Authors Note:

I'm on uni break now, so that means new chapters! I've already finished the next chapter after this, so I'll hopefully be posting with more consistency for the next month. I'd like to give a shout out to my beta, my dear friend LJS who helped make sure this chapter wasn't riddled with errors.

Please review, your kind words inspire me more than anything.

Chapter 12

With each passing day, the mood at the Slayer School plummeted. With the Winchester's death and visit to heaven, a dark cloud hung over their group. Castiel's depression over God's disinterest, and the resulting drunken spiral that came with it, leaked into everyone else. Nobody mentioned it, but everyone felt that if God didn't want to help them, what hope did they have?

The general atmosphere, Buffy's absence, and his estrangement from Sam, left Dean feeling worse than he had ever remembered feeling. He felt torn from the people he loved the most and didn't know how to deal with it. He would usually turn to a cheap bottle, and an even cheaper woman, but with Spike's intervention and his love for Buffy, he had no way to cope with his overwhelming emotions. He found himself sinking into a dark depression, with insomnia plaguing him like it never had before.

Each of Buffy's friends weren't much better. They were running themselves ragged trying to find a way to get Buffy back, but there was no sign of her. Buffy had been missing for five months, and not once in that time had there been a single trace of her, or of Lucifer. Demon activity kept everyone busy, but nothing that lead them to Buffy. They didn't even know if she was still alive, or if she was still being held hostage by Lucifer. They didn't know which was worse.

It was leading into the end of April when Willow had arrived to the War Room with more gusto than she had shown in months. Their group gathered together, looking worn and beaten down. Dawn looked like she hadn't slept in weeks. Her eyes were dark with exhaustion, and her already thin frame looked sickly with the weight she had lost from stress.

"So," Willow began, excitement creeping into her voice. Her tone made everyone perk up, they hadn't heard her sound so optimistic in months, "I've been scrying daily since Buffy left. I've been doing nationwide searches for any sort of substantial power, but I haven't found anything, which, ya know, strange, since the Devil walking around should be making some noise, but he's blocking me somehow," she took a deep breath after her rambling, "but today I found something!" She smiled at the hopeful looks on everyone's face, "It might not be Lucifer or Buffy, but I think it's worth looking into."

"Where is it?" Dean asks, sounding more hopeful and excited than he had in months.

"Well that's what's weird," Willow said with a furrowed brow, "the spell pointed to a run-down hotel in Muncie, Indiana."

After a lot of arguing, the gang decided to lay low until they knew what they'd encounter, which meant only the Winchesters and Willow arrived at the hotel five hours later. When they arrived, the weather had made a turn for the worse, resulting in torrential rain. They ran into the hotel, to find the inside to be as plush and fancy as a 5 star hotel.

"Huh, nice digs for once," Dean said loudly, smiling at the desk attendant. More quietly he whispered to Willow, "I thought you said this place was meant to be dingy?"

"It was! I don't know what's going on here, but I'm feeling all tingly. Some big mojo is going on," Willow whispered back, looking antsy.

The trio walked to the desk, and started signing in, with the attendant, Chad, noticing a shaving nick on Dean's face. Chad handed him a tissue for the blood, while Willow looked on in suspicion.

Walking away, Sam questioned Willow, "why were you giving him the stink eye?"

"'Shaving nick'? That doesn't strike you as odd? We know Dean didn't shave before coming here, we left straight away," she said explained quietly, "there is a lot of spells and rituals involving blood, and not many of them are good."

Dean looked worried, "you think he was trying to get my blood for a spell?"

Willow looked uncertain, and glanced back at Chad as they made their way to the dining room, "Well, I'm not sure, but this place, it's making me wiggy. I think we should just be careful. Keep your blood and any other body parts to yourself."

"Oh yeah, no worries," Dean said sarcastically responding to the ridiculousness of the statement, earning a reproaching look from Willow.

After a quick meal, they went to their rooms, hoping to find some privacy for Willow to do some scrying. On their way, they passed a couple locking lips passionately, causing Dean to smirk and point them out to Sam, "what are you, 12?" Sam asked, heading to the room next to the couple and opening their door.

They entered their suites to hear the sound of love making coming through the room beside them. Dean smirked, but Willow and Sam just looked uncomfortable, "I don't think I'll be able to concentrate with that going on," Willow commented uncomfortably.

