A sharp twinge of nausea woke Jude up out of a dead sleep. He blinked up at the dim glow on his bedroom ceiling, feeling the back of his tongue tingle and his stomach lurch. He was going to puke. There was no stopping it. The only thing he could do in the few dwindling seconds as it approached was pick where it was going to come out.

Tossing the sheets back, Jude quickly and delicately rolled himself off the bed and into the floor. After he thumped onto his superhero rug, he desperately reached out for the tiny trashcan near the bedside table. The vomit rose up just in time for him to grasp the can and drag it close. Jude honestly couldn't remember the last time he puked so hard. With every heave, more and more acidic liquid burned his throat on the way out. It wasn't until his stomach was completely empty that he was able to brace his shoulder against the side of his bed and breathe. Ugh, what a terrible way to wake up… Jude looked down at his shining stomach – and suddenly remembered that he was pregnant. No wonder he was so sick. His body was going through drastic changes to keep up with his growing children. A weak smile formed on his face as he braced a hand to his own belly.

"I hope you're comfortable in there… 'Cause it's not so cozy out here," he mumbled.

The twins, of course, couldn't hear or understand him, but it still felt nice to talk to them. Jude smiled down at his own body for several moments – until his nausea came back and he reached for the trashcan again. This time, he puked until there was nothing left in his gut, leaving him to dry heave repeatedly. His back was starting to hurt from being hunched over and his knees were quivering. But he was able to hear the bedroom door open across the room.

"Oh my God, Jay! Are you okay?!"

Jude relaxed a little at the sound of Clare's voice. The demon all but threw himself into the floor with the angel, reaching out to cradle his back and offer any kind of support. Jude was finally able to hold back his nausea enough to lean against the bed again to look at Clare. The guy must have been awake for a while because there was no sleep in his eyes at all. The only thing on his face was pure concern.

"Dude, I've never seen you puke before," he huffed, petting the side of Jude's sweaty face, "What did you eat?"

"Nothing," Jude breathed, cringing at the acidic taste in his mouth, "I think it's morning sickness."

"Morning sickness? What's that? An angel thing?" Clare asked.

Jude smiled a little as he wiped his wet mouth. Clare was so cute…

"No. It's a pregnancy thing," Jude explained, "Body's doing weird stuff because of the changes… Wait, did you come in from the hall?"

It wasn't until that moment that Jude realized Clare wasn't in bed beside him when he woke up to puke. The strangest look of discomfort momentarily flashed across Clare's face, but was quickly covered up by determination and concern.

"Yeah… Here," Clare said, standing up to reach both hands out, "I'll help you clean up."

Though Jude was curious about what was going on to make Clare look so upset, he decided that he did need to clean up first. With his husband's help, Jude was able to stand and start the journey to the nearest bathroom. It was the one that he shared with Jessica growing up, only two doors from their bedrooms. It only had a toilet, sink, and mirror, but that was all Jude needed. The first thing he did was grab the mouthwash and swish away the nasty flavor. Then, Clare grabbed a fresh washcloth, soaked it in some hot water from the sink, and began to wipe Jude's entire face. Jude enjoyed the sensation of Clare's gentle caresses, smiling at him the whole time. Despite his rough upbringing and rugged appearance, Clare had the softest touch; a calm and loving pair of hands that would soon hold, hug, and play with their children. Jude couldn't have asked for a better partner...

"You're as pale as a dove's ass, Jude," Clare mentioned sadly, "What am I gonna do with you?"

"Hopefully kiss me good morning," Jude mumbled.

It was a joke. Jude was just trying to lighten up the mood because Clare looked so serious. But when he heard the comment, Clare cracked a smile, put the rag down, reached up with both hands to hold Jude's face and looked him in the eye before leaning forward to press his lips to Jude's cheek. Jude enjoyed the tiny embrace, closing his eyes to savor the sweet affection. The beating of butterfly wings in his stomach made the nausea dissipate. After giving Jude's face a kiss, Clare's lips found their way to the rim of Jude's ear to soulfully whisper.

"Good morning."

Jude hummed a little, biting his bottom lip to keep from making too much noise. Damn, Clare could make anything sexy. Even a morning greeting was hot when it was coming out of his mouth… Clare raised back up to smile at Jude for a second before looking down at the white glow between them.

"How are our babies doing today?" he asked.

