(Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot. Any criticisms, anything I could improve at? Questions?)

Summary: AU (from apocalypse to bunker) Dean thought that it just couldn't get any worse, but let's say, moving along in time was not what he expected, especially by an angel he never expected to see again. Haunted by his past and the future -with all the secrets & uncertainties- Dean will have to try to adjust to everything thrown his and Sam's way and then Cass' way later on.

Chapter 6: What a Jolly Good Show

. . . .

Dean glared, eyes on the figure in white as the buildings and streets seemed to open up around him. "There ain't even going to be a show. Unless killing your ass is part of your show because I'll play my part then."

The smile grew wider. "Or maybe you just missed me? It has been a few days since our last meeting-"

"Don't flatter yourself." Dean stated immediately. "'Cause it's the exact opposite."

Lucifer brows creased as he smiled. "Are you sure? Well," he paused, head tilting to the side. "You could have fooled me, Dean." His response was a glare. "Don't get me wrong, you're kind of entertaining, fun even I suppose, at least enough to keep you alive."

The Winchester took out one of his weapons. "Hmph, you sure about that?" He circled around him. "I'm pretty sure you just can't kill me." He smirked. "Or maybe Sam's still calling the shots sometimes." He knew none of this was true, but he was being overly annoying because he had to keep Lucifer's eyes off the rest of the city, while the others got as many people as they could out.

Lucifer rose up Sam's eyebrows. "Uh, not-"

Dean cut him off. "I know why you're doing this, you know. You want to destroy every human on the planet, but save all the rest of Big Daddy's creations, right? But we all know who's his favorite- humans. Didn't he choose us over his own sons? Wow, you got real pissed about not being his favorite. And man, I swear you have more daddy issues than Sam. You really take the cake in the whole 'trouble in paradise' with your Dad thing." He whistled. "But He does have a point. Humans are much better, especially in comparison with a Devil. Oh sorry a winged dick with an anger management problem.." A smirk rose to his face as he "ruffled" Lucifer's feathers.

He saw the Devil in his brother scowl, and Dean found himself whipped into the side of a building. "Mind yourself, Dean." He began to walk away.

Dean stood up and said. "That the best you got? I mean seriously, the hell do you think you can do if you don't finish the damn job?" He raised up his arms. "Hey asshat, why don't you try to kill me? I'm right here."

Lucifer turned and approached him. "There's another reason why I keep you around. Want to know what it is?"

"No, I already know why; it's because I'm awesome."

Lucifer continued as if he didn't say no or some smartass comment. "I like how much you try to help your brother. I respect your loyalty to him. Despite the circumstances, you still think there's a way to save him. However, needless to say, you really shouldn't waste your time because Sam likes where he's at."

A hand grabbed around Dean's throat, effectively silencing him.

"He gets a kick out of all this. In fact, let's say he 'loves' this." A fist smashed into Dean's face twice, and next Dean felt himself collide with the side of a building again. Lucifer walked over to Dean, who was slowly making his way up to his feet.

Dean only received a kick to his stomach, and he grunted, falling back onto the ground.

"Poor Dean, you don't know how your brother really felt about everything." He clicked his tongue, grabbing hold of Dean's hair so he could tilt his face up to see his face - Sam's face. "He didn't like hunting, and he hated how bossy you were. Now he doesn't have to worry about you. You see, I protect him. That's more than I can say about his own brother."

Dean's glare locked with Sam's gaze, and he spit red at his face. "All of you angels lie, shouldn't be surprised though. Hey, I was wondering, all that bitching and lying, is that why you were put in timeout? I think you deserve another one." Another fist plowed him in the nose. It cracked, smashing over to the side. "N… Nice one, almost felt that. Keep trying, maybe you'll get the hang of this next week."

"Yes, maybe, but you won't last to see it when the time comes." The smirk twisted Sam's face, pure unadulterated evil surfacing.

Dean gritted out. "What the hell do you mean by that?"

"Well… One way or another you're going to die soon. Either this way," he rose up his hand, fingers ready to snap. "Or this way." His basically closed his hand, leaving three fingers straight out. They were his thumb, his index finger, and his middle finger.

At that statement, Dean paled just a few shades, but he continued to stare down the Devil. "What makes you so sure I'm-" He began forcibly.

