Chapter 8

2014

"The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps." – Proverbs 16:9


Dean finally pulled up to the hotel, letting out a huge sigh of relief. He was about to pass out at the wheel. He glanced over to the passenger seat, where Danielle was curled up under his jacket, totally asleep.

He reached over, slapping her side. She jerked awake, fixing her glazed eyes on him.

"We're here," he grunted.

She just nodded, reaching up and rubbing her face. Dean clambered out, going to the trunk and pulling out both of their bags. He came back around, handing the dazed woman her bag.

"Excuse me, friend, have you considered God's plan for you?"

Danielle just stared sleepily at the man, too tired to even realize what was going on. Dean shook his head, herding her into the motel. "Too freakin' much, man."

Danielle immediately collapsed on the far bed, depositing Dean's jacket on the floor and disappearing under the covers. Not a minute later she was totally still, the only sign of life an eventual rise and fall in the blankets.

Dean talked with Cas for a few minutes, setting up the essentials for the morning. When he finally finished, he hung up, passing out almost as fast as Danielle in his bed.

He only woke up once more, when Sam had called announcing he was Lucifer's vessel. Dean talked with his brother for a while, sipping from a beer before going back to sleep.

When he woke up again, he was in a totally different universe.


Dean jimmied the lock before going to marvel at the destruction done to his poor, poor car. She was totally wrecked, and he ran a hand over the ruined upholstery in despair.

Suddenly, he found himself pinned to the hard ground. He grunted in pain, hearing a loud hiss from above him. He glanced up, seeing a very familiar brunette leaning over him. Danielle had her teeth bared, revealing a wicked set of fangs descending from her gums.

He only had time to think one thought before his vision went black: Danielle was a vampire.

When Dean woke up again, he found himself handcuffed to a ladder. He instinctively struggled, pulling at the cold metal. He glanced around him, eyes landing on … him.

"What the hell?" he asked, his eyes huge.

"I should be asking you that," other Dean retorted, a deep scowl spread across his face.

"Look, I'm not a shifter."

"I know. While you were out I went through all the motions: silver, salt, holy water. Nothing."

Other Dean's eyes suddenly flickered up to something behind Dean. Other Dean groaned, dropping his head before shaking it. "I told you to stay outside."

"I'm curious," came the smart retort.

Dean watched as Danielle – or some strange version of her – loped into the room. Her normally frizzy mess of curls was straightened into a thick curtain down to her waist. She wore leather everything – leather pants, tight black tank top, studded leather jacket. Her ridiculously tan skin had a faint, alluring glow to it, and her lips were pulled up into a smirk. She stared at Dean, head cocked slightly to the side, eyeing him as if he were a piece of meat. Her normally bright eyes sparked, but not from the usual excitement or happiness.

"Well, hey, Twilight," Dean stated bitterly, wondering why Other Dean was just sitting calmly beside her, having eyes only for his doppelganger.

"Hi Dean," she greeted, her voice sickeningly sweet as she flashed him a dazzling (threatening?) grin.

"So, is he really me?" Other Dean questioned lowly to the vampire.

She cocked her head, running her black eyes up and down Dean's body. "He smells exactly like you. Except … cleaner." Danielle glanced at Dean, giving him a toothy smile, but he was not amused.

"Thanks; I showered recently," Dean smarted.

"You don't have to be mean to me," Danielle pouted for just a second before her smirk popped back into place. At her smirk, Dean just barely held back a groan, looking away. This was the future? Danielle becomes a vampire? It made his stomach churn.

"What's strange is he has all the same lock picks and cutters I have," Other Dean commented.

"Maybe he is you," Danielle stated.

"Zach sent from me."

Danielle and Other Dean shared a glance. "Freakin' angels," they both mumbled at the same time.

"So Croatoan virus?" Dean asked, fidgeting, uncomfortable under Danielle's scrutinizing stare.

Other Dean nodded, standing up and loading his machine gun. "Lucifer's plan to wipe out the human race. Started hitting the major cities a couple years ago before it spread out."

"And Sam?"

Danielle's smirk, for the first time, dropped, replaced by a flash of anger, which was soon chased away with a look of defeat. Other Dean looked back up, explaining that Sam had agreed to Lucifer in Detroit.

