Chapter 10

If that's the way it's gonna be… I'd like to see you try.

Angela put her hands to her neck, trying to break free from Michael's grip but she could barely breathe. She had trained on how to do that but a person couldn't do it indefinitely. At least Michael didn't want to kill her immediately. Still she was not in a good position. That was when she heard it and couldn't help herself and started to chuckle.

The roar of the Impala and Rock of Ages playing was enough to distract Michael enough and for Angela to break free. She dropped to her feet with a dull thud and held herself up on her hands and knees as she took large gaping breaths. In between she was chuckling at what was happening and in relief that Dean finally got it. She was also laughing at the fact that both angels looked surprised and dumbfounded at the whole thing. She managed to get to her feet and take a deep full breath as Dean popped out of the car with Haley and said, "Howdy boys."

Neither angel looked happy that Dean was there along with a juju witch. Haley took in the scene and noticed Angela standing there looking like the cat that caught the canary while rubbing her neck. She definitely had this in mind or found the whole thing hysterical. She looked at the angels and asked, "Sorry, are we interrupting something?"

Angela shook her head with a slight smile and started moving silently. Things could go south and she wanted to be ready just in case. She flexed her hands and made the bones crack as she readied herself to do what she must.

Dean took in the scene. He had spotted his girl being suspended and nearly having the life choked out of her and he knew he had to act. He drove in and found that his girl was laughing at the whole thing. He didn't know if she was crazy or she knew that he had read her letter… still. He stepped forward and looked at Lucifer, "You and me. We need to talk."

Lucifer looked at Michael and looked at Angela who was standing by and smirked as he looked back at the elder Winchester, "Dean. Even for you, this is a whole new mountain of stupid. Expected of her but not you."

"I'm not talking to you. I'm talking to Sam." Dean looked at Lucifer with a firm look as he prayed that his words would get through to Sam.

"You're no longer the vessel, Dean," Michael entered, "You got no right to be here."

"Says who?" Haley looked at Michael with piercing gaze. "This is his brother we're talking about."

Dean waved at Haley for her to back off as he turned to look at Michael and said, "Adam if you're in there. I'm sorry."

"Adam isn't home right now."

"Well then you're next on my list buttercup," Dean retorted. "But right now I need five minutes with him." He gestured at his brother's meat.

"You listen you little maggot." Michael didn't like being shunted aside and he was tired of the Winchester's interference. He walked towards Dean, "You are no longer a part of this story." He was going to teach Dean Winchester a lesson.

"Hey ass-butt!"

It was unexpected to see Michael be covered in flames. Angela blinked at that when she realized that Castiel had thrown a Molotov cocktail of holy fire at the angel. What was even more surprising was what the angel had said and she looked at him with a raised brow, "Ass-butt? Seriously?"

Castiel shrugged his shoulders and replied, "He'll be back and upset but you got your five minutes." He panted as he got over the fact that he had an adrenaline rush, something he wasn't familiar with and wasn't sure how to react.

Lucifer though wasn't happy with the whole situation. He rounded on Castiel with narrowed eyes, "Castiel. Did you just Molotov my brother with holy fire?" He watched as Castiel tried to play it off and badly. "No one dicks with Michael but me." He snapped his fingers.

Angela felt it rather than saw Castiel explode in a firecracker of human soup. Her shoulder throbbed and she couldn't hold it in. She grabbed her shoulder and dropped to a knee, crying out in pain. She gritted her teeth as she hissed her breaths in and out. She heard someone hiss her name but she was focused on Lucifer. She hissed her breath that it almost sounded angry. Her right hand began to turn into a fist and the tattoo on her wrist started to glow.

Dean wanted to rush over to Angela but given what he had seen Lucifer do in Sam's body… it made him nervous but he was determined. He looked at his brother's body, "Sammy, can you hear me?"

Lucifer, still on his high of being pissed slowly turned towards Dean. "You know, I tried to be nice. For Sammy's sake." He walked up towards Dean trying hard not to get overexcited. "But you… are such a pain." He put his fingers on the lapels of Dean's jacket. "In my ass."

Dean had been thrown plenty of times but this hurt the motherlode. He collided with the hood of the Impala and cracked the windshield. He grunted at that since he was sure he was going to have a couple of bruises for his trouble. It was then that he heard the gunshot and looked.

Bobby had been shocked at what happened to Castiel. It was all of a sudden with what Lucifer did to Dean and he reacted. He pulled the Colt and fired. He knew it wasn't going to work but it was better than nothing to slow down the dick of an angel. He fired again when the devil faced him and he could see that look of anger as the angel raised his hand and twisted to snap his neck.

