Once they got their uncle Michael to finally join the Darkness fight, Jude and Jessica helped transfer their unconscious uncle Adam back to Bobby's house. Not only did they have to fly Adam there, but they also had to take all of the medical equipment attached to him too. They started by moving all of it close to the bed, even placing some of it on the bed with him, to form a neatly compressed package. Michael used his grace to keep electric current flowing to the machines so that they could transport him safely. Jude really hoped that uncle Bobby's study would have enough room to house all of this stuff and the people surrounding it. Otherwise, some of them might appear on top of the desk or something.

Jude, of course, braced himself as Jessica counted down from three. She and Michael basically flew everyone back to Bobby's in under a second. The violent inertia made Jude sick to his stomach, but he tried his best to ignore it; especially since Clarence was holding his hand the whole time. All six people landed in the middle of uncle Bobby's dark study, just three inches shy of the desk near the fireplace. The whole room was still only lit with candles, where the power was out – that is, until Michael started plugging the machines into the walls. He must have used his grace to turn the power back on or something because a few lamps and the TV clicked on, filling the room with light and sound.

Within a few seconds of reappearing in the house, uncle Bobby – and a tear-stained, frazzled-looking Ms. Jane – dashed into the study from the kitchen. Uncle Bobby briefly closed his eyes and exhaled with relief, reminding Jude of the way his parents looked when they lost him in a crowd and found him again. Bobby was clearly happy to see the teenagers – but his eyebrows drew together when he saw the hospital bed that they were huddled around. Ms. Jane only searched the faces long enough to find Ollie and she immediately dashed to him with arms wide open.

"Oliver!" she whimpered, almost tackling him with a hug.

"Hey, mom," Ollie smiled, hugging her back, "I'm sorry I – Ow! Ow!"

All of the sudden, Ms. Jane had switched from hugging Ollie to smacking his shoulder repeatedly. She was furiously ranting in Spanish, saying some things that Jude didn't recognize at all, even after all the years of hearing her speak a different language. After one last, generous smack, she planted one hand on her hip and wagged a finger at Ollie with the other.

"Oliver Edwardo Thompson, don't you ever do that to me again! I mean it! You had me worried sick!" She barked.

Jude bit down a sudden smile and shared a tiny look with Clarence, who was also entertained by watching Ms. Jane scold Ollie. Oh man, breaking out the middle name? Ms. Jane meant business...

"Okay, okay! I'm sorry!" Ollie squeaked as he rubbed his shoulder, "I was only trying to help!"

"It was my fault, Ms. Jane," Jessie volunteered with her head down, "I wanted him to come with me to get my uncles."

Jessie gestured toward Adam on the bed and Michael standing near by. Michael, of course, was too worried about making sure that Adam's body was comfortable than to say hello to strangers. Still, Ms. Jane's eyes softened when she looked around and gave Jessica a hug.

"I'm glad to see you too, Jessie," she admitted, "Oi, you children will be my death."

It surprised Jude to see that Ollie's mom was acting relatively calm. Wasn't she curious about how they were able to appear inside the study in no time? Did she know that she was hundreds of miles away from home? And that she was standing in the same room with two nephilim, a half-demon, and an archangel? And that their parents were trapped in another realm? Jude wanted to ask these questions, but he didn't, of course. For all he knew, Ms. Jane probably thought this was all a dream. Or maybe uncle Bobby had already told her about everything while they were gone...

While Jane hugged Jessie and started to calm down, Jude noticed that uncle Bobby was walking closer to get a better look at the strangers in his study. The old man stared at Adam the longest and his eyes started to fill with disappointment.

"Ah, hell," he muttered, "Don't tell me that's Michael..."

"No," the tall guy in the denim jacket replied, "That would be me."

Almost everyone in the room looked at Michael after he spoke. Jude knew that of everyone present, Michael was the oldest. Somehow, that must have meant that he was the wisest, too. If anyone could explain what was happening just outside, it had to be Michael, right? Apparently, Jude wasn't the only person who thought so. Uncle Bobby narrowed his eyes toward the self-proclaimed archangel in an almost distrusting manner.

"Nice of you to join us," Bobby grumbled, "D'you mind tellin' us what the hell's goin' on?"

While Michael paused for a moment to sigh and smooth out Adam's hospital blanket, Jude tightened his hand around Clarence's. They still hadn't let go of each other and Jude was glad. If he didn't have Clare to hold on to, Jude would have been lost...

"Darkness has escaped," Michael said simply.

"No shit," Bobby huffed, "but why? How did it manage to send my boys to Purgatory? What the hell is Darkness anyways? And how to we gank it?"

Jude definitely wanted to hear the answer to all of those questions, especially the one about his dads. Everyone in the room was silently staring at Michael, waiting on him to reveal the truth. The archangel started by taking a large breath.

"Darkness is not a person, Robert Singer. Therefore, it cannot be 'ganked'," Michael began, "Darkness is made up of many things. You've heard the old saying, 'Darkness is the absence of light?' That is true in every sense. Darkness is the absence of joy, the absence of courage and bravery, of love. To everything 'light' and good, there is a 'dark' and terrible opposite. And that opposite stems from Darkness..."

