Chapter 2: Just What I Needed

Warnings: Mild language, I suppose.

Pairings: Dean/Castiel

Spoilers: Well, apparently my first chapter was right in line with the newest episode, so spoilers are up to Season 7, episode 16.

Thank you very much to those of you who reviewed!

So the ghost had turned out to be a particularly unintelligent shapeshifter, and Sam and Dean were on the road again.

"Winchesters plus one, eh bunk buddy?" Lucifer lounged in the back seat of the Impala like a child king on a gilded throne. Sam had been doing his very best to ignore the devil, as much for Dean's sake as for his own.

"I still don't believe this, Sam."

"I said I'm sorry, Dean," the younger brother replied with a tired sigh.

"That's great, but I literally mean I don't believe it. Lucifer is bonded to your soul? What the Hell does that even mean?" He growled, frowning at the endless stretch of backroad through the windshield.

Sam shrugged.

"How come we've never heard of this?" He demanded to no one in particular. "So like, is he going to take over your mind? Do you realize how dangerous this could get, Sam?"

"Yeah Dean, it's occurred to me that sharing my mind with Satan might have drawbacks other than the annoyance." He said, still trying to regulate his tone. He was silently thankful that his brother seemed to be making the same effort.

There was a long silence filled only by the sound of the road—the Impala's engine roaring, rocks kicking up to knock against its underbelly and lego blocks rattling as the fans worked to combat the heat of the Georgian summer night. Those blocks reminded Sam, ever so slightly, of the last wrestling match they'd had in his brain.

Sam had questions that he suddenly burned to ask, but he wasn't sure Dean would appreciate knowing that he was chauffeuring Lucifer.

"Six hours is a long time to pout in the dark, Sam," the extra passenger said. Sam agreed. But he wasn't going to reply, and he wasn't going to sleep, in case the devil had an all-access pass to that corner of his brain too. He just wasn't up for that tonight.

"I wouldn't invade your dreams. As I understand it, you humans need your dreams to keep from going nuts. And we can't have you getting any crazier, can we?" His tone was back to that sarcastic concern. But Sam trusted that it wasn't a lie. Or rather, he believed it wasn't a lie. It seemed to him that there must be a difference.

After a long wait during which Sam pretended not to be eager to sleep, the younger hunter finally rested his head against the Chevy's door and let his aching eyes close.

….

Sam woke up in Kentucky. He had stumbled behind Dean to the check-in desk of a golf-themed motel, and collapsed back to bed as soon as they reached their room. He didn't usually need much sleep, but he was dead tired. He wasn't sure how Dean could manage to drive half the night without going crazy or passing out. He assumed fuming rage and suspicion prevented the latter.

In the morning, Sam woke up yet again in Kentucky. Russell Springs, according to the stationary next to his bed. Dean snored softly, face-down in his pillow as their room's AC clattered to life. He groaned, stretching for a good long while. Eventually he literally rolled himself out of bed and moved as quietly as possible to the bathroom, where he started a lukewarm shower.

The younger Winchester was grateful when he finished his shower without incident. It meant one of several things, all of which seemed positive. The foremost possibility on his optimistic list was that yesterday had been a very believable dream. However, as he pulled on a pair of jeans and stepped out of the bathroom, towel messily scrubbing at his hair, Sam's breath hitched with surprised disappointment.

"I need to talk to you." Sam whispered to the devil after assuring himself that Dean was still snoring contentedly.

Lucifer nodded his head cooperatively and motioned for Sam to lead the way.

They slipped out the door of their room and into a bright summer day on the edge of Russell Springs. Sam walked out behind the building, into the quiet woods, before calling for Castiel. The angel came almost immediately, like as on-edge as Dean.

"Hey Cas," Sam started apologetically. "I was just hoping you'd stay around for…"

"Protection," Castiel finished helpfully. Sam nodded. He wanted more privacy than this, but the situation called for more than a little caution on his part.

"Yeah. So," Sam started, turning to Lucifer. "We need to talk."

"Are you breaking up with me Sammy?" He replied with humour in his tone.

Sam glared. "Seriously," he said pathetically. He'd already forgotten their onlooker was there.