Jude's grin couldn't get any bigger. He and Clare had babies together. He still couldn't believe it was true…

"Besides making me puke, they seem okay," Jude answered, holding his own stomach, "I can't really feel them much. I know they're in there, but I can't really tell them apart. Not yet, anyway."

"Well, if Charlie was any indicator, angel pregnancies are really fast, right?" Clare asked.

Jude nodded.

"And Rowena says twins are usually born a little early," the demon continued, sounding stressed, "So, we've got three or four days to get ready for them…"

"Yeah," Jude replied.

He had been ready to have children for a little over a year, so hearing that he would get to physically hold them in just a few short days was like music to his ears. But the idea seemed to really put Clare on edge.

"It's going to be hard to do when we can't even go home," he pointed out.

Jude took a deep breath and sighed.

"I know that Dad sounded really serious yesterday, but I think it would be okay for us to go home for a while each day. I mean, it's just down the road," Jude shrugged, "Plus, we've got the scythe. If Lucifer tries anything…"

Jude's voice trailed off when Clare's chestnut eyes shot up to give him a hard look. The momentary silence allowed a grim air to seep into their conversation before Clare blurted.

"Lucifer took it."

If Clare didn't have that look on his face, Jude would have laughed at the ridiculous statement. Lucifer couldn't have the scythe. It was downstairs in the dungeon, where his parents put it. But the longer they stared at each other, the more reality started to sink in.

"… What?"

It was all Jude could bring himself to say. Clare took a deep breath, dropping his hands away from Jude's face and lowering them to Jude's waist.

"A few hours ago, he came into the bunker and grabbed Charlie –"

"He what?!" Jude exclaimed, reaching up to cover his own gaping mouth in horror.

"She's okay. He didn't take her," Clare assured, "but in order to get Charlie back, Jessica had to give Lucifer the scythe… He basically dangled the baby in front of Jess until she gave him what he wanted… Bastard played her like a fiddle. And now he's got Death's killing stick."

Jude's heart plummeted as the warmth in his face drained away. If it hadn't come from his own husband's mouth, Jude would have never believed what he was hearing. How dare Lucifer force Jessica into that! Jess was probably so upset right now. Jude could only imagine the pain she was in…

"Where is she?" Jude asked.

"Her room," Clare answered, "She kicked Oliver out. He's in the kitchen with everyone else. Jess said she wanted to be left alone. Her parents tried talking to her, but she won't speak to them. She's not speaking to anyone…"

"I want to talk to her," Jude announced, standing up straighter, "I have to."

If there was any one on the face of the planet that could relate to Jess and her struggle, it was Jude. They had grown up together, literally side-by-side, all their lives. Jessica was more than Jude's cousin, she was his sister and his dearest friend. Besides, Jude knew a thing or two about being forced into situations that he couldn't find a way out of. Clare, however, looked torn about Jude's decision.

"I don't know, Jay. She's pretty upset."

"Which is exactly why I need to see her," Jude added, already turning for the door.

Though he was against the idea of disturbing Jess, Clare followed Jude down the hallway back to the bedrooms. Nowadays, Jude was used to seeing Jess's bedroom door closed, because they each needed privacy with their own husbands. But remembering a time when they were never closed – being able to look up at night and see Jess sleeping just across the hall – made Jude kind of sad. He wished it could be that easy to see her again. Before reaching for the door, Jude glanced back at Clare.

"I'll meet you in the kitchen, okay?" he said.

He was sure that bringing Clare in would make Jess less likely to open up. Clare seemed to understand. He nodded, pecked another kiss to Jude's forehead, and slid around him to start for the kitchen.

"Good luck," he hummed sweetly.

Jude watched his husband walk away until the guy disappeared around the corner, leaving Jude alone at the door. After taking another deep breath, Jude started with a soft knock.

"Jessie?" he called as warmly as he could, "It's Jude."

There was no answer. Jude was tempted to fly inside, but the thought of having to use his grace while pregnant didn't seem like a good option. Instead, he crossed his fingers and tried the door to see if it was locked – and exhaled with relief when it turned effortlessly. Jess may have been really upset, but going by the unlocked door, she was at least willing to let someone in.

