Writers block

I opened my eyes after a dreamless sleep, still feeling unsettled from the previous night’s events. Reaching over to the nightstand, I grabbed my phone and looked up recent news in Delaware in the hopes that my gut was wrong. My heart filled with dread when I saw the news articles about the brutal hammer murder that took place in the area that Nick had visited. I didn’t need to read the article to know that this was his doing.

I ran my fingers through my hair in frustration, how could I be so stupid and trusting and just so… naïve? Especially after everything that has happened. I let out a sigh and looked at Duke who let out a low whine. I bit my lip and opened the texts. It still felt weird texting Ellie after everything that had happened. Even though our relationship had mostly been over the phone, it had been nine years since we last saw each other in person and about two years since our falling out.

“Did you or did you not sleep with Lucifer?” Elliana’s voice blared through the phone.

“Yes, but...” I tried to respond before Elliana cut her off.

“There is no ‘but,’ Jenny! How could you do that? I can’t trust you anymore after you knowingly slept with the Devil; he hurt and tortured me for you! I saw everything and there is no point in denying it. I was tortured for six months and Anaya was killed because of you; I will never forgive you for that.” Ellie hung up the phone.

I tried calling her over and over until I eventually received the blocked number automated voice message and just did not know whether to laugh, cry, or scream. My body opted to cry, and I sat on the ground like a child and began to sob at the heartbreak of losing the last person I considered family.

I hesitated before typing out the text and debated how much information I should divulge. After a few drafts, I sent the message.

Jenny – Hey, Nick was here. He was acting all weird and crazy. Almost reminiscent of Lucifer. He asked for information about his wife and son’s murders. I tried to help him, but he left in a hurry.

There was no response and I stood up to get ready. In the process I anxiously checked the phone again and nearly put my phone down before I noticed the three little dots dance in the lower left corner of the screen. I bit my lip as I awaited her response.

Ellie – Thanks for the heads up. No surprise that you tried to help Lucifer’s vessel. I’m surprised you didn’t tell him where we were so he could take Jack.

I scoffed as I contemplated my response.

Jenny – I think it’s time we discuss this face to face.

Ellie – I think I’ll pass on hearing about your relationship with Lucifer. Sorry we killed your boyfriend.

Jenny – That’s not the point and you know it. I’ll be waiting at the High Priestess for you tomorrow and will close the bar to keep it private. If you don’t show, I’ll take that as if you never cared about me or Shane.

It felt like forever before I received her last message.

Ellie – Fine.

*****

The next day I made sure the “closed” signs were up and sent everyone home. I was sipping on some whiskey when I heard the little bell above the door ding. I looked up and saw Ellie standing in the doorway. Her hands were stuffed in the pockets of her leather jacket and her eyes looked around the room before settling on me. She took a deep breath and walked over towards me as I took a final swig of the whiskey that remained in my glass.

“So…what did you want to talk about?” Elliana said, hard look on her face.

“Us…our friendship…I want to mend things. You never really gave me that courtesy.”

“Well you never really deserved that courtesy, Jenny.”

“Please, just let me explain what happened. I am not sure where you went wrong after you supposedly saw what happened. But let me tell you what actually happened.” Elliana crossed her arms at this and barely nodded for me to continue.

I took a deep breath and let it out slowly as I recounted the details of that night.

I was sitting at the bar on my laptop putting together a case. When this blue-eyed handsome stranger walked in.

“Castiel,” Ellie interjected.

This man (who I did not know what Castiel looked like at the time) practically sauntered up to me at the bar and sat next to me. He just stared at me until I looked up at him, welcomed him, and asked “Can I get you anything?” “Just a whole lot of you,” he responded and winked. I rolled my eyes and replied, “Keep up your cheesy antics and I’ll kick your ass right out of my bar.” The man chuckled and we just talked for a while. He told me he was a hunter and we talked about the case I was putting together, and he offered for the two of us to work it together. Then after a few drinks, one thing led to another and we had sex.

I paused and noticed no reaction from Ellie before I continued. After we…finished…he turned over and said “Hmm.”

“What?” I giggled.

“I expected the Earth to shake, tremble, or something.”

“What, do you really believe in Earth-shattering orgasms or something?” I joked.

“Well, when a Nephilim is conceived usually something like that happens.” He looked at me and something was off in the way he smiled. He traced a finger down my neck as I processed what he said. “What are you an angel?” I sat up after it clicked.

“Oh babe, I’m much more than that.” He blinked and his eyes turned red revealing himself to be Lucifer.

After that, I pretty much freaked out and drove him out of my place. If that’s what you saw, I am not sure how you would think that I knowingly slept with him?

I noticed the tension in her shoulders only slightly lessen before she let out a sigh, looking off to the side, and spoke, “That’s not what he showed me.” I gave her a bewildered look before she continued and explained her side of the story.

“How did you find me?”

Lucifer chuckled a bit, as if it was a silly question. “Jenny led me to you, of course,” he said. Ellie still was unnerved with Lucifer in Cas’ vessel; speaking in his voice.

The girl scoffed a bit, eyes still closed. “Yeah, right. Why the hell would Jenny do that to me? Especially when she was the one to get you away from me in the beginning.”

Cas-Lucifer gave the girl a smug look. “Oh, she never told you? That was all just a show. Jenny and I have quite the romance going on,” he smirked again (which Elliana was quite frankly getting sick of).

Ellie finally opened her eyes to squint at Ca- Lucifer. “Why would Jenny be with someone like you?” she spat. “The one that tortured me? She’s like a sister to me, and I’m one to her. And she was the one to help me get Sam back so you weren’t let out of the cage again.”

“Ohhh that little trip. Did you like her little nickname for me?” he said, ignoring her common sense.

Jenny scoffed at Crowley. “Do you really expect us to believe you want the Winchesters back in action? I’m sure business has been booming since they shoved Luci back in the cage and Dean hooked up with Lisa.”

“That whole trip was a pretty good coverup, minus the nickname slipup. That little ‘favor’ she owed me for letting you go? She had to get me out of the cage. But it turned out not to even be an issue for Jenny; she wanted me out,” C-Lucifer explained, still pacing in front of Ellie.

“No...no,” Elliana said, slowly shaking her head. “I don’t believe you. Jenny would never do that to me,” she continued, though her voice shook with emotion. She couldn’t help but think about what Lucifer was saying. Every cell in her body reminded her that he was the father of lies. He was just trying to beat her down. But how else would he have been able to find me? She thought. The guys don’t know where Garth’s place is and I turned the tracker on my phone off. And I’m warded so Cas/Lucifer wouldn’t be able to find me...and Jenny does keep tabs on a lot of hunters…

C-Lucifer smirked deeper, sensing the uncertainty in her. “Let’s go back in time then.” He approached her and lifted a hand towards her head, making her push herself further into the wall. “Don’t worry,” he soothed. “We’re not going to your past,” he continued, kneeling down and putting a hand on her head. “We’re going to mine.”

The two end up in The High Priestess to see Jenny on her laptop at the bar. Lucifer is standing next to Ellie with his arms crossed. Lucifer, who looks like Nick again says, “I took the liberty of changing into Nick for this little show-and-tell as opposed to your little winged friend.”

