"Back to square one," Dean groaned. "Great."
Bobby was utterly at a loss. He couldn't help staring at the two boys, thinking the archangels Michael and Lucifer are standing in my house.
"What is wrong with you?" Dean asked, looking at Bobby strangely. "You disappear to the backyard, in a wheelchair, and come back in like you've seen the devil himself. Crap, that's not a good saying anymore, is it," he mused.
And they don't even know who they are.
Michael, Bobby thought, staring at Dean's face. The freaking archangel Michael in human form. I wiped his butt when he was 5.
Sam was looking at Bobby with concern, too. Bobby supposed he better say something. He'd been through a lot, faced a lot of shit, but this really takes the cake. The two most powerful archangels, standing in his living room.
"Just frustrated we don't have an answer, is all," Bobby said in a strange voice.
Sam is Lucifer and Sam has demon's blood so Lucifer has demon's blood, Bobby thought. Jesus I hope Lucifer isn't evil. Although Bobby knew it to be overwhelmingly likely. Balls.
Fuck whatever Castiel said, they couldn't find out. He wouldn't watch Sam burn the world, and he wouldn't watch Dean kill him to try and stop him. Michael, Lucifer, whatever, these were his sons.
"Are we sure we want to do this?" Bobby asked. "Maybe it would be better to let them stay lost. The moment we get our hands on them, someone else will find us, and it'll all fall apart."
"That's fair," Sam said, "But I don't think that's what will happen. It might take heaven or hell longer to find them, sure, but they'll get found."
"They have a lot more power than us, too," Dean said. "They only reason they haven't been found already is because of the bureaucracy. Hah, heaven and hell are bloated bureaucracies," Dean laughed.
Bobby sighed. He couldn't lead them away from the answer forever. Hell, he probably couldn't keep them away from the answer for three weeks. They were determined fuckers when they wanted to be. Bobby's only saving grace was their innate instinct to hide the answer from themselves.
Why they both fell must have been bad, Bobby thought, if they're hiding the truth from themselves. Big thing to hide.
"So, what now?" Bobby asked. "If you're still insisting on doing this."
They've known God longer than creation has existed.
Sam sighed, and looked around. "Back to square one, I guess."
"Another spell," Dean grumbled. "Maybe this time it won't fuck up the living room floor."
Bobby cursed inwardly. He couldn't just willy-nilly tamper with spells, lest he end up a smear on the floor and these two dead and reincarnated into other, stupider people. Hard to get stupider than Sam and Dean Winchester, though, Bobby groaned.
"I'm not helping you two find your spell," Bobby ground out. "I think this is fool's work. But if you insist on doing this, please use my house and let me know when you plan to summon the all-powerful angels." Bobby needed them where he could keep an eye on them.
Sam and Dean looked hurt, betrayed. Bobby had never abandoned them, not even if he thought the plan was foolish. But Bobby couldn't, couldn't help them with this. He knew they thought they were saving the world, but they were just killing themselves. Literally.
"Thanks for letting us use your house and shed, at least," Sam said. "It's hard to keep a decent credit card scam up when we're wrapped up in all this other shit."
"Yeah," Dean said, turning away.
Bobby wished he could tell them, so he could tell them to stop and stay away.
"I need you around to run errands for me," he quipped. Bobby wheeled to his computer, pretending to busy himself with something else. All he did was continue to watch the boys out of the corner of his eye, pull all the promising books back out again.
These two were the most powerful creations of God, and they gave it all up. Although, from what Bobby had heard of God, that sounded about right. Screw God.
Time passed far too quick at the Singer household for Bobby's liking. Each day was tense and stressful, watching Sam and Dean (because those were their names) sifting through everything they could find to locate the missing leaders.
Bobby was thankful, but he knew it would all fall apart eventually. They had no way of knowing, but Bobby would bet that Zachariah and whatever nightmare hell had for a leader after Lilith had both wizened up to the absence of their higher powers by now.
Bobby feared the day that the armies of heaven or hell stormed this household, looking to take them away. And all he could do was sit here and prepare alone, in private.
"Dean, I think we should throw in the towel on this one," Sam said, after about a month or two of searching. Bobby let out a gigantic sigh of relief, internally.
"What else are we gonna do?" Dean asked.
"Well, there are a bunch of demons and angels out running around, killing people," Sam said. "It might better serve us to get out there, and make sure no one else dies."
"What about when Michael or Lucifer show up?" Dean insisted. "And want to smite us?"
"Castiel is guarding their graces, remember?" Sam replied. "Even if the angels harass him into giving Michael's back, at least he's the good guy. Lucifer will never get his. Besides Dean, we've been over this a thousand times. I don't think there's anything we can do."
