I do not own anything related to Lucifer, DC Comics, or Sandman series, either thru television, written books, or film. Everything belongs to Tom Kapinos, Fox, Netflix, and mentioned above. I do own all the created characters. I do not own any songs, or literature mentioned. They are included to enhance the written words. Please read, review, and enjoy!
Chapter 17
Song(s): Wolf Like Me (TV on the Radio), My Name is Dark (Grimes)
Rolling over onto her back as she smelt brewing coffee, Piper stared up at the ceiling above her as she heard car horns blaring to welcome in the early morning hour.
What have you done Piper?
Sitting up slowly, she pushed the black satin pillow up against her back before folding her hands together in her lap.
My questions…
Looking over to the bedside table on her left, she leaned over and frowned as she glanced down at the floor boards.
Nothing.
"Where…"
"Ahem,"
Throwing her eyes up at the deep clearing voice in the threshold of the doorway, Piper froze as she watched Lucifer fold his arms across his black dress shirted chest before leaning his shoulder against the carved brick wall.
"Glad to see that you had a restful night's sleep."
Swallowing slowly as she heard his sharp words, Piper straightened her back and waited for the backhand string of curses that she deserved as Lucifer kept his eyes firmly planted on her face.
"I…."
Shutting her mouth as she watched him turn away, she took a deep breath and threw the black comforter off before rising onto shaky feet. Feeling as if her knees were about to give out, she ran her hands through her loose hair and cracked her knuckles nervously before stepping towards the doorway. Spying Maggie puttering about the kitchenette with a french press of steaming hot coffee, she gave a weak smile as the Spanish woman offered nothing in response.
At least someone else is here in case he decides to physically backhand me. Even if it seems she hates me too.
Taking a light seat on the edge of her chair, she remained silent as an empty mug was sat in front of her.
"Maggie is my housemaid not yours, serve yourself" Lucifer piped up as he downed the last dregs of his own mug before sliding it aside on the glass table top.
Remember your place Piper
You are a guest in his life and penthouse for the next four years
Reaching for the press, she gripped the handle tightly as she watched the dark liquid reaching to the lip of her glass.
"Where did you write these questions? Under piss poor lamp light after you ran from me?"
Feeling the cold settling over her shoulders, Piper lightly rested her fingertips against the sides of the white porcelain mug in front of her before daring to raise her eyes onto the Devil's face, catching his fingers folding her sheet of loose-leaf paper back up.
"Actually, as I sat briefly on the step of a closed down convenience store before three guys came out of an alley" she spoke, catching a flash of red in his eyes as his lips twitched from across the length of the table.
That hit a nerve with you
When it comes to my safety, you do care Lucifer Morningstar
"Can…can I have my paper back?"
"No. Finish your coffee and get dressed. We leave in ten minutes."
…
Slipping over the expensive black leather passenger seat of the BMW M550i xDrive Sedan, Piper reached for her seatbelt and breathed in Lucifer's faint cologne as he gunned the engine.
"Just how many luxury cars do you own?" she questioned, catching his eye as he glanced in the review mirror.
"Why? Are you thinking of getting your little hot hands on the wires?"
Staring out her window as she watched the commercial stores littering Hollywood Blvd fly by, Piper leaned the side of her head against the glass before closing her eyes.
"Why do you always run away when shit hits the fan? As you humans like to say,"
Sighing as she heard his question, she crossed her arms over her chest and stared straight out the windshield in front of her.
"Can you really blame me? I find out from you that I am apparently adopted, the biological product of drug addicts, and you have the gull to ask me why I immediately turn to flight?"
"You run away like some child. You are not a child. So, stop acting like one."
Feeling her mouth falling open, the young girl stared up at the Devil's profile as she clenched her fingers into fists.
"I get it. I deserve to be shit on because I wrecked your clutch and made you sleep on the couch and you've now had to settle with driving a non-vintage automobile…" she started just as Lucifer reached a hand forward, switching on the radio as a song by TV on the Radio started to play…
My mind's aflame
We could jet in a stolen car
But I bet we wouldn't get too far
Before the transformation takes
And blood lust tanks and crave gets slaked…
Feeling her lips pursing as she listened to the lyrics of the song, Piper threw a quick hand out and roughly turned off the dial as she caught Lucifer's snicker.
He did this on purpose
But, how would he have?
"Where are we going?"
"Crazy."
Fine then
Maybe I have family somewhere in Canada that would take me in?
Who the hell am I kidding?