"No!" Dean tried to get up but couldn't. At that moment he saw electricity and realized that it was Haley. "Hale, don't!"

Lucifer had turned to see the juju witch powering up. He raised his hand to give her the same treatment he did with the old man when his wrist was grabbed. He turned to see Angela looking at him her teeth showing like she was heaving but her eyes were narrowed and glowing. She looked at Lucifer and said, "You will not touch her."

Lucifer was surprised at the reaction and even more so that she had been able to do that and fling him back. It wasn't far but it was enough to make him land on his behind. He sat up and looked at her and grinned, "I always knew you were capable of more than you ever showed. And it's wasted on them."

"Maybe," Angela replied as she let her power recede, "But your beef is with me and Dean and the man would like to talk to Sam."

Lucifer got to his feet grinning. "You really shouldn't have let go of your power."

Angela stood there. She had heard it before and took the sudden punch that came at her. She had moved enough to avoid what would be considered a death blow but it was enough to knock her down. She countered by sticking out her leg but Lucifer grabbed it and brought his elbow down on her thigh and she grunted out before he flung her leg aside and moving her body along the ground. She watched as Lucifer grabbed Dean by the leg and pull him off the car while at the same time giving Haley a backhand that knocked her over when she tried to stop him.

Dean felt the blood in his mouth after Lucifer punched him in the face. He spit it out, not caring that he had gotten it on his baby. He swallowed since Castiel and Bobby were gone and Angela… She had come through like she always did. She protected Haley and was willing to fight Lucifer to reach Sam. He shouldn't have doubted her but now was not the time for this. He had to get through to Sam. "Sammy? Are you in there?"

"Oh, he's in here alright," Lucifer replied before giving another punch to Dean's face. "And he's gonna feel the snap of your bones." He grabbed Dean and punched him, knocking him to the ground. "Every single one of them."

Lucifer advanced towards Dean and hauled him up and slammed him against the car. "And we're gonna take our time." He had enough and started punching him across the face.

Angela had managed to get to her feet and looked over at Haley. She was fine. A headache maybe later but she was alive. She turned her gaze towards Lucifer and charged at him and grabbed him by the waist and by brute strength flung him off. "Enough," she demanded.

"It will never be enough cause I'm gonna make Sam feel it when I choke the life out of you." Lucifer swung at Angela to find it blocked. He tried again but it was blocked. He kept at it and managed to get a couple of punches in across the face, causing the skin to swell and split.

Angela spit out the blood that was in her mouth. "Sam, Dean wants to talk with you," she said as she panted.

Lucifer bared his teeth as he rolled his eyes in annoyance. "You really," he punched her in the face. He was surprised that she grabbed the next one and pulled him into an arm lock. He looked at her and said, "You really don't know when to quit do you?"

"Not really."

"Too bad because I will make Sammy suffer your death at his hands. I know about you." Lucifer whispered the last bit. It gave what he needed and he shoved her hard. She literally flew into the side of the car, hitting her head. He looked at her and advanced towards her and was surprised that she managed to move and pull herself towards Dean. "Fine. Have it your way."

Angela managed to get to Dean but Lucifer was already wailing on him with punches left and right to the face until he collapsed. Despite the headache, she pulled herself towards Dean and held him in a protective stance. She may not be able to win this fight but she would do what she could and never leave either brother alone.

"It's okay Sammy," Dean muttered. His face hurt and he knew that he was probably something out of one of those boxer movies but he was still there. He was going to stay there and be with Sam. He made a slight humming sound when he felt Angela's arms around him. "It's okay. I'm here. We're here." He looked up at his brother's possessed body and said, "I'm not leaving you. Me and Angie are not leaving you."

Angela looked up and stared at Lucifer. She had one card left to play. She took a breath and channeled her power creating a slight breeze. She pushed herself to a kneeling position and stared at Lucifer long and hard as he raised his fist. She stood up and he backed away as she held up her hand and looked at the angel. She looked at him and said, "Sam, remember, no matter what happens… I forgive you. Always and forever."

Dean watched as his possessed brother stepped back the moment Angela stood up. He saw the glowing outlines of her tattoos and felt the breeze. It was calm, gentle but there was power behind it. Lucifer had to feel it since he was moving backwards. The fist was still raised like he was going to punch and she was in the line of fire for a killing blow. Was that her plan?

It wasn't Angela's plan at all. She didn't want to die. But she would be by Sam's side. She held back the vessel and watched as Sam's eyes dilate. She had felt the clouds move and the sun hit. She held the vessel at bay, staring at him, aware that if Lucifer broke free, he could kill her. She was ready for that and if she died… then it was to be.

