**Caution: this chapter may cause some triggers. Please be aware. I didn't realize this was necessary until someone advised me to. I apologize for my idiocy of not recognizing it sooner.**

36. Message Received

Rude awakenings were not my thing, so I was pretty irritated when a headache was the reason I got up the following morning. I opened my eyes blearily, aware that I was still lying next to Sam. I breathed through my nose, stretching my legs under the covers. Surprisingly, I wasn't hurting all over. That could change when I started moving.

I shifted my head and looked up to be met with soft eyes. Blush crept into my cheeks.

"Hey you," I crooned, stroking the side of his face. "You just get up?"

"Been awake," he told me.

"So you've been watching me sleep?" I gasped in fake horror. "Creep."

"I didn't want to get up and wake you."

I rolled my eyes and stretched my arms out in front of me.

"So, how'd you sleep?"

"Like a baby." I nuzzled his neck. "I'm guessing you didn't."

"I wanted to. I thought I would, but I didn't."

"That's definitely not healthy for you with your line of work." I laughed to myself. "Maybe I didn't do a thorough enough job last night. I'll work on it."

"Huh. Well, that must mean I did something right if you went out so fast."

"You don't think it was too soon, do you?"

"To do what?"

"This. I mean..."

"It was gonna happen sooner or later, Kota."

I sighed. "But this soon? I don't know..."

"So, what you're saying is that you regret last night."

"I regret the alcohol, not you." I pecked him on the cheek. "Just—next time, let's not get under the influence. We don't have to in order to have a fun time."

I squealed as his fingers trailed along exposed skin. He took my mouth in his, and I crawled my way up to lay on his chest. His hands ran through my hair affectionately while mine molded around his neck. I could feel my heart thumping rapidly against my ribs.

Like I said, I didn't regret him, just the alcohol.

"I better hit the shower," I mused once I pulled away.

"Mind if I join?" He looked at me, hopeful.

I laughed. "Yes, I would mind, actually. So no, but thanks for offering. Some other time maybe." I gave him a lingering kiss before climbing off him and landing my feet on the floor. I didn't feel as embarrassed as I could have, standing in the room, nude. Well, for one thing, the blinds weren't pulled in the room. And besides, he was used to the sight. So really, why would I have to be ashamed?

"You sure?" I took one step before his hands found my waist, his breath puffing against my neck.

"The whole point of a shower is to be clean." I almost melted into him as he attacked my neck, picking on some of the bruising areas from last night. I gathered my will power and gently gave him a shove backwards. I shook my head at him as he made some very animalistic noises. My body temperature spiked.

I grumbled as my feet caught an article of clothing. I shook it off and kept my eyes on the ground in search for more astray clothes until I was safely in the bathroom.

Thankfully, Sam didn't barge into the bathroom after me. I let the hot water spill over me in peace. My eyes closed, and I was brought back to last night, what I could remember anyway. Most of it I could recall, the alcohol deleted a part or two. Still, what I remembered was...well, there were plenty of descriptive words that could sum up last night. So, really, the word I could think up at the moment was indescribable.

As I got out, I realized I had been stupid enough to leave my clothes on the floor from last night. I pulled a towel tight around me, because God only knew what would happen if Sam saw me wet on top of naked. I never took him to be that kind of guy, though. I still think he's a little drunk. His side effect was far different from mine. I didn't want the headache right now.

Droplets rained on my back as I opened the bathroom door. I bent down to grab my underwear, only to jump up in surprise as Sam stood before me, fully clothed and all. Had I been in there that long?

"Don't do that," I scolded him.

"Sorry," Sam said oddly.

I tilted my head to him. I looked around me to not see his clothes anywhere from last night. He wasn't wearing them now. Maybe he was wearing something from last night and I just couldn't remember.

Something caught my eye behind Sam. I sidestepped and screamed, cowering to the nearest wall. Sam and I weren't alone; Dean and Cas decided to drop by for a visit. I swallowed, but I felt the lump get caught in my throat. I realized now that the window brought in light too; the blinds were pulled away.

"The hell are you doing here?" I directed the question to Cas and Dean.

"We've been looking for you," Dean told me, leaning against the doorframe. "Looks like you had a fun night."

I exchanged a look with Sam and rested my head against the wall. "All right, let me have it," I said. "Give me the lecture."

"What are you talking about, Dak?"

"You knew it was gonna happen, Dean. I mean—we're already together." I didn't realize I was waving my underwear around in my hand. I clutched it against the wet towel, feeling my face grow hot.

"Dakota, what are you talking about?" Sam asked. Something was definitely up; he hadn't called me my full name for a while now.

"Sam, we can't play the stupid game with them," I hissed. "They know."

"Know what?"

"What did I just say?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Don't make me look like the insane one here!"

"Okay, okay, just calm down." He put his hands out.

"What happened here last night, Dak?" Dean looked around. "Actually, I think a better question is what happened last night."

