Roads Untraveled ~ Sam Winchester

Chapter Seventy-Five - Eden

As Dean and Elizabeth left the church after investigating, they felt an unusual feeling.
"You gettin' that too?" He asked. Elizabeth nodded. "Come on, let's go for a walk."
He placed a hand on her back, leading her to a park across the street to see if either of them could figure out where the feeling was coming from.
All the background noise from the play park seemed to muffle out as they looked around.
Dean's phone ringing snapped them out of it.
It was Sam again. Dean hesitated to answer it as the feeling came back stronger than ever.
The pair turned around, seeing Amara, fully grown, standing there in the middle of the path.
"You felt my presence. That's why you came here." She smiled, reaching up to touch Dean's bicep and Elizabeth's cheek.
"Aunty Amara." Elizabeth breathed, her face instinctively moving into her touch.
"What's happened to her?" Amara frowned.
"You did. You gave her back her memories, but her brain couldn't handle it without her abilities. She's dying." Dean explained, feeling himself getting heated with anger.
Before either could blink, they found themselves on a marsh in who-knew where.
"I'll make it right, I promise, my Angel." The Darkness smiled.
"You grew up." Dean commented.
"Yes." Amara nodded, too focused on Elizabeth to look at him.
As she cupped the girl's face, a cloud of black smoke appeared at their feet, swirling upwards.
Dean took a few steps back, not entirely sure what was happening.
When the smoke cleared, Elizabeth was gone.
"What have you done with her?" Dean demanded.
"She's safe. I sent her to your brother." Amara replied.
Dean walked over to her, his height making him loom over her menacingly, but she wasn't at all phased.
"If she's hurt, or you've done something. I swear, I will kill you." He growled.
"Calm yourself, Dean. I would never hurt my Eden. She's my one and only Angel - an Angel of Darkness, you might say." She smiled.

