasn't all too good when it came to speaking about feelings, but words aside, his actions proved him quite caring.   

Silence fell into the office as the two examined one another, and Izzy had to admit, Charlotte was very clearly a powerful woman in a mighty position, her expression not once faltering or giving away any kind of weakness or insecurity. In all honesty, she intimidated Isadora, but not in the way Chloe had — Chloe was professional and respectable, and while Charlotte was undoubtedly that too, she, more than anything, resembled a predator. And convinced that if she'd just let her guard down for one second, Charlotte would strike and come for her head, Izzy tried to keep her cool and hold her head up high.

"So, Ms. Holt, what may I do for you today?", the attorney eventually wondered, leaning back in her chair and crossing her arms over her chest — a true power pose that nearly rendered Izzy speechless, but luckily, she managed to offer a shrug while placing both hands on top of the desk and leaning forward. She, too, knew a thing or two about presenting yourself with pride and poise.

"Well, I mean, meeting your friend's family seems kind of important. There's Lucifer, I think I once met one of his brothers and he's mentioned another one, then today he brought up a sister, and then... there's Maze", Izzy explained, pushing herself off of the desk and using her fingers to count the people she was listing, and at the mention of the demon she was hopelessly falling for, her confidence crumbled just a bit — just enough for Charlotte to notice. "And then there's you. Of course, Lucifer's ranted about his Dad before, but I thought, you seem more reachable than God", she laughed, causing Charlotte to do the same but a lot more nervously.

And, like the cunning person she was, Charlotte didn't hesitate to steer the conversation away from the parts where she was the weakest, and to the parts that would get under Izzy's skin the most. "Mazikeen, hm? You don't happen to be the same Izzy that she seems to have grown so fond of, do you?", she inquired, a faux-innocent smile on her thickly painted lips, and stopping her pacing, Izzy clenched her jaw and looked over to the blonde. She wasn't quite sure if Maze had truly opened up about her feelings to others, or Charlotte was merely trying to disorient her, but either way, it was working.

Turning on her heel to face her again, Izzy narrowed her eyes. She wasn't a mean person, nor was she a hostile one, but she could tell that Charlotte didn't pull her punches, she fired with actual fire and Izzy's options were to either take the beating or respond with the same venom. Frankly, the latter seemed like the one that would result in her standing on both feet at the end of the day. "And if I am?", she questioned with a serious tone, quirking up an eyebrow while she mirrored Charlotte's stance and crossed her strong arms.

"Oh, I'm simply glad that she finally has another neck to breathe down. You know, that woman is a real... hm, hellhound. I just hope she doesn't rip you to shreds", the older of the two glanced at her own nails, and the low tone she was using to refer to Maze was one that Isadora did not particularly appreciate.

Quick to jump to the alleged demon's defense, she unfolded her arms and leaned against the desk again, face devoid of the usual sympathy and warmth. "She's not an animal. I guess in your line of work, the two can get a little mixed up, huh?", the redhead defied her bravely — usually, she was the type to believe in second chances and hope that people could change for the better, which was why her problem wasn't with attorneys in general. But, she had heard that Charlotte Richards was in the talks to represent Perry Smith in court, and that was enough to put a dangerous edge to her taunting voice.

Charlotte, however, was not intimidated. "I like you, Izzy. You have guts. Coming into my office, for example. Challenging me, which, by the way, is quite ill-advised", she ignored everything Isadora had gritted out completely, and right there and then, the cop decided that she was nothing like Lucifer. Maybe they weren't even biologically related, but whatever their backstory was, they weren't the same — both confident and witty, for sure, but Lucifer was sympathetic, open-minded, he was curious and didn't expect the worst from people. Charlotte, on the other hand, was defensive and as childish as it sounded, mean.

"I didn't come here to make enemies", Izzy reminded, and just as she was about to add that clearly, friends was off the table too, the speaker on her shoulder crackled and her attention was shifted from the deviant woman in front of her, to Detective Decker's voice.

"This is Unit 831 requesting backup. Soul Depot, 15534 Hillgreen Drive", Chloe's quiet, wary whispers reminded Izzy that she was still on the job, and wasting no time, she pushed herself up and turned on her heel, suddenly aware of the gun and badge she carried with her.

Without another word, she strode out of Charlotte's office, deeming the woman unworthy of her goodbyes or the effort of coming up with another snarky comment, and fully agreeing, Ms. Richards remained just as silent, letting Izzy walk out just like that.

