They were in the lobby of the precinct, heading toward the doors to outside. Chloe and Pierce had given each other a look—a hot one—and announced that they were done with the case for the night. Lucifer looked heartbroken about it—about the look between the two cops and at the idea they were done for the night. Eric, on the other hand, was relieved. His patience had worn thin, what with Detective Douche really living up to his nickname.
He didn't know where the night would lead him, but he was hoping Lucifer could turn off his interest in the dead man in the basement and focus on the reason they'd actually come back to L.A. Perhaps the answer he'd been seeking was no longer quite so pressing to him—seeing Lucifer smiling at him instead of this Chloe Decker who not only didn't give him the time of day, but seemed unable to stand him, seemed far more satisfying to Eric now. Whatever they would do next, Eric was adamant he was going to make Lucifer forget the human woman. Didn't Lucifer also have a club? What better way to while away the dark hours than watching humans rub up against each other? He was genuinely curious to see how Lucifer's club differed from his own.
It was, of course, at that moment that emotions that weren't his flared in his mind. Sookie Stackhouse, literal thousands of miles away, suddenly filled his head, overtaking all of his senses. Eric froze to the spot, his entire body tensing for fight or flight—or both. Fear blossomed in his mind, spreading to his chest and then out toward his limbs as something scared the shit out of Sookie wherever she was in Louisiana. "Sookie." Just the one word escaped him. Everything in him told him to go to her—to save her, protect her. But he didn't fucking want to.
"Eric?" He could hear Lucifer call his name, but he was turned inward, feeling Sookie's fear, wondering if she was in trouble. He was too far away to help her—it would take nearly all night just to get back home. Besides, he tried reasoning with himself, she had Bill Compton to take care of her—and Compton was always desperate to cater to the half-fairy. Sookie didn't need Eric—and Eric wasn't going to show up to help her every time something went bump in the night. No, Sookie could solve her own problems without him.
Eric felt good in his decision, and he was about to shove Sookie's emotions to the side so he could get on with his night, when the fear suddenly transformed into something else. Eric had easily processed her fear and put it aside, but it was another thing to feel her lust and passion. Whoever the hell had scared Sookie had turned the tables quickly and efficiently. Wherever the fuck that woman was, she was certainly about to get it on. And with apparent gusto, no less.
A growl escaped Eric's throat. Angry. He was fucking angry. Not necessarily about Sookie being with someone—although if he had to guess it was with that nitwit Bill—but that he had to witness it firsthand through his damned blood connection to the woman. Would this happen every time she took on a lover? Worse, every time she simply decided to have sex? The anger bubbled forth—at himself. For having been so fucking stupid.
Still, he probably could have managed that, too. If it weren't for Pierce grabbing him by the arm and calling his name, asking him if he was okay. The combination of Sookie's passion and Pierce's scent sent the vampire over the edge. "Get the fuck away from me!" he roared as he shook the immortal off of him, sending the man careening across the lobby to hit the double doors. He was desperate to get the man away from him—it was too much like Sookie and right now he was angry about Sookie. The doors shook but didn't break, and thankfully there weren't many people around to see Eric losing his shit. There were, however, enough cops in the lobby that he suddenly found four of them surrounding him, including Chloe who had drawn her gun.
Apparently tossing the homicide lieutenant halfway across the room warranted guns pointed at him. Ridiculous humans. He was almost certain there weren't silver or wooden bullets in the chamber. They couldn't stop him if he actually wanted to fuck the lieutenant up. Which he didn't. Eric grappled with his rage, trying to regain control.
When Pierce stood up, clearly unharmed, Eric growled again in warning. "Don't touch me!" he called out when the immortal man started walking back toward him, a grim look on his face. "You fucking smell like her. If she'd rolled around in a pile of shit."
For what it was worth, Eric saw Chloe hesitate, her aim wavering as her eyes slid to find Pierce. "Stay back!" she called to him, eyes wide with surprise at his storming back across the lobby completely unharmed. Not even a scratch.
Knowing if he stayed in the precinct any longer that the idiotic humans would try to cuff him and lock him up, Eric made a vampiric beeline for the doors. He brushed past Chloe, his passage making wisps of her hair float about her face for a second. Then he was through the door, letting it slam shut behind him. Breathing deeply of untainted air. Struggling to stay in control.
Lucifer was right behind him—no, right in front of him, having seemingly moved quicker and more silently than any vampire Eric had ever known.
"What the bloody hell happened just now?" Lucifer asked, tugging on jacket cuffs as he seemed to settle into his new spot on the sidewalk just outside the precinct. Chloe and Pierce were just coming out the doors. Pierce, Eric noticed, was holding tight to Chloe's hand. He sneered at the man—for multiple reasons. He was still feeling Sookie's goddamn feelings and the man's scent . . . while not perfectly like hers, was too close for him to appreciate. It was like being in the same room as Sookie while she fucked Bill—or whoever it was she deemed worthy of the act. Eric was fairly certain he was finally getting over the waitress, but this was not helping.
