On the night that Billie showed up, before going to bed, Dean did something that he hadn't done since his family first moved into the bunker. He did a full perimeter check. Every single room, top to bottom, with a flashlight in one hand and an angel blade in the other. He put the garage door out of commission and triple bolted the main door – which seemed stupid in hindsight, because Lucifer could fly. But hearing the locks click firmly into place comforted Dean, so it wasn't a total waste. The last time he'd done a thorough sweep of his home, it was to check out all the cool rooms and figure out where each member of the family was going to crash. Now, it was to make sure the devil wasn't hiding inside the walls.
He wasn't. At least, not that Dean could see. Not yet, anyway. It was close to ten o'clock at night by the time he finally called it quits and headed for his bedroom. Dean passed Michael in the hall on the way, and though they didn't say a word to each other, Dean could tell that the archangel was doing his own perimeter check of the bunker. In the 'before' time, before Dean and Cas had a child or were even a couple, Dean would have taken offence to Michael's forward actions. Dean would have seen it as the archangel overstepping his boundaries; as Michael trying to force his way onto Dean's territory to do his job for him. But now, after everything that had happened between them and their family, Dean was honestly grateful for the help. The silent, momentary glance they shared in the hallway seemed to explain so much. Michael was the eldest child of his family, just like Dean. The insane level of responsibility was hardwired into his brain, too. It was an older brother thing. Watching out for everyone else was their job. They didn't have to be asked to do it. They just did it, because it was all they knew how to do…
When Dean finally made it back to his room, he found Cas sitting in bed. The angel was already dressed down – wearing nothing but a pair of tight black boxer shorts, just the way Dean liked it – with his back propped up against the pillows and the headboard. Their comforter was tossed casually over some of his lap and legs, and his arms were loosely crossed against his torso. His blue eyes were cast toward the end of the bed, but they were so distant that the angel didn't even notice that his husband had walked in. Dean casually started to unbutton his plaid shirt as he shut the door and stepped out of his boots.
"Hey, Cas," Dean greeted quietly.
The angel finally snapped out of his trance, blinking once before flashing those pretty blue eyes toward the man undressing at the door.
"Hello, Dean," Cas replied.
The deep, familiar sound of that phrase made a smile briefly appear on Dean's face. He loved hearing Cas say his name.
"What's the matter, babe?" Dean asked.
As Dean tossed his shirt away and reached down to undo his belt, Cas sighed heavily.
"Nothing," the angel denied.
Dean shook his head as he pulled his pants down to his own ankles and stepped out of them. He waited to speak until he got to the bed and climbed to sit on his side. The added weight caused the mattress to shift a bit, slightly bouncing Cas in his seated position. Before he talked, Dean faced his angel completely.
"Dude, we've been married for like a hundred years. You can't lie to me," the man explained, eying every detail of his angel's handsome face, "Come on. Tell me what you're thinking about."
Cas's jaw shifted back and forth, as if he was chewing on his reply. He seemed unwilling to answer at first, but finally gave in.
"I am thinking about our son," Cas murmured softly, "I am thinking about our grandchildren, who are yet to be born. I am thinking about my brother Lucifer, and wondering why he would want to harm Death or even my Father… and I am thinking about us, Dean," Cas breathed, turning to look at him with large sapphire orbs, "Remembering when we were expecting our own child. Do you recall how it seemed like my entire family was against us? How we had to fight to save Jude before he had even taken his first breath?"
"Yeah. I do," Dean nodded.
"Why did it happen?" Cas exhaled, shaking his head slowly, "Why do these things happen to our family? Just when we begin to partake in joyous miracles, tragedy rears its head. Can we not have peace, Dean? Is there no end to these horrific events? Must we always be plagued with heartache and despair?"
Dean was honestly at a loss for words. How the hell was he supposed to answer that question when it was being asked by the same person he would go to for the answer? Though he was out of advice, Dean felt the need to come up with something. He hated the thought of Cas being upset. To start, Dean reached over to take his husband's hand. The sensation of Cas's warm, gentle fingers were like medicine to Dean's soul, and the touch was enough to help him speak.
