AN: I am so sorry for the long delay on this chapter. I have had a hell of a start to the new year and it's taken me some time to bounce back from it all. I was terribly sick, moved into a new place and then was hit with a very sudden death in the family. I'm still dealing but I think channeling it into my writing will be therapeutic.

Thank you for your patience. 3

…

Chapter Ten: The Man in My Reflection

Dean watched as Bonnie moved around her kitchen whipping up a breakfast that had his mouth watering. The conversation was so familiar, that it felt like they had been doing this for years. It was a taste of what life would be like here in Mystic Falls.

"I don't know I guess it's been sort of weird between Matt and I ever since." She continued, pouring them both a cup of coffee. "He's not as not as tolerant of Damon as I am." She joked.

"Speaking of…" Dean started, taking a sip of his coffee. "I know you said that you two are just friends but…it's more than that, isn't it?" He asked her softly, letting her know it was okay to admit it.

She put her cup down slowly, preparing herself for the talk she knew was coming. "Damon and I…it was just never the right time. He was with my best friend, and I was with his…and when they were both gone, we felt too guilty to let anything happen. Then about a year ago…before I left town and after entirely too much alcohol...it did." Bonnie raised her eyes nervously gauging Dean's reaction. "Nothing has happened since and whatever it was…it's over now."

Dean smiled, reaching over the counter between them to cover her hand. "That's all I need to know."

Bonnie sighed in relief. "I do need to talk to him though…about us. He should hear it from me." The thought alone made her nervous. How would he react, especially after stewing over what he walked in on last night. "Before we take this any further."

"You do whatever it is you need to do, Bonnie. I'm not going anywhere." He reassured.

…

Bonnie was staring at her reflection in the mirror of the bathroom, and wiped the tears from her face. This shouldn't be so hard. She had thought that she was able to put Damon in her past, it was the whole reason for leaving Mystic Falls to begin with. It was too complicated with Damon anyhow; he was Elena's, he always would be, and she would never be able to know for sure if what they had could compare to what he had with her. She'd still be in her shadow, even in death. Dean was simple; she knew where she stood with him, and it wasn't clouded with uncertainty and mixed emotions. But she couldn't help but feel that pang of anxiety in her chest at losing the blue-eyed vampire.

There was a knock on the door that startled her. "Honey…" Caroline's soft voice flowed from under the door. "You okay?"

"Yeah." Bonnie straightened herself up and opened the door. "Sorry you had to hear that." She felt anxiety rise in her chest. "Did Dean-"

Caroline was already shaking her head. "They just got back. Thankfully, only Hope and I got backstage passes to the Bonnie and Damon show." She teased, before poking her friend gently. "Are you sure you're okay? I can't imagine that was easy for you to do, especially considering you've been waiting an awfully long time to hear those words." The blonde knew all the nitty gritty of their complex relationship and her heart broke for her friend.

She scoffed. "He sure nailed the timing on that confession, didn't he?" The witch tried to joke, but it fell flat. "We should get back…" she admitted, shoving her hands into her back pockets.

"Sure." Caroline smiled, rubbing her back as they walked down the hall. Bonnie's eyes fixated on the hole in the wall when they passed. "At least he's not killing people." She stated positively.

"Yet…" Bonnie grumbled back, but when she walked in and Dean turned to face her, she smiled.

"Hey…" His arms snaked around her waist. He darted a glance to the hallway she came from. "Everything alright?" The look he gave her told her he knew what it was about.

Bonnie nodded. "Yeah…just tying up some loose ends." She assured. "Didn't go exactly the way I thought it would." Her head dropped sadly.

"I imagine." The words rumbled in his chest. They hadn't really discussed exactly what that would entail, but he was sure that it had affected her in some way. "But you're okay?"

Bonnie smiled. "Yeah, I'm okay. How did it go with Cas?" she glanced over to where he was talking with Sam and the others.

"Fine." Dean answered a little too fast. "Yeah, everything's good. Cas just has a flare for the dramatics." He chuckled uneasily. "Lilith was Lucifer's top soldier; Sam killed her so Castiel is concerned that put a target on his back, that's all." He lied convincingly.