"Have I ever lied to you, about anything this important?" The Devil's hand drifted down to his side.

Dean knew that the answer to his question. He always understood that when Lucifer gained possession of Sam that the Devil didn't need for even the smallest of white lies anymore. His eyebrow rose up. "It's still lying even if you call it 'stretching the truth,' you know."

Lucifer shrugged a shoulder. "Alright, I promise you that I'm telling the truth. At this exact moment," he added. "I'm going to break your arm then we'll take it from there. How does that sound, Dean?"

Dean couldn't formulate a response as Lucifer dropped him, foot colliding with his arm. Dean heard it snap, and he yelled out before he could stop himself.

Lucifer smirked at him. "What's next Sam? Any ideas?"

Dean froze. "You son of a bitch." He scowled, rushing to his feet while taking a little caution with his damaged arm. "Just drop the frigging act. If Sam was there, he'd-"

"Are you saying Sam's gone?" Lucifer's face smiled, head tilting. "I think not, he's still up here." He tapped the side of his head. "And he watches everything, and I mean everything that we do, especially this."

Dean's head whipped sideways and his body soon followed. He was sprawled along the ground now. He released a painful breath as he stood. "Yeah, there's definitely some Sam in there. Oh wait, that was you punching- if you could call it that. I swear you hit just like a human. You would be better off with Sam in charge." He picked off another weapon that he had on him; this time it was his favorite gun. He aimed it at Sam's head and hesitated.

It was enough that Lucifer grinned more. "Well, go ahead and take the shot, Dean. We're ready." He stayed where he was, opening his arms up wide. "You won't harm your brother, will you?"

Dean lowered his weapon. "... You sure about that?" Sorry Sam, he thought as a shot echoed around them; a bullet nailed Lucifer in the arm, who blinked at it thoughtfully. "I can shoot him, but no I won't kill him because unlike you, we're family, and we stick together. Can't say the same things about your dysfunctional whatever it is because look who's in your corner." He grinned. "It's just you there, Luci. I bet it gets lonely without God, without your brothers, sisters. You're all alone."

"You're being a big hypocrite now, Dean." Lucifer shook his head. "And we can't have that now, can we?" Before he could react, the archangel slammed him into the wall. It was enough force that he stuck there. "And we don't need to mention fathers, now do we? Sammy says yes, we should." The smug expression surfaced on the Devil's face.

"Listen, I'm gonna stop you right there hotshot. I don't care what you say as long as you say it the right way, but since it is you, I don't think that's possible-" He managed to drop from the wall, and he stared at the Devil in Sam's body. He was going to speak, to complete his thought, but he was cut off.

Lucifer tilted his head at Dean, crossing one arm over his chest while the other held onto his chin. "Do you really think you could tell me what to do without repercussions?" He stepped forward, and Dean tensed as an annoyed expression surfaced on Sam's face. "You should know that you're just the babysitter that needs to be watched yourself."

"What are you saying?"

"Isn't it obvious?" A cruel smirk destroyed Sam's face. "You're the one that needed the help all along, not your brother, and your actions are the ones that needed monitoring." He withdrew his hand from his chin, bringing it toward Dean. "From Sam's memories, I can see that you were the broken one. You were there when you lost your mother, when your father doted on little Sam, and who was his only real worry? Yes," he turned his head to the other side. "It was always for Sam. 'Protect your brother.' You had one job Dean, and you couldn't even handle it. You blew it Dean. Don't worry, Sam helped you out a bit though, even if you neglected to do so." He smirked. "Speaking of Sam, did you know that it was always about Sam, and maybe you, partially, but Sam was the main player in this game. He stepped up to the plate, allowed me to have my true vessel, as he should, but not you, Dean. You didn't; you refused to let my Brother in. Doesn't that sound like it was your fault that this progression took place? Dean, you like to mess things up don't you?"

"Yeah sorry that your master plan got derailed. Not everyone was glad to be part of that program," snarled Dean, who backed up slightly to evade Lucifer's hand.