"There are a lot of things that I don't know, Cas… but here's what I do," Dean began, looking up to search the ocean blues he adored, "I know that our family is safe right now, and that we are all happy and healthy. I know that tomorrow, the sun is gonna come up, just like it always does. Gas prices will be outrageous. Led Zeppelin will still be the greatest band of all time. Sam will try to get us to eat organic crap. Gabe will find a way to annoy us. And our son will still have a thing for Superman… But more than any of that, I know that you are, and will always be, the safest haven I have ever known. You are my rock. My church. My sanctuary. And my best friend. If I ever need to be reminded that there is still good in the world, all I have to do is look at you, Cas, and I'm a believer again."
The last part was just enough to make a soft smile appear on Cas's pink lips.
"And that, for me, is enough," Dean concluded with a shrug, "That's what gets me through one tragedy to the next. Loving you and our family… Sorry that's not much of an answer –"
Cas suddenly leaned over to capture Dean's mouth with his own, muting the rest of Dean's statement with a grateful pair of lips and a loving tongue. Dean's eyes automatically shut so that he could savor the sweet taste. Damn. Kissing Cas was like drinking from living water; like being delivered to the promised land. When Cas slowly broke away, Dean reached up to hold the angel's warm face to keep him close.
"It was a perfect answer, Dean," Cas corrected, his breath brushing against Dean's wet lips as he spoke, "Thank you."
"N – no problem, babe," Dean smirked, his head still swimming from their physical contact.
Cas's eyes gazed deeply into Dean's, measuring his soul with the softest stare possible.
"You are my sanctuary, too. As well as my fortress. And my garden," the angel hummed.
Dean's smile only grew. Most people would probably find it weird to be compared to a garden, but Dean knew how much Cas loved flowers and bees, so that made it a damn good compliment. There was nothing that comforted Dean more than looking into his angel's eyes and seeing unconditional love there. He felt like he could stare at Cas forever. The angel sighed happily as he reached up to cup the side of Dean's cheek.
"I would like to have sex with you, now, Dean," Cas blurted.
Dean chuckled once, because the extremely blunt statement caught him off guard. But then, he kissed Cas's lips again and slid both arms down to cradle the angel's back.
"Then sex we shall have, babe," Dean obliged.
Jude knew that everything that was happening with Billie was super important. He knew that Lucifer was probably up to something bad and that the whole family needed to be on alert just in case he tried to mess with them… but in the meantime, Jude couldn't help but be absolutely smitten with his pregnancy.
He raised his shirt up to look down at his own glowing stomach so many times that Clare suggested he just take his shirt off. Which is exactly what he did when it was time for bed that night. Jude laid on his own twin sized bed in his Superman sheets, propped up so that he could place both hands on his flat, glowing stomach and stare at it. His babies – babies. Not one, but two. That still left Jude in awe – were growing inside his grace, and he could almost feel it happening. Grandpa Chuck was right, as always. Jude did get more than he wished for…
His bedroom door opened up across the room, letting Clarence back inside. The demon had gone to the bathroom to brush his teeth and had returned, wearing one of his old Pearl Jam t-shirts and a pair of sweatpants. Jude admired his husband's grungy attire, finding Clare's messy hair and bad-boy look sexy as hell. Though, when Clare started for the bed, he grimaced and reached back to hold his hip.
"My ass still hurts," he mentioned, rubbing his tailbone.
Jude laughed a little, remembering Clare dropping out of sight with a loud 'bang' in the kitchen when he learned they were having twins.
"You poor thing," Jude smiled, "Come here. I'll heal you."
Clare waddled his way over to carefully sit on the edge of Jude's bed, where Jude reached out to touch Clare's back. The angel used his grace to heal his husband, like he had done countless times before – but this time, it felt like there was a surge in Jude's body. The tiny flash of grace he used to heal Clare caused a slight jolt to his stomach, where the glow brightened and faded in a flash. Jude didn't mention the sensation out loud, but he knew he felt it. The same grace he used to do angel things was the same grace his children were growing in. Which meant that he probably wouldn't be able to do many angel things now that he was pregnant. Not without harming his twins…
"Ah," Clare smiled, flexing a bit, "Much better. Thanks, Jay."
Jude nodded, quickly regaining his smile so that Clare wouldn't be worried. Clare's attention, however, immediately gravitated toward Jude's stomach. He reached out to carefully place his hands next to Jude's, where the white glow shimmered in his chestnut eyes. There was a look on his face that Jude couldn't describe, some mixture of fear and joy and awe.