"Fine, yes, let's be serious," Lucifer began. "What do you need?" He asked, crossing his arms expectantly, an eyebrow raised and his attention seemingly undivided.

"What is your game?" Sam replied.

"This reminds me of a song," Cas interjected softly, seeming confused that he knew any songs.

"I don't have a game besides what I've told you. I'm not interested in you as a vessel at the moment, Sam. I'm interested in you period."

"Yeah, right," Sam gave his best fake laugh. "And what's changed in the last two years, that you don't want to start the apocalypse anymore?"

"Oh, I still want to. Just not yet. Not now." The devil answered casually.

"Uh huh. And why's that?"

A patient sigh. "You aren't listening. You were raised just for me. Your whole life, your destiny was to be my vessel. And you were, but you stopped it. You freed me from Hell, you dropped me back in, and you dragged me back up again. I'm not such a fool that that doesn't make me pause." He explained. "I'm neither ungrateful nor free from curiosity. And with my brother in the cage instead of me, I have all the time in the universe."

Somehow that explanation was not completely comforting.

"And why would you tell me all that if it were true?" Sam asked.

"Because I fail to see what you could do to change it, or frankly what you would even object to."

"And what do you plan to do? Haunt me?" The Winchester prodded.

"For now."

…..

So the devil was interested in Sam. Again.

Dean was getting seriously tired of the demonic shit that followed his brother like a conga line. If the universe didn't want them to have peace for five damn minutes, that was fine. But what had happened to hunting ghosts and witches and wendigos?

Dean had asked Cas to keep an eye on Sam while he was sleeping. Now Sam was gone, and Dean fidgeted nervously around the motel room while he waited.

He brushed his teeth, icy flavour coldly burning the back of his throat. The fog from Sam's shower had mostly cleared from the little mirror above the sink. Dean stared back at his own face, trying not to let his gaze flit to the reflection of the door. Trying not to worry for Sam and Cas.

Another very long hour passed before Dean heard heavy footsteps approaching the room. It was his brother only. "I'm going for a swim," Sam announced as soon as the door opened, not letting Dean ask. Castiel would report it all anyways.

There was a pool behind their motel, and maybe Sam did need to just do something right now. Dean still didn't like it though. He was going to have to make a curfew or something when his brother came back.

Sam got changed into trunks in a hurry, and rushed out of the room before Dean could really protest.

Castiel appeared in his place a moment later. "That was…unexpected," he said gruffly as he sat on the edge of Dean's bed.

"Cas? What the Hell happened?" Dean demanded, coming to stand in front of the angel. His angel.

"Lucifer…I believe he really has shifted his interest from revenge to…well, to Sam." He said, arms propped on his legs and hands bunched into tight fists.

"To Sam. And not for revenge." Dean repeated disbelievingly.

"Well…he didn't specifically say that, apparently. He simply isn't interested in the apocalypse for the moment," Cas clarified.

"Oh yeah. I feel all better. You couldn't have gotten some more useful info from him?" Dean growled.

Suddenly the angel was pushing him against the faded wallpaper with his forearm, glaring angrily up with those grey-blue eyes.

"No Dean, I couldn't have. I have and will continue to do everything I can for you and your brother. Everything. I will forever. I regret every single time that I held back for any reason. Do you understand me? I serve you, Dean. I love you." He loosened the pressure on Dean's chest just slightly, and the man groaned as his sternum creaked back into place. "So no. I couldn't have gotten anything better from Lucifer or from Sam. I'll thank you to bear that in mind."

He dropped his arm the rest of the way, freeing Dean from his inhuman strength. "Yeah Cas, I will. I'm sorry." He replied after a long moment. "I just don't have any idea what to do anymore. It seems like I can't do anything for Sam anymore. He's my little brother, Cas, and the devil is looking to date rape him. I can't just sit around and be okay with that."

"I know Dean. And I promise you, we will find a way to free Sam. Just be patient."

So? Hope I'm living up to expectations. Thanks again for the lovely lovely reviews! They're very encouraging. I promise to publish again very soon.

Also, a question: just how much Destiel would we like to leak into this little Sammifer story?