He sat on a rock. Panting from running. After the two cops fell people rushed over. He just took off running. He pushed two men who tried to grab him out of the way. He was near the lake in Central Park. The sun was starting to go down. A few people were still paddling around in boats. Ducks swam lazily around them. He heard a twig snap. He turned to the sound. It was only a squirrel. For a moment he stared at the little red rodent.

He picked up a pebble and tossed it towards the animal. It scurried up a tree. He shifted on his uncomfortable makeshift seat. He dreaded that he would probably be spending the night here. For too long he had been on the run. Ever since he killed that guy at the orphanage he had been running. He had these strange powers. He didn't understand where they came from. But he was learning how to use them.

Sighing he buried his face in his hands. He listened to the sounds all around him. The wind picked up again. It did that a lot. He heard another twig snap. The sound of footsteps approaching him. He looked up to see a thin man with white hair approaching him. He was wearing a nice suit but had a police badge on his belt. He just stared at the intruder.

The man held up his badge. "I'm detective John Tucker. I was wondering if I could ask you a few questions."

He just shrugged. It was going to start again. He didn't have the energy to fight again.

"Do you know anything about two officers who got attacked this afternoon?"

"No." He said quietly.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah." He stood up. His legs a little stiff from sitting in a weird position for so long. He walked past Detective Tucker.

"What is your name?" Tucker asked him.

"What does it matter?"

"It matter a lot."

He shrugged and just started to walk away. He heard the man following him. He was ready to lose him. He stopped and turned to the man. "Look its best you back off before something happens."

John narrowed his eyes. "Are you threatening me?"

"No." He said. He quickened his pace.

"Get back here." The detective ordered.

He just started running. Faster he ran. He didn't care in what direction. Down a tunnel under the bridge he ran. A blonde man stopped at the end. He stopped right in front of him. He had a dark suit as well. A badge on his belt too.

He swung at the man. He was surprised that the man dodged his blow easily. He felt as his arm was pulled behind him. The blonde man had him in a hold. He pulled away from the man's grip easily. He swung again. This time making contact on the man's face. He groaned in pain but didn't go down.

But it was enough to get away. He started to run again and then he felt electricity coarse through his veins. He knew he had been tazed. He went down and everything went black.

**Persephone*

I sat in my favorite chair in my bedroom. I had a book in my lap. I had tried to get a hold of my father again. I only got voice mail. I left him a message. Sighing I set the phone down and picked up the book. I couldn't concentrate on it. I heard a knock on the door. Turning to see Sally standing there. She had on a nice blue dress. Her makeup was done up really well too.

"Pastor Gordon and Jean just arrived. Why don't you come out and meet them?" She insisted.

"I'll be right there."

She left the room. I sighed. Standing up I got dressed. I put on a pair of jeans and a nice t-shirt. I pulled my hair back. Saying a prayer, I walked into the living room.

A man in a polo shirt and slacks was talking with my father-in-law Hank and Joshua. I smiled as I entered the room.

Hank turned to me and then to the strange man. "Pastor Gordon. This is Bryan's wife Persephone."

The pastor shook my hand. "That's an interesting name."

I smiled and watched as woman in a plaid shirt and plain white shirt stood next to him. She looked like another Stepford wife. Only her hair was brown and down up in a perm. "It's Greek." I say after a moment.

The pastor nodded. "This is my wife Jean." The woman smiled and I shook her hand.

Sally and Carolyn walked into the room. "Dinner is ready." Sally announced.

Everyone filed towards the dining room. It smelled wonderful. Despite her faults, Sally could cook. It explained why her husband was so round. I heard the doorbell ring. "Excuse me, while I answer that."

Opening the front door, I sighed with relief. Aunt Karen and Uncle Daniel smiled as I opened the door. I threw my arms around them. "Oh thank God you two are here?"

Uncle Daniel laughed. "Hey sweetie. We are here to support you. Karen told me what was going on."

Earlier when I couldn't reach my husband and father I called Aunt Karen. She had just gone back to Connecticut. But I quickly told her about what Sally had said about my father. She agreed to come to dinner.

We walked together towards the dining room. Sally frowned when we reached the doorway. She wasn't expecting them. I looked at the pastor. "Pastor, this is my Aunt Karen and Uncle Daniel."