"C-can we wait until I'm dressed, at least?" I timidly made my way to my jeans and scooped them, tossing them onto the bed along with my underwear.

"Don't think we can wait that long."

"Dean's right, Dakota," Cas finally voiced.

"And here I thought you two were smart," I voiced. "Sam and I spent the night here."

"That's impossible."

"It's not."

"Kota, I wasn't here last night with you," Sam told me carefully.

I looked at him strangely. "Okay, are you seriously still drunk somehow?"

"I-I'm not drunk. What's gotten into you?"

"I can ask the same about you." I looked up at him accusingly.

"Dakota, Sam is right," Cas said. My focus went to him. "He wasn't with you last night."

"Then where was he?"

"In Heaven, with me," Dean said.

Silence fell momentarily. "Say that again."

"While you were out, two hunters found our motel room and ganked us. We got sent up to Heaven, only to be brought back this morning. Our bodies didn't leave the motel. Cas can vouch for that."

"I can," Cas agreed.

I laughed nervously. "O-okay, guys, this is seriously starting to freak me out."

"I couldn't get a hold of you this morning, I left voicemails," Sam told me.

"I must've put it on silent by accident." I shrugged.

"Kota, you need to tell us exactly what happened last night." He said this pleadingly. "We'll fill in the blanks."

"Well..." I began to pace around the room, looking for my missing clothing. "I took a little walk around, a simple route so I could find my way back. I found this bar, decided to bunk there for a few hours. You showed up, we had a few drinks and left. We didn't want to go back to the room, so I broke into here, and well..." I bent down to grab my bra. "The rest is self-explanatory."

"Kota, whoever you were with last night, it—it wasn't me."

I gave him an odd look. "But that doesn't make any sense."

"She could've been drugged," Dean theorized.

"No, she would still be feeling the effects even now," Cas noted. "Something's wrong with this."

"I'll say."

"Dakota," Cas addressed me, "this person—"

"Sam," I corrected him.

"Fine. For argument's sake, let's call him Sam. Did he seem to be...strange, in any sort of way? Speech pattern? Behavior? Anything that would tip you off?"

I racked my brain. "Not that I can remember, no. Why? You—you think someone posed as Sam to get me into bed with them?" I collapsed onto the edge of the bed, suddenly feeling disgusted inside.

Someone had used Sam to take advantage of me. Someone knew our connection. They exposed the weakness, all to spend a night with me. But who would have the audacity to pull such a stunt off like that? Right now, I was pretty boggled.

I felt pretty violated right now. I felt like I needed a thousand showers to scrub off the violation.

"W-who would do that?" I whispered.

"There can't be too many people who know us, let alone about you two," Dean said. "Couldn't be a shape shifter, this seemed personal. It wasn't some random mook off the street either with drugs or black magic."

"You don't think it was Gabriel, do you?"

"Doesn't fit his M.O. Besides, I don't think he'd do anything to hurt you."

"Then what else is there? If it's not drugs, Gabriel, or a-a shape shifter, then what?" I asked.

The boys all looked to each other, all of them silent. I ran a hand through my hair. This couldn't be happening right now. It couldn't. Last night hadn't been some drug-induced dream or hallucination, I had marks to prove that.

"I might have a theory," Cas finally spoke. "But none of you will like it."

"What's the theory?" I asked.

"Lucifer."

I stared in horror as Dean and Sam exchanged confused glances.

"Lucifer?" Dean asked skeptically. "Cas, you gotta be out of your mind."

"It fits, if you see it. Think about it. Like you said, few people know of Sam and Dakota's bond. He's seen them interact with each other, he senses it."

"But how could it have been Lucifer if you carved whatever you did on my ribs?" I asked. "He's an angel, he can't just magically appear anywhere near me. I'm hidden."

"He could have help watching."

"Cas, it couldn't have been Lucifer," I insisted.

"Wait a minute," Sam suddenly said, his eyes lighting up. "I think he might be right."

"What?"

"Kota, I need you to really focus right now. This me who you were with last night, did he have this on him?" He pulled down his shirt, exposing a very intricate tattoo.

My mind pulled back into last night. I tried to paint a vivid picture, focusing on that particular spot.

I visibly paled. "No," I said thickly. "He didn't."

My mouth parted. How could I have missed the tiny detail? I would have seen it! Lucifer had to have betted that I would overlook the flaw, and I had, foolishly.

I had fallen right into his trap.

"I—I...no." I shook my head fervently. "No...I couldn't have..." I closed my eyes. "No, no, no...Wake up, Dakota, wake up." I smacked myself around gently.

"It doesn't make sense," Dean said coldly. "Why would Satan come after Dak?"

"He's not after her as much as Sam," Cas pointed out. "He knew her weakness and turned it against her. And I'll bet he knows we'd figure it out. It's his way of sending a message, proving that what he's found he will use against you. It's just a preview of what he could do."

I shuddered, gripping the towel with iron fingers.

"She's not a top priority weapon, but she's still in his arsenal. He might even use her as a last resort. He could do a lot of damage if he pulled another trick on her."

