The Devil Within

Where the Hell are My Walking Privileges?

"Everyone out," Lucifer growled at the demons around him. "Out. Now."

The demons around Lucifer said nothing as they disappeared, leaving him inside the barn alone with you and Raphael. Lucifer bolted to Raphael's side, grimacing in worry. He was in the middle of a meeting regarding the hunt for Crowley when Raphael crashed into a large pile of hay, only his bottom set of wings could be viewed from outside of the stack. Raphael had his wings wrapped around something and Lucifer thought he knew what. Sure enough, you were wrapped up in Raphael's wings, clinging to his shirt as you shivered. Your mouth was agape in a silent scream as pain overtook your body, unable to change back to your living state.

"Raphael, brother," Lucifer said, panicked as he took Raphael's head. "Brother, can you tell me what happened?"

All Raphael could do was shake his head as tears started to spill from the Archangel's eyes. "Help."

"Do you need Father?" Lucifer asked, his voice trying to be as gentle as possible. Raphael nodded as he groaned, clinging to you just as you were clinging to him. "Father! Michael!" Lucifer called to the sky, his true voice ringing across the universe to get to his family. 

In a matter of seconds, Michael, Chuck, and Amara were on the ground around the Devil, confused looks on their faces. That confusion quickly turned to worry when they spotted Raphael and you curled up in pain together. Chuck was the first to surge forward, taking his son's head in his hands with a gentleness only a father could have. Lucifer moved out of Chuck's way to try and soothe you and Raphael by carefully rubbing your backs. It was an awkward position to be in but Lucifer didn't exactly care about his comfort at that moment. 

"Do you know what happened?" Michael asked Lucifer, kneeling down in the hay. 

"Raphael just crashed," Lucifer explained, gesturing to the hole in the roof of the barn. "I don't know if they were on some kind of midnight flight and crashed or if something happened before that."

"Perhaps something triggered her fight or flight instincts?" Amara suggested, moving around the angels to get to you. "The shock could have made them crash..."

"No," Chuck said, shaking his head as he tried to heal his son. "No, these injuries aren't Raphael's. They aren't in pain from the crash." Chuck brushed some of the hay away from Raphael's face before asking him something to help him figure out what was wrong. "Raphael, my most intelligent son, may I look into your memory?"

"Yes..." Raphael said, his voice shaky and weak.

Without another word, Chuck pressed his fingers to Raphael's temples and looked into the Keeper of Knowledge's mind. Chuck didn't go far into Raphael's memory, this pain had to have started relatively soon so he only went far enough back to before you were getting ready for bed. No detail was spared from Raphael's memory as Chuck watched you through his eyes, feeling every emotion that Raphael experienced when he ushered you to get ready for bed. Chuck couldn't help but smile at the display of platonic affection the two of you shared when you joked with each other. There was a sense of peace when Raphael turned your TV off before the sudden pain started followed by the sound of you collapsing.

"It's coming from her," Chuck said, glancing at you. His view of you was partially obstructed by Raphael's wings but Chuck immediately recognized that you had shed your living skin and were unable to make it return. 

"Brother," Amara said, finally noticing your state. "You never told me of her condition. I saw a kind of darkness within her but I couldn't have imagined this." 

"It was up to her to decide who knew or not," Chuck dismissed, keeping his eyes on his son. "Raphael, I need you to move your wings so we can try to help her."