Supernatural in Real Life

Chapter 2

I laugh. "That is not where I thought you were going with this," I admit, "but I've always wanted to hear you say that!"
"This is not a joke, Bailey," Misha says. "My name is Castiel. I assume you've met my friends. You're in danger, and we're here to help you."
"Are we in Supernatural right now?" I ask with a grin. "Because the first characters of an episode always die, so I'd like confirmation that I am not the first character."
"You do realize that more than on me character can die in an episode, right?" Jensen interjects. "Like, an episode where one character dies is actually extremely rare."
"Dammit!" I say. "I'm too young to die!"
"Well, actually, you're a legal adult, I'm assuming. At least you're not one of the high schoolers we kill a lot."
"But high school is hell! You're doing them a favor, honestly. I survived that, I deserve to live at least until my first presidential election. If Trump wins, then you can kill me off."
"High school is not hell," Misha interrupts. "High school is a place where you go to learn things. Hell is a place where you go after you die if-"
"Wow, you really do sound like Cas," I say.
"Because I am."
"Alright, you be Cas then," I say.
"Wait," Mark Pellegrino says. "Why didn't you tell me about her?"
Misha gives him a confused look. "I did. I told Lucifer and Gabriel."
"Dammit Lucifer!" Mark says angrily.
I raise my hand. "Um, hi. What's going on?"
"Misha realized you were the one the demon was after," Richard tells me, "so he told Gabriel and Lucifer, but Lucifer never let Mark know."
"Why?" I ask.
"Because he's an ass," Mark says.
I laugh, but it's more a nervous thing than actual entertainment. "Alright then. Well, it's been nice talking to you guys, but I think I'm going to leave..."
"Wait," Misha says.
"What?"
"If you don't believe me that I am who I say I am, I will show you." He grabs my arm and pulls me closer. I try to break free, but his grip is too tight. He puts his other hand on my forehead, and I feel a tingling in my broken arm.
"What are you doing?" I demand. "Let me go!"
Misha does as I say. I take a quick step away from him.
"You guys are crazy. We're leaving," I say, grabbing Avery's arm. She seems more than willing to oblige.
"Mark," Misha says.
Mark Shepperd snaps his fingers, and my cast cracks in two and falls off my arm. I look down in awe, and I notice that the names of the cast of the show weren't broken, but a lot of other ones were.
"What the..." I look down at my arm, and it seems perfectly fine. I can roll my wrist, straighten me elbow. It's almost as if nothing ever happened to it at all. "How did that-"
"It's the powers of Heaven," Misha tells me.
"And the powers of Hell," Mark adds.
"What are you talking about?" I ask.
"Your arm is healed," Misha tells me. "And your cast is off. No mortal man could have done that. Only an angel is so powerful."
"What am I, chopped liver?" Mark asks. "Demons are powerful too."
Misha frowns. "Yes, demons too."
"So you're... You're really Castiel."
He nods once. "Yes."
I'm not sure what to say, so I don't say anything. This is a lot to take in. I mean, my favorite tv show is real. It doesn't get much crazier than that.
"Wow, she's speechless. That's a first," Richard says.
"Considering I just met every single person in this room today, I don't think you're qualified to judge my personality."
Jensen covers his mouth and says "Ooooh, burn!" Richard glares at him, but then he starts to grin and I can tell that there are no hard feeling with the joke.
"So, are you Gabriel, then?" I ask Richard.
"No, I'm his vessel. He comes out sometimes. Usually to annoy people, so you'll probably see him soon.
"Could be worse," Mark Pellegrino says. "Could be Lucifer. He's definitely the most annoying of the archangels I've met." Mark laughs.
"Wait, you mean you're actually Lucifer?" I ask. "Like, Lucifer actually lives inside of you? And you guys don't care?"
Rob answers. "He's not a bad guy. Well, he's annoying, but he's not as bad as the Bible makes him seem. That Jesus guy who pretended to be my son, he was a jerk. He just tried to make it seem like it was Lucifer's fault. Really, the Bible is a horrible representation of my angels."
"So you're actually God?"
He nods. "Yep. I'm not as powerful as everyone makes me seem; there are other gods out there that helped make this universe with me. I did get to make Heaven and my angels, though."
I nod slowly. "Huh. That's... That's cool, I guess..."
"You're being shockingly cool about this," Jared observes.
I shrug. "What do you want me to do? Run around the room and scream my head off? Castiel healed my arm, Mark broke my cast off. I really can't say I don't believe this anymore. Wait, Mark, so you have Crowley inside of you?"