Jude gulped, feeling the hairs raise on the back of his neck. That Darkness was more than just dark? It was everything dark? Like fear and sadness and stuff? But how? Jude remained quiet as Michael continued.

"There is a reason that angels are made of light," the archangel admitted, "We – my three brothers and I, especially – were made to combat the Darkness. Our Father created us to seal it away; to bind its power and limit its reach. Raphael, Lucifer, Gabriel, and I were able to restrain Darkness and lock it behind a very powerful spell. Once the Darkness was gone, our Father was finally able to begin the Creation. He built the Earth and its inhabitants inside of what once belonged to the Darkness. And now, it seems, the Darkness has broken free. I can only gather that it wants to restore the universe to the way it was before light ever existed."

For a few moments, everybody just stared off in different directions to let Michael's explanation sink in. Everything was starting to make sense, now. At least they had a better understanding of the creature they were trying to fight.

"So, it's a big ball of smoke that your dad locked away because it makes people sad and afraid?" Clarence blurted flatly, rolling his pretty eyes, "Yeah. Okay. Sure. Whatever. How do we kill it?"

"There is no killing it," Michael spat, "If that was possible, we would have done it before the Creation. Like I said, it isn't a physical being. It is the combination of everything Dark in this universe."

On the other side of Adam, Jessie stepped away from Ms. Jane and placed her hand on the railing of the hospital bed.

"But it spoke," Jess said, "It talked to my Papa."

"Just because Darkness isn't physical doesn't mean it isn't sentient," Michael said, pivoting his head a bit, "Darkness can speak. It can fight, too. In fact, if you try to fight it, it is able to use certain fears and memories against you. It destroys you from the inside out. That is another reason why my Father created four archangels instead of just one. A single being on their own is easy for Darkness to defeat, but several together is much harder. That is also why Adam had Eve."

"Buddy system," Jude breathed.

His parents had been right all along. Jude always thought that the buddy system was just an annoying way for Dad and Papa to keep track of him and Jess, but he was wrong. They used the buddy system for safety. There really was power in numbers, especially when fighting the Darkness. Michael gave Jude a slow nod, agreeing with his quite statement. Uncle Bobby, however, still seemed agitated.

"Well if that's the case, why did it send our boys to Purgatory?" he asked.

Michael didn't answer right away. His eyebrows slid together and he blinked at Bobby strangely.

"What boys?" he asked.

"Dean, Sam, Cas, and Gabe," Bobby recited, "They're in Purgatory, and they're all human. We're tryin' to get them back."

Again, Michael paused to think. His eyes circled the floor and Adam's bed for a few seconds before he found a way to respond.

"When a human dies, their souls are sent to either heaven or hell," the archangel reminded, "I can only assume that heaven is no longer open to them, and Purgatory was the closest area available. I'm not sure if Darkness was even aware of the other realms that my Father created."

"Of course you would know, aye?"

Everyone glanced toward the kitchen, where Crowley was standing in the doorway. As usual, his hands were neatly stuffed into the pockets of his suit jacket and he was staring blandly at Michael. When the demon entered the room, he paused to stand next to Bobby.

"Tell me, Michael," Crowley purred, "How did you manage to get out of the cage? I put every trap known around that blasted box, yet here you stand, while your brother remains imprisoned. Care to explain?"

The attention of the room slowly swiveled back to Michael and Jude felt really curious. That was a good question. Did Michael break out of the cage like Jude did when he was ten? If so, how was he able to put it back together and keep Lucifer inside? How were Michael and Adam separate and on Earth? A severe look of defeat spread across the archangel's face and he slowly released a sigh.

"When we all fell into the cage, I was able to scratch some of the Enochian chiseled on one of the bars," Michael admitted, "It wasn't enough to break the spell completely, but it left a sizable gap for a small amount of grace to reach through. Of course, I didn't tell Lucifer about it. I tinkered with the gap only at times when his back was turned, which were rare and far between. I knew that the only way to get out would be if I could find some kind of link to Earth. When I wasn't fighting with Lucifer, I desperately searched for an opening; any kind of doorway that I could fly through. Luckily, I was able to find one. And I teleported Adam and myself to safety."

"And then you took him to Chicago for medical attention?" Bobby guessed.

"No. We appeared in Chicago," Michael explained, "Someone was in the middle of creating a portal to hell, and the doorway opened up in the basement of a house near the river. Adam and my appearance there caused some kind of explosion and I realized we were no longer using the same body. He was knocked unconscious and the house was on fire, so I flew him to the nearest medical facility for treatment... And because he is in a coma that I cannot cure, that's where we've been for eleven years."

After Michael's last statement, Jude noticed that Clarence had stiffened beside him. The half-demon's hand was no longer holding onto Jude's, but going limp. Jude looked up at his boyfriend's face and could see a bit of curiosity and disbelief in his eyes. What was going through Clare's head? What was he thinking?

"You... You caught the house on fire?" Clarence repeated, his voice hollow.

"Yes," Michael nodded, "When my grace separated from Adam's body, the light and heat were powerful enough to create flames, I'm sure."

