#agateophobia

She blinks a few times, green eyes flicking between the two of them a few times before back between them. Slowly, she lowers her gun, a bead of sweat running down from her temple, a slight shake in her hand.

Sam takes a cautious step forward, gently taking the gun off of her.  “Are you okay?”

Grace nods and practically collapses into the chair at the table, glancing over at the shatter bottle of beer in the corner and tutting.

The brothers share a look. “Grace, if you want to tell us something…”

“I’m fine.”  She said sternly, running a hand back through her short hair.  “Must have just been…I don’t know, I haven’t been sleeping much lately.”

Lucifer sits next to her. “I wonder why that is.”

Sam and Dean watch as tension shoots down her back, but she doesn’t move from the table, staring at the chair opposite.

Lucifer smirks.  “Awe, isn’t that cute, you’re worrying them.”

Grace stands quickly and pushes her way past Sam and Dean.  “I’m going out for a bit.”

“I don’t think-” Dean doesn’t get a chance to finish his sentence, the door slamming behind her.  “Man, I know the roads been tough, but what’s gotten into her.”

“In all fairness Dean, we don’t really know what Cas has unleashed in her head.”  Sam said, placing her gun on the table.  “Who knows what she’s going through, and I’m sure losing Bobby hasn’t helped, among other things.”

Dean shakes his head and moves to clean up the glass.  “She could still talk to us man, we only want to help.”

Sam gives a sad smile. “We’re not exactly the best family for that, are we?”

“There’s still limits Sam, I mean, if she’s seeing shit,” He pauses.  “We need to know about it.”

“That’s what you think this is?”

“Who knows what Lucifer did to her in the cage,” Dean takes the glass over to the bin.  “Who knows what she’s remembering from being soulless. All I’m saying is that it could be a lot of shit at once catching up to her and, if that’s the case, she’s not going to be top of her game.”

Sam nods.  “I agree, but I also know that we can’t pressure her into telling us Dean, it’ll only push her away.”

“Yeah, she gets her stubbornness from Dad, sadly.”  Dean pulls two beers from the fridge and hands one to Sam.

“Well, she can join the club.”  Sam said.

 Grace’s heart races as she storms through the forest, not really caring in what direction she heads in or what she walks through, she just knows that she doesn’t want to stop.

Lucifer follows every step, looking around the forest as they walk.  “You know, I thought Winchester’s faced their problems head on.”

Her jaw clenches and she picks up the pace.

“Oh wait, this is a personal issue, right.”  He grins at her.  “All you know what to do is run from those.”

“Shut up.”  She snapped, not looking at him.

“Oh, finally going to properly acknowledge my existence, it’s about time really, I was getting bored.”

“I said shut up!”  She yells, stopping and turning to face him, her gaze burning with anger.  “You are not real!  You are securely locked away in the cage!”

Lucifer gives a steady smirk, unfazed.  “Really? So why are you seeing me Gracie?”

Grace’s face pales and she turns away, drawing in haggard breathes, clutching at the nearest tree to try and steady herself.

“Face it Gracie,” Lucifer drawls, leaning into her ear.  “You’re still locked away with me.  Didn’t I promise you that none of this was going to end quickly?”

She sinks against the tree, trying to fight tears, but as a sob breaks from her, there’s no stopping it, her cries filling the all but silent forest, where she sits alone.

 “Grace, stop.”

“I’m fine Dean.”

“No, you’re not, look can just-”

“No!”

Dean grabs her arm tightly, stopping her from going any further, causing Grace to turn and try and hit him, only for Sam to grab her too, halting any movement as she struggles against them.

“Let me go!”  She yells, drawing attention from others on the street.

“Grace, you need to stop this.” Dean said in a hushed voice.  “If you don’t stop and get some sleep then you are going to get yourself killed.”

“I don’t care!”  Grace manages to kick out at Dean, who lets her go to avoid the blow, and she swings her head back into Sam, hitting him on the nose which instantly breaks his grip.  “I’m dead anyway!”

She turns and bolts, shoving through the on lookers and Dean is quick to follow after her, leaving Sam to hold his bleeding nose.

“Grace!”

She doesn’t look back, can’t look back, letting her feet hit the pavement hard, not caring where she was going, just wanting to be away from everyone.

“Grace!”  Dean shouts after her again, falling behind a little more as she rounds a corner quickly.

Grace dodges several people and she fights back a wave of terror as she catches Lucifer out of the corner of her eye.  She catches sight another back alley and hurries for it, wanting to be alone, wanting not to see anything anymore.

Her footsteps echo loudly between the high brick walls, the noises of the street disappearing and she pumps her arms, pushing herself harder.

Lucifer appears in front of her and she screams, trying to stop but instead sliding hard to the ground hard, cutting up her pants and her hands as she stops just at Lucifer’s feet and begins to loudly sob, covering her head.

“Awww, is little Gracie scared?”  Lucifer tuts. “I didn’t think fear was a big thing for you lot, I thought you were too idiotic to feel it.”

“Stop.”  She whimpers.  “Please.”

