The feeling was... Strange, yet familiar. The feel of grace pulsing under his skin, the heat that cooled him down, the chill that warmed him up. But there was someone else there, holding the reins and Lucifer mentally sighed. He is just a vessel, nothing more. Logically he knew Jack wouldn't lock him in his mind like he did to Sam, or keep drowning him like Michael did to Dean... Wait. How did Lucifer know what Michael did to Dean?

That's because you have all my memories. The voice in his head echoed. You can see everything as crystal clear as the day it happened. And indeed, Lucifer saw his hand on a doorframe as he hid out of sight, listening in on Sm's and Dean's conversation. It was... Odd, to be allowed to see this, to feel that slight worry of his fathers - no, not his. Jack's. Those were Jack's feelings, while he still had his soul. He was powerless, but alive. Still Lucifer could feel the twist in Jack's stomach, the burn of his lungs and he knew this is where Jack was beginning to get sick...

Because he had no grace. Because he took it from him.

That wasn't you, and I know it now. It was just another forced plot twist, nothing more. Jack's voice echoed followed by a sigh. I could see the bigger picture after Chuck killed me. I saw each and every time he intervened. Like when he made Sam push you back and leave you behind in that world thus forcing your hand to work with that Michael. Like him leading Michael to the bunker. Like making you take my grace... I know you wanted to try... I know you wanted to try with me. You could have left on your own. You could have taken my grace from the start, but you wanted me by your side too.

"Stop it. We have a job to do." Lucifer said, feeling the vile lifting up his throat. He was sick to his stomach just remembering all those events. And of course, being a vessel he was an open book to Jack, so the kid could see every thought he had back then. He could hear Jack let out another sigh before he spoke up again.

You're right, we do. But for all of this to work... I need Lucifer. I need you to be the old you. To those words, Lucifer frowned. Why would he want that? How could he even go back to being that sarcastic asshole? Could he? He surely remembered how it was, how he was, and with Jack's help those memories were even more vivid so it could be done, but...

We need to keep appearances. Chuck and the world needs to believe that Lucifer is back. Fully back. That's why... And Lucifer suddenly felt a surge of power, of grace wash over him. That's why I am giving you full control. You can use my grace as you wish, but know that I won't let you hurt anyone in any way. I have a feeling you would anyway.

Lucifer's eyes widened and he stood frozen, his thoughts going hundreds of miles a minute. Jack was... He was giving him the power. He was giving him full control? After everything he did, he is just going to give him control? The amount of trust the kid had, as undeserved as it was, it was also... Completely insane. To that though, Jack's laughter echoed in his head.

That was funny. I haven't felt funny in a while. I can already start to feel a bit. You are right, it is insane. That's why no one would suspect a thing, Chuck especially. Besides, you need it. You need the power to be that old Lucifer. How can you be cocky without having something to back that up? Lucifer had to agree, the kid did have a point. He took a deep breath and let it out, composing himself and trying to slide back into the old skin that just felt too small, too tight. But he'll make it work. For Gracie. He'll make it work. And maybe for Jack too. He owed him at least that. A small pleased huff, snapped him out of his thoughts and he cursed at himself because he forgot Jack was in his head, Lucifer was an open book to him.

"Alright, knock it off. Now what?" Lucifer said with a mental pout and Jack huffed a few more laughs, thinking he sort of liked this grumpy version of him, but before Lucifer could comment on that though, because yes, he could hear Jack's thoughts too, the kid seemed to think it was only fair, so before he could say anything about it, Jack's voice echoed in his head.

Well. There is only one person that knows exactly where my body is. Let's see how he recognizes us.

"Him? Seriously? Castiel is so gullible, he'll believe anything. He is a bad choice for a test run." Lucifer protested without any heat in his words. It was strange finding himself reaching out to Castiel in the exact same setting as a few years, for a very similar reason. That time he saved him from the other angels with a lousy display of dominance. But looking at Castiel now, sitting on the bench, alone and sad...