"Hell and heaven have probably gotten new leaders by now, anyhow," Bobby said. "They want this apocalypse, bad."
Dean heaved a sigh. "Yeah, you're right. Bobby, you've been keeping up with everything else – where are some fuglys we can kill?"
At that moment, Castiel appeared suddenly at Bobby's, square in the kitchen.
"Ah, that's convenient," Dean said. "Cas, d'you –"
"Both sides have realized the truth," Castiel said. Those angel graces were still around his neck. He turned square to Bobby, and said "They both ready to storm this house."
"They know where I live?" Said Bobby, shocked.
"I don't know how, probably some sort of spell they cast on you, or they have been tailing you. But you all need to leave, with me. Now."
"Shit, can't we take the car?" Dean insisted. "That has all my crap in it."
"I can bring the car," Castiel said. "Run to it," he said, already walking out the door.
Sam, Dean and Bobby followed him outside, and were greeted immediately by a demon.
"Going somewhere?" It asked, eyes empty and black.
Castiel immediately grabbed Sam and Dean, and they felt the tugging in their gut as Cas took flight. But they were falling through the air a second later, landing roughly on the scrapyard dirt.
Cas and the demon were on the ground several yards over, locked in a fight.
More demons suddenly appeared in the yard, and Dean, Sam and Bobby knew there was no time to run back into the protected house. Sam and Dean readied for a fight, pulling out angel blades.
"I don't think so," Zachariah yelled, appearing suddenly, flanked by two angels they did not know. "Scum like you will not get your hands on Michael, and you will not recover your leader."
Bobby's stomach sank. There was no way they were going to make it out of this one.
"I brought their graces just for this," Castiel said, lowly, now next to Bobby, where only he could hear. "When they realize what's going on, they will need that power to escape."
"Sam and Dean can take demons, even angels, without no damn power up," Bobby said roughly, knowing that wasn't true. Not this many.
Sam and Dean were behind the angels, and the demons launched a ferocious attack. But within seconds, Zachariah and his pals had smited every demon and their hosts fell to the ground, passed out.
Zachariah turned to Sam and Dean, eyes alive.
"We have found you, at last," he said. "You have hidden for millennia, but we have found you." He was staring square at the brothers.
"What?" Dean said, confused as hell. "You speaking to me?"
"Both of you," Zachariah hissed.
"Hidden for millennia? I'm 26," Sam spat. "We have no idea what you're talking about."
Zachariah made a face, and the other angels started to approach on the sides. "You should be jailed for your crimes, both of you, but unfortunately the prophecies are clear. You were God's chosen, but not even God's chosen get spared from justice. You need to be free, and you need to fight."
Sam's face morphed, from confusion to pure dread.
"What?" Dean asked, turning to Sam. The angels were approaching, and Sam was just standing there.
"It's us," Sam said, voice empty.
"What?" Dean asked, again, stomach sinking rapidly.
Sam shook his head, unwilling to say more.
"You are Michael and Lucifer," Castiel said, walking into the battle circle, Bobby sitting a ways behind.
Dean's mouth fell open. "No," He said, a reflex.
"Yes," Zachariah insisted. "And if you don't come back to heaven peacefully, we'll bring you by force. We know we can, since you…" he made a disgusted face, "…crippled yourself."
"You have lost all sense of respect," Castiel snapped at Zachariah. "You know who you speak to?"
"I speak to a traitor, whatever his rank," Zachariah sneered at Castiel.
"This can't be happening," Dean said, backing up. Zachariah's flunkies were looking between Dean, with awe, and Sam, with disgust.
"Well, at least we know they won't be on board with the apocalypse," Sam said, a little hysterically.
"We do not, because once your memories are restored, your minds may change," Castiel said, turning to them. "There is much more you do not remember than what you do."
"Well I remember that we shouldn't French fry humanity just because some dusty book says so!" Dean exclaimed. "I'm pretty sure I won't forget that!"
"It's for the greater good, like I said before," Zachariah said. "The angels can finally live on the earth, at peace. All of humanity will know their peace in heaven, too."
Sam and Dean turned to Bobby. Etched on his face were lines of dread as he watched the scene unfold. "I don't want to lose you boys," he said, voice full of grief.
"We're still us," Sam said, for himself and for Bobby. "We always will be."
"Do not promise what you cannot deliver," Castiel said, a little sharply.
Zachariah was staring at their graces around his neck. "Why haven't you restored Michael yet, Castiel?" He wondered.