My biological parents are dead addicts and Darlene Harlow…
Fuck you Darlene Harlow
Shifting uncomfortably as she felt a sharp pain in her stomach, Piper held her breath as she furrowed her brow.
Am I feeling these pains because I am thinking of leaving Los Angeles permanently?
Leaving the company of one Lucifer Morningstar?
I wouldn't miss Maze, that's for sure
"If I could go back to the other night, I wouldn't have stolen your car."
Hearing Lucifer's low growl, she felt the blood rushing up into her face as she refused to meet his glance.
"Yes, you would of. You just wouldn't have been able to resist."
What does that mean?
"Your bedroom curtains suck keeping light out by the way" the young girl muttered as Lucifer clicked his tongue against the front of his teeth.
"Well, no one asked you to sleep in my bed" he spat, clearly blowing through a red traffic light without a care in the world.
"Can you please tell me where we are going?"
"Breakfast. You have questions that require answers, and I am starving."
…
Chateau Marmont, 8221 W Sunset Blvd, West Hollywood, California…
Isn't this thee place where celebrities hang out?
Following behind Lucifer as they were escorted through a European styled sitting room, Piper breathed in deeply as her eyes moved from left to right, taking in all the expensive and vintage looking items that gave the building its famed reputation. Settling her eyes on Lucifer's black blazered back, she watched as a petite, blond woman cozied up beside him, bringing a well-manicured red nailed hand up to rest on his right shoulder.
"Lucifer, it's been far too long!"
Jesus, she is literally hanging off the man
Watching the woman pulling out a chair at a small table that obviously had to the best view of them all, Piper sighed as a bloody mary suddenly appeared at the Devil's elbow.
"Chantel will be very pleased to hear that you are here Mr. Morningstar," the woman smiled as Piper pulled out her own chair. Taking a seat, she stared at the red liquid cocktail as a throat cleared.
"Would you like one? They are quite legendary," Lucifer smirked as the woman at his side finally offered a glance towards Piper.
"Um…Alcohol. Underage. Remember?"
"She'll have a mimosa Jessica." Sending the blond off with a dirty smile, Lucifer turned his eyes on Piper's face before folding his hands together.
"They know, that anyone who appears on my arm, is strictly business."
Of course, I'm business
"But no one my age?"
"No."
"No children have ever come to you to make a deal?"
"Or ask for a favor? No."
"Except me," Piper blurted out as a delicious looking orange drink was set just at her elbow.
"You are not a child, and if you remember correctly, I…came to you."
Swallowing hard as she reached for her mimosa, she took a generous gulp and was pleasantly surprised at the taste.
"Oranges and champagne?"
Cocking an eye at her correctness, Lucifer felt his lips twitching.
"For a girl who says she never drinks…"
"I read the description before the waitress took the menu's" Piper admitted as Lucifer smiled.
"You are a quick study Miss Harlow."
Letting their conversation lapse into silence, Piper took a moment to look around the restaurant and felt her mouth falling open as she recognized a famous movie star tucked away in a corner with two males.
"Where, is my list?"
"You're too late if you think you can add questions on this round" Lucifer announced, taking a sip of his drink as he held up a hand. Singling out his index finger, he drew a small six in the air as Piper flexed her own fingers.
"You remember all of my questions?"
"Every. Single. One. First question, where in Toronto is the apartment that you lived in. Have you ever been to Chinatown?"
Catching the teenager's shoulders tensing, Lucifer felt his lips twitching as he nodded his head.
"I'll take that as a yes. The apartment that you lived in is now above a Chinese seafood restaurant on Spadina" he spoke, narrowing his eyes as Piper opened her mouth to speak.
"My Moth…Darlene, always used to yell at me for skipping school, because I would go into Toronto and hang out in Chinatown. I felt, like I was drawn…." Shutting her mouth as the waitress appeared directly beside her, she heard the low purr in her voice as she no doubt focused her eyes solely on Lucifer.
"Eggs Benedict with smoked salmon and hollandaise. Is there anything else I can get for you Mr. Morningstar?"
Lowering her eyes down onto her beautifully dressed plate, Piper felt the saliva pooling in her mouth before raising her eyes. Freezing, she held her breath as Lucifer's dark eyes bore into hers.
"Nothing further."
Picking up her fork, she poked at the sauce that covered her egg before stabbing a piece of smoked salmon.
"I've never had eggs benedict before."
"So much I have to teach you."
Well, you have about four years left remaining in our…
Contract?
"Did you know my Mother and Father?"
Setting his fork aside as he raised his glass, Lucifer finished the contents of his glass before drawing the number five in the air.
