I tossed my bag into a chair and turned back to see the girl come through the rift first. She looked around and stumbled out of the way. Her eyes wandered the room and I knew she recognized it.
"Is this my basement?"
"You got into the basement?" I asked with a small laugh.
"My parents think I'm such a goodie two shoes. It gets difficult to keep up. I have keys to all of the rooms in the house. It wasn't hard to sneak it from them." She ran her hands over the bookshelves. "The furnerature is different though. "
"There was an accident with some fire." I said sadly, "What else do you do that your parents don't know about?" I asked, moving to the kitchen and finding a beer. It was more of a habit than anything else. It did nothing for me anymore to drink. Comfort over took need.
"I have a tattoo?" she offered, her arms folded as she continued to look around. My eyebrows rose. She was a little young. "I liked my mom's so much, I got it done as well. The star in the sun. It's on my ankle."
"Well, that's one thing out of the way," I muttered, taking a sip of the beer and walking back to where the rift was. "What is taking your parents?"
The blonde shrugged in reply. "So, I'm named after you?" I nodded, sitting on the edge of a table, facing the rift. I was starting to worry. I wasn't one for babysitting. My brothers were enough work as it was. "How'd you die?"
I was taken aback by the question and coughed on my drink. "Which time?" An extremely confused look was my answer.
There was a whooshing and I watched as Lucifer tripped through, falling to the ground. There was a deep slash down his arm, blood pouring down his arm. "Sunbeam?" he called at the golden light.
Elly stepped through, the crack of a gunshot filling the bunker and making Sapphire clasp her hands over her ears. She fired a few more shots through the rift blindly while shouting the spell that would close the rift before the 24 hours was up. "Panto Koth Munto!" The rift quickly disappeared and she lowered her gun, breathing hard. I stood questioningly and looked over the two of them. "The pack followed us."
"I thought we ditched them." Guilt pooled through me. "I'm really sorry, Elly. I didn't mean to-"
"We can always move, Alex. It's not a problem," Elly assured, setting her gun down on the table. "Looks like you've got it all back to the way it was." Her eyes fell on Lucifer and she swiftly moved to him. "You alright?" she asked, dropping to her knees beside them. They were still the same. Still just as protective and concerned over each other. Still just as in love and ready to take on the world. Had they ever really grown up?
"It's just a scratch," he replied through clenched teeth. His grace must have been lower than I initially thought. We had to have been just lucky enough to just get through the rift. "I'll be ok."
"Come on, pidgeon." I stooped down and grabbed his good arm, pulling him to his feet with ease. "Stop getting hurt. It keeps putting us in situations where I have to pretend to like you." I healed him yet again and he mumbled a small thank you. "How are you holding up kid?"
"I-I-" she stuttered, standing fully upright again. "Yeah. Fine. Good."
"How are you feeling, Ali?" Elly asked, trying to move over to her daughter.
Her daughter stepped back. "Stay away from me," the girl whispered threateningly. "Both of you."
"Sapphire-"
"No!" she screamed, making the lights around us flicker. Her face turned to one of surprise as she looked around. "What else are you not telling me?" she asked brokenly.
Both Elly and Lucifer traded looks and seemed like they were struggling with how to explain anything. I took a deep breath. "I got this," I threw out, walking over and wrapping my arm around her shoulders. "I'll get her a room and we'll have a talk." Elly looked like she wanted to say something against it, but at a shake of Lucifer's head she stayed silent. I pulled the girl with me down the hall and to an empty bedroom. We walked in and she took to the bed, sitting on the edge. "Look, Kid," I said while closing the door. "They only did what they thought was best for you."
"I don't care." She kicked her foot out as if she were knocking something invisible over. "They've lied to me my whole life. How do you think I feel?"
"I'm sure it's fucking shit, but that does not give you the right to treat them this way. The people who have loved and raised you, fed you and kept you safe. You are such a spoiled little brat. Maybe that kidnapping was a good thing. Maybe you need to wake up and realize how much your parents actually love you. How long were you strapped in that chair in that barn? An hour, tops?" I moved closer to her, pointing to the door behind me. "And they barely laid a hand on you before your parents came to save your ass. Your father put his life on the line to save you! What are you not understanding about that?"
She was silent, her eyes to the floor in anger. She knew I was right.
"Now, did they handle this the right way? I can't say." I moved over and took a seat beside her on the bed with a sigh. "They've only ever had you in mind. Your father is worried sick about you. You can see it in his eyes. And your mother would move mountains to do anything you could ever ask for. They love you so much."
"How could they keep all of this from me? What am I? What did I do out there?" She looked calmer now as she pulled her hair back into a pony tale. God, she looked so much like Elly had when she had first come here.
"You're a nephilim," I answered, clasping my hands together between my knees as I leaned forward.
"You said that before. Half angel, half human."
"Right." I gave a nod. "You have a human soul mixed with angelic grace. You have powers that go beyond that of an angels, even one as strong as your father."
