A/N: If no POV is mentioned, assume it's Elle's. Enjoy!(^-^*)/

"It was...dark, I guess. All I could see was you chained to a wall. Your wings were just shredded, and you were covered in blood and ichor, so I assume you fought."

I quietly gulp, an irrational spike of fear raising the hit on the back of my neck.

Gabriel continues, scratching at the cotton wrapped around his head. "Then a door opened, but it was almost like the entire room got darker. A woman walked in, she was just cackling hysterically. Like her mind was broken. Something horrible must have happened, because she had wings, and Angel's minds don't just unravel. Well, not as easily as humans-sorry, no offense." He apologizes, and I nod briskly allowing him to continue as fast as possible. "She said something to you in an evil, cold voice, and you just looked at her. You must have used some sort of Manipulation on her, because she seemed confused for a moment before she recovered. Then, she growled and just cut off your wings. That scream..." Gabriel's breath hitches, and he shudders. "I'll never forget your scream. And then she just started laughing again. Like nothing happened. You tried to use a Manipulation, but it wouldn't work. When she cut off your wings, I think she took away your power."

He pauses, and I see a tear drip down his face. He quickly brushes it away, then continues as if nothing happened.

"You spat at her, yelling and screaming until your voice went hoarse, and then...and..."

"And then what?" I feel my heart race, and I feel like I already know the answer. But my mind refuses to let it go, ignoring my heart's pleas to let the matter go.

Gabriel whispers, his voice scratchy and heart crushing in its despair. "She killed you. She just lopped of your head and killed you. You turned into a pile of goldish dust and blew away. And then she started with that awful laugh again. That damn laugh. I'll never be able to get it out of my head." He presses his hands against his skull, as if the pressure will alleviate the sound I know must be replaying in his head.

"Was...was that it?" Beelzebub's voice is shaky, and his worry begins to gnaw at the already pessimistic corner of my mind.

"I wish. But after that, I could see the woman torturing someone else, waving Elle's wings around in front of them. She was teasing Cole. He screamed and screamed, just yelling that she was lying and that he would save her. And she showed him the head, and..." he turns his head to one side, like he can see everything as he speaks, but can't watch. "He snaps. He breaks out of the chains and lunges at her, but she stabs him with a bone knife, and he's dead before he hits the ground."

He takes a deep, shaky breath. "And then it looks like I'm floating above the world, and I can see explosions through the clouds, and huge fires over entire countries. The entire world is dying on the vine. Hell has come to Earth, and even the Dark Angels have come to fear the dark and what it means. Heaven can't do anything, and eventually everything just fades away. The wars stop and it all calms down. Until the entire universe just collapses on itself. There's nothing...absolute nothingness."

I gasp and feel hot tears drip down my face, and I cover my mouth with my hand to cover the absolute despair drowning me right now. If I can't find a way to defend myself, the entire world will die because of it. Because of some random girl who Angels thought would save the world couldn't do what she needed to.

"But I feel like there's something else, Gabriel." Beelzebub stands up and stands in front of the smaller Angel, looming ominously over his prone body.

"So do I. But that's it. Sometimes, though, the Visions will come together in multiple episodes. That is what I feel this may be."

"Thank you Gabriel." Without another word, Beelzebub walks away and out the door, leaving me and Gabriel alone.

"Like he said, thank you Gabriel. I'm sorry to interrupt your recooperation. I appreciate your help."

I stand and begin to walk away, but his strong hand wraps around my wrist.

"You have to find a way for them to trust you. I...I saw something else. Before Lilyth kidnapped you, I saw that everyone was arguing about how to protect you. A little ironic, I'll admit, but it will happen if they don't start believing in you."

He pulls the bandage off of his eyes, showing them with a film of shiny gold over the entire eyes, presumable from the ichor. "I believe in you, but no one depends on a prophet for advice anymore."

"How...how did you know the woman was Lilyth? Why didn't you tell us sooner?"

"Because they all would have become blinded by their bloodlust. And your demise would have inevitably happened even sooner."
----
Shutting the door behind me, I try to steady my shaky breaths, and begin to wish that I had just let sleeping dogs lie.

Beelzebub sees me and instantly is beside me, a worried look pressing his usually self confident features down-into a look I've seen aimed at me too many times recently.

"Are you okay? What happened in there? Beelzebub relentlessly follows me as I storm down the hallway in silence.

"Elle, tell me wh-"

Spinning to face him, I growl out the words. "I'll tell you what happened. Gabriel said that if you all don't turn down the 'control freak' factor by a thousand, I'm gonna get killed by L-a sadistic Angel who wants to torture me whoever supports me!"

He pales and grabs my shoulder tightly, forcing me to face him directly. "What did you say?"

My hear skips a beat as I feel his mind already making connections, just waiting for me to validate.

"I said a sadistic Angel who-"

"Don't bullshit a bullshitter. You were about to say Lilyth, weren't you?"

I feel myself begin to sweat as he watches me, simply waiting for my answer. And well knowing that the silence will work better than any mental or physical approaches for finding out what he needs to know.

"Okay, yes-"

"I'm gonna hunt that bitch down and make her pay!" Beelzebub roars and starts to run away, but I wrap my hands around his wrist, digging my feet into the ground to try to stop his progress.

"Beelzebub, you have to stop! You can't go try to hunt her down."

He growls and stops, whirling around to face me angrily. "And why the hell not? She's trying to kill you, and I'm not going to let her do that."

"And if anyone was going to kill her, I would definitely be first in line. But you can't."

"And why not?"

"Because of what Gabe said! If you or anyone else goes to try to confront her, the shit's gonna hit the fan even sooner. We have to just play the waiting game. That's why Gabriel didn't tell anyone who it was."

