AN: I've officially graduated from nursing school! I'll update as much as I can. Unfortunately because I graduated, I now have to study to take the NCLEX. So, just when I thought I was done! Anyway – I'll stop blabbering. This chapter is a little short. I'll make up for it next time! I just wanted to update and let you know that I hadn't forgotten about you. Thank you – Dee
X
[Timeline continued from last chapter]
Dean woke up the next morning at 9:30. He could hear the faint swish of a page turning. Without moving anything else but his head, he peered up at Bobby's desk from the floor. "I was wonderin' when you were gonna rejoin us," Bobby teased, turning another page, his eyes focused on the book before him.
"Where's Sam?" Dean yawned, rising slowly from the hardwood floor as his back popped.
"He went to get some food. Apparently bacon and eggs has "too much fat"," he mocked, shaking his head.
"Whatcha readin' up on?" Dean asked, walking over to join Bobby behind his desk.
"Nephilim lore."
"Why didn't you just ask Cas?"
"I would, but he'll barely leave the girl's side and Gabriel's been perched on the house all night in case Crowley dared to show."
"You find anything interesting?" Dean thumbed through a few opened books Bobby had sat aside and bookmarked.
"Only that no one really knows much about them. I mean sure, people've written stories and what they think is real, but – it's all different. They're called beasts in some places, peace keepers and guardians in others – I don't know what to make of it."
"Anything about them and demons?" Bobby took a short sip of coffee, pointing to a passage that was opened.
"If they breed and are successful during mating – the nephilim can produce the next Anti-Christ. Legend says it'll be bigger and badder than Lucifer."
"Well that explains a lot," Dean grumbled, his eyebrows knitting together. "Does he know about her? You think that's why Crowley was "safe-guarding" her?"
"We don't believe so," Cas interrupted, appearing flush against Dean's right shoulder.
"Cas…" Dean began, not even looking at the angel.
"Yes. Personal space. Forgive me," he mumbled, taking a couple of steps backwards.
"Thank you," Dean replied, turning to face Castiel.
"We don't believe Lucifer knows about Addison. We've been watching over him as closely as possible. He has made no mention of her name."
"That doesn't mean anything," Dean growled.
"No, but it does buy us time to train her properly."
"Train her?" Dean repeated, his eyebrows rising. "You're training her to fight Lucifer, aren't you? Instead of fighting the fight yourselves you'd rather just pass the buck again. That's a load of horse shit, Cas." Castiel squinted his eyes. "Oh, don't. You know what that means," Dean quipped.
"Dean. We are preparing her in the event that Lucifer or Crowley comes to take her. We are teaching her how to teleport and fly. Just standard safety measures."
"Oh," Dean muttered, his face relaxing.
"Gabriel and I will train her, only if she wants to be trained. We are leaving that decision with her."
"Are you two going to look for Crowley?"
"Why?" Castiel asked, his head cocking to the side.
"Because he basically "kidnapped" the nephilim."
"We're not looking for him yet."
"Are you kiddin' me?" Bobby growled.
"Gabriel believes it's safer to train Addison first. For her safety. From what we gather, Crowley has been guarding her and protecting her since birth. He's only recently been training with her. He could have been preparing her to destroy Lucifer or to make her a weapon against us."
"Or preparing to mate and make an Anti-Christ," Dean added in. Castiel hung his head. "How do you leave that out, huh? Or did you think I just needed to know the basics?"
"She would have had to have chosen to become pregnant, Dean."
"This is still a girl we're talkin' about," Bobby spat. Dean nodded in agreement with Bobby.
"We aren't even certain Crowley knows about that," Cas told the both of them. Sam came in the rear door of the kitchen a few seconds later, his hands gripping three plastic bags in each. Dean walked over to help him and Sam nodded a thanks.
"What'ja get?" Dean asked, peeking into a bag.
"Food," Sam answered, side stepping his older brother to set the bags on the counter. "By the way," Sam started, his eyebrows raised. "Did you know Gabriel and Addison are on the roof?"
"They're training," Cas piped in.
"Okay then," Sam told him as Cas disappeared.
"You think Addy eats?" Dean asked Bobby and Sam, opening a styrofoam container of a skillet scramble with eggs, bacon, sausage and vegetables cooked in together. He took a seat at the table, his stomach grumbling as he picked up his fork. At that moment Addison crashed into the kitchen table before Dean, who quickly held up his container as the table broke into pieces.
"Damn it," Addison cursed, throwing a piece of the table leg at the wall, not remembering her strength, it hurled through the wall and bounced off of Bobby's fireplace.
"I'm glad I was in the toilet," Bobby growled as he walked into the kitchen.
"I'm so sorry, Bobby," Addison told him, climbing out of the remnants of the table.
"It's just a table, kid. You alright?" he asked, holding a hand out to her. She grasped it and pulled him down to the floor with her.