"Ah, well they can't keep it up all night," Dean replied, "we'll just wait them out,"

Before Willow could reply, a huge smashing sound came from the love bird's rooms, causing the trio to jump in surprise. Willow yelped as the brick wall indented into their side of the room, almost knocking off the TV. "Holy crap!" Dean exclaimed as the three of them rushed out of their room, to check on the couple next door. They kicked the door in, finding the room empty, except for an engagement ring on the floor.

Willow grabbed them and ran down the stairs to the lobby, "The, uh, the room next to ours, the couple that are, uh, joined at the lips, have you seen them?" Dean asked, out of breath from the run.

Chad looked up from his computer, "Mr. and Mrs. Logan - the honeymooners? They checked out. Is something the matter?"

"They checked out?" Sam asked incredulously.

"Mm-hmm. Mm, just now."

"Really? It sort of seemed like they were, uh," Sam chuckled awkwardly, "in the middle of something."

"Yeah, it's kind of weird for honeymooners to check out without this," Dean added, holding up the engagement ring.

Chad reached for the ring, grabbing it from Dean, "oh, dear. I'll just put that right in the lost and found. Don't you worry. Is there anything else I can help you with?"

"Uh, no. No, we're good," Willow replied, inching away from the attendant.

"Super-fantastic," Chad replied with a too-happy, creepy kind of smile

They walked further away from the desk, "Creepy" Sam murmured, once they were far enough away.

"Definitely," Willow agreed, turning to the boys, "but I don't think this is what we're looking for. If Buffy was here, I'd be able to feel it," Willow added, with a touch of despair, "but there is something going on here, and not the average demon hunt. There's power here, big power. We should stay and check it out."

Dean tried to not look disappointed about not finding Buffy. This was the closest lead they had in months, and it wasn't leading to what he needed, "right, well, Sam, keep an eye on Norman Bates here, Will and I will scope the place out."

Dean and Willow made their way ups to upper levels, Willow with her arms out, trying to pick up any magical energy, and Dean with his EMF detector. Passing an open door, they saw an elephant holding a towel. Having passed the room, the two looked at each other in shock, before stumbling back to the open door, finding a large man covering himself with a towel.

"This aint a peep show, man!" he yelled, before slamming the door.

Willow and Dean looked at each other with shock before continuing down the hall, at a slower speed.

Sam followed Chad as he left the reception desk. The receptionist seemed innocent enough, but Sam quickly lost him once he came to a room containing the vending machines. As he continued searching, Sam felt a sharp pain in his neck, reaching his hand to the wound he pulled it back and saw blood. Remembering what Willow said, he quickly left the room to search for her and Dean.

"An elephant?" Sam asked in shock for the third time

"Yeah," Dean replied, just as shocked.

"Like, an elephant?"

"Like, full on Babar."

"Guys, where the hell is everyone?" Willow asked, looking around. She walked to the lobby doors and tried to open them, finding them locked. She raised her arms and tried to open them with magic, but they remained sealed. She shot the Winchesters a scared, confused look.

They decided to try and search the rest of the hotel, starting with the kitchen.

Dean moved to the stove, finding a red bubbling soup, "please be tomato soup, please be tomato soup," he muttered to himself, stirring the pot. Lifting the ladle, he pulled out an eyeball, "Motel hell," he mutters to himself, as he follows Sam to the walk in freezer.

At the sight of the Winchesters, yells for help were heard from the freezer. Sam raced to the door, pulling out his lock pick.

"Hurry up!" Dean urged, hovering behind his brother.

"Uhh, guys?" Willow said meekly behind them.

They turned to find two big guys holding on to her, and two more coming for them. Before they had a chance to fight back, they were quickly dragged into the hotel's grand ballroom, which had been fully occupied.

The bellboy came from the corner with a creepy grin, "Dinner is served!" he announced with a round of applause.

A handsome man at the head of the table stood, "Ladies and Gentleman, our guests of honour have arrived!" He raised his champagne glass, clinking it with his fork before continuing, "Thank you for coming. Although in all my centuries, I never thought I'd see this. This many Gods under one roof."

"Gods," Willow muttered, sounding as if she just worked out the solution to a riddle.

He continued, "now, before we get down to brass tacks, some ground rules. No slaughtering each other. Curb your wrath. Oh, and uh, keep your hands off the local virgins. We're trying to keep a low profile here."

The Winchester brothers looked to each other with fear, "oh, we are so, so screwed," Sam muttered to Dean.

