Supernatural Fan Fiction ❯ Angels and Demons: A Supernatural Fanfic ❯ The Final Seal ( Chapter 5 )

5. The Final Seal

Bobby's Safe Room 11:47 p.m.

Sam shuddered and muttered a sound halfway between a groan and a sigh. His withdrawal from the demon blood was proving to be a very unpleasant ordeal, and over the last few hours, things had gotten worse. He had been in Bobby's safe room for three days now, and it didn't look like he was going to be let out anytime soon. He hadn't gotten the chance to speak to Dean once, and from what Bobby said, Dean didn't want to talk to him. He couldn't really blame him; after all, he had hurt Dean pretty bad, more than just physically. It also didn't help his case that he had beaten the crap out of Grace and nearly killed Rachel, so he decided to be on his best behavior and not push his luck by nagging Bobby to speak to Dean so that he could apologize.

Sam sighed, being more bored than anything else and feeling completely useless. He had never intended for anything like this to happen. It would be so much easier if Dean at least tried to understand that he was just trying to help people. But more than that, Sam believed that he could defeat Lilith and save his brother the trouble and potential harm. Dean had never seen Lilith in action per say, but Sam had, along with Ruby, and he knew better than anyone that there was no way that Bobby and Dean could take her on by themselves. That's how the whole drinking demon blood thing had started. Besides the fact that it enhanced his psychic power, it also made him physically stronger and gave his mental powers a monumental boost, and he believed that if he consumed enough blood that he could destroy Lilith. Of course, without the intervention of Ruby, none of that would even be remotely possible.

Ruby.

Sam smiled grimly as his muscles spasmed in response to not having demon blood in so long. He missed Ruby terribly. She was the only one who really understood him, who actually understood what he was trying to do and admired him for it. She was faithful; trying to do everything she could to help him. She had been there when Dean had been gone, giving him emotional and physical support when he needed it. At the moment, he would give anything to see her, but he knew that it wasn't going to happen. There was no way that he could break out the safe room by himself, not when he was so weak. He had been pacing around the room up until that moment, and he was tired, so he sank against the wall and slid down to the floor. He heard footsteps coming down the stairs and figured it was Bobby again. He had no idea how much time had passed, considering he didn't have a watch or his phone. From what he understood, Dean had taken everything he had on his person away except for his clothes.

Sam looked up at the door in surprise, hearing what sounded like a key being inserted into the lock. He heard a click and the door opened to reveal Ruby standing there. It took everything he had not to cry out in joy and surprise. It seemed like forever since he had seen her last. She walked over to him, offering Sam a helping hand up. He took it, smiling at her, feeling instantly better with Ruby standing there.

“Ruby, it's great to see you! But, why are you here? If Dean, Bobby, or Grace find you you're in trouble.”

“I know Sam, but they don't know I'm here. I came to bust you out of here, because we don't have much time. Lilith has broken a lot more seals in the last three days and she's almost to the final one. If you're going to stop her then we have to act now. Come on, I've got a ride out back. We'll need to go to a place where Dean won't think to find us.” She said, smiling and kissing his lips.

“Alright then, I know what to do and where we can go. I need to get my phone before we leave though.” Sam said, kissing her back. After they managed to pull away from the kiss for some air they walked silently up the stairs. Sam tiptoed soundlessly across the floor and found his phone on the kitchen table. He grabbed it and found that it had been turned off shortly after Bobby and Dean had apprehended him, which meant that it still had a lot of juice left. He walked back to Ruby, who led him out the back door and to a car that she had parked on the far side of the house.

They got in and drove along the highway, and as Sam took one last glance at Bobby's house and thought of his brother, he vowed in his heart to leave them behind forever.

Bobby's house 10:46 a.m.

Dean awoke to the smell of bacon and eggs, sighing in contentment and joy. He felt a twinge of regret as he got up off of the couch and pulled a shirt on, feeling bad that Rachel hadn't gained her powers back yet, but also feeling glad that someone was able to cook a halfway decent meal. After a good stretch and a few yawns, he walked into the kitchen.

Bobby was sitting at the kitchen table, talking to Grace about the time that he had hunted an El Chupa Cabra down in Mexico City. Rachel stood in front of the stove, cooking the last of the pancakes. Coffee, eggs, bacon, sausage, and some fresh fruit were already sitting on the table, along with milk and orange juice. Dean couldn't help but think that the last three days had been pretty nice, even if Sam couldn't be there to enjoy it. At least he wasn't screaming anymore. Bobby and Rachel said that it was due to how painful the withdrawals were for demon blood, or any drug for that matter. Dean pushed the thought out of his mind as he sat down and began loading his plate with food.