"He's an archangel, right? My family has never been very religious. I don't know much about a lot of those type of things."
"No, I wouldn't expect them to be very religious." It almost made me laugh at the idea of Lucifer sitting in a church while a priest spoke of fire and brimstone. "And yes. He's an archangel. They're the only ones who can open the rift and there aren't many of them left. But more about you." I gave her a side smile, but she didn't return it. "Your kind is extremely rare. There's only one other in existence."
"Why are they so rare?" she asked curiously, finally seeming interested.
"They're forbidden by the laws of heaven. If you come into your full powers, it could destroy worlds."
"That actually sounds pretty badass."
I laughed. "I agree. I'm nowhere near as powerful. But you need to watch your emotions until you learn to control your powers. Jack, the other nephilim, was the same way. But it's very important that you remember this. Don't get mad, don't be upset. You could seriously hurt someone. Do you understand?"
She nodded in reply and gave a thoughtful look with her stunning blue eyes. "And this Jack. Whose kid is he? You said angel. How many angels would break the laws of heaven?"
"I'll give you a guess," I muttered, waiting for the explosion, but it didn't come. My eyes wandered over her and she had a calm look about her face.
"I have a brother then?" I gave a nod. She wasn't stupid in the slightest. "And I'm assuming he is much older than me?"
I shrugged. "Eh, maybe about a year or two physically. Not much. Time here is very different than in your world."
"And I have magical powers?"
"If that helps you make sense of them, then sure."
"Any other long lost family secrets I need to know about?" She sighed and fell back on the bed, staring up at the ceiling the way Elly had so many times.
"If any come to mind I will be sure to let you know." I patted her knee and got to my feet.
"Alex?" I turned back at my name, my hands sliding into my pockets. "Was my father really as horrible as everything makes it out to be?"
I chewed on my tongue for a moment, unsure of how to answer. "I think your father now is a better representation of a man to be proud of and it is the now that you should focus on and care about. Everyone makes mistakes, even angels. No one is absolutely perfect. Now, get some rest. I'm sure today has been a lot for you."
With that I left the room and closed the door behind me before making my way back into the map room. I stopped in the hall and looked over the scene. Elly was cleaning her gun with a frustrated air about her and Lucifer was trying to make himself look busy at one of the many bookshelves that had no comparison to their library.
"I hope I'm not interrupting something," I said, cautiously stepping into the room.
"Not at all," Elly grumbled as she tossed her gun aside with a loud huff of air. The gun clinked on the table. "We're quite done."
Lucifer glanced back over his shoulder before returning to the book shelf. Was I the reason they were fighting so badly? I had asked them to do a lot for me, someone who was supposed to be dead for the last 20 years of their life. Tonight had to be just as hard on them as it had been on their daughter. It must have taken a lot of convincing to leave everything they had behind and come here.
I took a seat beside El and pulled my beer back to me. "Alright, explain something to me." Elly leaned forward in her chair, fully focused on me, the frustration leaving the room, gratefully. "You never really stopped hunting, did you?"
"We did," she said defensively. "The night we found out I was pregnant. We put all of that aside and Lucy began working and that's been our life since."
"You wouldn't have that study if you stopped hunting. The kid mentioned business trips."
Elly rubbed the back of her neck and gave a small laugh. "Ok, maybe we didn't stop completely. But it was only to make sure that no one came after Ali." The justification came out quickly and I smiled. "It really has been a while, though."
"And how are you holding up, mesothelioma?" I heard Elly snort at the name and Lucifer turned around sharply, eyes deep and dark.
"It's Mephistopheles, Mother Superior," he said back nastily, obviously not liking my nickname. But Elly continued to laugh. "I'll have my grace back soon enough. Found dumb and dumber yet?"
"Sam's somewhere south of here and Dean is just in the town over, as far as I am aware," I answered.
"So close?" Elly sat up fully and looked between Lucifer and me. "This whole time, you didn't go see them?"
I made my eyes turn black and pointed at my face. "In case you couldn't tell, I'd be shot on site."
"Well, they all thought you would be coming back anyway, didn't they?" Elly's voice held excitement in it. "They don't have to know you're a demon at first."
I snickered. "You kidding? They'd smell me coming a mile away."
"The stench of Hell isn't easy to get rid of." Lucifer came and took a seat at the table, but stayed a chair away from Elly, the air between them thick. What had they been fighting about that they were both still so pissed about? "Speaking of which, what have you done to it?"
"What do you mean done to it? I'm making it thrive. Soul counts are up, torture is eternal, your image is still frowned upon. I personally think I'm doing a fantastic job at running the place, no thanks to you." I took a drink of my beer and pushed the empty bottle away from me, resting my arms on the table. "I may have spruced up the decor from your dreary medieval shit to something more pleasant, but it is all still intact. Completely ready for you."
"What?" Lucifer's demeanor changed swiftly to something softer. "Ready for me? We aren't- we aren't staying here."
"Hell needs a king, not a steward."
