Always with You

As he sat there in the pristine white sheets, illuminated by the soft hotel light, he let out a sigh of relief and allowed himself to lay on the soft mattress. By some miracle, Satan had escaped his own personal Hell and arrived in an uneasy purgatory. Ever since they'd left the hospital, she'd been oddly cheery, still cautious but noticeably thoughtful in the way she addressed him, but he kept waiting for something to go wrong, for her to grow frightened and withdraw from him again. He was no less weary than before.

He couldn't bare the thought of sticking her in yet another dirty hotel room, and some irrational part of him dreaded the idea of finding her, once again, lifeless the next morning. So, in an act of desperation, he'd used the credit card Ipos had given him in Oregon to get them a room in a four star hotel for the night. Incredibly, it still worked. As far as the world was concerned, Ipos was not dead. One of the Fallen must be keeping up with the payments for his sake. For a second, he felt guilty for ever considering trading the lives of his followers for the girl's, but as she walked out of the bathroom, happy and blissfully unaware of her time in Hell, he knew he'd trade everything he had for her again in a heart beat.

"Man, it's so nice to take a real shower for a change. I was tired of bathing in random lakes and streams in the woods," Natalie said, coming out of the bathroom in her newly bought Pjs, still drying her slightly damp hair with a small white towel. Now that she was no longer caked in mud or wearing moldy wrinkled clothes, she seemed to emit a heavenly glow like a holy Madonna.

"Since you've finally calmed down, I figured we'd stay someplace nice," Lucifer said, distracted by her mere presence. He stiffened when she choose to sit on the corner of his bed. Natalie had not willingly approached him since she lost her memory.

"Well, we were best friends once, and you did get me out of Hell . . . somehow. So, I'm choosing to trust you," Natalie said, giving him a weak apologetic smile.

"Wait, you believe me? " Lucifer said, sitting up abruptly, his back instantly flaring up in pain. He winced, but still made his way over to her. He grabbed her by the shoulders excitedly, forgetting himself for a moment. He swore when she flinched.

"I mean, Death vouched for you, and he hates your guts so . . . I guess it's true," Natalie said with a shrug. The smile on her face seemed genuine. He relaxed and slowly let his hands fall from her shoulders.

"That's a relief. Things will be less awkward when we get home," Lucifer said.

The implication immediately wiped the smile off her face, replacing it with a painful grimace. He silently berated himself when he realized his mistake.

"Ha ha, no, once you drop me off, we're done. Whatever we had is over, I don't remember it, and I'm not comfortable with you sticking around," Natalie said firmly, poking his chest for emphasis. He resisted the urge to unfurl his snake tongue and undermine some of her new found confidence.

"Ugh, stupid Death, the idiot calls me a screw up, and he can't even hold up his end of the deal. If he'd done his job, you'd be back to normal by now, and we wouldn't be having this stupid conversation," Lucifer muttered.

"Excuse me? I am normal. Hanging of with the devil and choosing to stay in Hell, that's abnormal. I'm glad that part of me is gone," Natalie said, purposely slapping him on the back as payback for what she considered an insult. He winced, practically crumbling in on himself in his pathetic weakened state. Trembling from a combination of exhaustion and anger, he glared at her, baring his teeth. Predictably, she backed away from him and retreated to her bed.

"Shut up, you've lost the most compassionate part of yourself. Trust me, you're going to want that back," Lucifer said, nearly spitting out the words in his contempt. The Natalie he knew would never intentionally hurt him. He hated this impostor.

And yet, he couldn't help but forgive her. Natalie's eyes widened and she bit her lip in an obvious tell. She regretted what she did. Hesitantly, she reached out to console him. For once, he desperately wished she would. She withdrew her hand at the last minute and crossed her arms as if to shield herself from such blasphemous thoughts.

"Why do you even want to hang out with a teenager anyway? You should be glad I want nothing to do with you," Natalie said.