Jude gulped, feeling his own chest tighten in pain. Clarence looked so mad all of the sudden; absolutely furious. What was wrong? Why did he look so angry? Clarence's ground his jaw together for a second before he let go of Jude's hand completely.

"Were there blue flowers painted on the basement walls?" he asked.

It seemed like Michael didn't understand why Clarence had asked such a bizarrely specific question.

"What?" the archangel asked.

"I said," Clarence growled carefully, stepping away from Jude and staring at Michael with fire in his eyes, "Were there. Blue flowers. Painted. On the basement walls?"

Jude felt so helpless in that moment. He had no idea what Clarence was talking about. But it seemed like Michael did. The archangel in the denim jacket glanced away for a second as if he was recalling the memory.

"... Yes..." he finally admitted.

As soon as Clarence heard the answer, he yelled and ran across the room with his fists drawn. Before Jude knew it, he was watching his boyfriend punch Michael repeatedly. Clare's fists were connecting hard with the archangel's face, but it didn't seem to hurt Michael. If anything, Michael was too shocked to respond.

"You burned down my house!" Clare shouted, his voice echoing through the house, "You killed my moms, you bastard! I'll rip your freakin' lungs out!"

Jude's heart leaped into his throat. What?! That was Clarence's house?! Clare's house had blue flowers painted on the basement walls?! Michael had burned it down?! And killed all his adoptive witch moms?! For a moment, Jude was too stunned to move. He only blinked and watched Clarence beat the shit out of Michael. But after he realized what was happening, Jude raced across the room to stop his boyfriend. Michael was really strong and he couldn't let Michael hurt Clarence again.

"Clare, stop!" Jude pleaded.

Clarence's eyes were jet black; glossed over with his demonic aura as he hit Michael repeatedly. Bobby rushed over and tried to help Jude pull him off of the archangel, but Clare was determined to actually kill him.

"Get off him, boy! This ain't the time or place!" Bobby shouted in a stern voice.

"No! He killed them!" Clarence barked back, "He killed them all!"

Jude knew that Clarence wasn't going to stop unless there was a powerful intervention. Hoping to calm him down a bit, Jude let his hand light up with grace. The heavenly touch persuaded Clarence to immediately drop Michael's shoulders. Once his grip was released, Jude and Bobby quickly towed Clarence backward; carting him toward the kitchen to get him as far away from Michael as possible.

"I'll kill you," Clare shouted, though his voice was slowly trailing off as Jude applied more grace, "I'll... I'll freakin'..."

By the time Jude and Bobby sat him in a chair, Clarence's panting breath had calmed to faint huffs. The look on his face – all the pain and rage and heartbreak simmering in his features – made Jude feel so bad. He had no idea that Michael – his own uncle – was the cause of the house fire that turned Clare into a homeless little boy. Even though Jude had nothing to do with it, he still felt terrible.

The teenager pulled up another chair and sat down in front of Clare so that he could lean forward and wrap him into a hug. It was all he knew to do. Poor Clarence had been through so much; too much. And Jude wished that he could somehow make it all better. Luckily, the hug seemed to help because Clarence's arms raised to circle Jude's back as he buried his face into Jude's neck. Was there anything Jude could say or do? He just wanted to heal Clare; mend his heart and get rid of the bad memories.

"I'm sorry."

Jude raised his head at the sound of the low voice nearby. To everyone's surprise, Michael had followed them into the kitchen. The archangel's face was beaten up pretty badly – bloody nose, bruised lip, swollen eye – but it didn't seem to hurt him. In fact, of what Jude could see of Michael's facial expressions, the guy appeared more sad than anything. Still resting inside Jude's hug, Clarence slowly lifted his head up to look at the archangel too. He didn't say anything though, because he was still under the calming effects of Jude's grace.

"I didn't mean to hurt anyone. I was only trying to get Adam home," Michael explained, "I'm very sorry for all the pain I've caused, and I know that nothing I say or do can make up for killing innocent people. The only way I can truly attempt to redeem myself is by making better choices in the future. Starting with the Darkness. I'm not asking for your forgiveness, demon, because I don't deserve it. All I ask is for your toleration. Not for my sake, but for the sake of the only one I love."

Michael gestured toward the study behind him, where the machines surrounding Adam's bed buzzed with activity. Jude was actually surprised to hear Michael saying such nice, level-headed things. It wasn't everyday that his angelic relatives were so patient and understanding. Jude looked toward Clarence in front of him, hoping that his boyfriend would be willing to at least put up with Michael's presence long enough to get rid of the Darkness. At first, Clarence was understandably upset. He only glared up at Michael's injured face for a while. It wasn't until he looked back at Jude, and saw the pleading look in Jude's eyes, that his anger finally subsided.

"If it wasn't for Superman, you would be dead right now," Clare spat bitterly toward the archangel.

Jude felt a blush appear on his own face. He loved when Clarence referred to him as Superman... Though he was out of the loop on the nickname, Michael gave a single nod as if he took the snide comment as a good sign. The archangel turned his attention to Crowley nearby and put on a slight look of authority.

"We will need safe and speedy passage to Hell," Michael informed.

Crowley almost gave a loud chuckle at the archangel's request. His dark eyes narrowed in offended disbelief.