Ellie turned to see Castiel enter the bar and Jenny looked up at him, slightly taken aback by this handsome stranger. “Welcome,” she says. “Can I get you anything?”

“Just a whole lot of you,” Cas winks, his eyes turning red before blinking them back to normal.

“Lucifer!” Jenny exclaimed before leaving the bar and pulling him into a hug. He grabbed her face and pulled her into a kiss. Next to Ellie, Lucifer snapped his fingers and she saw the Castiel next to Jenny transform into “Nick.” Ellie looked at Lucifer who shrugged.

“Sorry, I couldn’t bear to see that goody two shoes angel all over my girl,” he emphasized to Ellie to try to prove his point.

“You’re finally out of the cage!” Jenny exclaimed but took a step back to look him over. “But why do you look like this?”

“I just had to ride this vessel out to get out of there as fast as I could; I couldn’t wait to see you, babe. Not that you did much to help seeing as I was in there long enough. It seems like you didn’t even try to free me.” He stepped towards her almost menacingly, pulling a fake pout.

Jenny bit her lip and her shoulders slumped. “I’ll admit, I gave a half-hearted attempt to try to free you, but Ellie got me to try and help her free Sam and it was hard to do both without her knowing….” Jenny crossed her arms, looking at Lucifer who almost looked dejected. “And after you tormented her, how could I turn around and be with you again?  I was just so torn.”

Lucifer pulled Jenny’s arms around him and held her. “So, you’re saying that without Ellie, we could be together? No uncertainties?”

Jenny slightly pulled back to look up at him, “Honestly, yeah. She’s a reckless girl who can barely keep it together to hunt properly. I’m always stuck worrying about her and yet again I am sacrificing my happiness for her,” Jenny sighed and put her forehead to his chest.

He brushed his fingers through her hair. “Don’t worry Jenny. I’ll take care of that brat for you.”

“You will?” Her question was muffled by his chest.

“Of course. Anything for you, babe.”

The Lucifer next to Ellie snapped his fingers and they were transported to Jenny’s room. They could see the two of them kissing and Ellie could tell where this was going.

“Enough!” Ellie barked, turning her head away. Lucifer was leaning against the wall watching the scene intently.

“Oh come on, this is the best part.” Ellie turns around, grabbing her hair in her hands. Lucifer sighed and said, “Ugh fine. Prude,” and snaps his fingers, taking them back to reality.

“Do you believe me now?” Ca-Lucifer asked. “She knows how much I hurt you but she still wanted to be with me. I almost hate to say this but her relationship with me seems to outweigh your safety and friendship. Guess she wasn’t who you thought she was after all. Which is all the better for me.”

Elliana closed her eyes again so Ca-Lucifer. It’s Lucifer! she had to remind herself. She closed her eyes again so Lucifer wouldn’t see the tears building up. She didn’t want to believe what she saw but...for some reason she did. And it broke her heart.

After Elliana finished speaking, a heavy silence hung in the air between the two girls.

It seemed like forever before I responded. “I am not sure how I feel about you not even giving me the benefit of the doubt when you said so yourself, that he was the ‘King of Lies.’”

Elliana sighed again, “Ok, maybe his little vision was a lie but how else would he have found me, Jenny? The boys and Cas didn’t know where Garth’s place was and I’m warded against angels. There’s only one other place I can think of that he would get that information. And besides, what have you done to help us fight Lucifer? Because from my point of view after seeing that happen, what? You and him happened to fall off the grid at the same time?”

I paused, “Ellie, he had demons everywhere at that time. If he was able to keep tabs on most of us from the cage, what do you expect? And I never did anything to help with the fight against Lucifer? You know what happened when I first met him. And who do you think helped Gabriel and Rowena trap Lucifer to rescue you and everyone else from the Apocalypse world? He came to my bar to drown his sorrows about Jack when Gabriel disguised himself and Rowena hexed him.”

Ellie was slightly taken aback but squinted at her after a moment. “And just why would he come seeking refuge at your bar after you kicked him out?”

I shuffled uncomfortably as I thought of how to respond. “Well…that wasn’t technically the last time I saw him. After you ended our friendship, he eventually showed up after he escaped Crowley and looked for his son. I turned him away and refused to help him. But then he showed up again after he escaped from Apocalypse world and Asmodeus, he was completely powerless, so I pitied him. He was just so helpless and even admitted stuff like wanting to fit in and please a father he could never please and just wanted to be a good father to Jack. I genuinely thought he had begun to change without his grace. Eventually, he regained his strength and said he was going to pursue Jack.” I paused, “Since I am being honest with you and you deserve to know the whole truth…Lucifer and I did have a very brief relationship during this time.”

Elliana’s jaw dropped and she paused before saying, “And you have the nerve to be mad at me for not giving you a chance to speak?!”

“If you had given me a chance to speak and we reconciled, none of this would have happened after the fact.” I paused a beat before continuing. “I get that you were going through a traumatic experience but blaming the person you considered a sister without even giving her a chance was uncalled for. At the time I had no idea how much he hurt you. You were out of the picture like he wanted, and he played the both of us. I genuinely believed he was changing. He was just so different around me. Again, no one told me what had happened to you, I didn’t even know what happened to Anaya until you called me and yelled at me on the phone.”

“People like Lucifer don’t change. After the things he did to me, and even the times you said he’s tricked you, how could you still let him in? Didn’t you think he’s done enough damage? Even if I apologize for not letting you explain yourself and forgive you, I still don’t think I can trust you. If you’ve forgiven Lucifer or Nick every time he’s given you puppy eyes, I don’t think I can trust your judgement...”

“Maybe when you’re older you’ll understand that not everything is in black and white like you make it out to seem. There are shades of grey and people can in fact change. But it seems like you never will. If you cannot trust me or my judgement, that is on you. We have both been through some shit over the years because that is the life we were thrown into.”

“Maybe if you were the one tortured by Lucifer you would understand. You don’t think I know people have shades of grey? I’ve had to forgive even the guys for things they’ve done but some things you just can’t get past. Would you forgive the demon that killed your family? Or Shane?”

“If you were manipulated by that demon, I would have forgiven you because I consider you my family. But it seems that you more so consider the Winchesters as family since you much more readily forgave them.”

“Believe me, it took time... Maybe this is just gonna need time, too. Look, I’m sorry for not giving you a chance to defend yourself; but I’m still going to need time to think things over,” she said, taking a pause to look away before back at me. “Our relationship will ever be the same. But maybe we can work on mending it. Just give me the time to work through all of this.”

You became flustered and stammered out a response.

“I would love that.” You hoped he would not be able to see the ever-increasing blush on your face as his broke out into a wide smile.

“Lovely!” he exclaimed and the opened the door for you. As the two of you stepped out of the box, he placed your hand on his forearm and led the way to the ballroom. Excitement bubbled up inside of you and you could barely contain yourself because you were about to go to a party with Tom Hiddleston.

“Would you like a glass of wine?” Tom asked once you arrived at the party. “I would love one,” you smiled. He left and you stood off the side a little awkwardly and survey the room. You noticed the musicians and VIP patrons slowly filling the room. Sierra finally entered the room and you rushed towards her in excitement.

“Sierra, that was amazing, I am so proud of you!” You exclaimed while embracing her.