He glares at me for ruining his gallant (but stupid) plan, then sighs. "Fine. But only because I've come to like having someone to hang out with who won't mock me for choosing for Lucifer's side."

I let go of his wrist and stand to my full height. "But you can't tell anyone else until I've had a chance to tell them in private, when I can make sure they won't do anything stupid, okay?"

He grudgingly nods, and we leave the basement area and go back to the living room, to see Monique flirting with Maizen. Rolling my eyes, I drop down on the couch next to her, stealing the long-cold bowl of popcorn.

"Hey, Elle." Monique's attention flicks away from him, leaving him confused and a little bit visibly upset.

"It's okay. She won't ignore you forever. Unless she's turning into a total jerk."

He smiles at me a little before getting up to do something else. Monique shrugs off my questioning look, and I frown.

"So how are my two favorite people doing?"

You didn't tell her?!

In a deep recess of my mind, I can almost hear Beelzebub's nervous laugh. Funny story. She wasn't here when the whole thing happened, and we didn't want a 16 year old vigilantess on our hands.

I grind my jaw and clench the arm rest, my my nails puncturing the tough fabric. Well, how do you think this thing's gonna go when she finds out she's the last person to know that her best friend since kindergarten is going to die?

The connection decintegrates to a sort of static, and I feel annoyance sparking in my head and I shove it away. Now isn't the time to start fighting with the only allies I have that know everything.

"Monique, I need to tell you something."

A smile creeps onto her face. "Is it about Mr Angel?"

"Yes. I mean, no. Well, sorta."

"Come on, tell me!"

"Well, you see, that Angel I met in Hell, the one who tried to kill me, she's somehow going to end up capturing me and killing me, and at least Cole with me, unless we can stop her somehow."

She pales and sits silently for a minute before breaking out in bubbly, outrageous laughter. A chill runs down my spine as I imagine the similarities between her's and Lilyth's laughter. Hell, they even look a little bit alike.

"Is she okay?" Beelzebub stands and pushes me behind him defensively.

"She sometimes does this when something really big or startling happens. It's like a coping mechanism, I guess. We should probably just let her work things out."

By now, she's whimpering between every few giggles. Her eyes are teary, and she's rocking gently back and forth.

"Gosh, Elle, you really know how to pick the sane ones."

I frown and slap the back of his exposed neck, making him recoil in shock.

"Say anymore crap like that and your wings are gonna be dragging on the ground for a week." I turn and walk up to my room, wishing for everything to be normal again.

Normal problems, like studying for the next biology test, not how to guard myself and avoid the apocalypse.

I jog up the stairs two at a time, humming a song.

Normal family, a nice mom and dad and a older brother in college who comes to our house for the holidays, I instead of a mom six feet under, a paranoid father, and a punk Angel brother who knew my 'boyfriend' before I was even born.

I pause in front of my door, closing my hand against the doorknob, pushing it open.

Normal friends, who I can ask about the answers to their homework and their newest shopping haul, instead of the most efficient way to protect myself against Celestial enemies and how to quiet a Bond.

I glance around my darkened room and notice a human-shaped blob sitting near the window.

I sigh. Or regular enemies, for that matter. Ones who just trash talk me, instead of breaking into my house to surprise me.

"Whoever it is, I'm not in the mood. Just leave now or get ready for a world of pain."

They laugh walk up in front of me, the laugh still in their voice.

"Come now, Elle. Is your manners. What sort of a way is that to greet your friends?"

I growl low in my throat, but a tiny smile rebels. "Lucifer. How nice of you to break in unannounced. Again."

The taller boy slings his arm over my shoulder, pushing back the mop of messy hair on his head.

"I know. I'm so nice." He cockily tips his chin up, watching my reaction through the corner of his eye.

"Um...no, not really. But whatever helps you sleep at night." I roll my eyes and hop onto the bed, pulling the unmade sheets over me, longing to go to sleep and wake up from this twisted nightmare of a life.

The bed tips as Lucifer sits next to me, and I grudgingly open my eyes to glare at him.

"So what's the newest Angel doing in her free time?"

He pinches my cheek, and I growl and swat his hand away. "Oh, nothing much. Just learning that your latest enemy may or may not kill me. You know; the usual."

He suddenly frowns and leans toward to give me a hug. I lay there like a dead fish, and he pulls away, looking guilty.

"I'm so sorry. This is all my fault. I never should have asked you to come with me to Hell."

Why. Can't. I. Get. A. Flipping. BREAK??

Sighing, I sit up and wrap my arm over his shoulders. "Maybe. But there's no use in thinking about how this could have been avoided when it's already begun. Learn from the past, try with the present, hope with tomorrow. That's all anyone can do."

"How are you so wise? You're what, sixteen? Maybe seventeen? And you're teaching a guy who's already over two thousand years old?"

"That is what this would seem to be, isn't it?" A small smile slips onto my controlled expression, and Lucifer shoves me back into a sleeping position.

"Elle's a little cranky apparently, since she never had her nap."

"Oh, you wish you could be as cool as me. You can't stop all your problems by making them take a nap!" I point accusingly at him, earning a rather pathetic smile from the Angel.

"Maybe not. But that's the best way to solve things when that's and option. And besides, we need you to be ready for anything." His voice has lost any traces of playfulness, and we both know what he's talking about.

"Okay. Have a good evening, then."

"G'nite. Sleep tight. Don't let the bitch ass Lilyths bite."

I roll my eyes as he closes the door, and as I fall asleep, I think I see him appear outside my window, keeping lookout over the expansive side yard.