Author's Note: So I finally decided where I want this story to go with the 13th Season. Updates will become slower soon as we begin to catch up with the show. Thank you to everyone who stayed with me! I hope you liked the twist about Demon Ember, and the twist that's about to occur in the chapter after this one. I knew from Day 1 that I wanted these two twists to occur, and so I had to keep a lot of things canon in order to get where I am now. Shortly you'll see a lot more divergences from canon probably. PLEASE REVIEW! Reviews make me SQUEEE! I don't own Supernatural.

***Ember POV***

January 8, Morning

TWO MONTHS LATER

Christmas was a festive affair. Josephine and Aidan came home, and all three kids celebrated Christmas with Ember, Sam, Dean, Charlie, and Castiel at the bunker. The only small blight on Christmas remained that the nine of them knew that somewhere Amara was getting stronger, and they were out of ideas on how to stop her.

Almost.

Sam had been getting visions of Lucifer's cage, which he stated occurred every time he prayed to God for help. Dean and Ember were both surprised that Sam was even bothering to pray to God. They were also firmly against Sam's suggestion to seek advice from Lucifer.

Finally, on January 8, a fully grown Amara struck down a religious worship group, for no apparent reason, sparking an argument in the bunker the next morning.

"How many times do I have to say that this is a horrible idea?" Dean was yelling at Sam when Ember walked into the kitchen.

"About as many as I have to say, okay then what else have we got?" Sam screamed in his turn. "Listen, I'm all ears. Dean, ordinarily I'd agree with you, but the visions only happen when I reach out to God. I asked him for a way to beat the Darkness and the visions got more specific – and I was in the Cage."

"Yeah, with Lucifer," Dean said. "The biggest monster ever hatched. Fan-freaking-tastic!"

"Lucifer was the biggest monster ever hatched, until you and I hatched one that's even worse," Sam pointed out.

Dean turned to Ember. "Are you agreeing with this?" he demanded of her.

"Ok, ok, ok," Ember said, sitting down and pouring herself some cereal. "First of all, who says it's God giving you messages? How do we know it's not actually Amara herself, getting you out of the way? We don't have all of the information yet. Must we learn this lesson again?"

"Listen, in the vision, Lucifer touches me and I feel calm, like things will be all right," Sam said. "And that's not something I would ever come up with. I mean, that is the last thing that I would ever feel."

"And that makes you think this is a good idea?" Ember said sarcastically.

"If Lucifer touched you, it would be the last thing you think. Ever," said Dean. He got up from the table, looked longingly at the whiskey, then got up to get himself a regular beer instead. "Why would God even ask this of you? What proof do we have that any of this is actually real?"

"There was a burning bush," said Sam.

"A burning bush?"

"Like in the Bible."

"You were in the forest," said Dean. "There are bushes there and sometimes they burn!"

"Do you know how many monsters we've met that could cause a burning bush?" said Ember. "Probably like at least a fourth of them. Didn't that angel burn up a bush when he was getting tortured?"

Dean sat back down and opened his beer. "You know what man? Maybe there is something to it all, and maybe there's not."

"Doesn't it make sense though?" Sam said imploringly. "I mean, Lucifer would know how God ended the Darkness. He was there."

Ember sighed. "Look, if you're dead set on this, fine. We'll find out more."

That evening, the three of them, along with Charlie, summoned Crowley. "There may be a way," he said. "Clearly, if Sam enters the Cage, he's gone. And yes, it's on my bucket list, but now is not the time to be selfish."

The group rolled their eyes. "We'll need a secure site, a way to neutralize Lucifer's powers," Crowley continued, "So that we have a modicum of control… Theoretically it's possible, with challenges. I can arrange for transit into Hell. Opening the Cage, that's another matter."

"You're the King of the joint. Don't you have a key?" asked Dean.

"It was sealed by God Himself," snapped Crowley. "Of course I don't have a key. The mechanism is of divine manufacture. I believe its secrets, along with the spells for warding, were recorded where many such mysteries are found – the Book of the Damned."

***Sam POV***

January 18, Daytime

It took a little over a week, but Crowley's demons were finally able to find Rowena. She agreed to work with them, even if the truce was shaky at best.

During that time, Amara managed to slaughter another group of people in a church. Ember and Dean went to check it out, while Sam stayed back on what Dean referred to as "witch duty." Finally, however, Rowena announced that she had found what they needed, and she was ready to go to Hell.

As he had promised, Sam called Dean to tell him it was time to attempt the trip downstairs… but Dean did not answer. Instead, Ember called back. "Sam? I can't find Dean anywhere."