“Awe, thank you so much, I am so glad you could make it!” She replied. You heard someone clear their throat behind you and the two of you separated. Tom stood there with two glasses of wine in his hand. He handed you your glass and you noticed the surprised look on Sierra’s face.

“Sierra, this is my new friend Tom and Tom, this is my new friend Sierra.” Tom reached out and shook her hand. You half expected him to kiss her hand as he did with you earlier, but was surprised to see he greeted her more amicably. “It was a truly wonderful performance.” Tom smiled. Sierra smiled in return and replied, “Thank you, it’s an honor to have someone as famous as you attend, and enjoy, my performance.”

“Well I also had (y/n) to keep me company.” Tom replied cheekily and gingerly placed a hand on your upper back in flirtatious manner. You nervously took a sip of your wine. It was not that you did not enjoy his flirting, it was just that no one had ever been so forward with you. Sierra knew that and the two of you locked eyes and she could tell you needed as much help as you could get with the flirting. She opened her mouth to say something but was cut off by other older patrons stepping in to speak with her. Soon she was surrounded, so you and Tom and stepped away to continue your conversation.

Even though you were nervous, you managed to fall into a comfortable conversation with him. “I’ve been to London when I was younger, but only visited the touristy places. Now, I would like to see the more “hole in the wall,” hidden gems, so to speak.” You replied when Tom asked you about your plans for the week. “Well, I am on break from filming. I would be happy to show you around before you leave,” Tom offered.

“Are you sure? I would hate to impose.” You replied. Tom waved his hand dismissively. “Please, I insist.” He put his hand on his chest.

You didn’t realize just how close the two of you were standing to each other until you moved to take another sip of your wine as you considered his proposal. “Okay,” you replied, and he smiled. “We should probably exchange numbers though if you would like to arrange something at some point this week. I promised Sierra I would spend some time with her, but once I figure out her busy schedule, I can let you know when I am free.” You paused. “If that works for you?” You held your breath, slightly unsure of your forwardness.

Without breaking eye contact he handed you his phone to input your number. “So, where are you taking me?” You asked after you handed him back his phone. Tom smirked, “I have a few ideas, but nothing set in stone yet.”

“Well, I look forward to it,” you smiled. The conversation was interrupted by an applause causing the two of you to turn around. It seemed that someone convinced Sierra to do an encore for the VIPs. You felt sorry for her because you could tell she was exhausted, but she smiled regardless as she raised her violin and began playing the Shostakovich piece again. You began to slightly sway the solo melody and you felt a light tap on your shoulder.

You turned towards Tom and saw that he had a hand held out towards you while slightly bowing. You couldn’t help but lightly chuckle at the situation and nonetheless obliged. He placed one hand on your waist and began to lead you into a waltz. The patrons made room for the two of you as you twirled around the ballroom. Some of the couples joined you and began to dance as well. Time seemed to slow as you finally looked up from the floor into his deep, blue eyes. Here you were: waltzing with Tom Hiddleston, a man whose poster you’ve had on your childhood bedroom wall since you were sixteen, to a piece played by one of your best friends from school.

Tom continued to smile as he continued to effortlessly lead you around the room. The piece seemed to last longer than you remembered and as the pair of you turned, you locked eyes with Sierra, and she winked. When she finally ended the piece, the two of you slowed to a stop and you were slightly out of breath. He continued to hold you for a second longer and seemed reluctant to let you go. Tom cleared his throat, “I’m parched, would you like something to drink? Another glass of wine perhaps?”

You smiled and nodded, and Sierra returned to you after putting her instrument away. She nudged you playfully and wiggled her eyebrows. “Shut up,” you nudged her back. “Keeping you in Tom Hiddleston’s arms a bit longer was my way of saying thank you for coming to support me.”

You laughed, “Thank you. He actually asked me to hang out with him this week.” Sierra’s jaw dropped, but you continued before she could say anything. “But how could I abandon my dear friend Sierra in London,” you put your hand on your chest as you spoke dramatically.

Sierra laughed and gestured towards Tom, “Girl you have a every right to ditch me for him this week and I wouldn’t even be mad.” “You know I could never do that to you,” you replied, “this trip is about you.

You locked eyes with Tom as he made his way back towards the two of you and he smiled. The three of you fell into a conversation and before you knew it, the crowd had thinned, and it grew late. “Alright,” Sierra exclaimed, “it’s late and I have to be back here early for rehearsal. So, I don’t think I will be able to see you tomorrow (y/n).” She winked, “Have fun tomorrow you crazy kids.” She hugged you goodbye and shook Tom’s hand again and walked away.

You chuckled nervously. “Sorry about that, she gets like that sometimes.”

“No need to apologize,” he laughed. “It’s nice to know that I have your friend’s blessing to take you on a tour tomorrow.”

“Well, I am excited to see what you have in store for me tomorrow. However, I think it’s also time for me to get going. My car should be here soon.”

“I’ll walk you out,” he gestured towards the door for you to lead the way.

*****

Incoming text:

Maybe: Tom

Hey (y/n), it’s Tom. Here is my number. I will pick you up tomorrow morning for breakfast. Sweet dreams!

You couldn’t help but fidget in your seat, so you opened the front facing camera on your phone to make sure everything was in place for the hundredth time. You tucked your hair behind your left ear and noted how the soft waves framed the right side of your face. The jewelry glinted in your reflection as it caught the setting sunlight.

“Nearly there miss,” the driver spoke up from the front of the car. You smiled and thanked him in acknowledgement. Granted, it was your first time in London and decided to go all out and hire a driver to take you to the concert in addition to the dress and jewelry you bought. One of your best friends, Sierra, was performing as a soloist with Philharmonia Orchestra of London at the Southbank Centre. Not many were able to fly out to support her, but you needed time off from work and had racked up some vacation days. Sierra was excited to have a familiar face in the crowd and had the venue reserve a box seat specifically for you. Hence, the desire to go all out for the performance.

The car slowed to a stop near the venue and the driver stepped out and came around to open your door and held out his hand to you. Gripping the soft navy satin of your dress in your left hand, you delicately placed your right hand on the driver’s hand to step out of the car. Nearly losing your balance, you caught yourself on the door and chuckled nervously. Thanking him, you took a deep breath and composed yourself as you carefully stepped away from the curb, so as not to trip on the long dress, and walked towards the venue amongst the other patrons.

The venue looked much larger on the inside as the atrium had lofted ceilings with wood paneling. The box office attendant greeted you as you fumbled in your clutch for your confirmation number. “Hi,” you smiled. “My name is (y/n) and I also have a box seat reserved.” You said with a cheery demeanor as you handed over the information. The attendant printed the ticket and called the house manager over to escort you to the box seat.

“Hello, my name is Olivia and I am the House Manager. It looks like you are in box seat A just follow me, please.” “Thank you,” you smiled and followed her through the venue. Olivia raised her eyebrows in surprise. “American? What brings you all the way out to England?” she asked as the two of you made your way through the venue.

“My friend Sierra is the soloist tonight and it’s her first solo performance in Europe. I had some vacation days saved up, so I figured I would make a trip out of it while supporting her.”

“Oh, you’re (y/n)! Yes, that makes sense, I was told to escort you to the opening night afterparty. Here we are!” Olivia opened the door to your box and told you to notify her or an usher if you needed anything. Again, you thanked her, and she closed the door behind you.