He is also an angel that can read grace and not just recognize the face, so he is a good choice. He and Dean had an argument and Castiel left. Funny enough it was about Castiel making bad decisions. And we are about to ask him to trust you.

"I am well aware of the irony of it." Lucifer said and took a deep breath. Ok, it's showtime. With a sigh, he came out of the bushes, walked over to a still unsuspecting Castiel and sat down setting his hands up on the bench as if he was crucified. The poor angel did a double take when he saw the face he knew all too well.

"Nick?" He asked, curious as to why the man was here, not for a second thinking it might be someone else. Lucifer paused before he pulled on a smirk, rolled his head and huffed a laugh.

"Guess again." He said with a wide grin and a wiggle of his eye brows and watched as the cogs turned in Castiel's mind as the angel slowly came to the realization that he was...

"Lucifer?!" He spat out, like every letter was a burn on his tongue, his entire body tensing as he stood up.

"The one and only." Lucifer replied turning his head to the playground up front.

"How? How are you back?"

"Is this the part where I ask how you're still alive and then we both agree it's complicated?" Lucifer responded, reminding Castiel of a similar situation they found themselves in a while back. Lucifer figured, if he is going to play his old self, he might as well take a cue from the past events.

"What do you want? What are you going to do?" Castiel asked still tense and on alert. Lucifer leaned forward and looked up at him unfazed by the angel's defensive stance.

"We have a situation. And by we, I mean everything alive... We are all sorta going to die." Lucifer said with a hint of amusement in his one-sided smile and watched Castiel roll his eyes at him.

"This isn't funny, Lucifer. Everything fell apart and... Jack's dead! Chuck came and he killed him. All because he was a liability now that he didn't have his soul. And that's all thanks to you." Castiel said, obviously grief stricken by the events around his life. Lucifer's face took a more sad, serious note for only a moment feeling that pang of guilt, followed by a warm sense of comfort coming from within. So he kept his mask on and just rolled his eyes.

"Na-ha. Don't you dare blame me for that. That was all Chuck. I know you don't believe me, but that... I didn't do that. I didn't want to do that." His mask kept trying to slip, but he held on. "Besides, I know about Jack. I know so much more then you know."

"Like what?" Castiel asked.

"Like - oh, I don't know - Dear old daddy is ending his stories. Did you know that?!" Lucifer spoke in a playful voice.

"What does that even mean?"

"It means, my dear brother... That soon... We're all going to die. And I don't know about you, but I don't want to die. Permanently. Not when I just got back." He was acting so good, it was surprising even to him how he managed to do it so easily. Surprising and scary. But it wasn't effortless, so that's something at least. Castiel seemed to be more pissed and annoyed and maybe a bit tired of all this to take notice that Lucifer wasn't really completely himself, so it was working perfectly. But could he see the grace within? Was he really that drained? Not that Lucifer or Jack needed him to be at full power to lead them to Jack's body, but still... Lucifer couldn't help but sympathize.

"So, what do you say? Team up?" Lucifer said with a brow wiggle.

"How stupid to you think I am?" Castiel asked.

"How much do you want Jack back?" Lucifer countered.

"Oh, and you can do that?" Castiel replied without skipping beat. The old Lucifer would have been confident and cocky and he would have said that he could do that. But this Lucifer was a bit more smarter and knew that it wasn't the point that people liked him and that he turned out to be the one to save the world for once, like it was back then. No, this Lucifer kept his eyes on the endgame and knew that if he really wanted to get Castiel to help him, he would need to show some weakness.

"We. We can do that." Castiel paused at those words, squinting his eyes at Lucifer as if he was assessing what was behind such statement. But eventually, his paternal instincts prevailed and even if he knew Dean would say this was a bad idea, he still went with it.

"And how do we do that?"

A wide smile spread across Lucifer's face, a devilish grin and he stood up, stood tall, his eyes glowing red, his wings casting wide shadows on the bushes behind him and with a hint of some playfulness he said:

"Well, we got good intentions. Time to pave our road to Hell."