I do not own anything related to Lucifer, DC Comics, Vertigo, or Sandman series, either thru television, written books, or film. Everything belongs to Tom Kapinos, Fox, 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 Eight

Song(s): Who Do You Love? (Elise LeGrow), Baby (Helena Deland)

Make a choice…

Sitting still in the passenger seat of the grey Dodge Charger, Miriam kept her sunglasses on as she smelt the hint of a light aftershave coming from the man beside her.

"Where are we going?"

Shifting her eyes onto Pierce's jaw as she watched him chewing on his lower lip, she half thought to open the door at the next red light and jump out as she was met with stone cold silence from the Lieutenant. Feeling her phone vibrating in her backpack as she kept it firmly planted on her lap, she knew it was Dakota wondering where in the hell she was as the car slowed down for a stop sign.

"Are you going to answer me?" Or drive me out to the desert in the middle of California and leave me to walk home alone?

"I'm taking you somewhere" he spoke in a low tone, turning up the volume slightly on the radio.

Well obviously

Tapping her fingers against the side paneling of the car door, Miriam hummed to the tune of the radio as a jazzy song played over the speakers…

I walked forty-seven miles of barbed wire

Used a cobra snack for a neck tie

Come walk with me baby

Tell me who do you love?

Who do you love?

Who do you love?

"You're brooding."

Moistening his lips as he heard her words, he tucked his chin into his chest as his fingers gripped the steering wheel tighter.

"Yes, I am pissed off" he replied, not bothering to give her a look as the sound of distant sirens caught his ears.

"Not used to women standing up to you?" Miriam challenged, hearing him lowly whistling through his teeth.

"I've been around long enough to have experienced the wrath of a woman…women" he corrected himself as Miriam moved her eyes onto his tattoo peeking out from his shirt sleeve.

"What does your tattoo mean?" she questioned, catching his sunglassed eyes as he gave her a quick look before smoothing the fingers of his other hand over the sleeve fabric.

"It's nothing."

Right, next stop light and I am out of here

"Where are you from Tyler?"

Clicking her tongue against her teeth as she heard his question, she debated whether or not to even give him an answer as she watched the traffic light up ahead turn yellow before settling on red.

Make a decision

"Fairfield here in California."

Hearing no response as she watched him click the signal and turn right on the red light, she rested her fingers back on her panted knee.

"Where are you from?"

Watching him thinking over the question, she almost wondered if he was not going to answer before he parted his lips to speak.

"Eden"

"Which state is that in?"

"North Carolina" he lied, slowing down for another red light as he tapped his thumb against the wheel.

Let's keep him talking

"Before the LAPD, where were you working?" she questioned, hearing the soft voice of a dispatcher coming through the radio frequency. Watching Pierce reaching out and adjusting the volume dial, she took in the multiple bracelets that littered his wrist as she found herself surprised.

One braided, one silver, one gold, two beaded…odd choice

"I was in Chicago assigned to Missing Persons before the West Coast" he offered, taking his foot off the brake to move through the intersection of Savoy and North Broadway just outside of the Chinatown borders

"Why the West Coast?"

God you ask a lot of questions

Go ahead and tell her that you heard there was a female Detective in the Detachment that made the Devil bleed and that you were hoping for a piece of the mystery to end your own life

Or

Tell her that the day you had your new office all packed up in boxes and a plane ticket booked for Pak Kret City in Thailand, you saw her name written on the wait list for ride alongs and immediately felt a pull.

Chewing on his bottom lip, he rolled his window down halfway and breathed in deep the hot city air as he debated whether to pull over and order her out.

"Do you know what the name Miriam stands for?"

Nodding her head as she stared at his profile, she felt her stomach flip as he pushed his sunglasses up onto the top of his head before catching her eyes.

Odd question to ask

"I do. It's Hebrew and it means rebellious. Apparently, I've been living up to my name since I was about five or six when I questioned the Church Minister on why females in the Bible are treated like complete trash" she added, staring into his blue eyes as he blinked quickly.

Why am I in this car with him?

Shifting in her seat as she spied the sign for East Temple Street, she twisted around as she noticed just how close she was to home.

