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 Ten
Song(s): Mommies & Daddies (Simon Wilcox), Spiraling (Jens Kuross)
345 E 1st Street, Apt 3, Little Tokyo, Los Angeles, California…
"Do you think there is something more to her?"
"Well I guess that is all on your shoulders now, eh Cain?"
Zigzagging through the late evening Los Angeles traffic, Pierce kept his eyes firmly trained on the street signs as he approached 1st.
What are you even going to say to her?
Hi, I'm Cain from the Bible and apparently though unbeknownst to you, you actually know who I am and want to save me?
Pulling up in front of the three-story walkup, the Lieutenant peered up at the living room windows and smiled as he caught the lights. Taking his mobile out of his black jacket pocket, he scrolled to her number that he had entered into his contacts the day after she had cursed him out in his office and brought the device to his ear as he listened to it ring.
"Hello?"
He could tell she was surprised by the tone of her voice, and he was willing to bet she even knew exactly who was on the other line.
"Good evening Ms. Tyler, this is Marcus Pierce. I hope I am not interrupting anything?"
"Ummm…."
"I'm outside your building. Come down and bring a jacket."
…
10 minutes later…
Pushing open the broken door at the bottom of the red brick apartment building as she shrugged on her jean jacket, Miriam froze in her steps as her eyes fell on the Lieutenant straddling a Harley-Davidson motorcycle between his legs at the edge of the sidewalk curb.
Holding out his helmet towards her, he caught her uncertain stare as he switched off the engine of the bike.
"Something wrong?"
"You, have a motorcycle?"
Looking down to the handlebars as he stabbed the toe of his Blundstone boot against the cement curb, Pierce smirked as he leaned back slightly.
"Looks like it."
"I've never ridden on a motorcycle before" she announced with slight embarrassment as Pierce shifted his weight on the bike.
"Well you better learn. It's a requirement for joining the LAPD."
Moving her eyes up onto his as she took in his straight face, she watched as he angled his head, allowing his eyes and lips to soften as he gave her one hell of a killer smile.
"I'm kidding Tyler."
Feeling the hitch in her breathing as she stared at his boyish face, she caught his smirk as he turned away switching on the engine for a second time.
Shithead.
He knows he's good looking and could probably get away with murder using those baby blue eyes.
Swinging her leg over the seat, she shifted forward to feel the back of Pierce's leather jacket against her chest as she rested her hands lightly on his hips, noticing that he was devoid of his gun.
For once
Feeling his warm hand suddenly covering hers, she held her breath as he moved it up to rest against his shirted stomach. Moving her other hand to follow suit as he kicked out the stand and start down the dark street, she felt the fabric of his dark blue t-shirt against her fingertips as she used every ounce of restraint in her body to not bunch it up and slide her hands over his torso.
Get a hold of yourself Miriam or you're gonna fall into the street and get run over
Slowing down at the last stop light before merging into heavier traffic, Pierce took a deep breath as he straightened his back, feeling Miriam's hands once more sliding down to rest along his jeaned hips. Clearing his throat as he couldn't help but shiver, partly from the coolness of the late evening air and partly from feeling the warmth of the young woman against his back, he rolled his shoulders back before replacing his hands on the gears.
Ten years
Ten God damn fucking years
Taking off like a shot through the light as it turned green, his eyes spotted the dark overhang of the Adams Bar as he slowed down and pulled up to the curb in front of a building that had first been a comfort in 1958.
Taking off her helmet as she swiped her bangs out of her eyes, Miriam awkwardly dismounted from the shared seat as she handed Pierce his helmet.
"How was that?"
Hearing his question as she watched him swing his leg around before hanging the helmet off the handle, she nodded her head and adjusted the hem of her black v-neck t-shirt.
"Exhilarating" she spoke with a smirk as she stepped up onto the sidewalk, raising her eyes onto the lit-up blood red overhang designed to shield any amount of rain that might threaten to fall.
Yes, I agree
…
The Adams Bar, 1295 E. Adams Blvd, Los Angeles, California…
"Whiskey neat."
Feeling the waiter's eyes on her face as she patted at her jean jacket pockets, she couldn't believe she had left her wallet behind in the apartment in her rush to get back out onto the street and into Pierce's company.
Stupid
"Uh, just a glass of water" she replied, catching Pierce's eye as he scoffed.
"If you're on a student budget Tyler…" he began as the waiter left the table for another.
