Sam rolled over in bed, trying to get some sleep. If this whole new life thing was going to work, he had to be able to function decently in the morning. But he couldn't stop thinking. Lucifer was free and Dean was somewhere doing who knows what. Both of these things, he realized, were his fault. Especially the Lucifer thing. That was probably the worse of the two as far as the rest of the world was concerned. He sighed and pulled the tattered motel blanket over his face as he drifted off to sleep.
"Sam. Sam," He had heard his name being whispered for a few minutes now. He groggily pulled himself into consciousness as he sat up on the bed. He glanced to his left and his weariness suddenly melted away. There was Jess. She hadn't left him in the night like he had assumed she would. He leaned over and kissed her lovingly on the neck. She stirred and turned to face him.
"So. This is your life now? Think you can just live forever with your head buried in the sand?" Jess said. She was quiet and said these words in an almost kind way. Sam knew she was right, but what could he really do? He couldn't say yes to Lucifer. That was just crazy. And he didn't know where Dean was nor did he expect Dean to answer his phone. Sensing his distress, Jess reached her hand up and caressed Sam's face. Sam said the only thing he could.
"I love you, Jess," Sam sat up, followed by Jess who did the same. He looked intently at her, "God knows how much I miss you, too. But you're wrong. People can change. There is reason for hope." He desperately hoped she would accept his answer. Of course it was unlikely. The Jess he knew stuck with her decision once she had made up her mind.
"No, Sam. There isn't," Of course. She had him half convinced to hunt down Dean and convince him that they needed to end it. But there was still the part of him that thought the world, with all of it's faults and wonders, deserved to survive. Jess placed her hand on his shoulder in a comforting gesture.
"How can you be so sure?" Sam stared glumly forward, hoping Jess wouldn't have an answer to that.
"Because you freed me," For a moment, Sam mulled over that unexpected response before his brain registered that it had been a different voice speaking. He turned and came face to face with none other than Lucifer. Sam held back a gasp and jumped off the bed before backing slowly away from the devil. He tried to muster up some sort of negative response, but all he could feel was relief that it hadn't been Jess saying those things to him.
"That's right. You know who I am," Suddenly, Sam's mind was full of blind anger and fear. So that's where all of his sensible emotions had gone to.
"Lucifer, " he breathed. He would be surprised if the devil didn't guess all of his thoughts just from that word, the way he didn't even bother to hide his emotions.
"You are a hard one to find, Sam. Harder than most humans. I don't suppose you'd tell me where you are?" Lucifer swung his legs over the side of the bed facing Sam. He took a couple of deep breaths until he was satisfied that he was calm enough.
"What do you want with me?" Sam demanded. Lucifer looked almost offended.
"Thanks to you, I walk the earth. I want to give you a gift. I want to give you everything," Lucifer smiled and tilted his head, gaging Sam's reaction. Sam sensed he was doing this and kept his face as still as stone. Lucifer raised one eyebrow, waiting for him to do something.
"I don't want anything from you," Sam said finally.
"I'm so sorry, Sam, I, I really am, but Nick here is just an improvisation. Plan B. He can barely contain me without spontaneously combusting," Lucifer didn't seem at all deterred by Sam's immediate refusal. Sam didn't understand why Lucifer's vessel wasn't working for him. Didn't he just need consent? Clearly he got that, if he was able to possess the man. Eventually, Sam stopped trying to figure it out and gave into the question Lucifer obviously wanted him to ask.
"What are you talking about?" Lucifer smiled as he stood and took a step closer to Sam. The way he walked showed his confidence and Sam couldn't help be shaken up, even by this small thing.
"Why do you think you were in that chapel? You're the one, Sam. You're my vessel. My true vessel," Lucifer was barely a foot away from Sam, and he still hadn't stopped that infuriatingly terrifying grin. Sam took one small step backward and felt his back hit the wall.
"No," he whispered. Lucifer stepped even closer before coming to a stop. Sam could have reached out and touched him should he have chosen to.
"Yes," Lucifer demanded. Sam could see he expected to leave here with a threat, a promise, or who knew what kind of devilish remark. Sam closed his eyes for a moment, hoping against hope that when he opened them, Lucifer would be gone. But of course, that wasn't the case.
"No. That'll never happen," Sam tried to keep his voice steady, but jeez. Even for him that was weak. Lucifer didn't jeer at his obvious weakness as Sam had expected.
"I'm sorry, but it will. I will find you. And when I do, you will let me in. I'm sure of it," the words alone would have sounded like a threat, but the tone of voice Lucifer had used was simply calm, quietly confident, and maybe even had a bit of actual sympathy. Sam couldn't see any sort of future for him and Dean, or heck the rest of the world, if they went on running forever. In fact, that would never work. Someone at some point would have to catch up to them.
"I just- Then just, I..." Sam stopped his stuttering. Lucifer raised an eyebrow at him and Sam looked pointedly away from him. Lucifer grabbed his chin and stepped close to him. It was like he was looked deep into Sam's soul and judged him. On second thought, he probably did.
"Great Plains Motel. Room 206," Sam blurted. He thought he would immediately regret giving away his location so easily, but to his surprise, he didn't. Lucifer dropped his chin and stepped away as his eyes widened with shock.
"Well, well. People don't often surprise me," Lucifer continued to gaze at Sam, wondering why he'd suddenly let slip the information that he'd been withholding since the moment Sam was out of his sight. Again he was surprised, as Sam continued to gaze straight back at him. He was apparently done showing signs of weakness.