But it wasn't just that that made him dislike Pierce. Chloe's fingers intertwined with Pierce's would undoubtedly hurt Lucifer, and Eric hated the man for that, too.
"Viking!" Lucifer exclaimed when Eric's attention didn't rest on him. "What happened?"
Eric closed his eyes and tried to sort through the feelings rushing through his head. There were his emotions—far too many of them these days—and those that belonged to two other people. Sookie's lust and Lucifer's concern. Breathing fresh air into his lungs, he was able to bubble Sookie's shocking emotional revelations and bury them deep. He kept Lucifer' concern at the forefront, touching it with his own emotions, letting it embrace his thoughts.
Lucifer was concerned.
Lucifer cared. About him. He wasn't even paying attention to Chloe and Pierce. The devil seemed to have eyes only for Eric at the moment. He'd consistently been there when Eric was losing his shit—which was embarrassingly far too often. That was a far, far better outcome of feeling connected to those that had tasted him, he decided.
Still, the concerned devil did expect him to explain himself.
And at this point, Eric didn't think he could deny Lucifer anything. If Lucifer asked, he'd give. Simple as that. He cared; the man fucking cared. Eric could weep.
"Sookie Stackhouse," Eric said, trying to sort his thoughts and determine what he should tell Lucifer. Because whatever he said, Chloe and Pierce would hear it too, as they were almost upon them. Pierce looked concerned but Chloe looked pissed. Probably because Lucifer's vampiric consultant couldn't be trusted to keep his temper and therefore she couldn't trust Lucifer. He just knew that was going through her head, even if he had zero connection to the woman. It seemed typical of her behaviour to Lucifer. "I felt her . . . emotions . . . for a minute."
"You felt them?" Lucifer asked. "How?" He shook his head. "No, more importantly—why did it set you off?"
Eric gave Lucifer a grim smile. "First it was fear; then it was sexual desire."
Lucifer's eyes got wide. "Oh. I see."
Eric glared at Pierce. "And you smell like Sookie Stackhouse—except wrong."
"What the hell does that mean?" Chloe asked, looking at Pierce.
Pierce shrugged, looking uncomfortable. "I'm not the vampire. How the hell should I know?"
Eric narrowed his eyes at the man, but didn't say anything. If Lucifer hadn't told Chloe Pierce's secret, there must be a reason. Even if the woman probably had the right to know. But then, perhaps that secret should come directly from Pierce. If it came from Lucifer, it would make him look like a needy snitch. "In either case, I do apologize Lieutenant Pierce. I didn't mean for my emotions to overtake me, but it's a bit of an unwelcome surprise when you find out your ex-lover has found someone new—by way of feeling their moments of passion in your own head." He gave Pierce a sheepish look. "Even if you're over them."
"No harm, no foul," Pierce returned, clearly relieved that Eric wasn't going to expound upon why he was saying Pierce smelled wrong. So many secrets in the City of Angels, it seemed. "Barely even a scratch. You do have quite the arm on you though."
"How can you feel her emotions?" Lucifer pressed, his attention still solely on Eric and what had just happened.
"I share a blood bond with her," Eric said, wondering if he should be admitting that in front of Chloe and Pierce. And what it meant. Just how many vampiric secrets was he going to share tonight? "She's had my blood, so I can sense her whenever she feels anything intense. Usually it's when she's in danger. It's meant to help us keep track of those we consider ours."
"You feel her because she's taken your blood?" Lucifer asked, not letting it go.
"Yes," Eric confirmed. "When a vampire gives a mortal his blood, it is a way to communicate to other vampires that the mortal . . ." Eric hesitated, knowing the terminology was archaic and humans generally didn't like it. "That a mortal belongs to that vampire. Being able to feel your human's emotions certainly helps if they're in trouble with another vampire who doesn't believe in etiquette." Or other supernatural creatures, but Eric sure as hell wasn't bringing that up to the magically-ignorant cops.
"Barring the fact that I'm not mortal," Lucifer said, a hand scratching at the stubble on his chin. "Does that mean you can feel my emotions as well?" Lucifer's glance slid to Chloe and then back to Eric. "Since I have tasted your blood." He didn't mention it was tears, and Eric was grateful for that.
Lucifer waited expectantly as Eric hesitated. Did he tell the truth? Did he tell the truth in front of Lucifer's friends? It was pointless to lie, though. He kept his voice devoid of emotion as he replied with a simple, "Yes."
Lucifer rocked back on his heels, with a quiet "Oh."
The silence that stretched out after that was awkward. Clearly Lucifer was processing the revelation, although he wasn't feeling intently about anything at the moment. Chloe and Pierce were giving each other eyes—but Lucifer wasn't noticing that either, at least.
"Well, I think we should call it a night," Chloe finally said, clearly wanting to get in her car and drive straight home—with Pierce following close behind. "We can start again in the morning. Maybe we can come at this from a different perspective once the sun is up."