Picking up the program off your seat, you sat down and surveyed the auditorium. It was quickly filling with patrons even though there was still about 30 minutes left before the performance began. You began reading through the program notes until you were interrupted by a knock on the box seat door behind you. The door opened and an apologetic usher came into view. “I’m sorry ma’am, but it seems there was a mix up on behalf of the venue.” The figure of a tall man behind the usher caught your eye and intrigued you causing you to nearly miss the next thing he said. “This gentleman reserved this box seat and another box office attendant accidentally placed you in this box.”

“Oh, I can move to another box. I don’t mind,” you waved your hand and stood to gather your things. “Well the thing is, is that the other box seats are filled.” The usher replied hesitantly. “Oh…,” you trailed off and looked at the man again. It was difficult to discern his features from where he was standing in the hallway. “I don’t mind sharing the box if this gentleman doesn’t. There is another seat here.” You gestured to the seat next to you. The usher looked towards the man and he finally stepped into view. It took everything you had not to do a double take.

The man was tall with a slender frame and outfitted with a well-tailored navy-blue suit. He had black curly hair cropped close to his head save for a lock of curls peaking over the right side of his forehead. The juxtaposition between his fair skin and black hair highlighted his bright blue eyes even more. He gave you a quick once over before meeting your eyes and smiled as he extended his hand towards you. You returned the smile as you took his hand expecting a handshake, but he turned your hand and quickly swept down and planted a chaste kiss on your hand. You hoped the lights were dim enough to hide the increasing flush of your face. “I don’t mind sharing,” he replied with a smile.

The tension in the box was almost palpable and certainly made the usher uncomfortable, so he excused himself and shut the door now that the situation was resolved. The two of you stood in close proximity as you examined his face. This can’t be…

“I’m Tom,” he broke the silence. Suspicions confirmed. You thought as you tried to contain yourself. Tom gestured towards the seats and unbuttoned his jacket as he sat. You followed suit and returned to your seat while introducing yourself. As you sat, the slit in the dress revealed the upper part of your thigh. You quickly moved the satin material over and couldn’t help but notice Tom clearing his throat as he dragged his eyes away from your legs. You couldn’t help but feel a little self-conscious about the thickness of your thighs, but you quickly pushed those intrusive thoughts away.

“Well, (y/n) it’s a pleasure to meet you. What brings to you London?” Tom questioned. As you explained to him, he arched a brow and a smile lit up his face. “So, I’ll see you at the afterparty then…would you do me the honor of allowing me to escort you this evening?

You opened your mouth to respond, but the house lights dimmed signaling the beginning of the performance. As the audience and orchestra settled, Sierra graced the stage and her floor length black sequin gown swept around her as she practically floated towards the front of the orchestra. Her golden hair up in a chignon bun shined in the light along with her mermaid style dress. The sequins were interlaced within the black floral design etched across the dress.

As a polite applause swept the audience, she turned and signaled to the oboist to give three A’s. The strings completed their tuning and the conductor stepped out, shook her hand, and bowed before turning to his stand and raised his baton. The musicians followed suit and they began playing the first movement of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 3 “Eroica.” The second piece was Hungarian Dance No. 1 by Brahms. You slightly swayed and bobbed your head to the melody of each piece as it had you enthralled. The orchestra reset and Sierra took her place in front of the orchestra to perform her solo piece Sibelius’ Violin Concerto in D Minor. You had never seen her perform like this before. Sierra commanded the stage and you could feel the audience on the edge of their seats. As she raced down the violin towards the end of the second movement, the audience could barely control themselves to not applaud.

You couldn’t help but steal glances at Tom throughout the performance. There were a few moments where you caught his eye causing you to quickly glance away. The final piece, The Second waltz by Shostakovich chased chills down your spine causing you to shiver. As she plucked her solo part and the members in the wind section performed their solos, you could see how it moved the audience.

Finally, the performance was over, and you could resume your conversation with Tom. You collected yourself and turned towards him only to find him standing and holding his hand out towards you expectantly. You gracefully placed you hand in his and he helped you up.

What was supposed to be a standard ghoul hunt, turned out to be a sticky situation to say the least. This particular group had been killing and eating the living and making its way through families. After getting knocked out and dragged through an underground tunnel and covered in dirt, the Winchesters finally found you as the ghouls were attempting to drain you. As Sam took care of one of the ghouls, Dean rushed over and decapitated the one that was leaning over you. Black stars danced around your vision as you heard Sam fight another ghoul and felt Dean loosening the restraints.

Dean’s gruff voice grew father away as he called out to you, “Y/N, stay with me.”

You were in and out of a daze. At one point you were in the back of the Impala, then in the hospital. The trip back to the bunker was also a haze. When you finally came to, you opened your eyes to your boyfriend napping beside you. His green eyes opened when you shuffled a bit in bed. “Whoa, easy sweetheart. You don’t wanna tear open your stitches.”

You couldn’t help but smile at his overprotective demeanor, “I’ll be okay Dean.” You sat up slowly and leaned against the headboard. “How long was I out for?” Dean sat up with you and began checking the bandages.

“A few days. We had four hunts back to back and you hardly slept before getting drained.” Dean tenderly kissed your forehead. “I’m gonna head out and grab some us some grub, what do you want babe?”

“Hmm…surprise me.”

Dean paused and then grinned. “Oh, it’ll be a surprise,” he raised his eyebrows and headed out. You gave a confused look but chose not to question it.

Taking a deep breath, you gingerly got out of bed, body aching all over. Looking in the mirror, you noticed yellowing bruises around your face and body from where you were knocked out and dragged and a few bandages wrapped around your arms. You grabbed a towel and some fresh clothes and achingly made your way towards the showers. By the time you were done and walking towards the room, you passed the kitchen and noticed that Dean had already returned and was putting on his “Kiss the Cook” apron.

“What all this?” You stepped into the kitchen and gestured the grocery bags on the counter.

Dean smiled, stepped towards you and gave you a soft kiss. “I’m making you the Winchester Surprise!” he exclaimed.

“Should I be concerned?” You giggled.

“Maybe a little,” he shrugged. “The recipe calls for 3lbs pork, 3lbs beef, 3lbs American cheese, and Fritos to garnish,” he continued as he pulled each item out of a bag. “And of course, a gallon of hot sauce!”

“Well, tell me what you want me to do Chef Winchester,” you winked.

He went slightly slack jawed before giving a sly grin and responded, “There’s plenty I want you to do later, but for now can you work the beef while I work the pork?”

You nodded and grabbed a mixing bowl and put the beef into it along with some salt and pepper along with other spices and began mixing it by hand. Dean grabbed his own bowl and did the same with the pork while standing next to you. Dean finished mixing the pork, then stepped behind you, placing both arms around you and began scooping the pork into your bowl to mix with the beef.

His chest was up against your back and you could not help but feel safe and content in that moment. You stretched up and kissed his cheek. He stayed like that a longer to hold you before grabbing a baking dish and covered the bottom with the meat mixture. You cleaned your hands and began opening packets of American cheese and began layering it on top. Dean then opened the bag of Fritos and crumbled them on top. He placed the dish in the oven and pulled out two cold beers from the fridge and handed you one while you waited for your dinner to bake in the oven.

