Author's Note: So this is my first for The Walking Dead and Supernatural so don't be too harsh if I muck things up. Obviously, this will take place seconds after Beth's death and then from there I'll just make things up as I go.
As for the Winchesters, Sam is in his late twenties and Dean his early thirties. The brothers have been through a lot- although Dean bears no mark of Cain and Heaven closed it's doors the second Lucifer broke free of his cage (yes, I made Lucifer break free)- and they're just trying to survive like everyone else.
If you have any questions, feel free to ask. Otherwise, enjoy!
BANG!
Beth Greene was taught to believe that when her time had come, she'd be led through a darkened tunnel with a bright light at the end of it until she was standing just outside of Heaven's Gate to be let in and reunited with her dearly departed. However, that was not the case.
One second, she was staring down Dawn with defiance and hatred that she'd never felt before in her life and the next.. nothing. It was like all her senses ceased to exist all together and she was thrown into a black void. There was no light at the end of the tunnel and there were no pearly gates that led into Heaven itself.
But why? she had wondered. Hadn't I lived the life I was meant to? What did I do wrong?
She can't figure out the answer as to why she's stuck- was this Hell?- and after what seemed like an eternity of darkness, she is granted movement. She flexes her fingers, rolls her shoulders, and takes a step forward. The black void goes on forever and no matter how many times she blinks or rubs at her eyes- it remains black.
Beth wants to cry, to scream out but she just doesn't have the strength to do so. So instead, she just keeps on walking into nothingness.
It seems like she walks for days on end- walking without a way to see where she's going or if she's going in the right direction or if she's even going anywhere at all. She doesn't get tired nor is she hungry but she just wants all of this to stop. If she can't be with her family in Heaven or the Lord himself, well then she'd rather be back on earth where it seemed as if Hell on earth was happening.
As soon as that thought filters through her mind, Beth is blinded by the sudden white light that floods her senses. Eyes clamp shut against the harshness of it and instead of opening her eyes, she waits until the light fades behind closed lids. When she feels it's safe enough, she opens her eyes only to find herself in a place that appears to be untouched by the virus of the dead.
Freshly cut green grass stretches on for miles all around her, and trees full of lush leaves sway in a gentle breeze. The sky is a shade of blue she hasn't seen in a very long time- dotted with a few clouds as sun shines down warmly- and birds chirp happily as they jump from branch to branch.
A smile breaks out across Beth's face, she stretching her arms out at her side as she looks upward and lets the sun warm her skin. And when she finally chances a look at her own body, she realizes that she is just as untouched as this place is. Her skin is as clean as can be- and as pale as she had last remembered it- and her usual bracelets adorn her left wrist. Her brown boots are in mint condition and the gray fitted jeans tucked into said boots have not one stain or tear in them. Instead of the yellow collared shirt that she remembered wearing last, she now wears a black sleeveless tank with its hemline that falls to her hips and when her hands lift up towards her hair, there is not one tangle in it. Instead, she realizes that her hair is up in its usual ponytail with her bangs loose and framing her face, curling beneath her chin.
A chuckle finally escapes her lips as she twirls, eyes closing again as she relishes in the beauty of where she's at. Even as she comes to a stand-still, her eyes remain closed to just cherish the moment.
"You're as beautiful as I last remembered," a very familiar voice calls out- a voice which has Beth's eyes immediately snapping open and tearing up at the sight before her. "Although, I had hoped it'd still be a long while before I saw you again."
"Daddy?"
"Hello, sweetheart."
Hershel Green stands about ten yards from her, a foot propped up on a railing of the white gazebo he stands in. He's clean shaven and smiling, his white hair no longer long enough to be put in a ponytail as she had last remembered. Although, he's still wearing the jeans and white long-sleeve with suspenders that she remembered all too well from their life on the run.
Beth wastes no time in running to him, he smiling and chuckling as she tackles him in a hug. "I've missed you so, so much!"