Other Dean shouldered his machine gun, starting to head for the door.

"Wait, where are you going?" Dean called.

"On an errand," came the answer. He turned to the vampire. "You comin'?"

"You're just going to leave him here?" she asked, a thin eyebrow rising.

"Yes," he retorted, nodding. "Coming or not?"

She walked over to other Dean, pulling him aside by his arm. They whispered furtively to each other, and Dean leaned forward as far as the handcuffs would allow him, trying to hear what they were saying. Other Dean looked annoyed, and Danielle looked as sardonic as ever before she smirked triumphantly. She flounced back over to Dean, while other Dean pinched the bridge of his nose in annoyance.

"Come with me, big boy," she said, her voice dripping with honey as her fingers curled around his wrist. She yanked at the metal, breaking it off his wrist. She pulled him up to his feet, inwardly ecstatic at the horror and shock on Dean's face.

"Can you stop flirting with … me and come on already?" Other Dean demanded, as weirded out by the situation as the original Dean.

Danielle's face split into a grin, and she sighed, letting go of Dean's hand and following Other Dean out into the camp.

"Keep your heads down," other Dean ordered, the moon offering just enough light to illuminate the trails in the woods. "The last thing we need is another version of the Parent Trap," he mumbled as they started down the trails.

Dean struggled through the forest, and the other Dean, while looking much more at home, wasn't doing much better. Danielle, however, flounced as listlessly through the woods as if she was floating. She made no noise, though she was wearing knee-high biker boots.

It didn't take long for her to get irritated with the humans' slow pace, and she darted off into the darkness.

"Dude, what the hell?" Dean asked as soon as she was gone. He jogged to catch up, falling into step with his doppelganger.

"It's just a few trees; you'll be fine."

Deflecting. Dean had perfected that trick.

"I mean Danielle. How-" Dean was speechless for a moment, gaping and attempting to find anything to express what he was feeling. He settled on repeating his earlier words: "What the hell? What happened?"

The other Dean looked put off, like he was irritated that Dean would even think to bring up that subject. He readjusted the duffel bag on his shoulder, face set in stone. "Life."

"Life?" Dean repeated, staring at his twin in shock. "That's all you're gonna give me?" At his future self's silence, Dean shook his head. "She's a monster, and you're just letting her walk around free-"

"She's not a monster," he cut himself off, shooting a glare in his direction. "She's only killed one person, and it was a mistake."

Dean couldn't believe what he was hearing! He loved Danielle, absolutely, but that was even more reason to put her out of her misery! He would kill her before let her be a monster. She wouldn't be remembered that way; he wouldn't let her disgrace her good name. Plus, this Danielle wasn't even really her. It couldn't be! This Danielle was cold, heartless… She was a complete bitch. "What the hell is wrong with you?"

It was like a switch. In a heartbeat, his future self had whirled on him, nothing but boiling green eyes and freckles filling up his vision. "Don't. You don't know me; you don't know her. This is my world, and you follow my rules. She is a good person, and you know that."

"Whatever Danielle is here is not good," Dean shot back, not impressed with himself. "This is not Dan."

"It is Dan," the other Dean snapped before sighing. The fire faded away, replaced by a grudging acceptance. His shoulders sagged, and he looked so much older than he really was. He pinched his nose, shaking his head. "I wish I could tell you to keep her away from him, but I don't think it'll help."

His twin gave a humorless laugh, and Dean was left blindsided. He glanced around them, as if the answer was going to emerge from the woods and present itself to him. "What the hell are you talking about?"

There was a loud rustling, and Dean spun around, only to have Danielle face-to-face with him. "Wh-" Dean started, but, before he could even process, he felt something under his stomach and the ground was flying. Everything was flying, moving, becoming nothing but a dark blur. Dean felt the wind whip around him, and, despite the solid object underneath him, he wanted to flail and get away.

Just as soon as it had happened, he found himself standing again. His head spun, and his butt hit the ground.

"Whoa," came a familiar, throaty voice, and Dean looked up, seeing quite a few Castiel's in front of him. "Weird."

"Wha… hell?" Dean mumbled, reaching up to clasp his head. His hand waved in front of him, slapping his knee, and it took Dean a few times before his hand finally hit his head.