“Hey, easy does it Dean, leave some for us. We're hungry too you know.” Bobby said, grabbing a plate and doing likewise. Grace waited until Rachel was done and had sat down at the table before she fixed her own plate. Once they had all gotten what they wanted, they joined hands and said prayer, because Rachel wouldn't let them eat if they didn't. No one minded, because in their minds, it was a small thing to do in order to eat Rachel's cooking, and in their opinion, it was the best there was. Bobby liked it so much that he offered to fix Rachel up a room in his house if she wanted to stay, even after she got her powers back. Rachel had smiled wistfully, promising to think about it.

“This is amazing Rachel! I'll take this over gas station food any day.” Dean mumbled in between mouthfuls of food. “Slow down there Dean, we don't want you to choke.” Grace teased. Bobby chuckled and Rachel's face held a small smile as she nibbled on a piece of bacon and drank her coffee. For the next few minutes the only sounds to be heard where people chewing and silverware scraping against plates. When Dean started filling up his plate for seconds, praising Rachel's cooking all the while and causing her whole face to blush scarlet, Grace bit her lip to keep from laughing out loud and Bobby's eyes shone with amusement as he refilled his coffee cup.

Castiel suddenly appeared at the head of the table, startling Dean so much that he nearly choked on his food and fell out of his chair.

“Dammit Cas! You have got to stop doing that! You nearly gave me a heart attack! What the hell could you possibly want this early in the morning?” Dean groused, fidgeting in his chair and glaring at the angel in annoyance.

“I'm sorry to have interrupted your breakfast Dean. I hope I didn't scare you too badly. I came here because I have some information for you and I have a way for Rachel to get her powers back.”

Rachel, who had been quiet up until now, holding a fork with a piece of sausage suspended halfway between her mouth and the plate, spoke up. “How is that even possible Castiel?”

“I've been searching the Heavens trying to come up with a solution. After speaking to the Ancients they shared with me a way to restore your powers. It wasn't easy to procure the antidote, but I was able. Here.” He said, handing a small leather bound package to Rachel. She unwrapped it and gasped.

“But Cas, th-this, this is…”

“The Balm of Gilead, I know. It's extremely rare and valuable, but I was able to get just enough to restore you to your full strength. It's healing properties should have no qualms as far as that's concerned.”

“What did it cost you?” she asked nervously, her eyes narrowing in thought. Something so powerful never came without a price. She was almost afraid to ask, the package shaking softly as her hands trembled, but she had to know.

“Ah, well, don't worry about it. I called in a few of my favors that were owed.” Castiel murmured.

Rachel unwrapped the package and pulled out a thin vial filled with golden liquid. Staring at it curiously for a few seconds, she asked Castiel what to do with it.

“You drink it.” He said.

She put the liquid in her coffee and drank. After just a millisecond she felt the change. She felt the healing power of the balm coursing through her veins and seeping into her bones. After a minute or so she felt a rush of happiness as her powers came back, engulfing her in a feeling of calm serenity as if all was right in the world. She felt her mortal shell tremble and saw the veins and bone shift under her skin for a small second as her body readjusted to contain her immortal form and power. After a full 30 seconds had passed Rachel Anderson was back to her original self.

“Thank you Cas. I owe you my very existence for this.” Rachel said, giving him the most breathtakingly beautiful smile he'd ever seen. It was one that even reached her eyes.

Castiel, who was a little taken aback at how fast the medicine had worked, shuffled nervously for some seconds and stuffed his hands in his pockets. He wasn't used to being thanked for his efforts, much less acknowledged for them, and Rachel's comment surprised him a little. Looking at the radiant joy in her face however, he couldn't help but smile back, no matter how embarrassed he was. Like Rachel herself, he was very modest.

Aww, look at that, Castiel's actually blushing! Oh, and Rachel is too! Those two are so cute together! Grace thought as she giggled in amusement. Bobby smirked wryly, thinking it equally funny that Castiel's emotions could be so easily observed when he was around Rachel.

“Hey, not that it isn't fascinating to watch you two lovebirds flirt, but there was something else you came here for besides seeing your girlfriend, right Cas?” Dean said, interrupting the silence.

Castiel, whose face reverted back to its normal serious expression after his initial embarrassment had worn off, sighed and nodded. “Yes Dean. This news I have to share isn't good. Lilith has managed to break almost all of the 66 seals that bind Lucifer and keep the Apocalypse at bay. As far as we know, there is only one more seal she needs to break. Unfortunately, I have no idea of where or when this will take place. The other thing is that your brother escaped early this morning, aided by a Ruby the demon, and he has a part in the final seal. I don't quite know what his part will be, but you need to find him so that we can find out. We need to do this quickly, we don't have much time.”

Dean swore under his breath and Bobby looked worried. Rachel sat in silence, thinking, and Grace said, “Well then we need to find Sam. Dean and I can do that, but in the meantime, what are you guys going to do?” she said, looking at Bobby, Castiel, and Rachel.

“Well, I don't know about you, but I've been researching what's going to take place if the Apocalypse comes, which is highly likely now, and I don't like what I'm finding. So, while you look for Sam, I'm going to start preparing for the war that we're going to be in. It's not going to be pretty.” Bobby murmured, getting up from the table and grabbing a bottle of whiskey on his way out of the kitchen.

