"Dammit it, Cas," wa the first thing Lucifer hears when he wakes up. He twitched a bit and severely wished he hadn't. The gasp that comes from his lips is purely involuntary. His body, everything hurts. He stays very, very still and after a moment his memories come back. It seemed his grace was still healing. He had more back, but he was still weak enough that his body ached everywhere from the fight the day before and the sheer amount of energy he'd used.
Lucifer drew breath through Nick's nose. It seemed that the body naturally took over when Lucifer was that low on grace. This last time he'd been this weak was... Michael had thrown him in the pit. How long had it taken for him to regenerate his grace? Had it been days or years or millennia? Time had ceased to mean anything when the only thing Lucifer had was boredom, burning anger, and the freezing cold of a place so far away from heaven that his father's light would not warm it.
"So you're awake," Bobby Singer said. He was standing near whatever Lucifer was lying on. Dean and Castiel were arguing in the other room, though Lucifer couldn't see it because his eyes were closed so tightly. He forced his eyes open, gritting his teeth and blinking rapidly to clear his vision, his human vision. It was so limited he didn't even know how humans functioned.
"Yes, it would appear so," Lucifer hissed through his teeth.
"Does it hurt?" Bobby asked.
"Yes," Lucifer hissed. He sucked air in through his teeth as he twitched his foot. The term 'asleep' came through his mind, and he realized that his pain from his legs came from sleeping on them oddly and cutting off the circulation. The tension in his body was from the all over ache, but more because he tried to move on of his legs and the shooting pain that followed made his whole body tense.
He let out a breath and allowed his body to relax. His body felt a lot better, but he felt a kind of low fear in his belly. This was completely human and he moved to sit up on his own. Even a little twitching seemed to make pain shoot up his legs into his spine. He grabbed one, and picked up his foot and dropped it, suddenly realizing that not only could he not move it on his own, his foot couldn't feel his touch.
"Didn't know the devil could have his limbs fall asleep."
"News to us both, I assure you," Lucifer said through grit teeth. He tried moving his leg on his own and gasped in pain.
He suddenly felt hands on him. He turned and snarled like an animal. He was weak, His grace was too weak to even protect him. They could do anything to him and he couldn't stop them and now he had enough energy to know to be afraid. He'd never been this weak and around enemies. The last time he'd been this weak was because of the fall. He'd never even been this week in front of Michael. If Lucifer went back into the cage now he was dead, plain and simple. But he might be dead now too.
"Easy," the man said, and Lucifer was surprised that he felt soothed. "Got to get the blood flowing. Just hold on."
That was the only warming Lucifer got before he was dragged up. His arms instinctively went around Bobby Singer, trying to keep himself steady. His legs hurt and they did not want to support him, but the human was keeping him up right.
"We're gonna walk now," the man said. Lucifer nodded and looked down trying to will his legs to move like they were supposed to. He hissed and gasped at every step. But he could finally feel something, even if it felt like he was wearing thick, tingly boots. Every step hurt, but the pain eased and after about two trips across the room he felt fine enough to move on his own. He pulled away from the human who'd been holding him up and took a few uncertain steps.
"Thank you," Lucifer said, but if anyone ever asked he's say it was from Nick's left over consciousness and not that Lucifer actually meant it.
Bobby Singer simply smirked. It was then that Lucifer realized he couldn't hear arguing from the other room anymore. He looked to the doorway, seeing the house's three other occupants staring at him. Well, Castiel rarely blinked. He didn't look very good either, in fact he was leaning against the door frame like he didn't think anyone would notice that he shouldn't be yet.
Dean was looking a bit flabbergasted and Lucifer had a nasty urge to explode him into a million pieces. Not that there was any point, as Michael was still in the cage, and Sam wouldn't like it. Lucifer's gaze went to Sam, who looked very, very troubled. It took nothing for Lucifer to shift his gaze and see the other him, who was sitting in a chair like he didn't know how chairs worked. He waved cheerfully at Lucifer, causing Lucifer to scowl. Really, Michael?
"I see your little hanger on is still with you, Sam," Lucifer said. He leaned against the desk that he was standing near. His body still felt tired and weak.
"His what? Sam, what is he talking about?" Dean asked.
"Nothing, Dean, you know he lies," Sam said.
Lucifer frowned. "Now that is a lie in and of itself. I have never lied, and I have never lied to you especially."
"Yeah, right," Sam snapped. He was very wary. Not that Lucifer could exactly blame him, shifting his gaze to the other him.
"Yeah, right," Lucifer said without the sarcastic edge. "Do me a favor, and look at your little friend and look at me and tell me if we're anything alike."
"Oh come on, Sam," the hallucination said. "Who are you going to believe? Me… or well, me?" it asked with a smirk. Lucifer grit his teeth, thinking about all the things he wanted to take out in Michael's flesh when he got back down. Of course, given that he could survive until then and his powers would be back.
"Let me interrupt your hallucination," Lucifer said. "I never touched you. I never physically harmed you. There has never been any reason for me to coerce you with words or pain. You came on your own. Can you say the same thing about heaven?"
He knew they couldn't. He'd seen the torture Zachariah had put them under.
"You turned into Jessica," Sam muttered.
"You wouldn't even speak to me otherwise," Lucifer said. "And I didn't hurt you, nor did I try to convince you in that form to agree to say yes."
Sam seemed to be working through a lot very quickly. Lucifer could practically see Sam thinking, and the hallucination was frowning at him. Lucifer resisted the urge to stick his tongue out at it.
"Sam, don't listen to him. You know where it got us last time," Dean said.
"If you didn't cause this than who did?" Castiel asked.
"Michael," Lucifer said. "What reason do I have to harm my true vessel? In the off chance that I ever did get out again, it wouldn't do me any good if my true vessel wouldn't say 'yes' to me again."
"That… makes more sense than it should," Sam admitted.
"Stop it Sam. Don't listen to Satan, and don't ever tell him what he says make sense," Dean snapped. "And you! Cas said you could fix Sam, so fix him."
Lucifer looked at Dean for a long moment with the most blank expression he could muster. His gaze shifted to Sam who was looking wary, to the Hallucination who was already whispering things in Sam's ear, to Castiel who could barely stand. Lucifer even turned his head to Bobby Singer, who met Lucifer's gaze, and Lucifer realized that Bobby Singer was probably seeing the situation as Lucifer was. Lucifer could at least stand without breaking a sweat, but Singer knew how weak he was. But Lucifer couldn't admit it.
"Alright," Lucifer said. He walked to Sam, who backed up. Lucifer kept walking forward, and Sam walked backwards into the wall. The hallucination laughed at them both.
"Dean?" Sam asked, truly afraid.
"It's okay, Sam," Dean said, which Lucifer though was really rich coming from the guy who kept telling Sam to not even talk to Lucifer.
"Hold still," Lucifer said. He placed his hand to Sam's head and began the process. He didn't even get a real view of the damage before the hallucination doubled over laughing and the last thing Lucifer saw was Sam's concerned face as Lucifer crumpled to the ground, blacking out once more.