"First, you crowd my husband's study with unwanted guests. Then, you piss off my son, who has every right to kill you. And now you're asking me for safe passage into my kingdom?" Crowley scoffed in disbelief, "The nerve of you archangels never ceases to confound me!"

Michael huffed a breath and closed his battered eyes for a moment, seeming equally irritated.

"Unless you want the Darkness to destroy everything that you hold dear – including your husband, son, and kingdom – you will do this," Michael said, "I hate this situation just as much as you do. Believe me, I don't want to go to Hell either... but to imprison Darkness, we will require Lucifer's help."

Uncle Crowley's head tilted and he blinked a few times.

"Lucifer?" he repeated.

Michael nodded in defeat again as he touched his swelling cheek.

"Yes," he confirmed, voice full of distaste, "My brother."


Between their instantaneous arrival with Adam, the lengthy speeches that Michael gave, the way that Clarence's eyes turned black, and Jude's hand lit up, Jessica was pretty sure that the cat was out of the bag for Ms. Jane. Ollie's mom didn't say a word as all the events happened. She just watched with weary, tearful brown eyes during the Winchester family squabble. Jessie kept in mind to stand next to Jane the whole time, to protect her in case the small fight got worse. Luckily, Jude was able to calm Clare down and take him to another room... which gave Jessie a chance to talk to Ms. Jane.

Jess expected lots of Spanish rantings and confusion from her future mother-in-law, but Jane was surprisingly calm. Ollie seemed a little taken back by his mom's reactions, too. Jess and Ollie shared a small look of understanding before converging in on her.

"Ms. Jane, I'm... I'm sorry that you had to find out like this," Jessie muttered.

It was all she could think to say. She really hoped that Jane understood what she was talking about. Luckily, the lovely Hispanic lady smiled a little and reached out to pat Jessie's shoulder.

"It's okay, Guapa," Jane consoled gently, "Your uncle explained it to me... I just... I am relieved to know my son has real angels watching over him... Especially one as sweet as you."

Jessie could almost feel tears pressing at the back of her eyes. Aww. Ms. Jane really thought that highly of her? That was so sweet! In that moment, Jessie really wished that her dads were there. She wished that she could turn around and tell Dad and Papa how much Ms. Jane liked her; how they were practically family already... but her parents weren't there. They were still trapped in Purgatory, far away. And the only way to save them and stop the Darkness from taking over was to go and get uncle Lucifer...

"Ms. Jane," Jess blurted, feeling her smile slip away again, "We have to go and do one more thing. It's kind of dangerous, but I really want Ollie to come with me. Is it okay if he comes? I promise I will watch over him the whole time, and it shouldn't take us too long – "

"Jessie."

Jess, Ollie, and Ms. Jane turned at the sound of Jude's voice. He was standing in the doorway between the kitchen and the study, holding hands with Clarence – who was still glaring at Michael nearby.

"We need to go," Jude urged, nodding toward the backdoor.

Jessie gulped and turned back to her boyfriend and his mother, knowing that Ms. Jane wouldn't want Ollie to go with her; especially if Jane knew the destination they were headed to. And, of course, there was acute worry and hesitation on Jane's face. It was clear that she didn't want to let her boy out of her sight again... But when Ollie reached out to take Jessie's hand, Jane's expression seemed to lift. She glanced between the two teenagers and let out a heavy sigh.

"I am very lost and worried," Jane admitted, her rich accent muffled with grief, "... but I have faith in you. Cuidate, Calabaza. Por favor."

"Si," Ollie nodded, using his free hand to pull his mom into a hug, "Te amo, Ma."

Jessica swallowed a bit as she watched the sweet interaction between her boyfriend and his mother. It wasn't very often that she got to hear them talk to each other in Spanish like that; like it was their own private language. Jessie really needed to study up on her own Spanish so that she could talk to Ollie like that as well...

After their heartfelt goodbye, Ollie and Ms. Jane parted ways and Jessie was able to lead him to the kitchen. On the way, she caught sight of Michael saying goodbye to Adam. He was leaning far over the bed and whispering something into Adam's ear, petting his hair the whole time like a lover would do. The sight made Jessie's heart ache. It seemed like everyone was leaving someone they loved behind...

Michael asked Bobby and Ms. Jane to watch over Adam while he was gone, which – of course – they agreed to. The archangel fixed his face too, from where Clarence had beaten him up pretty badly, before flying everyone to Bobby's garage. Aunt Rowena was in the middle of working on a spell that could link the hell portal to the one in Purgatory, but agreed to pause her progress long enough to let them go to Hell.

"Fine. Be my guest," Rowena huffed when they asked her, "Just keep in mind, the longer you dilly-dally in Hell, the longer it's going to take to get those boys back. I'm only one witch, not a miracle worker... Clarence? What's wrong, lamb?"

Next to Jude, Clarence only shook his head under Rowena's concerned stare. The raw anger and pain from finding out that Michael was responsible for his house fire had lingered on his face. Even Jessie could tell that he was still upset.

"Nothing," he forced out, "I'll tell you about it later."