“What are you two going to do?” Grace asked.

“Well, I guess we can find out what the final seal is and if we can stop it from being broken.” Castiel said, looking at Rachel. With a plan in mind, the four split into teams and went their separate ways. Castiel and Rachel ascended to Heaven, trying to gather some helpful information.

Back on Earth, Dean had logged onto his cell phone company's website and using GPS, had tracked Sam's phone to a hotel in Maryland. After printing out a map off of Google, he and Grace bided Bobby farewell and drove off in pursuit of Sam.

Maryland, The Hilton Hotel 2:34 p.m.

“Hmm, this isn't so bad for a honeymoon suite I guess. At least they have good taste in color.” Ruby murmured, looking at all the velvety red material that lined the walls. The carpet was red, the bedspread was red, there where even red roses scattered on the bed. She looked over at Sam and noticed that he seemed a little more relaxed since they'd gotten into the room. Sam had called late that morning once they were on the road and had reserved the room.

Ruby had explained to him on the drive over that in order to find Lilith, they needed to find someone that was close to the demon. After telling Sam that Lilith fed on the flesh of babies, she had revealed that she knew where to find the supplier. This, she had told him, would lead them to Lilith. They had gone to a hospital in Maryland, found the demon possessed nurse, and after Sam had tortured her, she gave Lilith's location away. Sam had literally bled the woman dry, needing another hit of demon blood, before exorcising the demon itself back to Hell. Lilith's location was a small convent in Maryland and that was where she was going to break the final seal. But, the nurse had said, she wasn't going to do that until nightfall.

So Sam had rented the bridal suite for the day, knowing that since he would never do that in real life that Dean wouldn't find him.

Sam looked over at Ruby, his eyes glimmering with need, and she smiled, pulling out a knife. After slicing her arm open she put it to his lips and he drank. He groaned in ecstasy, the blood flowing in his mouth tasting, hot, wet, and alive, giving him the rush of power he craved. After having drank the demon nurse's blood and Ruby's, Sam felt himself growing stronger and stronger, and he knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that he could defeat Lilith.

Once he was done with that he let go of Ruby's arm and sighed in contentment. By this time tomorrow, Lilith would be gone, the world would be saved, and he would never have to drink the demon blood again, at least, not if he didn't want to. Dean would forgive him, he would have Ruby, and all would be right in the world.

He pulled Ruby into a passionate embrace and kissed her. She laughed softly, pulling him down onto the bed. As he pinned her beneath him she sighed and he buried his face in her hair. Sam was just undoing the first few buttons of her blouse when they heard a knock at the door.

“Did you order room service?” she murmured.

“No. Did you?” Sam asked. She shook her head and they both looked toward the door. As they did so it burst open and Dean, followed by Grace, barged in. Before Sam was able to react, Ruby had vaulted off of the bed and ran toward Dean, her blade in hand. Ruby barely had time to see as Grace blocked her knife with her own dagger. Grace knocked Ruby's blade out of her hand and kneed her in the stomach before punching her across the face. Ruby sailed into the side wall of the room. The split second before she hit the wall however, she gained her footing and launched herself at Grace. Grace caught her and they both skidded across the carpeted floor of the room. Grace managed to throw Ruby off of her and leapt up. As Ruby scrambled to her feet she whirled a leg around and knocked Grace's legs out from underneath her, but as Grace went down she aimed a side kick at Ruby's face and her blow connected. Ruby hit the ground and lay there for a minute, her mouth bleeding and a bruise forming on her cheek, stunned. Grace saw her chance and pinned Ruby beneath her, pressing her dagger to the rogue demon's throat.

“Don't hurt Ruby! I'll do anything you want, I swear!” Sam yelled, standing in between the bed and Dean, looking anxiously at the two demons. Dean watched them closely for a minute as well, making sure Grace didn't need any help.

Grace's eyes turned black as she and Ruby hissed at each other. Ruby squirmed beneath her and Grace tightened her hold, never taking her gaze from Ruby she said, “Alright then. Sam, listen to your brother for five damn minutes. If you even so much as breathe the wrong way I'll cut this bitch up.” She snarled, pressing the dagger harder to Ruby's throat.

Sam looked at Dean almost helplessly. “Fine Dean. You have my attention. What do you want?”

Dean, who had been holding a loaded gun and pointing it at Sam up until this point, lowered it. “You lied to me you bastard. You told me you where clean when you were really hyped up on demon blood. Do you have any idea of what you did while you had that damn shit in your system? You threw me around like I was a ragdoll! You hurt Grace really bad, you punched the hell out of Castiel, and you nearly killed Rachel! You nearly killed a fucking angel! God! What the Hell Sam? How can you live with yourself?! That's what the demon blood does to you. It'll make you kill everyone you care about, take away everything you love, especially your humanity. I don't even know you anymore. I can barely even call you my brother. It's like there's a darkness in you that you don't want to escape.” Sam looked away, tears of regret glistening in his eyes and sliding down his cheeks. Dean took a breath, pausing, then continued, “but it doesn't have to be that way. You can't save the world or defeat Lilith by yourself. Bobby, Grace, Rachel, Castiel, and I are your friends, your family. You don't have to do this alone Sam. We'll help you if you let us. You're not alone, you were never alone.”