He smiled and shook their hands. Everyone took their seats around the large table. A few empty seats made me miss my husband. He must be working late tonight. While I usually understood, I really wished he was beside me at the moment.

Sally and Carolyn brought the food out and set in the middle of the table. My mouth watered. It looked so good. Sally and Carolyn sat down. Hank stood up. "Let us say a prayer." Everyone bowed their heads and held hands.

I had to stifle a laugh. I said my own quiet prayer to my Grandfather while the Pastor recited some cliché. "Amen." I said with the group. Everyone began to dig into dinner. Roast beef with gravy. Roasted potatoes with carrots. Warm biscuits. It was all delicious.

"So Persephone," The pastor started. "Sally and Hank tell me that your father goes around pretending to be the Devil."

I nearly choked on the food I was eating. Aunt Karen squeezed my hand. I took a drink of water. "Um excuse me?" Was all I could squeak out.

"Well, they tell me he calls himself Lucifer."

"That is his real name, Pastor." I said in between bites of potato.

"Okay." The man got quiet for a minute. "But you have to be serious. What kind of man would pretend he is the Devil?"

"I assure you it's not pretend." Said a very English voice from the doorway of the dining room. My father stood there. He looked at the group of us eating. "You started dinner without me. I am offended." He walked towards the table. I smiled at him. It was like my prayer had been answered.

The pastor eyed my father. My father caught him staring. "Lucifer Morningstar." He held out his hand to the pastor. The pastor didn't respond. My father shrugged. He sat down at the table and began to fill a plate with food. He ate a few bites. "Oh this roast is exquisite. Sally did you make this." He noticed everyone staring at him. "OH dear. Did I forget to say grace? Wouldn't want to offend my Father now would I."

I tried not to laugh. It was a nervous laugh. I just looked down at the plate. Everyone was silent for a moment.

"Now you say your father, who do you mean?" I heard Pastor Gordon ask my father.

"The only one I have." He responded. "Oh these potatoes. Sally you should be a chef." He smiled to her.

"You made it sound like you meant God." The pastor said.

"That's because I did." My father said between bites of food.

I got up and walked over to the bar at the other end of the table. I picked up a bottle of wine and popped it open. I poured some into a glass. Oh I wish I could drink it. I took it and set it down in front of my father. I squeezed his shoulder and smiled. He returned that smile. "Thank you Persephone." I sat back down.

"Your father is God." Pastor Gordon responded.

My father nodded his head as he took a sip of the wine. "This is good wine." He said to me. "Where did you get it?"

"Oh I don't remember."

"You honestly go around telling people that your father is God and that your name is Lucifer." The pastor continued his questions.

"It's the truth."

"And people believe you."

"Some."

It got quiet for a moment. I glanced at Aunt Karen. She looked back. I could see the same look in her eyes. Neither of us liked where this was going. I truly hoped they wouldn't provoke my father into revealing his true self. "So, Lucifer how are things going in LA?" Karen broke in trying to change the subject.

My father seems to understand. "Could not be better, Karen." They exchanged knowing smiles. "Though I am seriously thinking about opening a club here in New York."

"Really?" I said.

"Yeah. Lux is doing so well I thought about franchising and expanding. I could spend more time here with you and Tristan."

"That would be great. But won't Chloe miss you?"

He shrugged. "Oh I think she'll survive."

"Who is Chloe?" Aunt Karen asked.

"She is a friend." MY father said a little forlornly. "She is a detective I help out sometimes."

Karen nodded. "That's interesting."

"Very." I said. I glanced over at my in-laws and the pastor. They didn't seem happy that Karen and I had hijacked the conversation. I was glad.

"What sort of club are you talking about?" Pastor Gordon chimed in.

"Oh you know. The kind with sexy pole dancers. Lots of booze. Scantily clad patron gyrating on the floor to naughty music." My father responded with his best Devil smile. "The kind people like you protest."

The pastor shook his head. "A den of sin."

My father nodded. "Precisely."

I could hear Tristan crying on the monitor. I was done eating. "Excuse me." I said as I got up from the table. I quickly walked to the nursery. I picked up the crying baby. Cradling him against me I shushed him.

There was someone behind me. It was my dad. He stood watching me with the baby. He took a sip of the wine.

"I'm sorry about them Dad."

He shrugged. "Like I can't handle a pastor."