A few months ago, he would have agreed. In fact in the early days of their strange and unlikely friendship, Satan had often wished Natalie would wise up to the fact that he was no good for her, and she was better off without him. Then again, a few months ago, he would have buried any feelings he had for her deep inside and left her cold dead body for the police to deal with. Now that he was actually invested in her well being, she wanted nothing to do with him. Karma was a cruel witch.

"I don't need to justify myself to you. You're practically a stranger in my friend's body," Satan said, unwilling to admit that yes, he cared about her, and no, he wasn't ready to face the reality of the situation. With Death unwilling to risk another trip to Hell, there was a good chance she'd never recover her memories, and if she didn't, it was becoming ever clearer to Satan that this Natalie wasn't worth sticking around for.

"About that, if you don't want me to press charges, you will," Natalie said, having the audacity to threaten him while hiding behind a pillow.

"Or we could go back to the woods," Satan said, carefully rising from the bed in the most ominous manner possible. His back ached in protest, but he couldn't help but smile when she began to cower. This Natalie wasn't as untouchable as she'd previously assumed. He was quickly losing patience with her and having his friend's face would only shield her from his wrath for so long.

"Fine, forget I said anything, I don't know what I ever saw in you. You're insufferable," Natalie said, hastily ducking under the sheets and turning her back on him.

Satisfied that he'd successfully intimidated her into not involving the police, he returned to his hotel bed and lay on his stomach, watching her from the corner of his eye. He could tell from her unsteady breathing that she hadn't gone to sleep yet. After a few minutes of silence, she finally spoke.

"Just tell me, why do you want to end the world?" Natalie asked quietly.

"I don't," Satan said, dismayed she was luring him into yet another argument. He wanted his friend back. Sure, she wouldn't have shut up either, but at least, she wasn't constantly thinking the worst of him.

"Then, why are you going through with this whole apocalypse thing? Isn't it kinda a waste of your time? You can move to Las Vegas or something, and skip the whole fire and brimstone bit. Humanity will thank you," Natalie reasoned.

Satan rolled his eyes as if he'd be allowed to walk away from the apocalypse. Besides, Las Vegas tended to lose its charm after a week or two of gambling and stage shows.

"It's not that simple. This has been a long time coming. I need to face Michael. End him before he ends me, and if humanity gets caught in the crossfire, so be it. You're the only human I ever cared about," Satan said. For his followers sake, he planned to survive. It was all or nothing. Then, he could spend the rest of his sorry existence fixing what Death broke and enjoy a few decades of Natalie's nonsense before Heaven snatched her away one last time.

"Really the only one?" Natalie said, subtly sitting up to face him. She grinned, clearly flattered by the confession. She playfully batted her eyelashes at him and blew him a kiss.

"Yes, you mean everything to me," Satan said without a hint of his usual sarcasm. The sincerity caught her off guard, and she blushed.

"Oh wow, you're serious," Natalie said, losing her nerve and looking away.

"Oh, and your dad's okay I guess," Satan said, having forgotten the old man in the chaos of the last few days.

"What about Jesus?" Natalie asked.

Right, Dad's actual favorite, Satan rolled his eyes. It's not like he was on Earth at the moment. Father would have made sure of that.

"Let's not get into semantics. The point is I don't care about humanity as a whole. So, the apocalypse is coming dear, get over it," Satan said, chucking a spare pillow at her to end the conversation. She caught the pillow easily, and for a moment, she seemed to consider throwing it at his head. She glanced at his back and thought better of it, placing the pillow behind her.

"Why don't you sleep on it?" Natalie insisted, nestling under the covers.

Previously, he'd found her naivete grating. Now, he had to shield himself from her bright innocent eyes to keep himself from making promises he couldn't keep. He buried his face into his remaining pillow.

"I'm not going to change my mind," Satan said, voice coming out muffled from deep within the musty pillow. He heard the rustling of sheets and the springs of her bed creak as she stood and walked over to him. He tensed, at a loss when she suddenly covered him in a thin sheet.