Dean walked over to Sam and put a hand on his shoulder. “I'm your big brother Sammy. It kills me to see you like this. Please, just come home with Grace me. We'll figure out another way to save the world. We'll get you off of this demon blood stuff. We can go back to the way things used to be.” Dean's eyes misted slightly as he looked at his younger brother and saw the man he had become. “Please, just come home. I love you Sam.”

Sam looked at Dean for a moment, uncertain of what to do. Oh Dean, you don't know what I'd give to have things be the way they used to, but you've changed too much. I've changed too much. Dean watched Sam's face harden and the sadness in his eyes turned to regret and then anger. “I'm sorry Dean, but I have to do this. Alone. With my powers I'm saving people, I'm killing demons, and I have enough power now to defeat Lilith. Please Dean, try to understand, I'm only doing this so that you don't get hurt, so no one gets hurt. Once I've defeated Lilith, everything will go back to normal. But I have to do this by myself, for myself. You won't always be there to help me. I love you too Dean, and that's why I'm doing this.” He walked toward the door.

Dean bit back a sob as Sam walked away from him. “Sammy, if you go out that door, we're through. If you walk out that door you're turning your back on our family, our friends, on mom and dad and Jessica. If you leave now, we'll never hunt together again never talk to each other again, never see each other again. Please Sam, don't do this.”

But Sam walked out the door….

“There has to be something we're missing.” Castiel said, feeling on edge and irritated. So far, none of the people he and Rachel had spoken to were forthcoming with information. It was like the whole of Heaven was being silent on the matter. As the two angels walked down the streets of gold they came upon the angel Zachariah, whom they had both had earlier encounters with. Zachariah was talking with some other angels, and if he knew Castiel and Rachel were there, he paid them no mind. Rachel rolled her eyes and Castiel let out a breath, feeling very annoyed and impatient.

Ugh, we don't have time for this! Rachel thought, crossing her arms. The Apocalypse is only one seal and a few short hours away!

As if reading her mind, Castiel cleared his throat to speak, effectively getting the attention of Zachariah. “Excuse me Zachariah, but may I ask you something?” his tone was strained and Rachel could tell he was keeping a tight leash on his irritation.

Zachariah didn't seem to notice. “Oh, well now, isn't this a surprise? Castiel, finally growing into those big boy angel wings of yours and speaking out? And the Guardian is with him too! It's been a long time Rachel. To what do I owe the honor?” he said, offering his hand and acting as if it was eons and not days since he had last seen them. Castiel didn't make a move to shake hands, glaring at him and being immensely annoyed, so Rachel, tight lipped though she was, took it. “We have come here to ask you a question about the final seal Zachariah. Can you assist us in this matter or should my companion and I look for answers elsewhere?” she murmured, fighting the urge to bear her teeth. Angels like Zachariah were so obnoxious that she could barely stand being around them. It didn't help that they were smart asses and had inflated egos and superiority complexes. They absolutely abhorred and disgusted angels like Rachel and Castiel, and the only ones worse than Zachariah were archangels like Michael. Gabriel wasn't so bad but Michael's superior attitude made Rachel want to smite him with holy fire and laugh while he burned.

Zachariah either didn't notice how pissed off Castiel and Rachel was or he chose to ignore it. “Well, I guess I could help you out with information on the last seal, but it'll cost you two.” He said, looking at them with anticipation in his eyes. The other angels had walked away by this time, taking their conversation elsewhere. Rachel bit her lip to keep from shouting some ancient curses and Castiel spoke.

“What do we have that could be of interest to you?” he murmured curtly, very sure that he was going to regret asking the question. Zachariah smiled at them and spoke.

“Oh, don't worry, it's nothing much. I can tell you everything you want to know about the seal, but once I do, I want a chance to speak with Dean Winchester. Alone. I won't harm him, I just have a few things to tell him and I don't want the wrong ears listening in. I promise that once I'm done with him I'll return him to you just the way he was, unharmed.”

Castiel and Rachel exchanged glances. Neither one of them liked the idea, but it looked like they were out of options. They both agreed, however unwilling they were, to Zachariah's demand.

“Now, what can you tell us about the final seal? What is it? How do we stop it?” Castiel asked. Zachariah explained.

