Alex stepped through the door. She and Gadreel had driven all the way to the edge of town. They had stopped outside a small suburban house.

"Home sweet home." Gadreel flicked on the lights as he entered. "I know, it isn't much."

Alex shrugged, looking around. "It's not bad." A large, worn couch lay in front of her, and across the room was a small kitchen. Next to it, stairs disappeared up into the ceiling. "And it's just you that lives here?"

Gadreel nodded. He locked the door behind them, stepping further into the room. "Currently. But there's always omegas coming through. Depending on how long you stay here, you might see some of them." He walked through the living room and into the kitchen.

Alex followed slowly. The walls were wooden panels, and it gave the room a darkened, dingy feel. She uncomfortably adjusted the bag on her shoulder, glancing at the clock on the wall. It was only noon. Lucifer wouldn't have realized she was gone yet. Her hand immediately flew up to her neck, feeling where the silver collar no longer was. For some strange reason, her stomach twisted. Maybe it was fear at being caught again. Maybe it was regret - no. Alex clenched her jaw, narrowing her eyes. It couldn't be regret. She was glad she was free.

"Are you hungry?" Gadreel's voice came from the kitchen. "It's lunch time, I suppose."

Alex followed his voice. "I don't know. I'm not super hungry."

The alpha looked over at her, blue eyes sparkling with some emotion. "You okay?"

Alex sat down at the table, dropping her bag at her feet. "Yeah, I guess." She shook it off. "I'm fine."

Gadreel closed the refrigerator and joined her at the table. "It's going to feel weird for a day or two," he began.

Alex looked up, confused. "What?"

"You're breaking the bond between you and Lucifer. It's only partial, so it should be completely severed in forty-eight hours."

"Oh. Is that what it is?" Alex rubbed her knuckles nervously. "Can Lucifer feel it?"

Gadreel shrugged. "Probably. I doubt he'll know what it is, though." Seeing Alex's reaction, he added, "He's going to realize you're gone eventually."

Alex closed her eyes as reality slowly set in. "He's going to come looking for me."

"Undoubtably." Gadreel stood up, walking over to the cabinet. "But since you haven't mentioned me to him, I highly doubt he'll come here." He paused, then looked over at Alex. "You haven't mentioned me, right?"

Alex hesitated.

Gadreel's face darkened. He walked over to her, throwing his hands down on the table, and Alex jumped at the loud noise. He leaned towards her. "What did you do?"

"I mentioned that I had seen you at the benefit." Alex shied away from the alpha. "Sorry."

Gadreel's eyes flared in anger, but within a second, it was gone, replaced with the same, calm demeanor as always. "It's okay." He straightened back up. "It's not all hopeless. We'll figure something out." He walked back over to the refrigerator, muttering something under his breath. Then he opened the fridge. "But first, we need to eat."

Alex watched him go, a little shaken from his outburst. "I - is there somewhere I should put my things?" she asked quietly, getting up to go.

Gadreel didn't look at her. "Up the stairs, last door to the left. It's a spare bedroom."

"Thanks." Alex hurried away. She climbed the stairs in four quick steps, then turned down the hall. Something prickled uncomfortably at the back of her neck as she walked down the dim hallway, but she pointedly ignored it. One, two, three doors. She stopped at the far left one, then pushed it open.

A small twin-sized bed sat against the left wall, and there was a shelf on the right wall. The room itself was skinny, the only light coming from the window on the far wall. Alex dropped her bag on the bed, looking around. There wasn't much. Then again, there wasn't enough room for much. The omega stretched out her hands, not surprised to find that she could almost touch the two walls at the same time.

She stepped back out of the room. There was a door only a few steps down, and she tried the door. It creaked open, and, with a quick glance towards the stairs, peered inside.

It was another bedroom. It looked lived in, so it was quite obviously Gadreel's. The bed was only half made, and a messy desk lay against the far wall. The room was at least twice as large as Alex's, which she found only slightly odd.

She closed the door and tried the other one. It was locked. Alex frowned, jiggling the handle even more. It remained stubbornly closed. The prickling sensation at the back of her neck returned. Alex, now even more curious, and a little trepidatious, reached for Khul'Shalkrum when -

"Alex! Lunch is ready."

Alex immediately let the Source go, crossly shaking her head. What the hell was she doing? If the door was locked, there was probably a normal, legitimate reason. And that reason didn't involve her. "Coming!" Alex hurried down the stairs.

...

Lucifer pulled out his keys to unlock the door. He pushed it open and stepped into the living room of his apartment. A smile crossed his face. "Alex?" He dropped his briefcase, looking around, expecting his omega to come out to greet him. "Alex? I'm home."

There was no answer. He frowned slightly. "Alex?" He walked towards the bedroom, concerned. "Alex. Where are you?" Still no answer. Lucifer grew worried. "Alex? Are you okay?" He stepped though the doorway. The bedroom was empty. So was the bathroom.

Panic coursed through the alpha, strong and ice-cold, and he rushed out onto the patio. "Alex?" His gaze turned towards the ledge. No. She wouldn't -

He hurried back inside, heart beating wildly. "Alex!" Where was she? He turned towards the couch, pausing. Ice rushed through his veins. A tremble passed through him as he reached out. His fingers closed around the silver collar that his omega wore. "No." He balled his fists in sudden anger. There was no way she couldn't have taken this off by herself. There was someone else. Someone else had Alex. His Alex.

Lucifer spun around, lashing out. His fist connected with the wall, and the plaster cracked under the force. Then, as the rush of anger faded, he felt drained. The alpha slid to the ground, fingers still tightly clasping the collar. He dropped his head to his hands in disbelief. She was gone.

Something caught his eye, and he looked up. There, half-hidden under the couch, was a small card. Lucifer crawled towards it, turning it over. His eyes read the name, and the card fell from his hands.

"No."