Short Stories and Oneshots

As Above, So Below - Part 2

Sam had begun to worry when a week went by with no sign of Lucifer, then two, and still nothing. The demons seemed to be confused, and all of the omens that were normally attributed to the archangel had ceased. After a week he told Dean of the conversation with the devil and wondered if he actually had made some kind of impression. Dean was dubious to say the least. As far as he was concerned, the devil was leaving Sam alone and that was all that mattered. Whether it was because he was busy or because he was having an existential crisis was irrelevant right now.

Sam didn't really agree with that. Regardless of how he might feel about the whole vessel thing, he still felt a connection with Lucifer. Just being around the archangel made him feel strangely safe. And while he may logically force himself to stay away, he knew that Lucifer wasn't lying when he said he would never hurt him. He wasn't sure either of them were actually capable of hurting the other. In the end, this left him worrying over the angel.

Two and a half weeks on, and his question was finally answered.

The chill was far sharper than normal, but Sam knew it all the same. He paused, looking curiously around at the dream he found himself in. Night as usual, a parking lot and a dim buzzing streetlight that could have been any of a thousand gas stations across the country. Sam leaned against the light pole and waited. Usually Lucifer would have made himself know by now, but his presence remained just out of reach.

"Lucifer?" Sam called, wary. The cold pulled away slightly. Sam frowned. "Are you just going to sit there all night or are you going to talk?" he called again. Still Lucifer didn't appear.

"I should have never listened to you."

Sam nearly jumped out of his skin at the quiet voice that echoed around him. It took Sam a long moment to figure out what Lucifer could have been talking about. "So you went and found them then?" he asked, grimly amused. The silence stretched out, it could have been minutes or hours before Lucifer answered.

"That...is part of it." Lucifer agreed softly. Sam turned, following the voice which now had a source. Lucifer was standing a short distance away. He looked...haunted.

The expression creeping in around the edges was one Sam knew well. He would see it on the faces of those people they managed to save on their hunts. Those who had their view of the world irrevocably shattered, those who knew just what lurked in the darkness now.

It was strange to see it on Lucifer of all creatures.

"What do you mean then?" Sam asked cautiously. Lucifer didn't answer – just continued to seemingly look straight through Sam. Sam shifted, rather uncomfortable with the look.

"I wanted to prove you wrong." Lucifer finally said, looking away and into the darkness that surrounded their little island of light. "You said that I couldn't understand it, what it meant to know the difference. Well – now I do." Sam stared at him blankly, confused for a long moment, before he got it. Sam went wide-eyed. He...he hadn't...had he?

"How...how would you even gotten a hold of one? I mean – you cant exactly..." Sam trailed off, uncertain. Lucifer shrugged, still not looking at him.

"I have spies in Heaven, and the tree isn't really guarded anymore. No point supposedly." He answered. Sam stared at him astonished for a moment before reality set it. Understanding...wasn't exactly a nice thing. He wanted to ask if Lucifer was alright, but he knew better, no he was not 'alright'. Hell, humanity wasn't 'alright' even after all this time. There was a reason one of the first things humans really worked on inventing was alcohol.

"I shouldn't have said that." He finally said instead. Lucifer glanced at him, a tired expression on his face.

"I'm glad that you did, even if it is..." He shrugged. Sam nodded, understanding. The truth hurts, but it was better to know.

"If you could change it, would you?" Sam asked, honestly curious. Lucifer blinked and gave him a sardonic look.

"Would I?" he echoed, a faint upward curve at the corner of his mouth that wasn't even enough to be termed a grimace. He sighed and shook his head. "No."

"So, what now?" he asked. Lucifer tilted his head to the side just slightly. A move that reminded Sam of Cas when Dean was being particularly confusing.

"I don't know." He finally answered. Sam grinned.

"That's fine, we never know what we're doing either. It comes with the territory."