“The final seal is actually Lilith herself. She has to be destroyed for the final seal to break and for Lucifer to be set free on the Earth and loosed from the pit. Even as we speak, Sam Winchester is going in search of Lilith to destroy her. He will kill her, Lucifer will be free, and then the fun will begin. You see, you can't stop it. I have a plan, and that plan is for Lucifer to be freed. I want him on the Earth so that the Heavenly host can destroy him and all his demons so that peace will finally be established. I'm fairly certain our side will win. On the downside, all of humanity will perish. Although Dean Winchester will be the one to defeat Lucifer. Sam Winchester will have a part to play as well, but I've said too much already. When you think about it however, I'm sure you'll agree that my way is best. If you try and stop me, I'll send Michael your way, and you don't want to tangle with an archangel I'm sure. Now, so that you make good on your word, I'm going to pay a visit to Dean Winchester.” He vanished into the air. Castiel and Rachel looked at each other, utterly horrified.

“What are we going to do Cas?” she said in a small trembling voice.

“I don't know Rachel.” He said, shaking his head.

Rachel bit her lip, thinking hard. “Well, for the greater good, I guess I could take on the archangel. Michael can't be in two places at once, and if you go and get to Dean before Zachariah does, I can fight Michael mono a mono”

Castiel's eyes widened and he gasped. “You would do that for the world? For humanity?”

Rachel nodded. “And for us. Think about it, you and I have seen more of each other in these past few days than we have in millennia, and it's because we're helping mortals, Sam and Dean Winchester. If Zachariah got his way then I would hardly ever get to see you. I guess I'm being selfish, but I don't want to give them or you up. I'm willing to fight for that no matter what. I've never been happier, never felt more, never wanted more than I do now, and it's because I'm with you. I'm too stubborn to let you or the mortal ties I have go, so yes, I'm willing to take on Michael to keep you and them. During these last few days we've grown closer than we've ever been, and I want that. I want you, and if going against all of Heaven and everything we know is wrong, then I don't want to be right.”

Rachel expected Castiel to freeze up, to run away, to be struck speechless, but to her surprise, he did none of those things. Instead, he pulled her against his chest, wrapping his arms around her, holding her like he never intended to let her go.

“I don't want to be right either. I want you too Rachel, I've always wanted you, and I love you.”

“Oh, Cas” she whispered, pressing herself closer to him as she wrapped her arms around his neck, “I love you too.”

And this time, they really kissed. Lips touching, tongues melding, fire consuming them in a blaze of such heat, intensity, and passion that they were certain their mortal bodies would be incinerated. Centuries upon centuries of loneliness, celibacy, and need combined with an unconditional, timeless love that they'd always known to be between them but had been afraid to acknowledge, but being around mortals had taught them that it was okay to feel, to need, to love, and in that final moment of surrender between them, neither was able to hold back. In that kiss they both knew without any doubt that they loved and were in love with each other, and even more importantly than that, they weren't afraid to show it.

Neither Rachel nor Castiel wanted that moment to end, but they knew that time was running short. They prolonged the kiss, breaking it as slowly as they could, but breaking it none the less. They rested their foreheads against each other, panting, letting all of their repressed emotions and feelings wash over them as they held each other. As their eyes met they couldn't help but smile, because for the firs time in all of their existence, they were truly and utterly happy.

“I'll see you as soon as I can.” Castiel promised, cupping Rachel's porcelain face in his hands.

“Don't keep me waiting too long.” She murmured, laughing softly and kissing him lightly on the lips again. They held each other for one final moment before letting go. After murmuring a soft farewell Castiel disappeared. Rachel sighed and looked around. All of Heaven was vacant it seemed, except for herself. Then she felt an immense power and turned. Walking toward her was the Defender, the

Archangel of War.

Michael.

Rachel melded into her battle stance and steeled herself for combat . She pulled out her sword, and it began to glow with a bluish light, the angel wards and words of the Ancients that gave it power beginning to glow. They whispered through her mind, weaving spells of power and protection around her. She was going to fight and save everyone she loved.

Or die trying.

Maryland, Highway 69 7:57 p.m.

“Well, at least Ruby told us where to find Sam.” Grace murmured quietly, turning the radio down so that she could talk to Dean. He speedily drove down the highway, his knuckles white as he clutched the steering wheel. His face was a mixture of anger and sadness. He looked tired too, and the lines seemed to deepen around his eyes and mouth, making him look a few years older than he was. Grace wished there was something she could do to ease his burden, wished she knew what to say, but she couldn't think of much. So, instead of the ensuing silence getting any more awkward, she reached for his hand that lay on the arm rest between them. Instead of barking something rude or yanking his hand away like he would have done with anyone else, he laced his fingers with hers, giving them a light squeeze, saying nothing. The fact that she was offering him genuine comfort instead of distracting conversation meant a lot to Dean.

Grace knew better than to ask him how he felt, because in a way he'd already told her.

“I can't believe Sam would do this to me, to us, after all we've been through together. It's like your best friend stabbing you in the back and leaving you for dead.” He'd said.

They were headed down the highway, going to a Maryland covenant where Lilith was supposed to be.

That's where Sam would be.

