JUSTIN

Keeping Michael from exerting his new found power wasn’t fun, since everyone sins and will lie to themselves about it. Hell, his possessiveness of Brian in this life made sense, because although Brian wouldn’t lie to himself, sinning was something Brian had no problem feeding to Michael. 

When we left Chris on the ground, the past that was hidden started coming in waves at us. Michael and I didn’t get along, but could function together when we were sent to judge people. It also clued me in as to why I was allowed to come and help people cross over. Even though I didn’t know who I was, I wouldn’t have brought them to Heaven if they weren’t supposed to be there. 

Michael and I pieced together how this all started and ended so badly. Unlike us, Brian wasn’t trained from birth, but born on earth. He was given a life where he saw the worst of the human race at home, but was able to see that it wasn’t the only way life had to be. When Michael and I were told we were to watch and guide Brian towards who he would be, I remember not really wanting to do it, not understanding why he wasn’t trained like we were. Only the first time I saw him, my objections disappeared, only wanting to be with him. I spent my entire life not believing there was a reason to sin. While Michael’s life was spent weaving through the sins and looking for the truth; whether they really understood what they were doing and saw the error in their ways. Uriel had to stand by while I went against what I was raised to believe, but to me it also made me less of a self-righteous prick. Something God explained when they let me die. He needed me to see past the sin to the true heart of the person sinning. At the time I was angry at what my death did to Brian.

Brian no longer cared about anything, only wanting people to hurt for what had happened to me. Chris didn’t survive the garage either, and what Chris did to me was nothing compared to what Brian did to him. Brian gave in to the part of him that had Michael’s power, and he didn’t need a bat, just the mind of the person he wanted to punish. He could drag someone through their sins and leave them to go insane, reliving what they did to every person harmed by their sins. Joan killed herself to get away from what she let happen to Brian. He repeated it with everyone he knew, eventually to be stopped when Michael and I both walked away from our lives to save Brian’s and the people he was punishing for losing me.

God was angry at his angels for interfering, and while I agreed with his anger, I didn’t want my father punished for what he thought he was doing out of love for me. There was only one condition, eventually the test would start again, and when it was over we would be given the chance to resume our path in life, but only if we agreed once it was over for us. Brian only had to past one test, forgiveness for the sins that were committed against him.  

Everything was reset, allowing us to live it over without the test, so he could show them there was a reason he put Brian and me together. He bound us together, because Michael, as Brian’s friend and Darkness, liked everything Brian did, where I would show Brian the kind of love and compassion his parents drove out of him. We were doing everything right until Lindsay interfered, and we were allowed to reset again only after Brian died, and showing he didn’t do what he did. We were allowed to live and love each other, raise our family and be willing to do it again, only this time was our time to prove Brian was the right choice for the In Between. Then this timeline would continue, allowing us to go back to where the new life was already in progress. 

“Are you going to want to go back to who we were?” Michael asks.

“It’s hard to not want to, knowing what we can do, but I also want the life Brian and I had without all of it.” I tell him.

“Since I haven’t met Conner, it’s hard for me to care about anything but the feeling I got from what I do. There was a point where I wanted to lash out at you for stopping me, but knowing what Brian did when there was no one to stop him, stopped me. When you covered Chris, instead of the pain I felt when you tried to annihilate Lindsay, I felt warm and cared for.” Michael tells me.

“What you were doing ran through me, but didn’t hurt me. It was like you were feeding me the information on how tainted Chris already was and that there was nothing we could do to save him. It’s why I stopped you. He failed his test by not asking for forgiveness.” I tell him.

“So we wait again?” Michael asks. 

“Only if you want to, I have a few people I want to deal with.” I tell him.

“As long as you both play within the rules.” Gabriel tells us.

“Are you going to watch over us, Daddy?” I ask.

“I might as well, since I really want to kill the both of you slowly after watching the nightmare Brian is dealing with, with you in the other life.” He tells us.

“What rules do we play by?” Michael asks.

“Anyone you two play with has to be judged before you do anything that could sway them.” He tells us.

“Why would it matter?” I ask.

“Because they have to go in the direction they were going of their own free will. Anything you do to Lindsay won’t matter because she made a deal with Lucifer, not understanding he created loopholes for anything she would try to use to escape her fate. She had to create Gus, because like Brian, he has to have both in order to live In Between. Each one of you has a successor, because each house was created so the burden doesn’t rest only on the three leading the houses. Eventually they’ll do the same, taking over for each of you when it’s time for them to be tested.” Gabriel tells us.

“Gus, Molly, and Jenny?” I ask.

