Every story has an end and their story is no different. Ryce has played the game and she has paid the price for it all.
Now she finds herself standing by the Impala that she has called home for so many years. She looks at the car and is reminded of all the times she has spent in that car.
Is reminded of the love that is that car making them feel safe in world that isn't.
-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-
Dean looks at her and for some reason everything just clicks into place for him. She stands there before him her arms crossed as if she is hugging herself she looks sad and a bit lost.
"Dean promise me something."
"Anything," His words come out hushed as if he's afraid to speak to loudly and shatter the stillness that surrounds them.
"When this is over take our son and live a normal life. Free yourself from us and never look back."
"You'll be there wont you?"
"No I don't think so," She pauses, tears her eyes away from his, and looks out at nothing.
"I think that this maybe the end of the line for me Dean. I don't think that I'll make it."
He wishes she would stop talking like that, stop talking all doom and gloom because she's gonna make it.
She will live to fight another day and he wants to tell her that but something inside stops him. And, it just kills him because he finally understands that she's it for him. That she's the one he has been looking for.
She told him once before that he was it for her that no one could ever come close to her heart like he has. Now he knows that he feels the same way and it might be too late.
"Your not going to say yes are you Rye?" She doesn't answer him and he thinks that's answer enough.
"Just promise me Dean that you'll take our boy and live."
"I promise firefly."
She smiles at the nickname and he just wants to pull her to him and never let go.
"Remember Dean, never opened myself this way life is ours, we live it our way," She starts.
"All these words I don't just say and nothing else matters" And he finishes.
-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o
They stand there the three of them as they had for so many years.
Sam on one side Dean on the other and Ryce in the middle.
Because it's poetic that way but, there's nothing about this night that is poetic.
-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o
Sam is saying yes while she and Dean watch on. And, Lucifer taunts them as he has so many other times.
Except this time, Ryce feels different senses that something is different. She just can't put a finger on it.
Lucifer of course knows about the rings like she knew he would. Dean and the others just needed the hope that would be the one thing he wouldn't know.
It was futile at best something, she knew but kept quiet about.
Lucifer looks at her while he taunts her boys and a cold chill runs through her body. But, she doesn't show any outward sign because she won't give him the satisfaction.
Lucifer has a knife in his hands and she wonders where it came from but doesn't pay much mind because somewhere in the back of her mind she knows.
Her time is up and she's done with.
The devil is in front of her before either Dean or Sam could protest and he sinks the blade into her chest. She feels her life's blood bubble up and pours out her mouth and the wound.
Tears flow down her cheeks and he lets her fall to her knees.
She can hear Dean call out to her but she can no longer answer she dying and her vocal cords no longer work.
In a flash their, all gone leaving her to die alone except that she's not alone not anymore.
-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o
Ariel comes to her vessel knowing that the time is drawing near. She whisper words of comfort and lies in the ear of our fallen heroine.
Telling her to accept her destiny to do what she was born to do. However, our heroine keeps on fighting.
Until Ariel threatens to kill the man, that Ryce has been in love with most of her life and the child that is her own.
Only then does she accept the fallen angel into her body. Hoping against hope that she could be as strong as Sam and fight a white light engulfs the room.
-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o
Dean has been knocked out only for a second he gets up and looks around seeing his brother lying on the ground out cold.
"Sammy!" He yells and it seems to get through because soon Sam is getting up on shaky legs.
"Ya gotta do it now!" He says and chucks the rings at a wall and chants the words that will open Lucifer's cage.
Soon there is a gapping hole where a wall once was. Dean looked inside but could see nothing but darkness could here nothing but screams of the damned.
Sam walks over to the hole his legs still shaky but at the last moment, he turns and looks at Dean.
That's when he knows that his little brother isn't in control.
"Sammy isn't home Dean, I was just messing with ya." He says as he turns back and says a chant that closes the hole back up and ends all his hopes.
-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o
Now one would think that this is the end. That it all stops here a big fight is gonna happen and either hell or heaven is gonna win right?
Well sorta but there's one celestial being that just isn't done yet. He still has his plans because he loves all his children.
-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o
Ariel joins her lover where he waits for his brother and for the great battle to begin. It in a little cemetery in a town where this all began.
Where two brothers were born and led into a life that would ultimately lead them to this day of their lives. It's still dark and there are no signs of life around them.