“Gracie, Gracie, Gracie,” Lucifer sighs and crouches down next to her.  “After all the fun we’ve had?  You agreed to be mine, remember?  When you let me in?  Let me start the apocalypse?”

“We stopped it!”  She curls up tighter.  “We stopped it!  You’re not real!”

He nods.  “Yeah, you and those two dorks you call brothers stopped it and you got locked away with me, or doesn’t that ring a bell anymore? Maybe this will help.”

She feels flames licking at her skin, feels heat breaking through and burning her, the light flashing before her eyes as she begins to scream.

A pair of hands grab her and she fights back wildly, struggling with all her might to pull herself away, only getting a few steps before she collapses again.

Lucifer leans against the wall, watching her.  “Didn’t we have some fun times?  I’m sure it was more entertaining than whatever Gabriel could’ve done.”

Grace’s hands clench on the ground and she fights to push herself up, ignoring the tears, dirt and blood she’s covered.  “Don’t you dare mention him!”

He covers his mouth with a mock look of guilt.  “Oh, I’m sorry, did I hit a nerve?”

She screams and runs at him, but all Grace hits is the brick wall, her hand smashing into it, making her scream more as she holds it, her fingers broken.

“Just leave me alone!” She screams, her voice breaking.  “Get the fuck out of my head!”

Lucifer grins.  “What can I say Gracie, you let me be here.”

Grace collapses forward, only to be caught, but she has no strength left, just sobbing.

Dean keeps her up.  “Easy Grace, I’ve got you.”

“Make it stop,” She whimpers.  “Please make it stop.  I never wanted this.”

“I know sweetheart.” Dean looks up as Sam finally catches up, his face and shirt covered in blood.  “We want to help, but you’ve got to tell us what’s wrong.”

“Lucifer,” Her voice breaks. “Please stop.  I can’t keep doing this.  I don’t want to be crazy.”

“That’s who you’re seeing?” Dean asks.  “You’ve been seeing Lucifer?”

“Why did you have to kill Gabriel?”  She sobs, clutching at Dean.  “Why would you do that to him?!”

Sam joins Dean and they manoeuvre her between them, trying to keep her steady as she sways dangerously. “We need to get her off the streets.”

Dean nods, his face grim. “I think she’s going to need more than that, but for now, it’s a start.”

Grace suddenly tries to struggle against them, but they hold her tight as she groans.  “No, you can’t, I can’t go to…to one of those places…I’m not…I’m crazy…you have to believe me.”

“We know that sis,” Dean said slowly.  “But until we can work out how to get that bastard out of your head, it’s going to be a lot safer.”

“They’ll…they’ll do things.” She whines, her head lolling down to her chest.  “He’ll do things if I’m alone.  I can’t…”

“Awww, poor Gracie,” Lucifer mocks, walking backwards facing them as Sam and Dean mostly carry her down a path.  “I thought we were having fun?  Maybe this will help.”

His forms shifts and he grins at her from Gabriel’s form as she struggles to keep her eyes open, openly sobbing, forcing her gaze to the ground and the unsteady steps of her feet.

“You can’t get me twice with that.”  She mumbles, her voice defiant and disgusted, even in its weak state.  “You…you have no power over me…”

“Judging by your state,” Lucifer returns to himself.  “I really don’t think you believe that.”

Grace’s heart races and she fights to breathe, making Sam and Dean stop, sharing a quick look before Dean takes her weight and Sam moves in front of her, trying to get her to look at him.

“Come on Grace, focus on me.”  He said gently.  “It’s Sam. Can you hear me?”

Her eyes were blurred, but for a moment, they focused.  “Sammy?”

Sam smiles sadly.  “Yeah, do you think you can focus on me and Dean? We won’t stop talking to you, okay? Is that going to help?”

Tears slipped down her cheeks.  “He’s an obnoxious prick, Sammy.”

Both brothers give a small laugh, sharing a look before Sam returns to her.  “Yeah, but he’s not really here, okay?  You’re with us.  You’re safe.”

She gives a half attempt at a nod before her head falls forward again, completely slumping in Dean’s arms, Sam quickly grabbing her other one to keep her up.

“This is not good Sam.” Dean said as they started walking again. “We can’t have her out of action.”

“I don’t think we have much of a choice Dean.”  Sam said. “If she’s seeing Lucifer, it’s going to be far too dangerous to have her with us, let alone…”  He swallows.  “If these get worse, it could lead her to bad things Dean, not to mention driving her insane.”

Grace whimpers between them.

Dean licks his lips.  “It going to be okay sweetheart, I promise. We’ll get this sorted and you’ll be back on your feet in no time.”

“Dean…”  Sam glances at him and Dean shakes his head.

“We’re not just going to give up on her Sammy, there’s got to be something that we can do.”  Dean keeps his gaze locked ahead.  “I mean…shit, there’s got to be someone we can talk to.”

“Gabriel…”  Grace whimpers, Sam and Dean hardly hearing her. “Why…”

“Let’s just…get her out here first.”  Sam said quietly as they both glance at her.  “Then we can work out what to do next.”