Ruby had no problems coughing up the information, especially after Grace had taken her knife and threatened to kill her with it. Being killed with your own weapon was a sucky way to die, so Ruby had told them what they'd wanted to know in exchange for her life.

The gas light came on in the car and Grace heard Dean mutter a curse under his breath. They pulled into a gas station a few miles later and she stayed in the car while he filled it up. After he had paid for the gas he went inside to use the restroom and get a piece of pie. Grace couldn't blame him. It was probably the crappiest day of his life. She waited patiently out in the car and vaguely wondered how Rachel and Castiel were doing….

Dean grumbled about the terrible economy as he fished 4 dollars out of his wallet for a piece of pie. I don't care if it is cherry flavored, that's almost too much. This is the lousiest day ever. Stupid pie, stupid people, stupid Sam.

Sam….

That sorry Son of a Bitch, when I get through kicking his ass tonight he'll think twice about walking away from me. You don't walk away from your friends, or your family, or your brother.

Especially your brother…

Dean mentally cursed as his eyes misted up. Dammit Dean, pull it together! This isn't going to end up the way it did with dad. You can still save him! You have time! Dean paid for his pie and went into the restroom, needing to take a quick leak before he hit the road again. He was finishing up, washing his hands in the sink when he prayed please, God, if you're out there, it's me, Dean Winchester. Look, I know we don't talk much….okay ever, but I need a favor here. Please, just let me keep Sammy. He's my little brother, I'm supposed to watch out for him, you know? I swear to Heaven, I'll do whatever you want if you'll just save Sam.

The bathroom that Dean was in was suddenly filled with bright, pure, white light and in less than a second, Dean Winchester was gone.

Dean opened his eyes, squinting at the bright light that filled the golden room. He found himself seated in a very comfortable chair with a beer in his hand and three women surrounding him in bikinis with more beer. He vaguely wondered if he'd died and gone to Heaven, but as he thought about it, he realized that couldn't be right, because he couldn't remember how he'd died! Taking a sip of beer, he looked suspiciously at the golden walls and décor of the room. Looking glumly at the three women he sighed and took another sip. Before Grace, he would have killed to be in a situation like this, but now that he loved her, other women just didn't appeal to him. So, this can't be Heaven, I don't have everything I want.

A bald man in a suit suddenly appeared in front of him and he nearly choked on his beer. The man was dressed in a very expensive and tailored charcoal gray suit. He offered his hand out to Dean, who shook it, curious to know who the stranger was. He wasn't kept waiting for long.

“Hello Dean, my name is Zachariah. I brought you here, courtesy of your friends Rachel and Castiel, and I just want a little of your time. Once we're through here, I'll leave you be, but in the meantime go ahead and open another beer, on me of course. This little speech is going to take a bit.”

Dean opened another beer and drank, for the moment content to let the stranger talk. What the hell do Cas and Rachel have to do with this?

“In case you haven't figured it out yet, I'm an angel, and a very powerful one at that. The area you see before you is just a little gift from me, kind of a Personal Paradise if you will, your own little slice of Heaven. I brought you here because I've heard your prayers Dean, and I have an answer.”

Dean's eyes narrowed. “Keep talking.”

“Well, as far as your brother goes, he's very important to us at the moment, as are you. I'm here to tell you of a little plan of mine that's going to take place in the near future. You see Dean, angels and demons, good and evil, life and death, have been at war as long as time itself has stood. Everyone wins some an everyone loses some. I'm tired of losing. A solution is imminent however, when I happened upon you and your brother. You see, to bring peace to the Earth, I have a plan, and you and Sam are at the forefront. You're prayers will not go unanswered Dean, you will get to keep Sam for a little while longer. But, ultimately, you must part and choose sides. You see, in order for this world peace thing to work, you mortals need to be eliminated from the equation. All you do is destroy everything you touch and create wars. To eradicate this problem, you will end up leading the holy side, us angels, if you will, and Sam will end up leading the demons. You ask how this is possible. Well let me tell you. From the moments of your birth, you and Sam where chosen for the purpose of being vessels. You are to be Michael, the archangels' vessel, and Sam is to be Lucifer, the devil's vessel. You have no choice in the matter. You will ultimately fight and in the end peace will reign. It's really not so bad once you think about it. You and you're brother will be the main part in the most cosmic battle in the universe! You will the leaders in Armageddon, and you Dean shall lead us to victory and defeat Lucifer. I know it will be hard, destroying Sam, but it's for the greater good you see.”

I don't believe a word that this idiot is saying. He's nuts. I'd never kill Sam. He isn't that evil, and I'd never command any damn angels anyway. Is this Cas's idea of a joke? It's not very funny. Dean started to get up but the angel stopped him. “I'm not through yet Dean.” So he sat back down.