Her arms immediately go around his waist as she lays her head over his heart, Hershel chuckling as he lays his cheek atop her head. "And I missed you. We all missed you, sweetheart."
"We?" she asks, pulling back slightly from the hug so she can stare her father in the eyes. "So I am in Heaven?"
"Yes.. and no," he tells her. Beth's smile falters and Hershel feels his heart ache for what he has to tell her soon. "Heaven is- it's not just one, Beth. There are literally billions of Heavens up here- every person having their own little slice of it, and it's up to the individual soul to mould it to their liking. But if you wish to spend time with someone, all you have to do is think about them and follow the path to their Heaven. It's really something else up here- a lot more than what we thought and it's so beautiful, sweetheart."
Beth brightens up once more, gaze then moving to the lush green and sunny scenery around them. "Then where's Momma and the others? Why aren't they here?"
Hershel's brief moment of silence has Beth suddenly feeling wary- even more so when she finally meets her father's gaze once more. He's smiling down at her though she can see the sadness within his eyes and before she can ask what's wrong, he's gesturing to the bench a few yards away from the gazebo they're standing in. "Come along, Beth. There's something I need to speak with you about."
She follows him to a white wooden bench, the both of them taking a seat just as Hershel reaches for one of her hands and grasps it between both of his. "Daddy, what's wrong?"
She can see him smiling even as his head is tilted downward to stare at their hands, and when he glances up, she sees his eyes filled with unshed tears. "You have a decision to make, sweetheart, and I'm afraid it's not going to be an easy one."
"A decision? A decision about what?"
"Well, you can either stay here in Heaven with your mother and I or you can return to Earth to help Maggie and the others right the world to what it once was."
Beth blinks rather owlishly at her father, her heart picking up speed at the words that just came from his mouth. "But I d-died, daddy. There is no going back. And Mr. Grimes said there was no cure. The man from the CDC told him that, remember?"
And shaking his head sadly, Hershel tells her just how it is all possible. "There's a lot more going on that we were blind to. Being up here in Heaven, it's obvious that He is real. So if He's real, angels and demons are real, as well as every monster that children are told about to keep them in bed at night and around campfires to keep them spooked. It's all real, Beth."
By now, Beth's heart is hammering. "Why are you telling me this?" she asks meekly, not bothering to doubt her father's words.
"Because you need to know what you're getting into if you decide to help," he admits. Letting go of her hand, Hershel fidgets in place until his hand reaches into his pant pocket, his hand wrapping around something that he doesn't show her just yet when he holds his hand before her once more. "If you return to earth, you're not going down empty-handed."
Palm then opening, Beth glances down at a small corked vial- a blue, nearly white ethereal substance floating about on the inside. "What is that?"
"An angel's grace." Beth gasps, glancing up at her father only to see him smiling. "He has granted you this- He's chosen to make you an angel but only should you return." Hershel pauses, closing his hand around the vial when Beth reaches out to touch it. "You should also know that with this grace comes a very important mission."
"Righting the world?" she guesses.
"Yes.. but the group alone won't be able to do it, Beth. You're going to need help and that help comes in the form of Dean and Sam Winchester, and a fallen angel by the name of Castiel."
"Who are Sam and Dean?"
"That's a question for somebody else to answer, sweetheart. I'm afraid I'm going to need your answer right now on what you want to do."
"Right now?! But I just got here, daddy! I want to see momma and the others."
"I know you do but seeing them will only make the decision that much harder, Beth. It has to be this way. I'm truly sorry."
Beth is completely torn, eyes shimmering with tears that she refuses to let fall. Her mind is telling her to stay- she fought as hard and as long as she could- and this was her prize for doing so. But her heart- her heart wants to be there for her sister and the group that had become a part of her family when the virus took over the world. She doesn't know what to do and she knows she has very little time to answer but as her mind replays everything her father's told her, she realizes something. He wants her to do this seeing as He chose to make her an angel for the mission and if He wants her to do this, well then she's going to keep her faith strong and continue to serve Him no matter what.