Though she seemed reluctant to let Clarence stay upset, Rowena nodded her head of red curls and opened the portal for them. A black void appeared inside the stone arch that Jude and Jess's dads had built years before, revealing the way to Hell. Uncle Crowley led the way inside, directing the path straight into his kingdom. Jessie was fully aware of how nervous Ollie was. His hand was like a vise grip on hers; trembling and clinging with enough force to make her hand lose circulation. Still, Jessica held on right back. To be honest, she was feeling a little nervous too. Not about going to Hell... but about coming face-to-face with the same angel that had tortured her dad and almost killed her Papa.

Between the stories that her parents told her and all the books she read, Jessica already had a strong sense of Lucifer's character. He may have been Grandpa Chuck's son and her Papa's brother, but he was all but lost to them now. Deceit, greed, betrayal, murder – Lucifer's whole life story was peppered with evil intentions. And, honestly, Jessica had already pretty much decided that she hated him... But now that Darkness was a threat, she tried her best to at least give him a chance. Besides, she had never actually met him in person. Maybe he was different than what people said. Maybe there was still some good in him somewhere. Jess had to believe that was true, because the whole world basically depended on it.

Uncle Crowley led the five of them – Jess, Ollie, Jude, Clare, and Michael – down a series of hallways and corridors. Hell reminded Jessica of a very old and huge castle; a haunted one that was filled with the echoes of tortured souls. She kept her focus on the migrating group in front of her instead of the screams. It was hard not to think about all the people trapped down here for eternity. 'I'm proud of you, Sunshine,' she imagined her Papa's voice saying to drown out the scary noises, 'That's my baby girl!'

The group eventually stopped at a certain door and uncle Crowley turned around to look at Michael with a harsh stare.

"Should any harm befall these children while you're in there -"

"It won't," Michael promised, "Give me ten minutes and I will have Lucifer on our side."

Jessica shared a private look with the rest of the teenagers behind Michael's back. Really? He planned to have Lucifer on their side in ten minutes? How could he possibly convince the devil to help them in such a short amount of time? Though he seemed just as skeptical as everyone else, Crowley forced a nod and opened the door.

It was almost like the doorway led to outside. It was a dark and foggy place; like a swamp at nighttime. Lightening was streaking across the sky overhead while a haze covered the ground. Michael strolled into the place without hesitation, leaving the teenagers to follow him. Clarence was able to coax Jude along, and Jessica was able to inch inside with Ollie. The five of them made a small line all the way toward the massive cage in the middle of the area.

A huge metal cage etched with Enochian markings and draped with heavy chains sat just before them. A wall of fire surrounded the box too, making it difficult to see inside. But even though the cage itself seemed intimidatingly strong, a pair red eyes were peeking out from inside, making Jessica's skin crawl. Was that... Lucifer? Was he watching them walk closer? Just before the group reached the fence of flames, the view of a face grew around the red eyes. Two hands gripped the bars and a body leaned close to the edge, allowing the firelight to reveal Lucifer's appearance.

Unlike his cartoon depictions, the devil wasn't red. He didn't have a tail or horns, either. In fact, the devil looked kind of... unimpressive. He was just a guy with glowing red eyes. Jessica felt a mixture of relief and slight skepticism. This was Lucifer? He didn't seem very tough. After seeing what Jude was capable of, Jess was sure that her cousin could probably take him in a fight... Still, Michael was hesitant to go any closer. The older archangel remained a good distance away from the fire. And it seemed like his presence really pissed off Lucifer.

"Mikey," the devil growled, his fists tight around the cage bars, "You're still alive? Why are you still alive? Better yet, why the hell are you standing over there instead of in here with me? I thought we were having fun in here. I thought we -"

"Darkness has escaped, brother," Michael interrupted, cutting right to the chase, "You remember Darkness..."

For a second, Lucifer was quiet. The pent up rage on his face slowly morphed into something else, as if memories of the Darkness were swirling in his mind. They must have been bad memories, because he didn't look too happy. Still, Lucifer managed to maintain his prideful look.

"Good," the devil spat, "Maybe it'll kill you. Somebody ought to."

Jessie heard Clarence's voice whisper 'agreed' somewhere nearby. She didn't think that anyone else caught it, because no one scolded him. In the small silence that followed Lucifer's hateful comment, Jess noticed that the glowing red orbs of his eyes had gravitated to her. The teenage girl practically froze under Satan's gaze, able to feel him looking at every inch of her body like he was appraising a cut of meat.

"Jessica," Lucifer purred, "My, my... I never thought that the daughter of my brother and my vessel would look so... full figured? Is that phrase still acceptable? Or do the kids prefer 'booty-licious' now?"

Jessica paled and felt like hiding herself immediately. Ew, she didn't want to be looked at that way! Especially not by her creepy uncle! No one was allowed to look at her 'full figure' like that! No one except Ollie, that is. And Ollie seemed to be more upset about it than she was. Jess's red-haired boyfriend slid in front of her with a death glare, putting himself between her and the devil's prying eyes.

"Hey, watch your mouth," he barked in a warning tone.

Jessie's mouth fell open. Ollie was actually bossing Lucifer around. Holy cow, he was so brave; like a knight in shining red hair. Uncle Lucifer scoffed in surprise as his gaze shifted to Jess's boyfriend.