"What year are you from?"

"Two-thousand … Two-thousand and n-nine."

A hand drifted into Dean's vision, and Dean grabbed onto it, feeling the other man pull him to his feet. He swayed, nearly falling over but eventually regaining his balance.

"Sorry. Danielle's a little … much."

"You're telling me," Dean grumbled, glancing up at the smiling angel. Wait… smiling? A lazy smirk rested on his lips, and his arms were folded across his chest. Gone were the trench coat and the suit, leaving him in a huge, dirty tunic and jeans.

"2009?" Castiel repeated, brow furrowed. "Who brought you here?"

"Zachariah," Dean stated, glancing around. He was in a clearing in the forest, a few jeeps resting beside him. Other than Castiel, they were alone. "Where's Dan?"

Castiel glanced off into the woods, a puzzled expression coming on his face. "Not sure." He turned back to Dean, another smile splitting across his face. "She'll show up again soon."

There was a blur behind Castiel before Danielle's face emerged from the inky blackness, a smirk resting on her lips. "Boo."

Castiel jumped, flailing a fist behind him that Danielle easily dodged. She barked a laugh, cocking her head to the side and batting her long eyelashes innocently. Dean felt his heart sink a little; that was almost like her old self.

"Would you stop doing that?!" Castiel demanded.

Dean's eyes slid past both of them, watching his future self stride up to one of the jeeps. He didn't make eye contact with anyone, his head angled down towards the ground.

"What, you mean getting revenge for all those years of scaring my pants off?" Danielle asked.

Dean watched himself throw a duffel bag into the back of the jeep, going around to the other side.

"I didn't have to scare you to get your pants off."

Dean choked on his own spit, snapping his gaze back over to the couple. Castiel was full-blown grinning at the vampire, who looked offended, though the corners of her lips were twitching up.

She huffed, and Castiel pecked her cheek.

"Do you two mind?" Other Dean snapped from the driver's seat of the jeep, while Dean gaped at the two.

"Wait a second- You two… You did…" Dean was at a loss for words, pointing and glancing between the two, eyes huge.

Danielle's eyebrows rose, and she shot him a no duh look. Castiel just smiled, like he knew something no one else knew, and he went over to the vehicle.

"Are you two together?" Dean whispered, shocked.

Danielle rolled her eyes, nodding and heading towards the car. Despite the fact Cas had gotten into the backseat, Danielle eased gracefully into the passenger seat next to the other Dean. Dean clambered into the back next to Cas, trying not to ogle at anyone.


Things Dean learned about the future:

1. He was a grade-A, type-1 asshole with a side of dick. Seriously, his future self hadn't stopped grumbling and barking orders at the three the whole time. He treated all of them like children though none of them needed it.

2. Castiel was no longer an angel, and he and Danielle were in love. Like, in love in love. They seemed to have gotten past the 'honeymoon' stage, acting more like a married couple now, but it was still pretty bad.

3. Danielle was a badass of the grandest kind. She was a mean, annoying bitch, but holy damn she was useful. It was like the old Danielle had never even existed.

Dean didn't know they were going after the Colt until they'd actually gotten the gun. The amount of demons and Croatoans ("croats" as they were so affectionately called in the future) they had to get through was unreal. Dean was confused at first as to why there were only four of them, but the reason quickly became known: Danielle counted as a whole army. Since she was already dead, the virus didn't affect her, so she could go recklessly gallivanting in hordes that sent the others running for cover.

After dispatching another group of at least a dozen, Danielle came back into the foyer of the small house they'd broken into. The Croats had been waiting for them, protecting whatever it was they were going after.

She grimaced, wiping at her arms as the other Dean stepped forward, glancing around the house. "I got rid of them all," she told him, nose wrinkling up in disgust. "I can't smell anymore."

The other Dean jogged up the stairs, coming back down not a minute later. He held the Colt in his hands, showing it to the vampire. She regarded it with grim hopefulness before he slid it back under his jacket.

"We came here for the Colt?" Dean asked, eyebrows raised in disbelief. "Why?"

"We're gonna kill the devil," other Dean said, striding out of the house. The rest of his team followed him out into the quiet neighborhood, heading back towards where they'd parked the Jeep a few houses down.