"What?" he asked, alarmed.

"He said he was going to the hot dog stand," said Ember. "But that was 20 minutes ago. I've looked everywhere, and he's not picking up his phone."

"We'll keep trying him," Sam said. "Can you teleport?"

"Yeah, no problem," Ember said. "Give me a sec."

***Ember POV***

January 18, Afternoon

Ember had some trust issues with Dean. She supposed she got them honest, between the vampire debacle, the attempt on her memory, the decision to allow Gadreel to possess Sam, and finally the Mark of Cain. Still, Ember did trust that he would pick up the phone, particularly at a time like now, unless he absolutely couldn't.

Ember had to assume, therefore, that he couldn't pick up the phone. There would only be two reasons for this: one, he was in trouble, or two, he was with Amara. Since Amara had been responsible for the devastation of the church, the later was actually the more likely. Had she still been around? Had he sensed her somehow? Was this why he had ditched Ember in the middle of a case to get a hot dog? Ember thought it was likely. Hell, if it had been the other way around, she would've done the same thing. Amara had already shown that of the three of them, she certainly liked Dean the best. Judging from the glances Sam was sneaking in her direction, he was thinking along the same lines.

Despite Dean's absence, Rowena, Crowley, Sam, and Ember had begun their descent into Hell. The plan was incredibly complex. Crowley took them to "the furthest reaches of Hell, Limbo, where I send unruly souls for time-out." Rowena then painted a number of sigils on an empty cage, which (theoretically) would keep Lucifer trapped.

Finally, Rowena began the task of calling Lucifer into the new cage. Ember looked at Sam's face, and was surprised to see unadulterated horror. Did he recognize his surroundings? He had spent 120 years in Lucifer's cage. She knew he remembered it all, though the memories no longer caused him hallucinations like they used to. She realized she could never truly appreciate what it must've cost him to come back here. Where was Dean?

Finally, with the end of Rowena's spell, fire surrounded the cage. Sam jumped, shrinking back into the shadows. Ember took his hand.

There was Lucifer, his red eyes gleaming in the shadow. "My old friend, Crowley," he said in a drawling voice. Ember felt Sam's hand twitch in her own, and she realized Sam had yanked them back into the shadows far enough that Lucifer couldn't see them.

"A mere acolyte, carrying your torch," said Crowley.

"You're too kind... to yourself," Lucifer said sarcastically. "What do you want of me?"

Slowly, Sam dropped Ember's hand, and stepped into the light. Ember followed him, though every fiber of her being was telling her not to. She grabbed his hand once more.

Lucifer smirked, and Sam squeezed Ember's hand tighter. "Half-demon," Lucifer said, giving Ember the once-over. "Don't you look good enough to eat?"

"Blow me," Ember said.

"And Sam Winchester," Lucifer whispered. "My old roomie. Hug it out?"

Sam and Ember continued to look at him crossly, and Sam was shaking slightly. Ember had never seen Sam like this, and gave his hand a reassuring squeeze. "I gotta say, I'm a little in the dark about this meeting," said Lucifer. "Am I up for parole? Time off for bad behavior?" He laughed. "I don't really get visitors."

"If it weren't for the crisis top-side, you wouldn't be getting one now," Sam said finally. His voice wasn't shaky, but firm.

"Crisis?"

"You're aware of the Darkness?" asked Sam.

Lucifer inhaled sharply. "Yikes, that doesn't sound good. Um, I'm aware of what she was, but that was eons ago."

"She's been released," said Sam. "So now she's somewhere, or everywhere, on earth." Sam's words, though he had started out strong, had become somewhat unsure.

"However did that happen?" asked Lucifer in a voice that said quite plainly that he knew everything.

"The point is," said Sam, "She poses a threat to all that exists, including you."

"Hmm," Lucifer said. "That leads me to my next question. Where's the big burrito himself? Where's God in all of this?"

"All current indications of his presence are that there are no current indications of his presence," Sam said, still squeezing Ember's hand.

"What?" Lucifer said. "Caught the fun bus out of town? Figures."

"But, recently, he has reached out to an interested party."

"Who?" asked Lucifer.

"Me," said Sam. "He answered my prayers."

"Did he now?" asked Lucifer. "And, what was Dad's suggestion?"

"To seek out you," admitted Sam.

Lucifer laughed. "Get outta town! Seriously? Who'd have thunk it?" He thought for a moment. "I completely get why you came to me. You can't ignore God, right? God says jump, everybody says 'how high'?"