"How did I get resurrected?" Castiel replied. "There are many questions that need answers," he said, turning his piercing gaze back to the brothers.
"Well, what is it, then?" Zachariah said. "Going to come with us in peace, or not?"
"My answer is the same as always," Dean spat. "Go to hell."
Zachariah raised his blade, and Castiel crushed the bottles in his fist.
Everyone watched in horror as the white mist traveled towards the brothers. Sam and Dean backed up, sending each other panicked glances.
"What have you done!" Zachariah screamed. "You have restored Lucifer!"
"I have stopped your apocalypse!" Castiel yelled back.
Sam's hand found Dean's. At the last minute, they looked at each other. They didn't need to speak.
I don't want to lose you, their eyes said.
Suddenly, everything was engulfed in white.
Michael blinked, blinked human eyes. His six wings were unfurled behind him, white and molten gold. They shone against the sunlight, and Michael immediately appreciated the warmth.
Sam was bent over beside him, Lucifer, six silver-white wings unfurling. He was on all fours, and Michael realized he was too. Hands pressed into the dirt, feeling a thousand microbes beneath his hands.
Earth is a lot better than heaven, Michael thought to himself.
Sam, Lucifer, looked up at him. He could see Sam's face, Lucifer's face, the same thing, one person staring right back at him. Michael, Dean, he felt his chest fill up with a foreign emotion, yet one he knew so well.
"I've missed you," he breathed.
Michael heard an annoying buzzing in his head, the voices of a thousand angels in unison. I guess I've been restored to heaven, too, he thought. Anna wasn't. Anael, he remembered.
That buzzing turned to a distinct voice when he looked up at Zachariah, speaking to him. Zachariah was always committed to Father and The Mission. They all were.
"Leave us," Michael threatened, and he knew he could deliver on that threat immediately.
The angels were gone, and he tuned out the buzzing in his ears. He got onto his feet, surprisingly unsteady.
"I remember bodies being difficult when I took this vessel," Castiel said. Was he talking to him or Bobby?
Sam was on his feet too, unsteady. Michael had the instinct to call him Sam, seeing that mop of brown hair and those puppy dog eyes that asked him for too many toys as a child.
"Dean," he said, and he figured Lucifer had the same instinct. "Michael." They stared at each other for a long moment.
Why he fell was fresh on his mind. He fell, and Lucifer must have fallen too, and they'd lived a thousand lifetimes together, but this was the first time they knew it.
"Why did you fall?" Lucifer asked, eyes all betrayal.
"Father left," Michael said. But that wasn't the real reason, not really. "I missed you. You were right."
"I was beginning to think you were," Lucifer said. "When I watched them turn into demons, I thought I should have just stayed in heaven after all."
"Uh," Bobby's voice sounded from the side, and they turned.
"I hate to interrupt, I really do," Bobby said, slowly, "But I want to ask… is the apocalypse still on, or not?"
"Jesus, no," Dean exclaimed. "Didn't I just say five minutes ago "I remember it's wrong to French fry humanity?""
"Yeah, and for the record I didn't create demons or 'tempt humanity into sin,'" Sam joined in. "You did that all yourselves," he said, an edge of accusation in his voice. The hurt tone of voice was so Sam.
Bobby nodded, a little distantly. "Sam? Dean?"
Sam laughed, a little hysterically. "Yeah, it's us."
"Except now we're a million other people too, and apparently also archangels," Dean said, the same hysterical edge.
"I can see that," Castiel observed dryly. He can see the wings, Michael's brain supplied uselessly.
"Thoughts are weird, aren't they?" Michael said to Castiel, still with that edge of hysteria, those hormones in his body. "Little electromagnetic pulses to convey what the spirit already knows."
"You'll get used to it," Castiel assured. "They're useful."
Dean wondered how he ever thought Cas wasn't expressive. He could see his pose, his stance, his wings shuffling slightly. Castiel was happy, for some reason.
"Happy we aren't gonna French fry the planet, are you?" Sam snapped at Cas. Sam's wings were flared behind him, irritated.
"Yes, actually," Castiel agreed. "I'm also happy Sam and Dean weren't obliterated. I like both of you."
"I thought you just wanted to kill Sam because of the demon blood," Dean remarked.
"Not anymore, now that magic angel powers have wiped it out," Sam snarked again. Something about Castiel's reaction was pissing Lucifer off.
"I was following orders, Lucifer –"
"You were trying to kill an innocent man!" Lucifer exclaimed. "God killing innocent men is why I fell –"
"He was just following orders! They all were!" Michael interrupted. "That's why I fell. They were all following crap orders for Father's plan when Father wasn't even there."