"I'll do it."
Hershel practically beams at her decision even though he had seemed he didn't want her to leave, but the heartwarming hug Beth suddenly finds herself a part of is very telling. "I'm so proud of you, darling. You're going to accomplish great things; I just know it." When he pulls out of the embrace, he stands and tugs on her hand to follow. Passing the vial of grace into her hand, Hershel then places both hands on her shoulders and catches her gaze. "Since I've been up here, we've all been keeping an eye out on you and Maggie. We're so proud of the young women you've become, honey."
"Daddy-" Beth chokes out, one tear finally falling and starting a chain reaction as the others flow down her cheeks.
"Now you listen and you listen well." Beth sniffles some though she sucks it up to listen to him. "The next time I see you, it better because you're ready to come back and you have wonderful stories about your adventures to tell us."
"I will, I promise," she says as she gives him a watery chuckle.
Hershel hums and once again, the father and daughter are clutching each other in a hug. "I love you, sweetheart."
"And I love you, daddy," she cries freely now once she realizes this is goodbye.
One moment Hershel's there and the next, he vanishes.
Beth's chest heaves with sobs, her arms falling to her side when she feels nothing but air in front of her. Her fingers clench around the glass vial in her right hand- she then bringing up her hand to stare down at the vial while wiping away her tears with her other hand. Once she's calm enough and her face is dry, she wonders just what exactly she is to do with this grace of hers.
"In all my years, I've never seen one's grace bottled up until today." Beth startles at the partially deep feminine voice, head snapping up to find an elder woman standing in the middle of the field before her. "You must be Beth Greene; I'm Ellen Harvelle. It's nice to meet you." The woman is smiling kindly, brunette hair framing her face. A blue plaid shirt lays unbuttoned atop a light blue tee, jeans cling to her legs, and boots adorn her feet. Thumbs hooked in the front pockets of said jeans, Ellen's smile widens. "Well, come on down here, girl. I'm not gonna bite. You have a world to return to and save."
Beth seems hesitant to approach the woman but upon realizing that this is a part of Heaven she's in, well then this woman couldn't be all that dangerous and approaches Ellen with thinly veiled curiosity. "Are you the one who's supposed to tell me who the Winchesters are?"
"That and so much more," she answers with sparkling eyes. "What did your father tell you 'bout the boys?"
"N-nothing much," Beth stammers. "Just that I'm supposed to help them right the world- a world that supposedly has monsters in it though I'm not sure what monsters have to do with riddin' the world of walkers."
"Monsters have everything to do with your mission, Beth." The blonde's brows pull together in confusion and Ellen sighs out sadly before explaining. "The Winchesters- they're Hunters. Not hunters that hunt animals but hunters that hunt the supernatural. Ghosts, demons, werewolves, vampires.. you name the monster, they hunt it. In your mission to put Lucifer back in his cage and rid the world of walkers, as you called them, every demon and monster is going to make sure you fail."
"W-what?!"
"You'll be fine," Ellen tells her, her voice as calm as can be. "The boys know what they're doing and you- you young lady are going to be a bonafide angel." Beth freezes mid-panic, her gaze then falling down her hand holding the vial as she raises her hand up in front of her to stare at the vial in question again. "That right there will give you your very own powers. You'll be able to smite a demon with just your hand or smite a whole horde if you concentrate just enough. You'll be able to fly from place to place and you'll be able to heal the wounded. You'll sense when danger is near and where a person's location is if you concentrate just so. But since you're brand new and don't know how to use these powers just yet, you need Castiel to teach you. If you use too much without the knowledge of what you're doing, you'll drain easily and will need rest to replenish. But Castiel- Castiel will be able to do all that and more without tiring once he's back to his old self, and he'll have the time to teach you exactly what you need to do."
"And how is Castiel to get back to his old self if he's a fallen angel?" Beth asks.
"With this." From her shirt pocket, Ellen pulls out yet another vial of grace- this one connected to a rope cord. "Castiel lost his grace a while back and his Father thought it was high time it was returned."