Jess's room was almost completely dark. There was one pink nightlight lit in the corner near Charlie's crib, but it was only enough to cast shadows on the rest of the room. The white glow from Jude's stomach added a little brightness when he walked in and the shine allowed him to see the scene. Jessica was laying on her and Oliver's unmade bed, curled toward the wall and unmoving. It looked like she was facing Charlie, who was sleeping soundly in front of her. Jude gently shut the door behind him as he eyed his cousin's beautiful blonde curls tossed across the pillow. Though he couldn't see her face, Jude could sense how upset she was.

"Hey," Jude whispered.

Still no reply. Jess clearly wasn't in the mood for talking. Instead of pressuring her, Jude carefully walked over to sit on the edge of her bed and reach out for her. But as soon as Jude's hand touched Jessica's arm, she curled into a tighter ball, pulling herself away from his reach. Jude gulped and laid his hand on his own stomach instead, where the warm glow happily greeted his own touch.

"Jessie… Clare told me what happened… and I just want you to know it's not your fault," Jude comforted, still speaking only above a whisper, "You did the right thing, even though it might not feel like it. You saved someone you love, no matter the cost. That's what true love is."

Despite Jude's attempt to cast a heroic light on what happened, Jess remained silent. She only faced Charlie's sleeping form and kept her back to Jude. Jude struggled to come up with his next words. What could he possibly say to make Jess feel better? He started by looking down at his own hands in the glow of his grace, seeing the lines in his palms and the freckles on his wrist. His parents taught him to speak honestly, and always from the heart...

"I can't imagine what you must be thinking right now. I'll never know how much pain you're in. But I can sort of relate to how you're feeling," Jude admitted, "I know what it's like to see someone you love in the hands of something evil. And I did exactly what you did. And, you know what? I would do it a million times over again if I had to. Because that's how much I love them."

The brief silence that followed Jude's statement seemed to finally get Jess's attention. She carefully rolled over to look at Jude, and Jude could see just how much she'd been crying. Her eyes were red and puffy, her nose was pink, and her cheeks were lined with wet streaks. The sight made Jude's heart ache.

"Who?" she asked.

Her voice was raspy, as if she had been sobbing for a while, but Jude understood her question. He was glad to finally be able to take her warm hand.

"You," he answered, giving her a soft smile, "Remember the Darkness? I saw it swarm all around you, and it terrified me. I told it to take me instead, because I couldn't stand the thought of losing you forever. And I know you felt the same way about Charlie. You couldn't let her go, so you did whatever it took to save her. I know that feeling," Jude paused to smile and rub his stomach with his free hand, "Even though these little babies aren't even born yet, I would do the exact same thing for them, too. Saving people… It's kind of in our blood, Jess. I think it's what we were put here to do."

For a moment, it looked like Jess agreed with Jude's statement. But then, tears started swelling in her pretty eyes again, her face contorting into a sad look.

"But now everyone's in danger. Especially Grandpa. Because of me," she breathed.

Jude squeezed her hand a little tighter and smirked.

"I think Grandpa knows exactly what's going on. He knows everything," Jude mused, "Grandpa will be fine. The important thing is that we are all still together. Charlie included."

Jude and Jess both glanced toward the sleeping baby at Jess's side. Charlie's thin honey-orange hair was a mess on the mattress and her binky had fallen out of her mouth as she slept. Jess's old stuffed bunny was laying at her side, looking as worn and happy as ever. Staring at Charlie's cute little cheeks made Jude's hand tighten around his own warm stomach. It wouldn't be long before he would get to stare at his own children the same way; Twins that were going to look half like him and half like Clare. Jess seemed to notice Jude's movements and her expression changed to a more concerned shade.

"Are you doing okay, Jude? How are my niece and nephew?" she asked quietly, placing her hand beside his on his stomach.

The words made Jude smile. Jessica was technically the twins' second cousin, but hearing her call them her niece and nephew made Jude feel so warm inside.

"They made me puke this morning," Jude admitted, "but other than that, they seem okay."

"Morning sickness," Jess nodded, sniffling a little, "That's how it always starts. Hopefully yours won't last long."

The two of them stared at Jude's glow for a second, silently appreciating the fact that the lives of two small children were forming in the midst of chaos. Then, Jude looked back up to his cousin with a soft smile.

"Do you want to go get breakfast with me?" he encouraged.

"Nah. I don't really want to see anyone yet," Jess admitted.

"Alright. I'll just get Clare to bring some breakfast in here," Jude compromised.