But, she did not realize that talking about Maze had given Charlotte an advantage — not only was Mazikeen her weakness, but she was the demon's weak spot too. And while labeling things at such a tender moment in their relationship was undoubtedly hard, maybe that was what they were — one another's weaknesses, the thing to use against them.

—————

THE DAY'S CASE was surely a complicated one, with cruel massacres committed with the same blade throughout the day, but as hours passed, it was all slowly coming together. After multiple interrogations, Chloe, Lucifer, and Dan had headed out to apprehend the killer, whereas Izzy had no other option but to stay at the precinct and handle the mountain of paperwork, though it was less tiring when she got to lounge around Ella's lab and listen to music with her. The scientist had also shared some details about her and Lucifer's blossoming friendship — apparently, he had asked for a favor and was indeed connected to the case, but not in any horrific way that would result in him getting locked up, too. And, in return, Lucifer had agreed to do a favor for Ella, as well, though it seemed he was starting to regret it.

"You're taking him to a church?", Izzy couldn't help but laugh while packing up her stuff, her shift nearing its end but the conversation with Ella too good to cut short. "The guy who insists on being the Devil? You do see how this might not end well, right?", a grin was widening her lips, Ella's company never failing to cheer her up even after a ton of forms to fill and file, reports to write and the iffy first meet with Charlotte Richards nagging at the back of her mind.

"Yeah, maybe, but I have faith. It'll be good for him. You're welcome to join us, you know", Ms. Lopez smiled, her usual compassion shining through while she took off her big goggles and prepared to call it a day, as well.

While grabbing the files she still needed to sort before heading out, Izzy pursed her lips in gratitude, yet she ended up shaking her head. "Thank you, but I'm actually gonna stop by Lux and meet up with Maze. And, I hear that Benji's got a new gig as Lucifer's bartender so that's something I have to see, naturally", a small chuckle slipped from her lips as she shrugged, "another time, though." She wasn't a devout believer in all the same things as Ella, but she wasn't exactly in a position to deny it all, either. She was doubtful, but right now, her religious side wasn't what she wanted to get lost in. Now, Mazikeen Smith's utterly beautiful eyes, however...

"Ah, I see", Ella clicked her tongue, "have fun, Iz", not forgetting to send a wink the redhead's way as she left the lab with a shy smile. That was fully the intention, though.

The sun had gone down by the time Izzy was curving her car to the side of the road, the night twinkling with flashing cameras and neon lights bleeding into the street from within the club, and it was rooting more excitement in her. It had been a while since she had paid a visit there, excluding of course the time she had attempted to comfort Lucifer, but now that the people were back on party mode and the alcohol was flowing and the same bouncer as last time let Izzy walk past the whole long line, adrenaline was speeding through her with a whole new kick and making her smile at the people around her.

After double-checking that she had locked the car doors, Izzy was diving through the sea of people, getting caught in a few dance moves whether or not she liked it, but once she had made her way through the excessive grinding, the woman successfully approached the bar. Eyes on the search for Benjamin, Izzy let her tongue stick to the side of her cheek, but even after standing on her tiptoes, she failed to spot the man pouring drinks with his flashy tricks. With a frown, she glanced around, her head already throbbing due to the music that was just a tad too loud, but once she spotted a familiar, dark-haired woman seated on one of the bar stools, her heart instantly fluttered in her chest.

Raking her fingers through her short hair and adjusting her shirt just to make sure she looked presentable, even with the fading scars from the bar fights last month, Izzy tried to calm down, but the nerves didn't go quiet until she had finally tapped on Maze's shoulder and made the latter spin around. "Hi", Isadora beamed, her hand still resting on top of Mazikeen's purple leather jacket and her soul lighting up at the sight — every day, she looked absolutely different yet always so wonderfully breathtaking, and Izzy found herself taking a seat next to her in the belief that her legs were seconds away from giving out.

"Oh, Izzy, hi!", Maze turned to her with a genuinely happy expression, and wow, the Holt would have been lying her ass off if she were to claim it didn't feel exhilarating to hear her speak her name with such enthusiasm again. Their friendship had been on the rocks for too long, but now, it didn't even limit to only friendship anymore, and that felt like a million fireworks going off in her heart.

"Yeah, hi", another voice suddenly spoke from next to Maze, and with her attention drawn to the man, Izzy stared at the hand that was extended to her with wide eyes. She surely hadn't expected to be met with someone else too, but, the initial surprise in her faded away as soon as her eyes flickered up to the stranger and she realized that it wasn't a stranger at all — well, maybe in some ways, but she had certainly seen that charming face before, just as brooding as ever.