"How about you step in here and make me, kid?" the devil challenged, the red in his eyes spiking with heat.

"Enough," Michael interrupted, regaining everyone's attention, "Lucifer, you know what it's going to take to put away Darkness again -"

"Yeah, yeah. I remember," Lucifer grumbled, "The only reason you're here is because you need me. But don't hold your breath, Mike. I don't want to have anything to do with you, let alone 'Daddy's creation.' As far as I'm concerned, it can all burn... Besides, even if I did decide to take pity on you, it wouldn't matter anyway. Raphael is dead. And it'll never work with just three of us."

"Actually, it can," Michael argued, pausing to gesture toward the teenagers behind him, "These nephilim are just as strong as we are. I've witnessed the power myself. They can fill in for Raphael and Gabriel -"

"Gabriel?" Lucifer said, his eyes widening, "What the hell happened to Gabe?!"

"Darkness placed him in Purgatory. Along with Castiel and the Winchesters," Michael informed, "As of this moment, you, these nephilim, and I are Earth's only hope."

"Aaaaand you expect me to just waltz out of this cage and help you? You, of all people?" Lucifer scoffed, "Everyone might think I'm evil, but I'm certainly not an idiot. Go screw yourself, Mike. Piss off and enjoy the terrible death that awaits you."

The devil let go of the bars and turned away, tearing his red eyes away from the group to focus on the back floor of the cage. Michael sighed heavily and briefly rubbed his forehead before looking back up.

"You haven't heard my peace offering yet," the archangel called.

"Don't care. Go away. Kick your own ass on the way out," Lucifer called, his cold tone echoing through the void.

"I'll destroy this cage," Michael blurted.

Even from the few yards distance, Jessie could see Lucifer's head raise. Though he wasn't looking at them, the devil was listening. But Jessica and Jude shared a small look of terror. Destroy the cage? But, what if Lucifer needed to be put back in it? That didn't sound like a wise plan, but Michael quickly continued anyway.

"I'll use my own grace to tear it down," he offered, striding closer as he stared at the back of his brother's head, "Once you walk out of this box, you'll never have to go back inside another one ever again. I'll make sure of it."

Jessie was a little nervous about Michael's offer. Letting Lucifer walk free forever didn't seem like a very smart thing to do. Maybe they should have talked about this before coming here. Inside the Cage, Lucifer finally turned around and came back to look at Michael from the edge. His expression had shifted from anger to flat out disbelief.

"So what?" he challenged, "Other cages can be made. Do you seriously think I'm that stupid? Do I have 'jackass' written on my forehead somewhere? Michael, you were always the stupid one; blindly following Dad's orders and shit."

Michael groaned loudly as if he was fed up with trying to argue with his brother. After nodding his head and looking around, he shrugged and turned away.

"Fine. Stay here and rot," Michael hissed, already starting to shoo the teenagers toward the exit, "We can manage without you."

Jessica's heart pounded hard in her chest. What? Really? They could manage without Lucifer? If that was the case, then why were they even here? Was Michael telling the truth? … or was this a bluff? While everyone walked back through the void, Jessica watched Lucifer in the distance. The closer everyone got to the door, the more anxiety seemed to creep on his face. Soon, the only thing Jessica could see were the two tiny red orbs growing smaller. And just as Michael reached for the door handle –

"Wait!"

A tiny smirk flickered on Michael's lips but disappeared before he turned to look at his brother in the foggy void. Lucifer was glaring hard at him in the dark, gripping the bars with rage again.

"If you really want my help, I have a condition," Lucifer called.

Unimpressed, Michael crossed his arms and arched an eyebrow. He must have seen it coming.

"What?" he inquired.

In the flickering shine from the lightening above, Jessica briefly saw Lucifer's silhouette. He was grinning, now; staring through the bars like a person consumed with madness and delight.

"I want the throne," he eventually stated.

Between the teenagers, Michael rolled his eyes and shook his head.

"I don't think Crowley will relinquish his rights to rule over – "

"No," Lucifer barked across the void, "Not Hell's throne... I want Dad's throne."

Jessica had to cover her mouth to muffle the gasp she inhaled. What?! Lucifer wanted to take Grandpa Chuck's place or something?! The guy was absolutely crazy! They would never let anything like that happen! Even as Jess thought this, she could tell that Michael was mulling it over in his mind. The archangel was actually considering Lucifer's condition.

"You want to rule Heaven?" Michael asked to clarify.

In the distance, Lucifer nodded in the firelight, looking terrifyingly giddy with his red eyes glowing. Jessica was already shaking her head back and forth. No! There was no way they could let Lucifer rule Heaven! That place belonged to Grandpa Chuck and all the souls of dead humans! What was Michael thinking?! He couldn't really agree to that, could he? To Jessica's utter shock and disappointment, Michael's head began to bob up and down.

"... Deal."

It felt like Jessica's heart dropped several floors as she gripped Ollie's hand tight. No! How could Michael do that?! Jessica's parents would be horrified if they knew this was happening! Jess turned to look toward Lucifer a few yards away, where his red eyes loomed over a shining white grin between the bars of his cage.

"Deal," he agreed.