The smirk on Sam's face widened as his head tilted a bit to the side. "And look how that turned out for you. Your Apocalypse began, and you didn't assume your role. How else would this resolve? You can't defeat me. I'll always win, thanks to Sam. Yeah, Sam came around and accepted me." He brought his hand to land on his chin as he seemed to ponder. "In fact, he did a lot of things you never did. He saved your life numerous times. I could have killed you earlier, even the first time we met, but Sam was the one that protected you. He was the only reason you stayed alive this long." He pointed out. "I wonder, why can't you return the favor, Dean?"

Dean ducked out of the way of the hand that headed toward him again. He was trying to forget what the Devil said, but it sounded so much like Sam, and it was the truth. He didn't save Sam when he needed him most. Sometimes. all he seemed to do was muck things up, but… It wasn't Sam speaking, and the Devil was just another angel - an archangel to be more exact, which only made him much more of a dick. "At least I tried. What about you? You and Michael were supposed to have your big showdown, remember? Good thing I didn't say yes because you'd be made his bitch." A smirk played on his lips now. "Big brother trumps little one with the tantrum, but you wouldn't know that would you. You were stuck in your cage, where you belonged." He was rewarded with a glare from Lucifer. "Struck another nerve?" Lucifer's face darkened as Dean walked past him. "No wonder Michael was God's favorite, other than the humans. He didn't have much competition, especially with a-" He was suddenly yanked by the back of his shirt, smashing through a building, which in turn caved in around him.

He heard footsteps coming his way, and he could have sworn Sam was talking - no, it was still Lucifer. Either way, he ignored it until his head was dragged upward, and he came face-to-face with the archangel.

"You're not listening, Dean." Fingers snapped in front of his face to gain his attention. "Come on, pay attention will you? You're the only thing here with some kick left in you, even if it's not much."

Dean didn't blink; he just glowered in silence.

"Good, now that I have your attention, I can tell you something very important, so open your ears and get this through your thick skull." He jabbed Dean in the forehead. "Sammy is still present, and he does like this arrangement we have, to some extent. He likes how he doesn't have to fear anything anymore; he can get his revenge on his…" The Devil paused, giving a little shrug that was accompanied by a smirk. "'Inner demons,' so to speak. He's much stronger now with me bunking in his head, so he doesn't need you anymore." His voice stopped, hand tightening on the back of his head when Dean spoke.

"You sure talk a lot about Sam; it sure seems you have the weirdest boy crush ever, man." He paused, clearing his throat. "Have you ever read that book that he's not really into you? Sam could tell you about it."

"Then how is it that I'm always swirling around in this head of his?" Dean didn't respond, so Lucifer continued with his previous train of thoughts like he hadn't been interrupted. "I'm here in his head now, so, basically, what I'm trying to say is that there is no need for you." He tilted his own head as he stared at Dean's unchanging face. "And," he added, "I think it's time that we lay you off because there's just so much that anyone can take of Dean Winchester. Plus you are a major pain in the ass, you know that?"

Dean could feel blood roll down from the top of his head and from his nose, but it didn't matter to him. Instead, his expression darkened as his mouth opened a fraction. Unfortunately, he didn't get a chance to get anything out of his cracked lips. Lucifer had continued speaking.

"If you manage to survive this time- because wow, you're tough to kill-" A chuckle came from his throat, a humorless one at that. "Just remember, I'll be back to finish the job next time we meet." He patted Dean's head twice, making him wince each time. "Well, I really enjoyed our time together, and don't worry, you won't be missed. I still have the rest of my Father's creations." He paused, smirk stretching Sam's face as he said casually, "Good luck, Dean. You're going to need it." He winked real quick. Then, Dean was pulled up abruptly, and something pierced his chest. Even though he tried to protect himself, the blade still dug in deep, and Dean's breathing caught.

"You-you bas… bastard…" He forced through his teeth, which were already lined with red that started to flow over the edge of his lips.

"And I just complimented you?" Lucifer shook his head with feigned disappointment, tossing Dean to the side, and throwing the piece of rusted and bloodied kitchen blade to the side. "Just for that, I'm going to speak with a few of your acquaintances." As Lucifer began to walk away, whistling a tune, Dean watched the Devil's back. He knew full well that talking with them would lead to something more sinister; it always did with Lucifer. Black invaded the edges of his vision just as Lucifer glanced over his shoulder. To the left of where he lay, Dean could barely make out his gun, stretching his arm as far as he could. His fingers brushed along it, and he grabbed hold of it. He pushed himself up some with one arm.