The two of them fell very quiet and glanced to each other, both startled at the offer. I felt like I was left out of the loop and that somehow they were having a silent conversation between themselves. Maybe he could read her thoughts. It wasn't such an outlandish idea now that I had my own form of powers. There were a lot of strange things out there.
"We're not in any position to-"
"The offer still stands," I interrupted Elly, waving my hand. "I wasn't made to rule something. It's quite literally hell." I laughed a little and received a disapproving glance from the angel. "I just want to hunt."
"For the rest of your lifetime?" Elly questioned me, causing the words to escape me. "You know you're stuck like this forever now, right? You're just a ghost with an ego." It was Lucifer's time to smirk. It was going to take everything in me to put up with him for however long we would be stuck together. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean-"
"You're not wrong, hun." I gave her a smile, though something in my stomach was churning uncomfortably. Maybe I shouldn't have brought them here. But I didn't really have any other choice. I was losing my grip on Hell; the demons wouldn't hardly listen to me on a good day if there was such a thing. Crowley was nowhere to be found and I had no contact with my family. And Ketch was still missing...or dead. Elly was completely my best bet. I needed any help that I could get. Anything at all. "Why don't you two get some sleep? We'll take care of finding Sam and Dean tomorrow."
Lucifer stood from his chair and Elly shook her head at the offer of his hand. There must have still be something between them from the fight earlier that I missed. He quickly ran his hand through his hair and left the room.
"Did he say something?" I questioned when he was out of the room. Elly just shrugged and rested back in her chair, placing her feet up on the table. "What did he do, El?"
"Just a fight about Jack."
"What about Jack-oh!" Realization came over me and I nodded. "Ok, so. You're his new mom. No big."
"I'm not his mom."
I bit my tongue, wanting to swallow my words. She had a sharp tongue. She had changed so much since we had last talked. Maybe she had never been ready to be a parent. She was so young when everything happened. It must have messed her up so badly, in ways that I would never understand. "Then... You can't just ignore him. You were so good with him the last time you were here." She was quiet, avoiding my eyes. "Elly, he might not be your kid, but he is your family. And he's an amazing kid. You just have to give him a chance."
She shook her head. "I didn't think I'd ever have to deal with this. I didn't think I'd be jealous or upset, but he's some other woman's child. I can't just come in and be his mom. Besides, he's not a kid. And he didn't like Lucy very much when we left as it was. I don't think his feelings would have changed much since then."
"Only you know what their relationship was when you left." I took her hand and her eyes met mine before quickly looking away from me. "I'm here for you to talk to, Elly. That hasn't changed. I... I'm not a mom, so I don't know if I will ever have any good advice for you, but I'm here to listen. I feel like... You never had anyone to talk to back home."
"Who could I talk to?" she scoffed. "My mother's certifiably insane, I could have probably told her. She wouldn't know any better anymore. But... I couldn't go to a book club. I was weird because I wanted to read Dracula and Frankenstein instead of To Kill a Mockingbird. Instead I got a gun permit and had men hit on me. That's not exactly good conversations."
"Men still flirt with you, huh?" I teased. "I can't say I blame them." I trailed my eyes down her body before meeting her eyes and licking my lips. She laughed heartily, lowering her feet from the table. "Come to bed with me, sexy?" My hand took her face and I pulled her closer, hearing her heartbeat speed up. "It's been a while since we shared one and I don't need much sleep. We can stay up all night. Especially now that I know what you like after what I found in the study." Her eyes flickered between mine and I could sense her questioning if I was being serious. I leaned closer and could feel my lips brush hers.
"Alex, get away from her before I stab you," Lucifer's voice said from behind me, making me sit back in my chair with a laugh.
"I'm sorry. You can have your wife back." Lucifer stopped in reaching for his phone that he had left on the table and both of them were silent and traded glances. "What?" I asked.
"We- uh..." Elly trailed off.
"We're not married," Lucifer finished for her.
"You're not married?" I asked confusedly.
"We just never got around to it," Elly answered with a shrug. "We're domestic partners."
I snorted, almost falling from my chair. "Lucifer, domestic?! How far you have fallen."
"Fine, I will take you up on that offer." His temper was visible. "I want my Hell back."
"You should be put back in that cage, princey. Let the real ruler take over."
"Real ruler?" Lucifer scoffed. "You're just a glorified rat."
"Return to daycare, daddy dearest. Two growing kids is a lot to handle."
"Guys, what the fuck?" Elly asked from where she had stood up. "I'm going to bed. I don't want to listen to anymore bickering."
"Night Elly," I called as she left the room.
"NIght Sunbeam."
"You sleep, duck?" I questioned, resting back in my chair again now that my fun was gone.
"I did back home. I don't feel like I need to now, though. I haven't felt this good in a long time." He slid his phone into his pocket. "Give me another day or two and I'll be back to normal."
"That would have scared me in the past, but now it doesn't." I inhaled deeply and smiled as he stared at me. "You're tamed now, lamb. There's no more lion."