Sam, Crowley, Rowena and Alexander had opted to go ahead with the plan, since Dean wasn't answering his phone.
After putting up the physical warding, Rowena began the warding spell. The white painted symbols she'd put up began to glow a bright red. As she finished reciting the spell, fire encircled the temporarily empty Cage.
"Now..." Rowena smiled. "Let's have a go at that Cage."
She sprinkled the correct ingredients into a bowl in front of her, uttering another spell. Fire consumed the bowl, shaking her back. Lightning struck out of nowhere, all around the room.
"It begins." Crowley mumbled as Sam walked away in an attempt to not make his presence known too prematurely.
The fire around the Cage engorged it. Amongst the flames, a figure appeared inside. As the fires died down, the shape of a man revealed himself through the shadows, his bright red eyes staring straight at the four of them.
He lazily walked towards them.
"My old friend Crowley." Lucifer gave the smallest hint of a smile.
"A mere acolyte, carrying your torch." The King of Hell replied.
This amused Lucifer.
"You're too kind... To yourself." He said. "Hello, Alexander. It's nice to finally meet you face to face."
"Hello, Lucifer." Alexander mumbled, his expression entirely unreadable.
"What do you want of me?" Lucifer asked as Sam returned to the playing field. "Sam Winchester. My old roomie. Hug it out?" He smiled.
Sam looked to the other three behind him, silently asking for them to leave.
"How is Eden?" Lucifer pressed as they walked away.
"Elizabeth is going to be fine." Sam replied through gritted teeth.
"Oh, so you know who I'm talking about, then. The last I saw, she didn't have a clue who she really was. I've been keeping a rough eye out, wherever I can. Though, I gotta say, I'm a little in the dark about this meeting." Lucifer said as he trailed his fingers along the bars of the Cage. "Am I up for parole? Time off for bad behaviour? Or have you finally realised she and I are meant to be?"
Sam elected to ignore the comment.
"If it weren't for the crisis topside, you wouldn't be getting one now." He told him.
"Crisis?" Lucifer's attention peaked.
"You're aware of the Darkness?" Sam pressed.
"Yikes - that doesn't sound good." The Devil sharply sucked in air through his teeth. "Um... I'm aware of what she was and what she made Eden, but that was eons ago."
"She's been released." The Winchester nodded. "So now she's somewhere... Or everywhere on Earth."
"However did that happen?" Lucifer asked, biting at his nails without a care in the world.
Sam gave a small, hesitant smile.
"Point is, she poses a threat to all that exists, including you."
"Hm..." Lucifer mumbled, turning away from Sam to the back of the Cage. "Well, that leads me to my next question... Where's the big burrito, himself? Where's God in all of this?"
"All current indications of his presence are that... There are no current indications of his presence." Sam replied.
"What?" Lucifer scoffed, turning back to face him. "Caught the fun bus outta town? Figures... I'd bet that happened just after I refused to kill Eden. Big daddy didn't wanna find out just how far she'd go after she got loose."
"But... Recently," Sam continued, yet again opting to ignore his comments. "He has reached out to an interested party."
"Who?" Lucifer frowned.
"Me."
"You?!" Lucifer exclaimed, pointing a finger at the man.
"He answered my prayers." The Winchester explained.
"Did he now?" Lucifer smirked, pressing himself up against the bars of the Cage. "And... What was dad's suggestion?"
"To seek out you." Sam sighed.
Lucifer scoffed, highly amused by the whole unbelievable situation.
"Get outta town." He grinned. "Seriously? Who'd have thunk it? I completely get why you came to me... Can't ignore God, right? God says 'jump', everybody says 'how high?'"
"So does this mean you're on board?" Sam huffed.
"Well..." Lucifer practically whispered. "I did help dad seal up the Darkness all those years ago. She's quite a force - determined to take over everything, even back then. That's why, in the last second, she expelled a massive amount of power and blew it all into one tiny, unsuspecting toddler - Eden. That was her all over, prone to tantrums when things didn't go her way - The Darkness, I mean - not Eden. She just had to have a little piece of her left over before she was locked away. I can see why pop is laying low. Now that sis is here, God's not the only circus in town."
"Is she equal to him in power?" Sam asked.
"Raw power? Sure." The Devil shrugged. "But she's got none of the... Experience. God is a master strategist. That's why you're here."
"And why's that?"
"Well, 'cause God needs me to help put the cat back in the bag." Lucifer chuckled. "Can't do it by himself. Seen that movie."
"And?" Sam pressed, crossing his arms.
"And I need a ride out of here." Lucifer uttered. "I mean, I look swell in here and everything, but I'd be so much smoke topside."
"You want a vessel." Sam concluded, unfolding his arms.
Lucifer nodded, leaning his shoulder against the bars.
"One who's... Strong enough to hold me, handy, and available now... Catch my drift?" He smirked.
Sam grew angry - impatient.
"Did you really expect me to agree to this?" He narrowed his eyes. When Lucifer gave a lazy nod in return, Sam scoffed. "So, what, I just disappear while you take my body and get set loose on the world again?"
"I know, I know, Sam, it's a lot to ask. But desperate times require desperate measures." The Devil shrugged.
"That's not desperate, that's certifiable!" Sam shouted.
"Okay, hold on a second, cowboy. Take a breath." Lucifer pointed a finger at him. "You have been working with Crowley. You passed certifiable three off-ramps ago. And look, I'm no fan of the ruler of the universe, but here I am, ready to pitch in. Sam, why do you think God sent you to me? To get my help! Which I only now just offered. Your visions were the word of God. You can't say no to that."
Sam thought his words over with the upmost sincerity.
"So... Do I have an invitation to look forward to?" Lucifer smiled.
Sam looked behind him, up at Crowley, Rowena and Alexander who were still watching from a safe distance.
"No." He said, turning to walk away from the Cage. "I won't do it. There has to be another way."
Behind him, the warding on the Cage slowly began to dull down from its singed, orange glow and the fire around it died down to nothing.
"Why did the warding fail?" Crowley demanded, walking down the steps from his pyre with Alexander and Rowena in tow. "What's happening?"
"Follow me, boys." Rowena simply said, moving passed him.
"What have you done, Rowena?" Alexander growled.
Lucifer beckoned at Sam and, before the Winchester knew it, he was in the Cage with him.
"Together again." Lucifer grinned, holding out his arms. "Hey, Sam Winchester, you miss me? I bet you did."
Sam took a deep breath to slow his racing heart.
"I have to say, you're extraordinarily calm given the circumstances." Lucifer frowned.
"It's pretty much exactly how God told me it was gunna be." Sam replied breathily. "Guess I just have to go with it and play my hand."
"And that would make so much sense if it was God that was doing the talking." Lucifer commented, turning away from him. Sam frowned. "See, when the Darkness descended, the impact on Hell was massive. The Cage was damaged. Through the fissures I was able to reach out. It wasn't God inside your head, Sam. It was me." He turned back to the man with an impish grin. "So, you see, he's not with you. He's never been with you. It was always just... Me. So I guess I am your only hope."
"It's never gunna happen." Sam breathed.
"Ah, well." Lucifer uttered. "Settle in there, buddy... Hey, roomie, upper bunk? Lower bunk? Or do you wanna share?"
"You... The visions... Everything..." Sam was struggling to process all of the information. "It was all you."
"Impressive, right?" Lucifer smirked almost flirtatiously.
"And Rowena?"
"Did as she was told." The Devil shrugged. "Groupies. They're always so... Eager."
"So, you did all of that just to... To what? Jump my bones?" Sam paced a small section of the Cage as he spoke.
"Literally."
"Well, you wasted your time, then. Because, see, I know how this ends." Sam told him.
"Oh, do you now?" Lucifer grinned.
"Yeah. You'll taunt me and you'll torture me and I'll say no. And eventually, sooner than you think, my brother and Elizabeth are gunna walk through that door and kick your ass." The Winchester said. "See, what you so clearly didn't know? Elizabeth was supposed to be here with me during this meet. She was supposed to be the one who talked you into helping."
Lucifer wasn't expecting such a revelation and his face clearly showed it.
"Was she now?" He frowned. "Well, I look forward to seeing my love again."
"She's not your love." Sam snapped.
Lucifer raised his brows as yet another revelation hit him.
"Oh, now that is interesting." He said. "You're in love with her, aren't you? My vessel... Fell in love with my love."
"And she loves me right back. For me. Not because I'm your vessel."
Lucifer chuckled.
"We'll see." He smiled, rubbing his eye nonchalantly. "See, Sam... You've got me all wrong."
"Yeah, I doubt that." Sam scoffed.
"No, no. I'm not here to torture you. I mean, I could... I could inflict pain like you can't even imagine - such ferocious, perfect pain. But that was so five years ago. Plus, with this whole 'you and Eden' thing, that wouldn't put me much in her good graces now, would it? No, I'm not gunna harm a glorious little hair on that glorious little head." He Devil told him.
"Then what do you want?" The Winchester narrowed his eyes.
"To make you an offer you can't refuse." Lucifer replied. "You see, Sam... You need me. And I'm gunna prove it to you."
He put his palm up to Sam's forehead, sending him into a vision.