“You haven't heard about the final seal yet. You're brother has a part to play in that. You see, the final seal is actually Lilith herself, and once she is destroyed, the Apocalypse can begin. I want this to happen so that war will ensue and we will have the chance to smite the wicked an erase them from the face of the Earth permanently. I can't let you go Dean, because you would play the hero and go and stop your little brother, and I can't have that. So, Sorry Dean, but you're stuck here until the seal is broken. Then you'll get to see Sam.” Before Dean blinked, Zachariah was gone.

Dean got up. Along with the angel, the girls had disappeared too. The chair and beer were still left though, but he didn't care about that. All he cared about was getting out of there and getting to Sam. He tried every inch of the wall, but nothing would give. He looked around despairingly, realizing there wasn't any way out of the room. Dean mumbled a curse and hit the wall. Hearing a rustling sound, he turned and found Castiel standing there.

“Do you mind explaining to me what the hell is going on here Cas? Who the hell was that Zachariah guy? He said you and Rachel had something to do with this? Have you lost it? He told me about the first seal and his stupid damn plan too, and I'm not buying that or going through with it. We have to stop Sam from killing Lilith or the Apocalypse will start, so use some angel dust and get me the hell out of here!”

Castiel stood in silence for a moment. “Are you through?”

“What? Am I-….you bastard!” he punched Castiel squarely in the jaw. Castiel didn't move, although his head and neck twisted around to an odd angle. Dean was certain that if he'd hit a human like that he'd have a dead man on his hands, but Castiel just popped his head around. Dean winced, hearing the bones crack as they set themselves back into place.

“Dude, that is just gross.” He said, his eyes widening a bit. There was no bruising on Castiel's face, and if Dean had hit him so hard and had broken his jaw, he couldn't tell.

Castiel did not look amused.

“I guess I deserved that, I can't really think of why, but I guess I deserved that. Now, are you ready for me to get you out of here so that we can stop Sam from unleashing the end of the world upon us?” he said.

“Took you long enough to ask.” Dean mumbled. Castiel took out a knife, cut his hand, smeared his blood on the wall, and murmured a few words in the angel's language. Then, once his hand had healed, he grabbed Dean and a second later they were back at the gas station, outside his car. Dean got in the driver's seat and Castiel got in the back. Grace looked at them, confusion on her face, but said nothing.

“Hey, I'm back.” Dean said.

“Yeah, I can tell. It took you long enough. Um, didn't you forget something?” she asked, looking at them suspiciously.

“Oh yeah, I forgot my pie!” Dean said.

“That's not what I meant.” Grace murmured.

“Oh…..well, what did you mean?” he asked.

Grace looked at Castiel and at the empty space beside him.

“Where's Rachel?”

Rachel did a few back flips to distance herself from the attacks that Michael was dishing out. She nearly lost her balance on the glassy like ground of the planet that she and Michael were fighting on. They had decided not to damage the beauty of Heaven and found an uninhabited planet in a far away galaxy from Earth, not wanting the humans to see their skirmish either.

The instant she stopped to steady herself he appeared in front of her. She missed his punches by mere inches. She slid under him and leapt up behind him, twisting her body and aiming a sideways kick at him. He caught her leg with his hands and twisted her leg and body around.

She used her other leg to kick him in the face and he let her go. For a moment she was suspended in the air and she used this opportunity to angle herself so that as she went down she landed on her palms. She executed the maneuver flawlessly and tumbled forward, landing on her feet.

The split second before Michael grabbed her she whirled around and round house kicked him in the gut. He doubled over in pain and she used the opportunity to punch him in the face twice. His arm snaked out and he managed to land a punch on Rachel's face. She went sailing ten feet backward, feeling blood seep out of her mouth as the wind whipped through her hair. She hit the glass floor hard and skidded across it. She had just enough time for her wound to heal, about a second, before Michael grabbed her and pinned her to the ground.

Rage flashed in his eyes as he held here there, his hands around her neck, slowly strangling her. In one last desperate attempt to move she managed to get enough strength to knee him in the groin and get out from underneath him.

Running over to wear her sword lay, she grabbed it, turned, murmured a few words of protection and power, and ran at Michael with all her might. He sent a monstrous wave of energy at her head on, but Rachel used her sword to cut through it. Her sword glowed bright and the angel runes sparkled with glory and whispered of victory. As Rachel raised it above her head and gave a battle cry she stabbed Michael where his heart should have been, yanked her sword out, spinning around a few times as her sword caught fire, blazing numerous cuts and gashes in his flesh. Rachel couldn't kill him of course, but she could wound him so badly that he'd leave.

She managed to stab him where all of his vital organs should have been, except his brain. He was bleeding gallons of blood by this time, and even though it didn't really make a difference as far as he was concerned, he now had to find another person to possess, because Rachel had all but incinerated the meat suit he was using.

With a defiant look gleaming in his eyes, she saw his spirit leave the beaten body behind. It fell in a bloody heap of skin at her feet. She sighed, glad the fight was over, and healed her own wounds. Due to the fact that God himself had personally created her mortal form and it wasn't born, her body was able to take a lot more damage than any poor person's husk that Michael used. She got up, making sure her body was at its normal state, and flew at the speed of light to Earth, where Dean, Castiel, and Grace where.

