IZZY WAS ALWAYS HAPPY TO SHOW UP TO WORK, but when Mazikeen was called in as an official consultant in Lucifer's place, there was a new pep in her step. That wasn't to say she didn't miss one of her dearest friends – if anything, she was immensely worried to know that Lucifer had left Earth to rule over Hell once more, but it wasn't like she could just call him up so she was choosing to focus on the positive. And that was, in her opinion, being able to show up to work hand in hand with her girlfriend.

"Lee Garner. Stabbed through the abdomen, and get this-", Ella monologued, lifting up the dead man's wrist to show off what was missing, "whoever killed him, cut off his hand, too." Izzy cringed at the sight, but took notes as per Chloe's instruction, all the while standing next to Maze who looked more intrigued than anything.

"So, someone's going around the city with a severed hand with them", Izzy stated bluntly, "how nice." Maze snorted, throwing an arm over Izzy's shoulders while gesturing at the dead body.

"Man like this, sure he's got a lot of enemies. This boat must have cost a fortune, anyway", she pointed out, gesturing around the grand ship that they were huddled up in, with expensive furniture and paintings all around them. Izzy nodded in agreement, and so did Chloe, who huffed at the simple statement.

"We sure could use Lucifer's mojo right now, couldn't we?" she pondered out loud, and before Izzy could insist that they were going to help Chloe with whatever she needed, Ella was interjecting.

"I can't believe he just left without saying goodbye", she complained, and with a deep exhale, Izzy found herself agreeing. She had had to hear about Lucifer's departure from a heartbroken Benjamin, but at least she knew the truth whereas Ella... "I mean, Florida, really?"

An awkward silence landed in the room – the other three women knew very well that Lucifer wasn't taking over the family business in Florida, but rather supervising the torture of poor souls in the Underworld. But Izzy had learned from first-hand experience that the truth could be a lot to deal with – and more importantly, it wasn't her secret to share. Not that Lucifer had been too sneaky about it, anyway, the man practically advertised being the Devil.

"He'll be back, Ells. He always does", Izzy reassured with a warm smile, but rather than mirroring the expression, Ella sighed.

"I guess. It just really sucks that he left, and Mariah is gone, too. It's like, all my favorite people are leaving. No offense", she continued, and with a chuckle, Chloe promised no offense was taken. By now, it was no secret that Ella and Mariah Rose had hit it off in more ways than one – she had been more or less the reason that Mariah hadn't packed her bags and moved back to Los Angeles, after all.

"You know my mom said you're always welcome at their office", Izzy reminded, still trying to get used to the idea of LAPD's most prestigious starting a P.I office with her own mother, but she supposed it made sense – Diane had been aching to get back to doing something, to kiss retirement goodbye. Well, she sure had her hands full with Elaine back, now.

"Alright, let's wrap this up. Izzy, you take your notes to Dan and we'll, uh... see you later tonight, okay?" Chloe declared, and with a flip of her notepad, Officer Holt promised to do as told.

Mazikeen hopped off of the table where she had been sitting and briefly kissed the corner of Izzy's mouth before following Chloe outside, making Isadora smirk as she slyly glanced at her girlfriend's backside and then turned back to Ella. The woman stayed behind to take a few more photos, and not having the heart to leave her alone with the other crime scene technicians, Izzy knelt by her side.

"You know you don't have to work yourself to the bone, right? I get the temptation, but...", Izzy pointed out, earning a bashful smile from Ella who started packing up her camera.

"I know. Would it be stupid if I took some cupcakes to your mom and Mariah?" Ella questioned, a worried look shining in her eyes, but Izzy's gleamed with the opposite.

Patting Ella's back and then standing up, she shook her head. "I think they'd love it", she promised. "Wanna ride back to the precinct together?" Izzy added, delighted when Ella's lips twisted upwards.

They may have been missing some people from their team, but those that remained were still going on strong.

///

LUX'S EVER-FAMILIAR ATMOSPHERE sucked Izzy right in from the door, her shoulders involuntarily swaying back and forth as she weaved through the crowd with her eyes scanning for Maze and Chloe. The trio had been vacating Lux quite frequently as of late – they all needed to blow off some steam, and there was no denying that all three of them were affected by Lucifer's absence in one way or another.

Speaking of the man's exit – the club was under new responsibility, and Izzy, for one, had no qualms adjusting to the change of management. At the sight of Amenadiel at the bar, Izzy headed for the counter and after a tap on his arm, pulled the man into a hug that was quickly accepted.

"Izzy! Good to see you again", he declared with an arm remaining around her slightly shorter frame, and she smoothed down the fabric of his brand-new suit jacket. The two had grown quite close lately, with Amenadiel joking that sooner or later Lucifer would return out of sheer jealousy if nothing else.