Beth numbly nods, her gaze falling back to her own grace in her hand and her mind running a mile a minute about everything she's been told so far. "How do I- how does this work?"
"Break the vial or uncork it," Ellen shrugs. "It's your grace so once it's free, it'll do what it needs to do on it's own."
Beth's absentmindedly nodding now, turning the vial over in hand with just her fingers. She gathers her courage, gulping once and then twice before throwing caution to the wind and pulling the cork free from the tiny bottle. Just as Ellen had said, the grace does as it's supposed to. It floats up and out of the vial in a wispy dance, floating closer and closer to her lips.
"Is it supposed to-"
"Just accept it," Ellen murmurs.
Beth inhales shakily, her grace entering through her mouth and setting off every nerve in her body. She can feel the hum of power in her veins, her grace ingraining itself into her very being. The transformation makes her stretch up on her toes, the vial slipping from her hands as she swells with energy.
One second she feels like she can take on the world and the next, she feels just as ordinary as before. "Wow. That was- that-"
"That was beautiful," Ellen cuts her off. "And really something special to witness. Now come on, little savior, you have a mission to complete."
Beth beams now, ready to take on anything as she enthusiastically nods along in agreement. As Ellen chuckles and bends down, Beth sees that a really large duffel bag has appeared at their feet. "What's this?"
"Everything that a Hunter could want and need," Ellen huffs, unzipping the bag to show Beth the contents. Pulling out a long and slim triangular silver blade, Ellen shows Beth that there are numerous more inside. "This here is an Angel Blade. It can kill both demons and angels- not all angels are nice, you'll find out soon enough- and it'll do just fine to put down a walker like a normal blade." Beth looks wary now but lets Ellen know that she's paying attention. "There are two small velvet bags in here, one full of anti-possession amulets to pass around your group to keep 'em safe from demons and the other containing the rings that make the key for Lucifer's cage. Don't worry, Dean and Sam know what to do with them." Beth gulps and shakily nods, and Ellen continues on. "You have some food and water to last a few days even though you'll come to learn you won't need food or sleep once you reach your full potential, and there's also a variety of weapons and ammunition that should keep you safe before you stumble upon the Winchesters."
"Okay."
Ellen zips the bag back up, Castiel's vial of grace dangling from her left hand as she smiles at Beth- Beth who's now working on trying to control her breathing and remain calm. She can feel that her time in this lovely is coming to an end, and wondering about her journey back is starting to make her anxious.
"Here you go," Ellen then says, slipping the rope cord over Beth's head and letting Castiel's grace hang around her neck like a necklace. "Only in the presence of Castiel will this necklace come off so don't be too worried about losing it."
Blowing out a sigh of relief, Beth seems to lose some tension in her shoulders. "That's good to know. But when I'm down there, how will I know who the Winchesters are? In case you haven't been taking a peek, people have taken drastic measures to survive and it's not easy to trust just anyone anymore."
"Oh, honey, you'll know."
And in a move that showcased how trusting Ellen was of Beth, Ellen opens up her arms for a hug and embraces Beth with a laugh. "Give those knucklehead Winchesters a slap upside the head for me, will 'ya? Lord knows they need it."
Giggling nervously, Beth agrees. "I will."
Feeling the goodness and motherly vibe coming from the elder woman, Beth can't help but sink into Ellen's embrace. They share a brief hug and when pulling out of the embrace, Ellen's smile is tinged with sadness before she's pressing a kiss to Beth's forehead and murmuring some type of incantation.
Images flash across closed eyelids and information is seared into Beth's mind.
First mission, find the Winchesters.
Second mission, find Maggie and the group.
Third mission, find Castiel and return his Grace.
Fourth and final mission, put Lucifer back in his cage.
Though they only have four missions to complete, Beth knows nothing will come easy for them especially with demons and monsters trying to stop them. And just as the last of the images flash in her mind, Beth is once again submerged in a black void.