"Ame—da—di—something, right? Sorry, I think I was a little drunk when we first met", she tried to recall the man's name, before adding, "Lucifer's brother?", a wary expression on her face as she shook his hand and made a bold guess, but luckily, the laughter he responded with wasn't mocking in the slightest.

"Amenadiel, and yes, Lucifer's older brother. And you are... Izzy Holt. Heard a lot, from a lot of people", he nodded approvingly, before taking a swig of his beer, and then standing up. "Anyway, pleasure to meet you again, Ms. Holt, but I think I'll excuse myself now. Pretty sure she prefers your company over mine", Amenadiel smoothly twirled himself up from the stool, before nudging at Maze, earning a swat on the chest for the teasing, but it wasn't a lie by any means. Mazikeen, even if less open about it, had been just as excited to see Izzy again.

Smiling at Amenadiel, who gracefully exited the situation, Izzy took a sip of the drink Maze had nudged towards her, and after swallowing thickly, she turned back to the woman. "Not that I'm disliking this company, but I was looking for Benjamin", Izzy pointed out, nodding towards the bartender she had never seen, unable to deny that she was the tiniest bit disappointed — Benji had sounded so excited about being a bartender, and promised to pour his best friend a drink, only to vanish without a word. But, luckily, that wasn't the case with Maze, who smirked knowingly.

"One text from Lucifer and he's nowhere to be found", she hummed before sipping the drink she now shared with Izzy, and with a snort, the latter put two and two together. The truth was something way different, though, lots of life-dangering situations and supernatural weapons included, but for now, Izzy and Maze were allowed to be innocently oblivious to all that and merely enjoy one another's company.

"So, um", Maze cleared her throat eventually, her voice completely blocking out the thudding of music as Izzy turned to her with an attentive gaze. "How was your day?", the demon inquired carefully, but the cringe that appeared on her face afterward made Isadora snicker. "Yeah, sorry, this isn't really my thing, or whatever, but... I talked to Linda and she said that if I think it's worth it, sometimes you have to go out of comfort zone", she continued, as if it was the most casual thing to be said in the face of your crush, but instantly, Izzy looked at her with a dazzled gaze and heated cheeks.

"Oh, uh, today was good, thank you for asking. You think... I'm worth it?", she couldn't stop herself from grinning shyly, her heart beating faster at the thought — she knew that for Mazikeen, acting so... human was more than just out of her comfort zone, it was in a whole other level and to think that she was worth it... It was putting an entirely new spin on her head, and truthfully, she was glad she was sitting down or else she might have just swooned.

Without answering her question, Maze leaned closer as her curious eyes dropped from Izzy's own to her lips, and as the deputy felt the cloud of perfume wrap around her and reel her in, she ended up holding her breath, eyes fluttering closed in the process. Sure, Mazikeen didn't use any words, but there was no need, the gentle but deep kiss she went for said it all. As Izzy's hand cupped her soft cheek and Maze's escaped into the other woman's hair, fingers tangling with the strands, they both leaned into one another, eyes shut and the beat of the music giving them a rhythm to follow. And while Izzy had felt bad rejecting Ella's invitation to join them at the church, she was pretty sure that she had just found paradise all on her own.

With an exhale, they eventually parted but remained close enough to still taste the sweat and alcohol, smiles on their faces and hands still clinging onto each other. And then, without wondering how good of an idea it was, Izzy spoke up. "Should we go on a date? I mean—we should. I mean, do you want to? Or, could I take you?", she blurted out, brain one big mush after the heated kiss that was definitely working its magic on her.

And only when Maze was quiet for a second, did she take into consideration the possibility that maybe it hadn't been the best thing to say, after all. "Uh, yeah", the brunette agreed eventually, "sure", before leaning in for another kiss, and while Izzy didn't dare to move away and instead pulled her closer to her own chest, it didn't take a detective to notice the hesitation in Mazikeen's voice.

No doubt working all this out wasn't going to be easy, but as she sat there, arms around Maze and lips attached to one another hungrily, she was sure that it was going to be worth it. Hopefully.

»»»

a super long chapter but i hope you guys liked it (: a lot happened, especially with charlotte and izzy but i really liked writing the tension between them. obviously, they don't really like each other because charlotte / mom is all about protecting lucifer (in her own way) and doesn't care for humans like izzy, who in turn can't stand bully-like people

there's gonna be a lil conflict between them in the future too (:

and just because i can't stay away from drama, i couldn't resist ending it like that, but don't worry, things are pretty good for maze and izzy,, so far anyway ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

as always, i'd really appreciate your thoughts! 💗💖💕💘