At long last, Jessica smiled genuinely, relieving all the anxiety from Jude's conscious in an instant. Jude kissed the back of Jessie's hand before letting it go to stand up. He stretched a little, feeling an ache beginning to hurt around his lower spine. It would only be a matter of time before he was waddling around and complaining like the embodiment of a pregnancy cliché.

"See you in a minute," Jude called quietly as he started for the door.

He was glad to have left Jessica in a better mood than when he came in. Back out in the hallway, the atmosphere was a little less quiet than in Jess's bedroom. The distant echo of voices came from the kitchen hall. They were somber, almost angry voices. Jude listened as closely as he could to the conversation as he slowly approached the coffee-scented kitchen.

"… There's nothing we can do, Gabriel. What's done is done," Michael said.

"Oh. So we're just supposed to sit here and let the asshole kill our father? Is that it?" Gabe spat, "Where do you think he's gonna go once he kills God? He'll come straight here, that's where. And he'll slaughter us all."

"I don't believe he intends to do that," Michael challenged.

"What makes you so sure?" Jude's dad asked.

"Because he has Death's scythe. If he wanted us dead, we would already be dead," Michael sighed, "It seems his only concern is ending our Father… Anger and vengeance have always driven Lucifer's motives. He lacks the will to see beyond his own self-interest."

"That almost sounds like a weakness," Crowley pointed out, "Perhaps we can use that to our advantage somehow."

"How?" Uncle Sam asked.

Unfortunately, before anyone could come up with an answer to that question, Jude timidly stepped into the doorway and gained most of the crowd's attention. His parents and Clare were at the counter, getting coffee, and the rest of the crew was scattered around the room in various poses. Jude was able to pick out his friend Oliver too, sitting with his head hung low in the corner, looking ashamed. Papa was the first to greet Jude. He flew across the room to wrap Jude into a sudden hug, which nearly made Jude jump in surprise.

"Good morning, son," Papa hummed, pulling back to look down at Jude's belly, "How are you feeling today? Any aches or pains? Discomfort? Cravings? Nausea? Clarence told me about your morning time ailment."

"It's called morning sickness, Cas," Dad murmured softly with a smile before taking a sip of his coffee.

"I'm fine," Jude assured, "And I think the twins are fine, too. But I can't really tell."

Without a word, Papa knelt to the floor and placed his hand on Jude's stomach. The sensation of Pop's grace meeting his own was kind of strange but oddly relaxing. It put him at ease to know that someone more experienced with celestial pregnancy was able to take care of him and his unborn children. The sweet smile that spread on Papa's face at the contact made Jude happy.

"They seem to be progressing well," Pop said, "Your twins are healthy, Jude. And… I believe I detect a bit of new grace."

"Celestial grace?"

Jude looked up at the sound of Michael's question. The archangel seemed suspicious, which kind of pissed Jude off. Of course it was celestial grace. What other grace was there?

"It appears celestial," Papa answered calmly, carefully releasing Jude's stomach to stand back up, "but it's difficult to truly inspect from outside of the womb. I'm sure we will understand more about them once they are born."

Jude shared a glance with his husband a few feet away. Learn more about them? Papa and Michael were making it sound like their children were aliens or something… Across the room, uncle Bobby got up from the kitchen table and walked toward the coffee maker, which made Jude realize the old man's three dogs were following him. It was odd to see Peter, Willy, and Humphry in the bunker when Jude was so used to seeing them at Bobby's house.

"So, fellas. What's the plan?" Bobby asked plainly.

"We need to get that scythe back out of Luci's hands," Gabe snapped.

"Yeah. Because it'll be so easy," Dad muttered sarcastically, rolling his eyes.

"I didn't say it would be easy, numb nuts. I said we needed to do it," uncle Gabe replied angrily.

"Whoa, guys. Relax," uncle Sam interrupted, standing up to be a physical barrier between his husband and brother, "There's no sense in getting upset right now. We have to focus."

"Focus on what, Dearie?"

Jude, along with everyone else, looked toward the kitchen doorway, where Rowena and Meg were strolling in. Rowena was wearing a silky black robe with her fiery red curls in a messy bun, while Meg was dressed in her usual dark clothes and black boots. The demon was a few feet behind the witch, letting Rowena make the grand entrance while Meg slunk back out of the way.

"Ah. Nice of you to finally join us, Mother. Lucifer has taken the scythe. Would you like your tea with a side of biscuits?" Crowley casually purred.

