This wasn't making any sense.

After the chat between Lucifer and Gabriel things seemed pretty sown between them. He finally came down and Castiel insisted he try the peanut butter and jelly sandwiches he had made. He was apprehensive but at Castiel's puppy-dog eyes he relented. "Of course Cas." He actually found that he did enjoy them.

Michael then told him to take a shower. "Hygiene is very important in taking care of your human body." And they dug up some clothes for him, mostly Sam's.

So that's how Dean found himself some days later in the living room like area, working through a beer and observing as Satan walked around in a familiar plaid shirt and a Trickster tried to explain to the angel who tried to posses him the characteristics of reality TV.

"Hey." He leaned across the table to Sam who raised his head slightly from his laptop. "Remember when things were black and white?"

Sam looked up with a weird expression. "Are you talking about TV?"

He huffed. "No man! I mean when bad was bad and good was good. When creepy crawlies and dick heads were what we ganked and they weren't our" he looked back at the others. "our bunkmates." He seemed almost appalled and shook his head. "All this silver lining gray area is screwing me over."

Sam gave a chuckle as he observed them. "Yeah, it was simpler. But they've actually been behaving. Even Lucifer seems to be in his good behavior and Michael is just kind of flitting around. Even Gabriel has been sort of calm." He shrugged.

"Yeah, you not the one who woke up to a Britney Spear blow up doll. Where the hell did he and Lucifer even find that?"

Sam hid his laugh in a cough as he looked down at his laptop.

Dean gave him and incredulous look. "Oh, imma get you for sure."

'Dean calm down." He laughed. "I just let him order something online, I didn't actually check for what it was?" though his smile said otherwise.

"Oh sure, wait till you see all the subscriptions I put under your name."

"Dean, don't you dare!" he scrunched his nose already thinking of what his older brother had in mind.

"Should have thought of that before Curly."

"Jerk."

"Bitch." He gives him a smirk over his beer. After he sips he peers over his shoulder.

"So", Sam glanced up and lowered his voice a bit "when are you gonna mention Crowley?"

He almost choked on his beer. "Me?!"

'Yes you, you can handle that, I'm working on this!" he chuckled.

Dean let out a string of profanities and slumped more in his chair. 'Later." Then he glanced over to him. "What you looking at?"

"Research. From what I gathered about the Wraith's you guys faced off, vamps had been in the area but they had left and the Wraiths moved in."

"What makes you say that?"

"Well they kind of left a, a bread crumb trail." He said showing him a map with various red dots forming a beeline. "These are all cases with similar descriptions, disappearances then bodies found bloodless. They seem to be moving together, a lot of them.'

'Some kind of family reunion." He raised an eyebrow as he studied the map. Something about it was puting him off.

'Or maybe the Alpha."

Dean frowned slightly. 'Kinda hoping he just dropped off the face of the Earth."

Sam scoffed. "Huh, wish again."

"Eh, worth a shot." He took another sip.

"Uh, may I have some assistance with the computer?" Castiel asked as he entered. He was looking at Sam since he seemed to work the computers the most. But it was Dean who got up with a sigh.

"Sure Cas, what are we looking for? Need some reference for good porn sites, what's your thing?" he smiled jovially.

Sam gave him a look and rolled his eyes. Castiel flushed slightly. "Uh, no, I have no desire to visit any such virtual sites. I merely wanted to look up some recipes but it refuses t turn on." He pushed the on button as an example and gave what Dean could only describe as an adorable pout, but he'd never admit that.

Dean frowned and looked it over. "Well uh, how's the mouse?" he tapped the mouse pad a few times.

Castiel seemed more frustrated. "That refuses to function as well." He miffed.

"Well, no need to get grouchy let's see." Dean held up the laptop for closer speculation and turned it over as he muttered to himself. He pressed a few keys then slapped the top with a frown.

Sam gave him a look and glanced at Cas. Cas gave a 'See?' motion with his shoulders and arms as he said. "I tried that also, top and bottom." As Dean turned it to slap the back.

Sam blinked then pinched the bridge of his nose, he was sure these two would give him more stress lines than the job.

'Stupid junk." Dean muttered as he pulled out his knife and began sticking it in the laptop.

'Wow, hey there Machete!" Sam said as he got up.

"What?" Dean asked.

"You can't just shank the thing because it doesn't work."

"Sam.' He said in all seriousness. 'I just did."

Sam gave a loud sigh and trademark bitchface. "Just let me see it before you decapitate it."

Dean sighed as he handed it to him and shared a look with Castiel but Cas was squinting in confusion. "Can you decapitate an electronic device?"

Dean hung his head but gave a chuckle. "I believe it's 'May you'." He turned up and gave a grin.