"Now we all know why we're here. The Judeo-Christian apocalypse looms over us. I know we've all had our little disagreements in the past. The time has come to put those aside and look toward the future. Because if we don't, we won't have one. Now we do have two very valuable bargaining chips. Michael, and Lucifer's vessels. The question is, what do we do now? Anybody have any bright ideas? Speak up. This is a safe room."

An Asian man at the other side of the table started speaking, however he spoke in another langue, meaning that only the Gods could understand. Willow frowned, and then quickly muttered under her breath. The man's speech was quickly changed to English, causing some of the God's to look at Willow with shock and respect.

"-we do? We kill them!"

Another one of the Gods laughed, "Kill 'em? What, so the angels can bring them back again?"

An older man, with a long beard spoke up, "I don't know what everybody's getting so worked up about! 'Cause it's just a couple of angels having a slap fight! There's no Armageddon. Everybody knows, when the world comes to an end, the Great Serpent Jormungandr rises up, and I myself will be eaten by a big wolf!" He finished with a booming laugh.

The dubbed man sighed, "here we go."

"Oh yeah? And why is that? Because your beliefs are so much more realistic? The whole world's getting carried around on the back of a giant turtle? Ha! Give me a break!"

"Don't mock my world turtle."

"What are you gonna do about it?" The old man asked, threateningly.

"I'm gonna send you packing to Valhalla!"

"You watch your mouth when you talk to me, boy!"

"Boy? I'm older than you."

"No one's ever proved that."

Taking advantage of the God's bickering, the Winchesters and Willow were trying to make a sly exit via the front door. Just as they had gotten to the door, a large chandelier fell in front of them, causing a huge crash. Looking behind them, they saw a beautiful Indian woman staring at them. She turned her eyes to the rest of the Gods.

"Stay. We have to fight. The archangels - the only thing they understand is violence. This ends in blood. There is no other way, it's them, or us. "

The bellboy spoke up, "with all due respect, ma'am, we haven't even tried talking to them." He barely got the last of his sentence out before he started choking and coughing up blood.

"Kali!" The handsome man who announced them earlier chastised her, showing leadership in the group.

"Who asked you?" Kali asked.

Before she could have more vengeance, the front door crashed open. Gabriel swaggered in, trademark cocky grin on display.

"Can't we all just get along!" Gabriel announced, his smile getting wider.

Dean attempted to call out to him, only to be stopped by the Angel. His words were choked in his mouth, unable to form.

"Sam! Dean," he spoke to them, sauntering over, "It's always wrong place, worst time with you muttonheads, huh?"

"Loki," the leader of the group announced, greeting the newcomer.

"Baldur," Gabriel addressed the God, "good seeing you too. I guess my invitation got lost in the mail."

"Why are you here?"

"To talk about the elephant in the room," his terminology caused the elephant man from earlier to start to rise angrily in his chair, "not you. The Apocalypse. We can't stop it, gang. But first things first." Gabriel turned to the Winchesters and Willow, "The adults need to have a little conversation. Check you later." Gabriel snapped his fingers, causing the three to reappear in their rooms.

"Holy crap!" Dean exclaimed

"I second that," Willow said, sitting onto the bed, she looked disappointed, "I guess that means Buffy really isn't here."

Sam looked at the morose witch, before turning to his brother who looked like he was trying to shove his disappointment deep inside, "so what do we do now?"

Dean took a moment and answered, sounding unsure, "I, uh, I don't know. Grab those poor saps outta the freezer, I guess? Bust 'em out? Gank a few freaks along the way if we're lucky?"

"And when are you ever lucky?" Gabriel asked sarcastically from the other side of the room, causing the others to jump.

"Well you know what, bite me, Gabriel," Dean said in reply.

"Maybe later, big boy," Gabriel looked to Willow, "Who's your friend? Her powers are making me all tingly."

Dean ignored his interest in Willow, much to her approval, "I should've known. I mean this had your stink all over it from the jump."

"You think I'm behind this? Please. I'm the Costner to your Houston. I'm here to save your ass."

"You wanna pull us outta the fire?"

"Bingo! Those guys are either gonna dust you, or use you as bait. Either way, you're uber boned."

"Wow, 'cause a couple of months ago you were telling us that we need to "play our roles". You're uber boning us!"

"Ohh, the end is still nigh. Michael and Lucifer are gonna dance the lambada, but not tonight. Not here."

"And why do you care?"

Gabriel looked a bit sheepish before answering, "I don't care. But, me and Kali we, uh, had a thing. Chick was all hands. What can I say? I'm sentimental."