"I can't believe there are twins in there," Clare whispered, sounding terrified, "Jude, we're going to have two kids."
"I know," Jude replied, deliberately moving his fingers to touch Clare's.
The longer the demon stared at the angel's glow, the more worry seeped into his expression.
"We don't have anything ready for them," Clare breathed, "No diapers, no formula… Jay, we don't even have names picked out yet."
"Well, let's pick some right now," Jude suggested.
"What? We can't just name them right now. We have to think about it and pick good ones," Clare corrected.
Jude had another small laugh. It was funny to see Clare – the usually calm, suave, and charismatic demon – freaking out over every little part of their children's lives. But Jude admired and respected his husband's attention to detail. Clare wanted to make their children's names special, and so did Jude.
"Okay," Jude allowed, glancing to his own stomach, "Then, how about we each name one? You name one, I'll name the other."
"Alright," Clare agreed, "Do you want to name the boy or the girl?"
Jude swallowed hard and slid his thumbs back and forth over the skin of his own stomach, where the babies were taking shape just below the surface. How was he supposed to pick between them? That was impossible.
"You choose," Jude mumbled.
"Well… Girls aren't exactly my forte," Clare replied, "Is it cool if I name the boy?"
Jude immediately nodded, feeling his smile grow back. The idea of Clarence picking their son's name made him feel even more excited. Clare's grin widened and he looked back down to Jude's stomach, where he cradled both sides again.
"Don't worry, kid. I'll give you a kick-ass name," the demon promised, "And I'm sure Papa Jude will give you a sweet name too, little girl. You guys are in good hands."
When he heard the phrase 'Papa Jude', the angel's mouth dipped open slightly. Holy shit. Jude wasn't just a parent. He was a Papa. He was the one that his kids would go to when they felt scared or needed affection, just like Jude did with his own Papa. That was a pretty profound revelation…
"We're gonna have to buy two of everything," Clare sighed, pulling Jude from his thoughts again, "Two car seats, two highchairs, two strollers. Double the clothes. Double the toys… Man, that's a lot of stuff."
"Yeah," Jude mumbled.
For a moment, the two parents were silent as they blinked down at the glow from Jude's abdomen. The weight of their impending responsibility was slowly crushing down on them, filling their minds with anxiety. Jude hadn't thought this far ahead. He wanted to get pregnant and have a baby, but he never thought about what would happen after he had that baby. And now that it was two babies, the worry was doubled. How was he going to juggle two infants at once? What if it was more than he could handle? Or more than Clare could handle? What if they didn't get the names right? What if they were bad parents?
While Jude was starting to have a mini crisis in his head, Clare's head rose to reveal a pair of wide eyes and a smirk. Jude blinked at him, wondering why he had that look on his face. It was almost like a light bulb had clicked on over Clare's head.
"What?" Jude blurted.
"I just remembered," Clare breathed, sounding delighted, "We already have something to give them."
Jude narrowed his eyes at his husband. What was he talking about? With Jude thoroughly lost, Clare got up from the bed and walked around to Jude's bookshelf near the far wall. Jude sat up straighter and watched him, wondering what he was looking for. It wasn't until Clare started back to the bed that Jude saw the brown fur and realized – Clare had the otters. The pair of stuffed otters that Jude had since he was a kid, the ones with magnetic paws. Clare sat down and held them up with a grin, looking impressed.
"They can each have one," Clare explained, scrunching his eyebrows a little, "These are… kinda perfect, aren't they?"
"Yeah," Jude exhaled, feeling goosebumps on his own skin.
"Where did you get these, Jay?" Clare asked, breaking the paws apart so he could snap them back together.
"The Zoo," Jude answered, "We went there for Jessica's tenth birthday."
"Tenth?" Clare repeated, pausing to give Jude a stunned look.
"Yeah. Why?" Jude asked.
"Nothing. It's just… that was a long time ago. Long before you ever met me. But you gave me one when I first left the bunker," Clare reminded, "Why'd you do that?"
Jude felt a blush starting to work its way across his cheeks. They were starting to fill with heat when he reached forward to take one of the otters out of Clare's hand and look down at it. It's little sewn smile and bead eyes were still adorable, even after so many years.
