Finally, he was alone. Well as alone as he could be with his son riding shotgun in his head and with Rowena's watchful eyes glaring at him through the walls. But alone enough to let his feelings wash over him, to let himself feel. Jack already knew, and Rowena could possibly tell, so it was okay.

As long as he kept his outside mask on, he could remain quiet and allow himself to remember these walls and these hallways and where they lead to. Sure he could have just flown directly there, but he wanted some time, time to just process it all.

The Jack's body, of what Castiel did to him, because another demon was possessing the body and wanted to use them to take control over hell... And it all came back to him. Guilt ate him up, because if he fought, if he tried to stop himself from saying the things he said and stop himself from taking a part of Jack, none of this would have happened.

"He was too strong for you." Jack's voice echoed in his head and Lucifer rolled his eyes, because yeah, he knew that. And if he was too strong for the archangel back then, won't he be too strong for a mere human? Even with Jack inside, he could always kill the vessel like he did with Castiel's Jimmy.

"You were alone then. You won't be now." Jack responded and Lucifer sighed. Does it even matter? To all of them he will be Lucifer, the devil, something that needs to be killed, put down, or put away, locked up where he couldn't hurt anyone. And they were right, just look at what being with him brought to Gracie.

"I know Gabriel said you were like the first few cells of cancer that needed to be cut out and that Chuck saw that and that's why he locked you up, but did it ever occur to you the last words your brother said to you were nothing more then a lie orchestrated by Chuck, just like he did to you?"

Lucifer paused his steps and closed his eyes taking in a heavy breath. Even if Jack was trying to help, and it could be true, Chuck could have made Gabriel say that, since it kind of added to the whole plot, but that still didn't erase the fact that Gabriel was dead. More guilt washed over him and his knees couldn't hold him upright anymore, so Jack did. Jack took over some of his body's functions to allow him a moment and help keep this charade going.

Lucifer took a deep breath. It was hard, so hard to breathe, to function, to think because all he did was feel. Feel the loss of a brother he watched grow, the brother he was always closest to, the one that was willing to stand in his way, and try to stop him. And he couldn't. Because dear old Dad didn't plan it that way.

Suddenly, anger took over, one he hasn't felt, not like this, not ever. It was pure rage, directed at Chuck for making them all do this, for turning one brother against the other, for letting him think he killed Gabriel back in Elisian Hotel, for locking up Michael over nothing, for killing Jack just cuz... Just cuz he could.

Well fuck Him. Fuck Him and His little story. Fuck Him for thinking He could screw around with them all and not pay the price. Fuck Him for thinking He could play with fire and not get burnt. Fuck Chuck!

Lucifer took a deep breath, assumed control over his legs and started walking forward through the gloomy halfway that lead straight to the Cage. He made a promise once, and now, for the first time he has a chance to fulfill that promise, for the first time he is free to act on his own accord. He will keep his promise.

Oddly enough, the Cage door, one that have never been there before, where swinging open, barely left on their hinges. Lucifer took a deep breath and paused, then took a clumbsy step forward and frowned.

"Alright, alright, I'm going." He whispered to no one in particular and stood up straight, but not proud and walked into the Cage. There, in a corner sat a figure, his knees up to his chest and his arms on top of the knees and his head burried inside.

"Michael?" Lucifer tried, his voice firmer then he expected it to be.

"Go away, Lucifer." Michael responded, not lifting his head up.

"Yeah, no can do..." Lucifer said, then paused. "Why do you look like someone took your lollipop?"

Michael rose his head and gave him a death glare filled with annoyance, and dropped his head back down.

"Go away." He repeated.

"Yeah, not happening." Lucifer retorted, walked over and sat next to him on the ground. "What's wrong with you? You look like you took someone ran over your cat, what gives?"

Michael yelled "Go away!" once more, then clasped his hands over his ears and started singing with all his might.

"De Camptown ladies sing dis song—Doo-dah! doo-dah!

De Camp-town race-track five miles long—Oh! doo-dah day!"*

"Okaaaaay... You know, when I told the others you have gone choo-choo and was singing show tunes, I was only joking, you know that, right?" Lucifer said and Michael started singing even louder. Lucifer was confused, not understanding why Michael would act like this. Unless...

"Hey! Hey!" Lucifer shouted, trying to pry Michael's hands off his ears. "Hey! Look at me. Michael look at me!" After a moment he succeeded, shoving Michael's hands down. Michael seemed so defeated, so Lucifer took his chin and rose it up, making him look at Lucifer.

"I'm real. I am here. Not a hallucination, not a trick. I am here, just like I promised..." There was a spark of hope in those eyes, but also fear that it still might not be true.

"I told you I'm come back for you, didn't I? I promised. It... It took longer then I thought, but I'm here. I'm here, Michael."

Michael gave him another look of disbelief before he glanced at the open door, then turned back around to ask "Is that... Is that real too?"

"Yeah. It's real. And we can walk out of here. We can go out, Michael. I... I even have a plan to stop Dad, remember, we talked about it?"

Michael nodded, but remained seated, not moving an inch, so Lucifer stood up, offered him his hand and spoke up again.

"This isn't the Cage playing tricks on you, I am really here and so is that door. C'mon, what's the worst that could happen if you try, if you go for it?"

"I can slam into a wall." Michael offered and Lucifer snorted a laugh.

"I am supposed to be the funny one, not you."

"Technically, Gabriel is the funny one." Michael said with a small smile as he took the offered hand and stood up.

"Yeah, yeah, wise guy. Whatever. Now let's get out of here." Lucifer wanted to say something better as a comeback line, but the mention of Gabriel threw him off again. Michael found out, Lucifer told him that he found him alive and killed him, and Michael said he suspected he was alive and that he still was, back when they were in the Cage together. Lucifer shouted really tell him about their trip to the other world and tell him about Gabriel's demise.

But how do you tell someone that a version of themselves killed someone dear to them?

The old Lucifer wouldn't. And as much as it are this one up, this Lucifer won't either.

What he didn't know is that Michael would have told him the same as he did before. That he suspects Gabriel is still alive. But they had other things to worry about now.

Michael slowly and tenderly walked to the door and stepped out, but as soon as he did, he took a deep breath filled with relief and stood straighter with his head held high. Then he turned to Lucifer and his smile faltered.

"Oh, no... What... What happened? What has He done to you?" Lucifer just saved him off. Of course Michael could see what he was, he could see the difference.

"Nothing, it's nothing. I'm fine."

"You're...? You're not fine! You're human! And... And a vessel. Oh, Lucifer..."

"Don't Lucifer me. I said I am fine. Or I will be once we take Dad down." He said with a deathly serious expression and Michael knew not to press further.

"Ok. So... What's the plan?"

* Song titles Camptown races by Stephen Foster as sang in the Looney Tunes show.