"Do they have a chance? Against Satan?" Sam asked, buttering into their verbal sparring match.

"Really, Sam?" Dean asked, shocked.

"You got a better idea, Dean?"

Willow piped up, "He's not wrong, I mean, what if they can help find Buffy, or even help us get her back. It could be worth it."

"It's a bad idea. Lucifer's gonna turn them into finger paint. So let's get going while the going's good, hmm?" Gabriel replied, shutting down their idea.

"O.K. Great, why don't you just zap us outta here then?" Dean asked.

"Would if I could, but Kali's got you by the short and curlies. It's a blood spell. You boys are on a leash."

"I told you! Blood and magic equals bad!" Willow said.

"It means it's time for a bit of the old black magic," Gabriel announced, spritzing his mouth with mouth spray.

"Okay, yeah. Well, whatever. Well, we're gonna take the hors d'oeuvres in the freezer with us," Dean added.

Gabriel shook his head, "Forget it. It's gonna be hard enough sneaking you mooks outta here."

"They called you Loki, right? Which means they don't really know who you are?" Dean asked, edging towards something.

"Told you. I'm in witness protection."

"Okay, well then how about you do what we say, or we tell the, uh, legion of doom about your secret identity. They don't seem like a real pro-angel kinda crowd."

"I'll take your voices away," Gabriel countered.

"We'll write it down."

"I'll cut off your hands."

"Well then, people are gonna be asking, "Why are you guys running around with no hands?""

Gabriel looked frustrated, and huffed, "Fine."

While Gabriel distracted the Gods, the trio made their way to the kitchen, hearing the sound of screaming as they got closer. As they arrived in the kitchen, they saw one of the hotel guests get dragged from the freezer.

"No! N-No! No! Please! Gah!" he continued to scream as the clever came down on his throat, severing his head from his body.

Sam whispered to the others, "it's too late."

Hurrying to the freezer to free the others, Sam grabbed his lock pick, trying to unlock the freezer. Willow felt useless, not being able to use magic without warning the God's above them. As she kept guard, she shouted a warning towards the Winchesters as the man she figured was Zao Shen attacked. He picked Dean up, and threw him across the room. Ignoring the witch, Zao Shen moved to pin Sam, stopping him from freeing the hotel guests.

Figuring that they'd already been exposed, Willow rushed to the handle, grabbing it and infusing her palm with heat. Within seconds, the lock had melted away, enabling the door to open.

Dean saw her success and shouted to her, "get 'em out of here, we'll handle it." Willow nodded, leading the guests to the safety of their cars.

Zao Shen continued to choke Sam, oblivious to the rescue attempt happening around him. He concentrated on his foe, choking the life from him. So absorbed in his task, he did not notice the older Winchester brother coming from behind, stabbing him in the back with a wooden stake.

Willow rushed back in as Zao Shen's dead body fell to the ground. Looking around, she remarked, "where's Gabriel? He should have been back with your blood by now."

Just as she had finished her sentence, the humans materialised back into the relocked freezer, and the trio found themselves transported back into the ballroom.

"How long have you known?" Gabriel asked Kali, seemingly oblivious to the new entries.

"Long enough."

"How's the rescue going?" Dean asked, half jokingly.

"Well, surprise, surprise. The Trickster has tricked us," Kali announced.

"Kali, don't," Gabriel begged.

"You're mine now. And you have something I want." She reached into Gabriel's jacked, pulling out a blade, "An Archangel's blade. From the Archangel, Gabriel."

"Okay, okay! So I got wings, like Kotex. But that doesn't make me any less right about Lucifer."

"He's lying. He's a spy," Kali announced.

"I'm not a spy. I'm a runaway. I'm trying to save you. I know my brother, Kali. He should scare the living crap out of you. You can't beat him. I've skipped ahead, seen how this story ends."

"Your story. Not ours. Westerners, I swear. The sheer arrogance. You think you're the only ones on earth? You pillage and you butcher in your God's name. But you're not the only religion, and he's not the only God. And now you think you can just rip the planet apart? You're wrong. There are billions of us. And we were here first. If anyone gets to end this world, it's me. I'm sorry," she gripped the sword, and stabbed Gabriel, causing him to die with a flash of blinding light.

Dean and Sam looked shocked, and somehow a little sad.

"This is crazy," the bellboy said, shocked at the death of the Archangel.

Kali raised the sword, "They can die. We can kill Lucifer."

Dean had enough, "Alright you primitive screwheads, listen up."

"Are you outta your mind?" Sam demanded, incredulously.

