[reverse darkest timeline AU: cellthread #2]

[stilljustandrew]

[Previously: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5]

What's worried Baby the most, over the past few days --

Well. What's upset her the most is Andrew's consistent refusal to speak to her mind-to-mind, or out loud beyond the few necessary words she might exchange with any other inmate, such as requests for food, fresh clothes, an extra blanket.

But what's worried her is that he hasn't asked for anything to pass the time. No tablet with games or videos on it, no pencil and paper, no baseball to bounce off the opposite wall.

No books.



In the cell, Andrew finishes his breakfast (cornflakes, with sliced banana), sets aside the bowl, and settles down leaning against the wall.

Comments

[hadyougoing]

"Andrew, nobody has to die who doesn't deserve to."

Her eyes have narrowed.

"And if your boss says different, then he's just as much a freaking game-playing sadist as the rest of them."

[stilljustandrew]

His chin comes up, and he inhales sharply.

"So you wanna maybe call out God along with the rest of them? Cause last I checked, a whole frakking lot of people die when they don't deserve to."

[hadyougoing]

"Uh, no." Her eyebrows climb. "I don't, because even if it wasn't a stupid cop-out, why would God being a jerk mean you get to work for a murderer? Or be one?"

[stilljustandrew]

He scoffs. "So like -- where's this imaginary better side I could be working for instead?"

[hadyougoing]

"You didn't answer my question.

Why does other people doing bad things mean you get to do them too?"

[stilljustandrew]

"Because I'm not doing them for me," he bursts out, spreading his hands. "None of this is about me, it's bigger than that."

[hadyougoing]

Ava decides to momentarily shelve her immediate response to that, which is: nope, that makes no sense.

"What is it about?" Tired. "What's the endgame this time?"

[stilljustandrew]

He shakes his head, and -- bizarrely -- he's smiling a little.

"It's not my endgame. It's His. I just serve Him."

[hadyougoing]

Dry, "Yeah, I get that."

In her head, like a Brady Bunch rerun: Satan Satan Satan!

"So what does he want?"

[stilljustandrew]

Andrew blinks at her, like how is this not obvious?

"To rule."

[hadyougoing]

Ava groans.

"Oh yeah, okay, great."

[stilljustandrew]

"He will, you know." Quiet.

[hadyougoing]

"Uh-huh."

She nods vigorously.

"My world sucks like that. And he'll do it all wearing a fancy Sam suit."

[stilljustandrew]

Andrew nods.

And there's that improbable little smile again.

[hadyougoing]

Ava's expression darkens.

"Oh screw you, Andrew," she spits. "I'm sorry, I know you're all fucked in the head right now, but he is wearing Sam. What the hell did he do to you?"

[stilljustandrew]

His own expression is one of calm bewilderment.

"It's not like that at all," he says, patiently.

[hadyougoing]

"So what is it like?"

Still nearly a snarl.

"What is it like, Andrew, tell me a fucking story about how great it is to serve the guy who killed Sam. You used to be good at telling stories."

[stilljustandrew]

Andrew blinks at her. The bewilderment is rising through the calm now, somewhat: where did you get an idea like that?

"Sam isn't dead."

[hadyougoing]

That takes the wind out of her sails, which is a shame.

Being angry feels so much better than terrified and aching.



"Nobody can survive being possessed that long."

[stilljustandrew]

"They can if the possessor helps them."

He smiles again, small and sweet and a touch wistful.

"That's part of why I went to Lucifer in the first place. I missed Sam. And now we're together again."

[hadyougoing]

"No."

Ava shakes her head.

"No, that might be what he wants you to think--"


God, she can't even sound mad. Why can't she sound mad? She sounds like a precarious needle on a record player, wavering.


"Didn't you learn after last time?" The way you know the song, but can't make it come out like it's written. "When the First was pretending to be your friend?"

[stilljustandrew]

"This is different."

Soft, and serenely stubborn.

"He's not pretending to be Sam. Sam's in there with him. We've talked."

[hadyougoing]

Ava drags her hand across her forehead.

"So you didn't learn. That's disappointing. It really seemed like you did."

[stilljustandrew]

"I can tell the difference," he says, his tone unchanged.

[hadyougoing]

"And let me guess. Sam told you it's all okay, at first he was mad but now he gets it, things are working out for the best and you did exactly the right thing?"

On the one hand, she'll hate being wrong.

On the other hand, she might actually respect Lucifer a little bit.