"Hey douchebag." He aimed and fired, hitting Sam in the back. It was more toward his shoulder than anything else. It wouldn't have been a fatal shot even if Sam was still himself and didn't have an archangel in his body. "You forgot something." He shot again when the Devil turned to face him; another shot that wouldn't be fatal even to a human. He checked how many bullets he had left: four. He had made it to his feet when he had fired that last shot, and he stumbled over the debris beneath his feet. He saw how the white clothing went a little red.

"You…" The Devil placed a hand to one of the wounds. The shots that were relatively in the same spot other than it being on opposite sides of his body (being on his back and on his front). "Made me bleed my own blood…"

"Yeah? Now who has the last laugh?" Dean's smirk was weak as he swayed a bit.

Lucifer turned a face so angry and disgusted his way that the rest of his comments were silenced for a few seconds. He strolled over toward Dean, who simply stood there, raising a challenging brow.

"Can you hurry up? I don't have all day-" He grunted as a fist cracked off his jaw. He didn't remember much after that. There was just pain, and there was Lucifer's face. After Dean lay on the ground again, he couldn't help but think. -Ain't that for sure. (that he didn't have all day) His chest expanded roughly as the blood pooled from his mouth now. He saw Lucifer above him, smug expression easing itself onto the face. Then, the expression flickered to a worried one, and then back. It settled back onto the worried one, and this one moved its mouth, but he couldn't understand it. In the next second, he was met with nothing except for Lucifer's back in the distance. Somehow, he was standing as he watched. He took a step forward, followed by another.

He was going to go after Lucifer. However, something struck his back, that something was surrounding him and preventing him from heading forward. "Dean, that's enough," A voice growled by his ear. The grip tightened around his arms, and the buildings, the road, and Lucifer's back faded, being replaced with the brightest light ever. He flinched and shut his eyes, and he fought to get free.

"Let me go," he ordered, twisting and pushing as hard as he could. It was no good, and after what felt like a few seconds to him, he heard someone call his name. His wrists suddenly hurt as he tugged.

"Dean," his name was closer now. He thought he heard Lucifer, and he rose his head, searching. When he found Sam's face, it wasn't Lucifer manning the sails. It was his little brother, and Sam was clearly worried. "Dean." Hands wrapped around his head, forcing his gaze into his little brother's. He suddenly felt cold when the realization struck.

"S-Sam?"

. . . .

Dean had lost it when he reached the room, and he had lunged for Sam, who was holding the angel blade that Cass gave him for protection. Fortunately, Cass responded before Dean got close to Sam, clamping his arms around the older brother, restraining him as he thrashed around. "Let me go," he bit out, pure rage swimming in his eyes as his gaze bore into his brother. For a fraction of a second, Dean looked at the blade again, and Sam took that to drop it onto the bed, hiding it out of sight.

However, he wouldn't relax, and Cass knew why because once again, his thoughts were wicked loud. He didn't know the details, just that Dean wasn't seeing Sam at the moment. "Dean, that's enough." He didn't know how many times he said that, probably two or three times. He didn't want to use force on his friend, but with a terrified look from Sam, he knew it was required. To sum it up, Dean was knocked unconscious and tied to a chair, where he sat there, head hanging. Both Cass and Sam shared a long look as they waited for Dean to come back to them; both had slight frowns to their faces as well.

A groan announced Dean's waking, and then, he stiffened, wrists only being stopped by the tape. The head moved slightly, but didn't lift up. "Dean," Sam snapped up to his feet, leaving his previous spot on the edge of the bed. He was right in front of Dean. "Dean," he repeated a few times, and his brother finally lifted up his head somewhat, eyes still hard, yet somewhat confused. Sam grabbed his face. Cass remained in his spot behind the chair, off to the side, so Dean couldn't see him.

"S-Sam?" The green eyes blinked sluggishly.

"Yeah, it's me Dean."

Dean's throat tightened. He had went for Sam - the real Sam! He was going to be sick. The room spun, and he tore his head from Sam's grip, letting it hang again. Even the ground was spinning around him. "Listen, Sam. I'm…"

His brother's voice sounded from next to him. "It's fine, Dean. Forget it, alright?"

