Lacey's head swam, consumed by the black she faded in and out of consciousness.
"Lacey!" She heard someone calling her name and latched onto that trying to pull herself out of the darkness. "Lacey!" She gingerly opened her eyes and grimaced at the light, shutting them again. "Are you OK?" She nodded and slowly opened her eyes again. She looked around and found herself on a gurney in a hospital.
"How are you feeling?" She looked up and saw Dean standing over her.
"I'm Ok. Head hurts a little, she caught me by surprise." She said as she swung her legs over the edge and sat up.
"You seem to be feeling better." She turned her head and saw a doctor heading towards them.
"Yeah I'm fine." she replied with a small smile.
"Well let me check you over make sure there's no lasting damage and then you should be free to go." The doctor shined a light in her eyes and made other checks before signing her off.
"We have to get out of here." Dean said as he took hold of her elbow and escorted her out to the parking lot where Sam was waiting by the car.
"What happened to Bobby?" Lacey asked worriedly.
"They're operating on him now. There's nothing more we can do here. We have to get to the sword. The demons heard where it is, we have to get to it before them. Can you take us to New York?" Lacey blinked at him.
"I suppose so. Do you have the address?" Dean handed her the card with the storage lock ups name on it. "OK" She said. "Hold on to my arms and don't let go."
Sam grabbed some guns out of the car and passed one to Dean. They both took hold of one of Laceys arms. She focused on the address and moments later they were standing outside the lockup.
The boys entered the lock up, their guns drawn and Lacey followed in behind them. The bodies of dead demons were splayed out across the floor. Dean nudged one of them with his foot.
"So I see you told the demons where the sword is." They snapped around to see Zachariah and two other angels standing behind them.
"Oh thank god, the angels are here." Dean muttered.
"And to think they could have grabbed it any time they wanted. It was right in front of them ."
"What do you mean?" Sam asked.
"We may have planted that particular piece of prophecy inside Chucks skull, but it happened to be true. We did lose the Michael sword. We truly couldn't find it. Until now. You've just hand delivered it to us."
"We don't have anything." Dean told him.
"It's you, chucklehead. You're the Michael sword." Dean stared at him. "What you thought you could actually kill Lucifer? You simpering wad of insecurity and self loathing? No. You're just a human Dean. And not much of one."
"What do you mean I'm the sword?"
"You're Michael's weapon or rather his receptacle."
"I'm a vessel?" Dean asked incredulously.
"You're THE vessel. Michael's vessel."
"How? Why me?" Dean asked.
"Because you're chosen. It's a great honour Dean."
"Oh yeah life as an angel condom. That's real fun. I think I'll pass." Dean spat.
"Joking, always joking. Well no more jokes." Zachariah glared at him before raising a hand and pointing it, gun like at Dean. Suddenly he swung his hand around to point at Sam instead.
"Bang." There was a loud crunching sound and Sam fell to the ground, his legs broken.
"God!" Sam yelled.
"You son of a bitch!" Dean shouted.
Lacey rushed over to Sam, kneeling down beside him. She laid a hand over each of his legs and Sam felt a warmth spread through them. She helped Sam back up to his feet.
"Keep mouthing off and I will break more than his legs. I am completely and utterly through screwing around. The war has begun. We don't have our general. That's bad. Now Michael is going to take his vessel and lead the final charge against the adversary. You understand me?" Zachariah spat.
"How many humans die in the crossfire huh? A million? Five? Ten?"
"Probably more. If Lucifer goes unchecked you know how many die? All of them. He'll roast the planet alive."
"There's a reason you're telling me this instead of just nabbing me. You need my consent. Michael needs my say so to ride around in my skin." Dean said knowing he had the angel at that.
"Unfortunately yes." Zachariah nodded.
"Well there's got to be another way."
"There is no other way. There must be a battle. Michael must defeat the serpent. It is written." The angel fumed.
"Yeah, maybe. But on the other hand…Eat me. The answers no." Dean replied.
"Okay how about this? Your friend Bobby, we know he's gravely injured. Say yes and we'll heal him. Say no, he'll never walk again." Zachariah bargained.
"No." Dean said firmly.
"Then how about we heal you from… stage four stomach cancer?" At this Dean doubled over on the floor and started coughing. He raised his hand to his mouth and when he removed it, it was covered in blood. Lacey pulled him to his feet and placed her hand on his abdomen. Dean felt the same sensation as when she healed his hand. He turned back to Zachariah and said defiantly. "No."
"Then lets get really creative. See if you can keep up with this. Uh lets see how… Sam does without his lungs." Laceys eyes widened and she turned to Dean.
"I can't heal that." Dean span around to find Sam on the floor choking for breath.
"Are we having fun yet? You're going to say yes Dean, cause I'm just getting started." Zachariah smirked.
"Enough!" Lacey tells him. Suddenly her eyes begin to glow and she spread her arms wide. Outside they can hear thunder crashing through the sky and a bolt of lightning spikes, barely missing the angels. Zachariah glared at her but took a step back. All of a sudden there is a bright light, brighter even than the lightning bolt and Lacey feels a hand on her shoulder. She turns around to find Castiel standing next to her.
"It's OK." he tells her. She nodded and her eyes stop glowing. She takes a step back to stand behind Dean.
"How are you…" Zachariah starts.
"Alive? That's a good question. How did they end up on that airplane? Another good question. Cause the angels didn't do it. I think we both know the answer don't we?"
"No that's not possible!" Zachariah spluttered.
"It scares you. Well it should. Now put Sam back together and get out of here. I won't ask twice." With a flurry the angels disappeared. Behind them they heard a gasp as Sam's lungs were returned to him.
"You three need to be more careful." Castiel warned them.
"Yeah I'm starting to get that. Your frat brothers are bigger dicks than I thought."