"Actually," Pierce hedged. "It might be best if you sit this one out, Lucifer."
Lucifer broke out of his reverie to frown in Pierce's direction. "I think I can be of ample help."
"And you already have!" Chloe told him. But she was nodding, her attention on Pierce instead. "But I think Pierce is right. You've given us help by bringing Mr. Northman to us, but as Mr. Northman has told us, he's unwilling to help us any further. And since he's your friend, I think we might have a conflict of interest on our hands now."
"Why, that's not true, Detective," Lucifer responded, sounding hurt. "You know I love to solve a good mystery."
But Chloe was shaking her head. "No. You brought me a vampire. He's been kind enough to help," she paused and Eric's bouts of anger were not commented upon at least, "and we greatly appreciate it, but until we solve this case, I think it will be best if you sit this one out. Besides, shouldn't you be entertaining your friend? He's come a long way to visit you."
Lucifer looked affronted. "He can hardly spend time with me during the day, Detective."
Chloe opened her mouth but nothing came out. She looked at a loss.
"Light restrictions," Eric explained. "And I do need my own rest. My body doesn't appreciate it when I pull an all-dayer." Rest, ha. Time for it to be dead. He wasn't going to go into those semantics at the moment. "I'm a vampire. Some of what you've heard is true. I'm afraid vampires and sunlight don't mix very well." Unless the vampire had recently fed on a fairy, of course. But no need to tell the humans that fairies existed.
Although he wasn't convinced that Pierce didn't know about them.
Still, Chloe was shaking her head. "Then Lucifer can rest during the day, too. Pierce is right. He shouldn't be on this case anymore."
Lucifer sighed very dramatically.
Eric looked to him, frustrated to see the devil looking so dejected. "It doesn't matter," he tried to tell him.
"Of course it does!" Lucifer replied. "They're blocking me out. Keeping me away from the mystery." He scowled. "Keeping it for themselves."
"We didn't come here to help them though," Eric coaxed. "Remember? We came here to solve our own mystery. You're really the only one who can help me."
"Yes, but . . ." Lucifer trailed off, clearly about to say something about their relationship, but then seemed to change his mind. He studied both of them, the hurt very apparent on his face. Not that Chloe seemed to notice. Pierce, though, had a smug smirk on his face that made Eric glad he'd thrown him across the police precinct lobby. Suddenly, Lucifer stood up straighter, taking a couple steps back from the cops. "You're right, my dear Viking. I've been neglecting you, haven't I? My apologies."
He tugged on Eric's arm, pulling him away from the two detectives. "We've our own mystery to solve, Detective. Good luck catching your bad guy, but we've got to run."
Eric backed away, letting Lucifer pull him into the parking lot. The two detectives actually looked surprised at Lucifer's about-face, his attitude chipper now that he remembered why they had come to Los Angeles. "Actually, my brother is at Lux, Viking. I told him we'd be meeting him tonight."
Eric blinked, surprised. "You told him to go to your bar and then just stood him up?"
Lucifer waved a hand like it didn't matter. "I was doing police work. He understands."
"Does he?" Chloe countered. "Or is he simply used to your shenanigans?"
"There's a difference?" Lucifer asked, back in his good mood. He stopped just a few short steps into the parking lot, realizing something. "Right. I'm afraid we came here by squad car." He glanced back toward the two detectives who stood watching, eager for Lucifer and Eric to be gone so they too could get the hell out of there.
Eric shrugged. "I can get us there," he said, knowing Lucifer probably didn't want to show off his wings to Chloe and Pierce. Or Dan, if the other detective was watching from inside the doors. Which he most probably was. Detective Douche indeed. But at this point, Eric didn't give a shit if humans saw him fly. And besides, it would be great to gather Lucifer into his arms and rocket up into the sky, leaving Chloe feeling like she wasn't worthy of the devil. Because she wasn't. Not with how she'd been treating him all night.
Eric held a hand out to Lucifer in invitation. "Come fly with me, Lucifer Morningstar," Eric said. Perhaps Sookie's amorous mood was rubbing off on him, but he gave the devil a come-hither look while he said it. Lucifer's response was first surprise, and then a devilish grin.
"I gladly accept, Viking." He stepped into Eric's space and the vampire wrapped his arm tightly around the other man's waist. Lucifer looked to the others, his saucy grin still plastered to his face. Eric could feel this too—Lucifer was positively delighted. "This will be much quicker than calling a cab," Lucifer said, nearly vibrating with excitement at the idea of someone else flying him somewhere. "L.A. traffic bites, anyway."
"It's not the only thing that bites," Eric quipped back.
"Oh, Viking, yes!" Lucifer replied, delight and a promise of something else in his voice.
With a deadpan nod to the police officers, Eric took to the sky, faster than you could blink. "To Lux?" he asked the man wrapped safely in his one arm.
"To Lux," Lucifer agreed.