Sam stared at the both of them and shook his head. "No." he then returned his attention to the computer. After a moment he glanced at Cas. "Well, have you tried charging it and waiting awhile?"

He looked confused. "Charging? It has to pay?"

Sam blinked then tried again. "No, charging as in electricity, fueling it with a cord."

"Ah.' He said in realization then shook his head. "No I was not aware that was needed."

"Well, see easy fix." Dean patted his shoulder.

Sam nodded. 'Well there you go, just hook it up with the cord and let it charge for awhile before you use it.'

"Very well." He said standing up and taking it. 'Thank you, the both of you." And he went upstairs.

But it wasn't two minutes later before Castiel appeared again. 'I need some assistance with the cord."

"Son of a bitch." Dean muttered as he got up to help him.

Lucifer was still cautious. He was feeling better than he had in a long while, there was no knot in the pit of his stomach that came from lack of food, he didn't have a fever and he wasn't cold to the marrow of his bone and he didn't have to be constantly watching his back. Well, not as much.

He began to come out of his room because if not Michael or someone else would come in and try to talk to him. At least when he willingly came out they were content with seeing him walk by. At first he would only come out to get food and a drink. Slowly he lingered around a bit, chuckled at how Gabriel annoyed Dean, listened to what Michael and Castiel were discussing. Slowly he was growing more comfortable with them.

One morning he had gotten up a bit earlier than usual because he wanted some tea. When he went downstairs he found Michael making breakfast. Well not necessarily, he was putting waffles in the toaster with microwaved bacon cooling on one counter and dicing fruit. Lucifer sighed, at least he was trying. He hadn't bothered to know much of human life himself at first. He had picked up a few things from Nick's head and had gotten information from his demons. The Cage wasn't completely isolated so he did know some stuff.

"Good morning Lucifer.' Michael smiled as he continued cutting.

"Michael." He merely stated. He pulled out a kettle and filled it with water then searched for the tea and sugar. As he waited for it to boil he leaned against one of the counters, arms crossed as he watched Michael work. Finally after awhile he said. 'So how long?"

"I can't read your mind.' Michael smiled ruefully.

"How long are we going to pretend that nothing happened between us?" Michael's movements froze. "How long are we going to ignore it, Michael?"

He sighed then reached for an apple and began dicing it. "We're not ignoring or pretending anything. We're simply moving on."

He nodded and blinked sarcastically as if considering his take. "So avoiding?"

"Lucifer please, can't we let it go?"

"No. No I don't think we can."

"Well I can so it seems like you have a problem."

"Then tell me o' fearless big brother, how? How can we just let something like this pass? How can we ignore the betrayal, the dam apocoplypse-"

"Easily!" Michael snapped. "It's over!"

"But why? And how?"

"I don't know!" he huffed frustrated.

The kettle let out a shrill whistle. They blinked and Lucifer moved to turn it off and Michael went to the fridge to pull out some yogurt. He took a breath to calm himself before things escalated. "I don't know Lucifer, okay? All I know is that we are here, we are mostly together and for now this is how we're going to deal. We are going to follow in the steps of our vessels and brothers and try to manage living together. So can you please just get the others, breakfast is done."

Lucifer sipped from his mug as his eyes looked over Michael. His face said that this was far from over but for now he set down his mug and jogged up the stairs. He banged on Gabriel and Castiel's door. "Breakfast is made, hurry up or more for me."

He slapped a hand on Sam's door that was around the corner. "Breakfast Moosey!"

"I'm up." Came the reply.

He went to Dean's just further down the hall "Wake up princess, your tarts are ready!" he cried out in a high mocking voice.

A muffled "fuck you" came from the other side.

"Only if you promise to beg. Hurry up before I eat the bacon!"

He next passed by the prophets door. 'I don't care if you work for Daddy, get your tiny ass down here to eat!"

He walked back down the hall and noticed the lack of noise from his younger brothers' room. "Come on, wake up."

Muffled replies came.

He banged on the door harder and let out a loud bellow. 'Good morning Vietnam!"

'We're coming!" came a groan, no doubt Gabriel.

Lucifer turned down the hall and noticed Sam's wide eyed stare, nostril flared and clear alarm. Lucifer merely raised an eyebrow before he called "Hurry up." To his brothers and went back downstairs to his tea.

After awhile Dean stumbled in. 'Hear there's bacon."

"Yes good morning to you as well." Michael said mildly as he set the platter of greasy meat down.

"Mmh, mmh, straight to clogged arteries." Lucifer said sarcastically.

"No better way to go.' Dean smiled as he stuffed two strips in his mouth. Next came Castiel with Sam. Sam seemed more aware of Lucifer's presence and was uneasy but they didn't particularly notice. Castiel thanked Michael as he served him coffee and a plate of food.