Maryland, Highway 69 9:13 p.m.

“So all we have to do is stop Sam from killing Lilith? Wow. That sounds really easy.” Dean said, driving down the highway to the convent.

“Exactly, but it only sounds easy. Preventing it is going to be harder to do.” Castiel murmured. At that moment, Rachel appeared in the seat beside him. Grace squealed with joy and Dean nearly drove off the road.

“Will you guys quit doing that? I nearly had a wreck just now!” Dean said half annoyed, just as glad as everyone to have Rachel back.

“Sorry, but if I forewarn you it might freak you out. Most mortals get scared when I communicate with them telepathically.” Rachel said.

Dean raised an eyebrow. “Couldn't you just call Grace's cell phone or something?”

Rachel shrugged. “I never tried it.”

Castiel slipped an arm around her. “It's good to have you back.” He murmured, kissing her deeply. This didn't go unnoticed by the couple up front.

“It's about freaking time! Get some ass Cas!” Dean said, his eyes widening as he grinned and let out a low whistle, putting a steady hand on Grace so that she didn't leap out of the seat.

Grace managed to contain herself long enough for Castiel and Rachel to break the kiss and then flung herself on her friend. Dean nearly had a wreck again because Grace's ass had hit his elbow, but he didn't mind because it was obvious that she was happy for Rachel and Castiel. Once Rachel managed to pry Grace off of her she leaned back, into Castiel, who had an arm wrapped around her back, his hand resting very covertly on her hip while she placed her head on his shoulder. Grace asked Rachel a million questions about the archangel fight and her sword, but then her attention got diverted as Bon Jovi's Wanted Dead or Alive came on the radio and she and Dean started singing to it. It was a surprisingly happy drive down the road, and there was a feeling of a desperate need to have one last good time before the potential end of the world. So, Dean and Grace sang to their hearts content and Castiel and Rachel snuggled in the backseat, everyone willing themselves not to think of how everything could be different tomorrow.

The Covenant 10:43 p.m.

Sam barged through the door of the covenant and found Lilith standing in the middle of the floor.

“Hello Sam. Come to kill me?” she asked, her yellow eyes flashing. Sam took a step toward her, calling on his psychic powers to come forth so that he could send her back to hell where she belonged.

“I bet you can't kill me Sammy. You're father wasn't strong enough to, your brother isn't either, so why should you be able to do it?” she asked.

“Because, I have something they don't.” Sam stretched his hand out to her, gathering all of his power and channeling it into her. Slowly, he began to squeeze the demon spirit out of the body she possessed. The harder he squeezed, the more black smoke came out of her mouth. Even so, Lilith continued to mock him. Then a pounding on the door interrupted his thoughts.

“Don't do it Sam! You can't kill Lilith! Let me in Sam, I can help you!” Dean pounded outside the door, yelling for his brother. Grace, Rachel, and Castiel stood outside along with him.

“Oh look, it's your brother again, having to save poor little Sammy. Can't you do anything by yourself?” Lilith said acidly. Sam squeezed with his mental powers harder, longer.

“Sam, open the door! Lilith is the final seal! You can't kill her! You'll unleash the Apocalypse if you do! Sam please, listen to me! I'm sorry about everything I ever said to you! You're not a monster Sam! You can fight this! You can save us all if you just let Lilith go!” Dean cried desperately.

“Hmm? So you're not a monster are you? I beg to differ Sam, and you know I'm right. There isn't a man with a soul as black as yours. Nothing you do can save you from your sins. How can you save the world when you can't even save yourself?” Lilith sneered laughingly.

“Shut up!” Sam screamed, not listening to his brother or Lilith anymore. Abandoning all rational thought he squeezed Lilith out of the hollow husk she inhabited all at once. He backed up. The door flew open and he looked at his friends who were like a family to him. He opened his mouth to speak, but Ruby's laughter sent a shiver down his spine.

“Bravo Sam. You did an excellent job. I lured you here so that you could defeat Lilith and open the final door, breaking the last seal. You mortals are so weak, gullible. I had you eating out of the palm of my hand. Congratulations Sam Winchester, you just brought on the Apocalypse.” She vanished into thin air. Lightening flashed outside and thunder shook the building to its very roots. A huge hole edged with flames opened up in the floor. Everyone backed up to the doorway. Sam exchanged looks with everyone, and he could see it in their eyes that they forgave him. But no one's forgiveness meant more to him than Deans'. The brothers shared a short hug before a monstrous roar came from the pit. It hurt Sam and Dean's ears so bad that they hit the floor. Grace knelt with them, trembling in fear, and Castiel and Rachel hit their knees as well, holding each other.

The little group had time to huddle together and Rachel whispered a single prayer for protection before white light engulfed them and everything in the room, then they heard and thought no more.