He shakes his head. "I am Crowley, actually. This isn't somebody I'm possessing. This is my actual body from when I was human."
"So do I call you Mark or Crowley?"
He shrugs. "Pick a name, either name. Or both names and alternate. I don't care."
"I'll just say Crowley, since there's already another Mark." I glance at Mark Pellegrino, who appears to be quietly arguing with himself.
"He's talking to Lucifer," Crowley tells me.
"But he's- how does that work?"
"Vessels can hear the angel inside of them, and the angel can hear their vessel when they're in control," Richard explains. "It's a whole thing and... Well, it's complicated."
I nod. "Yes, yes it really is." I agree. "So basically, correct me if I'm wrong, but what I've gathered today is that you guys are all the people you play in Supernatural-"
"Uh, we're not," Jared interrupts. "Jensen and I are hunters, but we're not the Winchesters, and we aren't brothers."
"And I'm just Rob," Rob adds. "I'm God, yes, but I'm not Chuck God. I'm Rob God."
I nod slowly, processing this. "So, basically, you're all kind of the characters on TV, and you're also the actors, so angels and demons are real, and you guys are here because... A demon wants to kill me?"
Jensen nods. "Yeah, basically."
"So, what am I supposed to do now?"
"Just hang out with us until we figure out who this demon is, where it is, and we kill it."
I'm not sure how to respond to this. I'm staying with my favorite actors while they save my life. What does someone say to that? Especially when demons are involved. That's just more insanity added to the already insane insanity that has been my day.
"So..." I say finally. "How can I help?"
"You don't," Castiel says. "This it not a matter for humans."
"Um, Jared and Jensen are here. Remember that?"
"That's different!" Jensen says. "We're hunters. This is how we've been raised. You're just-"
"What?" I demand. "A girl? I get that you guys don't think girls can be hunters. Supernatural is basically just guys, and even when there was a girl, meaning Jo, Ellen didn't want her to hunt. If Jo was a guy, I'm sure there wouldn't have been a problem. So what you guys need to do is to realize that girls can be just as strong as girls, shut up, and let me help."
The cast all share a look, and I try to read their expressions. Jared and Jensen look hesitant, but not outright opposed like Castiel and Rob. Crowley doesn't seem too thrilled either, but he doesn't seem opposed either. Richard seems to think it's fine, and Mark seems outright impressed by my miniature speech.
"Do you like reading?" Richard asks finally.
"Of course."
"Trust me, you won't by tomorrow morning."
Richard waves me toward him as he leaves, followed by the ret of the cast. Castiel gives me one more disapproving look before he follows, and I leave after him, Avery by my side.
"What the hell is going on?" she whispers in my ear.
"That is an extremely good question," I reply.
"You're just going to accept that they're really angels and demons?"
I nod. "Yeah, basically."
"Why?"
"Because I know my arm was broken, and I know that now it's not. And no way would my cast break right when Crowley snapped his fingers unless he made it break, and especially not that neatly. I form my beliefs based on facts, and the facts show that they probably aren't lying.
She gives me a measured look. "Okay, you have fun then."
"You're not coming with me?"
"They don't want me with them. I'm not stupid; I know that. I figured I'd leave before they kicked me out."
"No way. I don't want to be the awkward person that doesn't know what they're doing. If they tell you to leave, I'll leave with you. Trust me, I don't think they're going to kick you out."
She joins me hesitantly, and we leave the building together. There are limos around the front of the building now, and the cast is chatting passionately in front of them. Castiel looks like he's still upset, or as upset as Cas can look. He doesn't seem to be an angry guy. Finally, Mark looks up and walks over to me.
"Hey there, Bailey, how are you hanging in there?"
I shrug. "I'm fine."
He looks skeptical. "Oh really? You just found out that angels and demons are real, and you're talking to Satan's vessel, and you're fine?"
I nod. "Yeah, pretty much."
He crosses his arms, looking amused. "Huh. You're very adaptable. Good for you."
I smile, feeling way too proud about a compliment from the body of the devil.
"So, what do we do now?" I ask.
He shrugs. "I don't know. Go find the Massachusetts bunker?"
"Bunker?" I repeat. "Like, Men of Letters bunker?"
He nods. "That's the one."
"There's a Massachusetts Men of Letters bunker?"
Mark nods. "There are bunkers in just about every state, actually. It's pretty convenient."
"Alright then. Let's go."