"That was almost too easy," Castiel pointed out, scowling.

Danielle and the other Dean shared an uneasy glance. They agreed with the ex-angel, but she couldn't hear/smell/see any more danger. Nonetheless, Cas and the other Dean held onto their guns, moving ahead in a tight unit. They obviously had done this before, their group moving in complete symmetry. They made it about twenty yards, the old Dean trailing behind, gun resting in his hands before Danielle shot straight up, stiffening.

He barely understood what happened next.

One second, the trio was in front of him, the next, they were gone. He didn't have time to look for them – he didn't even have time to realize that they had disappeared – before there was a deafening boom from down the road. There was a flash of red and orange and white, and a wave of heat knocked him onto his side. He felt something grab his shoulder, and he found himself lying on the ground, pinned down.

The explosion shook the ground, and the sky itself seemed to move as the car (he was underneath it?) rocked and slid from the blast wave.

A ringing noise pierced his ears, leaving him completely deaf. He could only watch as Danielle (the crushing weight shoving him into the ground- she'd been shielding him with her body) pushed the Jeep away as if it were nothing but a small rock.

She rose to her feet, stumbling a step. She shook her head roughly, hoisting the other Dean and Castiel up. She grabbed onto Castiel, placing one hand on his face, expression scrunched up in worry. They both staggered, and she supported their weight for the few seconds it took them to recompose themselves.

Dean laid on the ground, turning his head to see that one of the cars that had been harmlessly parked on the side of the road was now on fire, thick clouds of smoke billowing into the air. It took him a minute to piece together everything that had happened: Danielle had thrown his future self and Cas under the Jeep before she grabbed him, just as the car they'd been walking by exploded. She laid on top of all of them, using her own body as a shield from the blast.

She reached down, pulling the original Dean to his feet. He realized, as he moved, that he was injured; there were cuts and bruises all over his body from flying debris that had caught him in the millisecond before Danielle had gotten him. She seemed to be injured as well, palms both scraped up and bleeding.

The ringing faded away, replaced with the harsh screeching of car alarms. Dean noticed, for the first time, all the cars lining the street. They were some parked on the curb, some sitting in the driveway, some in yards, doors left open as their previous occupants had fled. But they were all honking and announcing their presence to the world, lights flashing.

"Oh, damn," Danielle cursed, wide eyes meeting Cas's and other Dean's. Dean was confused as to the clear panic on their faces; he didn't know that Croats were attracted by sound.

"Cas and I'll go first, Dan you cover us," other Dean quickly barked, doing a double take when he saw his doppelganger. He gritted his teeth, shaking his head at the inconvenience. "I told you he shouldn't have come!"

"I didn't realize it would be this dangerous!" Danielle shot back.

"What, did you think we were going to Disneyland?" he argued, livid.

"I wanted him to see what would happen!"

"Why? Because I was too much of a coward to say yes?"

The two were in each other's faces now, eyes shining with rage. "Yes!" Danielle shrieked. "Because you were too damn scared to pick up the phone and call Sam; because of all the things that have happened since!"

"Uh… Guys?"

"What?" the couple snapped, jerking their gazes to the pale ex-angel. He only gaped, eyes focused on something beyond both of them. They all turned to look down the street, and their stomachs dropped to their feet, and they found themselves as speechless as Castiel.

A whole army of Croats were making their way down the street, enough of them to make a solid wall spanning all the way across the two-lane road. The horde was already thick enough to not seem to have an end and more were pouring in from the houses and the alleys between the houses. They all just ambled along before they spotted the four. As one, they all hesitated, and for that perfect, clear moment, Dean had time to think one thought: they were all hopelessly screwed.

And then the Croats were running, closing the distance between them.

"Oh, damn," Danielle whispered again, but this time, it was full of terror. "Get in the car," she ordered, grabbing Castiel and disappearing. "I'll hold them off." The ex-angel found himself in the passenger seat, and Dean found himself thrown into the back. The future Dean reappeared in the front, Danielle leaning in through the window.

Her dark eyes were stretched wide, and, for the first time, she resembled the old Danielle. She was scared out of her mind, her hands gripping tight enough onto the car door to leave dents from her fingers. The other Dean met her gaze, mirroring her fear.