“So, the Winchester Surprise?” you asked after taking a sip of the cold beer.

Dean nodded as he sat down next to you. “Yeah, mom used to make it for dad and me when I was younger. I’m pretty sure it’s the only thing she knew how to cook.” He chuckled lightly and looked down. You reached out and put your hand on his forearm and squeezed gently.

Sam entered the kitchen at that moment and looked at the two of you, “Am I interrupting a moment?”

Dean chuckled, “No, I was just telling y/n about the Winchester Surprise. We’ve got it in the oven.”

Sam let out a laugh, “Hah I’m sure it’ll taste better than our concoction of bologna and sliced cheese on, what was it? A hot plate?”

It was your turn to laugh, “Are you serious?”

Dean raised his arms, “Hey we were kids. We did our best. ‘Sides, dad was furious, it stunk up the room so bad he chucked the whole thing in the trash.”

As the dish finished baking, Dean shooed you and Sam out of the kitchen and made the two of you wait out in the study.

After a few minutes, Dean came out with three plates full of Winchester Surprise drizzled with hot sauce and set it in front of the two of you. Dean just stood there with a smile on his face as he stared at the two of you expectantly.  

You and Sam exchanged glances before picking up your forks and each took a bite of the food in front of you. It was interesting to say the least, but not bad. “Mmmmm,” you let out and gave Dean a smile.

“Hey this is actually pretty good,” Sam said.

Dean’s face broke out into a wide grin as he finally sat down.

“You know what the secret ingredient is?”

You and Sam gave Dean a quizzical look.

“Love,” he responded cheekily and leaned over to give you a kiss.

Elliana sighed and Jenny rubbed her eyes before each grabbed another one of Bobby’s lore books. After finding out about Lucifer’s cage having a “backdoor key” of sorts, the girls had been spending hours trying to find any kind of leads on the location of either.

Jenny groaned and closed her eyes before resting her head on the book in the hopes that osmosis would work this one time. “I need a break,” she sighed.

“Me too,” Ellie agreed, hopping up on Bobby’s desk while Jenny leaned on the corner rubbing her temples. Bobby had gone out just a few minutes prior for a food run, leaving the girls to continue researching.

“I don’t know about this, Jenny,” Ellie said. “It’s taken us so long to find this key thing and now we’re coming up with nothing.”

“Well hello, ladies,” a Scottish voice said from behind them.

The girls turned to find Crowley standing in the doorway, glass of whiskey in hand.

Jenny rolled her eyes, “What do you want Crowley?”

Crowley stepped towards the scotch and poured himself a tumbler. He swirled the amber liquid and took a sniff before scrunching his nose slightly. He took a sip, relishing the annoyance from the huntresses. Taking another sip, he stepped towards them before speaking, “What do you girls know about Orenda Alley?”

Jenny shrugged, “Only that it’s dangerous and most people who go there don’t usually come back. Why?”

“Wait - Orenda Alley?” Ellie stepped in. “Where the nalusa falaya supposedly lives?”

The room’s other occupants looked at her, saying nothing, and Elliana looked between them before stopping at Jenny. “Nalusa Falaya? Native american legend?”

Nothing.

Ellie jumped off the desk and over to one of the bookshelves, running a finger along the spines until she picked one out. She flipped through the pages and placed it down on Bobby’s desk for Jenny to take a look.

“Nalusa Falaya is an old Choctaw legend; translates to ‘long black being.’ The Nalusa Falaya adults would hide in the swamps and call to travelers. When their victim came close, they would jump out and scare them unconscious. Then, they would jump on the unconscious victim and eat them. The Choctaw elders would warn the tribe against going out at night and to travel in groups when the Nalusa Falaya were near.

“Others believed they would attack at twilight and bewitch victims with its evil magic - which is where ‘orenda’ comes from; translates to ‘magical power’ in Iroquois. It would first attract a hunter’s attention by calling out to him. Then, when the hunter turned around, he was so affected by its power that he would fall helpless to the ground. When they couldn’t fight back, the nalusa falaya would insert a thorn in them and possess them from there. It’s a common rumor that there’s only one left. And it’s supposedly in Orenda Ally.”

“Smart girl,” Crowley complimented, nodding his head a bit.

“Okay, I’ll repeat myself...why?” Jenny arched a brow and crossed her arms.

“I have a job for you two.”

“Excuse you?” Ellie scoffed, crossing her arms as well. “You think we work for you or something?”

“Now, now,” Crowley appeased. “No need to get counteractive, my dear.”

“Just get to the point, Crowley,” Jenny let out an exasperated sigh.

“The nalusa and I have some... unfinished business , of sorts,” Crowley said. “I’d like you two to bring him to me.”

“Again, do you think we work for you or something? You can’t just pop in here and-”

“So I suppose you don’t want to get your dear Sam Winchester back, then?”

The girls froze and looked at Crowley.

It was Jenny’s turn to scoff at the king of Hell. “Do you really expect us to believe you want the Winchesters back in action? I’m sure business has been booming since they shoved Luci back in the cage and Dean hooked up with Lisa.”

Crowley put his hands up as a show of mock surrender.

Ellie looked at Jenny, skepticism lacing her features.

Crowley finished the drink and set the tumbler down. “Maybe I miss the good old days. Regardless, you bring me the nalusa and I will give you back your beloved moose. As for you, Jenny, I might be able to scrounge up something valuable to sweeten the deal for you.”

“How can you get into Lucifer’s cage?” Elliana challenged. “We’ve been reading for days - and that’s after I spent a week of my own researching - trying to find a way into the cage and you expect us to believe you can get in?”

“Always one for quarrel, aren’t you, little wolf?”

“Only Gabriel can call me that,” Ellie said in a heated tone.

“I’m the king of hell, darling. I have my ways, I can assure you of that.” Crowley turned to Jenny now. “Call me when you have it.” He reached into his jacket and pulled out a black business card with red lettering on it that read ‘King of Hell’ along with his phone number.

The two gave him a bewildered look as Jenny reached out to take his business card. “Just trying something new,” he shrugged. “Oh, and by the way, girls,” Crowley said, turning back around for a moment. “Our dear ‘lusa requires a sacrifice before making any deals.”

“ What? ” the girls said in unison.

“What kind of sacrifice?” Elliana asked, though she didn’t really need to.

“I have a feeling you already know the answer to that, darling,” Crowley countered before vanishing.

“A human,” Ellie said with disdain. “It wants a human sacrifice. Either to eat, bewitch, or mate with. According to most lore…”

Jenny paced around Bobby’s living room. “Maybe we don’t have to sacrifice anything? We could just knock it out, shove it in a trunk, and drop him off at Crowley’s doorstep.”

“We don’t even know what to expect with this thing. I’ve read probably five different descriptions on what nalusa falaya look like.”

Jenny paused in thought. “Okay, what are the most common characteristics?”

Ellie thought for a moment before sighing lightly. “Tall, almost emaciated, melts into shadows like a phantom. How do we catch something that can become a shadow?”

“You use a trap,” a voice said from behind the girls. They snapped their heads up to see a skinny, unknown man standing in the doorway with a wide, kind grin on his face.