"So, does this mean you're on board?" Sam asked. Ember raised her eyebrows.

"Well, I did help Dad seal up the Darkness all those years ago," Lucifer admitted. "She's quite a force. Determined to take over everything, even back then. Prone to tantrums. I can see why Pop is laying low. Now that sis is here, God's not the only circus in town."

"Is she equal to him in power?" Sam asked. Ember was pleased to note that he sounded less scared now that he was questing for answers.

"Raw power? Sure," Lucifer said. "But she's got none of the experience. God is a master strategist. That's why you're here."

"And why is that?"

"Oh, because God needs me to help put the cat back in the bag," said Lucifer. He laughed. "He can't do it by himself. Seen that movie."

"And?"

"And, I need a ride out of here," said Lucifer. "I mean, I look swell in here and everything, but I'd be so much smoke top-side."

"You want a vessel," said Sam, glancing at Ember.

"One who is strong enough to hold me, handy, and available now. Catch my drift?"

"Did you really expect me to agree to this?" Sam said accusatorily

Lucifer nodded, smiling.

"So, what?" Sam asked angrily. "I just disappear while you take my body and set loose on the world again?"

Lucifer nodded, smirking. "know. I know, Sam. It's a lot to ask. But desperate times require desperate measures."

"That's not desperate! That's certifiable!" yelled Sam, and Ember agreed with him fully.

Lucifer pointed at Sam. "Okay, hold on there a second cowboy, take a breath. You have been working with Crowley. You passed certifiable three off-ramps ago. And look, I'm no fan of the ruler of the Universe, but here I am, ready to pitch in. Sam, why do you think God sent you to me? To get my help, which I only now just offered. Sam, your visions were the Word of God. You can't say no to that."

"I can," Ember said with a protective look at Sam. She stepped forward, though she didn't let go of Sam's hand. "No. We'll think on your offer, and come back. Not."

"There has to be another way," Sam agreed, and he and Ember turned to leave, Ember looking backward over her shoulder.

Suddenly, the spellwork on the cage began to fade, and the fire around the cage began to die. Then, without warning, Sam and Ember were both in the cage with Lucifer.

"Together again," Lucifer intoned to Sam.

Sam backed into a corner of the cage, terrified. Ember went invisible and followed him, attempting to shadow him with her body. Sam, in contrast, attempted to get around her invisible form. "That doesn't work on me, you know," Lucifer said, staring right at her.

"Hey, Sam Winchester," he said, his eyes moving past Ember to stare at the struggling figure behind her. "Did you miss me? I bet you did. I have to say, you're extraordinarily calm given the circumstances."

"Well, it's pretty much exactly how God told me it was going to be," Sam said. He had stopped struggling. Ember had become visible again, and he was still attempting to shield her with his body, from behind her. He was so tall it was partially working. "Guess I just have to go with it and play my hand."

"Well, that would make so much sense if it was God that was doing the talking," Lucifer said. "You see Sam, when the Darkness descended, the impact on Hell was massive. The Cage was damaged. Through the fissures I was able to reach out. It wasn't God inside your head Sam. It was me."

-SPN-SPN-SPN-SPN-SPN-

"Okay, you don't like me. I get it," Lucifer said ten minutes later. The two of them had been in this cage for 10 minutes now, with Lucifer attempting to weasel his way into their hearts and minds. Ember no longer stood in front of Sam, but next to him, holding his hand.

Lucifer was a master manipulator, and she could tell he was really starting to get to Sam… but she wasn't having it. "I get it," Lucifer said again. "Sometimes I don't like me either. But Gabriel and Raphael are dead. God went out for a pack of smokes and never came back... and Michael... well, let's just say prison life hasn't really agreed with Michael. These days he's usually sitting in a corner singing show tunes and touching himself."

"So you're it?" asked Sam, ignoring Ember's warning look in his direction.

"I'm it! And hey, I'm not the good guy, we both know I'm not, but the Darkness, she's the end of everything." Lucifer crouched down next to Sam. "But I can beat her. We can beat her. You and me, together. So come on, Sam. Make the right choice, the big sacrifice one more time, man. Sam, it's time to save the world, man."

"I'd like to say that line of thinking has kicked us in the face too many times to think that way, but clearly it hasn't," Ember said, tearing Lucifer's attention away from Sam. "For starters, he came to your cage asking for help with 'the greater good,' and you drug him in with you. So sorry… are you somehow implying that him becoming your vessel is in some way 'choosing the world?' After you save the world from the Darkness, who saves the world from you?"

