Bad Company

Author note: Ok, so, just to break the, ahem, unbearable tension of the Cas-Deb storyline (which will continue at some point), I thought I'd do a one-shot. This is weird; it started off as Lucifer/OC but then turned into Crowley/OC. Read and review, guys.

The words were still ringing in her ears, "What? They're just demons." That's what he'd said to the Winchester boy. She remembered just gaping at him as one after another of her kind fell; lives blinked out in order to feed Death. He'd never said anything like that to her before, he was her creator and she loved him. Now she felt like a dog that had been kicked. But she was still alive, and she thought there must be a reason for that.

Sullenly she approached the door, knocking twice and then entering. He was standing by the window, back turned. "What's the point in knocking if you don't wait for a response?" He sounded annoyed. He turned, finally looking at her, "Oh, Annie, come in, sit down."

She took a seat, lowering her eyes as he sat opposite her, "I just wanted to talk to you about what happened earlier, with Death."

He clapped his hands together, "I know. Wasn't it glorious?"

She nodded, twisting her hands together in her lap, "Oh, of course, it was... wonderful. I just, well, something you said made me think..."

He raised his eyebrows, "Be careful. You don't want to hurt yourself." Then he chuckled at his own joke.

Annie nodded her head, smiling slightly, "That's, er, funny. Erm, but I just wanted to know... what do you think of my kind?"

He narrowed his eyes and stood, walking over to the window again. He didn't speak.

Annie bit her lip, maybe this wasn't such a good idea. He had been a tad unpredictable of late.

His breath left a pale mist on the glass, "I created you... you're my children, my soldiers."

"So, you do care about us then? You need us as much as we need you?" She was leaning forward in her chair.

When he turned he was smiling, "Annie, you know I care about you. You're my favourite; everyone knows that."

Annie smiled, her eyes shining with childish delight, "Really? Why?"

"Because you're loyal, Annie. You do as you're asked, and you don't question orders. I need more like you. "

She nodded. Loyal? She didn't feel loyal. She didn't believe a word he was saying to her. She looked at him, "Do you need me for anything tonight?"

He shook his head, turning away again, "No, you're free for tonight. I will need to see you tomorrow though." He didn't look at her as she moved to the door, "Annie, when I win, you will have a special place by my side in the new world. Your loyalty will not go unrewarded."

Closing the door she rested against it for awhile. She had always been loyal to a fault. Even during all those years he'd spent in the cage she'd loved him, wanted to set him free, believed that things would be better once he was out. She'd fought, killed to be by his side when he rose. She'd walked away from old allies and the people who'd taught her everything she knew. Now she wasn't even sure she wanted to be by his side. She found her feet taking her in the direction of the only other person in the world she trusted. She remembered him saying to her; "Stay at the crossroad, sweetheart. It's where you belong, you're good at this. You don't want to get involved in all of that." And she'd ignored him. She didn't even know if he'd want to see her again after that, but she needed his advice now.

As she approached the high electric gates the smell of smoke got stronger. She pressed her face against the bars peering through, but she was surprised to find that they swung open under her weight. As she stepped through into the yard she half expected guards to grab her and drag her up to the house, but as she got closer and the smoke cleared she saw that there wasn't much of a house left. Crowley's house had been burnt to the ground. "What the hell?" she whispered to herself.

She gasped as she felt someone grab her ankle, and a choked voice hissed painfully, "You..." She couldn't make out his face, it was so covered in scar tissues, but she assumed it was one of Crowley's guards. She stared down at the man, horrified. He could barely speak, his throat almost closed over. He held a small round coin out to her, "Crowley...alive. He'll find...you." She took the coin, grasping the man's hand for a moment before walking away.

Annie pushed open the door to her flat, flipping the coin through her fingers. "Well, I hate to say it, but I told you so. Lucifer's not quite what you expected, is he?"

She stared at the man leaning against her chest of drawers, dressed entirely in black. "Crowley." She flipped the coin over to him, "Tracking device?"

He caught it expertly, plucking it out of the air and placing it in one of his pockets, "Yes." He moved towards her, "It's nice to see you again, Annie." He placed a kiss on her cheek.

She grinned, "You too. But don't pretend that you don't like telling me I was wrong. You love it."

He shrugged, "Guilty as charged."

"Your house? Please don't tell me we..."

Crowley nodded, "Yes that was your lot. It's possible that Lucifer may have found out about a little incident where I may have given the Colt to the Winchester's."

Her eyes widened, "Why would you do that?"

"Why shouldn't I? I don't want him to win, and you shouldn't either."

Annie was almost shaking with rage, "So, whose side should I be on? The angels'?"

"He is a bloody angel!" Crowley shouted, glaring at her.

Annie shook her head, "You don't know him, not really. He's always been good to me, Crowley. I didn't have anyone else."

"Oh, really? So what was I? I showed you the ropes; you were the best at working the crossroads. And I seem to remember that I was pretty damn good to you as well." He moved closer to her.

"That was a professional arrangement, Crowley. You showed me how to make a sale and I repaid you in kind." She crossed her arms.