"Diana came to me in a club I use to own in Toronto when she was pregnant with you."
Diana?
My biological Mother's name is Diana?
"What, was she like?"
Will I sugar coat my response to her?
Why bother?
"The first time I saw her, she had a black eye and she admitted to being a former drug addict, only getting clean when she discovered you were growing inside of her."
Pushing her plate of food away, Piper felt her stomach turning as she grabbed her wine glass. Gulping down the rest of her mimosa without breaking for air, she let out a belch as a french press of rich dark coffee and two white porcelain cups were placed in the middle of the table by another younger blonde.
"Your Father, was a low life piece of shit drug runner that failed to kill himself with a shotgun. So, I gave him a bit of a helping hand" Lucifer smirked as his dark eyes flashed red.
The flames
I remember the flames
"You were the one who set the apartment on fire…"
"Yes."
Drawing the number four in the air, Lucifer sat back in his chair and studied her with a questioning eye.
"Are your parents in Hell? Your Father certainly is, your Mother however…is not. Question three, how much money do you think I paid for you?" he questioned, catching Piper's eye as she shook her head.
"You're asking me to come up with a price tag?"
"Why not? How much do you think you are worth?"
Worth to you? Or worth to me?
Cause I don't think I'm worth very much
Biting the side of her tongue until she could stand the pain no more, Piper wanted nothing more than to scream as she felt light headed.
The child of dead drug dealers and addicts
The child of a pretend Mother who really wanted nothing to do with me
A Step-Father who hit me
And now…
The only presence in my life who actually seems to give a shit about me, is thee Devil of horrors and nightmares
"Just shy of ten thousand dollars I threw down into your kitchen sink."
That's it?
"Your other questions, we will save for later."
Perking to attention, Piper didn't have to think hard to remember the two most important questions that she had burned to paper the night before.
Why did you save me?
I want to see Hell (is there really a lake of fire and brimstone?)
"But those…"
"Can wait."
…
Chloe Decker's Residence, 1000 E Ocean Blvd #104, Long Beach, California…
6:12pm
Taking a seat on one of the bar stools at the kitchen island, Piper reached over and slid the Detective's hand written note to rest in front of her, removing the twenty-dollar bill that had been paperclipped to the back.
"How do you know Lucifer?"
Glancing up, she watched Trixie Espinoza climbing on another bar stool across the counter before folding her hands together.
"He's…a friend I guess" Piper replied as her mind started to wonder.
Friend?
Guardian?
Guardian Angel?
Guardian… Devil?
"He's my friend too. Not my best friend, that's Maze. I went to his club once and Maze gave me a drink with a cherry in it. It smelled…weird but my Mom stopped me before I could taste it. I think, there was alcohol in the glass."
Staring intently into the child's face, Piper felt her lips twitching as Trixie drummed the edge of her fingers against the counter.
"I can almost guarantee you that there was alcohol in your glass" she smirked, remembering back to her own encounter with Maze and alcohol…
(Flashback)
"Colonel E.H. Taylor Straight Kentucky Whiskey. You know that I am not old enough to drink right?"
"Says who?..."
"How old are you?"
"Fourteen. I'll be fifteen in less than a week."
"Are you going to have a party? I can't wait until I am a teenager."
Trust me kid, it's not all it's cracked up to be. Though your Mom seems pretty nice
"I don't think any of my friends would be very welcomed in LUX for a party. How old are you?"
"Nine, but I'll be ten in ten months" Trixie smiled, reaching forward towards a cookie jar and frowning as she came up empty handed.
"Do you live with Lucifer and Maze?"
"Yes."
Until he decides that I am no longer worth his time
"You are so lucky!"
Am I lucky?
"Do you wanna see my room? I draw aliens and Maze gave me a little knife that I keep under my pillow…but don't tell my Mom," she added, grabbing Piper's hand as she pulled her off the stool.
Jesus
Glancing around at all the hand drawn pictures that covered nearly every square inch of wall, Piper watched as Trixie reached under her mattress between her box spring before pulling out a small silver blade. Cutting through the air, she smiled widely before tucking it back into hiding.
"I know my mom left money for pizza, but can we go and buy a chocolate cake instead?"
"Yeah right! I'm going to say no. I need to keep this job and I am not going to lose it on the first night by letting you have cake for dinner!" Piper chuckled as Trixie sighed in defeat.
"What are you saving your money for?"
"Nothing for me, it's going to Lucifer. I…messed up the clutch on his car."
"He let you drive his car?"
"Not exactly. My friends and I took his car, without asking."
"You are seriously the coolest person I have ever met."