(Author's Note: Whats that old phrase? Never make deals with the devil? I guess Michael never got that message. Lol ;) I know the angst seems really bad right now, but don't worry folks. I have a plan. :D I really hope that Michael's description of Darkness was easy to understand. Of course, we will learn more about Darkness (first hand) later. And I know what you're thinking; "Snailhair, come on. What are the odds of Michael being responsible for burning down Clare's house? Isn't that a bit of a stretch?" yeah, probably. Lol. My idea behind that is: When Clare's witch moms discovered that he was half-demon, they decided to try and get in contact with someone from Hell, to figure out his parentage. Of course, they didn't get far before Michael hopped on board and rode that portal to Earth. So, yeah. Be careful where to plant your portals, people. XD Oh, and Ollie's middle name is 'Edwardo' (after his dad) and he absolutely hates it. XD And speaking of the Thompson family, earlier in the chapter, Jane says "Take care, Pumpkin. Please." in Spanish. And Ollie replies with, "Yes. I love you, mom." (If it's wrong, please correct me, as always. Lol) :D I know we didn't get a chance to see the Dads in Purgatory this time, but we will check in with them next week. ;) I seriously cannot thank you guys enough for all of your comments and support. Like, honestly, your words help me through the day. Every day. And I'm honored to have all of you as readers. *group hug* XD The next chapter – which contains some first-time Judence smut! – will be out soon! :)

Banana Theft, Lol! Don't you just hate it when FF boots you off? Like, come on FF, ain't nobody got time for that. XD Frankly, I totally understood your 'fluff and stuff' line. Gabe, I think you're losing your touch, pal. (Must be Purgatory) ;D Yes! Your Midam senses are right on track! :D And I think Jude would agree with you. (Jude: "Clare, if you like it, you're supposed to put a ring on it. Even my parents knew that." Clare: "Okay, fine." *puts a hoola hoop on Jude* "Better?" Jude: "...I hate you." Clare: "Nah, you love me." Jude: *sigh* "Yes I do.") XD I'm sure that Castiel will definitely go all Mother hen on lil Jude when he gets back to Earth. Jude is, and will always be, his widdle baby bumble bee. ;) (Cas: *cuddles Jude* "My infant son is okay!" Jude: "I'm 17, Papa.") lol! :) Aww, and thank you very much for the well wishes, darlin. I had a pretty good (albeit boring) St. Patty's Day. :D Thank you so much for reading and reviewing! I hope you have another great weekend! :)

GeekGirlForLife, Haha! That's true, darlin. Only Supernatural would make us excited about Satan. XD And, omg, your St. Patty's day plan sounded sooo good! :D (Holy crap, that new Thor movie was amazing! I mean, they're all amazing, but the new one was probably the best. Go Korg!) XD Anyways, Awww, I'm so sorry for making you cry, darlin! :( Don't worry, I promise that Castiel will get to hold his baby bumble bee again soon. ;) Thank you so much for reading and reviewing, darlin! I'm so glad you like it so far! :) I hope you have another great weekend! :)

Jawn Lennon Aid, Aww, yay! I'm so glad that you enjoyed Jessie's way of finding Michael. (To be honest, I totally made it up as I went along – shout out to Cas for inspiring me to 'make it up as we go.' lol) But yeah. With Angels, I'm sure everything is connected somehow. :) Aww, I'm glad you liked the Midam touch as well! :D And may I just say: Holy crap. The idea of Jude having Dragon wings instead of Angel wings is freakin Awesome! :D It's true, though; most of the time, Jude is a happy lil angel, with wings like a birdy – but when anyone lays a finger on Clare, he morphs into a huge, fire-breathing dragon! Epic af! XD Thank you for that impressive visual! :D Cassie does worry about him a lot, I think because he remembers how small and fragile Jude was at birth, and even before birth. He was just a tiny lil guy, and that's what Cas sees whenever Jude is there, even though he's 17. lol. :) Yes! According to what Michael mentioned in this chapter, Jude will stand in for Raphael and Jessie will stand in for Gabe, since he's currently trapped in Purgatory. It will be a battle for the ages! (sort of. Lol) Darlin, thank you so much for reading and reviewing! I hope you have a great weekend! :)

Sammy's Rose, Haha! Aww, don't say that, darlin! You are the best! My favorite red-headed Ravenclaw! :D I'm so glad you enjoyed watching our lil bumble bee Jude go into full rage mode and through that guy through a window! (that guy was lucky to be left alive, I can tell ya that. Lol) Ha! I never realized it, but you're right! Jess does have better luck with the smut department than Sam does. (Ollie, however, might not be so lucky. Lol) XD If Gabriel still had his angelic hearing, I'm sure he would have heard Dickie crying out about their bunny mating for the first time, even from Purgatory. (Sam would not have liked that at all. Ha!) XD G'aww, I know, right?! Dean is so sweet when he calms Cas down; always cuddling him and reminding him of the good things. Dammit Dean, you're so sweet! :D Just so you know, when you pointed out that line about love and said that it sounded like something from Harry Potter and Once Upon A Time, I totally got choked up. Those are two of my favorite things! And to think my work even sounds remotely as cool as that just – gah! Thank you so much, hon! *giant loving hugs* :') Haha! I don't think any of us will look at Hot Pockets the same way, darlin. XD There is absolutely no judgement about Addie, hon. Call him whatever you'd like! I'm game! :) Omg, I know, that scene where they were all fighting was so hard to write. Just get along, guys! XD I'm glad that you were able to hold on to your rage, darlin, because you will definitely be needing it for Lucifer now. ;D AH! You showed your friends? Awww, I'm so glad they liked the drawing of banshee! XD If I had some way to send you the original copy, I would. It's just laying in my drawing folder. Lol. :D I'm sure there will be plenty more scenes from the story to draw, though! I can't wait! :D Thank you so much for reading and reviewing, darlin! I hope you have a great weekend! :)