"I live on East 1st Street if you don't mind dropping me off" she spoke, watching as Pierce crossed the intersection without slowing down.

"I know where you live Tyler."

Where in the hell are we going?

"Okay. I understand, that you had to show face and lead by example back in the boardroom earlier, but your one word, no information, frankly lack of interest in my presence…" she began as she felt the car roughly pulling over to the side of the curb before being thrown into park.

"Something you gotta learn Tyler when you finally get yourself a grown-up job, and that is that your Supervisor and your Superior Officers will always have the upper hand. Even if your rebellious, feminist movement screams otherwise."

Why are you egging her on Cain?

You tell yourself and everyone around you that you have no desire to form any attachments, yet you can't stop with this one. This…girl.

"So, you think you've earned the right?"

"What right?"

"The right to be a God damn bully."

"You got into the car" he challenged.

"Because I honestly thought you would try to run me over if I didn't."

I would kill you Miriam Tyler, if it meant I could finally die

Hearing the violent words crossing his mind, he blinked slowly as the young woman in the passenger seat winced.

She winces as if she can hear what I'm thinking

Keeping his blue eyes steady on her face, Pierce slowly leaned in towards her and moved his hand along the clasp of her seatbelt. Hearing the young woman's sudden sharp intake of air, he allowed the slack to leave his hand before throwing open his door after checking for traffic as he gestured for her to do the same.

"I know you hate me" he began as he stepped up onto the sidewalk, pulling down his sunglasses onto the bridge of his nose as he adjusted the bottom of his t-shirt to cover his badge and gun.

"I don't want to hate you Lieutenant…" Hearing the words falling from her lips, Miriam snapped her mouth shut as she noticed the green sign with stenciled white letters against a concreate wall.

Skid Row City Limit

POP Too Many

Feeling the heat of the sun shining down as she breathed in the strong scent of garbage and urine, she heard Pierce clearing his throat as she turned back around to look at him.

"Follow me."

"You brought me to Skid Row?" she questioned, stepping off the sidewalk as she jogged to keep up with his long-legged stride.

"Lopez tells me that before today, you had never seen a dead body before."

Raising her eyes onto his profile as she squinted with the sun, she spied a sign labelled South San Pedro Street and immediately knew where they were headed.

"Are you going to show me a body behind a dumpster or something?" she muttered as Pierce bumped into her shoulder.

To harden my soul to match yours?

"Not yet. We are going in there" he pointed to a large building on the corner of the street with a sign that read The Midnight Mission.

…

Marcus Pierce's Residence, 3806 Ocean Front Walk, Marina Del Rey, California…

8:23pm

Throwing the dark grey police ghost car into park, Pierce sat back against his seat as he let the vehicle idle in his driveway. Looking over at the empty passenger seat, he pursed his lips before killing the engine.

You should have just let her quit

Why did you feel the need to bring her back to the department Cain?

Why did you show her a cause very near and dear to your immortal heart?

Reaching behind him for his backpack, his eyes went cold as he caught sight of a bumper belonging to a very expensive Jaguar.

"Just…great."

Slamming the car door as he walked slowly towards the silent dark car, he angled his head as he stared into the face of Lucifer Morningstar, already feeling the irritation building as the Devil smiled his pearly white teeth.

"Hello Cain, how about I come inside for a drink?"

"Don't use my real name" Marcus growled as he separated his housekey between his fingers.

Scanning his dark eyes across Pierce's broad shirted chest before coming to rest on his face, Lucifer smiled as he opened his door.

"And use Marcus? Mark? What verse of Dad's good book, caused you to use that?" he questioned, catching Pierce's eye roll as he started to follow behind and up the twilight lit driveway.

"You are not, coming into my house."

Bumping into Pierce's shoulder as he walked along the narrow palm tree pathway alongside the beige colored beach house, Lucifer smiled widely as he unfastened the button to his suit jacket.

"Interesting that your front door is off the beach. Must be absolutely hellish to have to sweep the sand everyday" he teased, running his eyes over Peirce's broad shoulders as the Officer jingled his keys in the door lock. Pushing the door open, he dropped his bag beside a large piece of driftwood before tossing his keys and sunglasses down onto a carved wooden table.