Rowena's eyes grew three sizes as she stopped dead in her tracks.

"What?!" she gasped dramatically, planting her fists on her hips, "You all let that cursed bird fly off with the weapon of Death?! Are you lot completely out of yer bloody minds?!"

"We didn't give it to him. He took it," Bobby corrected.

"He forced Jessica to give it to him by holding her daughter hostage," Michael added.

"So Jess traded it to get Charlie back," Gabe finished, "We're all fine, but the scythe is gone. And Dad's in big trouble."

After hearing the details in rapid fire speed, Rowena unclenched her fists and let them drop to her side. She glared toward the far wall for a few seconds, letting it all sink in, before stomping her way toward the cabinet on the other side of the kitchen.

"Nope. Coffee won't do this morning. I'll be needin' something much stronger," she mumbled on the way.

As Rowena dug out a bottle of liquor to pour herself a hefty drink, Meg edged her way closer to Jude and Cas. Jude could tell that her eyes were lingering on his glowing stomach. It was like she was wanting to ask how the pregnancy was going, but felt unwelcome to ask. Pop seemed to notice it too, because he smiled and gestured to Jude's belly.

"The twins are progressing well," Papa informed.

Meg nodded and gave a side-ways smirk to Jude and his Papa.

"That's good," she said, finally meeting Jude's eyes, "How are you holding up, kid?"

"I'm okay," Jude answered, "Clare takes good care of me."

Jude brought up Clare because he was the only thing that Jude really had in common with Meg. Though, Meg didn't seem to mind. She only nodded again and glanced toward Clare, who was helping Rowena reach a cup out of the cabinet.

"He's a good kid," Meg hummed.

"Yeah," Jude agreed.

As he watched Clare hand Rowena the biggest mug from the cabinet, Jude smiled warmly and held his own stomach again. If their twins came out with only half of Clare's loving, protective, caring, and active personality, they were going to be very blessed parents.

Just as Jude swooned over his husband from a distance, a new sensation echoed through his grace. It felt like a tiny ripple; a drop in the water of his light. And it was continuous. Jude slowly took a step back to brace his bare back against the cold tile wall, wanting to lean against something solid so that he wouldn't lose his footing. What was that feeling? It was almost like little raindrops falling on a drum. What was that? Was something wrong with the twins?

"Pop," Jude breathed.

It only took one look from Papa for him to kneel down and cradle Jude's stomach again. His grace collided with Jude's and he was able to feel the sensation too. The slight commotion was enough to get Clare's attention and draw him over to the little crowd.

"What? Why are you so pale, Jay? What's happening?" Clare asked.

"I don't know. I feel something," Jude tried to explain.

"Son," Papa exhaled, looking up to Jude with a smile, "Those are heartbeats."

Jude's mouth tumbled open. Heartbeats? Those little raindrops were heartbeats? Jude's terror instantly melted into pure joy as he raised his head to look at Clare. The demon looked just as surprised and happy, standing there with his own mouth open and eyes slightly glistening. The hearts of their children were beating. They were alive, just inside Jude's grace… but unfortunately, the emotional moment didn't last long.

"Hey, guys?"

The room turned its attention to Adam, who had stepped into the doorway. He was feeding Katherine a bottle, cradling her softly and protectively in his arms. But his face was pale and his mouth was turned downward with anxiousness.

"You'd better come see this," he said.

At once, every person in the kitchen glanced among each other in concern before following Adam out of the room. He led the silent group down the corridor and into the TV room adjacent to the study, where the large screen was tuned into the national news. Jude filed into the room behind his parents, feeling Clare's hands on his shoulders as they both peered around to see what was happening. Several clips of raging fires flashed across the screen, each more devastating than the next. And over it all, a news reporter's calm voice spoke.

"… the newest count has reached 100,000, yet there have been no arrests. The organization or groups responsible for these fires remain unknown. Some have cited links to gang violence, but no evidence has been found to confirm or deny these speculations. Authorities are warning the public to stay away from buildings and places of worship, as they seem to be the main targets of the mysterious arson. The President has been briefed on the rising number of fires and has declared a state of emergency –"

"Son of a bitch," Dad huffed.

"It looks as though Lucifer is attempting to get our Father's attention," Michael deduced.

As dread began to creep into Jude's chest, he felt Clare's warm hand slide from his shoulder and down to the front of his abdomen. The demon was covering the angel's glowing stomach with one hand as he gazed somberly at the TV, subconsciously protecting Jude and their children from the horrific events unfolding in front of them.

