With a sigh, Kay laid her head on Sam's chest and closed her eyes. She was so tired, so very, very tired…
***
The light began to fade. The demons were gone, vanquished by the pure white light. Castiel turned to the Winchesters. Placing his hand upon Dean's shoulder, he calmly told him, "Open your eyes."
The weary hunter opened his tearfilled eyes. He looked down at Sam. In his mind's eye, Dean saw himself holding Baby Sammy, protecting him as he had done all those years ago in Lawrence, Kansas. The tears poured from his eyes, down his stained cheeks, and dropped on the still face of his little brother…Sam's eyes opened wide and he gasped for air like a drowning man.
"OH, GOD!! Sammy!"
"Dean? What…How?" The brothers' celebration was short lived. Sam put his hand to Kay's cheek, "Kay? Wake up…" She did not respond.
Dean helped his brother sit as Sam cradled her against his chest. Frantic, Dean tried to find her pulse, to hear her breathe, but it was too late. He pulled his hand back from her neck to find it stained crimson. He grasped Sam and inspected him. His wounds had healed, the only traces were thin pink scars. Dean took off her blood soaked jacket and struggled to breath: their wounds were identical…he flashed back to the image of her healing his father…"Kay…what did you do?" his voice broke. He took her from Sam's arms and pulled her close. Her limp body sagged against him. He buried his head against her shoulder and tried desperately to pull her lifeless arms around his neck…one last embrace, one last moment of connection.
Sam watched helplessly. The desperation in his brother's eyes was heart wrenching. He watched the grief become a chasm and Dean walked right over the edge into the abyss.
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"My, my! Well, that certainly wasn't expected. Dear Sam…It is wonderful to see you awake. Poor Dean doesn't look so good, does he? I've seen that look before, Sammy. He's broken…too much in one night. First he lost his brother, now the only woman he's ever truly loved? Shucks, that's just awful!" Lucifer smirked.
"How are you still here? Castiel vanquished the demons," Sam's spoke, his voice edged with hatred. He looked around for the Angel…he was gone.
"For someone so smart, you sure can be rather stupid. I am not a demon, dumbass. The Original Fallen Angel, thank you very much. And that poor excuse of a Guardian is nothing compared to me. He wasn't good enough to kiss the ground I walked on, much less be strong enough to stop me! I take what I want when I want it, or haven't you noticed?" He slowly made his way closer to the trio. Dean was catatonic, clutching Kay's body tightly, as if she would float away. Sam held him protectively.
"Dean…Dean, you need to snap out of it. We have a problem…Dean!"
There was something about the desperation in Sam's voice that pulled at him, drawing him back from the numbness. Dean looked around as if he were seeing things for the first time. He looked at his brother, whom he loved more than his own life. He looked down at the woman in his arms…"absolute emergency…if I am dead," Kay's words reverberated through his mind. He glanced at the necklace and took the box between his fingers, unlatching the lid…
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Everything began to shake. The fluttering of thousands of pairs of wings could be heard for miles around. A trumpet blared its war cry. Castiel appeared, wrapped the trio in his arms, and they disappeared.
Within moments, the entire barn was filled with a burning white light as the Hosts of Heaven converged upon Lucifer. Their true forms beyond description, more beautiful than one could possibly image, so magnificent that no mortal could look directly at their visage. The weakened vessel fell to its knees and exploded under the burden. Lucifer paled in comparison to the Seraphim and Cherubim. Two Angels held him tightly, one on each arm. The Archangel Michael stood before him, "Only an Angel can kill an Angel. I should have done this from the very beginning," and with one stroke of his flaming sword, he beheaded the Beast.