Dean ignored him and continued, "I'm outta options. Now on any other given day, I'd be doing my damndest to, uh, kill you. You filthy murdering chimps. But, uh, hey, desperate times. So even though I'd love nothing better than to slit your throats, you dicks, I'm gonna help you. I'm going to help you ice the devil. And then we can all get back to ganking each other, like normal. You want Lucifer, well, dude's not in the Yellow Pages. But me and Sam, we can get him here."

"How?" Kali demanded.

"First you let those main courses go. Then we talk. We can either take on the devil together, or you lame-ass bitches can eat me. Literally."

The second rescue attempt of the night was more successful. Willow and Dean were in the parking lot, making sure everyone got into their cars and drove away. Sam stayed at the door, making sure everyone left as quickly as possible.

Dean waved his hands, moving everyone along "Come on everybody! Let's go, let's go, let's go, let's go, let's go. Alright, alright, go, go, go! Get outta here!"

"Psst! Dean!" Dean heard his name called, and looked towards his car, seeing Gabriel, "Don't look at me! Act natural. Get in."

"Man, there is nothing natural about this at all. I thought you were dead."

"You think I'd give Kali my real sword? That thing can kill me!"

"Then what do they have in there?"

"A fake! Made it out of a can of diet orange Slice. So, uh, go snag our blood, would ya?"

"What?"

"I heard you in there. Kali likes you. You can get close. Lift the plasma, then we vamoose."

"No. Hand over the real blade. Better yet, why don't you sack up and help us take down Lucifer."

Gabriel scoffed at the comment, "you can't be serious?"

"Deadly."

Gabriel narrowed his eyes at the hunter, "since when are you butt buddies with a bunch of monsters? That's all they are to you, aren't they?"

"Alright, you know, Sam was right. It's nuts but it's the best idea I've heard, so unless you have a better one?"

"Well, good luck with that. Me? I'm blowing Jonestown. Those lemmings wanna run off a cliff, that's their business."

"I see right through you, you know that? The smart-ass shell, the whole "I could give a crap" thing? Believe me, it takes one to know one," he replied, recalling his behaviour from before he was reunited with Buffy.

"That so?"

"Yes. And maybe those freaks in there aren't your blood but they are your family"

"They just stabbed me in the friggen heart!" He exclaimed disbelievingly, waving his arm towards the hotel.

"Maybe, but you still give a crap about 'em, don't you?"

"Dean," Gabriel started, trying to forestall his next words.

"Now they're gonna die in there, without you."

"I can't kill my brother."

"Can't or won't?" Gabriel gave him an anguished look that answered his question, "that's what I thought."

"So you're going to summon Lucifer," Kali asked, circling the younger Winchester.

"Sort of," he replied, nervously, "I just need you to squeegee some stuff from my ribs and he'll come running."

"Breaking them would be easier."

Before Sam could protest to protect his ribs, Dean came marching into the room, "Show's over. Sword's a fake, and Gabriel, he's still kicking. I hate to break it to you, sister, but you've been tricked."

Just as he turned to Sam to make another plan, the Grand Ballroom lights begin to flicker. Willow rushed to the boys, "something big is coming, way big."

"What's happening?" Baldur demanded of the trio.

Screaming is heard down the hall as the lights started flickering more violently.

"It's him," Sam explained, slightly panicked.

"How?" Kali demanded.

"Does it matter?" Dean demanded in return, "shazzam us outta here, would ya?"

"We can't," Baldur replied.

"Of course you can't," a familiar voice explained, "You didn't say "mother may I?"" Lucifer strolled to their group, "Sam, Dean, good to see you again."

Kali saw Baldur move before anyone else realised what was happening, "Baldur, don't!"

"You think you own the planet? What gives you the right?" Baldur exclaimed, moving to confront Lucifer. In a movement too quick to be seen, Lucifer punched his arm through Baldur, cutting him apart with his bare hand.

Baldur fell to the floor dead.

"No one gives us the right, we take it."

While their interaction was taking place, Dean ignored it all, because behind Lucifer stood Buffy. She looked like she had just crawled out of a ten car pile up. She was beaten, bloody, looked half starved and barely standing. But once she saw them, she smiled. Her bright, sunny smile. Even with cracked lips, and bloody teeth, it was still the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen, because it meant she was still alive. After a quick smile to each of the boys, she stared intently at Willow. At first Willow just smiled back, happy to see her friend, but she jolted, and her face became serious and intent.