Despite his own fear and worry, Jude could feel the raindrops still echoing through his grace. Even with Lucifer raging war on the world, the sound of two little heartbeats was a great comfort. There was still a chance that the future would hold at least some happiness. Jude and Clare's most valuable source of hope was resting safe and sound inside Jude's grace.


Getting the scythe was easy. But finding God turned out to be a whole different ballgame.

With Death's weapon in his possession, Lucifer knew that nothing would be able to stand in his way. But that's the thing about being invincible. No one wants to play with you when you're the biggest, meanest kid on the playground. And unfortunately, that included the one being he wanted to play with. In order to swing the end of that scythe into God, God had to be inside a human vessel. Lucifer had to catch him in a killable body, not while he was being all high and mighty in his omnipresent form. Luckily, Lucifer had a plan to get his old man to come down and face him.

The devil started by sweeping through the earth and burning down every church he could see. Every country on every continent. Churches, synagogues, Cathedrals, even the Vatican. All of it burned to ash in a matter of hours. The raging flames were so great that they spilled into cities and took down whole villages. But the fires weren't enough to get God's attention.

"Fine," Lucifer said, "Let's see how you like this."

Then, with Death's unholy scythe, Lucifer sought out and murdered all of the priests he could find. Countless pathetic apes were slaughtered before they even saw him, though some managed to beg for mercy before the end. Lucifer did his best to purge the world of all those foolish enough to worship God. The devil knew that his old man had a soft spot for those particular idiots, so he figured that killing them would be enough to upset God. But the big man still refused to show up.

After all the churches and priests all gone, Lucifer found himself standing on the edge of the tallest mountain in the world, gazing out at the cloudy, misty Earth below with bitterness and rage. All of this gorgeous Earth had been wasted on humans. God had made a beautiful place and promptly ruined it by dumping those animals on it. But worse than all of that, he was refusing to show up for them now. Where was he when his priests were crying for help? When his holy houses were burning? Where was he when his son was deliberately ruining his creation?

"Face me, you coward!" Lucifer shouted into the void, "Get off your ass and stop me!"

The only reply Lucifer got was his own echo bouncing back to him. And it pissed him off even further. There was a part of him that wanted to speak with God before he killed him; get some answers to why he had been abandoned in the cage for so long. Why he wasn't shown mercy like the rest of his siblings. Would God not even spare him that decency?

"Answer me!" Lucifer screamed.

But his voice only faded into silence, having reached no one but himself. Of course God wouldn't show up. He never showed up for Lucifer, all because of those worthless humans. The only archangels God ever showed up for were Gabriel and Michael… and that's when the answer landed in Lucifer's lap.

"You won't show up for me, huh?" Lucifer growled as he swung the scythe onto his shoulder and glared toward the heavens above, "Let's see if you show up for your precious little Winchesters."

(Author's Note: I'm so sorry for yet another cliff hanger. :( The good news is that it will only take another week to find out what will happen next. Lol. ;D Once again, I wanted to stuff the beginning of the chapter full of as much fluff as possible. Jude and Clare needed that downtime, Jessie really needed that reassurance, and I figured it was time to let Jude feel his twins' heartbeats. :) I will say that I am very sorry about the whole news report thing. With everything that's going on in the world right now, I'm sure you're just about sick of news reports, but I wanted to give the Winchesters a heads up about Lucifer's temper tantrum. Despite what Lucifer thinks, Chuck is not ignoring him or the situation. He just knows there is no reasoning with Lucifer. Chuck's given him every chance to change for the better, but luci's just stuck in his ways. :( With that said, I hope all of you enjoyed this week's chapter. Thank you so very very much for your continued support. Your comments and encouragement give me hope in this dark time, and I feel blessed to hear from each and every one of you. *hugs* And before I go, a quick warning: The next chapter will be the lowest, darkest point of the story. But if we can get through it, there will be amazing things waiting for us on the other side. ;) Thank you all so much! The next chapter will be out soon! :)