"I'm assuming you're not going to come with us without Avery, right?" He can see he's correct by the look on my face. "Alright. We rearranged seating arrangements, so Misha, Jared and Jensen are in one limo, Mark, Richard and Rob are in another, and we're going to be in the last one.
"What, do I need a babysitter now?" I ask.
"That's kind of what they suggested, but I think it's just as likely they didn't want to have to watch Lucifer, so they stuck you two with the job."
"Great, I'm watching the devil," I say sarcastically. "Can't you just keep your angel in check?"
"It's not that simple," Mark says. "Here, come on. I'll tell you on the way." He gestures for us to get in the limo, and Avery sits in the back so Mark and I sit next to each other in the front. "Angels are more powerful than people. Obviously. So Lucifer controls who's in charge. He can push me out of the way, figuratively speaking, and take control, or he can pop into the back of my head and watch Netflix while I clean up his messes. Trust me, he will come out at the most annoying times. I can't tell you the number of times he has messed up our shots."
"So Lucifer doesn't play Lucifer in the show?"
Mark laughs. "Oh God, no. That would be horrible!"
"He can't be that bad," I protest.
"I'm not," he says. "Hiya there, Bailey. I'm Lucifer."
"Oh God, I'm sitting in a limo with the devil."
"I don't know why people say devil like its a bad thing," he says. "It's just like saying Lucifer, but no one says Lucifer because apparently giving me a name is too nice to me. People are horrible. No offense."
"None taken," I say. "I can't really blame you."
He grins triumphantly. "Finally, someone who understands! Even the others don't really like me. They just keep me around because they like Mark." He looks up with just his eyes for a few seconds. "Too bad!" Noticing my confused look, he adds, "Mark's mad at me."
"I wonder why," I laugh.
"He'll get over it," Lucifer says.
"So you can talk to him without him being here?"
He nods. "Just because he isn't here to you doesn't mean he isn't here. He doesn't have vocal chords to say anything, but since he's inside my head-well, I'm inside his head, technically-I can still hear him." Louder, he adds, "And I wish he would shut up!"
I laugh. "What, you don't complain to him?"
"Of course not. What do I have to complain about? If I want something, I'll just pop out and take it." He pauses. "FINE! JUST SHUT UP!" he yells, looking angry for just a moment before pride takes over his expression.
"Hey, I'm back!"
I laugh. "I figured."
"So, that was Lucifer. Aren't I lucky?" he asks, both sarcastic and annoyed. "No, you're not." he pauses. "Dude, you're annoying. No, you can't. Why? Because without me you don't have a body, that's why!"
Avery and I share an amused look.
"No, because you need a strong vessel. No, you can't. Yeah, ask them. No, they didn't. I guarantee you they did not say they like you." Mark looks at me and I notice he's turning a faint red. "Sorry about that."
I try not to laugh, which isn't going well. "Does that happen a lot?" I ask.
"All the time. Gabriel does it too."
"What about Castiel?"
"Misha's usually the one annoying Cas, actually." He pauses. "It's great!" After another pause, he sighs. "That was Lucifer, by the way."
"What does Cas do? He doesn't seem like the kind to get mad."
"Oh, he doesn't get mad a lot. Annoyed, sure. Confused? All the time. But he rarely gets mad, and trust me, you do not want to be around a mad Cas. Even Lucifer hides when Cas is mad."
"Am I likely to see a mad Castiel?"
Mark shakes his head. "No, thankfully. Like I said, it doesn't happen often."
"Thank God."
"Thank Misha, actually," Mark says. "As much as Misha likes to annoy Cas, he's definitely the one of us that's closest to Cas, which works out great because you can't have Cas without Misha. He usually calms Cas down pretty quickly."
I nod to show I'm listening, but I don't know what to say, so I stay silent. I never would have figured Misha and Cas would be friends if they met each other in real life. They're basically complete opposites, or at least the character and actor I knew as of this morning. Even from the short time I've seen them today, they seem so different. It's weird to think they get along, and not just because it's hard to remember they're different people.
"So..." Mark says. "Any idea why there would be a demon after you?"
I shake my head. "I guess they just love me. I am freaking fabulous, after all."
Mark chuckles. "If that's what let's you sleep at night."
I send him a jokingly dirty look, and he puts his hands up in surrender.
"How far away is this bunker?" I ask.
Mark shrugs. "No clue. Jared's probably the one that found it. He doesn't tell us these things." he pauses. "No. Yes I do. Okay but if you were going to you wou- Hi." The speaker goes from Mark to Lucifer, and judging by the side of the conversation I could hear, Mark is probably still yelling at him from the inside.