"Why," he questioned, unsure how much he managed to hurt his brother. From what he seen, there wasn't much damage, but just to be certain, he rose his head, studying his brother. He didn't find anything, but he wasn't a doctor or an angel, so he couldn't really diagnose him. No one answered him. Sam merely glanced over to Dean's right. Dean followed his gaze, settling on Cass standing off to the side. It didn't take Dean long to connect the dots. Sam didn't appear injured because he wasn't; Cass had stepped in and stopped him.

He turned away, facing the window. It was still slightly dark outside, but he knew that wouldn't last too long. He decided it best to ignore the other two in the room, but he did catch what Sam said some minutes later. "You don't have to fight this alone, just tell us what happened."

Dean knew what he wanted. Sam was ready to talk about their feelings, but Dean wasn't. In fact, he might not ever be, so he didn't respond. He still felt their eyes on him, but he didn't bother to look at them. What he did was something terrible. He was always supposed to protect Sammy, and he would do until he died, that's what he always thought, but it seems that some days wanted to ruin that. Like this one. A frown turned his mouth down faintly. He never meant to hurt the "real" Sam, and even though he didn't, he imagined what could have happened if the angel hadn't been there. He'd hate to admit it, but he doubted Sam would be walking and talking.

He rubbed his wrists against the tape when Cass and Sam looked at one another again. The tape scratched at his skin, digging into it slightly. Dean wasn't sure if he wanted it off or preferred it to remain on yet, so he just sat there, pulling against the tape slowly. After a while, however, the sun began to rise, and he realized what the good old Doc would walk into if he decided to check up on the two of them.

He let his arms relax a bit as he turned his gaze over to Sam, who automatically looked back. "You gonna let me go anytime, Sammy? Yeah, as much as I enjoy this, I don't think the Doc will handle it very well." At first, no one moved, but Dean couldn't blame the hesitation. "I'm not a shifter, demon, or anything like that."

Sam and Cass looked at one another for a split second; Sam ended up heading over toward his older brother, saying. "We know."

"I passed the tests? That's a first." He forced a grin onto his face at his idiotic joke.

"No, didn't need to try them."

"What?" Dean knew that if it was him, he'd make sure. His eyes drifted over to Cass with a glare when Sam basically told him that he didn't need to, hinting that Cass had already checked. Did he actually trust an angel to determine that? He cocked a brow. "You're going to trust him?"

"Yes Dean, I am." Sam bent down, cutting through the tape around Dean's right wrist.

Dean shrugged, looking away from Cass over to Sam. "Whatever floats your boat, man." His other wrist was freed, but he waited until Sam backed off to stand. With a quick glance at his body, he sighed, pulling off his black jacket to wipe off the mess that no doubt resided on his face. After he removed his jacket from his face, he noticed that his other jacket was ruined and bloody as well (it was just more noticeable because of the lighter color), so he took that off too, cleaning the rest of his visible skin. He tried to ignore the stares, but it was extremely difficult, especially when he could see them out of the corners of his eyes. "Alright, what is it?" He finally looked over.

Sam was the one who spoke up. "What just happened?" He asked. "And don't say nothing, man, because it wasn't."

Dean pursed his lips. "It's…" He couldn't think up a good enough lie yet; his frigging headache was definitely not helping either. He pulled back on his black jacket, attempting to think. It's just that the Devil decided to pay him a visit. He opened his mouth to speak, but he was saved when the door opened. And that's what he would call being saved by the bell. They all turned to see the Doctor.

"Mr. Singer, it appears your car is out front." The doctor had paused upon walking in, staring at the room's occupants.

Dean went over to the window, looking at the parking lot, and surprisingly, there she was. He headed out the door as he said. "And that's my cue."

Oh man did it hurt to just breathe and talk, let alone walk to his car.

(Next Chapter: Saved by the Bell

-Lucifer was "God's Favorite," but Dean said Michael to make him angry. Also, the interaction between Dean and Lucifer was a memory type of event. If you didn't guess, the memory affected him when he saw Sam and the angel blade. I apologize I should have mentioned that this fic will deal with dark elements and some issues that people may not want to read, so be aware/ mindful of that.)