"I forgot my driver's license and I get asked for my ID every time so…"
"So, stop playing by the book all the time thinking one minor infraction will cost you your LAPD application. I know the owner, you'll be fine" he spoke, letting his lips part into a quick smirk as the waiter returned with his whiskey.
"She'll have the same."
Moving her eyes onto the Lieutenant's fingertips as he traced a small burn situated almost perfectly in the middle of the wooden table, Miriam cleared her throat as he ignored his drink.
"And one for the young lady who looks just barely old enough to be sitting at my best table with one of my favorite customers."
Hearing a woman's voice speaking from above her as a tumbler of whiskey wrapped in a white paper napkin appeared beside her hand, Miriam raised her eyes and felt a curious pair taking her all in before moving onto Pierce.
"I get that a lot" Miriam spoke as she watched her joke fall flat.
She is luring at him
Well of course she isn't blind to see that he is a damn good-looking man
"In all the years I've been running this place, I've never seen you sit here in this booth with anyone. You must be someone special" the woman spoke as she finally focused her eyes.
"Tyler is a work colleague, of sorts" Pierce spoke as he took up his tumbler. Taking a sip as he continued to stare at the bar owner, Miriam felt the uncomfortable feeling that the bar owner was trying to size her up.
"Maddie Dwight, meet Miriam."
"Pleasure" Maddie smiled, not offering a hand as she continued to stare at Pierce.
"Well, you two have a good time" she winked, turning around and returning to her office behind the bar.
"She likes you. Perhaps you should ask her out?"
Hearing Miriam's observation as he raised the rim of his glass up against his lips, Pierce angled his head as he caught her eyes.
"I'm not interested…in her."
Looking down at the untouched glass beside her fingers, she pulled off the damp napkin and downed the entire drink in two gulps with a cough.
Are you interested in me?
Hearing the soft notes of a Nina Simone song playing the background, Miriam tapped her fingers against the wooden table edge as she debated the many questions running through her head.
"How old are you Lieutenant?"
Hearing her question as he took a deep breath, he avoided her eyes as he appeared deep in thought.
"Am…I to guess?"
"I…am debating on how to answer your question."
Feeling taken aback as she stared at his blank face, Miriam narrowed her eyes as she watched him take another sip of his drink.
"You are debating?"
"Yes."
Hearing his curt answer, the young student pursed her lips together as they sat once more in silence.
"Okay, you are obviously older than twenty-one, and less than one hundred years of age" she began, catching him flinch as he moved his eyes downcast onto the table.
(Flashback)
"You have been sitting here hunched over these gruesome pictures for almost an hour, I think you could use a break."
Smelling the young woman's perfume as he felt her blood red lips against his right ear, the Detective narrowed his eyes in irritation as he turned to see a set of manicured nails resting along his suited shoulder.
"You were in here last night and the night before" the woman spoke as she let her hand slide down his arm before taking a seat in the booth next to him.
"And I will be here tomorrow night and the night after that until my case is solved" he offered, not bothering to meet her eyes as she clicked her tongue against her cheek.
"Perhaps, you'd like to take me out for dinner Detective?"
Shaking his head almost immediately at the woman's suggestion, the Detective spun a picture around with his thumb and forefinger and pushed it towards her fingers.
"Does it look like this woman wore a promise ring on her right hand?"
Catching the disgust crossing over the woman's innocent eyes, he watched as her mouth distorted with the pictured image of a dead woman's severed right hand at the wrist.
"This is not the way to attract attention" the woman sneered as she stood up from her seat in the booth and walked away.
"Who says I am here trying to get anyone's attention?..."
"Do you have any siblings?"
Sitting still as she pushed her empty glass away from her fingers, Miriam watched as Pierce blinked quickly, bringing his attention back onto her.
Tell her something truthful about you
"Two brothers. We haven't spoken…in years" he added, signaling to the waiter for another round of whiskey.
That's putting it mildly
"What are their names?"
I was hopping you wouldn't ask that question
"Abel and Seth."
"Right…that's very biblical of your parents, but then, so is Marcus…Marc…Mark" Miriam noted as Pierce raised his eyes onto her face.
"As is Miriam" he interrupted, watching the young woman seated across from him as a faint smirk crossed her lips.
"Well, I don't think I am a re-incarnate from the Bible. I really wish my Father hadn't given me the name as I almost feel the responsibility to live up to it. Chalk that one up to Sunday school" she added, hoping that the man across from her would start opening up.
He asked me out here
Why isn't he making it a point to talk?
It's like he is trying to study me
"I'm not relationship material Ms. Tyler."