After awhile Kevin stumbled in, bleary eyes.

"Mrhm, come and eat." Dean said over his mouthful of food. 'Look, we even have rabbit food." He pointed at Sam's plate. Sam rolled his eyes as he served himself some of the parfait that Michael had made.

"You're going to have some to." Michael said as he served Dean a spoonful.

Sam laughed and looked in anticipation.

Dean snorted and smirked up at him. 'No."

Michael matched his face with an amused expression like he was talking to an eight year old "Yes you will, you need a more balanced diet."

'I eat perfectly balanced. I don't want to eat this."

"Eat the parfait." Lucifer practically sighed not looking up from the newspaper he was reading. Michael gave a nod at his brother's support. Sam smirked at Dean's indignant expression but after looking between the two and a lot of grumbling he began to eat bits of it, poking at the bannana.

Gabriel finally came down, hair muffed about. He gave a yawn as he sat in his seat, Michael passing him the syrup automatically. "Mornin' peeps.' He gave a smile.

A chorus of "Morning"s went up.

Gabriel waved his fingers as if conducting. "That's what I like to wake up to and hear, the adoration of my fans." Lucifer and Dean both stuck up the bird and Kevin gave a snort. 'Aw looky look! I have one to." Gabriel faked astonishment as he held up his hand.

"Enough, eat." Michael smirked slightly.

Castiel handed Gabriel the honey once he was done with it.

'That's a lot.' Sam said looking at their bowls of parfait pointedly. 'Both of you."

Dean glanced over. 'Jeez Cas, they're drowning in there." He looked at Gabriel and pointed at him. 'I blame you, you're a bad influence."

"Me?!" he cried. 'It's Cas' own love for bees'

Cas nodded. "They are fascinating creatures."

Kevin coughed. "You're still with that?"

He nodded. 'It never ended."

Dean looked up blankly then shrugged. "As long as you don't end up on Baby covered in them, naked. Again."

Most of the table broke into coughs, Michael spitting his coffee back into his cup, Lucifer swallowing a strawberry down his throat in one go, and Gabriel broke into peals of laughter. "What?!"

Sam cleared his throat. "Really Dean?"

"What, I just don't want Baby scratched up. Besides, Cas is human now, it would hurt hellova lot more being pricked well' he chuckled a bit "on his prick."

"Wow, wow, hey now. No talk like that at the table." Lucifer said cutting his hand through the air.

Cas was blushing. 'I realize that was foolish and am embarrassed of such actions but I was not completely myself."

"When, er, exactly was this?' Michael asked.

"During Meg's influence.' Dean's mouth twisted over a waffle.

Cas frowned and Sam gave Dean a look. "More like post Emanuel, when he went crazy and all."

'And how did that happen?" Lucifer asked.

A tense quiet fell across the table. Dean glanced at Sam and Cas but they were both carefully not meeting anyone's eyes.

Lucifer raised an eyebrow. "That bad?" there was a hint of suspicion in his voice.

After a decisive pause Castiel spoke up. "It was, a manner of speaking, the stress and weight of the realization of my actions that caused me to have a . . .'

'Nervous breakdown." Sam supplied still looking at his plate.

"Precisely."

"And you've been like this since then? The whole time?" Gabriel let out a low whistle.

"No, I have since" but Castiel realized Gabriel was teasing and rolled his eyes. "Of course Gabriel.' He said dryly.

Gabriel snickered. "I'm only teasing." He popped a piece of waffle in his mouth. "Now, tell me more about Meg. This isn't Azazel's bratty bastard, is it?"

Castiel sent him a chilling glare and from across the table Lucifer reciprocated. "Watch it."

"What?" he smiled.

"Enough, Gabriel." Michael said taking in his other two brother's expression.

"But I just-"

"Enough." He said firmly.

He sighed and merely popped honey glazed fruit into his mouth.

It wasn't long before Castiel excused himself from the table and left. He soon found himself seated cross legged next to a window in the library. His eyes followed a few birds that flew in circles and wove themselves amongst the trees. The sun shone through some clouds that lazily crept across the sky.

"Hope you don't mind that I join you little brother." A voice came.

He looked up in acknowledgment. "Of course not, brother." Then looked back outside.

Lucifer sat at the other end of the window, one leg up the other across the ledge, his foot nestling between Castiel's knee and the glass. They both stared outside for awhile before he spoke again. 'Don't mind Gabriel too much. He's been running his mouth since his creation."

'So it seems." Castiel mused flatly.

'No really, he spoke the earliest, even earlier than Balthazar. And its worst that he doesn't think it through, just runs his mouth." He lazily mimicked the motion of talking with his hand before settling it back on his knee.

Castiel's eyebrow twitched.