"Good. I was worried we had another life shattering crisis to avert." She sighed in relief; a sarcastic laugh bubbling from her throat.

Dean held back the wince, forcing a smile. "Nothing to worry about." His eyes darted up. "Well…except for Satan himself." They shared a laugh and Bonnie nudged him playfully, before tucking into his chest as they walked over to the rest of the group. It amused him that for a woman strong enough to drop multiple demons with a flick of her wrist, when it came to him, she let herself be so vulnerable.

"I don't want to run, Cas!" Sam exclaimed in frustration. "Dean and I need to face this head on."

"He's right." Dean started, Sam nodding to him in agreement. "Sam…" he turned determined eyes to his brother. "Cas is right. He's looking for you, and you need to be anywhere else."

Sam snapped his gaze to him confused. "Dean…"

"I'm sorry. But it's not up for debate." He turned to Bonnie. "You coming with us?"

"Of course. I know a spell that can shake him off our trail, at least for a little while. But we can't be on the run forever Castiel…what's the long-term plan here?" The witch asked in concern. She didn't miss the shared glance between the angel and Dean.

He rubbed a comforting hand on her back. "We'll figure something out. We always do."

"I can go through my grandmother's grimoire." Hope piped up, eager to help. The guilt of what she'd done could only be made up for by being useful. "If Lucifer is more powerful in his true vessel, then maybe I can find a way to bind him to the vessel he's already in. Keep him from possessing anyone else."

Castiel nodded. "It could work." He turned back to Dean in a more hushed tone. "I have to return to Heaven. Zachariah has been calling to me; I cannot let him suspect anything untoward."

"Go. We'll drop you a line if something comes up." A few seconds later, Cas was gone.

Hope raised her chin confidently. "I'm coming with you." She could already see the protest rising on everyone around her. "I'm the strongest thing standing between you and Lucifer. You need me."

"Hope…" Bonnie started on a sigh.

"She's right." Dean told Bonnie quietly. "Look, I don't like the idea of putting any more people in danger, but if she'd going to lock Lucifer in his vessel, better she says close." He saw the moment she gave in without her saying anything. "Pack a bag, kid." Shooting her a half smirk.

Hope smiled, grateful to contribute and ran off to collect her things.

Caroline's crossed arms hit her thighs. "Well, what about the rest of us? We're just supposed to sit here and twiddle our thumbs?"

Ric sighed. "We got the school to think about, Care. As fun and exciting as it is to run off on some dangerous adventure, we got a bunch of kids to look out for…two of them, our own." This was always the problem with them, and why they never worked out before. Caroline was always seeking the excitement, the danger and he…wasn't.

Bonnie started. "Matt, I need you reach out to the sheriffs in neighboring towns; tell them to sound the alarm if there's anything suspicious or unusual. Caroline, someone needs to keep an eye on things around here."

Matt frowned. "And Damon? Where'd he run off to?"

Bonnie looked away uncomfortably. "I don't-"

"Right here Donovan." Damon's voice echoed as he sauntered back into the room. His eyes immediately met Bonnie's. "Reporting for duty."

"I thought you left." She commented quietly.

His face was neutral and showed no sign of the anger or emotion of their prior conversation. "Just needed some fresh air." He explained coming to stand in front of her. "Business, remember?" a little half smile quirked his lips, and it made her sigh in relief.

"Thank you." She held his stare for a moment before turning back to the brothers. "We should get moving; we have a lot of road ahead of us."

Sam, who had been silently seething at the way his brother completely shut him down, finally spoke up. "We should head back to the motel and clear out." He directed to Dean in a clipped tone.

"Yeah." He heard it loud and clear. We need to talk. His hand coasted up and down Bonnie's arm soothingly. "We'll swing by your house to pick up you and Hope in an hour, okay." His eyes darted to the dark-haired vampire. "Call me if you need anything."

She smiled. "I will."

He headed towards the front door, and suddenly Damon was behind him. "Hey." He called out, causing Dean to turn. The hunter wasn't sure what to expect from the intense glare in the vampire's eyes, so he kept his guard up. "You better keep her safe." His jaw ticked. "Bonnie has a habit of risking her life for the people she cares about." He sauntered closer intimidatingly. "So if she comes back with anything more than a scratch…" he paused, letting his fangs push through and the veins under his eyes turn black. "I will rip your arms off and beat you with them." He threatened menacingly. Dean, surprising did not react, and held his stare. Damon's blue eyes were back, and he clapped Dean firmly on the shoulder with a fake smile. "Have a safe trip."

