Sympathy for the Devil

Chapter 4

 

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Normally, Lucifer was up with the sun and to work because there was so much that he had to handle in the day. But the morning after finding out what he needed, he allowed Sam to sleep in, just lying there, plotting out what he needed to do. Things, from here on out, were going to get complicated. Because of his 'relationship' with Sam and how he inhabited his body, he could work easily with the younger Winchester brother. If all else failed, he could simply implant a suggestion while Sam slept but he didn't want to go that route. Though it would probably be the easiest way to do it, something that would probably work well too, if Sam found out then all progress would be negated. No, it wasn't worth risking that except as a last resort. With Sam though, he thought he could work with it. All it took was one step down the slope and he could work with it from there. And, being who and what he was, he was sure that he could inch him along easily enough to get him to take that step. However, the second part of the equation was going to be a little harder to work with: Dean.

 

Though having no right to be, Dean was seriously judgmental and saw himself as some kind of moral being that wasn't to be argued with when it came to what he saw as right and wrong in the world. Especially when many of his judgments about what was 'right' and 'wrong' were gray areas to start with. There was also the fact that he, as well as Castiel and Bobby, weren't going to easily agree to anything he suggested. He was also more than likely going to be on his guard for even the most minute of manipulations on his end. That was going to make things harder. And, unlike with Sam, he had no way of knowing Dean's stance on same sex relations let alone anything he might feel about his brother beyond the obvious. All those things made even thinking about going there all the harder. What he was thinking was that he needed some way to get into Dean’s head and take a quick look around. If he thought about his brother the same way Sam did then he could start doing something. On the flip side, if he didn't or found it abhorrent, then he would have to go about things another way. Again, he could find a way to implant the suggestion then go from there but, like with Sam, he didn't want to go that route if he didn't have to because the fallout from it would be immense.

 

Holding Sam tighter, stroking his stomach, the ultimate fallen angel stared out the balcony window and watched the sun slowly rise, illuminating everything as it rose higher while he tried to think how to go about this. He needed that power that could come from what he was trying to accomplish. It could make things so much easier and his ability to deal with certain situations better. There was also a niggling of something else he could accomplish with it. It was something he planned all along just not having a surefire way to accomplish it. With Sam being how he was about things, it was one of those things that was being put off until he could figure out how to work with it. But if he could manage this one, though it would take some serious manipulation and a strong showing of his power to override the natural order of how things went, he could manage it, something else that pleased him. However, that all circled back around to getting it to come about in the first place. There was no point in planning out things if he couldn't manage to take the first step in it.

 

Thinking it over, he was trying to judge the best way to start this out. With Sam, he already had a couple things in mind as jumping off points. Though not known for his subtly in anything, he was going to try that then ease into other things. As it was, he had spent the time since the defeat of Michael trying to build a decent enough relationship with his vessel. No, he didn't think there was any kind of 'trust' for him on Sam's end, something that was wise, but they had a rather tenuous truce going about most things, especially since he had gone out of his way to make things the best he could for his vessel. It helped that he had learned how to go about doing things with Sam to maneuver him the way he wanted. So that end was good. Now he just had to work with Dean.

 

That was going to be harder, especially since he, because they were so busy with what was going on, distanced himself from the three prisoners and not spent much time with them. That, he felt, was the best way to start this out; spending more time around them and doing things to make their stay here more pleasant.

 

Smiling and nodding his head, he felt he knew where to start with that and planned to cancel much of what he had to do that day, other than those things that demanded his immediate attention, and work on getting to know the others, especially Dean. If he worked the whole thing right then he might have an opportunity to slip into Dean's head and see what was going on there.

 

Most basic of plans in place, he decided to wait until Sam woke to get things rolling.

 

---

Relaxing down in the basement rec area, Dean was grinning from ear to ear as he sipped at his beer. They were actually having more fun at this moment than he could remember ever having since been brought to this place. True to his word, Lucifer had opened up the whole basement to him. There was a pool table, pinball machines, video games, a whole theater and, as the head big bad nasty had said, a bowling alley. At the moment, the three of them plus Jesse were having a great old time bowling. Unlike what he expected, it was set up like a real bowling alley with a bar, tables, everything you could want but a restaurant. Since they were allowed to order what they wanted, when they wanted it, for food, they had all kinds of heart attacks waiting to happen spread out around them to munch on while they bowled, a jukebox off in the corner cranked up to some classic rock tunes, making it to where it was like going out to have some fun. Even those that kept an eye on them were staying in the shadows and unseen, leaving them alone. Sure, they knew they were there but they were staying out of direct line of sight.