"I- I don't wanna die," she stammered, lips quivering.

"Then don't die," came his response. He sounded stunned, like he wasn't exactly sure of what was happening or of what he was saying.

She nodded dumbly, her gaze flickering back to the herd bearing down on them. They were about two hundred yards away now, level with the street sign she'd read. She blurred, reappearing in the passenger window.

"No," Castiel stammered, realizing what was going on. His trembling fingers grappled at the door handle, but she was too strong; he couldn't open the door. "No, Dan, c'mon."

She stared down at him, her eyes shining with tears. She managed a small, sad smile, leaning down and pressing a long, sweet kiss to his lips. "I love you," she muttered, pulling back. Castiel looked stunned, just staring at her. Her eyes flickered over to the other Dean, chest heaving. "I love you, too."

"See you around, princess," the other Dean said.

A tear streaked down her face, and she nodded before walking stiffly away. She positioned herself in front of the car, knees bent in a slight crouch. Her hands came up to her chest, fingers twitching in anticipation of the incoming fight.

The other Dean slammed the car into reverse, watching as the vampire shot forwards, a whirlwind of nails and fangs, biting and ripping into her enemies. He jerked it back into drive, shooting away down the road, leaving the girl behind.

"No, w-we have to go back," Castiel started, turning around and staring out the back window. He was pale as a sheet, and his hands were shaking.

Dean didn't stop, his hands tight on the wheel. His jaw was clenched, and his gaze didn't look away from the road in front of him.

"Stop the car, Dean!" Castiel shouted, the panic leaking through his voice. "She'll die; let me go!"

"No one else is dying!" his future self bellowed, and Castiel fell silent, slowly turning to face straight ahead.

There was a tense silence before the future Dean muttered, "Past me?"

Dean swallowed the huge lump in his throat, risking a glance behind. He watched as the horde of Croats dove in, swarming over the girl. She was strong, but there were just too many. Dean turned back around, face ashen. He didn't need to say anything.

Cas let out a choked sound, and he looked like hell had come up and grabbed him by the throat. The other Dean was quiet for just a moment before he slammed his hand down on the wheel.

Other than that, the three remaining members of their party stayed silent for the rest of the trip.


By the time they got back, the sun had already risen, shining behind a thick layer of clouds. Other Dean had completely forgotten about his doppelganger and had accidentally driven right into the heart of camp, allowing everyone to see the past version of himself.

Dean was shaken up to his core, almost as grief-stricken as his future self and Castiel. He'd watched Danielle die. Right in front of his eyes. And yeah, maybe she was a bitch, and sure, she was cruel and mean and nothing like she really was, but that Danielle that had peeked through, right before she'd sacrificed herself so that he and Cas and the other him could get away… That was the Danny he knew.

The remainder of the camp knew right away that Danielle was dead, as soon as just the three of them arrived. She didn't seem to have many fans in the camp, and no one seemed extremely upset. The future Dean had only stayed long enough to break the news of her death to the people before grabbing his twin and stalking away, Castiel trailing absently behind.

The three of them went back into the other Dean's cabin, where he went straight over to one of the cupboards. He pulled out a necklace, holding his hands at his chest and staring down at it. Dean couldn't see his expression from behind him, but he knew how he must've been feeling.

The other Dean turned around, letting the necklace dangle from his fingers. Dean squinted at it, seeing a simple cross hanging from the black string. "This was Dan's," he announced, grief shining in his cold eyes. "It's the only thing left, other than a few clothes."

The other Dean tossed it, and Dean barely managed to catch it, staring down at the necklace. Did Danielle have this now? He'd never noticed before. He looked at it, sorrow rising in his chest.

"I lost my sister," the other Dean stated. "I lost my brother, and now my sister. Because you were too stubborn, too cowardly to say yes."

His voice caught, and he held Dean's gaze for a second, eyes boiling with emotion before he walked forward, snatching the necklace back and walking out of the cabin. Dean turned to Castiel, who was staring at the ground, jaw moving.

Castiel was stricken, unable to move. He hadn't spoken, hadn't even seemed to so much as breathe. Maybe he was holding himself back because he knew he wouldn't be able to handle that kind of crushing grief. The despair was too much for him, so he wouldn't even begin to process the thought that she was gone.