There are three great things in life my little bambina. You are capable of all three but the greatest comes from your heart and soul.

It's your greatest weapon Cat.

Nothing means anything if you can't forgive yourself.

To Dean it seemed like an eternity as he saw his girl and his brother's body stand there in a face off. It was then that he noticed the fist Sam's body had formed started to fade. It opened and then all of a sudden it dropped and Sam's body staggered back, gasping. Dean watched as the last puff of breeze blew gently back at him as Angela lowered her hand and stared at the body. Her features relaxed a little but she was still standing firm.

"It's gonna be okay Dean. It's gonna be okay."

Dean looked up and realized that his brother, Sam, was back. He felt a weight being lifted off. The load was still heavy but it was lightened a little.

"I got him."

Angela breathed a little as she stood there and called, "Sam."

Sam had been gasping for air as he put a firm lid on Lucifer. He had him. He looked at Dean on the ground and felt guilt. He watched it happen and he watched what happened to her. He looked at her as she looked at him with a passive gaze but when she looked at him, she gave a gentle smile. It encouraged him to pull out the rings and he tossed them onto the ground and recited the spell to open the gate.

Angela looked at the ground as it rumbled and the hole opened up to reveal the entrance to hell and the cage. The wind picked up and started whipping things around. She looked up at Sam and watched as he looked at Dean. She knew that Sam was going to jump in. He was scared but he was doing what he had to do. She almost wanted to laugh at the irony of that since that was her line in most things.

Dean looked up at his brother. He knew that this was going to be good bye. There was a lot he wanted to say. It was funny how people thought they had all the time in the world. When it came down to it, you really didn't. He could understand a little more why Angela did the things she did. It was because she had seen how fleeting life was. Now he was going to watch his little brother put Lucifer back in the box and end the Apocalypse. He watched as Sam made ready to charge.

"Sam."

All heads turned to see that Michael had returned. He looked pissed just as Castiel said as he looked at Sam and said, "It's not gonna end this way! Step back!"

Sam looked at Michael, wearing his younger brother. There was no way he wasn't going to go through with this. "You're gonna have to make me!"

"I have to fight my brother, Sam," Michael replied. "Here and now! It's my destiny!"

Sam heard that speech before. They all had. But now was the time to fix things. He looked at Dean and then at Angela. He took one last look at her face and committed it to memory before he closed his eyes and prepared to fall in. He was startled when Michael grabbed him by the arm to pull him back but he grabbed him and used his full weight to pull Michael into the cage with him.

Dean watched as his brother fell in but it was Angela that caught his attention. He watched as she walked towards the edge of the hole with her hand outstretched. She looked determined. "Angie," he called out.

Angela paused and turned to look at Dean. She took in his broken appearance but that didn't matter. Looking at the man that was her big brother she gave a full genuine smile before turning back and with a spring, she leapt into the hole with her arms spread wide like she was going to fly, eyes closed. She fell with a smile on her face.

Dean tried to call out her name but no sound came out. His mouth fell open and he watched as Cerebus sprung forwards and followed her in just before the gate closed. There was a flash of light and instead of the hole, there was the ground and the rings glowing a fiery molten look on the ground. But that didn't matter. Sam was gone. She was gone. Dean closed his eyes as Zeppelin and Moira with Xander came out and wept.

Liam looked around the place as he packed up his things. He didn't mind the mess since in the end it was inconsequential. He blinked as he tried to keep the tears from falling. This was the most emotional that he had ever felt. And he knew why.

Endings are impossible. You try to tie up every loose end, but you never can. There's always going to be some holes…

"Damn right there are holes," Liam muttered as he finished putting things in order. He paused and looked at the painting that was on the wall.

He had felt her pain yes but there was relief as well and strangely enough, happiness. It was there for a fleeting moment and then it was gone. It was like it disappeared from the face of the earth. It wasn't death otherwise he would have felt it as such. Maybe not in the magnitude like when she felt loss, extreme loss. No. It was just not there.

Liam ran a hand through his hair. He had spent some time with Chuck as he finished writing his last story. It was an interesting conversation and he found more than he had bargained for by making the decision to come here. He learned a few things and knew that he was going to have to do more work if he was going to be what Chuck said he was going to be. Maybe he was being a bit optimistic but he believed.

Snorting at his last thought, Liam looked at the painting on the wall. It was a younger version of his aingeal. And yet it was still her. There was the same smirk and that twinkle that made it look like she knew something about you that you thought for sure was hidden. He looked at nothing in particular as he remembered when they first met and they bonded over music. How she laughed when he made a bad joke and how she always called him when she needed answers if she didn't want to bother anyone else or how she accepted his call.