"Welcome back, Lucifer."
"Thank you, Bailey. It's nice to be appreciated for once." He says the last part pointedly, and I'm sure he's talking to Mark.
"So, you back for a reason, or...?"
"Well, yeah, I'm going to ask Cas if they found where we're going yet. But mostly I just wanted to annoy Mark."
"Seems like a theme," I laugh.
"Trust me, you'll understand soon. Mark is so annoying!" Lucifer closes his eyes and mouths something silently. Avery and I share a confused look before Lucifer opens his eyes again. "He says it's pretty close. We're going to... Um... Lim? Lim Massachusetts, I think."
"You mean Lynn?" I ask, trying to hide my amusement at his inability to remember such a simple name.
"Uh, yeah. That one. How'd you know?"
"Well, first of all, this is my home state. I think I'd know most of the cities here. But I live in Lynn."
"Hey, isn't Lynn where that car crash was?"
"That's the one."
Lucifer shrugs. "Small world." He's quiet for a few seconds. "You should hear Mark right now. He's a riot." Louder, he says, "Heya, Mark, why don't ya shut up in there? Watch some TV or something! Oh, yeah? Well, welcome to my life, buddy!" He laughs to himself. "Mark tells me to shut up and watch TV all the time," he says to me. "That's why Cas was watching TV when fake me was inside fake Misha's head. The writers thought it would be funny. It wasn't."
"And people say you're the mean one," I laugh.
"I know, right?"
I have a better conversation with Lucifer for the rest of the ride than I did with anyone else today. I'd choose him over anyone else to spend a day with, and if that makes me a satanist, then I'd wear that on a T shirt. Suddenly, I realize the limo's coming to a stop. I was so absorbed in my conversation that I forgot we were going somewhere.
"Dammit, Cas is going to be pissed when he finds out I was using my vessel instead of Mark," Lucifer says.
"Why do you care what Cas thinks?" I ask.
"Because, contrary to popular belief, Cas can be an ass. A/N I love Cas. This is entirely Lucifer's opinion. Remember Asstiel, what Metatron called him? Yeah, that's what I called him first. And, thanks to Angel Radio, I have to listen to him whenever he wants to complain about me. It's like a phone you can't turn off. Trust me, you're lucky you're not an angel. It sucks."
"It sounds like it," I agree.
My door opens next to me. I expect it to be the driver who opened it, but there's no one there. I glance at Lucifer, who gives me a small smile, and I know it was him who did it.
"Aren't you going to switch back to Mark so they don't know you were here this whole time?" I ask.
"Mark will tell them anyway," he replies. "Might as well enjoy my fun while I can."
With a shrug, I hop out of the limo, and Lucifer gets out after me in his side. I glance back at Avery, who I almost forgot was with us. She joins us hesitantly.
"Where did they go?" I ask Lucifer, looking around. There's no one in sight besides us three, and the only limo is ours, which is leaving now.
"This is where they said to go," he replies slowly.
"You think they lied? You know, because they didn't want us bugging them or something?" I suggest.
He shakes his head. "No way. They don't trust me enough to leave you alone with me. That much I know. I'm sure they're somewhere near here..." He looks around, then sighs and, looking irritated, appears to say something silently. I recognize it as what he did in the limo; he's asking Cas where we should be going, like he asked how long until we got here.
Suddenly, Richard appears in front of us. I know for a fact he wasn't there a second ago. He gives us his "Ta-da" face, complete with jazz hands. Lucifer just rolls his eyes.
"Hey, I saw that!" Richard says.
"You're not blind, good for you," Lucifer replies.
"Someone woke up in the wrong side of the bed today. Metaphorically speaking, of course." Richard says, clearly trying to amuse Lucifer, but it's obvious it isn't working. "Hey, what's up, big brother?"
So this isn't Richard; its Gabriel the archangel. I guess that explains the sudden appearance.
"Mark won't shut up, that's what's up," he replies.
"Richard was fine with this, so I can't relate this time," Gabriel admits. "Come on, just let Mark back out."
"Traitor," Lucifer says accusingly.
"Oh, thank God," the person I'm assuming is now Mark sighs in relief. "I can't believe that guy."
"You do the same thing to him," I remind him.
"You're taking his side?" Mark says incredulously.
"Hey, Gabriel took yours. We can't leave Lucifer all alone."
"Yes, we can."
"Well, you shouldn't."
"Bailey, you don't really know him," Gabriel says. "Luci's my brother, and I love him."