"Darling," Ariel coo's to him the word rolling of her tongue like silk.
"Ariel," Her name falls from his lips like a sigh and she feels like she has come home.
However, there is something different in his tone she can tell and it sends shivers up her spine.
To hide the tell tale sign she pulled her vessels sleeves down over her hands and pulled the jacket tighter around her body.
She begins to truly worry when his eyes never leave hers and the look in them actually scares her.
He walks over to her and she pretends to be happy about it. Plastering on a smile that's fake but hopes it looks real.
"Lucifer my love you are finally in your true vessel," She says once he is close enough.
"Yes I am, and I see that you are to my dear." He says but he doesn't sound too happy about it. His eyes fall to the blood stained hole that is on the shirt of her vessel.
And, not for the first time she wonders why he tried to kill the girl. There was no reason for him to do so. Because he doesn't want you here with him.
Ariel is so shocked to hear Ryce's voice that she gasps and an odd smile crosses her lover's mouth.
She believes that Ryce just maybe right that he had intended to kill her vessel to keep her in a weak one so she would be easier to kill. In a flash Lucifer is on her his right hand around her throat his sword in his left hand.
"I am sorry my dear," He says and he almost sounds sincere.
The only thing she could think of to say were the truest words she had spoken in eons.
All these years she had blamed her father, and his children on earth. When she should have been blaming her lover for being a bad son should have been blaming herself for being a bad daughter.
"Father forgive me for I was wrong." She whispered as Lucifer drew his sword ready to strike her down.
Tears flowed down her borrowed cheeks and she prayed that her father was kind enough to forgive her for her sins.
-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o
Now you would think that this is the end of at least one fallen angel and maybe you are right and maybe your not.
You'll just have to wait and see for now lets join one brother as he searches for away to reach his younger sibling.
-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o
"There has to be another way!" Dean practically growls.
"It was a long shot at best we knew that going into this." Bobby tries to reason as he walks away from the TV that brings only bad news.
Dean looks at the man and sees how tired he is how sad he is how tired he looks.
They all have lost someone tonight and he thinks of Ryce's body that is still laying in that broken down apartment. Killed at the hands of Lucifer and his blood boils and he wants to try even harder.
"There has to be another way! Cas where is the final battle being fought?"
"I don't know and even if I did we can't stop it. It's going to happen one way or another." He sounds dejected defeated.
But, Dean isn't he wont give up hope not yet so he calls Chuck hoping that he has some news.
-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o
And, this is where our weary prophet comes into play. He wants to help the brothers anyway, he can.
Because he's apart of this and he knows what heaven is up to whether they want him to or not.
-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o
Chuck answers the phone knowing Dean would call,
"Dean yeah, look heavens keeping this very hush, hush. But, I know anyways. It in a graveyard just outside of Lawrence, Kansas. Maybe it all has to end where it began. Yeah good luck Dean."
He hangs up the phone and faces the young woman with hair as black as a raven's wing and eyes as bright as lilacs.
"You're sure about this father?" She asks.
"About as sure as I am about most things Ariel."
"Then I will of course do your bidding father. And thank you for forgiving me."
"You were always forgiven Ariel you just had to see the error of your ways."
She smiles at him and he returns the smile because she isn't as bad as she always believed herself to be. When he blinks, she is gone and he knows she will do the right thing.
-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o
Therefore, you see not all things are black and white. Mistakes can be forgiven you only need to ask.
Ariel is no hero nor is she a villain but something in between. She will do the right thing because it has been in her all this time to do so.
But, back to a brother who is desperate to reach a brother most think is lost. But, he is sure that he can reach.
-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o
Dean pulls up to the bone yard where the final battle is going to be fought. He see's Lucifer and Michael facing each other.
He pops in Led Zeppelin 'Rock of Ages' and turns the volume up as loud as it would go and drives the Impala down to the confrontation.
He gets out the car once he has reached them and the two angels that are wearing his brothers.
"Hey there boys." He says giving them a smirk.
"What are you doing here Dean?" Lucifer snaps.
"I just want to talk to my brother for five minutes."
"You are no longer apart of this story Dean." Michael shoots at him.
Out of nowhere Bobby and Cas, show up Cas is holding a Molotov, which he tosses at Michael shouting.
"Take that ass-butt!"
It hits Michael and he goes up in flames.