"Go to sleep anyway, you look like Hell," Natalie said, stroking his hair. He shivered when her hand eventually trailed along his back, miraculously avoiding the long, deep cuts underneath as if she had memorized the placement of his scars long ago.

"Thanks for the complement," Satan said, barely managing a sarcastic response as she tenderly caressed his back, an informal apology for the pain she'd inflicted on him earlier. It wasn't fair. She always managed to snuff out the fire within him without even trying.

"Please, I won't run away. I promise," Natalie said, kneeling beside him. He let out a surprised grunt when she snaked her arms around his neck. Satan felt himself relax instinctively. He'd missed her touch.

"It's better this way. The last time I left you alone. You died," Satan admitted. His voice broke as he finally said the words out loud. Natalie's grip around his neck tightened, and she let out a shaky breath. He might have said too much.

"I'm not gonna die again, dude," Natalie said, attempting to reassure him in her usual blase way, but she faltered, unsure herself, if this really was the last time she'd die unexpectedly as the end of days ticked ever closer.

"With my luck, it's better we don't take any chances," Satan said sourly. If there was one thing he'd learned from this experience was that life would always find a way to screw him over worse than he thought possible, he wouldn't let his guard down again.

"I'm not gonna shut up until you get some rest, guy," Natalie said, her tone soft and teasing. Satan could practically hear the smile on her lips, and he found himself unable to refuse her as his fatigue caught up with him.

"There, I closed my eyes. Happy?" Satan said, eyelids as heavy as sinking ships. His mind blinked in and out of existence every other moment as he struggled to stay conscious. The silence was too alluring after years of tortured screams and cutting insults.

"Mm-hmm," Natalie said, releasing his neck and walking past him, presumably to the bathroom. His eyes shot open when he felt the bed sink under her weight and her warm body rest next to his.

"What are you doing?" he asked alarmed. Natalie looked at him questioningly.

"I just thought you'd sleep better if I was with you. Do you want me to leave? Maybe, I misunderstood what we-" she started to say, sitting up, suddenly embarrassed and ready to bolt. He grabbed her hand before she had chance to run off.

"No, you can stay if you want," Satan said, letting go of her hand, very aware of her heart racing. He didn't want to repay her small acts of kindness with selfish impulsive violence.

"Okay," Natalie said, carefully scooting closer to him before laying down and resting her head against his pillow. She watched him carefully, and Satan did his best to hide his sudden restlessness.

"Close your eyes, dummy, I'll still be here when you wake up," Natalie promised, making a move to pull his eyelids down herself. He didn't stop her, and soon, the sound of her steady breathing and the warmth of her body lulled him into a deep sleep.

"How did I get back here?" Satan asked himself as he woke up on the McAllister's couch. He stood up and rubbed his temple, feeling groggy. He wasn't used to sleeping, and he sometimes felt disoriented and even more exhausted after giving in to the desire.

"Why, hello there, gorgeous. Is it hot in here? Or is it just you?" Natalie asked, rapidly approaching him. Her grin strangely predatory as they were suddenly interrupted by uproarious cheering. He vaguely wondered if Hell had found its away back into his head.

"Ha ha, very funny, Nat, I'm hot as Hell because I'm Satan. Now, can we focus on what were going to tell your dad?" Satan asked. They were going to need to keep their story straight if they were going to get away with having sneaked her out of the house for the whole week, especially when she started tanking her exams.

"Say what? You're Satan. What are you doing in my house?" Natalie asked, suspicious and accusing, but otherwise, taking the reveal surprisingly well.

"This again? We're friends. Stop forgetting me, dammit," Satan snapped. Could he have just one week where she didn't accidentally make his life a living hell?

Natalie knelt down and pressed her hands together, and he found himself gawking at her in utter disbelief. She had to be joking.

"Are you seriously praying right now?" Satan asked.