"But he's a great big bag of dicks?" I suggest, using one of the lines from the show. It was the only time Lucifer and Gabriel ever met, and even though they're my two all time favorite characters, it was my least favorite scene, because it was when Gabriel was killed.
"No," Gabriel says. "Well, kind of, but no. He... He has a way of making himself seem like he's everything you've ever wanted and more, but he's not. He's a liar. That's who he is by nature. He lies and he bends the truth, and he does it for fun. You wonder why we don't side with Lucifer? Why we didn't want to be stuck with him for a car ride? That's why. We can't trust him. No one can. And that includes you. Remember that. Now come on, let's get you guys over to the bunker." He puts his hands out and looks between Avery and me, welcoming us to take them.
"I don't know," Avery says.
"What are you talking about?" I ask.
"I just... I don't think this life is for me. I'm sorry, but I just want to go home and pretend this never happened."
"Avery-" I glance up at Mark and Gabriel, and then I lightly drag Avery away, so she doesn't feel pressured by her idols. "Avery, what's wrong?"
She shrugs. "I don't know. This just isn't me. I like to watch Supernatural, not live it. Plus, the only person I can really talk to is you, and I know you've noticed that. I just want to go home."
I search for something to say, something to change her mind, but I know there's nothing I can do to make her want to stay. She's right. She doesn't belong here. As much as I would like to have someone to talk to about all this craziness, Avery doesn't deserve to be dragged into it just so I have someone to confide in.
"Alright," I say finally. "But if you ever need someone to talk to, you have my number. Call me. Or text me, whatever."
"Same to you," she says. "When this is all over, I need confirmation that you are alive."
I nod. "Okay, let's go get you home."
We return to the group, where Mark and Gabriel are chatting. They look up when we approach.
"So, what's the plan?" Gabriel asks.
"Can someone just, like, poof me home? I don't like planes." Avery says.
"Sure. Where is it?"
Avery gives him an address all the way in Nevada. I figured she'd be from somewhere in New England, or else she would have gone to another meet and greet. Gabriel puts out his hand, which Avery takes.
"See you guys on TV," she says, then looks at me. "Call me!"
I nod. "Of course."
With that, they blink out of existence. I hear a sigh of relief behind me.
"Finally," he says.
"Let me guess. Lucifer?" I turn around to face him.
"The one and only."
"Were you just waiting for Gabriel to leave so you could take over again?"
"You know me so well."
I can't help but laugh at the way he says it. He looks pleased with my reaction.
"Good to see Gabriel didn't scare you off."
"What do you mean?"
"You realize I can see and hear whatever Mark sees and hears, right? I know what my brother said about me."
I'm not sure what to say, so I stay silent. I did assume this, because when he would come out, he's know what's going on. I just didn't really think about it. I'm sure Gabriel knew when he said it, so I guess their brotherly bond is either too strong to break at that, or it has already been broken, so Gabriel doesn't care.
"I hope what he said didn't change anything. You may not know me, Bailey, but neither does he. We were close, Gabriel and I, in the beginning. But God banished me to Hell, and though he doesn't think of it as a horrible punishment, it was. The stories you know of me are exaggerated, used only to prove a point in that silly book your kind worships. The punishment did not fit the crime, because there was no crime. He threw me in solitude, stuck in a cage with nothing but my own thoughts, and the pain that came with the blistering heat down below. I lost time with my family, but they never seem to remember that, because though I was gone, there were hundreds, thousands of other angels they could talk to. So Gabriel may think he knows me, but really, it's been so long, he has no idea who I am."
I don't know what to think. Gabriel said he was a liar, but that felt too real, too harsh for it to be false.
"Please, Bailey, you have to believe me," he pleads.
"Why?" I ask finally. "Why do you care what I think of you?"
"You don't know what it's like, having no one to talk to for thousands of years. I thought when I was free, things would be different, but they aren't. People still hate me, and I can't change that. But you don't. You were willing to listen to me, something no one has done in thousands of years. I don't want to lose that."
I can hear the emotion in his voice. The sadness, the longing for a friend.
"Okay," I say finally. "I believe you."
His face lights up, then immediately falls when Gabriel shows back up. Gabriel glares at Lucifer, and I can tell by a sudden change in posture that Lucifer has left and Mark has returned.
"Lucifer!" Gabriel roars.
"He's not answering," Mark says after a moment.
"He will," Gabriel replies. "He'll have to eventually. Come on, let's get you guys to the bunker." He puts his hands out, and Mark takes one. I hold his other one hesitantly, and in the blink of an eye, we're in another room.
The room is huge cream walls lined with books upon books in huge bookshelves. In the middle is a large wooden table, where Jared, Jensen, Rob and Misha/Cas are seated, reading one of the many books.
"Took you long enough," Jensen says as they all look up.
"Guess the driver didn't get the memo that we were supposed to be going here," I reply.
"You're missing someone," Misha observes. I can tell it's Misha and not Cas because his voice is higher than the angel's.
"Yeah, Avery decided to go home," Gabriel says. "Guess not everyone can handle the Supernatural lifestyle."
"Well, Bailey," Jensen says, "you were so excited to help out," he holds up a huge book, "here's your first assignment."
This isn't really what I had in mind when I said I wanted to help, but better this than nothing. I walk over to him and grab the book.
"So what am I looking for?" I ask, sitting down at the end of the table farthest from everyone else.
"No clue," Jensen says.
"Anything that sounds like it might be related to the current case, which just happens to be your case," Jared tells me.
"That's really helpful," I say sarcastically. "Is this usually what you do when you're looking for answers?"
"Basically," Jared says.
"Great," I sigh and open the book. "Just great."
"You're that one that was so adamant about helping," Jensen reminds me. "Well, now you can."
"Leave the kid alone," Rob says.
"Where's the fun in that?" Gabriel asks.
"Gabe."
"Fine, Father," he replies, using the last word in a mocking tone. I guess the angels don't view God as their dad, even if they do view each other as siblings.
"You guys can help too," Rob says, holding up two more books.
"I'm out," Gabriel says, and brings Richard back.
"Dammit," he mutters, and grabs a book from Rob, reading it on stretched out on the floor.
"Welcome to my life," Mark says jokingly, walking over to Rob. He stops suddenly. "What? You're joking." I immediately realize he's talking to Lucifer. "Why? What's going on with you today? Alright, whatever. Anything to get me out of it." He blinks a few times, and I can tell that I'm now looking at Lucifer.
"This room looks way lighter in his head," Lucifer says and grabs the book from Rob's hand. I think nothing of this until I see the awed looks of everyone else in the room. Lucifer notices them too. "What?" he snaps.
"You're doing research," Rob observes.
"Of your own free will," Jensen adds.
"Yes I am..." Lucifer agrees. "What's your point?"
"You never do research with us," Jared says.
"What? No, I have. Like when... Wait... Huh, I guess not."
"So why the sudden change of heart?" Misha asks.
"Because Mark's pissed at me already, so I figured I'd help out so he doesn't have to."
"Why's Mark pissed at you?" Rob asks.
Lucifer and Richard share a look, and I can tell Lucifer is silently begging him not to say anything. Richard gives him a small nod, and Lucifer smiles thankfully.
"Because he's Mark," Lucifer says finally, taking a seat next to me instead of with his friends. I guess friends might not be the right term for their relationship, at least by Lucifer's account.
"Alright, then," Misha says finally, and everyone returns to their books.
After a couple hours, I still haven't found anything, which may be due to the fact that I still don't really know what I'm looking for. By this point, I really am regretting my decision to help. I hold on for another hour, though, until I finish the book. I close it louder than I had expected to, and I draw the attention of the rest of the people around me.
"Giving up already?" Jensen asks.
"More like finished already," I reply. "And after all that, I still don't know what I'm supposed to be looking for, but I'm exhausted and if I open another book, I am literally going to fall asleep on it."
"Agreed," Richard says, closing his book just as loud as I had closed mine.
"Alright, that was a bust," Jensen says, closing his book too. Jared does so as well, and I guess that's the sign that there's nothing to look for, because everyone else closes their books too.
"So, what now?" Richard asks.
"I say go to bed and hope that we can figure stuff out tomorrow," Jared suggests. Everyone else seems to agree with that, and one by one, the books get put back on shelves and everyone leaves down a hallway to find somewhere to sleep.
"Hey," Lucifer says quietly to me.
"Yeah?" I yawn.
"You okay?" he asks me.
"Yeah, why?"
He shrugs. "Just asking. Well, goodnight. I'm going to let Mark sleep, since I know he's exhausted too."
I nod. "Alright."
I watch the slight shift in posture that shows the difference between the boys, and I know I'm now standing with Mark.
"Goodnight," I say to him.
He looks like he's about to say something, but he shakes his head and just says "'Night."
I find an empty bedroom way in the back of the building, so I can pretend, at least for the night, I am not surrounded by angels and a demon.