 

Now, he and Bobby had gone bowling before, plenty of times as a matter of fact, but neither Cas nor Jesse had so they were teaching them to do it, having a laugh riot while doing so. As best as he could calculate, they had been down here for a good 3-4 hours by now, just having fun. Jesse's parents had joined them for a while but had gone to sit around the pool after a short time, leaving the 'boys' alone to have some fun. Dean had a feeling that Jesse's parents didn't want to be here anymore than the three of them did, being horrified as to what their son really was and just who was in charge of the house. They, honestly, hadn't known what Jesse was until after Lucifer had won. His feeling was that if they could run off, they might seriously consider it even though they obviously loved their son. They also seemed grateful that he and the rest were more than willing to spend time with their child, having fun with him, despite what he was. Dean felt for them, knowing how hard it must be to accept what the child they loved was. He knew that the three of them had the same problem, knowing the child would probably grow to be almost as evil as Lucifer himself. But, for now, this was a child that was as bored as they were so they were trying to ignore the inevitable and just have some fun with him.

 

Taking another pull off his beer then stuffing some onion rings in his mouth, he grinned bigger as he watched Bobby trying to instruct the small child on just how to throw the heavy ball the best way. It was amusing to watch but it was also fun since Jesse didn't seem to mind at all that he wasn't good at it, just enjoying himself. Even Cas, who seemed to have a harder time catching onto some things they did, was obviously having a good time despite the fact that he was horrible at it, throwing a gutter ball more often than he even hit the pins.

 

After his turn, the excited Jesse came down and sat by Dean, grinning from ear to ear, looking up at him with adoring eyes. Though the kid was still bouncing here and there, he was sweating slightly and looking as though he were getting tired.

 

Grinning back at him, Dean ruffled his hair then said, “I'm glad you're having fun, kiddo. But looks like you're getting a bit tired there.”

 

Shrugging, Jesse just grinned some more then said, “Yeah, a little. Those balls are heavy.”

 

Nodding, knowing the kid was probably more tired than he let on, he said, “How about this... after this game we take a break and just relax. We're not used to doing this either, it's more exercise than we've had in a while so I'm guessing we’re all a little tired. Maybe there is a nap in order for all of us. After that, we'll find something else to do.” Seeing Bobby, who also looked tired, and Cas joining them, he said, “Then, this afternoon, we can find something else to do. The pool is ready from what they said so we can do that or try the theater. That might be fun. What do you think, Jesse? Which would you like to try?”

 

Without even thinking about it, the child enthused, “The theater! I saw they have all the Harry Potter movies! I want to see those!”

 

Hearing Bobby chuckle, Dean grinned bigger, “You know, I think that's something we can all have fun with. Those are some good movies. Maybe your parents will even want to join us. What do you think?”

 

Before Jesse could answer, though Dean was sure, from the look in his eyes what that was, a voice behind him answered as well, “I'd like to join too, Dean, if you don't mind.” Head whipping around, he saw Sam/Lucifer standing there. Though, as one would expect, he glanced at the mirror, seeing the asshole that was riding his brother there, he looked at the face then realized that it was, indeed, Sam talking. Nodding, feeling a little bit of elation at the thought of doing something with his brother again, Dean replied, “Shit, Sammy, you're always welcome! If you can, that is.”

 

Sliding over, Sam gave a sad smile to Cas and Bobby before ruffling Jesse's hair, making the child grin happily, and sat down. He could see the wary looks on the angel and old hunters faces then chuckled slightly before saying, “Yeah, it's me. Lucifer is here, of course, but he's going to let me spend some time with all of you today.” Looking at the enthused Jesse, he chuckled then said, “I'd like to see the movies again. I think Dean and I saw all but the last couple of them but never in a real theater. So, it'll be a real treat to see them on the big screen.”

 

After listening to the child ramble on, the boy then dashed off to find his parents to see if he couldn't talk them into joining in as well, something Dean was certain that he could talk them into. Settling back in the chair, taking a beer Dean offered, Sam looked at Bobby and Cas then grinned a bit sheepishly. “Hey you two, you doing alright?”