He sighed and rolled his eyes, shoving his hands into his pockets. "See you tomorrow, Doll. Thanks for your help with Sapphire."
"She's a good kid."
He nodded and left the room, following after Elly. I sighed, feeling very alone again. That was a common feeling now. Empty and alone. I closed my eyes and when I opened them again, I was in my throne room in hell. They didn't need me in the bunker and there was no point in being there while the majority of them slept.
I swung my feet over the arm of my chair and folded my arms over my chest. "Mehak!" I shouted, my voice bouncing off the wall of the empty room. "Mehak!"
"Y-Yes?" a voice asked, a head popping through the large oak doors at the end of the hall.
"Get Charlton for me. I'm a bit bored tonight."
"Of course."
The door closed behind him and I unhooked the latch on my necklace, tossing the ring aside and to where I wouldn't see it. I couldn't bare to wear it. It made me feel like I was cheating on him even though I still had no clue if he was still alive or not.
I jumped as the door opened and Charlton strode in. He wasn't as afraid of me as the others were, though that wasn't really much at all. I stood up and waited for him to reach me before dragging him to me and into a kiss.
"Good morning!" I called as Elly wandered into the map room. She rubbed at her eyes tiredly with a yawn and sat down at the table, laying her head down on it. Parts of her hair stuck up in odd places having been either forced there from physical activities or sleeping on it weird. "Late night?"
She nodded, her face still pressed into the table. I smiled. She was so cute. I placed a plate beside her with some eggs and bacon. It was about all I could cook without the food turning out burnt. Dean had definitely been blessed with the cooking gene.
"I think we should hit up Dean first. He's closer and Cas will keep him calm."
She simply hummed and pulled a piece of bacon to her mouth, lowering her hand back under the table and just slowly pulling the bacon into her mouth with her lips. I couldn't help but laugh.
"Is anyone else awake?"
"Lucy didn't sleep last night. Must be getting his," -she yawned- "his grace back."
"I'm sure."
"We didn't have sex."
"What do you mean we didn't have sex?" Lucifer demanded, stepping into the room, pulling a shirt over his head. "It was amazing make up sex and you know it." He placed a kiss to her head and took the second piece of bacon from her plate. "Is Sapphire up yet?"
"No," I answered, taking the bacon from his hand and putting it back on her plate. "You can get your own food."
"Not like I need to eat anyway." Lucifer pouted before trotting off towards the kitchen to retrieve his own plate.
I rolled my eyes after him. "Like I was saying." I took a seat next to Elly, "Cas will calm Dean down so he's our best bet. I'd go find Sam but I'm not sure where exactly he is and I'd rather not surprise him alone."
Elly finally sat up full, running her fingers through her knotted sex hair. "That sounds good. Would you want me to go in first? Maybe my shock will blind him to your shock?"
"As much as I'd love to use you as a human shield," I said, smiling as she tried to push a strand of hair out of her face, "I think that's a bad idea. But I do think that as long as you're there I won't be killed immediately after the holy water test."
There was a snicker. "That'll be fun to watch." I shot a dirty look at Lucifer who was eating like he needed to.
"Dear, would you go get Ali?"
"Ya, feathers. The grown ups are talking." I said with a smirk as I wiped eggs off his face. He snatched my arm quickly. At least he still had his reflexes.
"Don't ever touch me again."
"Afraid I'll take you down again?" I tested.
He scoffed, releasing my arm. "Take me down? Please."
"Dear, go get Alex please," Elly spoke up, again coming between us.
I stared into his eyes, challenging him silently. For a split second his eyes began to go more red and felt mine flicker to black. Even with Elly there between us I could feel our power in the air, making it electric and tense as we silently challenged each other. It was like a tornado challenging a hurricane.
"Are you two going to be this annoying the whole time?" Elly pushed against Lucifer's chest. "Go get Alex before I ask you a fourth time. You know how I hate repeating myself. And Alex." I was a tad shocked as she turned to me next. "Stop antagonizing him. You two are being childish."
"I'm just having a little fun, El." I watched Lucifer leave the room, "It's been a while since I've had competition."
"Well, it makes it so I have to deal with him later."
I smirked at that. "Whips and chains?"
"Oh, shut up."
I smirked. "You should go get ready too, El. We'll leave once everyone is ready to go."
"Fine, but I'm taking this with me." She grabbed her plate and fork and left to get dressed.
She made me laugh. God it was so good to have her back.
"I need you to take care of some of the hound souls while I'm out today, Mehak." I said, I'd called the smaller demon to the bunker to discuss things with him while the others got ready, "There's three or four that come due today and I won't be able to send the hounds after their treats."
"And….and you trust they won't eat me first?" He asked nervously.
"They only reap the souls, Mehak," a different voice said from the hall. I didn't need this right now. Why him?
"Is...is…..is….?!" Mehak tried to get out.
"Yes." I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose. "Yes that is Lucifer."
"I….I…..I-" the lesser demon continued to stammer.