"Dear lord, give me strength to overcome temptation and deliver me from sin. Your son's hot," Natalie said, causing an invisible audience to erupt in laughter somewhere in the ether.

"Damn Girl, did you hit your head? You're acting really weird," Satan said as an unfamiliar fire assaulted his cheeks.

"Well, the doctors did say something about me suffering from hyper-specific amnesia," Natalie said, stroking her chin in an exaggerated motion. The imaginary crowd simultaneously cheered and booed her.

"You don't say," Satan said dryly, earning even more idle laughter and applause.

Without warning, Natalie lunged at him, grabbing hold of his shoulders and wrapping her legs around his waist. He didn't fight her off and reciprocated the embrace, far too beaten down by what happened in the last few days to deny her a damn hug. Except that was never Natalie's intention, she eagerly stuck her tongue down his throat, mistaking his embrace for an invitation to continue her advances. Mr. McAllister and her brother walked in at this exact moment. Panicking, he pushed her off, letting her fall on the ground. She let out an indignant humph, about to scold him when she noticed her father near the doorway.

"Hey dad and Max, you're here early. Umm . . . exactly how much of that did you see?" Natalie said, rubbing her arms sheepishly.

"I can't believe you just kissed the devil in our house You need Jesus, Nat. I'm calling our pastor," Max said, taking out a cell phone. Mr. McAllister confiscated the phone and put an arm around his son's shoulders.

"Relax, Maxwell, there's no need to make a fuss. They are married after all. God was at the ceremony. Nice fellow, very sensitive, he was bawling the entire time," Mr. McAllister said, reminiscing about something that definitely didn't happen. The crowd continued to mock him, entertaining themselves with his suffering.

"Am I having a stroke?" Satan asked. This time, it was Natalie who laughed.

"Oh, Stan, you're so silly," Natalie said, playfully slapping his back. He flinched without completely comprehending the reason. Shouldn't that have hurt? Then, something else caught his attention.

"Wait, what did you say?" Satan asked, catching her mistake.

"I'm sorry. Do you prefer Satan?" Natalie asked.

"You just said you didn't remember me," Satan said, aware that this was the last thing he needed to focus on right now. And yet, the idea that his Natalie could possibly resurface was an idea too tantalizing to ignore.

"Oh, I think my memories are coming back to me. Quick do something bad," Natalie said, jumping up and and down excitedly. Annoyed, he pushed her. Her eyes lit up in comprehension. Excited, despite himself, he helped her up, only for her to suddenly back away and frown.

"You pushed me off the roof. How are we even friends? You freaking liar," Natalie said.

"It was an accident," Satan said, making the mistake of approaching her too soon. She slapped him, hard and hid behind her father. He stopped dead in his tracks, unwilling to hurt the old man.

"I told you he was bad news. You know what, this is perfect. I'm going to run upstairs and get the divorce papers," Max said, racing upstairs.

Satan rolled his eyes. He didn't even remember getting married. What did he care?

"Max, why do you have divorce papers ready to sign in your room?" Alex asked, clearly concerned for his son's sanity. Max laughed maniacally.

"I've been waiting for this day," Max said, disappearing into the upstairs hallway.

"No, Max, I must have married him for a reason. Quick do something else to jog my memory," Natalie said, grabbing hold of his arm and pouting.

"Sure kid," Satan said, pushing her again, just to see what she'd remember this time. Again, there was a gleam of recognition in her eyes that inevitably morphed into an ugly rage. She hit him with her tiny fists, yelling incomprehensibly.

"You pushed me off a bridge, on purpose? You're unbelievable," Natalie said, attempting to shove him one more time before giving up on hurting him altogether when he didn't budge or react in any way.

"Quit overreacting. I caught you. Didn't I? " Satan said. She crossed her arms and stuck her tongue out at him. Satan laughed before bending down to whisper in her ear.