"Because when I first got them, Papa told me that I should give one to somebody special. Someone important to me. That way, we could each have something to remind us of each other," Jude explained, too shy to look anywhere but at the toy in his hand, "This is going to sound silly, but… I kinda hoped that if I gave you one, it would make you homesick and you'd come back to me… Wait, that doesn't make sense…"
"Yes, it does."
Jude finally looked up to see absolute seriousness on Clare's face. He nodded his blonde head, clinching the lone otter firmly in his grasp.
"It makes a lot of sense, Jay," Clare chuckled breathlessly, glancing between Jude's eyes and the stuffed animals in their hands, "And I want you to know it worked. I've been homesick for you my whole life. I just didn't know it until I met you… And I don't know if it's fate, or coincidence, or some kind of miracle, but it looks like these were destined to make it into the hands of our children, too."
He reached out to hold his otter closer to Jude's, getting the magnetic paws close enough to 'click' back together. Jude smiled at the joined otters, feeling joy and love swell in his chest. Clare was right. There was an otter for each of their children; something to keep them united always, as twins should be. Though he didn't say it out loud, Jude thought that this must have been a tiny part of Grandpa Chuck's design. How could it not be?
Seeing that Jude was at a loss for words, Clare only smiled and crawled forward to bring their lips together. After the small, intimate kiss, Clare pecked his lips to some of Jude's face too, bringing the smile back to the angel's mouth. The demon bent down to kiss Jude's stomach twice as well, one for each of their children. Then, he snuggled down onto the bed, laying his head at Jude's side and tossing an arm around Jude's hips to face the angel's stomach.
"You go ahead and get some sleep, Superman. I'll take the first watch," Clare announced.
Jude chuckled again. He liked the idea of Clare watching over their children, even though they were still in the womb. To show his appreciation and affection, Jude ran his fingers through Clare's silky hair and nestled into a comfortable position.
"'Night, Clare. I love you," the angel hummed, closing his eyes.
"Love you too, Jay," Clare replied, "Goodnight."
Jessica had more trouble sleeping that night than usual. It wasn't just Ollie's loud snoring or Charlie's nightly diaper change that kept her awake. It was the image of Death laying on the floor, holding out her scythe to Jess and her Papa. It was the idea of her creepy uncle Lucifer roaming around the earth looking for something to devour. It was the notion of her family not being as safe as she thought they were.
The family decided to take shifts keeping an eye on the scythe. Michael took first watch. Then Jess's Pop. Then uncle Cassie. They kept the thing in the dungeon of the bunker, out of sight of not only Lucifer if he tried to show up, but also everyone else. Nobody wanted to look at the weapon, let alone be near it. But they were all that stood between it and the devil's grasping hands, so it needed to be done. Jess wondered how long they would need to keep it. She hoped that Death would wake up and come to retrieve it soon. She didn't like the thought of the deadliest weapon in the universe being in close proximity to her daughter.
Jess eventually feel asleep around two o'clock that morning, after changing Charlie's diaper. She didn't wake back up until one of her husband's deep, rumbling snores shook the bed. She grumbled at the irritating sound and rolled over, hoping to drown out the noise by raising the blanket over her ears. But as she rolled, she glanced toward Charlie's crib – and noticed that one side was down. Jessica instantly sat up and blinked several times toward the crib in the dark, unsure if what she was seeing was true. But the crib was open… And Charlie was gone.
"Oliver," Jessica said, searching the bed between them as she shook her husband awake, "Hey. Where's Charlie?"
Ollie grunted and rolled away from Jess's shaking hand, fighting to stay asleep. He mumbled something along the lines of 'Dean came in and got her', which Jessica found to be ridiculous. Uncle Dean wouldn't come into their room in the middle of the night to get Charlie. Jess glanced at the clock near the bed, seeing that it was close to five AM. So it was almost morning, but still. It seemed suspicious…
Jess tossed back her blankets and headed toward the door, stepping through the obstacle course of items to get there. The hallway, as usual, was lit with the fluorescent lights of the bunker, making Jess blink repeatedly so that her eyes could adjust to the contrast. Her destination was Dean and Cas's bedroom, to see why they would take Charlie without telling her. But she never made it there. Because the figure in the hallway stopped her in her tracks.