Ellie immediately backed into a bookcase as her heart rate sped up a bit; Anaya remained quiet but still went to stand protectively in front of her.

“Elliana, this is Garth. It’s ok, you can trust him. Wouldn’t hurt a fly,” Bobby said soothingly as he stepped into the room as well, back from his errands.

        “Well, not unless it has fangs,” the younger man joked, wide smile still on his face.

        Ellie let out an airy laugh and a small smile crept onto her face; she moved into the room a bit more, feeling comfortable enough to leave the wall.

        “Wow – you already got a smile,” Bobby said, impressed. “Takes a lot to get one from her these days.” Elliana threw Bobby a Winchester bitch face. He knew the reason she didn’t. But Ellie knew he was only teasing her.

        Garth simply shrugged, smile never leaving his face. He then turned to Ellie. “Elliana is a beautiful name,” he said kindly.

        “Thanks,” the girl said, blushing a bit. Elliana quickly grew comfortable around Garth, his demeanor friendly and lighthearted. How was this guy a hunter? she thought.

“And Garth, this is Jenny. Another colleague of mine.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Jenny!” he said, reaching out his hand to her.

Jenny shook his hand and gave the hunter a surprised once over as she took in his scrawny frame. It was a wonder he hadn’t been killed yet.  

“Likewise. So, tell us about this trap?” Jenny said.

“Getting right to it, I see,” Garth noted.

“It’s been countless hours of research. It’d be nice to not have to dive back into those books,” Jenny closed her eyes and shook her head. Bobby cast Garth an affirmative nod. He smiled back and walked up to Bobby’s desk, pulling aside a pencil and a piece of paper.

“Ok, so you know how there’s devil’s traps for demons, soul eater traps, anasazi protection symbols, and other things?” he asked the girls. At their nods, he continued. “The choctaw indians have their own symbols as well. These ,” he said, drawing out two symbols. “Are two such symbols. One is called a ‘Shaman,’ which represents the medium between the visible world and the spirit world; the other represents control over forces and the gravity of the earth. Put them together ,” he draws another. “And you get the choctaw spirit trap.” Garth smiles a bit proudly as he finishes.

“That’s great, Garth,” Ellie said, a small smile of interest on her lips. “How did you find this?”

“I didn’t.”

“What?” Jenny asked in unbelief.

“These things are really rare,” Garth defended. “Any story or sightings you hear of, either no one has gotten close enough to notice anything, or they...don’t come back. So I looked into the most common choctaw symbols. Sometimes we have to learn as we go. Like I heard Ellie did with the grootslang.”

“It’s the best thing we have right now,” Ellie said. “We don’t have anything else to go by,” she continued, pleased enough with the information. “So we have an idea - or at least the start of an idea, on how to capture the nalusa falaya.”

“Now we just have to figure out where Orenda Alley is.” Excitement began to lace Jenny’s features.

“I think I might have that covered,” Ellie said with a faint smile. She ran upstairs and back down with her leatherbound journal in hand.

“Though I’ve never seen one, I’ve had an interest in the nalusa falaya legend and researched it a little while ago. While the Choctaw tribe is from Mississippi, nalusa sightings have all come out of Michigan, which is where Orenda Alley is supposed to be.”

Ellie had opened up her laptop and brought up a map of Michigan.

“There’s an old, run-down dock at the edge of one of Michigan’s lakes. Many sightings have come within a 20-mile radius of it, and a few disappearances from the area as well,” she reported, looking at her two companions.

As the three continued to discuss their plans, Jenny and Elliana filled Bobby in on everything that happened before he returned. He was grumpy that Crowley had been in his house again; and his scowl deepened as they told him this was something Crowley had asked of them, making him suddenly a little less accepting of the idea. But when Garth announced he would go as well, Bobby reluctantly agreed but still made sure to note he still didn’t like it. He wanted to accompany them, but the girls convinced him not to, saying more people would give a bigger risk of being noticed if the nalusa falaya were to somehow sense them.

With a defeated sigh, Bobby grumbled, “So who’s doing what? You’ll need a negotiator, sacrifice - which I still don’t like, and a lure to draw this thing into a trap - which you still don’t know how to do.” What a great confidence builder he was , the trio thought.

“I’ll be the sacrifice,” Ellie said after a moment of exchanged glances.

“ No! ” Bobby said sternly. “I ain’t lettin’ you get yourself killed if things go south.”

“Ellie, I don’t think that’s such a good idea…” Garth said, already becoming a bit defensive of the youngest in the room.

“I’ll do it,” Jenny said confidently, also not wanting to possibly risk Ellie’s life.

“No,” the girl shook her head. “I’ve already gotten you into enough trouble with...when Luc-...when I got taken,” she continued with some difficulty. “I’m not letting you be put in another situation again.”

“Have Garth do it - no offence, Garth,” Bobby said.

“No, I’m with you,” Garth said assuredly.

“Out of all of us, it would probably want me the most. And being the youngest, I doubt it would take me seriously as a negotiator.”

Garth turned to Jenny and Bobby for help, a begging look on his face that the other two shared for a moment. But since Ellie was adamant about being bait and would not hear otherwise, they reluctantly agreed.

**

As the group of hunters packed for their hunt, tension filled the air. Ellie brought some of the duffel bags to the truck before saying goodbye to Anaya, not wanting to risk her for a more dangerous hunt.

Jenny was about to head out and Bobby grabbed her and Garth by the shoulder.

“You idjits best not let anything happen to her,” Bobby lowly spoke in his gruffy tone. He knew Ellie would throw a fit if she thought he believed she couldn’t handle herself.

Jenny nodded and let out a sigh as she swung her own duffle over her shoulder and stepped outside.

**

The trio waited for dusk in Upper Michigan before they would put their plan into motion. The beautiful colors of the sunset were a stark contrast against the rundown and dilapidated harbor below them. It’s been years since it was last functional; due to all the situations and strange happenings, it had quickly fallen into disrepair.

The sun now below the horizon, Garth slipped off to begin drawing the choctaw spirit traps.

“You ready?” Jenny asked Elliana. The younger girl nodded, trying to refrain from frowning; she didn’t want to let out how anxious she was as she internally fought off a panic attack.

The girls checked their weapons one last time; earlier while trying to think with a similar mindset as with the grootslang, the group had tried to think of what might be able to injure the nalusa. Thinking of what the native american tribes used as weapons, they figured there must be some sort of rock or stone that weakens it and came up with agate - which is supposed to be one of the best stones for protection. It can supposedly drive away spirits, protect from psychic attacks, and stop magic. So they filled shotgun shells with it.

Jenny cuffed Ellie’s hands behind her, the cuffs broken in a way that appeared to be locked, but Ellie could easily escape at the opportune moment.

The girls took a deep breath before walking down a set of stone stairs and out onto the docks. Jenny scanned the darkening waters looking for any signs of the nalusa falaya. They began walking past one of the boat houses when she heard something that made her freeze.

“Jenny,” she heard Shane’s voice whisper to her from the shadows.

“Fuck.”

While she was distracted, a bony hand gripped Elliana’s mouth to prevent her from screaming and pulled her away from Jenny and into the boat house they just passed. When inside, Ellie was thrown to the ground, handcuffs broken off; but the freedom of her hands did nothing when she froze upon the being in front of her.