"Ass-butt?"
Cas just shrugs his shoulders, "It was the only thing I could come up with, but you got your five minutes."
"Did you just Molotov my brother?" Lucifer asks his tone deadly.
Cas stutters trying to come up with something to say.
"Only I can dick with my brother!" He practically snarls and with a snap of his fingers, Cas explodes.
Lucifer turns his attention back to Dean, "Sammy if you're in there and you can here me."
Lucifer is on him in a flash pounding his fist into Dean's face. Repeatedly his fists beat on Dean's face making him bloody and bruised.
Lucifer throws him onto the hood of the Impala and he hears a gun go off once then twice. He looks up and sees Bobby pointing a gun at Lucifer.
Bobby shrugs at him just before Lucifer snaps his neck. And, Dean feels truly lost.
-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o
Is this the end for our hero? Is he well and truly lost will his brother kill him?
-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o
Ariel shows up as Lucifer stands over Dean his fist raised but she sees the war that is being battled within his mind because it's the same one she is having.
Just as Sam takes his body back over she rushes over to them.
"Rye?" They ask at the same time. She smiles at the brothers that her vessel loves so much and lets Ryce out.
"Yeah it's me. Ariel is in here to. Come on we need to get the rings out you cant fight for much longer." She says her tone urgent.
Sam takes the rings from his brother, tosses them on the ground, and chants the words to open the gate. The hole starts as a whirling vortex sucking all in getting bigger with each passing second. Sam looks back at Dean and her, Dean gives him a small nod of encouragement.
"Sam step away from the gate." Michael says reappearing beside them.
Ryce ignores them both and leans down to kisses Dean bloody and swollen lips.
"I will love you forever Dean," She whispers against them tears slipping past her closed lids. "Goodbye."
With that, she turns to the two the brothers and lets Ariel take over once again. Ariel sends them over the edge sending all three of them falling into the vortex.
Dean slides off the hood of his beloved car and on to the ground as he watches his family disappear.
"All beginnings have an end Dean," Cas says.
Dean looks up at his friend that he thought was dead and he's shocked to his core which surprises him he didn't think he could be shocked any more.
"Cas are you God?"
"That's a nice complement Dean but no I'm me just improved." With that, he touched Dean's forehead healing him of his wounds.
Dean gets up off the ground and looks at the rings where the vortex once was. He picks them up with a heavy heart.
He looks up as Bobby gasped coming back to life. He was happy that his friend and surrogate father was alive again but utterly saddened by the loss of both his brothers and the woman that he knew he loved.
-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o
So is this the end? I would say yes but like most stories all ending are really just a beginning. Because as long as life continues there really is no ending.
-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o
Bryce looks over at his dad and sees the look of pain written over his face. He hates what this world has done to them all. His mom is gone so is his Uncle.
According to his dad, it was his moms and his Uncle last request for them to have a normal life. Far away from hunting. He could get on board with that.
He liked hunting but that spark burns out pretty quick when your folks are fighting the devil and all his forces along with heaven.
"So where to Bryce?" His dad asks sound world-weary.
"Well there's this place mom took me to when I was little," He started but hesitated.
"Oh yeah where's that?"
"Well it's a cabin on a lake it's cut off from most of the world and it's kinda nice."
"Cut off sounds real nice about now." Bryce was sure it was.
-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o
Two brothers were lost in the abyss a woman that loved one brother gone forever.
So now what's left you ask? Well you have a father and son that are left to grieve.
A man that was loved as a father and an Uncle left alone.
Nevertheless, they are alive and they are free. Its not paradise but that was not what they fought for.
They fought for freedom and freedom was gained. Freedom was earned in the end it is all the children of earth can ask for. So is this really the end then?
-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o
Dean puts dinner on the table in their new home. Bryce was right this was cut off. The world wasn't perfect it was far from it and neither he nor his son got their happy ending as Cas did.
But, maybe it was a start to a new life. Outside the small cabin underneath a lamp post that lights the driveway stands to figures.
The light goes out instantly as they appear. It's a man and a woman. Both are looking in the window at the scene before them.
The woman's black hair blows in her face but she ignores it her eyes glued on father and son.
The man beside her breathing in shallow breathes as if he can't get enough air.
-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o
Maybe it is, maybe its not I think I will let you decide that for yourself.
-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o
The End