"I'd never let you fall, idiot," he promised. Natalie turned red, smacking him again for daring to get so close. He respectfully pulled away, letting her rage quietly in the corner.

"Oh dear, I think I'm regretting giving you my blessing," Alex said, chewing the side of his cheek fretfully.

Before he had a chance to explain himself, the parts he remembered anyway, the old man walked over to the foot of the stairs and shouted, "Max be a dear and get the shotgun." Again, the cheering grew too loud to ignore, and he resisted the urge to break his arm to distract himself from the deafening noise.

"No problem, Alex. It's already loaded," Max shouted from upstairs.

"You don't have a shot gun," Satan said automatically. He'd checked.

"I do in this dream you're having," Alex said. Everything suddenly clicked. He'd been such an idiot.

"Crap," Satan said, grabbing a nearby umbrella as he prepared to shock himself out of the dream. Before he could take a swing at Alex, the front door opened, revealing the actor, Patrick Stewart in a sweater vest. The rainbow colored eyes gave him away. Instinctively, he dropped the umbrella.

"Dad? Why are you Patrick Stewart?" Satan asked, wondering if he'd finally gone insane.

"Son, we need to talk, and for some reason, you find Patrick Stewart voice both soothing and wise sounding. So, maybe, you'll listen for once," Father said, gingerly making his way to the couch. He sat down, patting the seat next to him.

"Okay, then, I guess I'll play along," Satan said, sitting as far as possible from his Father while still sharing the same couch.

For a minute, neither spoke, he glanced at his Father, only to look away again when he caught the look of pity on his face. So, he'd heard.

"You've gone through quite a lot recently," Father said slowly, still unsure what to say, even with his omniscience.

"That's an understatement," Satan said, unable to hide the bitterness in his voice. Not that it mattered, he'd be able to tell what he was feeling regardless of what he said or did.

"I can't help you," Father said frankly, knowing that was his preference when discussing difficult topics. He sighed, annoyed by how accommodating his Father was. He hated being coddled.

"I figured. Why do you think I didn't ask?" Satan said.

They both knew asking God for a favor hadn't even crossed his mind, and now that Satan had made his choice, the window for his Father to intervene had closed forever. Not that it mattered, they'd been estranged for far too long for that to have ever been a realistic solution.

"Because you're stubborn like your dad," Father said, putting an arm around his shoulder. Satan stiffened, an alien feeling filling his chest as the tears started rolling down his face. He never liked to admit that they were anything alike.

"If that's all, I think Mr. M is about ready to shoot me with that shot gun now," Satan said, delicately removing his Father's arm from his shoulder before wiping the stupid tears from his face. They kept coming. He didn't budge, smiling pleasantly in his signature self assured way.

"Not quite, I'd like to give you some peace of mind before I go," Father said.

The McAllister house faded away behind them, leaving the two of them sitting on an ugly olive green couch. There was nothing surrounding them, only a stark blinding whiteness. So far, he wasn't impressed.

"You're a few millenia too late," Satan said. He'd often wondered what his life would have been like if he been created with a less complicated soul. Would he be happier if he'd been given a different gift? What would it be like to have Michael's unrivaled confidence? Raphael's unending empathy? Or Gabriel's unimaginable compassion?

"I know, but if you're going to get through this, you need someone to hold onto," Father said, standing up and gesturing to the white void. Their surroundings began to change, and Satan scowled, insulted that his Father thought any kind of fantasy could possibly ease his pain.

"Nothing you do is going to-" he started to say before the words died in his throat, Natalie.

"You were saying?" Father asked. Satan shot him a look, but he couldn't hold onto the anger for very long. Natalie waved at him shyly, a beautiful ephemeral garden, fully in bloom.

"Hey Lucifer, long time no see, did you miss me?" Natalie said, an uneasy smile on her lips.

"But how? How are you here?" Satan said, not quite believing what he was seeing.

"I'm still with you, dummy, even if you can't hear me," Natalie said, embracing him. He practically crushed her against his chest in return. She laughed, stroking his back thoughtfully. He tensed, wondering how much she knew.