Lucifer seemed to regard her as a nasty fly that needed to be swatted away. He stood up, slowly, and came to stand in front of her. "It was a bad idea for you to come down here," he taunted. "You do know I could bring out your demon side so fast you'd think you'd always liked random fornication and frequent smiting."

Ember tried not to look scared. "We both know I'd kill myself before I let that happen again," she said, readying her force powers. "And you're not strong enough to kill me while you're in here."

"No, that's true," Lucifer agreed. "I don't want to kill you either. I've always said, you're far too interesting to kill. But right now, I'm trying to have a conversation with Sammy, here." Then Lucifer touched her head, and Ember knew no more.

-SPN-SPN-SPN-SPN-SPN-

Ember found out later that Crowley had worked a deal with a reaper to get a witch collar to collar Rowena and force her to put Lucifer back in his cage. Dean and Castiel, meanwhile, had come to rescue them, and (of course) also ended up caught in the cage.

When Ember woke up, it was to the most bizarre scene she'd ever withnessed. She was in the cage with Lucifer, Sam, Dean, and Castiel. Most of them, with the exception of Lucifer, were bloody and beaten. She heard, oddly, a song she recognized as "Heaven Must Be Missing an Angel." She also recognized the tingling feeling of having been recently magically awoken. "Help us!" Castiel was screaming as he launched himself at Lucifer.

She understood: Castiel had awakened her so that she could help fight. Just as she thought this, Dean flew backward away from Lucifer, landing almost on top of Ember. Ember flung herself up and hurled as much force power as she could at Lucifer, but he only laughed. "That doesn't work on me… it tickled, though. You'll have to go farther toward your demon side than that."

Lucifer kicked Sam in the stomach, and then grabbed Dean around the neck and slammed him against the bars of the cell. Dean grimaced as Lucifer lifted him off the ground, choking. He looked at Sam. "Alright Sam, I'm gonna make this real easy for you. You say the magic word or your brother dies... and we both know you won't let that happen."

Castiel and Ember both charged at Lucifer then, allowing Dean to get out of his clutches. Lucifer caught Ember across the face, and she flew across the cage, hitting her head on the bars like Dean. Meanwhile, Lucifer had picked up Castiel and begun punching him repeatedly. Ember heard Lucifer say, "Any last words?", but wasn't sure who he was talking to.

Then, suddenly, there was a blinding flash of light, and Lucifer was gone.

-SPN-SPN-SPN-SPN-SPN-

"So what now?" Sam asked the group at ten minutes later. Ember, Dean, Sam, and Castiel had emerged from Lucifer's cage, all of them beaten and bloody. Dean and Castiel had filled in Ember and Sam on the way back to Crowley's work room.

"About the Darkness?" Crowley asked. "No clue."

"We'll figure it out," Dean said, shooting a reassuring look at Ember.

"Or die screaming," said Rowena sarcastically.

"This has been a horrible train wreck, so we're done," Crowley said. "Team up over."

"What about her?" Sam asked, gesturing toward Rowena.

"She stays," Crowley said. "The rest of you lot... get the hell out of Hell."

The bedraggled group emerged on the street five minutes later. "You alright?" Dean asked Castiel.

"I think so," said Castiel. "I will be."

"You want me to give you a lift?" Dean asked.

"No, you two go on ahead," said Castiel. "I'll catch up."

"Okay," said Dean, heading off toward the Impala. Ember stayed behind. "Are you sure you're alright?" she asked her old boyfriend. "Something seems… I don't know. Off." She couldn't shake the feeling that Castiel had been quiet on the way out of Hell… too quiet.

More importantly, this was the first time in months that Castiel had allowed his eyes to betray any real emotion when he looked at her. Though he had been civil, as promised, on the few occasions they'd spoke over the past few months it was as though he constantly wore a mask around her. Was he afraid she would come on to him again? Now, however, he was looking at her with a strange sort of… longing, almost… hunger.

Just as quickly as Ember had seen the look, however, it was gone, and his eyes turned sad. "Really, Ember," he said. "I'm fine. I just miss…" he trailed off, then seemed to shake himself. "I miss when things were less complicated."

Ember smiled sadly at him, her heart thumping suddenly and unexpectedly. Had he been about to say "I miss you?"

"I'm fine," he said. "I expect I'll see you soon."

"Okay, Cas," Ember whispered, and, finally, she turned around to go say good-bye to Dean so that she could teleport home.