Their weird exchange had Dean's full attention until he felt the heat of Kali's arms as she lit them aflame, hoping to take down Lucifer herself. Dean and Sam managed to grab Willow and jump out of reach, watching the show down from behind a table.

Kali engulfed Lucifer in flame, making him look like living fire. With a smirk, Kali thought she had at least injured the Archangel, but the flames quickly dissipated, leaving an unharmed Lucifer. He moved quickly to Kali, catching her in an uppercut, sending her flying across the room.

Sam moved closer to Willow and Dean, "you guys okay?"

"Not really," Gabriel said beside them, making them jump with his sudden reappearance, "better late then never, huh?" He handed Dean a copy of Casa Erotica #13, much to Dean's confusion, "guard this, with your life."

Before giving Dean a chance to reply, he jumped up, just as Lucifer was about to stomp on Kali's head. He moved towards Lucifer with his sword, his power blowing his brother away, and out of the ballroom door. "Lucy, I'm home. Not this time," he quickly moved to Kali, helping her up, and pushing her towards the Winchesters, "Guys! Get her out of here."

Lucifer looked disappointed, "Over a girl. Gabriel, really? I mean I knew you were slumming, but I hope you didn't catch anything."

"Lucifer, you're my brother. And I love you. But you are a great big bag of dicks."

Lucifer was momentarily shocked, "wait, what did you just say to me?"

"Look at yourself!" Gabriel exclaimed, "Boo hoo! Daddy was mean to me, so I'm gonna smash up all his toys."

"Watch your tone" Lucifer growled angrily.

"Play the victim all you want. But you and me? We know the truth. Dad loved you best. More than Michael, more than me. Then he brought the new baby home and you couldn't handle it. So this is all just one big temper tantrum. Time to grow up."

During their discussion, Willow moved to the boys, "we gotta get out of here."

Dean seemed shocked, "Are you kidding? Buffy is right there! I'm not leavin' without her."

"We couldn't take her if we wanted Dean! She's only here to make us do something stupid. She knows it, and we know it. Don't be an idiot and play into his hand. We'll get her back, but not now," Willow finished angrily, not wanting to waste time arguing with Dean. "Buffy has a plan, Dean. Trust her, and trust me. We can't wait here for them to finish off, because if Lucifer wins this showdown, he's going to be gunning for us, and he's going to make sure Buffy says yes, even if he has to torture us half to death to do so, now move!" She finished between gritted teeth, pulling Kali with her.

Dean stumbled on his way out when he caught sight of Buffy, he stopped to stare at her, not wanting to move without her by his side. The illusion was broken when she scowled at him and nodded to the door, mouthing "go". The trio left quickly, dragging Kali along with them.

The discussion was largely ignored by the two Archangels, who were still hashing out their personal business.

"Gabriel, if you're doing this for Michael-"

"Screw him. If he were standing here, I'd shiv his ass too."

"You disloyal-"

"Oh, I'm loyal. To them!"

"Who? These so called Gods?"

Gabriel sighed, "to people, Lucifer. People."

"So you're willing to die, for a pile of cockroaches. Why?"

"Because Dad was right. They are better than us."

Lucifer became enraged at Gabriel's last remark, "they are broken. Flawed! Abortions."

"Damn right they're flawed! But a lot of them try. To do better, to figive. And you should see the Spearmint Rhino! I've been riding the pine a long time. But I'm in the game now, and I'm not on your side, or Michael's. I'm on theirs."

"Brother, please don't make me do this," Lucifer begged, genuinely sounding anguished.

"No one makes us do anything."

Lucifer sighed in discontent, knowing his brother wouldn't be swayed, "I know you think you're doing the right thing, Gabriel. But I know where your heart truly lies." He quickly spun, catching the real Gabriel that had been sneaking up behind him. In one swift move, Lucifer twisted Gabriel's arm, pushing his own sword into Gabriel's chest, "here. Amatear hocus pocus. Don't forget, you learned all your tricks from me, little brother." He jerked his arm, causing a burst of light to come from Gabriel's chest, he dumped his brothers body on the ground.

Looking around he spotted Buffy, who had been watching the scene play out, and noticed that the Winchesters and the red headed witch had escaped. "Lover boy didn't come to the rescue? I'm disappointed."

"I'm not," Buffy replied, trying to not sound as weak as she felt, "all this quality time were getting? Priceless," she replied with a rueful smile.

Lucifer smiled sardonically before back handing her, "mind your manners, I lost a brother tonight."