"You too, Amenadiel. Been busting any criminals this week?" Izzy taunted, knowing all about the angel's aspirations to keep the streets clean for his son. She couldn't blame him – she was a cop for a reason, anyway – but after the man had almost performed a citizen's arrest on a littering three-year-old, the stories she had heard through Dan had become somewhat amusing. Her teasing pulled a roll of eyes from him, but the smile that followed promised that there was no actual offense taken.

Before they could exchange any more quips, Izzy's attention was drawn to the bartender that emerged with a bottle in hand and a grin on his face. "Well, well, well, if it isn't my favorite redhead", Benji joked before pouring a glass of vodka for Izzy, knowing very well what the woman's preferences were. "Enjoy it while you can", he added while sliding the shot glass across the counter, and with an amused glare, Izzy glanced at him before downing the shot in one go.

"You're retiring, not dying, Benjamin", she pointed out before softening her smile, "I will miss seeing you around here, though", Amenadiel nodding in agreement.

"I meant when I said there will always be a job here for you. Anything you need, just say the word", the angel assured, and with a smile of his own, Benji poured his boss a shot, as well.

None for himself, though. "I know, and I appreciate it. But if I'm gonna quit drinking then I just can't be a bartender anymore, can I? Too many temptations", he pointed out, with a deliberate look given to one of the male dancers by the counter. "Just the penthouse for me. Lucifer said I could hold the fort down until he gets back", Benji continued, and with a sad nod, Izzy supposed he made a fair point. Nevertheless, the confidence in his voice when he spoke of Lucifer's return... Izzy, too, was hoping for the best, but months had passed and she wasn't sure if it would turn into years.

"I mean, it's only fair!" Benjamin laughed then, "I made him wait for me, and now..."

Scoffing, Amenadiel leaned against the counter and gave Benji a disapproving look. "It had nothing to do with leaving you. And your traveling had nothing to do with leaving Lucifer", he insisted before sighing. "If anything will get him to come back, it's you. Just wait and see."

Izzy was about to agree when an arm wrapped around her shoulders, and the familiar breath of Maze's musky perfume calmed her senses, a smile melting onto her face as she turned around to find the demon and Chloe arriving at the bar, too. Chloe moved to chat with Benjamin, while Maze gently grasped Izzy's jaw in her hand and leaned in to kiss her, tentative and deep. Izzy could taste the whiskey on her tongue, mixing in with her own drink as her hands squeezed Maze's hips and let her in. The lights of the club painted them blue and pink as they kissed, intoxicated smiles melting into one another as they embraced each other.

Sometimes, she felt guilty for being so happy without Lucifer there, but then moments like these happened and it was just irresistible to feel content and at peace.

///

LEE GARNER'S UNTIMELY DEATH kept Chloe Decker's team occupied for the next two days. Day one, and Izzy was arriving to work with a significantly better feeling than the hungover Decker, sunglasses hanging on her nose while Izzy simply let caffeine do the work for her. Kai had already made a joke about her girlfriend being wasted on a work night, but the glare he had earned in response had effectively shut him up before leading Chloe into the interrogation room along with Lee's sister to question her about her brother's latest activities.

Maze had delivered a new suspect to the table – quite literally – and now that he was awaiting questioning, the two women were seated around Dan's desk where the man was preaching about essential oils.

"I'm just saying, it can be like magic", Dan insisted, and with a snort, Izzy gave him a dubious look.

"You sound like a scammer, Espinoza", she poked fun at him before shrugging, "I mean, I have lavender oil to save me from anxiety attacks but that's about it." She had been carrying a tiny bottle in the pocket of her LAPD jacket ever since Lucifer and the rest of her friends had been held hostage inside Lux and Mariah had calmed her down with some lavender on her arms – a gesture she would truly never forget.

Dan was a mere second away from ranting about mint when there was a whistle from the bottom of the stairs in the bullpen, successfully drawing everyone's attention to the middle-aged woman in a fancy pantsuit standing with a file in her hands.

"Everyone, I'll just take a minute out of your days to introduce myself. Ever since the whole Marcus Pierce fiasco, the department has been scrambling for new leadership and I can proudly announce that I will be taking over for the time being", the brunette announced with a wry smile, experience in her eyes as she eyed everyone through. "My name is Captain Gemma Moretti and I'm here to help you keep the wheels turning. The last thing I want is another Pierce situation, so consider me an open book and here for anything you may need. Thank you."