Eyum daRelmera, Good morning, darlin! :D I hope you have a lovely cup of coffee and warm breakfast with you today. I hope you are doing well! :D I love when Dean is on patrol, too. And I'm glad that you are enjoying Michael's growth into the family. He and Dean have a lot in common with the big brother thing. Lol :D Aww, I know. Cas really knows how to pull on those heartstrings, doesn't he? You're right, I think he, like some of us, are all waiting on the bad to happen again. We often forget to cherish the good moments we're in. I'm so glad you've enjoyed Dean and Cas's story as well. :) Yes, Clare and Jude are definitely ready to have their precious babies! :D And I will absolutely have Crowley hold and swoon over those infants when they come. Between him and Rowena, those babies won't have anything to worry about. :D I'm not really familiar with the lore surrounding the scythe on the show to be honest, but that makes total sense. (I probably should have looked it up first. Lol) And you were right, Gabriel definitely blames himself for what happened and that's why he's so edgy and upset in this chapter. :( Yeah, things just aren't working out for Lucifer in this fic. I'm sure if he and Chuck sat down and had an honest talk they might be able to understand each other better. (But Lucifer doesn't want to talk anymore. He just wants vengeance.) :( But I hope to give his character some depth by the end of this story, though. And I truly appreciate your feedback, darlin. :) thank you so much for all the lovely comments and for reading! I hope you have a lovely morning, and a wonderful weekend! :)

GeekGirlForLife, Aww, this story is a cure for cabin fever? I'm so glad to be able to aid those in need during this difficult time! Lol! XD I'm so sorry for all the roller coaster events of the last chapter. And don't think I didn't consider having Luci pull that Loki trick, because I totally did! But I thought it would be even more cruel to let that happen, so I went with him actually holding Charlie instead. (My Hufflepuff nature just wouldn't let me do it any other way. Lol) ;D Oh yes, darlin, things are fine around my neck of the woods, luckily :D And of course I find it amazing that you live in Ireland! I have always wanted to go there, because some of my ancestors were Irish. Everything looks so lush and green, its so beautiful! You are very lucky to live in such a beautiful country! :D Darlin, thank you so much for reading and commenting! I hope you have an amazing weekend! :)

MimDuJour, Darlin… I want you to know that the comment you gave to me this week is one of the best, most moving and loving comments I have ever gotten. Ever. :') You have no idea how much I adored reading about how Dean's speech helped both you and your partner. (I am so happy you are both safe and healthy, by the way!) And I'm so glad that you have each other to lean on during this difficult time. Your partner sounds like a truly wholesome individual, as do you! *hugs you both* You may have cried reading that part of the story, but I sobbed like a baby reading your comment, darlin. Tears of literal joy and awe. I will seriously hold that comment close to my heart for the rest of my natural born life. Now, whenever I look back on that part, I will always think of you and your partner, and say a small prayer for you guys. :') I love you both! Thank you so much, from the bottom of my heart, for reading and giving me that comment! I hope you enjoy the rest of the story and have a great weekend! :)

Deanstiel's Daughter, Aww, darlin, It's okay! I'm just glad to hear that you are safe and well! *hugs* I am so very sorry that you have temporarily lost your job, but I'm glad you're in a somewhat safe position. If there's anything good coming out of this COVID19 situation, I think it's that we are all getting to spend more time with family. :) (I ship you and your Ollie so much! I just imagine you guys snuggled up on the couch watching Netflix.) XD I'm so glad you enjoyed Cas's description of Dean being his fortress and his garden. :D (Dean: "I'll be the garden if you be the bees, Cas.") ;D You're right, we all need that love and support right now. :) I'm glad you enjoy my interpretation of Lucifer, darlin. :D I can totally see the appeal of redeeming him, and I know you do a fantastic job with his character. :D Aww, I think we are all excited for the twins! (I agree, I couldn't decide either. So both it is. Lol!) XD And darlin, I just want you to know that I am grateful for you as well! Hearing from you has always made me feel better, and I'm so glad to know you are okay! *hugs* I can't thank you enough for allow me to entertain you with these stories, especially during this difficult time. Thank you so much for reading and commenting! I hope you have a great weekend! :)

Jawn Lennon Aid, Oh yes, darlin. I would have done it as well. :) You're right, a child is everything, especially to a mom. Lucifer definitely has the means to harm Chuck, but now he has to find him. ;) Darlin, I have thought a lot about you this week. I hope you are doing well in your part of the world and keeping busy with something fun. :) (Namely your bass, which I know sounds amazing.) ;D Thank you so much for the compliments, darlin, and thank you so much for reading and commenting! I hope you have a lovely weekend! :)