Unbelievable... Un-freaking-believable! Of all the... Why? Just why?! Of course, it had to be Castiel! It couldn't possibly be someone we didn't know, or maybe, heck, I don't know, Leo DiCaprio with hidden healing powers! No, it had to be this s.o.b!

Allegra was seated in the backseat of the Impala, arms crossed, glaring menacingly at Castiel. Emmanuel... Whatever the hell his name was now! Oh, and if that wasn't enough, they had to deal with Meg again. Allegra did not feel comfortable sitting next to her, but she'd rather have Meg by her side than deal with another backstabbing bastard angel. Castiel claimed not to remember anything, having been found by his 'wife' Daphne months ago. He actually got his undercover name from a baby name site. 
And Dean, of course, refused to call Castiel out. He actually believed this crap and even threw Allegra a warning look through the rear-view mirror. She rolled her eyes back at him. Meg gave an amused chuckle when she noticed the tension. Unfortunately, Castiel also picked up on it.

"This silence is very uncomfortable," he remarked. "Is there something I should know?"

"I don't know. Dean?" Meg dared him to answer, her head tilted provocatively.

"No," he replied with a huff and another warning glare. "Meg has that effect. Awkward, you know?"

"That must be difficult for you," said Castiel, acting all clueless.

"Dean's making a joke, Emmanuel." Meg chuckled.

Allegra scoffed and shook her head.

"Hey, could you at least try to act like you don't wanna wring his neck with your bare hands?"

She met Dean's stern expression as his thoughts reached her and clenched her jaw. Her teeth gritted together. She couldn't take it anymore.

"To hell with this." 

"What are y- No, no, no, Allegra!"

Allegra zapped out of the driving Impala. She heard Dean yelling at her through their mind link.

"Allegra, get your Archangel-ass back here right now! Allegra! Goddammit!"

She ignored him. The only reason she'd agreed to go with Dean was that there was some measure of truth in what he said about staying away from Lucifer's reach. But if she had to choose between two evils, she was damn well going to stick with the devil she knew. Castiel could be planning who knows what! At least Lucifer's agenda was clear. She could work with that. And at least this way, she could keep Sam safe from harm.

***

"I spy with my little eye something starting with... A."

Sam pressed his pillow against his ears to drown out the never-ending torture that Lucifer had become. Full hallucination 24/7. He was walking and talking like he was actually in the room with him. The bastard had even made him believe he was eating a sandwich full of maggots! He was losing the fight, and Lucifer knew it. He kept prodding, waiting for that final push that would make Sam break completely.

"Come on, Sam! I'm bo-o-ored! Play with me." Lucifer then gasped in pretend consternation. "Oh, that so came out the wrong way. I mean, let's face it, I'm the one doing all the playing here."

Sam turned on his side, pressing the pillow down. But it still wasn't enough. Lucifer's nagging voice kept on repeating the same line over and over again.

"I spy with my little eye something starting with A. I spy with my little eye something starting with... well, speak of the devil!"

"Sam?"

That voice... Allegra? No, just another of Lucifer's tricks to drive him further into insanity. A hand touched his shoulder. Someone sat down on the bed with him. He had to admit this was Lucifer's best one yet.

"Sam, it's okay."

"No," he spoke wearily. "You're not real. You're in my mind."

"Euhm, dude, it's considered rude not to pay attention to a lady." Lucifer appeared right in front of him, his grinning face just inches away from Sam's. "Even if she isn't real."

Sam shook his head stubbornly and closed his eyes firmly. He tried to concentrate on his breathing like the real Allegra taught him.

'Concentrate on your breathing, let it fill you, and listen only to your own heartbeat. Drown out everything else.'

The room fell silent. Sam exhaled in relief, believing he finally had a minute of peace. He opened one eye curiously. Lucifer still stood in front of him, only this time, Sam couldn't hear the words coming out of his mouth. Not a single sound. 
He opened both eyes and stared at his inner Devil in confusion. Lucifer seemed to realize what was going on as well 'cause he started to gesture wildly with his hands. Then he just stopped and gave a menacing glare at something behind Sam.

"Sam, look at me."