 

Though unnerved by what he was seeing in the mirror and the way Lucifer was touching Sam, Bobby scratched his beard then grinning slightly at the younger Winchester then said, “Hey, Sam. We're doing as good as can be expected. You doing alright, boy?” He eyed the younger son of John warily, unable to keep his eyes from sliding to the mirror and keeping an eye on Lucifer.

 

Nodding, Sam said, “I'm good.” Serious expression sliding onto his face, he then said, softly, “Look, if it makes you uncomfortable for me to be here, let me know and I'll...”

 

Before Sammy could finish, Dean cut him off, “To hell with that, Sam! You're fine. It just takes some getting used to is all.” With that, his eyes slid to the mirror unconsciously but saw that asshole riding his brother smile and nod, obviously pleased, giving Sammy a rub on the back. That was STILL unnerving, even after the day before, but he chose to ignore it. Leaning back in his chair, sipping his beer, he didn't say anything.

 

Castiel had narrowed his eyes and said nothing through the whole thing, just keeping an eye on Lucifer and his vessel. Of all of them, he was the one that was best able to tell who was in charge and noticed right away that Sam was allowed to have free rein of the body with Lucifer just listening in to what was being said. Though he thought that odd, certain that the purpose behind it was something like observing for a reason, he wasn't going to allow that to stop him from conversing with Sam. Though there were issues between him and the youngest Winchester over this whole thing, Sam was in a position that had to be hard. It appeared the young man just wanted to spend time with his friends after all he had to have gone through up to this point. And he deserved to be treated well, after all, he had apparently gone out of his way to do something to ensure they were all safe and cared for. “You're fine, Sam. I take no issue with it either.”

Smiling slightly, Sam nodded then leaned back. “Before I forget and to get it out of the way, I'm supposed to tell you that tomorrow they're moving all three of you.”

 

Looking alarmed, Dean and Bobby exchanged a worried look before the old hunter asked, “Why? And where are they moving us to?”

 

A smile turning up the corners of Sam's mouth, he said, “It's not a big deal, they're just moving you three up to the third floor is all. They're going to get you your own TVs so you can be hooked up to the cable, have a DVD and all that. Nothing more.”

 

Though wary of that, especially since it came out of nowhere, Dean nodded, “That'll be nice. If it's anything like the room you have, it'll be great! Much nicer than what we have now!”

 

Smiling widening, Sam nodded, “They are! Though not as big as mine, they are much bigger than what's on the lower floors.”

 

Looking at him skeptically, Bobby wanted to ask what it had cost him to get that but refrained when he glanced in the mirror and saw Lucifer looking right at him. Looking away quickly, he adjusted his hat on his head then gruffed, “Balls, as boring at it is around here, a change'll be good. We still going to be allowed to come down here and out to the pool or are we going to be locked down up there?”

 

“Naw, Bobby, you can come and go around the mansion as you want. In fact, you won't need to tell anyone where you're going as long as you don't go outside further than the pool, that is. There is an alarm system...” Sam trailed off, looking slightly guilty.

 

That seemed to get the conversation rolling and things flowed easier after that as they talked about watching some movies, the new cable channels they were getting and other trivial things.

 

---

Though it went against his nature to stay silent and not ensure that the beings around knew he was there and listening, Lucifer didn't say a word, letting Sam have the time with his brother and friends. He had, after all, promised his vessel that he could start spending time with those he cared about. Of course, that had to do with plans he had. But, along with that, he was going to try to further his own agenda while those around were distracted. The only issue that he thought he might have was with Castiel. The angel would, no doubt, be wary of him and what he might do so he was going to have to tread with caution if he went there.

 

Once the conversation was less stilted, the arch-angel began to slowly, making sure to keep an eye on those involved in case they did notice something, try to invade the minds of the three others around. Because he felt like it was the best way to go about it and be able to gauge how it should be done not to end up noticed, he started with the old hunter. He figured as jaded as the older man was, he would know how he had to go about things.

 

While they were all talking quietly, Lucifer quietly slipped into the hunter's mind then began to fish around gently. Unlike with some, he was going about it gently so as not to alert him to what he was doing. So far, from what he could tell, Bobby didn't notice his presence. Though he didn't think he would glean anything of importance about the relationship between the brothers, that's what he went looking for. As the 'boys', as the old hunter called them, were such a large part of his life over the last few years, there was quite a lot of information about them. It was also a huge help that they had been a part of his life for so long so it gave him more background on what others saw the relationship as. When it came to Sam, there wasn't a lot there that he didn't know, especially when it came to things that he could use. The same went with Dean. Mostly, he came up with that Bobby had been extremely worried about both boys, especially now. Again, that was nothing he didn't know.

