Chapter 95

One of the perks of being an archangel is that you tend to know when you're not alone. It doesn't help very often — Lucifer can usually hear when someone enters the room, anyway — but it does alert him to Chuck's silent entrances.

Lucifer doesn't look up, keeping his gaze on the Bible in his lap as he says, "So, when you said I wouldn't want to see him, what you really meant was he wouldn't want to see me."

Chuck sighs, obviously wanting to say something but not quite sure what say. Instead of addressing the issue, he asks, "Why are you reading that?"

"Because I can," Lucifer replies, because he hates giving his father an actual answer.

Chuck sighs again. "Alrighty then. Hey, can we talk for a few minutes?"

"Do I have a choice?"

Chuck doesn't dignify that with a response. Instead, he takes a seat in front of the angel, sitting on the floor with his legs crossed. He waits for Lucifer to look up, which, he soon realizes, is not going to happen.

"So..." Chuck says awkwardly. "How are you doing?"

Lucifer doesn't dignify that with a response, so Chuck is left trying to continue a very one-sided conversation.

"Has this really been that bad?" he asks, hoping Lucifer was exaggerating how much he hates the bunker.

Lucifer finally glances up at him, giving him a look that says,

"Really," Chuck insists. "Has it sucked that much?"

Lucifer closes the book in his lap before answering, "I have never, in my life, wanted to kill someone more than I do right now."

"And who, exactly, do you want to kill?" Chuck inquires, seeming genuinely curious.

"Everyone."

"Everyone," Chuck repeats. "Everyone being...?"

"You," Lucifer begins, because that's an obvious one. "Gabriel. Michael. Dean and Castiel. Jack."

"Not Sam, though?" Chuck observes. It's not quite what he came here to talk about, but he's definitely curious about what's up between them.

Lucifer doesn't respond to that, because there really no way to respond to that.

"You and Sam," Chuck continues slowly, "Are you two friends?"

"Does it matter?" Lucifer asks. He wouldn't say they are — definitely not to Chuck. But he can't deny it, either, because Chuck is smarter than that, as much as he hates to admit it.

"It matters to me, yeah," Chuck replies.

Lucifer scoffs. "Yeah, okay, sure."

Chuck sighs. "Why are you so convinced that I don't care?"

"Because you don't," Lucifer replies simply.

"But I do," Chuck insists. "I'm trying to fix things here."

"Yeah, well, good luck with that," Lucifer snaps. He's not in the mood for conversing with anyone, and there's definitely no exception for Chuck's empty promises.

"But," Chuck continues as if he never spoke, "I can't do that if you're not willing to cooperate."

This piques his interest. His father "wanting" to help was one thing, but this implies that he has some sort of plan, which is definitely out of character for him — enough so that Lucifer decides he has to know what's up.

"Cooperate " he asks.

"Just cooperate," Chuck says vaguely.

"Tell me how or no dice," Lucifer replies.

Chuck hesitates before saying, "Okay, here's the thing. I'm trying to dowhat's best for you and your brothers, and to do that, it's going to involve doing things that none of you are going to think is right, but I promise you, I know whatI'm doing. So, while I can't tell you what my plans are because I know you wouldn't agree, I tell you that it'll be worth it in the long run if you just stop resisting everything I do. Okay?"

Lucifer crosses his arms defiantly. "No." His refusal doesn't mean much, and he knows that — his father will get his way no matter what. He always does, it seems. It doesn't mean Lucifer has to make it easy for him. If Chuck thinks Lucifer won't like whatever he's doing, then there's no way Lucifer is just letting him do it.

Chuck just sighs. "Fine. I gave you the chance to do it the easy way, but I'll do it the hard way if I have to. I just hope you know that you're not leaving here until I'm satisfied." He clicks his tongue once, then fades from view.

Lucifer sighs and leans back agains the wall. Well, that just happened. He's just not quite sure what "that" was.