"Goodbye son, I wish you all the best," Father said, transforming the void into a mirror image of Natalie's room before quietly going out the door. He couldn't quite work up the nerve to say thank you before he left.

"Does this mean that you'll always be here when I-" Satan started to say, hopeful but uncertain.

"Yes, but you won't be able to remember any of it," Natalie said, giving his shoulder a small squeeze when she felt him tense up again.

"Why?" Satan asked annoyed.

"You'd never wake up again," Natalie said, giggling a little when he lifted her up, princess style.

"Rats, stupid, omniscient old man," Satan muttered, dropping her unceremoniously on the bed.

"Focus Lucifer, I'm here and I remember. We don't have a lot of time," Natalie said, biting her lip and rubbing her arms, looking out the window anxiously. It finally dawned on him she'd be returning to Hell after their little chit chat.

"Are you safe?" Satan asked. He hated that a piece of her, the most precious part was trapped in Hell, bright and wonderful, a temptation no soul in Hell could resist. They'd tear her apart given the chance.

"Yes, I'm with you. Of course, I'm safe," Natalie said, snuggling up against him.

"In Hell, I mean," Satan clarified. He'd prefer it if she didn't sugar coat her situation.

"I stand by what I said," Natalie said, giving him all the information he needed. So, she'd made her way to his soul. No wonder he'd been so drawn to her lately. They were literal soul mates now.

"I see. So, it hasn't managed to claw its way to you, good," Satan said, letting himself relax. That particular batch of souls had always been a thorn in his side. They'd taken an unusual interest in Natalie, and he knew it was all his fault for loving her so damn much.

"Your soul is very pretty by the way," Natalie said. He groaned, in any other situation he would have thrown her off the bed.

"I'm going to let that go because you stayed in Hell for me like an idiot," Satan said, securing her by the waist, taking solace in her physical presence. She was here. She was fine. There was a chance he could get her back, outside this dreamworld that he wouldn't remember in the morning.

"I didn't want you to be lonely," Natalie said, caressing his face, frowning when she noticed the bags under his eyes.

"I've never felt more alone in my life," Satan said. He'd never be able to look Michael in the eye after this or face his followers again, having betrayed them so completely. And, Natalie, the one he was stuck with, wanted him gone. Where did that leave him?

"I'm sorry. I didn't think-" Natalie said, voice trembling as she encircled his neck as if to shoulder all his burdens for him. He couldn't help but loathe the thought. Even now, she was only thinking of him.

"No, you didn't," Satan snapped, instantly regretting saying a word when he felt her hot wet tears land on his neck. He was too paralyzed with fear to say anything else. He didn't want to hurt her, but that was all he ever seemed to do. After a long silence, she spoke.

"Well, we're together now. So, what do you want to do?" Natalie asked.

If he had a choice, he'd go back to the beginning before everything got shot to Hell. At some point, without ever wanting to, he'd joined a new family. He now found her stupid pink room soothing, and it was not lost on him that his Father had conjured it for his benefit.

"Pretend, it's a normal day and talk to me, " Satan said finally. He didn't want to move. As long as she was here, they could stare at the ceiling and say nothing for all he cared.

"Sure, I can do that," Natalie said.

For all her talk, she couldn't seem to find the words. He wasn't sure what to say either.

"You start," Satan said. She scrunched up her face in concentration, eyes lighting up as she came up with an idea.

"Hey Stan, I was wondering . . . nah, it's silly," Natalie said, dismissing the idea and turning away from him.

"No, go ahead, I could use the distraction," Satan said, playing with her hair. She'd cut it short, probably for survival. Hell's oldest conglomerate of souls were creepily obsessed with hair.

"Do you ever get mistaken for a Satyr?" Natalie asked.

He rolled his eyes. It was a miracle she'd never called him an old goat before. Thankfully, she'd been to preoccupied to register his goat legs the last time Hell took him over.