Sam's eyes turned sad. "Do you know where he went?"
"No clue, but I'll bet anything he was John," Michael speculated. "The whole situation has too much symmetry."
Bobby seemed to have pulled himself together, recovering from the shock. "You're telling me John Winchester is God?"
"I'd bet my grace," Michael added. "Not that I value it all that much."
Castiel's eyes flew open at that.
"What? That shouldn't shock you," Michael added. "I tore it out, for chrissake."
"I'm glad you did," Lucifer said. "I'm glad I did." His eyes softened considerably. "These last 1000 years have been kind."
Michael's heart softened at that. Yes, they had. "But it looks like the fun is over. Father and us left and apparently creation went to shit."
"I have to admit, there's some level of satisfaction knowing it wasn't supposed to be this way," Bobby said. "Christians have jumped through a lot of hoops to explain why it is."
"I wouldn't go that far," Lucifer grumbled. "I'll bet this was his plan all along."
"Maybe when the humans fell he got some magic amnesia of his own," Michael said. "Would be a family pattern."
"No, holy books show a clear pattern of interference," Bobby said. "I doubt it. Can we go inside? I'm freezing my ass off."
Michael turned his attention to this body, and realized that it was very cold. "Yeah, yeah, sorry, didn't notice."
"Didn't notice forty degree weather," Bobby grumbled, wheeling inside.
Walking was just as unsteady a matter as standing. Lucifer and he both had to flap their wings in an embarrassing way to maintain balance, although from a human's point of view they probably looked more coordinated than normal.
"So…." Bobby heaved. "What now?"
"You're taking this well," Sam remarked.
"I told him months ago," Castiel said.
Bobby pressed his mouth into a thin line.
"And you didn't tell us!" Dean exclaimed, instantly feeling betrayed.
"Would you have wanted told?" Sam cut in. "Wouldn't you rather go back to the way it was?"
Michael sat on that. Yes, because he and Lucifer were together as a family, happy. But ultimately, no.
"No, because being here properly next to you, alive and well, is a hell of a lot better than the shadow of being together that we had before."
Lucifer looked a little touched at the notion.
"You're not like other angels," Bobby remarked as well. "Hell, that's more emotional than even Dean would get."
"Yeah, well, like Castiel said, humanity changes you," Michael mumbled. "And hey, Dean, right here."
Bobby gave him an eye.
"You can just stick with Sam and Dean," Lucifer said. "I like those names better anyways," he said quietly. His shaggy hair was in his face.
"Well then, Sam and Dean, what are you doing to do about this apocalypse?" Bobby drawled.
"Call it off?" Dean suggested.
"I doubt it," Castiel said. "Heaven and hell appear dedicated to the plan, if Zachariah's behavior is any indication."
"You know, there was a day when all angels obeyed my word," Michael said, remembering the times before he fell. He was the leader of heaven's vast armies. "To disobey me would be unthinkable," he said, drawing himself up instinctively, wings flaring behind him.
It must have been intimidating, because Bobby didn't even bother to hide his fear (or maybe Dean could see it better now), and Castiel turned his wings and head down in supplication.
Lucifer turned to him, eyebrow raised. Really?
"I don't think that this is that day anymore," Castiel said uncertainly. He'd gone from Cas, Dean's best friend to Castiel, subservient angel in an instant.
"Oh, jeez, I'm sorry," Dean said, waving his hand. "Instinct. Castiel, don't do that. Forget it."
Cas looked up, and ruffled his wings. Bobby looked away, looked as if he was praying to an absent God asking 'what the hell am I supposed to do with these two.'
"Don't worry, I'll never obey you," Lucifer said lightly.
"Wouldn't dream of it," Michael said. "Okay, okay, they won't listen. Maybe some will, but we can't count on it."
"You could just tell them the… 'party is off,' as it were, and see who listens," Castiel said. "Even now you can call to your brothers."
"I don't think I really have that option," Lucifer said, downcast. "Someone spread a rumor while I was gone that I started all this, and they won't believe me."
"Yeah, that's the real question here," Bobby said. "What can you do about hell?"
Lucifer drew himself up to defend, and Bobby said "No, no, I know you didn't do it. I'd like some more clarification later on how exactly all this did happen, but we're here. But if they're all obeying you, you might as well use it. Can you, like… turn hell off? Tell the demons to scatter?"
"Not likely," Lucifer admitted. "Of course, I'll give it a shot, but I think they will ultimately answer only to their sin."
"What if you, like, pretended to be one of them?" Bobby said. "Manipulate them into doing less or making less deals?"