"Got any good Scotch?"

Wincing as he heard Lucifer's bellow from the top of the staircase, Pierce shrugged off his jacket as he stared hard at the Devil.

"In the cupboard next to the fridge."

Taking a deep breath as he slowly climbed the stairs, he balked as he watched Lucifer reclining on the beige sofa before propping his feet up on the glass coffee table with his tumbler. Holding out a second glass, his dark eyes smiled as he watched the Lieutenant finally concede.

"Your life as I see it is rather boring Marcus. How I'd love to spice it up if you'd let me…" he grinned, catching Pierce's head shaking a slow no.

"I don't plan to stick around Los Angeles for much longer" he announced, as Lucifer sat up straight before taking a small sip of his drink.

"Might I ask if it has anything to do with the lab rat I saw you pick up earlier?"

Swallowing a large mouthful of Scotch, he felt his eyes starting to water with the burn of his throat.

"She is the Evidence Lab's summer student who had seen her first body this afternoon" he began as Lucifer shook his head.

"That, and the fact that she is really good at standing up to you" he smirked, watching Pierce moving towards the floor to ceiling glass window that looked out over the ocean.

"Do you have a thing for her? She is a bit young…"

A thing?

"What are we nine? Lucifer, you have the luxury that if Chloe Decker is anywhere near you, you might die…I have the unfortunate circumstances of never dying with no end in sight. I have no intentions of pursing her so just, drop it" he spat, finishing the Scotch in his glass as he heard Lucifer coming to stand next him.

"For someone who has been alive since the Creation, you are a lousy liar" the Devil growled as he watched Pierce turn to face him.

"So, you would run away from Los Angeles instead of breaking a little heart? My my that's very noble of you…and pathetic" Lucifer spoke as he caught Pierce's eyes narrowing.

"It's the safest bet."

You asked me why I am so miserable all the time Tyler?

This is why my life is so miserable

"I think it's time for another drink my friend."

Wincing as Lucifer slapped his shoulder hard, Pierce groaned as he watched the three-piece suited man stride back over to the liquor cabinet with a spring in his step.

"Miriam…"

…

345 E 1st Street, Apt 3, Little Tokyo, Los Angeles, California…

"You could have at least texted me during the first hour you were out galivanting around the city with your blue eyed, buff as fuck Lieutenant" Dakota sneered as she watched Miriam brushing her bangs out of eyes while sitting cross legged on the balcony floor.

This heat is going to kill me

"My…galivanting wasn't a day at the beach if you think I had any fun" she moaned, picturing Pierce's constant scowl that only left his lips once in the entire three hours she had been in his company.

"Blink once for yes if the two of you disappeared behind a dumpster for a little quickie…"

"God damn Dakota!"

"Then why did you go with him?"

Good question

"I think it was because you've got a crush on him, and he must have one on you. Otherwise he wouldn't bother to seek you out after hours."

Catching Dakota's smirk as she continued to stare down at the evening traffic on the street, she shook her head slowly before moistening her dry lips.

"What are we, nine? I don't have a crush on him Dakota."

"Yeah, that's not true, but I'm willing to bet that before the end of the summer, you two will have slept together."

Staring back down through the balcony bars and onto a group of young people laughing as they drunkenly crossed the street, she tucked her chin into her chest as she felt the evening's warm breeze against her bare legs.

Are we going to sleep together Lieutenant Pierce?

…

Marcus Pierce's Residence, 3806 Ocean Front Walk, Marina Del Rey, California…

11:34pm

Breathing in the salty ocean air as a warm breeze crossed his cheek, Pierce focused his blue eyes on a pair of distant surfers as they tried their best to navigate among the evening waves.

Fucking idiots to be surfing at night

"Another re-fill Marcus?"

Hearing his name as he moved his blurry eyesight onto Lucifer pouring the last remnants of the Scotch bottle into his glass, Pierce smirked as he laid his head back against the back of the couch.