Leora Condour, Awww, sweetheart, you are sooo sweet! *giant hugs* :D Trust me, if I could actually write the scripts for Spn, I would make them awesome. (Or die trying to make Destiel canon. Lol) XD I can't tell you how glad I am that you're enjoying the story! Thank you so much for always reading and reviewing! You're the best! *another hug* Have a great weekend! :)

TheRagingHawk, Aww, I know! Poor Cas probably hates being human now. Lol. :) I really hope that you enjoyed the kids' first time meeting Uncle Luci! (tbh, I would have made it a lot longer if I had the time and energy this week, but I hope it's still good. Lol) Thank you so much for reading and reviewing, darlin! I hope you have a great weekend! :)

Deanstiel's Daughter, G'aww, thank you so much, darlin! :D I'm so glad that you enjoyed the fact that Michael was/is watching over Adam. (Those two got pretty close in the cage, I guess. Lol) Omg, yes! I'm so glad you understand! No matter what new story you come up with for your characters, the old ones stay in your head and it's kind of more fun to write off of them than to start from scratch. Lol. :) I hope that my Michael is a little more tolerable than the canon Michael. I've given him a genuine reason to fight for the good guys, but his love for Adam also sort of blinds him to everything else. (Like, I don't know, making stupid deals with the devil perhaps? lol!) XD He's very lucky that he has Jude and Jessica for back up. Just sayin'. ;D Aww, I'm glad to hear that you had a fantastic St. Patty's day! I hope you got to spend lots of time with your Castiel. ;) Mine was good, if a bit boring. Lol. :D Thank you so much for reading and reviewing, darlin! I hope you have another lovely weekend! :)

Ashley Allen 46, Aww, yay! I'm so glad that you enjoyed the chapter, darlin! :) And you're sooo sweet! I'm so glad you are happy about Michael and Adam! Cause I am too! XD Omg, you're right. Jude's protectiveness definitely came straight from his daddies. Lol. Clare is a very lucky demon. ;) Thank you so much for reading and reviewing, darlin! I hope you have a great weekend! :)

gothichic, Hey there, spn bestie! :D Awwww, really? I'm your favorite person in the whole world? Aww, that actually made me tear up a little bit! Lol. :') You're my favorite person in the whole world too, darlin! You're so thoughtful and caring *hugs so tight* and, oh man, I'm so glad that you enjoyed last week's chapter! Oh Chuck, yeah, poor Castiel hates being away from Jude. It eats him up inside knowing that his little baby bumble bee is back on Earth with the Darkness. :( But you're right; he is very lucky (ha! Like Lucky Blue Smith! ;D) that he has a wonderful hubby like Dean to comfort him when he's worried. Dean sees a lot of Cas in Jude, where he's so innocent and sweet but secretly strong, and he's not worried about him as much. And while Gabe might not be having many nightmares, (because he's too afraid to sleep right now, lol,) he's still not comfortable in Purgatory either. (Gabe: "Hold me, Moose! I'm scared!" Sam: "Gabe, get off, you weigh a ton!" Gabe: *climbs up onto Sam's shoulders and refuses to get down* Sam: "Ugh, you're lucky we're married.") lol! XD G'aww, I'm glad you liked the fact that Michael stayed right next to Adam for eleven years, too. I think that time they spent together in the cage really changed him into a sweeter, more caring angel. :) Aww! It's funny that you mentioned Michael whispering in Adam's ear, because he totally did that in this chapter before he left to get Lucifer! (That was the first time he's left Adam's side in years and it killed him inside.) Haha! Omg, I'm so glad that 'everybody loves dick' line made you laugh! XD It's so true, isn't it? Except for Ollie. He likes Hot Pockets. LOL! XD Aww, yeah, I really hated teasing Michael like that by letting Jess heal him a little bit and then having Clare stop her, but I think by the end of the chapter, even Michael agreed that waiting was for the best. At first, though, he was not happy about it! And he made the mistake of touching Clarence. Baaad choice, Mike. Jude won't have any of that. Lol! :D But yeah, I think Michael really trusts the kiddos, now. And I really hope you like how Michael and Lucifer interacted in this chapter! Oh man, Luci wants Heaven's throne. (I'm sure the Winchesters will never let that happen, though. Lol) ;D Darlin, thank you so much for reading and reviewing every week! You are the sweetest person in the world and I love talking with you! *giant hugs* I hope you liked the new chapter, and that you have a great weekend! Love ya, hon! Talk to you again soon! :)