"I want to be restored to heaven one day," Lucifer said, almost defensively. "That won't happen if I 'walk among the romans,' as it were."
"Okay," Bobby said, backing off.
"Bobby, we aren't going to smite you," Sam said, almost with exhaustion. "You don't need to walk on glass."
"I'm not totally sure of you two's mental stability yet," Bobby said instead. "One moment he's Dean, the next he's the archangel Michael come to demand obedience from us all."
"This is a bit of a new situation for us," Michael defended, unreasonably angry. I suppose this is what Bobby was talking about. "Look, I'm just… the last time I had grace, my word was law. This sort of disobedience wouldn't have gone unpunished." It shouldn't go unpunished.
"You say you're Dean?" Bobby challenged. "Don't think about this like they're disobedient angels, or whatever you're used to. Be Dean. Think of this like a hunt."
Dean nodded. He could do that. "Hunts seem a lot easier when I have magic superpowers."
"Not that you know how to use them," Lucifer said dryly, amused. "This is your first time in a body."
"Don't distract me," Dean quipped back. "Hunt. Monster: heaven and hell. Goal: keep them from annihilating everyone. Heaven seems easier, we'll just give them a ring and explain."
"Explain what?" Lucifer said. "Hey, it's Michael, so me and Dad stepped out for a while. Like, all of human history. But we're back, and I'm taking over command, and my first ruling is that Lucifer, the great enemy, is actually innocent."
"It's not like they don't know," Michael cut back. "Half of them were alive when you left."
"Yeah, and after I left suddenly there's a hell and a bunch of demons," Lucifer said. "Angels have convicted on less circumstantial evidence than that."
Dean groaned. "You'd think being the most powerful being in creation would make things easier."
"Hey, I fell and got more practice fighting," Lucifer quipped, in Sam's little-brother voice. "Lets see if you're still the most powerful."
"Not under this roof, I want this roof intact," Bobby said. "Also, quit procrastinating. Make the call."
Dean grimaced, and closed his eyes. He listened to the buzzing in his ears, and 'stepped into' the conversation.
"I'm back," Michael said, knowing everyone would recognize his voice. "I have been gone a while. But in the time I've been gone, it was still our duty to protect humanity. I come back to find you've all decided to annihilate them instead."
"I've been gone, because I've been on earth, with Lucifer," Michael said. He waited for the exclamations to die down. "Because our Father left. Because Lucifer was innocent, and he was trying to keep humans from becoming demons. Because Father did nothing to stop these humans from backsliding into evil. I wanted to find Lucifer, and find God," he continued, giving the best version of the truth.
"This apocalypse is nothing but angels trying to usurp earth from the humans. Stop trying to make it happen, and defend the earth from the overflow of demons – the overflow of demons that this apocalypse has created."
Michael tuned out angel radio, not wanting to hear the cacophony of reactions he was sure was going on. He could rely on Castiel to clue him in.
"There are mixed reactions to your speech," Castiel said.
"That was the least clarifying thing you could have ever said," Sam said dryly.
"What did you say?" Bobby asked. "Because I was just standing here while you meditated, or whatever."
"Told heaven the situation," Dean said. "That none of this was Lucifer's fault, it's Dad who backed out, and they have made a right mess of it."
"At least the sigils are still on our ribs," Sam said, "So they can't bring the armies to try and kill me."
"Small mercies," Dean said.
Dean's eyes fell on Bobby, and the chair. He had never healed a human before, but Lucifer and Castiel were cut off from heaven.
Michael walked forward, and laid his hand on Bobby's head.
"What-" Bobby said, but Michael stepped back as soon as he opened his mouth.
"You're healed," Dean said, awkwardly.
Bobby, right there, stood up out of the chair and looked at Dean, eye level.
"If I had thought of this, I would have made you remember earlier," Bobby joked weakly. It was a lie, Bobby had dreamed that this would happen. He just hoped that he could keep Dean and Sam from the truth, as long as possible.
"I can also reconnect you two to heaven," Dean said awkwardly. "I'm not sure how, but if anyone can do it, it's me."
"Didn't think God gave his powers of forgiveness to anyone but himself," Bobby said, still staring at his restored legs.
"Fuck Dad," Dean spat. "Look, I'll just fly you both to heaven, you'll be connected again."
"The gates might be swarmed," Castiel said. "Do you really want to deal with that?"
"I know ways in other than the gates," Michael said, grabbing the two of them by the shoulder. "How else would I get around without being mobbed?"
In a blink, they were all gone but Bobby, still standing in his living room.
"Fucking angels," he grumbled, rolling his eyes.