"Yeah well, don't tell your Mother that you want to be like me"
…
8:13pm
Moistening her lips as she heard the sirens of an ambulance in the distance growing faint, Chloe Decker laid her head back in irritation against her seat as she stared out the windshield of the Charger.
"Lucifer, do you ever think about just packing up and going home?"
Breathing in deep as he stared out his passenger side window, the Devil narrowed his dark eyes as he thought back to his morning conversation at the Chateau.
I hid nothing from the girl
"Lucifer?"
Do I simply see her as something to focus on for the next four years?
She sees nothing past her eighteenth birthday, can that be because in the next four years, she will choose me instead of my Father?
"Lucifer…HELLO LUCIFER!"
Snapping back to attention as Decker waved a hand across the front of his face, Lucifer rolled his shoulders back and heard a satisfying crack before shivering.
"Usually when you drift off, it's because of a woman in your view. But you've been glassy eyed and staring at absolutely nothing but darkness for the past five minutes. Anything on your mind?"
Feeling his lips twitching, he was in no mood to sit in the confines of the Charger and have a heart to heart about the young girl that had suddenly been dropped into his life.
"Is your niece still living in your penthouse?"
"For now."
"Not exactly the best place for a teenager. Living above a nightclub, your nightclub to be exact. Under your influence and…Maze's influence" Decker added, as he felt the low growl building in the back of his throat.
"There is nothing wrong with my influence Detective."
"Of course not. You just have a different scantily clad woman on your arm every night, and take risks that put your life in danger" Chloe whispered as she felt Lucifer's dark eyes on her profile.
"I never cheated on you Detective if that's what you are getting at."
Shaking her head at his words, Chloe sighed as she did a quick radio check with the unit across the river.
"I'm not upset Lucifer that we didn't work out."
Scoffing as he listened to her words, Lucifer rolled down his window and breathed in deep the early evening Los Angeles air.
Darkness and a light scent of promising favors
Seeing that she had hit a sore spot, Decker cleared her throat before shifting the conversation.
"How is Maze taking to the situation"
"More than she'd ever dare to admit, but I think she is fond of the little urchin."
"Where exactly is your sister?"
"Travelling."
"Europe?"
"Sure."
Fine
Settling back in her seat, Chloe shook her head slowly before staring back out her window.
We seem to be barely friends anymore Lucifer
…
Chloe Decker's Residence, 1000 E Ocean Blvd #104, Long Beach, California…
"There is a bakery like five blocks from here, can we ppllleeaasseee walk there? I've been trapped inside a smelly school building all day. I'm a kid, I need fresh air to grow."
Staring into Trixie's pleading face, Piper scoffed as she shook her head.
"Nice try."
Pouting as she crossed her arms over her chest, Trixie sighed loudly before rolling her eyes.
"You have a serious chocolate cake addiction, don't you?" Piper chuckled as the child standing in front of her offered a toothy smile.
"I'm the most well behaved when I have a piece in front of me."
Lowering her face down close to Trixie's, Piper stared directly into her eyes without blinking.
"That sounds like something Lucifer would say."
"Did you know that Maze is a Demon? She showed me her face once" Trixie offered in challenge as Piper refused to blink an eye.
"Maze once threw a knife at my head, but it caught in the wall in front of me, inches from my skull" she offered back as Trixie's lips broke out into a wide smile.
"Okay, you win."
Straightening up, Piper moistened her lips as she glanced at the time on the stove clock.
"I don't know what time your Mom is coming back, but I do know that you have school tomorrow."
Sighing for a second time, Trixie held out a hand and smiled as Piper gripped her fingers.
"It was nice to meet you. But if you come back, we are getting chocolate cake."
Twenty minutes later…
Switching off the kitchen light as she wiped her wet hands along the sides of her black tights, Piper took a heavy seat on the cream-colored sofa before noticing that there was no television in the living room. Feeling the throw blanket behind her back, she wrapped it around her shoulders before stretching out across the cushions…
So we party when the sun goes low
And tonight wishes I'm so doped out
I'm not shy but I refuse to speak
Because I don't trust you to understand me…
Hearing the thumping beats of the Grimes song coming up from the nightclub below, Piper leaned in closer towards the glass of her bathroom mirror as she added another thick coat of black mascara.
"You don't look fifteen, you look, almost eighteen…" she breathed, wiping at the corner of her left eye as she rolled her shoulders back.
Your birthday party is going on downstairs without you Piper Harlow
Running her hand down the length of the wall, she watched as the bathroom was bathed in darkness before stepping out into the hallway. Entering her black painted bedroom, Piper glanced out her window and down into the alleyway below as she noticed the light rain starting to fall.
