Author's Note: Guys. It's a 2-day walk from their starting point to the rebel outpost in Dayton. How could I not write this!?
Warning: Major spoilers for episode 13x21, "Beat the Devil."
Disclaimer: I don't own Supernatural. I'm only writing for fan enjoyment.
Enjoy!
SPN
Darkness had fallen over the apocalypse world, and after walking for hours, Sam was running out of steam. He should have had more endurance, but then again, he should have been dead. Hell, he was dead. Lucifer had brought him back to life, but he still felt drained, and his feet were getting heavy. It was all he could do to keep his eyes open, even with the smug bastard's constant chatter.
"You made the right decision, Sam. And to think! A nest of vampires… That's all it took to finally get a 'yes' outta you. Hindsight's a bitch."
Sam bristled, absently rubbing his left palm with his thumb. As bad as it was dying like that, alone, in agony… waking up trapped in a room with the devil had been infinitely worse. It brought back memories of the cage and left him sick to his stomach.
"You know," Lucifer said, watching him with a malicious glint in his eyes. "It wouldn't kill you to relax, buddy. I'm serious! If I meant you any harm, I would have left you back in that tunnel."
Sam tried to ignore the sweat prickling on his face and focused on the path in front of him. The moon was bright, supplementing his flashlight, but he was so tired, and the shadows were treacherous. Stumbling was almost inevitable.
"Fact is, you should be relieved," Lucifer insisted. "You're safe now. As long as Jack likes you, it's in my interest to protect you. And once he understands I'm not a threat, he'll warm up to me. So you have nothing to worry about. I promise."
Sam stopped in his tracks, shooting the devil a sullen glare.
Lucifer pouted. "Oh, come on now, Sammy. What's with the face?"
He knew better than to respond, but couldn't help it. He was out of practice. "First of all, I don't want your protection. I never have. And what you're talking about… It's bribery."
Lucifer crossed his arms and furrowed his brow, feigning confusion. "Oh, I'm sorry, is there something wrong with that? I'm acknowledging his interests and letting him have his own way. That's more than our dads ever did for us."
Sam scoffed. "Not when there's strings attached. You're just manipulating him to get whatever the hell you want from him."
Lucifer shook his head. "No, I told you what I want from him — what every father wants. A relationship."
"Yeah. Right."
"I never got the chance to bond with him," Lucifer protested. "I'm his dad — I deserve that." A sly smile crossed his face. "You know, I'm not surprised he shares a bond with you." He poked Sam in the shoulder; Sam recoiled in revulsion. "I mean, he's my son. You're my vessel. It makes sense."
Sam's chest tightened; his skin crawled. Averting his eyes, he jammed his thumb into his palm as forcefully as possible.
"I have to give you credit, kid," Lucifer professed while coiling his arm around Sam's elbow and ushering him forward. The contact made Sam queasy and he scrambled to free himself, only to trip on the uneven ground. He fell hard, dropping the flashlight, which rolled out of reach, and landed heavily on his hands and knees.
Lucifer crouched down next to him and planted a hand on his back. "Most hunters would go outta their way to try killing the 'Spawn of Satan.' But not you. You saw something good in him, something worth saving." He chuckled. "That is so you. How long did it take you to convince Dean? That must've been one hell of an argument."
Batting Lucifer's arm away, Sam clambered to his feet. Unfortunately, his legs were shaking, and he found himself leaning on a tree for support. "Look," he said, a slight quiver in his voice. "I can't stop you from following me. I get that. But it doesn't mean we have to talk."
From his crouched position, Lucifer had the perfect vantage point to witness Sam's thumb dig once more into his palm. He narrowed his eyes, slowly standing back up. "Sam, Sam, Sam… Is that how you cope now? Self-harm? Are you that broken?"
"Shut up," Sam muttered, dropping his hands awkwardly to his sides. He wasn't sure why he felt the compulsion to bruise himself when he knew the old technique was pointless. He wasn't hallucinating… but the reality terrified him. Here he was, separated from his family in a parallel universe, alone with the one monster he would give anything to escape.
Lucifer took a moment to consider him, gauging his health, and then said, "We should rest. Humans don't just bounce back from a traumatic death. You need a break."