Though his back was turned to her, Jessica knew it was the devil. It was Lucifer in his human form; some guy that looked kind of like Dean from the back, but wasn't built the same way. He was standing there, facing the other direction. But when the bedroom door softly snapped shut at Jessica's side, he slowly turned around – revealing the baby in his arms. Jessica's heart leaped into her throat at the sight of her own child in the arms of the devil. Charlie was fast asleep, curled to the side and wrapped in her pink and yellow blanket. And Lucifer was grinning down at her, using the back of his finger to gently stroke her strawberry blonde hair. The sight turned Jess's stomach sour in an instant and made the blood drain from her face. Her first instinct was to fly across the room and snatch the baby from Satan's grasp, but his red glowing eyes flashed up and he raised his finger to his own lips.
"Shhhh," he warned in a whisper, "Don't make a sound. You wouldn't want to wake the baby, would you?"
Jessica's heart was pounding so hard, she could hear every fast beat in her ears. It sounded like drums banging in a rhythm; a terrifying theme to go with the terrifying situation.
"Give me my daughter," Jessica hissed.
She was trying to sound intimidating, but it came out like a beg from her raspy throat.
"You want this little atrocity back? Sure. You can have it," Lucifer cooed, swaying a little bit as he cradled Charlie to his chest, "But you have to give me something first."
Jessica didn't need to hear the rest of his demands. She already knew what he was after. He wanted that damn scythe in the basement. But Jessica didn't want him to have that, either. If Lucifer got his hands on that weapon, everyone in the universe would be in danger, especially Grandpa Chuck. But now, he had Charlie. Jessica's child. What was she supposed to do?!
"You know what I'm here for," Lucifer hummed, narrowing his eyes and smirking deviously, "So, listen very carefully. You are going to get it and bring it to me within the next ten seconds, or I will fly away with this little abomination and you will never see it again. Understand?"
Jessica nearly gasped. No! He couldn't take Charlie! He couldn't take Jessica's baby! Lucifer's smirk heightened as he gripped Charlie even tighter.
"Ten…" he said calmly, "Nine…"
The sound of seconds dwindling away caused Jessica's fight-or-flight instincts to kick in. Without thinking, she disappeared from the spot she was standing in and reappeared in the dungeon below. The scythe was sitting there, on a table in the middle of the room, with no one else around. In the hall few feet away, beyond the shield of a few shelves and filing cabinets, Papa and uncle Cas were exchanging shifts, mumbling quietly to each other.
There were a few seconds which Jessica considered shouting to them and telling them that Lucifer was upstairs. She wanted to alert anyone and everyone to the fact that the devil had backed her into a corner and was forcing her to do something she didn't want to do. But the thought of Charlie disappearing forever made her reconsider. If Jessica was to tell someone, Lucifer would probably fly away prematurely and keep Charlie out of spite. Or worse. He would kill her… That terrifying thought was enough to force Jessica to grab the black handle of the scythe and fly away again.
She reappeared in the hallway with the weapon in her hand, facing Lucifer, who was still holding Charlie. The devil smiled again once he saw her return with the scythe, still petting Charlie's hair.
"Good girl," he praised, gesturing her forward, "Bring it to me."
Jessica stood still for a second, trembling with glistening eyes as she gripped the scythe and scrambled for any other solution to this predicament. She briefly considered flying over to grab Charlie out of Lucifer's arms – but what if he flew away too fast for her to get there? Once again, she thought about shouting for help – but what if the sound was all it took to make Lucifer smite the baby in his arms? What if Jessica asked to have the baby first and then disappeared with both Charlie and the scythe? No, Lucifer wasn't stupid enough to let Jessica hold both of them. What could she do?! What could she do?!
"Now," Lucifer barked.
Jess flinched at the sound and carefully started to move forward. Tears were coming faster than she could stop them, running down her face as she glared at the devil holding her child. Rage and terror were boiling like lava in her chest as her feet slid across the stone floor. She didn't want to release the scythe from her grip, but Charlie was right there in front of her, sleeping peacefully. Just out of reach.