"I know but I don't know what they are planning."

He scoffed. "Maybe an excision." He laughed. I followed suit.

"That would be interesting."

"Those never work. Trust me."

I set the baby on the changing table. I began to unbutton his onesie. My father made a face. "Sorry, I have to change his diaper."

"I'll be outside on the balcony." He left us alone.

I finished changing the baby. Aunt Karen rushed into the room. She looked worried. "Pastor Gordon is talking to your father on the balcony."

"And?"

"Aren't you a little worried."

"A little." I shrugged as we headed towards the living room. We reached the living room just as I heard a blood curdling scream coming from the balcony.

I ran outside with everyone else. Pastor Gordon was on the ground screaming as my father stood over him. He had the look. I took a bet that Pastor Gordon had just seen my father's other face. I walked up to my father. "Dad, what happened?"

"HE IS THE DEVIL!" The pastor screamed. MY father-in-law reached down to help the man. "HE IS THE DEVIL!" The pastor kept screaming. Hank and Joshua helped the man inside.

I looked at my father. "Dad?" I said to him.

My father casually took a sip of wine. He smiled at me but didn't say a word. He turned his gaze to the city and took a puff on his cigarette.

"Dad?" I put my hand on his arm. I could still hear the pastor screaming in the house.

Karen leaned to me. "I am going to go check on the baby." She walked quickly into the house.

My father was still staring at the city not saying a word. He finished the wine and flicked his cigarette over the railing.

"Dad, seriously. Answer me."

He turned and looked at me. Those dark eyes looking me over. "Oh we were just having a conversation about God and religion." He leaned against the railing of the balcony. He looked down towards the street.

"You didn't show him your nasty face?"

My father smiled and shrugged. "He insisted."

"And?"

"Well, you heard him."

I laughed. "Yeah, I think half the neighborhood heard him." I hated that it happened but I was also glad. So many pastors preach the word of god. Warning people against being influenced by the Devil. Don't let the Devil lead you astray. That sort of talk. They say to face the Devil with the power of God. With the power of God, you can look the Devil in the eye and not be afraid. But when they were face with the actual face of the Devil so many of them screamed and wet themselves.

"Well, I don't think he'll be coming around here anymore."

Hank walked out onto the balcony. His expression dark. He glared at my father. "I don't know what you are but I want you to stay away from my family." He turned his glare on me. "You hear me. I don't want that man or whatever he is near my family."

I folded my arms across my chest. "Well, then leave."

Hank took a step towards me. "I never liked you. I don't know what my son was thinking marrying you. He had a nice obedient wife and two lovely girls."

"Yeah. She cheated on him and then took his daughters away from him. Great loving wife." I scoffed at him.

He took another step towards me. His face close to mine. "This isn't over. I don't want my son with you. He is going to have to choose between us and you. You harlot."

My father stepped beside me. "Wait one second you portend little toad. I don't appreciate you calling my daughter a harlot."

"Well, any woman who doesn't know their place is not really a woman." Hank snarled.

My father's expression darkened. "Who are you to tell her what her place is?"

Hank raised his hand to punch my father. My father caught his arm. Hank was shocked at my father's strength.

"Dad, stop." I placed my hand on my father's arm. My father turned to me. He sighed and release his grip on Hank's arm. "I think you guys should leave Hank."

He spat at me. "With pleasure." He stormed back inside.

I slumped into one of the chairs. My father sat in the one beside me. "I'm exhausted." I just laughed.

Hours later I was lying in bed reading. All of the in-laws had to carry the pastor out of the apartment. I waited for police to show up at my door. But they never did. My thoughts were interrupted by Bryan entering the room. I gasped at his face. His right eye was nearly swollen shut and his lip was cut open.

"Bryan. What happened?"

He shrugged. "A little scuffle with a suspect. Its alright."

I put my arms around him and gently kissed him. "Boy, did oyu miss the action around here." I said to him.

"Really?"

"Yeah."

He shook his head. "First I want to tell you about the night we had." He sat on the bed as he unbuttoned his shirt. I saw more bruises on his chest.

I sat on my chair and faced him. I waited for him to tell his story.

"First I have a question."

"Okay."

"Do you have any brothers?"

Author's Note: Haha. Yes I am evil. I left it on a cliffhanger. Enjoy.