With that, she was stepping towards the office that had once belonged to Cain himself, and although there was relief in Izzy's heart, she couldn't help but be suspicious of a new person in their fold. And then, as if on cue, Moretti was stopping in her tracks and gesturing at Izzy and Maze. "Holt and Smith. Why don't you join me for a minute?" she suggested with a faint smile, the kind that didn't seem quite sincere but difficult to pinpoint as specifically wrong.

Glancing at each other, Maze and Izzy left Dan with his essential oils and followed Moretti into the office that was being refurnished – long gone were Pierce's lavish decorations, in the process of being replaced with something more simplistic. Izzy couldn't deny that she quite liked the change; it was uncharacteristic of her to be so open to adjustments, but any reminder of Pierce? She was willing to throw all of those away.

"I'd just like to clear the air and say that I personally have nothing against workplace romances. That's how I met my second wife, actually", Captain Moretti began with a flash of her hand where a simple, gold ring sat for what seemed like had been years. Once again, the two women looked at each other, Izzy feeling a bit shy under being called out like that but there was nothing but pride in Maze's eyes.

"Respectfully, Captain, it wouldn't mean a thing for me if you didn't", Mazikeen noted, her hand taking Izzy's in a tight squeeze that welcomed blush onto the Holt's cheeks.

Chuckling, Moretti nodded. "I figured. Second thing I wanted to bring up, actually, was the good work you've both been doing. I looked at your files. No other bounty hunter in the LAPD has caught as many crooks as you have, Miss Smith", she explained, leaning against her desk while crossing her arms and turning to Izzy. "And you, Officer Holt – I wanted to recommend you take the detective's exam myself. I think you'd make a fine addition in homicide, doing more than just the grunt work", she continued.

Izzy's eyes widened at the idea, her ears perking up and the heat on her cheeks only deepening. "Really?" she stuttered, looking over to Maze who was grinning up at her girlfriend. "You think I'm ready?" she turned back to Moretti, a smile blossoming on her lips as she stood a little taller, less nervous about being in the Captain's presence.

"I don't say things I don't mean. I'd recommend you start shadowing the detectives you've been working with – Espinoza, Decker, Nolan... Learn from the best", she advised, and with a vehement nod, Izzy agreed.

"I will. Thank you, Captain", Izzy stammered, flustered and at a loss for words as she began backing out towards the door, "and welcome!" Her words got a smile from Moretti – a genuine one, this time, and just like that, the feeling of suspicion was replaced by something much warmer and softer in Izzy's chest.

As they entered the bullpen again, Maze's lips brushed against Izzy's ear. "So proud of you, Iz. Look at you go", she hummed, shaking her head in amazement, and giving her ass a small slap.

"Pretty sure she wasn't approving of that", Izzy whispered, a giggle escaping her lips as she grabbed Maze's wrist and pinned it to her stomach. "Don't make me break out the handcuffs, baby."

Just in time to dissolve the rising tension between the lovers, Kai appeared from the interrogation room and waved a file in their faces. "Hey, hey, give me the tea on Moretti. I heard from a friend in the NYPD that she's a good one", he gushed, rubbing his hands together in excitement, and unable to stop smiling, Izzy nodded.

"I'd say your friend was right. She, uh, she said I should start studying to become a detective", Izzy hushed, almost like it was a secret to share only among the few – Kai, however, didn't get the memo and cheered out loud.

"Girl! That's freakin' amazing news", he celebrated, giving Izzy a high-five before growing a bit more solemn and nodding in approval. "You'd make a great addition to the team. I guess there's a spot available too, now that Mariah is gone", he thought out loud, and with a roll of her eyes, Maze slapped his shoulder.

"She's not dead, dude. All you gotta do is go downtown", she reminded before flashing her teeth at him, "I can create a case for you if that's what you need."

"I am scared to even consider what that means", Kai hesitated, and with a snicker, Izzy left the two taunting each other and stepped back over to Dan's desk, where the man was dousing his wrist in peppermint oil.

"Change your mind?" he inquired with the applicator still in hand, and shaking her head, Izzy sat on the corner of his desk and cleared her throat.

"Actually", she corrected, "I came to ask if you'd help me study for the detective's exam", pleased to see the surprise and amazement wipe over Dan's face when her words registered in his head.

Standing up to give Izzy a hug, he dropped his face into her neck and sighed. "I'm so proud of you", he whispered, "you've come so far." The flattery went straight to Izzy's heart, her stomach twisting in the best kind of way as she clung to Dan and thanked him with a quiet mumble against his shoulder.

"Thanks to you", she reminded, "I owe so much to you."

Smirking, Dan pulled away and lifted her fist in the air for Izzy to bump, a gesture that she automatically returned. "Let's get to work then, Detective Holt."