**

“Jenny, it’s okay. We can hunt this monster together. I’m here for you,” the creature whispered from behind her in Shane’s voice. She shook her head and spun around only to find Ellie missing.

“Shit.” Panic coursed through her as she began to call out for Ellie, but was stopped short before she heard his voice which caused fear.

It was Lucifer.

“Remember when you said you would do anything for me?” he chuckled. “Well that time is now.” Jenny let out a shot toward the shadows near one of the boathouses.

The moment after she did, the creature practically melted out of the shadows, its tattered hood covering the majority of its face. Only its mouth full of sharp, crooked teeth could be seen. Its emaciated form was pronounced by the dilapitated cloak dusting its shoulders. As it made its way towards her, Jenny noticed its stick-like arms with long, bony finders at the end; each one wielding razor-sharp nails. Beneath the creature’s protruding ribs, its body dissolved into a misty, shadowy form giving the appearance of a phantom.

**

Elliana looked away from the nalusa before her to try and get a grip on herself. I will not be another victim of this thing, she thought.

Ellie stood and pulled a knife out of her boot; a piece of agate she and Bobby were able to cut into a blade so she would be able to hide it away in case of a situation like this.

She advanced on the creature and took a swing at it with her knife, only for it to deflect her arm and push her to the ground. It dug its nails into her back, only eliciting a pained hiss from the girl, as she didn’t want to give it any satisfaction. It lowered its form closer to the ground and its face to her ear.

“What. Does Crowley. Want ?” it whispered dangerously, digging its nails in a little deeper.

**

Jenny raised her gun ready to shoot before Garth’s voice rang out behind her. “Hey you fugly monster! Come get it!” The creature turned towards Garth and made its way towards him, but stopped before the trap Garth set, and turned its face up in a snarl. Garth opened his mouth to say something, but Jenny raised her shotgun and fired off an agate-filled shot at the nalusa. It caught the creature off guard and stumbled into the trap and began struggling.

Garth looked up all bewildered at Jenny. “Nice job, but, it’s practically invisible; what if you shot me?!”

Jenny shrugged, “I took a shot, it worked. Make sure it stays put while I go find Ellie.”

She took off towards the boathouse where she originally heard the whispers. She shone her flashlight around it and noticed a covered set of stairs that led down to the water. Pushing back the bushes, Jenny gingerly made her way down the steps, shotgun in one hand and a flashlight in the other, and found a landing below the docks along with a hidden door. Forcing the door open, Jenny took a deep breath and made her way inside and down a very dimly lit, grungy passageway. She quickened her pace when she heard muffled screaming and stepped into a dim, moldy room.

Ellie had been tied up by her wrists, bruised, and blood stains formed on her back.

Jenny rushed to her aid, but Ellie’s eyes widened and she shouted out in warning, “Jenny, no!”

Jenny was suddenly flung across the room. Her gun slid to the other side and a second Nalusa approached Jenny. It began mimicking her mother’s voice. “Sweetie, stop fighting and give in.” Jenny fell to her knees, overcome by the magic radiating off the creature. Its thorn was out and ready to pierce her, but not before something lodged itself in the nalusa and incapacitated the creature. Ellie had managed to break free and strategically threw her blade and Jenny snapped out of her trance.

She looked up at Ellie and grinned, “About time.”

Ellie let out a faint chuckle, “Sorry, I was a little tied up. Took you long enough to find me,” she smirked lightly, rubbing at her raw wrists.

Jenny stood up and drew a trap under the nalusa to keep it from moving. “Well I was busy with my own Nalusa. Hopefully Garth is okay. I guess we should get these two to Crowley before they wake up.” They dragged the body to a worried Garth, with his own furious Nalusa who was still trapped, and shoved the second one into the same trap. Jenny pulled out the business card and dialed Crowley.

“We’ve got them…”

“ Them ?”

“Well, you can say it’s a two for one special...do we need to summon you?”

“No, love.” Crowley appeared behind them with a few demons who grabbed the Nalusa Falayas and vanished. “Well done. Here is your gift Jenny.” He extended an empty hand.

She looked at him incredulously and scoffed while crossing her arms, “You’ve got to be joking.”

“Oh right...my mistake.” He snapped his fingers and both Jenny and Ellie fell to the ground from a searing pain in their eyes.

Garth knelt down by Ellie, “What are you doing?! Let them go!”

“No need to get your knickers in a twist,” Crowley looked at his watch. “C’mon, I haven’t got all day.” Jenny blinked and looked up. In Crowley’s hand, was a little black puppy. “Your very own little hellhound and now the two of you can see hellhounds...you’re welcome.” He handed the puppy to Jenny and turned around.

“Wait, what about our agreement?” Ellie spoke up before he could leave.

“We’ll be in touch.”

“Woah wait - what do you mean ‘we’ll be in touch’? You said you’d get Sam if we caught this thing,” she said hotly.

“It took an army of angels to free Dean from hell. Things like this are a bit more complicated than these little hunts of yours. Be patient.” With that, he snapped his fingers and vanished.

Ellie let out a deep sigh before turning back to her two companions.

“I guess we should start heading back to Bobby’s,” Garth said, a sympathetic look on his face.

The girls agreed and the three began their ascent to the street when Ellie stopped.

“Wait! I forgot about this,” she said, pulling out a tattered scroll from her pocket. “I found this when the second ‘lusa had me in the boathouse. I have no idea what language this is but it seemed important.”

Jenny and Garth shared a confused look before Jenny took it carefully in her hands.

“I have no idea. Let’s take it with us and see if Bobby can find something to translate it.”

Elliana nodded and they went back to the truck and drove away.

Jenny, Elliana, and Garth returned to Bobby’s, exhausted. Garth helped him patch Ellie up before Bobby ordered the three of them to get some rest, promising a good meal when they woke up.

That said and done, Jenny handed him the scroll Ellie found. He said he’d never seen anything like it but would start hitting the books. “ Again. ”

About a week later, everyone said goodbye; Garth moved on to start another hunt, telling Ellie he would be willing to help her out if she ever needed a hunting partner; Jenny returned to The High Priestess with her new Hellhound, Duke, and a copy of the scroll that was found amongst the Nalusa’s possessions with a promise to keep looking for ways to get Sam out of hell; and Elliana stayed with Bobby, trying to figure out what to do next.

Epilogue

*another week later*

Via text message

From: [Elliana]

Something’s wrong with Sam.

References:

https://sasquatchchronicles.com/nalusa-falaya/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Choctaw_mythology

http://www.native-languages.org/morelegends/nalusa-falaya.htm

https://listverse.com/2014/10/21/10-disturbing-mythological-beings-from-around-the-world/

https://www.google.com/search?q=choctaw+symbols&client=safari&rls=en&biw=1323&bih=735&tbm=isch&source=iu&ictx=1&fir=koDrPbZDgxdN6M%253A%252CJMgcxEuO2OKqYM%252C_&usg=AI4_-kQabYtW5fJPeRhzywhyqDCxsgAbZg&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjQyJHXwevgAhVRtlkKHXBfDJIQ9QEwAHoECAIQBA#imgrc=zRLfiMnY6xYxVM

https://www.google.com/search?q=nalusa+falaya&client=safari&hl=en&prmd=imnv&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiVlMPCvtrgAhUGhOAKHcUZCw0Q_AUoAXoECAwQAQ&biw=320&bih=454&dpr=2#imgrc=A1H78NFqoqGKaM

It had been a few days since the Winchesters left town with Elliana, but not before I made her promise to check in more frequently. Things had begun to settle into a routine again and I was about to lock the door when it swung open and was greeted by a familiar face. “Nick?” my eyes widened. He practically sauntered into the bar. His demeanor had changed since the last time he was here. The sadness was still there, but he had developed something sinister…almost reminiscent of Lucifer.  