He shook his head, "Don't be an idiot, Annie. It might have started off like that, but you know what it really was."

She laughed, "What, Crowley? Love? Now who's being an idiot? It was just infatuation, you know that. You would have kept me there forever, wouldn't you? Your little princess of the crossroads."

"Yes. I would. And what is so bloody wrong with that?"

"It's not fair, Crowley." She sighed, "You even said it yourself sometimes, when you were drunk. You told me I could do better, that I was talented, that I should do more, aim higher. That's what I did."

He grabbed her arms, shaking her, "I know, I know and that's all true. But not like this. Not with him. He doesn't care about us, not even about you. When he's done with you he'll kill you. Come with me now, while you still can. I'll keep you safe."

She backed away, "It's not that simple. I'm not going to leave him. I need to know for sure. I need to talk to him."

He groaned, "No, Annie. He'll kill you. He doesn't like disobedience. He burnt my bloody house down."

"I know, but I owe it to him to be honest. To find out the truth." She shrugged her shoulders, forlornly.

He sighed and rolled his eyes, turning away, "Fine." He found his place by her drawers again and turned to her, "I'm going."

"Wait." She moved towards him, "You're kind of losing your touch, Crowley. Was that you giving me the hard sell?" She stood in front of him, placing her hands on his chest, "I mean, where's my incentive to go with you?" She looked up at him, gazing through her lashes.

He frowned, then pulled her head towards his, crashing his lips against hers, "You're an idiot." He gasped, breathless. "But, I prefer you alive." He kissed her again, "So, if it's incentive you want, I'll give it to you." He felt her hands fishing in his pockets as he kissed her, felt her back away holding something in her hand.

She laughed and deftly tucked his tracking device down her top, feeling the cool metal against her breast, "Go on then. Convince me."

He threw off his jacket and tie, and in his urgency he tore his shirt a little, and then moved towards her, "I'm beginning to remember why you were always my favourite."

(the next day)

Annie could barely walk the next day; Crowley really hadn't been joking when he'd said he'd missed her. The things that man knew how to do... After the third game of 'hunt the tracking device' she'd almost been ready to renounce Lucifer and run off with Crowley forever. But, she hadn't of course, which is why she was standing outside Lucifer's door again whilst Crowley was still curled up, asleep in her bed. She knocked quietly, this time waiting for an answer. When she didn't receive one she entered the room, "Hello?" She walked to the middle of the room.

"Annie," he was standing behind her, "did you have a good night off?"

Oh yeah, she thought. She shrugged, "Oh, y'know, quiet."

He smiled, moving towards her, "Good, "he looked concerned, "Annie, I've been worried recently. You haven't seemed quite yourself. I hope you're alright?"

She nodded, "I'm ok, thanks. It's just that, a lot's happened. There have been a lot of changes. It's difficult to adjust to I suppose."

He nodded, smiling, still moving towards her, "Good, I'm glad that's all it is. I'd hate to think you felt you couldn't speak to me about something. I need you to be honest with me, Annie."

She looked down at her feet.

"I know what you did last night." He was very close now; she could almost smell the degraded skin of his vessel, struggling to contain the angel within.

"It was just for fun." She mumbled.

"Then you should choose your fun more carefully." He lifted her head so she was looking at him, "Crowley is an enemy."

She shook her head, "He's one of your children too. He just doesn't understand. Maybe if you spoke to him; make him understand that you're on our side, that you're doing this for us."

He laughed. He looked like he wanted to speak, but just couldn't get the words out between the huge bursts of laughter that just kept coming. Finally, he collapsed in a chair, holding his stomach, "Do you even know what I am?"

"Father." She whispered.

"Well, yes, I suppose. But I made you to fight for me. I made you to win this war for me." He glared at her, "Sleeping with the enemy is not going to help us win, is it."

She nodded, "You're right, I'm sorry. It won't happen again."

"Oh, sweetheart, come on. Don't say that. After we had such a good time as well." Annie's eyes widened and she turned to face the newcomer, "Crowley!" He nodded; standing behind him was another man, a human, wearing a baseball cap.

Lucifer moved towards them, "Well, this is a little suicidal, don't you think?"

The older man shook his head, "Nope. You may not be quite like all the other bastards we've dealt with. But, you are still an angel. So, this should work on you too." He pointed at the door they'd entered through, and it was only as he slammed his hand against it that she noticed it was dripping with blood, covered in markings. There was a flash and Lucifer was gone.

She stared at Crowley, "How did you know where to find me?"

He stepped towards her, pulling her against him and sliding his hand into the back pocket of her jeans. He held a shiny coin in front of her face, "I knew you'd do something stupid. So let's say, I just wanted to give myself a little insurance on that deal we sealed last night."

Annie smiled, looking down at her shoes, "Yeah, about that...I'm sorry; I fully intended to come back. I wasn't going to pull out of the deal or anything."

Crowley nodded, sliding the coin into his pocket, "Oh? That's a shame. I was hoping maybe we'd have to seal it again, just to make sure..."