Though it was against every fiber in her being, Jessica forced herself to hold up the scythe. The heavy weapon swayed around a little because of her shaking grip, but the sight of it still made happiness grow across the devil's face. Instead of reaching up to take the scythe, Lucifer held his arms out – and dropped Charlie. Jessica gasped and dove for her daughter, releasing the scythe so that she could catch her baby with both hands. She grabbed Charlie just before the baby hit the floor, where her head was only a few inches from the stone surface. The sensation of falling and being caught was enough to wake Charlie up and make her start to cry. The sound came as a relief, though, because Charlie was now safe in Jessica's arms where she belonged.
The scythe, however, was now in Lucifer's grasp. He lingered in the hallway to admire it, looking along the detail of the curved metal and black handle like an art appraiser. As Jessica attempted to console her child, she glared at the devil through tears, wishing there was someway to take the scythe back from him. But he only smirked toward her like a pompous asshole.
"Oldest trick in the book. But it still works," he mused, his smile fading into a more serious look as he planted the scythe next to him, "You idiots stay out of my way, or this scythe will find its way through all of you."
Jessica didn't answer. She only glared fiercely and clung to her crying baby, unable to even locate her voice. The distant sound of footsteps started to come from down the hall and the noise made Lucifer disappear into thin air, taking the scythe with him. The sight of him leaving the bunker with the weapon in his hand made Jessica sob out loud. She couldn't help but feel like she had just signed Grandpa Chuck's death sentence. She handed the devil the means to kill God. If anything happened to him, it was all her fault. Because she wasn't strong enough or smart enough to figure out a way to take both her daughter and the scythe away from Lucifer.
Jessica's loud cries mixed with Charlie's, echoing down the bunker corridors. She backed up against the wall and slid down to sit on the floor, holding Charlie to her chest and curling into a ball. Voices and footsteps of various family members started to arrive, but Jess barely heard them over her own sobs. It wasn't until she felt her Papa's hands on her shoulders that she looked up to see him, her Dad, her uncles, and cousins all looking at her with sleepy, confused eyes.
"Jessie, what happened?! Are you okay?" Pop asked.
"No," Jess wept, trying to catch her breath, "I – I'm sorry! I didn't have a – a choice!"
"What is she talking about?"
"Gabe, what happened?"
"Is she hurt?"
"Shush it!" Pop spat to the whispering voices before turning back to Jess with a soft look, "Honeydew, it's okay. Just tell me what happened –"
"Lucifer!" Jess cried, "He was just here! He had Charlie! He was going to take her, b – but I couldn't let him, Papa! I couldn't! So I – I – I gave it to him!"
Jess didn't have to elaborate. The look of horror that came across her celestial father's face said it all. He knew exactly what she was talking about, as did most of the people standing around. Jess felt like every single one of them was glaring at her; blaming her for being so stupid as to hand Lucifer the most powerful weapon in the world. And they were right! She was a fool to do something so stupid! Her only consolation was the feeling of her daughter's warm body in her arms. Jess continued to apologize, though she knew it wouldn't do any good. Apologies wouldn't get the scythe back. They wouldn't save her Grandpa. They wouldn't save anyone. A heavy sigh came from somewhere in the crowd and the single word that came after it seemed to sum up the entire situation.
"Shit."