It took the hunter a beat to compose himself; the grip on his shoulder was on the cusp of painful, but he wouldn't dare wince. Instead, he smirked, yanking the door open and slipping out of Damon's grasp. "Trust me…she's in good hands. At least she seems to think so." It was not the smartest thing he'd ever said, with a hundred something year old vampire close enough to tap a vein, but hell if he was going to let the guy intimidate him without rubbing his face in it a little.

It took Damon everything in him not to snap his neck. It wouldn't earn him any points with Bonnie and…well, that was pretty much the only reason. "Then best make sure not to lose them." He snarked back.

"I'm not afraid of you, Damon." Dean refused to stand down. "I've taken on a lot scarier things in my time than a vampire so if you want to try something, give it your best shot." His eyes hardened into a glare. "But it'll be the last thing you ever do." The vampire held his glare until Dean walked off towards the car and wondered where the hell this guy had the balls to challenge him, being the fragile human that he was. Under different circumstances he might actually respect him.

He was jarred out of his thoughts when the engine of the impala roared to life, and ripped out of the driveway. He sensed Bonnie behind him. "Don't worry…hunter boy is still alive and breathing." He turned to see her leaning against stair banister. "Just making sure he gets 'the talk'." He finished closing the distance between them.

Bonnie always thought he looked like a panther stalking towards his prey when he walked this way; confident, seductive, like he was going to eat her up. She swallowed thickly. "And what talk is that?" She couldn't help the ghost of a smile that played on her lips.

He smirked, his blue eyes twinkling waggishly. "The 'if Bonnie gets hurt, I'll kill you' talk. He took it surprisingly well."

Bonnie bit down on her lips, looking up at him with seriousness. "I actually wanted to talk to you about that. Not everyone is going to make it out of this; this is bigger than anything we've ever faced before." Her words caught in her throat. "Damon, I want you to know that if-"

"No." He cut her off sternly. "No I'm not having this conversation with you, Bonnie."

She continued on regardless. "If I don't make it out of this…I need you to keep it together for me, okay?" Tears filled her eyes. "No flying off the handle, no murderous rampages…no trying to bring me back. You have to move on. And you need to help them move on too." She glanced to the room of their friends.

He sucked back the pain he felt in his chest at just the thought of a life without her. "You can't make me promise that." He rasped quietly.

"I know…" she forced a watery smile. "But it's what I want for you."

"You know what I want…" He got impossibly closer, his hands cradling her face and forcing her to look him in the eyes. "I want you to come back to me. In one beautiful Bonnie-shaped piece." He brushed the hair from her face softly, letting his fingers slip over the silky tresses; eyes following affectionately. "Then I won't have to go on a murderous rampage." He finished with a simple shrug and quirk of his lips.

Bonnie bowed her head, breaking contact. He didn't make it easy for her to walk away; he would play the charming psycho that somehow only he could pull off, and touch her like she belonged to him, and she could almost forget that she didn't. Bonnie slipped away, pulling his hands away from her and stepping out of his reach; her arms crossing uncomfortably. The action had clear intention and she could she the hurt in his eyes. "I can't promise that either." She whispered, taking a moment to collect herself and release a shaky sigh. "I should go."

Thankfully, Hope chose that moment to bounce down the stairs, a duffle bag over her shoulder, and Bonnie felt like she could breathe again with the tense moment broken. "Yeah…I'll give you guys a ride." He offered, wanting to absorb as much time with her as possible.

"Can I drive?" The tribrid asked excitedly as she rounded the landing. She always wanted to drive his car.

Damon scoffed, his brows furrowing incredulously. "Not a chance in Hell."

"Fine then. Shotgun!" Hope finally landed on the last step, a big smile on her face.