Castiel finally moved, picking up the flask that had been left by the other Dean, downing the bottle with trembling hands. Dean could see the tears dripping down his cheeks.

Dean was so shaken by the sight of his future self, storming out of a room, barely able to keep himself together, and by the sight of the stoic angel, in tears because of the human girl he seemed to not really regard as anything other than a prophet. And by the fact that this was how everything was going to end up. Danielle was going to get so lost, so confused and misguided that she would become a vampire and eventually die the hero's death she always wanted but didn't deserve. He was going to become hard and detached, almost scarily so. He would become a nightmare. And Castiel was going to lose his grace, all of his powers, and become this broken husk of a person, lost without his prophet.

By the time the other Dean had regained control of himself and gathered a few members of the camp together, Castiel was smashed. Dean had stuck around with him, partly because he didn't have anywhere else to go, partly because he wasn't sure what the ex-angel would do to himself if he were alone.

"Lucifer is here, now." The future Dean set the map down on the ground, tapping the red circle he'd scrawled down.

"That's right in the middle of a hot zone," Risa pointed out, jaw slack with shock.

"Crawling with Croats, yeah," he growled without any further explanation.

Risa stared at him in disbelief, turning to look at the unusually silent Castiel. His face was pale, and his shaking hand clutched onto a half-empty bottle of beer. She glanced back at the past Dean, but he was just as quiet, gaze focused on the ground. Risa gave a laugh devoid of humor, turning back to the present Dean. "So just because your bff died, all of you are willing to just kill yourselves?"

"Yes." Dean straightened up, fixing her with a cold glare. "Are you coming or not?"

Risa just shook her head, letting out a scoff before rubbing her face. "Yeah, sure, whatever. I'll go get everyone else." She headed for the door, pausing next to Castiel. "You coming?"

Castiel just kept staring off into space, face and expression blank. His arm was like a machine, delivering the alcohol to his mouth before pulling it away. Back and forth.

"Cas?" Dean asked.

He stirred, eyes rising to meet Dean's. The gut-wrenching pain and emptiness shining in the ex-angel's blue eyes was enough to make Dean's stomach turn. He looked away, unable to bear Castiel's grief as his own.

Castiel rose, swayed, and stumbled towards the door, Risa right behind him.

They set out, and past Dean drove while Castiel shivered in the passenger seat. It was a quiet drive; all of Dean's attempts at conversation were ignored. After a while, he just stopped trying. It was clear that Castiel was on the fast track to nowhere.

They made it to the building, all crouching behind an overturned car. The future Dean peered through his binoculars, and Dean wasn't oblivious to the fact that he was lying. He called for a private council, and the two Deans headed off into the woods.

"Tell me what's going on," Dean demanded.

His future self blinked. "What?"

"I know you. I know your lying expressions; I've seen them in the mirror." Dean snorted, jaw clenched as he glanced away from his doppelganger. "Now you're lying to these people, and to me. What's going on?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," his twin shot back, and Dean felt rage rise up in his chest. Why did he have to be such a pain in the ass?

"Oh, really? Well, I don't seem to be the only one with doubts, so maybe I'll just ask them what they think." Dean only had to take a few steps back towards the car before his twin stopped him.

"Look around you," he stated with reluctance. "This place should be white-hot with Croats. Where are they?"

Dean felt his stomach drop. "So this must be a trap. We can't just go in through the front door!"

"Oh, we're not." Dean's eyes were cold and detached, and his expression was blank in a way that made the hairs rise on the back of Dean's neck. "They are. They're the decoys. You and me, we're going in through the back."

Dean couldn't believe what he was hearing. "You mean… You're going to feed your friends into the meat grinder? Cas too?"

His future self snorted. "You think Cas cares? Listen to me; you get back, if you don't say yes, then you better keep those two apart. You wanna know why she changed? Because of him. She died, because of him, and now he's gonna die because of her."

"No, because of you," Dean growled. "You're the one who's about to chop him up. And Danielle died because of you and Cas. Don't wash your hands of this; you're just as guilty!"

"Aren't you listening to me?" he demanded. "He's the reason she turns. He's the reason she killed someone. They're bad, and you have to keep them apart. Try and keep Dan as innocent as possible."

