A/N: This "what if" idea has been rattling around my head for a couple weeks now, so even though it looks like Season 10 is going in a totally different direction, I figured I may as well put it out there. It's kind of like an alternate sequence of events for the end of Season 10/beginning of Season 11. (How AWESOME is this season, you guys?!)

Chapter 1

Sam's heart thudded in his throat as he descended the last few steps.

At the bottom of the cracked stone staircase lay a small antechamber, and at the end of the room was a wall of jagged metal bars. The metal was of an otherworldly nature, the beams crisscrossing in a latticework resembling a spider's web interwoven with sharp thorns. Every inch of the metalwork was etched with Enochian symbols, ancient spellwork designed to hold back the power locked within.

His knees shook slightly as he stepped down onto the stone floor and slowly crossed to the gate, but he forced himself to keep going. His arms ached from fighting his way down there. An unpleasant feeling of soggy warmth seeped through the interior breast pocket of his jacket, pooling from where the demon-killing knife was stowed. Even by entering Hell as stealthily as he had, he'd had to kill more than a dozen demons on his way to the Cage.

More would be coming soon. He would have to hurry.

Sam reached the metal gate. Every instinct in his body told him to run. His hallucinations may have been long gone, but he still remembered what had happened to him in this place. But it didn't matter. This was his only chance.

On the other side of the gate, the inky darkness was dreadfully silent. Nothing moved or spoke within its depths. But Sam knew he was being watched.

He took a breath and cleared his throat. "Lucifer!" he called, his voice deceptively clear.

At first nothing happened. Sam swallowed, about to call again.

"Well, look who came home."

Sam jumped. He turned to see the object of his worst nightmares had appeared at the far left end of the Cage. He forced himself to walk over and stand in front of him.

Lucifer lounged casually against the bars, a mere arm's length from Sam, who couldn't help but recoil.

"Hey there, Sammy," Lucifer murmured. A wry smirk played across his face, but unmistakable hatred glowed in his eyes. "It's about time you came to visit. Been keeping the bed warm for you. I've missed you."

"Dean has the Mark of Cain," Sam said, nearly choking on his own voice.

A harsh laugh cut through the darkness behind Lucifer's back.

Sam pushed his fear deeper into his gut.

Lucifer glanced behind him. "Ah yes, we heard a rumor about that…"

"I want you to take it off of him."

Lucifer chuckled, shaking his head bemusedly. "Oh, Sam. Sam, Sam, Sam…"

The fallen angel looked him up and down. Sam waited, fists clenched.

Lucifer's eyes narrowed slightly. "Why would I do that?"

"Because if you do, I will let you out again," he answered. "I'll say yes."

A gleam alit in those reptilian eyes. "Really," the angel stated flatly, his voice steeped in amused disbelief.

"Really," Sam replied.

He could practically feel Lucifer searching his mind for any sign of deception, any hint of a trap. But there wasn't any. Not this time.

The gleaming eyes narrowed even further, and Lucifer pushed off the wall the stand up straight in front of Sam.

"And I suppose once precious Dean's free of his little skin condition and you let me out, you'll just jump right back down the rabbit hole again, right?" he hissed.

"No."

"You really expect me to believe that, Sam?"

"I don't care what you believe," Sam snapped. "Either you take the deal or go on rotting in that cell forever. What do you have to lose?"

Lucifer thought for a moment, then chuckled. "I've never seen you this desperate. Even when I was peeling the meat off your bones…" He hummed in sick satisfaction. "Gotta say, I'm a little turned on."

Sam swallowed the lump in his throat. He had to be strong. He had to save Dean. There was no other way.

"So, what do you say?" Sam asked quietly.

Another low chuckle rippled from the shadows at Lucifer's back. The invisible cellmate's grim amusement did nothing to calm Sam's quaking nerves.

Lucifer looked thoughtful, cupping his chin in one hand and pacing back and forth like a caged predator.

After a moment he stopped and looked Sam dead in the eye. He opened his mouth to speak…

"SAM, GET AWAY FROM HIM!" an all-too familiar voice bellowed.

Sam whirled around. Crowley stood at the top of the stairs, eyeing the Cage with apprehension.

And hurtling down the steps toward him was Dean.