The last thing Sam wanted was to agree with him, but stepping away from that tree would mean collapsing. He was out of energy. "Like you care," he grumbled wearily.
"Of course I care!" Lucifer assured him. "You should know that by now, Sammy. I'll always have a soft spot for you."
Oh hell no.
Self-preservation trumped fatigue and Sam bolted from the tree as quickly as he could… but his strides were pathetically short and Lucifer easily kept pace with him.
"How'd you let a measly nest of vampires kill you, anyway?" he asked, sounding oddly disappointed. "I thought you had Dean, Cas, and Gabe watching your back. So what the hell happened?"
Sam ignored him.
"Hey!" Lucifer grabbed his arm and yanked him around so they were face to face. "This doesn't have to be a bad thing, Sam. I'm on your side here. Believe it or not, we make a good team."
"We are not a team!" Sam argued, trying to back away, but Lucifer had him by the shoulders and refused to let go. Sam couldn't fight him, but he might be able to piss him off, and that was almost as good. Stupid, but necessary. What other choice did he have? "You should know, before you get your hopes up, it won't work. Jack knows exactly what you are, and he wants nothing to do with you. If I thought even for a moment that you could use me to get inside his head, I never would've agreed to this, cause I would rather die than let you torment him."
Lucifer's face lit up in amusement. "Torment him!? That's what you think this is about!? I'm not gonna torment him. He's my child."
Sam shook his head. "You torment everyone. And you've been doing it for so long, you've forgotten everything else." He watched in satisfaction as Lucifer's expression hardened. "So you can tell me how much you've grown, and how much you want to have a relationship with Jack, but you will never convince me, because I know better!" His voice trembled with fear and conviction. "I know!"
It wasn't just propaganda, as Lucifer so often claimed. It was personal experience. Sam had seen the monster's face. His true face. And it was nothing but hatred and evil.
Lucifer stood frozen, staring at Sam with his cold, penetrating gaze. "Yeah…" he eventually said, slowly and quietly. "That's right…" His face turned sinister. "You got me, Sam. I can't argue with our history."
He released Sam's shoulders, only to seize him by the throat. Sam gasped, immediately reaching up to break Lucifer's hold, but he wasn't remotely strong enough.
Lucifer sneered. "I don't think I've ever tortured anyone quite like I tortured you. Not Crowley, not even Rowena and I really stepped up a notch for her." He gave Sam an aggressive shake, sending shockwaves through his body. "You know what I like about you, kid? Ever since I made it back into our world, I've been taunted, ridiculed, imprisoned, even dumped! You're the only one who still respects me. You're the only one who gets it. I am not some halfwit angel with clipped wings, I am the god-damned Morning Star!" He squeezed Sam's neck for emphasis. "So thank you, Roomie, for your faithful, fearful reverence. You make me feel like my old self again, and I have to admit, I love that feeling. So please, do us all a favor and quit hoping for the best. Jack is mine. Sooner or later, he'll accept his rightful place at my side, because that is who he is, that is where he belongs, and there is nothing you can do about it." He leaned in close to Sam, whispering in his ear, "Just between us, you know what I'm most looking forward to? The day when Jack is finally ready to punish my enemies. I will teach him everything there is to know about torture, and I guarantee you'll be there to help."
Laughing, he shoved Sam to the ground and paced in a circle. "Whew! That felt good. We should hang out more often, Sammy. I feel like I can really be myself around you, and I appreciate that."
Sam shrank back and cowered against a tree, breathing heavily. Instinct urged him to run, but he didn't have the stamina, and even if he did, he couldn't escape. Not Lucifer. He might as well be the devil's hostage, and if Lucifer used him to hurt Jack in any way, Sam would never forgive himself.
He sat, watching apprehensively, as Lucifer bore down on him. "What do you think, Sammy? Time for bed? You're tired, and we still have a long road ahead of us tomorrow. So I'm gonna help you fall asleep, and you can rest easy knowing I'll be right here, taking care of you all night long."
Sam's blood ran cold. "No—!"
Lucifer pressed his fingers to Sam's forehead; his cruel smile was the last thing Sam saw before everything went dark.
SPN
Sorry for the abrupt ending. I wrote all I could handle for one day. I hope you enjoyed the story, and as always, I would love to read your reviews. Take care!