Feeling the slight blush creeping onto her cheeks as she cleared her throat, Miriam moved her hands off the table and into her lap as she caught his blue eyes.
Then why in the hell did you take me to a bar?
"You are going to die someday and…"
What in the hell is his deal with death?
He speaks as if he won't ever die
"Um, just to be clear Lieutenant, I didn't bring up anything relating to dating, and you asked me to come here with you" she added, feeling the conflict starting to stir in the pit of her stomach.
"True, but I know you want to ask me out. I'm just heading you off."
Jerk
He just has to shit all over everything
"What is your obsession with death?"
"Excuse me?"
"You mention that you are not relationship material and that I am going to die someday. Well I hate to break it to you Marcus Pierce, but you too will die one day" she spat, catching his stare as he offered nothing in return.
"Can I ask why you even arrived at my apartment in the near middle of the night on a motorcycle if you weren't 'relationship material'?"
"Because I was hoping to find out something, anything exceptional about you, but so far nothing."
Feeling gutted as his words hit home, Miriam looked down to her hands and tried not to show how pathetic she felt on her face.
Hoping to find something exceptional?
I'm done
I'm so done
Noticing her paleness as he realized his words, Pierce leaned forward and flipped his palms up on the wooden table
"Look, I didn't mean…"
"Yeah, I know what you meant. This isn't a date, and there's no point in me being out any longer when I have a work placement in the morning that starts at eight sharp" she spat, rising to her feet as she avoided his eyes.
Sorry I don't live up to your expectations
…
Throwing herself off the back of the bike just as Pierce kicked out the stand, she already had the helmet off and was setting it down on the sidewalk curb as she started marching towards the door of her apartment building.
"Miriam, wait…I….Miriam!"
"Good night Cain."
Freezing as still as stone as his given name hit his ears, Marcus Pierce nearly threw himself off of the expensive bike, ignoring the helmet as his boot sent it flying against the brick of the building. Rushing across the sidewalk as he caught the broken door with the edge of his fingertips just before it closed, he laid his strong hands on the young woman's shoulders before pining her against the wall, bringing her face inches from his own.
"You called me Cain…"
Watching Miriam's eyes going wide, he felt her struggling against his strong grip as he dug his fingernails into the flesh of her wrists.
I know you feel the pain screaming in your shoulders, but I am not letting you go until you give me something…
"WHY DID YOU JUST CALL ME CAIN?"
Shouting into her face as he moved his left hand up to grip her collar bone, he felt her trying to pull away as he steadied her against the dirty wall.
"Get your hands off me!"
Hearing her low growl as he slowly blinked, Pierce gave her wrist one final hard squeeze before stepping backwards.
"You have a fucking problem Lieutenant Pierce, and I pity any and all women that ever cross your path!"
Watching the young woman storming up the stairs, Pierce felt the scream in his throat as he swallowed it whole, but not before hauling off and kicking out the bottom glass of the door. Hearing the crunching of his bootsteps over the broken glass as he walked towards his bike, he ignored his helmet resting on the sidewalk as he straddled the still warm seat.
I need answers
I need answers, or I will drive myself insane
Throwing his eyes up onto the clear night's sky, Pierce felt his upper lip turning into a snarl as he caught the slight twinkle of a few stars.
"Are you having fun with this?"
Cursing God under his breath as he checked the time on his watch, Pierce kicked out the stand propping the bike up as he took one last deep breath.
"If you are going to taunt me God, leave her out of it. Don't let her fall in love with me" he whispered to himself as he turned over the bike's engine, roaring away into the downtown city lit night.
Don't let me fall in love with her
…
345 E 1st Street, Apt 3, Little Tokyo, Los Angeles, California…
8 days later
Tuesday, June 3rd
7:02am
"Tell me again why in the hell you are going for a run this early in the morning?"
Pulling at the laces in her runners as she double tied the knots, Miriam stood up tall before patting the pockets of her black Lululemon running shorts for her keys.
"There are certain things that I can control when it comes to being successful with my LAPD application. Physical fitness is one of them" she responded, hearing the ringtone of her mobile phone from the counter in the kitchen.
"Unknown Caller?"
"I never answer those" Miriam scoffed as she took the device from Dakota's fingers before swiping right for ignore.
"It could be your Lieutenant?" Dakota smirked as Miriam felt an immediate distaste in her mouth.
"I can safely say that I have no desire to hear from him again for the rest of the summer, except in an official capacity" she announced as she placed her phone face down on the back of the IKEA couch.
"Are you ever going to tell me what he said to you?"