"You wanted to know where I am. You got it," Sam's expression gave away nothing of what he was thinking. Lucifer wondered about that for a moment before he spontaneously broke into a huge grin and clapped his hands together in excitement.
"Okay, Sammy," Lucifer gave Sam a friendly punch on the shoulder, "Hang tight, then. See you in a minute." Lucifer couldn't wipe the grin off his face as he slowly faded away before Sam's eyes. As soon as he was gone, Sam sighed and sat down on the bed. He gazed blankly at the wall. Before he could have counted to ten, he heard loud sounds of wings flapping. Sam jumped to his feet and turned to face Lucifer. His look of excitement was replaced by one of longing, being so close to what he had wanted- no, needed for such a long time.
"You know what to say, Sam," Lucifer stared at him expectantly. The silence stretched for a moment. For the third time in their encounter, Lucifer raised an eyebrow at Sam. Sam opened his mouth and Lucifer visibly relaxed.
"Not yet," Sam said. Lucifer unfolded his wings and glared at Sam. His eyes glowed red and the anger on his face was evident.
"Relax," Sam continued, "I didn't say no. I said not yet. I want to talk to my brother first." Lucifer slowly folded his wings back into whatever plane they were in before.
"Why do you need to talk to your brother?" Lucifer demanded suspiciously. It didn't surprise Sam that he would be wary. Him and Dean weren't exactly the type to go along with the plans of random celestial beings. Lucifer probably thought they had something they were going to use against him. Sam honestly didn't blame him.
"I want to convince him to say yes also. And I want to say goodbye," Sam choked up at the last part and it was the near tears more than anything else that convinced Lucifer that Sam wasn't lying. His face softened a bit. He could understand Sam wanting to say goodbye to his brother and sometimes wished he could have done the same with Michael.
"Well that's easy at least. We've been trailing him since you two split up," he paused at the surprised expression on Sam's face, "What? We couldn't give Michael the advantage of getting at his vessel first." Sam shrugged. Lucifer smiled in slight exasperation and grabbed onto Sam's arm. For a moment there was the sensation of weightlessness and the sound of flapping feathers. Then it was over as quickly as it had started. They were standing outside of a shabby looking diner. Sam could have almost laughed at how typical this was for Dean. As Sam peered harder at the diner, he spotted Dean and Cas at a window seat. Lucifer walked into the diner and beckoned for Sam to follow. Unthinkingly, he did. They walked through rows of happily talking and eating people until they approached the booth Cas and Dean were at.
Cas was the first to notice Lucifer. With a panicked expression on his face Cas raised a hand to get him and Dean out of there. But, at that moment his noticed that Sam was also there and warily brought his hand back by his side. Cas nudged Dean and gestured at Sam and Lucifer. It was all Dean could do not to jump out of the booth and cause a scene. As Lucifer reached the booth, he happily shoved Cas against the window and sat beside him in the booth. Sam stayed standing as he did his best to look anywhere but at his brother.
"How did you find us? And why is he here looking so happy?" Dean demanded. Sam glanced at Dean once and seeing his furious expression looked away again. Suddenly realization dawned on Dean's face.
"That's right. I'm wearing Sam to the prom," Lucifer couldn't resist bragging. Dean's face went from merely suspicious to horrified.
"No, Sammy. You didn't say yes yet, did you? It's not too late," Dean was practically begging, anger forgotten.
"No, not yet." Cas looked from Lucifer to Sam to Dean.
"I don't think that's a good idea, Sam. If Lucifer has his vessel before Michael does, who knows what would happen?" Cas tried to reason with Sam. Lucifer just looked mildly amused as he messed up his younger brother's hair.
"That's why Dean needs to say yes too. So we can end this early," Sam saw the retort form on Dean's lips and spoke again before he would have to hear it, "Just think on it, Dean. I'm saying yes today, whatever you choose to do." Sam saw the pain and helplessness on Dean's face and he had to turn away again.
"I- I won't let you," Dean stuttered. Lucifer rolled his eyes and stood up.
"Really. You can't stop us, can you? No. So just accept it already," Lucifer growled angrily.
"Not until it's done," Dean shot back stubbornly. Lucifer instantly brightened up.
"That's easy, then," Lucifer grabbed Sam's arm for the second time.
"Goodbye," called Sam. Lucifer flew them to the outside of a church. Now it was Sam's turn to raise his eyebrows.
"What? I like the irony," He defended semi-annoyed.
"Are we going inside?" Sam asked, nervous now that it was so close to time.
"Sure," Lucifer walked confidently towards the door. Sam followed behind more slowly. He walked straight up to the altar and stood behind it, interrupting people in their prayers. Sam followed and stood uncertainly in front of Lucifer. By now, everyone's attention was on them. Sam shifted uncomfortably. Lucifer smiled evilly and turned to his audience, baring his wings, or the shadow of them anyway, for all to see. His eyes glowed red, but his face showed anything but anger. Sam was strangely more comfortable with this the second time around.
"Sam. It's time," Lucifer whispered. Sam wiggled his fingers and toes while looking around at the people on the benches, taking advantage of his muscles one last time. He fought back a laugh as he realized most people were crying or suppressing screams. What was wrong with him? Since when was that funny? Enough of this. Sam turned and stared determinedly at Lucifer.
"Yes."