"Ready to go downstairs?"
Leaving her bedroom, she strode down the corridor and stopped short as she caught sight of her reflection in the floor to ceiling mirror that was detailed with intricate carved cherubs and small devils with horns that Maze had added to the décor of the penthouse the week previous.
"I do look older…" she whispered, running a hand down the front of her flat stomach and over her hip. Straightening the hem of her black off the shoulder top, Piper felt her lips twitching as she turned towards the elevator. Standing perfectly still as it brought her down to the main floor, she felt her eyes growing wide at the sight in front of her. Stepping around the entwined bodies as the woman leaned her head back against the wall in pleasure, Piper held her breath as she rounded the corner to stand at the balcony, overlooking the dance floor.
It's supposedly my birthday party, but I don't know or recognize a single person here she noted to herself as she stared to descend the crowded staircase.
"Happy birthday Piper!"
"Yes, happy birthday dear girl!"
Feeling the confusion crossing her features as random shouts and excited offers of birthday wishes and greetings met her ears, Piper smiled as a glass of white wine was held out to her by a tuxedo waiter.
"For the birthday girl. Happy eighteenth!" he smiled, handing it to her as Piper opened her mouth to protest.
Oh what the hell
Taking a generous sip of the cold alcohol, Piper felt her face flushing almost immediately as she felt a presence close behind her. Turning around slowly, her eyes fell upon a black dress shirt chest covered with a blazer and a red handkerchief situated perfectly in the breast pocket. Raising her eyes, she held her breath as Lucifer Morningstar raised his own wine glass in a small toast.
Catching his wink, she gave a slight node of her head as he stepped up to her, closing their distance. Tracing the edge of his thumb along her bottom lip, Lucifer handed his glass to a passing masked Demon before doing the same with hers.
I'm not going to sleep anymore
I'm not going to sleep anymore
That's what the drugs are for…
Feeling his warm hand wrapping around her own, Piper followed him out onto the small dance floor, noticing that everybody had given them a wide berth. Twirling her around slowly, he held her against him, laying his palm flat against her left hip as he smiled. Leaning her back against his chest, the young girl angled her head as she felt the scuff of his chin grazing against the side of her exposed throat. Reaching her arm up, she draped it around the back of Lucifer's neck as he smiled.
Paradise on the right, Hell on the left
The angel of death, right behind me
Paradise on the right, Hell on the left
The angel of death, right behind me
Paradise on the right, Hell on the left
And the angel of death just said to God
Un-fuck the world, un-fuck the world
You stupid girl, you stupid girl….
"Happy eighteenth birthday Lola Cross" he breathed before placing a soft kiss against the side of her throat…
Throwing her eyes open as she felt warm fingertips against the inside of her wrist, Piper Harlow scrambled to sit up on the sofa as she threw a hand out, directly striking Lucifer Morningstar in the chest.
Did he not see what I saw?
"What in the hell is wrong with you?!"
Hearing the spit in his question as she stared up and into his face with wide eyes, Piper tried to steady her breathing as he tried to reach down for her arm.
"Did…did you not…" she breathed, moving out of his reach.
"Spit it out urchin."
"Did you not feel…see, what I saw?" she managed to speak just as the Detective rounded the corner of the kitchen island with a confused look on her face.
"Is this teenage confusion? Detective, you were a teenager once, what is this?" the Devil questioned as Piper shook her head quickly.
"I saw my eighteenth birthday."
"And…"
"And, I have never seen anything past my eighteenth birthday" she breathed, catching the growing look of irritation on his face.
"AND?"
Wincing as Lucifer bellowed with impatience, her eyes caught the flames in his irises as Chloe Decker attempted to intervene for the sake of her sleeping daughter.
"And…all I saw, all I felt…."
"Was you."
…
Thank you to all for reading! Thank you to Dietmtdewbaby, Aesir21, Summerphoenix514, Kv1n20, Brookeworm3 for leaving a review!
Please leave reviews and enjoy!
P.S. Profile picture for story belongs to: tantalizing – apples . blogspot . ca
HAVE A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEAR!
Dietmtdewbaby – Def seems like something Lucie would say in the series! Thanks for reading!
Aesir21 – I would run too. I haven't decided if I am going to follow Canon or branch out. Thanks for reading!
Summerphoenix514 – Thanks for loving it!
Kv1n20 – Thanks for reading and reviewing!
Brookeworm3 – Thanks for leaving a review!