No
"Maybe later" she gruffed as her phone started to ring once more.
"Well, if it is him, he is determined. But I still stand by my prediction that by the end of the summer, you two will have hooked up" Dakota smiled as she reached out and picked it up. Swiping answer, she brought it up to her ear with a big smile spreading across her lips.
"Miriam Tyler's phone?"
Throwing her eyes up onto her roommate as Dakota took a step backwards, Miriam swore under her breath before making her words louder.
"Are you fucking kidding me Dakota!" Taking a quick step towards her best friend, she threw her hand out for her phone as she watched Dakota's smirk dissolving.
"She's right here, hold on."
Holding the phone out in front of her, Dakota give it a small shake.
"Ella Lopez?"
Of course, it wasn't the Lieutenant
Stupid to get your hopes up when he's told you he doesn't see you as other than just another boring average Californian girl
Taking the phone from Dakota as she took a deep breath, she really hoped her run wasn't about to go down the drain.
"Good morning Ella."
Hearing what sounded like static on the other end of the line, Miriam ducked out of the living room and down the hallway towards her bedroom as she heard Ella's distorted voice.
"Miriam, I wanted to let you know before you got in this morning, before you got to the prescient…"
Holding the phone tight against her ear, she narrowed her eyes as she moved to stand in front of her bedroom window.
Lopez, you sound really upset
"Lieutenant Pierce was shot last night."
Staring down into the street as Ella's words hit her ears, she swallowed hard as she took a deep breath.
…
Good Samaritan Hospital, 1225 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, California…
Hearing the ding of the elevator, Miriam waited her turn to step out onto the fourth floor as she watched the mixture of white coated Doctors, patients, and visitors step out from in front of her. Looking at her watch, she spied ten minutes after twelve as she tasted the remnants of the chicken salad sandwich she had eaten in record time with one hand on the steering wheel.
"Excuse me, where is the washroom?"
Watching the male orderly pointing behind him, Miriam took off and shut the door behind her, locking it almost immediately.
"What am I doing here?"
Seriously, I could have just scribbled my name down on the card Detective Decker passed around this morning and that could have been it
But I don't want that, to be it
Turning on the faucet as she let the water run, she scooped some into her mouth and swished before spitting into the sink.
What am I going to do, just knock and step inside his room?
Hi Lieutenant! I've been giving you the cold shoulder for a week, but all is forgiven because I can't stop thinking about you even though you have clearly stated that you are not one for relationships. Also, I'm sorry you got shot.
Reaching into her pocket, Miriam pulled out a pack of gum and quickly chewed one piece before spitting it out into the trash bin. Taking a deep breath as she opened the door, she walked down the hallway holding her breath against the raw smell of cleaning bleach as she approached a nurse station.
"Excuse me, where would I find Marcus Pierce?"
"Are you family?"
Closing her mouth as the nurse scribbled into a file before closing and pushing it away, Miriam shook her head as she remembered her identification.
"No, I'm from the LAPD" she spoke, holding out her picture identification card labelled Forensics.
I can't wait for the day when my identification will say Officer and not Student
"Room 413. Last door to the right."
Moving down the hallway, she picked up on the voice of Chloe Decker before she rounded the corner of a sitting lounge, ignoring the two patients who sat watching a talk show.
"Take care Lieutenant."
Watching Decker and an unknown male exiting out of room 413, she counted to twenty before stepping back out into the hallway. Raising her hand, she breathed out slowly as she felt her legs becoming like jelly.
Jesus Miriam, stop setting women back twenty years
Taping her fingers lightly against the slightly ajar door, she stepped over the threshold just as she heard Pierce's voice.
"You forget something Detectives?"
Pushing the door aside as she caught his eyes, Miriam watched the man propped up in the hospital bed freeze momentarily before letting the thin plastic breathing tube fall once more from between his fingers.
"With the number of Officers that have been filing in through here all morning, you'd think I was dying" he gruffed, chuckling slightly as he pushed himself up more against the pillow, letting out a low groan.
Catching the quickest flash of surprise crossing his lips as he pressed them firmly together, she took it that he was being politely tolerable of her unannounced presence as she looked to a large wicker basket wrapped in plastic with a big red bow.
Like he would ever be caught sitting and eating all that sugar
"Ella…Agent Lopez told me that you had been shot" she spoke moving her eyes onto the monitor before spying the black adult pressure cuff fastened around his upper bicep.
"And so, your first thought was to skip lunch and check up on me?" He questioned, flattening the sheet against his blue gowned chest as he stared into her eyes.