(Author's Note: Gotta love that angst, am I right? *nervous laugh* (Please don't hurt me.) ;D I'm sure that most of you have already gathered this, but I will let you know: Not a single person was glaring at Jessica at the end there. She was just imagining it because she feels guilty. I'm sure we've all been in that position before. :( I was craving some Destiel fluff, so that's why the beginning exists. Lol. XD Honestly, though, with everything that's going on in the world, I wanted to hear some wisdom and reassurance from Dean and Cas, so the beginning just sort of happened. The Jude and Clare scene, however, was completely planned. ;D The otters were kind of foreshadowing the twins, I guess. Jude had no idea when he picked them out, of course. But it's all part of Chuck's grand plan. I'm sure you've had similar foreshadowing things happen in your life, too. Crazy to look back and see the connections, isn't it? ;D I'm sorry this last part is filled with so much angst, but there are still good things to look forward to. :)
And I want to take a second here to tell you all how much I appreciate you, and hope that you are doing well. It seems like the whole world is on lock down and separated, but I want you to know that even if you're in a place that is dealing with quarantine, you are not alone. If you're getting cabin fever or just need someone to talk to, I'm here! Drop me a line! ;) And be sure to call and speak with an elderly loved one in your life. Ask how they're doing, tell them you love them, and remind them they aren't alone either. :) (My 87-year-old Granny is quarantined, but she's still hanging in there. She's a tough ol' bird.) ;D And I know Chuck told us to hoard toilet paper, but come on, guys! Be reasonable! The rest of us want clean butts, too! (Just kidding. I know you all are the nice ones who only take what you need, and I love you for it!) ;D Okay, I'll stop rambling now. Thank you all so very much for reading and commenting on this fic! I love each and every one of you, and hope you stay healthy! The next chapter will be out soon! :)
Eyum daRelmera, Good Morning, sweetheart! :D I hope you are doing well today, and have another lovely breakfast to read this with! (I'm always a little jealous when I hear about your coffee. It reminds me that I need to refill my tea.) :D I'm so glad you enjoyed the funny opening of last week's chapter! :D Poor Sammy imagining the hoard of baby ginger bunnies. He wouldn't know what to do with himself. (But Gabe would probably be happily satisfied.) ;D You're absolutely right. Jess knows they have to move out, she just wants to postpone it for as long as possible. There will be a certain event in this story (coming up very soon) that will show her that home is not a place, but the people you share a place with. ;) I'm glad you enjoy my interpretation of Michael in this fic as well! :D He does get kind of full of himself sometimes, but the Winchesters and being with Adam has calmed that side of him a lot. I adore Gabriel's archangel side, too. When he gets serious and throws his celestial weight around, I'm a puddle on the floor. (Sam and I have that in common. Lol) ;D Haha! I don't think Cas has any regard for anyone else's activities when he needs them. He just kidnaps them whether they like it or not, and I love it. XD I love when Rowena switches from hot to cold, too! :D The younger generation of Winchesters does that to her, especially her wee lamb Clare. ;D I'm glad you liked her 'blithering bird' comment. She's chalk full of insults. That's where Crowley gets it. ;D I've always liked when Dean goes into 'Older brother' mode. (Being the oldest sibling myself, I know the feeling.) It makes him sexier, I think. Cas probably enjoys seeing him in control. ;) Poor Gabe breaks my heart when he's all serious, too. He buries everything so deep and keeps it covered with humor so well that we barely know what he's really feeling. Sam is probably the only one who even has any idea about Gabe's true emotions. :) I will say that when it comes to Lucifer in this fic, he will make some not so good choices during the rest of this story that are very selfish and somewhat cruel. (Like what he did in this chapter.) In the end, I guess it all comes down to the choices we make that determine our fate. Every action we perform has consequences attached, and Lucifer will probably find that out the hard way. :( But I'm glad you like the Lucifer/Billie ship! (I was thinking about writing a one shot with them after this is finished; one where they are actually nice to each other. Lol) ;D Darlin, I'm so glad that you are enjoying the story so far! And oh my Chuck, that Sesame Street reference had me laughing so hard! XD I loved it! :D I adore reading your ramblings! thank you so much for reading and commenting! I hope you stay well and have a great weekend! :D
GeekGirlForLife, Aww, darlin, you are such a sweetheart! *hugs* thank you so much for the well wishes! I hope that you are staying well, too. My state, West Virginia, was the last to get hit with the virus, but schools and lots of workplaces were shut down in advance. Luckily, my family and I are safe for now. I hope that things calm down in Ireland for you, soon! (I still think it is so cool that you live in Ireland! Lol) XD Yeah, I never really liked Lucifer either. (He's just so creepy and cruel! Lol) and I'm so grateful that you trust me to give you a great ending! (Don't worry, I also bite my nails every week, waiting to see if people will approve of each chapter or not. So you're not alone! Lol) XD Aww, I love flower names, too! :D I hope your new cousin Rose is doing well! And I bet she's absolutely adorable, too. ;D Oooo, I love those names, too! (I'm sure your children will be grateful for the fantasy names! They are original and unique, and at least they're not as common as 'Jessica'. No offence, Jessie. Lol) XD Darlin, thank you so much for reading and commenting! I hope you stay well and have a lovely weekend! :)