Her voice again... And that warmth... Sam slowly reached for the hand on his shoulder. He gasped as his fingers touched hers. The comforting sensation inside him intensified, and Lucifer actually started to fade a little around the edges.

"Allegra," Sam whispered her name.

"I'm here."

Sam jolted up and faced Allegra. Her kind smile greeted him, and he wrapped his arms around her, holding onto her body like his life depended on it. Allegra was taken by surprise for a moment, but then Sam felt her meet his embrace, her hands stroking his back comfortingly. God, that felt so good...
He could hear Allegra's strong, steady heartbeat from where his head was resting against her shoulder. His own heart was trying to match her calm rhythm. A tear rolled down his cheek, staining her black shirt.

"You came," sobbed Sam.

"Of course, I came," she said. "I'm sorry it took me so long."

"But I... I attacked you again." He raised his head and met Allegra's gaze. "I-I could actually see it happen, but there was nothing I could do to stop it. I'm so sorry, Allegra."

"Sam, I know that wasn't you." Allegra gently wiped his tear away. "You are not responsible for what Lucifer does."

"I let him in."

"No, you didn't. None of this is on you, you hear me? Castiel is the one who broke the wall and invited Lucifer back into your mind. I'll make him pay for it, I swear."

Sam stared at Allegra.

"Castiel? Wh-I thought he... What?" He couldn't even finish that sentence; he was so dumbstruck.

"Bastard fooled us all again. Don't worry; I'll deal with him. After I get you out of here."

She began to pull Sam off the bed, but he gripped her wrist.

"Wait, I can't leave."

"What? Why the hell not?"

"Another patient here is being haunted by her brother's ghost. I promised I'd help her."

"You're kidding me, right? Sam, you're in no condition to be helping anyone right now! I'm sorry for this girl, but my first priority is getting you out of this looney bin and someplace safe. Not to go hunting ghosts like it's a regular day on the job."

"Allegra, I promised! Please give me time to do this."

She gave a grunted sigh in response.

"I'm already doing better than I was five minutes ago," continued Sam, determined to convince her. "I mean, sure, I can still see him, but it's the first time in days that I don't hear his voice yapping at me. You managed to shut him up, so I can focus now. A-And you can help! The ghost is attached to the girl's bracelet. All we need is salt for a protection circle and a lighter to burn the sucker."

Allegra pursed her lips together. Sam knew she was wondering if he was speaking the truth. But she really had put Lucifer on mute. The Devil was behind her, waving to get Sam's attention. He puckered his lips, hinting at Sam to kiss her, and even acted out that classic Hollywood scene where the guy takes a girl, dips her, and kisses her. With Allegra standing right in front of him (and being real), it was easy to ignore the silent - and somewhat comical - charades Lucifer was throwing him.

"Please," begged Sam, looking at Allegra and Allegra alone. "It'll... It'll make me feel like... like me again."

It was a long shot, but it was the truth. He needed this. 

"Fine." Allegra threw her hands in the air in surrender. "But I see the slightest thing go wrong, either with the ghost or with you, and I am zapping us out of here, got it?"

Sam vehemently nodded his head in agreement. She huffed and shook her head at him.

"Damn you and your stubbornness."

Sam smiled weakly at her comment.

"It runs in the family." 

Allegra's dark brown eyes met his with a piercing gaze. Sam wondered where the gold had gone to. But even like this, Allegra's eyes were still the most beautiful Sam had ever seen. They were drawing him in. Like an enchantress in a fairy tale seducing a prince with one look.
Sam lowered his head a little. Hesitantly, he began to close the distance between them. But the memories of what had happened in the cabin were still fresh on his mind, and he drew back. Then, the most unexpected thing happened.
Allegra's hand found its way to the nape of his neck and pulled him back down towards her. Sam's eyes widened as she pressed her lips against his. She was kissing him.

***

"So, big guy, you think she actually meant to kiss you, or was she trying to get to me? 'Cause I hate to break it to you, but that kiss was anything but angelic."