Dean snorted, shaking his head. "Why should I listen to anything you say, you selfish bastard?"

"Because I'm you," the future Dean spat, mirroring his twin's fury. "And the only person you trust, one hundred percent, is me."

"I'm not gonna let you," Dean swore, barely able to control his rage. He wanted to sink his fist into his doppelganger's face; how could he even think that way? Surely this was not Dean; he wouldn't grow up to be this person.

"Oh, really?" his twin asked.

He felt a flash of pain before it all went black.


Zachariah finally reappeared, after what seemed like years spent in a place almost as bad as Hell, zapping him back to the motel room.

He stared at the angel for a moment, chest heaving as he struggled to catch his breath. "Well… if it isn't the ghost of Christmas-screw-you."

"Enough," came his simple answer. "Enough, Dean, enough. You saw it, didn't you? You saw what happens. You're the only person who can prove the devil wrong. Just say yes."

Dean's eyes slid past the angel, falling on the form under the blankets on the far bed. It rose and fell steadily, and Dean let out a exhale of relief. Danielle was there, she was alive, and sleeping peacefully, unaware of everything around her.

"And how do I know this whole thing isn't one of your tricks?" Dean demanded. "Huh? Some angel hocus-pocus?"

"The time for tricks is over. Give yourself to Michael. Say yes, and we can strike! Before Lucifer gets to Sam, before millions die, before Danielle dies."

Dean walked past the angel, staring down at the sleeping girl. She was still oblivious, her loud breathing deafening in the tense silence. She started to mumble something – she talked in her sleep –, turning onto her back.

He thought of her death, Sam's death, the devil killing him and then flaunting it in his face. Tears pricked in the corners of her eyes, and he swallowed against the lump rising in his throat. He'd find a way to save them, but it wouldn't be the angel's way. Not now, not ever.

"Nah."

Zachariah was quiet for a second before he whispered, "Nah? You're telling me you haven't learned your lesson?"

His voice grew louder with every word, finally enough to wake the girl. She sniffed, rolling onto her side and peeking through her lashes sleepily. Her eyes widened at the sight, and she sat bolt-upright, fear etched onto her face.

Like right before she died.

Dean shoved the thought away, giving her expectant gaze a simple nod before turning back to the angel. "Oh, I learned a lesson alright. Just not the one you wanted to teach."

Zachariah's eyes were threatening to pop out of his skull as he took an enraged step forward. "Well then, I'll have to teach it again because I've got you now, boy, and I-"

Dean found himself staring at an abandoned, two-lane road. There was a single streetlamp casting light on the forest surrounding the road. Confused, he spun around to see Castiel staring at him. He let out a sigh of relief, spotting Danielle on the other side of the angel.

"Pretty nice timing, Cas," Dean said.

"We had an appointment," the angel returned, the corners of his lips turned up into a fond smile.

Dean grabbed Castiel's shoulder. "Don't ever change."

"What the heck just happened?" Danielle asked, rubbing her eyes.

Castiel turned, staring intently at the mess of tangled curls that was matted up on one side. "What's wrong with your hair?"

Even in her half-awake state, she managed to laugh, grinning up at the angel. "Don't ever say that," she taught. "How'd Zachariah find us?"

"Long story. Let's just stay away from Jehovah's witnesses from now on," he replied, taking out his cell phone. He glanced at the girl, his eyes lingering on her for a second, an affectionate expression on his face.

She smiled, furrowing her brow. "What?"

"Nothing, it's just good to see you," he said, holding the phone up to his ear.

"What are you doing?" Cas asked.

"Something I should have done in the first place. Hey, Sam."


CRYING FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE. I really just can't... This chapter was heartbreaking... I cried when I wrote it, and I cry everytime I read it.

But, guys, y'all don't even know the work I put into this chapter. I wrote this a month or so ago, and I've changed it so many times. But I'm really happy (kind of) with how it turned out. Tell me what y'all think!

*hands out tissues*

NotCrazyJustWeird97: Haha, the mustard part kills me everytime. And lololol, me too. I just wanna grab them by the back of the heads and push their heads together... Is that weird? Lol, thanks for the review!

Kelword-Ann: Thank you so much! (: