Sam was waiting several feet outside the library. He wanted to be there for Gabriel when he came out. He mad sure he was far enough away that he wouldn't hear what was being said. He knew this was a very private thing.

Gabriel walked out a few moments later, looking extremely bewildered.

"Hey. How did it go?" Sam asked.

"Weirdly," was Gabriel's response.

Before Sam could comment, he watched as Amenadiel came out, followed by Lucifer and Michael. Michael was half in Lucifer's arms as he came out. He was muttering to himself as Lucifer whispered comforting words to him.

"It's alright, big brother. I'm going to help you through this," Lucifer said.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry," Michael kept muttering to himself.

"No, it's not your fault," Lucifer said softly as he led him out of the room.

Sam looked at Gabriel almost in shock. "Gabriel, is Lucifer possessed?"

Gabriel waved off the concern. "Of course not, Sammy. Archangels can't be possessed. And that's the only reason I know he's not possessed." He was slightly freaked out by his brother's change in attitude as well. He wondered if Michael had done something to him when he touched him, but he also wasn't sure Michael was capable of that in his condition. Plus, Michael had gone right back to a crazy mess right after it happened.

Before anyone could say anything else, Cas, Dean, and Jack entered the room. "What the hell's going on. Lucifer just walked by with Michael. He was comforting him. Did therapy break him? I don't think we can deal with another broken archangel?" Dean said.

"We don't know what happened. One minute Lucifer was pissed. He just got set off. He refused to let Michael live in whatever fog he's in anymore. He wanted him to face the truth. He got so angry that his eyes turned red. Then Michael's turned white and he touched Lucifer," Amenadiel explained.

"I thought he was going to smite him at first. He touched Luci's forehead, like he was going to kill him. But then it was over, and something in Lucifer changed. He actually hugged Michael," Gabriel said.

"Do you think he did something to my father?" Jack asked worriedly.

"I considered the possibility, but I really don't think he's capable of that right now," Gabriel said.

"Plus, the only thing he might have done was smite him. He was terrified of Lucifer moments before because Lucifer wouldn't answer to Samael anymore, so smiting him I could understand. I don't think he was capable of doing anything else," Amenadiel said.

Gabriel thought for a minute. "Lucifer demanded that Michael face the truth. Maybe he did, and maybe he decided he wanted Lucifer to see something too. I think he may have let Lucifer into his mind."

Silence filled the room. None of them knew what to say to that.

Xxxxxxxxxxx

Lucifer stared down at his older brother. Michael was sitting on his beg hugging his knees and rocking back and forth, all the while muttering apology after apology.

Lucifer was in utter shock. He kept replaying it all in his head over and over. His father had been planning his demise while his mother and brother did their utmost to prevent it. His mother hadn't let him be sent to Hell because she agreed he deserved it, or because she couldn't stand up to her husband. She'd done it to save his life. And Michael… Michael had acted without their father's permission. He'd sent him away not as a punishment, but as a salvation. Michael had never betrayed him.

Lucifer could barely believe it. In fact, he was still expecting to wake up from some vivid dream or hallucination. This broke apart everything he'd known for eons. Michael had been loyal to him, perhaps the most loyal member of his family outside of Gabriel. He couldn't believe how wrong he'd been.

Lucifer suddenly thought about everything that had happened, both before and after he'd been sent to Hell. When Michael cast him out, he told him he was evil, and that Hell was a mercy he didn't deserve. He told him he hated him. Then centuries later, he started the apocalypse. He'd tired to have Lucifer killed. Why would Michael do all that if he was trying to prevent his death.

Lucifer supposed he could chalk the apocalypse up to Michael already being partially crazy. Linda said that it was likely Michael started to lose it when he cast Lucifer out. So, the apocalypse could have been a result of his cracked mind. But why had he said such hateful things to Lucifer? Why would he lie to him like that?

Lucifer was pulled out of his thoughts by his brother. The archangel was still sitting there apologizing into his knees. "Michael? It's okay, Michael?"

"No! I'm sorry. I'm sorry. Forgive me," Michael cried.

"Michael, it's not your fault. I understand that now. Father's the one responsible. You were trying to help me," Lucifer said.

"I'm sorry," Michael kept muttering.

