Disclaimer: I own nothing; this is just for entertainment and something for me to distract myself with while I try really, really hard to quit smoking. This is set after the Apocalypse. Sam said yes. Dean didn't. Dean thought his brother dead, nothing more than a vessel. But he was wrong. Sam was alive. This chapter is the lead up to Sam saying 'yes' the next chapter will be what happens after the Apocalypse.
Sam knew what he was doing when he said 'yes' he knew the bigger picture. Knew if he said yes and couldn't throw the Devil into the box the world was screwed. And not the happy kind of screwed with a cigarette at the end either. He had left Dean at Bobby's, both men fast asleep. He knew he only had a small window of opportunity before Dean woke up and realized what Sam was going to do. All his life Dean had done everything he could to protect Sam. Every time their Dad left on a hunt his last words were always to Dean. 'Look out for Sam' or 'Take care of your brother' it was always Dean sacrificing for Sam. After Dean sold his soul, Sam promised himself to do whatever he had to do to keep Dean alive. When they found out about Michael's sword Sam knew he would die before letting his brother say 'yes.'
So here he was on a road in the middle of no where looking out into a field. Waiting, he knew what had to be done but the internal struggle to do what needed to be done was waging war inside his mind. He had left a note for Dean short sweet and to the point. Unusual for Sam but he figured his normal longwinded need to talk would not make the situation any better for Dean. So he opted to keep the letter short. Told Dean not to worry he knew what he was doing. Not that he had any idea beyond the basic idea of what he was doing. Cas has told him some things but not everything, besides there was no 'How-to' manual on his current situation. For the most part he was going to have to wing it and hope it was enough to put the Devil in his box. It had to be enough. This was the only way. No one else could stop the devil. Heaven and Hell had both told him he was the only one. Granted both sides were after something for themselves, but in the end they were both right about one thing. Sam was the only one that could end this. So here he was. Waiting for good ol' Lucy himself. Lucky for Sam he didn't have to wait long. The Devil walked straight towards him, in a brief moment when the clouds passed over the moon Sam could have sworn he saw Castiel standing far off to the side. He didn't get the chance to look closely, a simple nod of his head and Sam was no more. He was now a vessel, meat flesh and bones holding Evil himself inside. Sam's world was now filed with darkness, the slow hum of power all he could hear.
It was hot, not just the normal kind of hot either. I mean hotter than hell hot. Which could in fact be true, Hell was known for being Hot. Vague flashes of memories swam in Sam's head. Flashes of violence and carnage, demons that refused to cooperate being ripped to shreds, hell hounds growling and snarling awaiting a command from their one true master. The screams of Hells inhabitants echoed back in forth in his mind. Alistair would have been proud. If he had been alive to see. That was one thing Sam knew, Alistair was dead. Lucifer was in his box, he had done what he set out to do. So why was Sam still in Hell? And why were Hell Hounds looking at him with their heads cocked to the side like a Dog waiting for their owner to throw a ball? Not to mention the woman standing a few feet in front of him with long brown hair and dark wings. Why did she have wings? Wasn't this Hell? Did angels help him? Who was this girl?
"Hello Sam. I'm Ella, a Guardian." He must have spoken out loud with out realizing it. Her wing fluttered a moment. He could feel the air around him move.
"Ella? Nice name," If Ella knew Sam at all she would see his patented 'bitch-face' looking back at her. "Where am I?"
"Hell Sam." She said it like she was throwing out an off handed comment about the weather. "More accurately you're standing outside the devils gate."
"How do I get out of here?"
"You don't get yourself out of here. I get you out. But I can't let you out just yet."
"Why the fuck not? I did what I was supposed to do. I put Lucifer back in his cage. I want to go home. I need to go home. I left my brother up there. My other brother is who knows where with an archangel riding him around! What else am I supposed to do?" Sam's anger was at a boiling point.
