Fame Crazy (Sequel to Strings Attached)

Chapter 189

Lucifer thinks about this, then says excitedly, "Can I use it as a cup?"

Castiel facepalms. "No, Lucifer, you can't use a Grammy as a cup."

Lucifer pouts. "Fine. I'll just put it on the kitchen counter and leave it there for all eternity." He places it on the counter next to him, and Castiel pushes it in farther, away from the edge so it doesn't fall.

"I can't believe you're that chill with your Grammy," Gabriel says. "I would wrap the thing in bubble wrap and leave it in a box forever so nothing ever happens to it."

"Well, you're weird, so I'm not surprised," Lucifer says.

"No, Lucifer, you're the weird one here," Castiel tells him.

"But — actually, yeah, that's fair."

After another couple minutes, Castiel asks Lucifer where his niece is. He never looked for her the previous day when he got home, but he'd like to see that she does exist outside of a screen.

"She's in my room with Claire," Lucifer tells him. "But shushles, because she can be loud when she wants to."

Castiel quietly sneaks off to find them, knocking softly before he opens the door. Claire is packing things for the baby in a plastic grocery bag, but she stops when Castiel shows up.

"Hey," she greets him quietly, offering a small smile. "Looking for Alex?"

Castiel nods, then walks up to her crib. She's curled up under a blanket, her eyes closed. Castiel smiles slightly at the sight.

"She's so cute." She really is — not like the wrinkly little babies that everyone calls cute on principle, but an actual cute baby.

"I know, right?"

"How's parenting treating you?" Castiel asks.

She shrugs. "Well, I haven't had a full night's sleep in months, but it's actually worth it." She glances over at her daughter when she says it, a loving smile on her face.

Castiel looks between the two of them. What a happy family.

~~~

The Winchesters, Novaks, Adam, and Bobby wait impatiently for the last of the fellow Disney visitors to show up. The only ones they're waiting for are Charlie, Gilda, and Cain. They were supposed to leave a couple minutes ago, but they can't leave their friends behind. Maybe if it was just Cain, Anna would be outvoted and they would ditch him, but they can't leave Charlie and Gilda behind.

It's Cain who shows up first, indicated not by his presence but by the knock at the door. Charlie would have just walked inside, as she's done so many times before.

"If you're not a serial killer, come in!" Lucifer calls.

"But what if he's a mass murderer?" Claire asks.

"Is there a difference?"

Claire just shrugs. "Different words, so probably."

Michael steps in with, "A serial killer kills three or more people in separate incidents over a period of time. A mass murderer kills three or more people in one place at one time."

Claire just stares at him. "How do you even know that?"

"He's secretly a crime fighting superhero," Lucifer tells her.

"I'm not —" Michael begins, but Lucifer cuts him off.

"That's what a secret superhero would say."

Gabriel scoffs. "What is he, Nerd Man?"

"Yes, yes he is," Lucifer replies. "His superpower is his perfect memory and amazing logic skills."

"So basically Shawn Spencer?" Michael asks.

"Who?"

Michael rolls his eyes. "Never mind."

As this is going on, Cain gives Anna a hug a quick kiss, and greets Bobby with, "Hi, Mr. Singer."

"Hey, boy," Bobby replies. "How you been?"

"Same as always, sir."

Dean nudges Castiel and whispers in his ear, "Does he strike you as the kind of guy to say 'sir'?"

Castiel just shrugs. "Does it matter?"

Dean mumbles something incoherently. The best Castiel can guess is it has something to do with how Cain doesn't like him — or seemed to dislike him the one time they met back in chapter 94 — and Dean is still bitter about that.

"What took you so long?" Anna asks quietly, probably under the impression that everyone is still listening to the conversation about superhero Michael and oblivious to Castiel's eavesdropping.

"What do you think?" Cain says as if they've had this conversation a million times. "My mom's a witch and my brother's... well, he's Crowley. You know how he is."

Castiel doesn't hear Anna's response over the sound of the door opening, and Charlie talking loudly as she and Gilda enter the house. The whole gang's here now. Time to go to Disney.