"Oh, go to Hell, Natalie," Satan said.

"Too Late," Natalie said, shoving him playfully.

"Pick something else, girl," Satan said.

Natalie grinned at him, already having something else in mind.

"Do you think I'd look good with pink hair?" she asked.

He raised an eyebrow. That had come out of nowhere. Natalie had always been obsessed with the Gothic look. Something he'd been keen to talk her out of.

"Why do you even want pink hair?" Satan asked. Was she going through a weird punk phase?

"Well, my soul self has pink hair. I thought it'd be cool if I did too," Natalie said. Oh was that all?

"No, you'd reek of chemicals," Satan said, not to mention the fact she'd never keep up with it.

"'Kay, I won't then," Natalie said, resting her head on his shoulder. They settled into a comfortable silence. He finally worked up the nerve to ask the one question that been weighing on his mind since he'd talked to Death.

"Hey kid, if you could take it all back, would you?" Satan asked.

"No, of course not, Stan. What's gotten into you?" Natalie said, lightly slapping his chest as if he'd betrayed everything they stood for by even suggesting it.

"It's been pointed out to me by far too many people, including you, that you'd be better off without me," Satan admitted. He could almost picture her heart breaking as her eyes began to water and her lip jutted out ever so slightly.

"I'm not myself right now. Don't take it to heart. You're my best friend. I'd do anything for you," Natalie said, cupping his face so she had his complete attention. Little did she know, she always had his complete attention.

"I know. You've more than proven that. I wish you hadn't given up the best part of you for my sake," Satan said, pressing his forehead against hers. She let out another shaky breath and embraced him once more. Her warmth was intoxicating, and he returned the embraced without even thinking about it.

"You're in so much pain, and I hate that what's left of me is making it worse. I'd come back to you if I could," Natalie whispered in his ear, in the end, far more troubled by his sorrow, than anything she faced in Hell. Natalie was a miracle, and he'd let her slip through his fingers.

"I'll find a way to bring you back. I promise," Satan vowed, even if he had to beat up Death to do it.

"I know. Are we dropping the act, then?" Natalie asked as Hell, Death, and the apocalypse waited for them in the waking world.

"No, I just wanted you to know that," Satan said. He wasn't ready to let go of the fantasy just yet. Right now, everything was okay.

"Lucifer, when have ever doubted you?" Natalie asked. Satan scoffed, how quickly she forgets. He'd been under house arrest for a good part of the year.

"Any time I've ever had a smile on my face?" Satan said. She chuckled, patting his cheek.

"You know what I mean," Natalie said.

"Yes, you have the highest standard for the devil I've ever seen," Satan said.

She rolled her eyes, about to answer him when another Natalie appeared beside them, shattering the fantasy.

"Stan, wake up, we need to check out of the room in ten minutes," the new Natalie said, shaking him by the shoulders. His Natalie laughed uncomfortably.

"Whoops, I think we're out of time," Natalie said, releasing him. He didn't let her go.

"I don't want to go back, " Satan said, cradling her closer to his chest.

"You have to," Natalie said, uncharacteristically serious as she attempted to pry herself loose. He could feel her shaking underneath him. She was terrified to go back.

"Get up you big lug, we gotta go," the other Natalie said, punching him in the shoulder. He ignored her. What had reality done for him lately?

"I don't care. I'm staying here," Satan said, stubbornly burying his face in her neck. Natalie sighed, stroking his hair methodically for a moment before turning around to face him. She lifted his head, cupping his face in her hands once more.

"Remember, I'm always with you," Natalie said. There was a wild look in her eyes and her breath hitched. He turned around and saw a familiar hand reaching out for her in the hellscape behind him.

"We need to get you out of here," Satan said in a panic, grabbing her by the shoulders. He wasn't given a chance to try and free her. Natalie forced him to look away from the looming hell dimension.