“Hey Jenny,” he put his hands in his pockets and shrugged. “Can I take you up on that offer?”

I slightly hesitated before nodding, “Sure, Nick. Would you like a drink first?” I asked as I shut the door and locked it. He sat at the bar as I made my way around it to get him a beer. After cracking it open and setting it in front of him, I leaned forward putting my weight on my arms to stretch my back. “So, how was Delaware? Did you find what you were looking for?” I asked as he took a sip of his beer. Nick’s body stiffened, but he took another swig before meeting my eyes.

“Just more questions,” he responded and lowered his gaze to stare at his drink thoughtfully. Studying his face, I was glad Ellie wasn’t here considering the last time she, Lucifer, and I were at the High Priestess together. I couldn’t help but to think about that night.

I was sitting in my office when I heard the door bust open along with shouting as chairs tipped over. When I ran out, I saw that Lucifer had kicked the door in and was holding Ellie by the collar. Hunters were up in arms before Lucifer snapped his fingers and froze everyone except for Ellie and I. She barely struggled against him as her eyes frantically searched the bar until she saw me. Seeing the pain on her face stopped me in my tracks and I looked between her and Lucifer. She hesitated, but through the tears streaming down her face she managed to whimper out ‘please.’

My eyebrows furrowed as my heart panged in my chest at her plea. Seeing my reaction, Lucifer smirked and grabbed Ellie a little tighter, yanking her closer to him. Her eyes widened in fear as she struggled to push away from him. ‘Enough,’ the bold tone surprised even me which made Lucifer’s smirk widen. I wanted nothing more than to smack it off his face. My eyes fell on Elliana before looking back at Lucifer. Gritting my teeth, I stepped towards him, ‘Let. Her. Go.’ I didn’t have a plan, but hell if I would go down without a fight.

His face broke out into a shit eating grin before he threw Ellie to the floor. She immediately crawled over to sit up against the bar and hugged her knees to her chest. ‘What’s in it for me?’ he said lowly as he stepped towards me, his tall frame towered over me. I did my best not to cringe away in fear but looking over at Elliana emboldened me. She was like a little sister to me and I would do anything for her. Straightening my shoulders, my eyes met Lucifer’s once more. ‘I’ll do anything,’ my voice quivered softly.

Lucifer grabbed my face, digging his fingers into my cheek and brought his face close to mine. ‘You better not be lying to me,’ he said in a warning tone, his hot breath on my face. He stepped back and looked around before glancing at Ellie. He scrunched up his face and gestured towards Ellie, ‘I’ll leave you to clean up this mess. But I’ll be back.’ He snapped his fingers, but nothing happened. He rolled his eyes and looked slightly sheepish as he forgot the bar’s warding rendered him almost powerless. As soon as he stepped outside, the bar practically erupted as the hunters looked around frantically for the devil as I ran over and dropped down to Ellie.

“Is there anything I can do to help?” I asked Nick as I snapped out of my trip down memory lane.

“Well, the only witness who saw something decided he didn’t see anything…” Nick trailed off as he thought back to his interaction with his neighbor. There was a slightly sadistic gleam in his eyes that made me a little suspicious. I made a mental note to check up on Arty when Nick left because something was off.

“What about the beat cop in the area? Do you remember who they were, perhaps they saw something since they would have been the first on the scene?”

Nick shook his head, “No, it was so long ago, and I was busy getting drunk at a bar like an idiot.” He rubbed his eyes and ran his hand through his spikey hair. I couldn’t help but to reach out and squeeze his arm. He finished his beer and said “I’m really tired. Could you show me to the guest room?”

I nodded, “follow me.” Turning off the lights, I proceeded to the stairs and saw that Duke was ready to go to bed. She gave Nick a small tail wag as he reached out to scratch her head. I showed him where the guest room was and bid him good night as Duke followed me to my room and settled on the bed. After showering, I stepped into my room with only a towel wrapped around me and was greeted by Nick. I froze in my tracks and my eyes widened.

“What are you doing here?” I asked nervously. He slowly stepped towards me and stopped a mere few inches away from me, his tall frame towering over me. I took a step back, but my back hit the wall. He again stepped towards me and closed the space between us and lowly replied “I had an issue with my room and thought I’d speak with management.” He put his hands on either side of me and lowered his face towards me making my breath hitch in my throat.

“Okay, just let me put some clothes on and I will help you with whatever you need,” I put my hands on his chest to push him away and free myself, but he grabbed my wrists and pulled me to his chest. It was a miracle that my towel didn’t fall.

“Please, Jenny, there is no need for modesty. It’s not like I haven’t seen you naked before,” he paused and gave me a once over before continuing, “After all, we’ve spent many nights together.”

I was taken aback. “What the fuck are you talking about?” I asked incredulously. He smirked in response and pushed me up against the wall again. “I might’ve died years ago when Lucifer burned me out, but when Crowley resurrected me for Lucifer over a year ago, he kept me awake through most of our adventures together. We were one in the same and I remember everything.”

Nick traced his finger along my cheek. “Even when he came looking for you after escaping Michael in the other world and was powerless and then again after escaping Asmodeus.” His finger slowly trailed down my neck as he continued, “Well he found you and, well, more.” His hand stopped at the edge of the towel before I grabbed his wrist to stop him, causing his eyes to darken in response. “What, you don’t want me? You wanted me when Lucifer was in me. Why is this any different?”

Nick’s face was close to mine now and he shook my hand away before he kissed me. It felt as if Lucifer was back for a brief moment and I was tempted to kiss him back and see where this would go (after all, a girl does have her needs and he was really attractive), but this was different. I struggled against him and heard Duke growl behind him. She knew when to give me a fighting chance and when to step in. Duke grabbed the back of Nick’s shirt with her teeth and yanked him off me. Running to the bed I grabbed the gun that was tucked under my pillow. And pointed it at Nick’s face as he stood back up. “Get. Out. Now,” I said through gritted teeth and cocked the gun. Duke continued to growl at him as she stood between us.

Nick was angry, but he raised his arms in a defensive manner before looking down at my now naked body courtesy of the towel unsurprisingly falling off during the struggle. He smirked and bit his lip before responding, “at least I got to see you naked again.” I watched him grab his stuff and leave before locking everything behind him.

Sighing, I set the gun back under my pillow before putting my pajamas on and climbed into bed next to Duke. After tossing and turning for what seemed like a forever, I managed to drift off to sleep. I woke up to someone between my thighs and let out a moan. It felt so familiar and welcomed the sensation. I bit my lip as I reached down to run my hands through the spikey hair and could feel his large hands around my torso holding me in place. Throwing back the covers, I looked down to see glowing red eyes.