Chapter 138

Jo loves Michael. She loves Jack, too. But the two of them together... well, it's not really her scene, and it's only been getting worse. She's almost starting to feel like she's invisible. She gets that they have a lot in common that she can't relate to, but come on. They could at least to include her, preferably in conversations that aren't about magic superpowers or whatever.

That's why she only hesitates for a minute or two before leaving them to go see Lucifer. The worst-case scenario is that he tells her to go away and she's right back where she started; it's not much of a risk.

"Hey," Jo greets him with a small smile, not overly-peppy but enough that he can tell she decided to talk to him of her own free will and not just because she felt bad for him.

"Hey yourself," Lucifer replies.

"He force you out here for any particular reason?" Jo asks.

Lucifer shrugs. "Who knows?"

"That about sums up this whole lockdown experience, huh?" Jo jokes.

"You're not wrong," he agrees. "You know, you don't have to hang out with me just because Chuck gave me the boot.

"No, I know," Jo assures him. "I just have no idea what Michael and Jack are talking about, so I figure I'd probably be more welcome over here."

"Ah, of course," Lucifer says with a teasing smile. "The 'boring boyfriend' strikes again."

Jo slaps him on the shoulder -- which hurts her hand far more than she'd expected -- and gives him an exaggerated glare. "I thought we were past that."

Lucifer shakes his head. "As long as I can use it against you, we'll never be past it."

"Fuck you," Jo says, but it's a lighthearted response.

"I thought you had a boring boyfriend to do that for you."

Jo slaps him again, partially as a rebuttal against the "boring boyfriend" thing and partially because she knows he's aware that Michael won't sleep with her unless they get married or whatever the human/angelic equivalent would be.

"Okay, okay, I'll stop making fun of you now," Lucifer says, though Jo's not sure she believes it. "I can't guarantee I'll be any more interesting than he is, though. Absolutely nothing has happened since the last time I talked to you, so I got nothing."

"Well, that's what I'm here for," Jo says with a shrug. "Maybe I can unbore both of us."

"I would not be opposed to that," he says. "So, what's new on your side of the island?"

"Admittedly, not much," she tells him. "Jack seems to think he's getting close to busting us out, though, which is cool."

"Well, he's definitely getting stronger, I'll give him that," Lucifer says. "Don't know if he's God-strong yet, but at this rate, it won't take long." He looks over Jo's shoulder, presumably at the kid in question. "With both Michael and Gabriel by his side, I think he might stand a chance."

"Are you sure adding another archangel to the trainers list wouldn't help?" Jo asks. "Maybe you could offer, I don't know, another perspective or whatever?" Is that what Michael said he's doing? She stopped paying attention somewhere around that point.

"I don't think he my 'perspective,'" Lucifer says. "I think we're all pretty much in agreement that he's better off without me getting in the way."

"Define 'we all,'" Jo says, "because I don't think Jack was briefed on that." He certainly seems to be in the pro-Lucifer crowd, something Jo had also included Michael until last night.

"Everyone whose opinion matters," Lucifer replies, then adds a half-assed, "no offense" as an afterthought. "I mean, don't get me wrong, I like the kid, but I don't think he needs my influence in his life."

"Why not?"

Lucifer shrugs. "Michael's the lawful good end of the spectrum; Gabriel's on the chaotic evil end. I think that's just about got it all covered -- and besides, I basically taught Gabriel everything I know, anyway. All I've got left is, like..." Lucifer's eyes flare red for a few seconds as a demonstration. "That, and maybe a few other small things but nothing actually important. Nothing that's gonna be make-or-break when it comes to getting out, so I figure my time is better spent moping around until Jack finally figures out what he's doing."

"No, don't mope," Jo chastises him. "We're not doing this moping thing. Moping doesn't help anyone."

"I wasn't aware I was to be helping anyone," Lucifer says. "And I happen to enjoy moping, thank you very much."

"Well, stop moping," Jo says. "Moping is bad."

"Just for that, I'm going to mope even more."

Jo crosses her arms. "Fine, be miserable. See if I care."

"See, that's all I wanted," Lucifer says with a grin, and Jo can't help but laugh.

"So, what, that's all you've been up to lately?" Jo asks. "Moping?"

"Pretty much," Lucifer replies. "I figure I can't cause problems if there's no one around."

"I think you could convince people you're not here to cause problems if you try," Jo says. "I mean, maybe not , but..." The Winchesters definitely wouldn't give him the time of day, but she's sure Jack would be overjoyed to talk to him again. Michael probably only holds a grudge because he doesn't want his brother messing anything up, so Lucifer most likely could get on his good side. She's not sure what's going on between him and Gabriel, but Gabriel's put up with a lot of shit from him; she'd be surprised if they can't make their own peace treaty.

"At the moment, I think you're the only one who would give me the benefit of the doubt," Lucifer says. "Even Michae's mad at me — and I don't even think I did anything to him this time, so I'm not really sure what's going on there."

"Jack likes you," Jo says. At least he has that going for him, right?

"And if I got within ten feet of him without adult supervision, I will not like to see another day," Lucifer deadpans.

"I can be adult supervision," Jo offers, which is a really weird thing to say to someone who's older than the human race.

"I don't..." Lucifer cocks his head to the side, reminding Jo way too much of Castiel. "I can't tell where you're going with this."

"I'm saying you should come save me from my boredom," Jo says, only realizing belatedly that she's giving him much too easy of an opportunity to move her and her "boring boyfriend."

Fortunately, he doesn't take that opportunity, probably because he's still confused. "Is that not what I'm doing right now?"

"Well, , but once Chuck lets you leave, you're gonna ditch, right?" Jo asks. At least, she assumes that's the case; it usually is.

"Probably."

And she was right. "Well, instead of disappearing into the great unknown, you should hang out with me and Jack and Michael so I don't die of boredom while they're talking about god-knows-what."

"Eh..." Lucifer pauses it, and she can't be sure but it almost looks like he's considering it. "No promises."

"?" Jo whines. "I feel like I'm third-wheeling in my own relationship."

Lucifer cracks a smile at that. "We'll see how I'm feeling tomorrow, but I get socialed out easily."

"?" Jo repeats, holding the word out much longer than she needs to.

Lucifer lols his head back, exasperated. "You're gonna be the death of me."