"So, I know your deepest and darkest desire is to die Cain, but how's about I go pay a little home visit to the lab rat to find out once and for all what it is she truly desires…" Lucifer purred as he watched the man seated across from him tip his half full glass in a gesture.

"Good luck with that" Marcus burped as he closed his eyes and started to drift into sleep.

Reaching over to save the half full tumbler from Pierce's fingers before it fell to the ground, Lucifer smiled as he rose to his feet. Tossing back the remains of the glass, he sat it down on the table before moving to the large window.

"You may be immortal Cain, but you were always a lightweight," Lucifer smirked as he rubbed his hands together in anticipation.

"Be prepared lab rat, I am coming for you."

…

345 E 1st Street, Apt 3, Little Tokyo, Los Angeles, California…

1:34am

Standing on the edge of the sidewalk, Lucifer raised his curious eyes up to the dark windows of the third floor walk up as he sniffed at the lingering scents of nikuman pork buns, and hirata's filled with tempura from the closed Japanese bakeries.

"Good evening Little Toyko, the memories we have…" he grinned as he looked to the door that would allow him access to the units inside. Walking up the narrow staircase as he stepped over a bearded man sleeping with a bottle of Grey Goose tucked under his dirty sweater arm, the Devil smiled as he pulled a folded one-hundred-dollar bill from his bill clip before tucking it against the Vodka bottle.

"For later my friend."

Stepping onto the third floor, his eyes were drawn immediately to the left side of the hall as he walked silently toward a door label with the number three.

"And here we are" Wrapping his hand around the door handle, he gave a quick twist as the lock snapped easily. Stepping over the threshold, he stood in the darkness as he closed his eyes and listened to the sound of a dripping faucet in the kitchen before he stepped over a red bookbag. Moving down the hallway, Lucifer angled his head as he stared at the first closed bedroom door before he moved onto the second. Feeling the corners of his lips pulling into a smirk, he slowly pushed the door open and came to stand at the foot of the bed.

"A single, tragic" he whispered, before moving to the window that faced down onto the street Pulling the curtain aside, he heard Miriam stir before he turned back around.

"Good evening Ms. Tyler."

Stirring against her pillow as she opened her eyes, Miriam bolted upright as she stared at the dark outline standing at the foot of her bed. Throwing her arm out, she felt her hand collide with her lamp as it crashed onto the floor.

"You have no need for the light lab rat, because after our little conversation, I will make sure you don't remember anything" Lucifer spoke as Miriam froze.

"How the hell did you get into my apartment Mr. Morningstar?" she questioned breathlessly, pressing her back against the wall as she wondered if she could get into her bedside table drawer for the steak knife she kept beside her flashlight.

"Why through the front door. Now, I came here on behalf of a friend, and though I've asked you before, I want to know what it is that you truly desire?"

He's a psychopath

Gathering the thin sheet up against her chest as she watched him move towards the window, Miriam lowered her eyes onto the side table as she slowly reached out.

"I'm not here to harm you child" the Devil purred as he licked his lips.

How do I handle this?

He has broken into my home

"What…what friend?"

Hearing the question leaving her lips, she felt a cold breeze around her shoulders as she watched Lucifer turn around to face her.

There is something about him

"I'm sure if you think hard enough, you'll figure out who."

Holding her breath as she watched him take a seat on the edge of her bed, she inched her legs up as she watched him move closer.

"I have my phone in my hand and if you come any closer, I will press send for the police" Miriam breathed as a look of curiosity flashed across his eyes.

"Please, your phone is plugged in charging on your writing desk."

Swallowing hard as she watched him leaning close, she froze as she stared into his eyes.

"Now tell me, what is it that you truly desire?" he questioned, holding her eyes in his.

"I…"

Staring into his dark eyes, she could have sworn she spied a flash of red in his irises as she felt her lips parting.

"Come on now…"

What does he want me to say?

What…

"Tell me what it is that you deeply, and truly desire" Lucifer repeated in a whisper as Miriam suddenly felt the color draining from her cheeks. Letting out a slow breath as she felt the corners of her lips twitching, the young woman felt words forming that made no sense to her.

"I…want to save Cain."

…

Please read, review, and enjoy!