"How so?" I squeaked.

Cas looked directly at me. "He could make you turn, place doubt in your head. Lucifer is clever, he'd cover his tracks before it would be too late for you to discover what had happened. It all goes back to him wanting Sam to say yes."

"But I won't," Sam said adamantly. "I don't care what the son of a bitch throws at me, I'm not giving consent."

"Apparently he feels differently if he's done this." Cas gestured to me. "He thinks she could change that."

"I don't understand why he didn't just off us all since we were all in the same area."

"He probably thought about it. But Dakota was his purpose, not all of you."

"Where do we go from here?" I asked. I didn't know how I managed to get words out of my throat. My mind was still trying to wrap itself around the fact that I, Dakota Bailey, had slept with freaking Lucifer. I'd let Satan sleep with me.

I wasn't sure what was really appropriate right now. Cry? Scream in outrage? Want a price on his head? Remain in shock? This felt almost as traumatizing as the demon attack at my house. Though the incidents were completely different, they still had grievous impact.

"We're not letting you go anywhere alone from now on," Sam told me firmly. "I don't care where it is. We can't let Lucifer get the drop on you again, Kota. It's too risky."

"Yeah, no pressure," I muttered. I flinched as droplets began to hit my back—they were from my drying hair.

"Sam's right," Dean agreed. "Even if we have to stand outside the bathroom, we will."

"Too far, Dean, too far." I shook my head. "But I'm not fighting you on the decision. I'd prefer having adult supervision."

"We're not gonna let up on it until this is over."

"Hey, uh, is it too much to ask for some privacy?" The blush crept back into my face.

I quickly gathered the rest of my belongings and ran back into the bathroom. As I dressed, I shook violently. I could feel the emotion attempt to overwhelm me. The idea that Lucifer, that Satan himself, had shared a night with me...

I let out a choked sob, one that I was sure the guys could hear from the other side of the door.

Once I was dressed, I gripped the sink tight, hyperventilating. Lucifer knew how to get to me. He knew how to get to Sam. He knew how to play dirty. He knew he had weapons to use to get his way. But we're not letting him do this again. We're not letting him use me to get to Sam. We're not allowing it. We can't.

I cringed at the soft knock on the door.

"I-it's open," I murmured, staring down at the sink drain. I heard the timid footsteps. "This is not okay. I..." I closed my mouth, squeezing the tears out of my eyes.

I was so confused about all this. I had let Lucifer take me last night, only because I'd been so convinced he was Sam.

Now that I thought about it, last night, I could see the holes in Lucifer's Sam. The tattoo was a huge thing that I missed. Even though I wanted to blame the lack of light, I couldn't. I could blame the alcohol though. That sick bastard got me drunk to ensure his plan worked.

I shied away from the touch once I realized who it was. I couldn't look at him the same way again, not because of what he did, but because who had impersonated him. Thanks to Lucifer, I would picture him now instead of Sam. Sure, I'd see Sam as he was, but I would picture him differently, with Satan behind the wheel.

"This'll be the last time he ever does something like this to you, Kota." His voice was gentle, as though he's talking to a spooked animal. Scarred was more accurate. "If you want me to stay out of your way, I will."

"I don't want you to," I said quietly. I made myself look at him and kept telling myself this was Sam Winchester, not Lucifer, in front of me. This was someone who cared about me, not someone who wanted to use me for his personal gain. This was someone who protected me, not someone who used me as a weapon against people I cared about. "But...what happened..."

"I get where you're coming from." I allowed him to touch my arm. This was hurting him, he wasn't hiding it in his hazel eyes. I looked back down at the sink and let a hiccup of a cry out. I let him pry me off the sink and be held in his warm embrace. My hands gripped him tight, and I shook to keep my emotions in check. "It's okay, Kota. It's just me in here. Dean and Cas left for our room."

His clearance gave me the final permission to meltdown. The frustration, the pain, the stupidity, the self-loathing, it was all demolishing me at one time. The weight was so intense that I wanted to buckle to the floor and assume a fetal position.

I didn't come prepared for this. Then again, there wasn't a manual for how to survive what life had to throw at you, no matter how twisted or supernatural it was.

**So *clears throat* Betcha didn't see that coming. 

I tried to place some clues in 35 (if anyone caught them). No, her pool opponent was not one of the clues. He was just a random stranger who foolishly thought our girl sucked at pool. Or was he...? Now I've even got myself thinking about it. He could've been a said minion of Lucifer's.

We'll never know.

So...yeah. I took a bit of creative license and put it to use with this, as you can clearly see. 

Also, let me sincerely apologize for this chapter. I didn't realize just how severe it really was until someone opened my eyes to it. 

But, on a lighter note, there are no more triggers in this story. If there are, I promise to warn you before the chapter itself.

I didn't realize how big of involvement Lucifer was gonna have in this story. I mean, he's been in Kota's dreams, and now he's done this...

*pinches bridge of nose* **