"I don't mean the angels. Lucifer is circling his vessel. And once he takes it those hex bags won't be enough to protect you." Castiel placed one hand on Sams chest and one hand on Deans. They both let out a gasp.
"What the hell was that?" Dean exclaimed.
"An Enochian sigil. It'll hide you from every angel in creation, including Lucifer." Castiel told them.
"What did you brand us with it?" Dean asked.
"No. I carved it into your ribs." They stared at him for a moment.
"Okay well shouldn't you do the same for Lacey?" Dean pointed out.
"I think I am right in saying that Lacey is a telepath?" Castiel said turning to her. She nodded. "So she doesn't need my help, she can set up a mental block which will stop them from finding her." Lacey smiled at him and nodded.
"Already done."
"Hey Cas were you really dead?" Sam asked.
"Yes."
"Then how are you back?" Dean questioned him. But to no avail as Cas had disappeared again.
Lacey teleported them back to the hospital. Once they arrived they were informed by the duty nurse that Bobby was out of surgery and recovering. As they walked to his room they heard yelling coming from within.
"Unlikely to walk again?! Why you snot nosed son of a bitch! Wait till I get out of this bed!" A doctor rushed out of the room. "I'll use my game leg and kick your friggin' ass! Yeah you better run!" As they were about to walk into the room Dean pulled Lacey to one side.
"Can you heal Bobby?" Lacey bit her lip and shook her head looking sad.
"I can only heal wounds Dean. If that demon hadn't knocked me out I could have healed him there and then but now it's too late. He's been operated on by the doctors, they've healed the wound inflicted, the paralysis is a side effect. If I'd healed him it would have been clean and he would have been fine, but I can't work miracles."
"You healed Sam." Dean pointed out.
"Sams legs were broken. I healed his bones. I can't heal something that is a side effect of something else. I'm sorry Dean if there was anything I could do then I would." Dean nodded at her and sighed.
"I know. You've done more than enough already." They wandered into Bobby's room. Bobby was sitting upright in the bed.
"You believe that yahoo?" He asked exasperated.
"Screw him, you'll be fine." Dean told him.
"So let me ask the million dollar question, what do we do now?" Sam asked as he sat down in the chair beside the bed. Bobby shrugged his shoulders.
"Well … uh save as many as we can for as long as we can I guess. It's bad, whoever wins, Heaven or Hell, we're boned."
"What if we win?" Dean asked. They all stared at him.
"I'm serious. I mean screw the angels and the demons and their crap apocalypse. Hell they want to fight a war they can find their own planet. This one's ours and I say they get the hell off it. We take em' all on. We kill the devil. Hell we even kill Michael of we have to. But we do it our own damn selves."
"And how are we supposed to do all this genius?" Bobby asked him.
"I got no idea. But what I do have is a GED and a give em' hell attitude and I'll figure it out." Dean said smiling at them.
"You are nine kinds of crazy boy." Bobby said shaking his head.
"It's been said." Dean said as he patted him on the shoulder. "Listen you stay on the mend, we'll see you in a bit." As they headed for the door Bobby stopped them.
"Sam?" Sam turned to him. "I was awake, I know what I said back there. I just want you to know that…that was the demon talking. I ain't cutting you out boy. Not ever." Sam smiled.
"Thanks Bobby." Bobby nodded.
"You're welcome. I deserve a damn medal for this but… you're welcome."
As the walked across the car park Dean turned to Lacey.
"Thanks for your help." Laceys cheeks turned pink and she smiled up at him.
"That's ok."
"Look is there anywhere we can drop you off? I'm sure you want to go find your family or whatever?" Lacey's smile faded.
"I don't even really know where I would start looking, I mean I have no clue who they are, just some vague memories." Dean nodded.
"Ok well your welcome to stay with us for a while till you find them." Lacey nodded.
"Yeah I'd like that." Dean opened the back door of the Impala for her and she got inside. As he closed the door Sam said;
"You know I was thinking Dean maybe we could go after the colt." Dean raised an eyebrow at him.
"Why? What difference would that make?"
"Well we could use it on Lucifer. I mean you just said back there …" Dean interrupted.
"I just said a bunch of crap for Bobby's benefit. I mean I'll fight, I'll fight till the last man but let's at least be honest. I mean we don't stand a chance, and you know that, I mean hell, you of all people know that."
"Dean… is there something you want to say to me?"
"I tried Sammy. I mean I really tried. But I just can't keep pretending that everything's all right. Because it's not. And it's never going to be. You chose a demon over your own brother and look what happened."
"I would give anything – anything- to take it all back." Sam said sadly, staring at the floor.
"I know you would. And I know how sorry you are, I do. But man you were the one I depended on the most and you let me down in ways that I can't even…" Dean stopped for a moment. "I'm just having a hard time forgiving and forgetting here you know."
"What can I do?" Sam asked pleadingly.
"Honestly? Nothing. I just… I don't think that we can ever be what we were, you know." Dean opened the car door as he spoke. "I just don't think I can trust you." He climbed into the car. Sam stayed standing outside for a moment before silently climbing in next to him.
All this time Lacey had sat in the back seat listening. She bit her lip. These guys were so busy saving the world on a daily basis that they have very little of a normal life. All they had was each other. After her time in 'Wonderland' Lacey knew what it was like to be all alone. She was grateful to the Winchesters. They took her in, protected her without flinching, not for a moment. They got little thanks for the work they did even though they had probably saved thousands of lives at least. In that moment Lacey decided she was going to stick with them, no matter what. It was time the Winchesters got a little back. And she was probably one of the few people in the world with the power to help them, maybe even save them for a change. So that's exactly what she would do. She smiled to herself as Dean pulled out of the hospital car park. And so it begins.