nilchance | FIC: Just Fallen from Divine (3/6)

Title: Just Fallen from Divine (3/6)
Authors: nilchance and beanside
Rating: Adult
Disclaimer: We make no claim of ownership on the Brothers Winchester. No infringement is intended, no money is made.
Author Notes: This is an AU of Of Bastard Saints, set after the Season 4 finale.

Someone was coming. It was subtle, but over the years, she'd come to recognize the pressure change when someone was pressing through the walls. This time, she'd be ready. It had been weeks, maybe longer since they'd put her in this cold solitary room, and she had just about had it.

The stool was heavier than she'd expected it to be. It made her arms shake when she raised it high, waiting. Soon enough, the wall parted, an unearthly blond head poking in.

A new one, this time. She'd never seen his face before, but the damned wings were unmistakably angelic. Possibly Archangel. Oh well. It hardly mattered. The stool broke over his shoulder and head with a satisfying crack, but he barely staggered.

Now a little disheartened, and thoroughly pissed off, she flung herself on him, burying her fingers in his hair and yanking.

"Goddamn it! Ow!" he yelled, arms and wings flailing uselessly. She clung tight, making herself a small target, low on his back. "Stop that!" He caught her wrist, pulling her over him unceremoniously.

"Son of a bitch," she snarled, aiming a kick high at his thigh.

"Ow! Quit it! I'm here to help you, dammit. Fucking Winchesters--Mary, cut it out! I came to let you out!"

Mary paused for a moment, glaring. "Who the hell are you?"

"I'm Andrew," he said. "Or Lucifer, if you prefer." He held up a hand, narrowing his eyes. "Don't start hitting me again, I'm here to help you. Would you rather me or Zachariah?"

Mary didn't hesitate. "The enemy of my enemy?"

"If you'd like." Lucifer cased the room. "Where's John?"

Her lips twisted bitterly. "How should I know where the sadistic fucks are keeping him? Haven't they done enough?"

"What do you mean?" Lucifer asked gently.

She stared at him, eyes filling at the thought of her last view of John. Too dangerous, the angels had said. Too tainted from Hell to be suitable for Heaven. So they'd fixed him.

Lucifer's eyes closed for a moment, and when they opened, Mary felt herself flinch back instinctively. The anger--no. That couldn't be called anger. Rage, dark and bestial welled up behind those pretty eyes. "Obscenity," he spat. "They--How could they do that to him?" The anger drained from him as he spoke, and the last words were soft, pained.

Without giving herself time to think, Mary touched his shoulder gently. "Thank you," she said.

"Your family has sacrificed everything to combat the rising tide, and they treat you like this? No. I will not allow it." He laid a hand over hers, and reality twisted, jerking her sideways as though her spine was on strings.

Then they were in a horrifyingly familiar room, devoid of ornamentation. The lone occupant wouldn't have appreciated it anyway. Heart sinking, Mary turned to where she knew he'd be.

John looked the same as he had the day he'd crawled out of hell. Body scarred, but whole, strong, vital with only a touch of gray in his temples, and beard. But the eyes...

She swallowed hard, slipping to her knees next to him. "Hi, baby," she whispered.

He never moved, never flinched. Never stopped staring blankly ahead from where Zachariah had tossed him, a shell. He had assured Mary that John was still in there. That this was the only way he could experience Heaven's majesty and perhaps evolve to see its order.

Tears slid down her face as she stroked over John's unruly hair, pressing her face to his shoulder to breathe the scent that even Heaven couldn't erase. Gunpowder, gasoline, and a hint of spice. Aftershave bought by the boys.

"Fuck," Lucifer growled. "John?" She looked up, startling an almost tormented look on Lucifer's face.

"Do you know him?"

Lucifer shook his head, laying a tentative hand on John's cheek. "No. Not him. I don't..." He closed his eyes, a furrow of concentration appearing between his eyes.

After a long few moments, John stiffened, his hand coming up to grab Lucifer's wrist. "Shh," Mary whispered. "Let him help you. Please, let him."

John's hand relaxed, and his eyes slid closed.

"Is he--" Before Mary could finish, John went rigid, his back bowing and trembling under her hands. She held on to his shoulders as he shook, sliding down the wall. "You're going to kill him-" her mouth snapped shut on her words as John went still. "John? Baby?"

His head swiveled towards her voice, eyes snapping open all at once. "Mary?"

Even after twenty-plus years, that voice was still unmistakable. Mary gave him a trembling smile. "Hi, Winchester."

John surged up, nearly knocking Satan off his feet. Then he was shoving her behind him and glaring at Lucifer. "Who the hell are you?"

"He's a friend," Mary said, when Lucifer didn't seem to have an answer forthcoming. When John didn't relax, and indeed continued to look like he might bite the Prince of Darkness, Mary slugged his shoulder. "Behave. And I can protect myself, thank you."

The look John gave her, longing and disbelief and scorching love, broke her heart.

Lucifer cracked his back and seemed to shrug off whatever he'd done to help John. "Hello, John," he said, ducking his head respectfully.

She hadn't expected the Adversary to be quite so polite. For all the demons in the world, she hadn't expected him to exist at all.

Then John pulled her close, and she forgot everything for a while except the feel of his face framed in her shaky hands. The devouring heat of his mouth.

"Ahem." Lucifer sounded embarrassed. She started to pull back, but John cupped his hand at her cheek, pulling her back for one more toe curling kiss. Lucifer huffed out a breath. "Would you like to act like grown ups for a moment instead of teenagers in heat?"

John sighed against her mouth and finally eased away from her. He didn't let her go. "Not really."

"Still," Lucifer said, and smiled. "You have places to be."