I picked him up by his collar, "The only thing you need to do is prepare the hounds." I lifted him higher and let some of my demon slip into my words and eyes, "And if anyone finds out that he is here, I will know exactly who to kill and I will not hesitate to do it. Understood?"
Mehak was gone before I could put him back onto the ground. I lowered my arm and turned to face the fallen angel.
"Thank you for that. Now I'll have to explain my plan to him later."
"You're losing your grip. He's too afraid to do anything against you anyways. You don't have to be so hard on him," Lucifer explained, making me roll my eyes. "He responds better to praise now and then."
"I do praise Mehak, when he's done a good job." I fell into a chair, "But lately he's been responsible for 4 lost soul contracts and-"
"I thought you said souls were at a high. Four is not acceptable. Maybe it is better if I take back the reins, princess."
I eyed him, "Don't call me that. I'm no princess."
"You like Doll better then?" He stepped closer to me, his index finger pushing my chin to look fully up at him. "You used to like Doll. Made you shiver, if I recall."
"It use to." I narrowed my eyes, "Like when I use to call you Dragon. Or was Apollyon your favorite?" I smiled as he licked his lips and pulled away from me, a hand going to the back of his neck. "What's the matter? That one still get to you?" He still didn't reply, just turned away from me. Finally, I was having fun. I pushed myself from my chair and stepped up behind him. "Does Apollyon remind you of that time I tracked you to Jamaica?" I whispered in his ear.
It was almost as if the whole room had sucked in its breath as he avoided me, trying to step further away. But I snatched at the back of his shirt and pulled him back to me. I was going to use this against him as long as I could. I spun him with little force so that he was looking me in the eyes again at least.
"Oh come on. You have to remember that." I put a hand under his chin, running my thumb along his jaw, "The sand, the water hitting the beach, the way the air hit soft skin."
He closed his eyes and sighed. "Alex, stop. P-Please."
I had the king of hell in my hands. I smirked and pulled him closer to me, "Just roar for me lion. Like you did all those years ago." I was having fun with him now. His hands trembled as he tried to push mine away, but I knew him too well. I could hold him here for the rest of time if I wanted to, and I wasn't sure if it was just because I was bored or lonely or missing a certain Brit, but I wanted to. I wanted to keep him here and make him weak. I took a step forward and whispered in his ear, "Make me a sinner, Lucifer." I said his name slowly, like I had on that beach. I heard him suck in a breath as if he'd been holding his. I smirked, beginning to hear steps coming from the hall, and pushed away from him. I took a good few steps to give a few feet in between us before the others joined us.
"So we're going to see her brothers?" Sapphire asked as she and Elly entered the room, holding hands. Maybe the kid had actually listened to me.
"Brother, we're going to…." Elly paused in what she was saying and I turned to face her. She was eyeing Lucifer. "What happened?"
"Just talking about old times, old hunts," I explained, almost not feeling guilty for what I had done. I held in a laugh as daggers were shot at me from Lucifer. "I reminded him of the Godzilla scare he started."
"Jack the Ripper was already taken." Lucifer cleared his throat, receiving an odd look from Elly.
"And you instead went with a giant, fire breathing, lizard." I said, walking closer to the group once again, "But enough about that. We should get going."
I reached out for Elly and Lucifer's shoulders and blinked. Then we were there. I looked up at the small house Cas and Dean had been renting. It had always struck me as odd that none of them had ever come back to the bunker. Maybe they just thought that it was too far gone to salvage.
The house was one story with attached garage. It was a very light blue on the outside and had only one door leading in. The space around it was open but a few yards away on the left, right, and behind it was lush forest. It was the perfect spot for a hunter, but still something I never expected them to settle in. I still half expected to turn up at a dingy motel or something instead. But here it was, cozy and hidden. I took a deep breath and started for the door, hoping the others would follow me. I reached a hand out to knock on the door but didn't have to as it opened before I could.
Wide candy apple green eyes stared at me. The golden blonde hair had traveled down his face and across his chin in some impressive scruff. He stood in a mostly buttoned flannel and sweatpants, as if we'd woken him up at two in the afternoon.
"Hi, Dean." I said, "Miss me?"
He pointed a shaking finger at me. "Who-who the hell are you? Because you sure aren't Alex."
"I promise it's me Dean. I haven't changed that much have I?" I laughed under my breath, this was making me nervous. What did he want me to say? "I….I can prove it if you want. I know things about you that no one else would…."
"What did I say to you when we first met?" He interrupted me.
"What?" I asked, not sure he was being serious.
"What did I say to you when we first met." Dean's eyes were cold and very serious.
I paused for a second. Biting my lip before answering even though I knew what to say. "You said you're not welcome here and we will never love you. You said that because you thought if you made me feel unwelcome that I'd leave." I smiled, "Boy were you wrong huh?"
Without another word, my older brother pulled me into a tight hug. "We burned your body." he said, a small sob in his voice, "How are you here?"
I pushed against his chest lightly, pushing away from the hug enough to look at his face again. "That's a long story, and one you're not going to like." I had to be honest with him. He was my brother. "Can we go inside?"