"Dean is safe Sam, and I will make sure he stays safe. You have my word on that. As for Adam he is back where he belongs in Heaven." She paused a moment before starting again. "Sam, what you did no one thought was possible; you put Lucifer back in his cage and took Michael with you. An archangel Sam, the Archangel, the one to end the Apocalypse. He and his brother were supposed to fight till Earth looked like the ruins of Rome. But you stopped it. You changed the outcome of a prophesy foretold eons ago. You changed the fate of the world Sam."
Yea it was true, but it still sounded odd. As happy as he was that he had done it he wasn't going to let on to her that he was proud of himself. "Thanks for pointing out the obvious, but I still don't know what you want from me."
"It's not what I want Sam, it's what you have to do to survive. I could let you out right now, let you go topside. But the second any Demon finds you, you're dead. You caged the beast, their leader the Messiah of Evil. What do you think a Demon would do to you if they catch you? Give you a slap on the wrist?" Ella gave a small laugh at her own joke, and Sam cracked a smile. She was not trustworthy yet but she somehow reminded Sam of Dean.
"Ok I get it, I go topside and every Demon is gonna be hunting me down. So what do I do? I'm not staying down here forever, if that's what you're suggesting you should kill me now." Sam's anger was dissipating; his hunter's training coming back to him. Figure out where you are and find a way out. If Ella knew a way out Sam was going to get her to help.
"I can't kill you Sam." For the first time Ella spoke with absolute calm and conviction in her words.
"You look like you could, why haven't you tried yet?"
"I told you Sam I'm a Guardian. I guard things. Sometimes people sometimes places, and every once in a while I guard an object; like your sword. I've been Guarding your sword for almost 3,000 years. I've been here in Hell for five years waiting for you to claim your sword. Now that you have it my orders have changed."
"Changed how?"
"I guard you now, until your training is complete. There are things you must know Sam. Drinking as much Demon blood as you did then letting Lucifer ride you is unheard of. No one thought you could do it. And now that you have, there are things you must know how to do."
Sam took a deep breath at the mention of Demon blood. He wasn't proud of what he did, but it helped him to cage Lucifer, it was a catch 22 in his mind. Did he do the right thing or not? He walked over to a near by wall and slid slowly to the ground, leaning his sword next to him, close enough to grab if needed. He closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration. A few deep calming breaths later he was ready to ask questions again.
"What do I need to know? And how do I know for sure my Brothers are safe? How do I know I can trust you?"
"You trusted Castiel didn't you?" Ella said completely ignoring Sam's first question.
Sam quickly opened his eyes, "How do you know Cas?"
"Castiel isn't an Archangel Sam, but he was still sent to pull your brother from hell. He stayed to protect your brother. Haven't you ever wondered why?"
Yea he did wonder about that but he always trusted Dean. If Dean said Cas was trustworthy then he was. But Ella made a great point. What was Cas doing with them? The war involved angels yes but all the angels they had run into had been archangels, why wasn't Cas?
"Ok I'll bite, what is Cas if he's not and archangel?"
"Castiel is an angel Sam, he always has been. But he's more than just that. Castiel has been the Gate-Keeper for centuries. His first task as an angel was to guard the Gates out of Hell. For years that was his only task; until your brother made that deal. Then his task changed, he fought by my side for months to get to your brother out of the pit. After, his orders changed yet again, he became your brothers Guardian. "
Realization slowly dawned on Sam's face. Cas was a Guardian Angel, as clichéd as that sounded. So was Ella. He had his own Guardian Angel; maybe God had some faith in Sam after all. Either that or God had a lot of pity for Sam. He was actually okay with both options at this point.
"So you have to guard me and Cas guards Dean?"
"Yes"
"Huh, well that's interesting. So, what do I need to know to get out of here?"
"It's not just what you need to know Sam; it's what you need to do as well."
End of the first chapter. The next chapter is going to jump ahead to the last scene in 'Swan Song' where we see Sam under the street light. I like the idea of time moving faster in Hell than up here on Earth, so I'm going to use that in this story. But don't worry you'll still find out about Sam's training with Ella in the form of flashbacks. Hope you guys liked it. Oh and before I get reviews asking how Ella can be an Angel and in Hell, don't worry that will be explained in chapter 2 or 3.