…

Sam was silent for the first half of the ride back to the motel; looking out the window from the passenger side as the trees whipped passed them. Dean couldn't take it anymore. "Okay. I think I've handled as much of the silent treatment as I can take." He chuckled trying to ease the tension. "What's on your mind, Sammy?"

"It's Sam." He snapped in annoyance. "I'm not a kid anymore Dean. And you can't just go around making decisions for the both of us like you're Dad! What was that back there? You have some secret meeting with Cas, then all of a sudden you want to run away? When have we ever run away from our fights?"

Dean clenched his hands around the steering wheel. "This is different, Sam." He argued back grimly.

"Why? We faced Azazel head on; hell, we hunted him down! What makes Lucifer any different?" The younger Winchester exclaimed.

"It just is!" Dean bellowed back. "He's coming for you, and I'm not going to make it easy for him. Until we find a way to get rid of him for good…I don't want you anywhere near him." His tone left no room for argument, and reluctantly Sam tabled it for now, but not forever.

…

Sam woke up, face down in a grungy motel bed, his mouth dry and his eyes bleary. He didn't remember drinking last night, but the headache he had made him feel like he did. He pushed himself out of bed, dropping his bare feet to the carpeted floor, and pushed the heels of his palms into his eye sockets.

"Hey Sammy. You feeling okay?" The voice was familiar. Too familiar and filled with false sympathy.

When Sam glanced in the direction of the voice, what he saw made him stagger to his feet. "What the hell is this?" His gaze darted around, to find it was just him and this figure, dressed in an all-white suit, leg crossed over his knee and hands elegantly folded in front of him.

"I thought it was time we talk. Since you are so keen on running from me…I had to find means of coming to you." He smirked, and it looked so out of place.

Sam swallowed the lump in his throat. "Who are you?" It sounded ludicrous considering he was looking at his own face.

The man's head reeled back, his brows furrowing. "You don't recognize me, Sam?" he rose to his feet sinuously, like a snake in the grass, and pressed a palm to his chest. "I'm offended."

Sam stepped back as the man came closer. "Why do you look like me?"

The sinister grin grew on the other mans face. "Why do you think? Come on, take a guess." With Sam's silence, he rolled his eyes jestingly and continued. "You're such a stick in the mud sometimes. It's because I AM you. Or I will be." He turned away, casually walking the room and observing his surroundings.

Somewhere deep down, there a sinking feeling; like the younger Winchester knew what that meant, but his brain couldn't connect the dots on it. "I don't understand."

The man in white coasted his long fingers along the books splayed out on the table almost affectionately. "You and I belong together, Sam. It's how it was always meant to be. And one day – soon…" he glanced back up to him. "You will say yes to me." His eyes flashed red.

It made Sam freeze in place. "Lucifer…"

.

Sam jerked awake with a gasp, raising his head from the window of the Impala. He blinked realizing that whatever that was, was only a dream, and he released a sigh of relief, running his hands over his face.

"Rise and shine, Sam!" Dean greeted with an amused smile. "Man, you've been snoozing for hours."

Sam snapped his gaze over confused. "Hours? Where are we?"

Hope leaned forward between the two front seats. "Charlotte. But you've been snoring since Richmond." She added with teasing smile.

Sam frowned, as his dream seemed to replay in his head. It felt real. "Oh…sorry." He replied hollowly.

Hope's brows furrowed in thought. "Is that an everyday thing, because we may have to rethink sleeping arrangements."

Bonnie chuckled to herself, catching Dean's smiling eyes in the rearview. "Sorry kiddo, that's non-negotiable." He glanced at Sam again to see him lost in thought. "You feeling okay, Sammy?" The same words were repeated from the dream, but coming from Dean there was more concern.

"Yeah…yeah, I'm good." He settled back into his seat, eyes focused out the window, and in it he saw his reflection, only a smirk and red eyes looked back at him.

…

AN: Soooo! Lucifer has made contact. I'm really looking forward to writing for hm because I love his character on the show and I think it's going to be really fun to play with. I want to say a big thank you to Blondie 2000 and Rinasimtastic for reviewing basically every chapter and giving me such kind words and encouragement. This last month has been a struggle and your reviews really pushed me to get this chapter finished.

I think I'm back on track now, so I won't keep you waiting that long for the next one 😊

Vanessa