Sam groaned as he heard Lucifer's voice in his head again. He'd been so happy to hear nothing but silence, to see no one else but Allegra in his empty room. But it was obviously too much to ask to make it last a while. The brief pause Allegra's shield had given him was gone, just like before. The Devil somehow found a way around her protection and clawed his way back to the surface of Sam's mind.
It was pretty clear (and kind of pathetic) what Lucifer was trying to do now. Sam wished Allegra was with him, but the doc busted her in his room and promptly sent her away, saying only family members could visit. Good thing she managed to help with the ghostbusting before that. Speaking of that... Where was he? Not in his room. Was he moving? Yeah... He was strapped down to a cart or something. It was so hard to focus; everything was moving so fast. It was all a blur. All except Lucifer, of course.

"Green isn't a good color on me, but neither is it on you, Sam. Still, it's what got us this far. You got jealous of what your big bro had, and you wanted it for yourself like the little dick you are. And honestly, I don't mind you having her. But let's get one thing straight right now - when the time comes, and it will come, I'll be the one behind the wheel. Not you, Sam. No, you'll be buried deep in your own subconscious. If you're a good boy, I'll give you a happy fake life. If not... well, I only need your meat suit."

Against his better judgment and obvious lack of clarity, Sam talked back to Lucifer.

"Y-You still n-need me to say... yes. That's not happening."

"Of course, it is. It happened before, and it'll happen again. Allegra's realized she doesn't want a cheating bastard like your brother, but she doesn't want a puppy like you either. Face it; you're nothing but the rebound guy, Sam. The overshadowed good guy. The first bad boy had his chance, and he blew it. So the girl goes to the good guy so that he can glue the pieces of her heart back together. But then the real Devil comes on the stage, and the girl realizes the good guy's just too good, and she needs a bit of bad in her life. She needs an edge. Allegra will crave the beast because she already had a taste of it. I'm the only one who can give her what she wants."

"W-What about Michael? Y-You seem t-to be forgetting the other player in this game. It all comes down to Allegra's choice... and she may still pick him."

Lucifer snorted.

"Pfft yeah, right, don't make me laugh. Self-righteous son of bitch's done nothing for Allegra."

"And you... you have?"

"Ask her yourself. Ask her about her time in Hell. She'll say she hated it, but that's because she doesn't want to admit to anyone that she actually enjoyed our little talks. And after what Alastair did to her, who wouldn't choose the comfort the devil can provide? But you know all about that, right, Sammy? Just look at where you are. On your way to... I wanna say shock therapy. Oh, or maybe an ice bath! Either way, you're one step away from spending the rest of your life in a straight jacket, Sammy. Though, if you ask me, the only real insanity here is that you actually think Allegra cares for you."

"Shut up."

"Come on, Sam, she's playing you! The sooner you get that the sooner you can choose the most favorable outcome for you. I can get you out of here. Just open the Cage and let me in."

"Shut it!"

"We can share Allegra too. I don't always have to be in control. We'll work out a schedule or something. It's better than not having her at all. Or worse, watching her go back to Dean and see him crush her all over again."

"I SAID SHUT IT!"

Blind rage took hold of Sam. He fought his restraints, screaming and shaking wildly. The bindings cut into his flesh, but he didn't even notice the pain. The two orderlies wheeling him away stopped and pushed him down. A third appeared out of nowhere and stuck a syringe into Sam's arm. He cried out again and felt himself sink, the remnants of Lucifer's laughter echoing through his mind.

***

"I remember you."

Dean held his breath as Castiel turned to face him. He'd just killed the demons guarding the entrance to the hospital Sam was in using his grace, meaning he was a full angel again. Meaning...

"I remember everything," said Castiel, his eyes firmly on Dean. 'What I did. What I became. Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because Sam is dying in there," replied Dean honestly.

Maybe it hadn't been the best idea to keep the truth from Cas (or Emmanuel, whatever). But to just spring it on the guy and make him face all the terrible things he'd done wouldn't have done anyone any good. The angel was clearly suffering from a guilty conscience, but he was going to have to put that aside for now. Right now, Sam needed them. One drama at a time.

"If you remember, then you know you did the best you could at the time," said Dean as he hurried after Castiel.

"Don't defend me! Do you have any idea of the death toll in Heaven? On Earth?" Castiel stopped in his tracks. "We didn't part friends, Dean. I deserved to die. I can't possibly fix what I did. Why did I even walk out of that river?"

Dean sighed, unsure of what to say. There was only one thing that made sense to him.