After awhile Lucifer added. "She liked you. She thought you were odd and foolish but she came to find you . . . endearing." He turned to him. "I don't think either of you two really realized but you gave her hope, and she thought it was possible to change how and what you're supposed to be."

After a few moments Castiel asked softly. "How do you know that?"

He gave him a soft sigh. "While in my pent house Cage I could still talk to my followers. She was one of them, along with Ruby and others. Me and Michael were there for when you pulled Sam out. By the way thanks for springing us out." He gave him a pointed look. "I'll be sure to return the favor."

"Didn't seem like a priority at the time. Plus, you both did deserve a 'time out'" he glanced at him then back out.

He rolled his eyes. "Whatever. Anyways she would come by time to time to give me updates or ask for orders, others did as well. But because of Crowley taking over it was getting harder for them. When she told me what had happened I told her" he gave a soft grunt. 'to watch you, at least till the Winchesters were able to help you. I didn't hear from her till a long time later but I was surprised when she said that she had stayed with you for so long. Then one day she completely stopped coming.

After a long pause he said. "I'm sure she's still out there. She has a strong sense of self-preservation and is resourceful but many times she has come to our aid. She'll appear when she is ready."

"No doubt." After a few more minutes of silence he spoke up again. "Do you mind telling me what really happened? With you and Sam?"

He froze at that and sighed. "It would be best to leave it alone."

"I want to know."

"Very well." He turned to him and met his stare. " It was you."

"Okay. Care to elaborate."

"When I brought Sam back I didn't do it correctly as you know."

"Yeah, Uncle Death swung by for the rest of him."

"Yes well,a wall was brought up in his mind to protect what had occurred while he was down there. I . . . I lashed out a bit, consumed in my mentality of needing to overpower Raphael and removed the wall. His mind was basically collapsing as he remembered and it was Balthazar who provided some aid. However Sam had not fully recovered and began having hallucinations that tortured him and drove him to insomnia. He was taken into a mental ward where demons soon attacked. Dean took me, as Emanuel, with Meg and I . . . I remembered. I thought the only way to repent was to take his broken mind for myself. I did and I saw what he saw and that is when my mind . . . cracked, as well."

He knew, he really knew but he still asked. "What was the hallucination?"

After a moment. "You. You and your enigmatic manipulative attitude."

"You know there are nicer ways of saying that. We do need to work on your people skills."

"I never took you for one who approved of sugar coating."

After awhile he sighed and hung his head slightly. "It wasn't me. I was stuck in the Cage, I couldn't reach out to him."

"I know, I'm certain.' He said reassuring. "Once I took it I had his hallucinations for awhile but soon they disappeared. It was merely the repercussions from his mind."

After a few moments of tracing the birds outside Lucifer quietly said. "It's not all true."

"I beg your pardon."

He sighed. "The Cage is designed to be a torturous prison but it exaggerates. In there Michael and I did . . . lash out on each other and our vessels."

"Brother." Castiel sat up straighter.

"But it wasn't for long!"he quickly put in. "Michael and I, we were angry, Michael hadn't been there since he dropped me off there so he was freaking out. I had been there for so much long I knew I didn't want to go back. So when we got stuck in there we went nova."

"Who started it?"

"Cas . . ."

"Who. Started it?" Castiel's eyes flashed slightly.

"You got to think, he isn't perfect. He felt like he failed Dad so he got angry and then blamed me for being weak and Sam for doing it in the first place. I didn't do anything at first I let him then attacked Adam as a counter. Michael didn't seem to care at first but then slowed and then I stopped him from continuing to hurt Sam. I suppose I felt . . . sympathy. We came to an agreement not to hurt our vessels', only each other. But, when two storms clash, people still get stuck in the crossfire. But they didn't really deserve it, it's not like it was really his, or Adam's fault. They were just pawns, it was us. But then again, was it ever really us, or the dam script we were following?" he sighed and laid his head back, hitting it on the wood with a dull thunck.

Castiel shook his head and glanced back out. A cloud lazily hid then sun, casting shadows that moved then soon disappeared. A flock of geese flew by.

"You have to talk to Sam, tell him what happened. It may be that the Cage and his mind altered things to fix his perception of the matter to his expectations. Dean did something similar when we were in Purgatory."

He winced slightly but tried to give a smile, that wasn't good at hiding. "That's right, you guys took a vacation there. Guess I should get one of those "My brother went to Purgatory and only got me this lousy T-shirt".

"But I didn't' he said mildly. 'And I am fine."

Lucifer gave a nod.

"You still must talk to Sam, you and Michael both to clear things up, and to apologize."

He gave a pout but nodded.

"And this conversation had brought up another important topic." He said looking him in the eye. "What of Adam?"