Side by Side - COMPLETE

LOTUS (part three)

Lucifer is standing at the sliding glass door, looking outside. Inside, a security guard approached him.

"You wanted to see me, Sir?"

"Rick, something urgent's come up. Urgent and... confidential." Lucifer responded.

"Understood."

"We have reliable intel that two mentally unstable individuals, possibly cult members, have imminent plans to assassinate me." Lucifer spoke.

"What? Why?"

"Because I'm Satan. They think I'm Satan."

"Not metaphorically?" Rick asked confused.

"Mm. In the flesh."

"Satan's not real." Rick stated.

"Well..."

"He's a symbol for the simple-minded. A-a comic book villain." Rick continued.

"He's a bit more than that, Rick, to many people."

"I wasn't briefed on this." Rick told Lucifer.

"Well, I'm briefing you now. We've been sitting on it until we had more facts. Aside from the obvious peril to me..." Lucifer told the man.

"We'll keep it strictly under the radar, Sir."

"I think the best way to do that is to eliminate the threat. Would you agree?"

"We could initiate the approval process."

"No. No. We need to handle this in the family. Secret Service only. And as the head of my personal detail, you will head this up yourself." Lucifer demanded.

"Of course."

"I'm liking this job, Rick. I want to keep it awhile." Lucifer chimed.

**********

In the bunker, Castiel and Dean are in the library. Sam was off to the side, looking nervous as he called 'Mick Davies' on his cell phone.

"Hello. Mick Davies here. Leave a mess-" Sam hung up the phone, annoyed that he didn't pick up his phone.

"Even if Crowley does bring in Rowena, the problem remains. Lucifer can't be returned to the cage inside his vessel," Sam walked into the room and sat down at the table with his laptop. "His essence has to be extracted."

"Yeah. And Lucifer has found the perfect safe house. I mean, how do we even start getting close to the President?" Sam knew that was highly impossible to do.

"Well, it helps that he's not in D.C. Well, he's, uh, actually on a fundraising swing through the Midwest." Dean said.

"Yeah, right now, it looks like his whole party-aides, Secret Service, the whole circus-is staying at an estate owned by Ron Forester, the, uh, hedge fund zillionaire. It's right outside Indianapolis," Sam scrolled through pictures of the compound. "But it is completely surrounded by walls, security, Secret Service, military. Plan B?"

"He's got a hell of a speaking schedule. He's averaging three events a day, and he's got a gala dinner on Friday night." Dean added.

"Well, at least he'll be outside of the mansion." Castiel chimed in.

Sam spoke. "Yeah, guarded like the Hope Diamond. Plan C?"

::

Rowena and a man are in a house. The man is coming down the stairs with luggage in his hands. He dropped them on the floor by the front door.

"What about us? Our-our feelings for each other?" Rowena wailed. She was heartbroken that the man was leaving her.

"That's why I've been totally up front about Mona." The man told her.

"Mona?"

"Mona Levin." The guy assured Rowena.

"Mona Levin? The heiress? You've been seeing her as well?!" Rowena bellowed, throwing her hands to the air.

"You know one has to keep one's options open. The heart knows what the heart knows."

"And what does your heart know about me?" She spit back.

"It knows that it's fond of you. But your credentials were unverifiable. Financial holdings, Royal Ballet, none of it!" The man mentioned to Rowena.

Rowena was more angry than sad now. She was annoyed and couldn't believe the type of guy she picked out. "You had me investigated?! You were scamming me!"

"Oh, there's the pot calling the kettle black." The man said.

The sound of a door opening was heard throughout the room. Crowley was standing in the hallway.

The man looked at Crowley and smiled. "Ah. Finally," The man picked up one of his bags and handed it to Crowley. "Light starch."

Rowena began to speak louder, almost like a scream. "I offered my heart to a pauper who was after my nonexistent fortune!"

"Same as I did, sweetie. I'm just being honest about it."

Crowley interrupted the annoying affair. "Who is this?"

"My latest fiancé. And if I tell Mona the truth?"

"That'd be a first." The man said.

Rowena's face turned red and she yelled. "Get out!"

The man yelled back at her. "It's my place!"

"Mother." Crowley softly spoke. He was hoping his calm voice would calm the situation down.

"'Mother'?" The man asked confused.

The man turned and faced Crowley. Crowley pinched his fingers together and the man began to gasp. After several seconds, Crowley snapped his fingers and blood splattered all over Rowena.

"Hmm."

Rowena lit up with joy. "That is the sweetest thing you've ever done for me."

*******

Lucifer and the female aide are still in bed together.

"Promise you won't laugh." She asked the charming man.

"Even if it's funny?" Lucifer joked.

"Shh." She shushed.

"I won't laugh." He promised her.

"Tonight, us here, it felt...different."

"Now I'm really not laughing." Lucifer told her.

"No. We were great, as always, but... somehow... in some way I can't describe, it feels like...something's changed." She said. She knew there was something off, but she couldn't exactly pinpoint what the problem was.

Lucifer and the aide leaned in and kissed. He rolled onto his back and smiled smugly.

"Maybe something has."