"Maybe to fix it."

Castiel contemplated his words for a moment. Suddenly, his head jerked to the right, his entire body alerted by something.

"What's wrong?" asked Dean.

"Allegra," answered Castiel. "She's being attacked. A corridor leading to the basement."

Dean stopped him before he could vanish.

"No, no, I'll help her; you get to Sam."

Castiel nodded and zapped away. Dean called Meg (she'd been silently following the conversation from a distance), and they ran to the corridor, passing two bodies on their way. They arrived just in time to see Allegra kick a demon away from her. The dirtbag hit the wall and was out of it, but two others were still holding onto her arms. She struggled to break free.
Meg moved quickly to finish off the demon Allegra kicked off. Dean noticed Allegra's Archangelblade on the floor and swiped it up. He hurled it at the demon on her right. The blade pierced right through the bastard's heart. Allegra didn't hesitate. As soon as she felt the demon's grip loosen, she took her blade out of the first demon's heart and plunged it into the second one on her left. They both dropped dead.
Dean ran over to her, forgetting that they were technically still fighting and broken up. He cupped her face and looked her over, checking for any wounds. She didn't have a bloody nose, so she hadn't used any of her powers or her grace. That, at least, was a relief.

"You okay?" he asked worriedly. "Nothing hurt?"

"I'm fine!" Allegra smacked at his hands. "Dean, let go! Sam's in trouble!"

"Cas is getting him."

'That's not any better, you idiot!'

Allegra pushed herself away and raced off through the corridor. Dean and Meg followed close behind, nearly bumping into her when she came to an abrupt halt. The three of them stared at Castiel, who held his hand against Sam's forehead.
Dean's breath caught. His brother looked absolutely terrible. Dark eye sockets, pale skin, bruises and cuts where the restraints were... Was it too late? Was Sam completely broken?

***

They got Sam back to his room without raising any alarms. Now that Dean was present, the doctor allowed Allegra to stay with him as well. She sat at Sam's bedside and brushed his hair away from his face. From the corner of her eyes, she glimpsed Dean and Castiel arguing. Whatever they were saying, it wasn't good. Then again, when was it ever when angels were involved?
Castiel hadn't hurt Sam. This time anyway. And he seemed contrite about what had happened. But Allegra still kept an eye on him. Dean might be willing to let him off the hook that easily, but she had no intention of just forgiving and forgetting.

"I may be able to shift it."

Allegra looked up when she saw Castiel walk towards her and Sam. She rose to her feet and blocked his way. Her arms crossed, her eyes narrowed.

"What do you think you're doing?" she demanded.

"I will help Sam back on his feet," replied Castiel.

"Now, why don't I believe you?"

"Allegra, please." Dean came to stand next to the angel. "If you care for Sam, you'll let him try."

Her eyes flashed to Dean. The nerve he had to say that to her! She pinched her lips and stepped aside. Castiel walked around her and sat down on Sam's bed.

"It's better this way," he spoke softly. "I'll be fine."

Allegra was glad to see that at least alarmed Dean.

"Wait, Cas, what are you doing?" he asked, his voice slightly panicky.

"Now, Sam, this may hurt. And if I can't tell you again... I'm sorry I ever did this to you."

Castiel put a hand on Sam's head. It took less than a second before his face and eyes started glowing red. He groaned in pain. Allegra crossed over to the bed, ignoring Dean's objections, and took Sam's hand in hers. Her shield wrapped around him. She sensed Lucifer's presence slowly disappearing from Sam, traveling to another vessel. To Castiel.

So that's what you meant...

Sam gasped for breath as Castiel's own face and eyes shone bright red. Allegra felt his hand grip hers tightly. He looked at everyone in confusion, especially at Castiel.

"Sam, it's okay, you're safe now," reassured Allegra. "Lucifer is gone. He's no longer inside you."

"What? What do you mean? Wha-What the hell happened?"

At that moment, Castiel stood up and recoiled against the wall. He looked terrified of something. Or someone. Allegra dared to touch his grace with her shield, not completely letting go of Sam yet and sensed what she had felt all those weeks in Sam. Lucifer was inside Castiel. And honestly, the prospect of the angel getting tormented by the Devil couldn't have made Allegra any happier.