"Oh shit," she yelped. Sam held a hand over his mouth, silently laughing.
"You okay there, Bobby?" Dean asked through a laugh.
"I'm just glad I've taken my Celebrex this morning," Bobby groaned as Dean helped him up. Gabriel popped in beside Sam and shook his head.
"Go back up, fetch Castiel and come back," Gabriel ordered Addison, a stern look on his face.
"No! Can't you see this is useless?" she shouted. "I can't do this!"
"Addison," Gabriel warned. "Go." She bit her lip and made eye contact with Dean who simply glanced up at the ceiling and back at her. Rolling her eyes, she fluttered out of sight. "This is a lot worse that I had pictured." He waved a hand and the table repaired itself. "She has no sense of direction."
"At least she made it into the kitchen. Give her a little credit," Sam interrupted, opening his styrofoam container of an egg white omelet with vegetables and protein powder.
"What is that?" Gabriel asked, disgusted as he chewed loudly on a Twix bar.
"Breakfast," Sam answered, unapologetically.
"That's – so – "
"Healthy," Dean finished with a mouthful of food.
"Much closer," Castiel praised as he and Addison appeared in the living room, upright and in one piece.
"Still not in the kitchen," Gabriel yelled as the pair disappeared.
X
JANUARY, LAS VEGAS, NEVADA : 1 AND HALF YEARS AGO
A tall, lanky blonde walked along the deserted side street beside the strip of casinos, her heels clicking on the pavement. She hummed out loud, her silky hair shining under a streetlight as she passed under it. "Oh, come on," she sang. "I know you lot are out here…" A man appeared behind her quickly, his eyes black. "There you are. I've been looking for you."
"State your business," the man spoke.
"I seek the company of Lucifer."
"You do know we are in the middle of a war," he snarled as his eyes flicked back to the vessel's eyes.
"Yes," she sighed. "And I have information for Lucifer regarding this so called war."
"This had better be good," he clipped, leading her down a narrow alley. The pair descended down a flight of stairs to a large, open boiler room.
"Oh, this is fitting," she laughed, covering her mouth with her hands. "This is so classy even for you, Lucifer."
"Well, I am a creature of habit," he spoke, entering the room from her behind her. She turned around slowly, her eyes brightening as she looked at him. His vessel was average, with auburn hair and blue eyes, nothing that shouted attention.
"Forgive me, father. I did not mean to tease you."
"Of course you didn't, child." He placed a hand on her shoulder and nodded at the demons around the room. After a moment of silence he cleared his throat. "What brings you to me tonight, Lilu?" She peered up at him slowly, awe still written on her face.
"I have news for you, father."
"What news?"
"News on the war. News about Crowley." Lucifer's eyes perked up at the mention of Crowley's name. He hadn't been able to pin the worm down since he was released from his cage.
"How did you find Crowley?" Lucifer asked.
"I've been seeing him for quite some time."
"Ah, so you're a traitor – " he raised his hand, prepared to snap to have her detained when she began to panic.
"No! Father! Please! Let me finish! I was seeing him! I haven't seen him in a while! I have news for you that you might need!"
"What news? How did you get this information?"
"I pulled it from one of his peons, sir. I captured and tortured one for information. I wanted to know why Crowley had been ignoring me. I wanted to know what was so damned important."
"What was it?"
"Crowley's been hiding and training the nephilim."
"The nephilim?" Lilu nodded her head quickly. Lucifer laughed long and hard. "Do I look like a fool to you, Lilu?"
"Please, father, you must believe me. The nephilim lives."
"If the nephilim was alive, I would know about it." He wrapped a hand around her neck and gripped it tightly. She laughed softly as the pressure increased.
"Go ahead and do it. Zachariah is well on his way to the location where I have left Crowley's peon. Kill me and you'll never find out where she is."
"You're lying," he hissed, pressing his face against hers.
"You only wish I was," she laughed.
"Information like this doesn't come for free. What do you want before I make my decision?"
"A personal ticket to destroy the both of them."
"You may destroy him all you like, but the nephilim is mine."
"Why?" He laughed, releasing his hand from her neck.
"Perhaps you should have gotten more information from your source. You should know the nephilim can breed with a demon to create an Anti-Christ. If I breed with the nephilim – just think of my children," he marveled, imagining his hellish children out torturing and destroying their way through the world. "My real, actual children." She bowed her head sheepishly, rubbing her hands along her arms. "Where is the nephilim exactly?"
"I'm – I – I don't exactly know. The demon that worked for Crowley knows." Lucifer snarled and pinned her against a scalding hot pipe.
"You come here with only half the information that relates to my future?" he barked.
"It was security for me," she choked, wincing at the hot metal tearing into the flesh of her back.
"Take me to this demon. Now," he ordered.