"We?" Dean looked past me and for the first time focused on the others. "Elly? I thought we…"
"You did. She brought us back for some important thing." Elly said, stepping towards us. "It's good to see you again Dean."
Dean smiled, his eyes turning warm. "You can come in." he said, releasing me and backing into the house, "But Lucifer stays outside."
With a smirk back at the glaring angel, I followed Dean inside the small house, followed by Elly. I looked back outside at Ali but she seemed to be still processing how we'd gotten here so I let her be.
Once inside I found that the living room was attached to a dining room and the kitchen was only separated from them by a half wall in the back of the room. On the other side of the house was a small cut out that lead to three doors. One of them was open to reveal a bathroom, so I assumed the other two were bedrooms. I was still right about the place, small and cozy. Perfect for hunters who were never really here but still weird to see my brother in some place like it.
"Have a seat, Cas and Jack are out practicing so they won't be back for a bit." Dean said as he moved past a leather couch.
"Well that's actually why we came. We need to talk about Jack."
"We can talk about that after you explain how you came back." Dean took a seat in a small recliner next to the couch and leaned forward onto his knees, like he always did when he was waiting for something.
I sighed as I sat down across from him, keeping to the edge of the couch so I could bolt if needed. "You're really not gonna like it." I started. I felt the couch dip next to me as Elly sat down as well. This gave me some comfort but I wasn't sure it would help much. "Crowley brought me back, Dean."
"So you had some sort of deal?" he asked, "That's not that hard to explain."
"That's just it Dean. My deal with Crowley was that I got a limited number of lives and then I was to take his place."
"Take his place? You mean in Hell?"
"Yes."
"So what? You're a demon?"
"Yes." There was no point in lying to him anymore. I had for years when I was human but now that time was up so I didn't need to anymore.
"But you knew…" he seemed stumped.
"Because I'm still me, Dean. The only thing that changed is that I'm not...human."
"Then I should kill you." I saw his hand tense on his leg.
"Now wait. I'm not here to-"
There was a cup of water thrown in my face and I was forced to close my eyes as it burned my skin. "Son of a bitch!" I yelled out, my hands going to my face to try and wipe the holy water out of my eyes. It burned like acid and clouded my vision when I tried to open my eyes again. "Do you just carry around an open cup for fun?!"
"Dean!" Elly yelled from beside me. I felt her push me to the side as I continued to try and clear my face. "That was uncalled for!"
"You knew?!"
"Yes and I gave her time to explain herself and speak before I decided if I wanted to kill her or not!" Elly defended me, she was always so good at that, "I'm still deciding on that last part but right now I have no reason to kill her."
"The hordes." I said, able to speak without holy water dripping into my mouth now, "The hordes, Dean. I know you've noticed them."
My brother was silent. I opened one eye and looked at him. He was standing, demon blade in hand, ready to kill me, but he hadn't. He had paused in his movements.
"What about them?"
"I'm trying to stop them." I sat up, pushing Elly from in front of me, "My cause is anyway."
"Your cause? I thought demons only cared about souls and torture." Dean scoffed. "Since when does hell care about a little pick up of monsters?"
"It doesn't. My cause is a small group of hunters that I've met over the last year and a half. They form a small group that hunts down these increased groups of monsters and kills them." I said, "We're trying to rid the world of monsters Dean."
"That's too good to be true. You know that. They already tried that, Alex." he swung the blade around in his hand, it made me nervous.
"That was before the numbers were increasing like this." I stood and put my hand on the one of his that held the knife. "You've noticed haven't you? I can't be the only one that's suddenly had ghouls and shapeshifters show up left and right."
Dean dropped the knife onto the floor. "Cas and I took out three dragons last week. And before that it was a group of dijin." He knew I was right.
"Exactly. That's what my cause is trying to stop. We're trying to stop whatever this sudden burst is and make it the last we ever see of some of these monsters."
"Take monsters out of the states." Dean laughed, "That's bold."
"Not just the states. That's just where we want to start. Eventually we want to whole world to be monster free." I said, patting Dean's shoulder, "That's what we need you, Cas, and Jack for."
"The six of us aren't going to be able to do much to stop this. You have to have a better plan."
"My daughters here. She might be able to help," Elly offered out, still standing strongly between the two of us to block me.
Dean's eyes wandered over Elly, obviously taking in the age difference of her now. "You have a daughter? With that thing?"
She took on an air of defense. "Yes, with him. Which means you have another nephilim to help, ass hole. I can go back home if you'd rather. We have jobs and school and a life outside of this we left just for you."
He fell back down into his chair with a tired expression. He was getting older now. I had never thought about it, but the beard was really starting to sink that into me. He had been through so much shit, I wasn't sure how much more he could take before he finally snapped and I wasn't adding any bonus.
"And Lucifer?"
"He's very well behaved," I supplied, getting to my feet and trying to shake off my shirt carefully due to it still burning me slightly. "You don't need to worry."