"Michael, stop," Lucifer said before walked over and gently taking ahold of his shoulders.

Michael hesitantly looked at his brother.

"I forgive you," Lucifer said. Those weren't words he thought he'd ever say to Michael even an hour ago, but now he didn't even see a sin needing of forgiveness. Michael did what he did because he loved him. But Michael seemed to need to hear the words. "It's okay. I only wish you had told me. I would've understood. Well, I think I would've. The Mark did control a lot of me then."

Michael didn't say anything in response, but he had at least stopped muttering to himself.

"I don't understand why you did it that way. Why didn't you tell me? Why did you let me think the worst of you? Why did you tell me I was evil? Did you want me to hate you?" Lucifer asked. He kept his tone as soft as possible, but some frustration got out. Of course, he didn't really expect an answer. His brother didn't seem capable of answering right now.

Michael did answer though. "Yes."

"What?" Lucifer asked surprised.

"I wanted you to hate me. I thought it would be better for both of us. I thought if you were angry, you'd be less hurt, and I thought if I could deal with your anger more than your pain. I was afraid I wouldn't be able to do it if I saw your pain," Michael explained.

Lucifer closed his eyes and fought hard against the tears threatening to fall. He couldn't believe how little he'd actually understood until now. "I'm sorry, Michael. I thought so little of you. You didn't betray me, I betrayed you."

Michael shook his head. "No. I did a terrible thing. I cast my own brother away. I made that decision. I…I didn't want to remember."

"You saved my life, and it slowly damaged your mind. But I think you'll be okay now," Lucifer said before sitting down next to him. Michael was far from back to normal, he was sure, but he could already see improvement. At the moment at least, he was pretty lucid and aware. It was better than he'd been since they got him out of the Cage.

Michael put his head down on his brother's shoulder and started to cry.

Xxxxxxxxxxx

When Lucifer walked out of his room, he found Gabriel and Amenadiel waiting for him.

"How's Michael?" Amenadiel asked.

"Better. He'll be okay eventually," Lucifer said.

"What the hell happened? One minute you wanted to kill Michael and the next you were hugging him. What did he show you?" Gabriel asked. He was almost certain that Michael had shown their brother something in his mind.

"The truth about my sentence to Hell. It wasn't Dad's idea. It was Mum's. Michael carried it out without father's knowledge. It was done before he could do anything to stop it," Lucifer said. Of course, he knew his father could've done something after that. Michael had to have known that too. Their father could've killed him if he really wanted. Michael must have decided that the bastard would've left well enough alone if Lucifer was already gone.

Amenadiel blinking in confusion. "This makes you less angry at Michael?

"Yeah, I'd think it would be the other way around," Gabriel said. If anything, Lucifer's anger at their father was more likely to lesson than his anger for Michael.

"Father was going to have me killed," Lucifer said. As he said it, it hit him. His father had wanted him dead. Until now, he was focused on the fact that he was wrong about Michael. Now the depth of his father's betrayal was hitting him hard.

Amenadiel and Gabriel looked at him wide eyed. They both spoke in unison. "What?!"

Lucifer explained everything he'd seen and heard in Michael's mind. "Michael decided the only way to save me was to send me away before father could agree or disagree."

"What about the apocalypse? He tried to kill you," Gabriel said.

"I think his mind was already unraveling by then. Who knows what he was thinking. I'd ask, but I don't even think he remembers it yet," Lucifer said. One thing he was sure though was that Michael wasn't responsible for his actions during that time. He didn't know what he was doing.

Amenadiel was still reeling from the knowledge that his father wanted to kill his brother. He always believed his father did what was best for everyone. There was always a good reason for the things he did, even things like abandoning them. But Amenadiel could not think of a single good reason his father would have for murdering his own son. And, yes, Amenadiel knew he tried to do the same to Lucifer not too long ago, but this was different. It was still wrong, but different. A father shouldn't even consider murdering his own son.

"Where's Jack. I want to see my son," Lucifer said. With the knowledge of his father's plans in his head, Lucifer needed to be with his son. He needed Jack to know that he would never do anything to harm him.

"In the kitchen with Sam," Gabriel told him.

Lucifer nodded and walked past them.