"I ate in the car."
You came here for me Ms. Tyler
Giving a slight node of his head as he scoffed in frustration, Pierce brought a single hand up and smoothed his fingers over the stubble of his cheek and chin.
"Well, as you can see, I'm fine."
Jesus, you were shot with a 20-gauge pump shotgun! You're lucky not to be missing a few pounds of flesh…
"You sound pissed off to be laid up in bed. Almost like, you don't need it" Miriam noted as she heard Pierce sigh.
"Are we now on speaking terms Tyler?"
Hearing his challenge as she bit on the inside of her cheek, she could see that he was putting up a defense by challenging her. She had remained silent to him except when necessary in the Evidence Lab over the past week, but now…
"What happened last night?"
Clearing his throat as he looked up into her face, Pierce shook his head as he picked up the breathing tube that rested along his chest.
"I'm not the kind of man to cry or share…" he spoke with a bored tone as he replaced the tube to sit just under his nose.
This is so annoying
"Me neither."
Hearing her voice as he watched her step closer to his bedside, he held his breath as he watched her staring at the IV in his hand.
"You want to do something for me Tyler?"
I have a feeling that I would do anything for you, even if it was against my will
Hearing her own voice speaking in her head as she watched Pierce turning his hand over, palm facing up on the sheet, she remained silent as he brought his eyes onto her face.
"Go back to the prescient and work."
Giving a slight nod of her head as she heard voices in the hallway just outside the door, Miriam held her hand out to shake goodbye and immediately felt foolish for thinking he would tolerate her any differently here than in the bull pen.
Why did I put myself through this?
He must think I am pathetic
Staring at Miriam's outstretched hand, Pierce let out a silent breath as he gripped her fingers lightly. Tightening his grip as he lightly stroked the skin around her thumb with his own, he caught sight of her other hand slowly flexing her fingers as she took another step closer to his bedside.
You want to save me, but you don't even know who I really am
Staring down at her hand as she watched Pierce tracing her fingers with his own with the lightest of touch and being mindful of the slight bruise that he was responsible for, she took a deep breath and leaned forward angling her head as she brushed her lips against his, feeling his fingers tightening around hers. Feeling the surprised softness of his lips parting as she quickly pulled back, Miriam caught a flash of longing intensity passing over his eyes as she straightened up and quickly turned on the heel of her shoe and out of his range of grasp.
"Tyler…TYLER!"
Hearing the Lieutenant shouting her name as she rounded the door, she kept on walking down the hallway passing the nurses station and back towards the elevators that had delivered her onto the floor.
What the fuck did I just do?
Squeezing herself into the crowded elevator, Miriam kept her head down as she closed her eyes before clenching her fists.
Shit…shit…shit…
…
Los Angeles Police Department, North Hollywood Division, 11640 Burbank Boulevard North Hollywood, CA…
4 hours later
Pulling up her stool to the table in the Evidence Lab, the young student coughed into the crook of her arm before lifting up the lid to her assigned laptop. For the last hour of her day, she had been assigned the task of inputting data from last months amylase activity in saliva into the computer database, but all she could think about was how she had leaned in and kissed a bedridden, recently shot Lieutenant Marcus Pierce.
Feeling the growl in the back of her throat as she tried to focus on the date entry, she pushed the tubes aside before slamming down the lid to the computer. Rising to her feet as she kicked her stool aside, Miriam threw her hands up onto her hips as she moved towards the open blinds of the windows.
"Fucking stupid mistake. Such a stupid mistake!" she spat, feeling the pit in her stomach as she started to feel antsy.
And with good reason Miriam
The day he gets released from the hospital, he is going to fire you
Write of your incompetence and your…
"How long would he be kept in the hospital for a gunshot?" she wondered out loud as she stepped up to the window, using two fingers to spread the blinds as she looked out at the busyness of the bull pen.
One more day?
Maybe two?
Or three…
"What…."
Hearing the word falling with a quiver off her lips as she felt her mouth dropping, Miriam slammed a hand down on the counter as she stared at the tall, broad chested man making his way slowly down the left-hand side of the wide staircase.
"No…No….No…." Whispering over and over as she narrowed her eyes on the square jaw of the wounded Lieutenant as he gathered and ignored all the questionable stares and questions, Miriam backed away from the blinds of the window and felt her chest starting to heave.
He's coming straight for the Evidence Lab
"Oh…Holy…shit!"
…
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JayMaru – Thank you for your comment! I was not impressed either with the show's telling of Cain. So much more could have been acted out! Enjoy!