 

Just as he was about to pull out then move on to Dean, he poked around just a little more to ensure he didn't miss anything. What he managed to stumble across was a small snippet of information, something that only passed Bobby's conscious here and there once in a while. While the old hunter knew that the two, by nature of their job and how they were raised, were closer than most siblings, he wondered, from time to time, if the relationship hadn't crossed over the line between a little bit too close of brothers into the realm of being lovers. Because of their dependence on each other, they acted like an old married couple, having their spats and quarrels like that. But there was something unnatural about just how close they were at times, something that always made him wonder if the way John had raised them pushed them into an incestuous relationship.

 

Pulling back out, Lucifer thought that over, wondering about it. No, they weren't lovers, he knew that much. If they had been, he would have picked that up from Sam. But if someone like Bobby had wondered about that, it made him curious if the base for such a relationship wasn't there in the older brother. Sam did long for it, that he knew, but did Dean? Now he was most curious to find out.

Though the old hunter was a being that he had to tread cautiously with, he was more worried about Dean. The older Winchester brother was more apt to be on his guard around him than Bobby because of his relationship with Sam. Focusing on Dean as he spoke with Sam, sipping on his drink, Lucifer made it a point to not look as though he were gazing at him. As gently as he could, he slipped into Dean's mind then began to almost tip toe through the older Winchesters mind.

What surprised him was just how empty Dean was. Yes, there were memories, tons of them, mostly bad and some emotion but not nearly as many as Sam's. Nor were Dean's thoughts as complex or overlapping as those of his younger brother. Whereas Sam saw things in many shades, for Dean, most of the world was black and white, good and evil or right and wrong. That made it to where walking through his mind was easier. Like with Sam and Bobby, there were many dark places in the older Winchester brother, mostly dealing with the things they saw as failures. Missions that failed, beings they had lost, guilt over what they could have done differently, but, from what he knew, that was true of all humans. Sam, too, had those feelings, a great many of them. So, rather than dwell there to glean some knowledge that may help him in the future, he moved along.



Though Dean wasn't as complex as Sam, Lucifer found that sorting through everything was harder. It seemed that the emotions, feelings, memories and such of Sam were buried deeply, protected. He didn't understand why that was since Sam's about Dean were easy to find, not so locked away. That piqued his curiosity even more.

 

After a glance at the older brother to ensure that he couldn't feel his 'footsteps' into his subconscious, Lucifer delved deeper, trying to break through what felt like a wall around what he felt for Sam. That was most curious to him. There must be something big there for someone to build such a strong structure around mere feelings. Though the wall seemed impregnable, he poked it here and there looking for a weak spot of some kind where he could slip in. It took him several minutes but, finally, he found the chink he had been looking for then slipped inside.

 

Unlike what the rest of Dean's mind was like, once he slipped in, he was bombarded with feelings and emotions of all kinds. Many of them were more conflicted and unstable than anything Sam felt. It seemed that Dean tried to lock away all the things he felt about his brother that made him uncomfortable. The normal ones were fine, but what was behind that wall were just as conflicted as most of Sam's thought.

Though puzzled by why an emotional being would do such a thing, Lucifer set to work trying to sort through the myriad of what was there to see if anything was helpful or what he might need. The sheer volume of feelings and emotion was hard to sift through but, understanding what was at stake and would determine how he went about things, Lucifer quickly tried going through what was there, walking around almost blinded by the mass of things around him.

 

Finally, after what seemed like hours, somewhere in the deepest, darkest corner, he found what he was looking for. There was a pulse about them, something he hadn't seen with others and a feeling of guilt that seemed to radiate but once he looked, it was as he had hoped. Dean also desired his brother in a sexual way, having done so since they were both teenagers. He had just locked those away, hiding them from himself as though he were afraid of them.

 

It was a certainty as his plans played out over time that Lucifer would visit this place again but, for now, he pulled out, having the answer he desired, thus giving himself something to work with. Settling back with Sam, he found himself glancing at Dean several times, trying not to smile as he plotted. Yes, this was good and it was time to make plans!