“Yes. That is the reason why they were always in a timeline with the three of you.” He tells us.

“What about Kira?” I ask.

“Kira was originally created to stop Brian. Only Father wouldn’t let Raphel send her. Instead you were given memories of a life that would happen if Lindsay hadn’t influenced you and Brian to give up the life you could have had together with the addition of Kira. Hoping you’d eventually live it and no longer be unwilling to return to what you were created to do.” He tells me.

“It sounds like I was being tested too.” I tell him.

“There was no need to test you. You were the perfect creation for what light needed. Only they weren’t willing to understand why you could love a man who could walk between the two. None of us were created to love, or be loved. Only, Father didn’t want your lives to be ones of loneliness, the way the angels were. So he gave you the one thing he didn’t give us, the ability to love more than him.” He tells us.

Gabriel followed us as we decided we needed food. Which, after what Michael did with Chris, had him devouring everything he could get his hands on, while enjoying all that was gluttony. When we got to the diner, the men were eyeballing everything about Gabriel. Objectively he was everything anyone could want, and ended up getting a few feel ups as he sat down.

“I could smite you.” Gabriel said to a guy who tried to feel the corded muscles Gabriel had in spades.

“Honey, smite away as long as it’s while I’m riding you.” The guy flirted, as he walked away showing off to the others.

I decided my life was being jerked around when Gabriel dragged my ass into his side of the booth.

“Scared of the pets?” I ask.

“Understanding why the apocalypse wouldn’t be a bad thing.” He tells me.

“Wow, where did you find this bruiser?” Deb asks, petting Michael’s head.

“He was wandering around lost in the new world of gay men.” I joked.

“I’ll order him a double of what you two eat.” Deb says.

“I do not eat.” Gabriel informs her.

“Honey the boys here only care if you eat them. But me, I feed you before you play, and you will eat what I tell you.” Deb tells him, walking away before Gabriel could close his mouth at her audacity in speaking to him that way.

He only stared at the plates of food she delivered later, pulling a fry out when she stood over him. We watched as he put it in his mouth. Then Michael was fighting to keep his food from Gabriel.

“Don’t you just love all the things being you denied you.” Lucifer says, bumping Michael over.

Justin had to sit on Gabriel when he tried to grab Lucifer by the neck. 

“He’s always been a hot head. Remember brother, I didn’t lose any of my abilities just because I fell from grace, but you lost any chance at a sense of humor.” Lucifer says, biting into a burger and moaning so every guy in the diner would willingly fall with him.

“They are untouchable for you.” Gabriel tells him.

“I only wanted them to use their abilities. My little pet is getting above herself. My son will not be a part of her little game. It’s time to send her home anyway, the test is almost over.” Lucifer tells him.

“As in real son, or…” Michael says, putting down his burger.

“Yes. He wasn’t supposed to show up until later, and take over when Brian walked away from everything for little Sunshine here.” Lucifer tells us.

“Who?” Michael asks.

“The one who opens the barn door, but ended up not getting the prize. All for the love of his life.” Lucifer tells us.

“He also despises you.” Gabriel smiled.

“Children rebelling against all the things we want to give them, but then yours did too.” Lucifer tells him.

“Hello, and who are you?” Deb asks, stopping when she saw a new face.

“Luc…”

“A friend of a friend, Ma.” Michael tells her, cutting him off.

“At your service, anytime.” Lucifer flirts with her.

“Honey, you couldn’t handle the service I’d expect.” Deb tells him, leaving when the next order was called.

“Don’t hit on my mother.” Michael tells him.

“Just fun, Mikey. Now will you two help me?” Lucifer asks.

“Why would we need to, you should be able to deal with your pet.” I tell him.

“Because he stupidly gave his son enough power to override him. Now Brandon is using his powers without realizing he’s doing it. Now his pet is using it to keep Lucifer from touching her.” Gabriel tells us.

“Which she’ll understand when she sees the part of hell no one ever wants to see. But in order for that to happen I have to be able to send her there, without killing my son.” Lucifer tells us.

“Neither can they, since she was already sent there.” Gabriel tells him.

“Yes, but they can distract my son. Something Lindsay has no way of stopping, since she doesn’t have what interests him.” Lucifer tells them.

“Brandon was never interested in either of us.” Michael tells him.

“You no, but this one, yes. It seems they all want to spoil the innocence he sends out like a beacon, and my son wasn’t immune to it either.” Lucifer points at me.

“Lovely, I’m supposed to distract the antichrist.” I say, rolling my eyes.

“Is anyone we know normal?” Michael asks.

For some reason neither Lucifer or Gabriel bothered to answer.