Since it's the ending, it all has to add up to something…

It had been done. The world was saved. That much Liam knew. He could smile a little at that. The Winchesters were rough around the edges but they were essentially good people. They all were and they were just trying to do the best they could do with what they had laid out in front of them. That was all anyone could do and Liam figured that she understood that better than anyone.

She was a mystery to him. Yet, he felt a little saddened that he couldn't be the one to unravel it. The lucky bloke that got that job was Sam. Maybe Dean a little but it was mostly Sam and to be honest, Liam didn't mind one bit. He gave a slight smile as he turned off the lamps in the house. He paused only to look at the painting and he muttered something in Gaelic that would have had her laughing.

The last lamp lit was the one near the computer. He looked at the empty chair and gave a slight smile. "Aye I'll do as ye asked, Chuck but I still have reservations. Then again I guess you knew that." He chuckled as he shut the computer off.

The book was where he left it and it was open to the pages that filled in the blanks while he was there. He peered at it and watched as the words appeared, describing him looking at the book. It was enough to make the average bloke's head hurt and maybe spontaneously combust or something. He had read what had happened after he felt that feeling. It confirmed what he knew what was going to happen and he let it happen.

Liam knew that there were some things that one didn't mess with. There was a saying that you can't run away from fate. That implied that everyone and everything had a purpose and destiny in life. Maybe that was so. Maybe there was a grand ending for everyone but the way to get there… that was the great adventure. And it was the fate of all things; there was a time of prosperity and then beyond that it was unknown. It was how one made it.

Looking at the book, Liam smiled and closed it. There would come a time when this book would help others. It seemed that here there really wasn't an ending but like he had told the juju witch Haley… that it wasn't the end but merely the start of another chapter. Just this chapter ended. The next one… if and when it began, he was going to be ready for it.

Turning off the last light, Liam packed his bag. He had no idea that this time next week, he'd be giving a charity concert for kids with cancer but that was kind of the point. He didn't know that Dean and Haley would move in together to build a life together. It only proved the point that life doesn't stop. It kept on going.

Locking up Liam stepped onto the walkway and paused to look up at the evening sky. The light was fading into the bluish purple and the first stars were becoming visible. It was that time of day when the evening mass was held. He remembered attending when he was a boy in Ireland with his grandmother. She called it evensong and he later learned that was what the English called their evening service. He liked it and he liked attending mass with her until she died of old age and, according to family legend, after she tore a wendigo a new one that the poor thing set itself on fire.

Thinking about it, Liam couldn't help but sing one of the hymns that he remembered from evensong. It seemed fitting as he hummed and muttered the words to himself as he walked towards his motorcycle and strapped his pack to it. Once it was strapped on, he straddled the bike and looked around once more before deciding on which direction to go. Actually he already knew where he needed to go, he was just deciding the best way to get there and he took his time just wanting to look around as he put his helmet on.

Picking a direction, he started his bike and pushed off to head down the street. He picked up speed once he got to the highway and took off. He bent low over the bike and thought about what he had done and what he needed to do. He didn't understand it but he would be there for a friend. That was what she was, a friend that he admired greatly and loved. He knew she would be back from wherever she went. It was as Chuck had written on the very last chapter. He said that endings were hard but then again it really wasn't the end.

Spurred on by this thought, Liam increased the throttle to gain speed. Feeling the thrill of the speed, he couldn't help but give a slight smile. She would definitely be back. That much he was sure of and when she did come back, he would be there when she needed him as well as others. Things had a tendency to work out one way or another.

~0~0~0~0~

To My Big Brother Dean,

Sam made me promise that if everything worked out and the devil was put back into the cage, that I was to not go poking at the cage. And I don't intend to. He is right and I stand by him. It's why I am not resisting.

But I am making another promise. This time it's to you. My father told me that there are three great things in life: faith, hope and love. My goal was to give you all three once it became clear to me that you meant more than my other strays did; the equivalent of Bobby, Ellen, Jo… your mother.

I know that there were things that didn't make things smoothly between us but it never once changed how I feel about you. And if I were there, I'd give you a kiss on the cheek and pinch it for good measure. You really have been a big brother to me.

So I make this promise to you, brother. Sam will never be alone while in the cage. I will stay by him and maybe find some way to come back to you without setting the devil free. I know that it may seem selfish and that would be right but… I am doing this because it is right. I choose you, Sam, my family and in the end… maybe that is all that matters.

So don't worry about it. It's going to be okay. That I promise with all my heart to you, Big Brother.

Love from your Sister,

Angela

A/N: And that's a wrap on season four of Chronicles. Sam and Angie are in the cage and Dean is topside. What will happen next? Stay tuned...