"Natalie, what are you-" Satan said before he was suddenly silenced by a kiss: soft, sweet, pure and over far too quickly.

Satan opened his eyes, unsure why his heart was thundering madly. He looked up to see Natalie about to hit him over the head with a coffee pot. He really hated the reality he lived in.

"Say kid, were you about to hit me with the coffee pot?" Satan asked evenly, sitting up.

Less brave now that he was awake, she hid the coffee pot behind her as if that would make all the difference. When it became obvious that wouldn't work, she fumbled for an excuse.

"No, I was just um . . . stealing it?" Natalie asked, believing he might overlook the incident if she claimed to be doing something he might approve of. He rubbed his head, feeling sick.

"Whatever, I don't know what I expected from you. You're literally heartless," Satan hissed, getting up to grab their things. She put the coffee pot down and hurried over to him.

"Look, I'm sorry, but I've technically been in a hostage situation for the last few days, give me a break," Natalie said, crossing her arms. He didn't bother to correct her.

"I said I didn't care, drop it," Satan said, walking out the door. He was already dreading returning the McAllister house. He had a hunch her brother would be there, and the last thing he wanted was to deal with yet another person who hated his guts.

Thankfully, the girl didn't make a scene during check out and they left the hotel chain without incident. Once he'd chucked her stuff in the trunk of the rental car and made his way to the driver's seat, Natalie slid into the passenger's seat, aggravatingly meek since he'd called her heartless in the hotel room. He wasn't about to take it back.

"Hey, Satan?" Natalie said, biting her lip when he didn't answer. He turned on the engine and spared her a glance, instantly caving when he saw her fiddling with her hair, oddly vulnerable. She was trying.

"Yeah, what now?" Satan asked.

"I've been thinking . . . A piece of me stayed with you, right?" Natalie asked. He felt his grip on the wheel tighten.

"And?" Satan asked. She'd always been an expert at honing in on touchy subjects.

"So, she's like your guardian angel now," Natalie said, giving him a fake smile to try to cheer him up. It paled in comparison to the real thing.

"Doesn't that make you feel a little better?" Natalie asked when he didn't respond right away. He sighed, overcome with a strange longing. Satan wanted to close his eyes and never wake up. If he'd been alone, maybe, he would have.

"Come on kid, let's take you home and forget you ever tried to kill me," Satan said, backing out of the parking space. He had a promise to keep.

"Does that mean you forgive me?" Natalie asked, not as well versed in Satan speak as her predecessor.

"What do you think?" Satan said, tossing her some snacks he'd bought for the trip back. She grinned, aware that it was big deal for him to share his sweets.

"Okay, Stan, I'll be good. I promise," Natalie said, popping a gummy bear in her mouth. He hit the break, nearly causing the car behind them to crash into the rear of the rental car.

"What did you just call me?" Satan asked, coming across as far more accusing than he would have liked. The person in the car behind him honked angrily before finally deciding to pass him, rushing onto oncoming traffic like a lunatic. Good riddance.

"It just slipped out," Natalie said, afraid she had accidentally set him off. He shook his head and smiled at her, turning on the radio and changing it to a station he remembered she liked.

"Relax, I'm not mad," Satan said, ruffling her hair, before turning his attention back to the road. She calmed down, shoving more gummy bears into her mouth.

They didn't talk much after that. She would look out the window, enjoying the scenery for awhile, but somehow, her eyes always made their way back to him. Finally, she said something.

"Why are you smiling all the time now? It's creepy," Natalie said, after he'd been in a blissful daze for over an hour. Satan laughed in her face, pleasantly surprised. He'd been expecting her to awkwardly ask for a bathroom break. She was due for one. He left the highway, taking one of the exits so they could stop by a gas station.

"Nothing kid, hope springs eternal, after all," Satan said cryptically. She rolled her eyes and shrugged, obviously grateful that he'd stopped without her having to ask.

"Whatever Stan," Natalie said. He didn't correct her.