"Elly, do you want to ask them to come inside?" Dean asked softly, a hand rubbing over his eyes and then moving to play with his beard.
"Not a chance," she replied in a quiet, but threatening voice. "You can invite them in if you would like."
"El, I'm ok," I whispered over to her as assuredly as I could.
She glanced back at me, her eyes sharp. She stooped down and snatched the knife up off the ground, then moved to Dean. She reached into his flannel and pulled a gun from a hidden holster he had. She then dropped to her knees, pulling up the leg of his sweats. There was a rip of velcro and the blade of a knife caught the sunlight from an open window. She stood back up and held out her hand impatiently. How could she tell?
Dean rolled his eyes and reached into one of his pockets, putting another vial of what I guessed was holy water into her hand.
She seemed to approve, because she left the small sitting area with the weapons in tow. I hesitantly sat back down on the couch and felt small as Dean stared at me, his hand over his mouth in thought.
"Have-Have you and Cas been doing well? And Jack?"
"Cut the shit, Alex," he answered harshly, his eyes still digging into me. "I'm going to have a long tall with Cas. One word from him and you are never to come back here again, do I make myself clear?"
I swallowed, a lump forming in my throat. I hadn't-who was I kidding? I had expected exactly this. I knew this is exactly how he would have reacted. Maybe I should have gone after Sam first. I could win him in a fair fight if I needed to. Dean was a completely different creature, set very hard in his ways.
I could the conflict in those usually bright green eyes, turning them dark and clouded. There was a breath of air that was let back into the room as Elly returned, daughter and lover behind her.
She was no longer carrying any of the weapons and it made me think that she had possibly hid them somewhere outside in the many bushes along the front of the house.
"Dean," Elly said calmly. Maybe Lucifer had talked her down from her fight mode she had been in not a moment ago. "This is my daughter, Ali."
"It's Alex, mom," she grumbled, pushing her long hair behind her ear. She stepped closer to my brother and held out her hand. He rose to his feet and took it firmly with a single shake. "It's nice to meet you. Sorry if this sounds weird, but I feel like I've known you my whole life."
Dean looked from the younger Elly and to the hunter. "She's seen the show then?" Elly nodded. "Right." His focus moved to the archangel who looked stronger now than he had last night. He stood upright with a bright aura about him. "Lucifer."
"Dean," he replied with just as much dislike in his voice.
"Cas should be home soon with Jack. Please." His voice tightened like he was trying very hard to keep his cool. "Make yourself at home."
Alex came and sat beside me. She was in a better mood today. Maybe everything had finally set in for her. She reminded me of Claire, just like Elly had. Opinionated and taking no shit. She would do exactly what she wanted if she wanted to.
"What happened to you?" Lucifer snorted, shoving his hands into his pocket. "Get a little wet?"
"Shut up angel dust," I grumbled, watching Elly lean into him.
I caught his eyes that were a dull blue as they looked over her and a shine came to them as he met my gaze. I bit my lip with a smile. I had him wrapped around my finger.
I shouldn't have been doing this. This was Elly's love and life. I would be tearing her whole world apart, but for some odd reason, I just didn't care.
"So you're a nephilim?" Dean questioned, taking his seat again, but sitting at the edge and resting his elbows on his knees, his attention fully on Sapphire.
"I suppose so." She scratched her head and sighed. "I just found out last night."
"Great." Dean gave a huff, throwing his arms up. "You never told her?"
"There was never a need to," Lucifer explained in a soft voice.
"So she can't even use her powers yet. We don't have the time to train her." Dean's hand again went to his beard as if it were his new comfort.
"We thought that maybe Jack would be able to teach her," I said carefully, almost afraid of my brother's reactions.
"I already know a lot about hunting between the show and all of the books in the study, and the classes I've taken with my dad," Alex said with a bubbly smile.
Elly stood upright. "What do you mean the books in the study?"
"You couldn't possibly think that I didn't know about the study. I've probably read a good half of that place. I read when I can't sleep," Alex explained, not meeting her mother's gaze. "I thought it was just a bunch of stupid mythology stuff."
"Classes?" I asked curiously.
She nodded. "Yeah, my dad and I took self defense classes and he's taken me shooting a few times."
"You already know how to use a gun?" Dean questioned with a tone of relief in his voice.
"I'm not the best, but sure. They aren't complicated." Alex gave a shrug. She looked back to her parents. "All of it makes a lot more sense now. I thought I was crazy because I was the only girl who could take down a boy in gym and for some reason we have a whole entire room stuffed to the brim with salt. I knew it wasn't for food storage. I'm not as stupid as you thought I was. We were never a normal family."
"We never thought you were stupid," Elly whispered.
"Save it," Alex said, focusing back on Dean. She took a deep breath. "What do we need to do?"
She was almost a completely different person from last night. There was still a bit of fear and nervousness in her demeanor and she was back to not caring much for Elly, but she was ready to do whatever needed to be done. Excited almost, like it was a challenge she was ready for, had been hungry for for a long time. Something physically and mentally demanding.
There was a flutter of wings and I looked up at the two new figures that were in the room. Cas still wore that tie and trench coat. I didn't expect him to wear anything different. Nothing else would really ever fit him.
And Jack. He had grown a bit taller and had taken more to wearing Dean's clothing. A simple t-shirt with a flannel and jeans.
"Lucifer," Cas stated in his deep and gravelly voice.
"Castiel," Lucifer greeted with a nod of his head. Elly shifted uncomfortably, stepping away from Lucifer. "Jack."
Jack stared curiously. "Dad?" Lucifer smiled at this and I could only imagine that he had been waiting for this moment for a long time believing that he would never get it.
"Let's not get too chummy, alright?" Dean got to his feet and took Cas' arm, pulling him roughly from the room.
"What are you doing here?" Jack asked, cautiously stepping further into the room. "All of you?"
"We need help hunting," I answered, getting to my feet, ready to leave if the welcome was no longer extended.
"How are you alive? We burned your body and what's burned stays dead." Jack had been taught so well, but there was always a loophole.
"That's a long story Jack." I tried to get a glance to where Dean and Cas had gone, but wasn't able to see them from where I stood. "I'd prefer to tell it when we are all together."
"It's nice to see you Elly," Jack gave a nod.
"You as well, Jack." Elly looked very uncomfortable and out of place. She wanted the focus off of her quickly. "Jack, this is my daughter. We thought that maybe you two would be able to get acquainted."
"Daughter?" Jack questioned, looking over Ali for the first time. She had an awkward blush over her face and didn't meet his gaze. "And you two..." He pointed between Lucifer and Elly. They both nodded and his face changed to one of realization. "So... Then we're..."
"Nice to meet you Jack," Ali said softly, embarrassment thick around her.
I took a step back towards the door as Dean and Cas reentered the room. It felt so weird to be afraid of my brother.
"Dean has informed me of the situation," Cas said, his hands clasping in front of him. "And we will be playing it by ear." Dean gave a small smile at Cas trying to use the term. "But as for right now, we will be more than happy to help."
"Then, do we want to reconvene at the bunker?" I asked nervously, wanting to be somewhere I recognized. Somewhere I felt safe.
"The bunker? It was burnt to a crisp," Dean said.
"I fixed it up." I shrunk back even further and Elly reached out, taking my hand protectively.
"Do you know where Sam lives now?" Elly tried to change the subject and take the focus off of me.
"I'll be sure to grab him. It would be better if he heard this from me," Dean answered with a nod.
"I'll have beers." I laughed nervously.
Elly gave me a confused look, her perfect eyebrows furrowed as I pulled on her hand. I could never explain to her how badly I wanted to leave this place. Especially now that there were more angels here. Bird brain I could deal with, but the other was a different story. I didn't want to fight him if I could help it. He reminded me of Cael in a way. Not physically, but in the way that they wouldn't give up until they were literally dying on their hands and knees.
"We'll be there later then," Jack said kindly. I wasn't sure if he just couldn't read the situation or if he was just trying to lighten the mood, but it gave me the excuse I needed to leave.
"See you then." I nodded, turning to leave the house. Elly quickly followed after me, closing the door behind her as she chased me down the walkway.
"What the hell was that?" she asked, pointing with her thumb behind her at the house. "I have never seen you that afraid of anything in my whole entire life."
"I didn't want another face full of holy water," I answered, not stopping in my walking. I didn't want to be here anymore. It was no longer inviting, not that it had been for very long to begin with.
"That was shitty, I agree, but you were trembling in your boots."
"They said that they'd help. Isn't that what you wanted?"
"If you don't stop talking, I'm gonna leave your asses here." I turned around, making her stop and stagger back abruptly at how close she was to me. Behind her waited the rest of her family and Jack was trailing behind, talking with Ali. "This isn't something I am going to continue to discuss," I hissed, my face close to hers.
"Your hair looks cute longer," she teased. I knew deep down that she was trying to be funny, but it just pissed me off all the more.
"Jack, are you coming with us?" I called.
"If that is alright with you," he answered brightly. I snapped my fingers and the bunker materialized around us. I could just make out Jack saying to Alex, "You will be able to do that too."
"Really?" Alex asked excitedly.
I quickly raced from the room and ran to my room, slamming the door behind me. I locked it before running to the bathroom.
My hands took the sink and I stared at myself. My hair wasn't much longer, but it had grown out, now tickling my ears. I hadn't put much thought into it because I just hadn't cared. But for some reason, it was making me angry. She was making me angry.
I couldn't think of a time when I had been angrier. I got angry easier now a days. Maybe it was the demon that was pumping through me.
Regardless of what it was, I wanted her gone. All she had ever done was try to help me and make me smile and I loved her as my best friend, but I wanted her to hurt. I wanted her to go through hell and high water and I couldn't make the feelings go away.
I ripped open several of the drawers until I found an old pair of scissors and immediately began cutting off all of the new length.