"You guys ran out of here pretty fast without telling us anything. I'm assuming you finally figured out how to get rid of the Mark."
The tension in my muscles eases with the attention being shifted to Sam and Dean. Rick gives the brothers pointed looks, expecting answers.
Dean sits reclined back in the wooden chair with his arms crossed. Sam sits almost identical except his hands rest in his lap. He shakes his hair from his face, clearing his throat before answering.
"As you know, Heaven opened up after the tablet was destroyed. The Angels are back and under new management, someone we can trust, Hannah. Cas ran into her while out scavenging with a group. Despite everything that has happened, she still believes in us. She gave him a lead on Metatron. However, in return for that information, when we found him we had to hand him over to the angels. So, Cas came back and we left."
"And you didn't say anything?!" Daryl snaps, lips curled back in a snarl.
Sam at least has the decency to look ashamed. Dean, however, meets that icy stare with indifference. "We knew that you would want to come-"
"Damn right!"
"And your anger would have controlled you and ruined our chances of getting information!" Dean finishes, ignoring Daryl's outburst.
My gaze flickers between the two, knowing that there is something I'm missing out on.
"He's been a wreck without you."
I drop my gaze to the floor, gut tightening with Sam's words. They gave me a brief overview of everything. Most of it went in one ear and out the other. At the time, I was trying to figure out if I could escape from the two before they convinced me to come back here. Obviously, that didn't work.
Daryl remains enraged, the snarl never dropping. Dean's cold gaze doesn't falter either and the room falls victim to their standoff.
"It doesn't matter," Rick states, authority thick in his words.
He sits at the head of the table with a sternness that forces the two men to drop the argument. His gaze flickers between the two, ensuring his message is received firmly.
"The point is that you should have told us. What if something had happened? Here or on your end? We are meant to be a team."
Dean opens his mouth, ready to argue, it seems. Sam speaks up first, silencing his brother.
"We didn't want to get people's hopes up. Finding Metatron was hard enough, and even then, there was no guarantee that he would give up the information. Spending that long outside the walls in an unknown territory was a risk we weren't going to take with any of you."
A sharp scoff comes from Daryl, the hunter pacing in the doorway. I release a long breath, exhaustion creeping in. There's still so much to discuss.
"So, you found Metatron. What happened after?"
The brothers share a look, grimaces twisting their features. Already knowing the story, I understand their hesitation. What they did, it was risky. It's left us in a situation that can come back to bite us in the ass.
"He didn't know anything. All he told us was some bullshit to save his ass." Dean rubs the back of his neck, leaning forward to rest his arms on the table. "Crowley got wind of us poking into the Mark of Cain and decided to pop in and make sure we weren't screwing anything up."
Daryl scoffs, his displeasure evident. It fills the air, clogging the lungs where it seeps into the bloodstream in the form of tension.
"Why?" Michonne questions.
"Crowley was keeping an eye out for me," I explain, words rough from the tightness of my throat. "He wanted to make sure that I wasn't going to come after him or cause any problems."
"And Sam and Dean making a move always mean something."
The faintest of grins tug at my lips with Rick's comment. Sam and Dean wear matching expressions of indignation, but it's the truth. Whenever those two get involved, trouble follows.
"When we told Crowley about Metatron and the dead end, he offered to help."
Like a light switch, the air changes. It steals my breath for a second, the sudden shift sending chills down my spine. Steel gazes bore down on the brothers, none kind.
"What did you do?" Daryl growls, feet locked in place, no longer pacing a hole into the floorboards.
"Would you calm down, damn it!" Dean snaps, looking to everyone. "Jesus Christ, I know our reputation, but cut us some damn slack here. We knew what we were doing."
Maggie speaks up, spilling the truth that has the two brothers at a loss. "But when it comes to the ones you love, you guys don't. You're impulsive. You leap at the first bone thrown at you, and you don't acknowledge the consequences, the repercussions that come down on us, not you."
Pale green eyes meet mine for a short moment before I drop my head in shame. Family means everything to us hunters, but often, we forget that our choices destroy other families too. Sometimes, it's better to let go, no matter how much it hurts.
Somber now, the brothers sit in silent defeat with the blunt truth. But, we're not done here. Jesus gets the others back on track, stoking the conversation back to life.
"What did Crowley offer?"
Sam rubs a weary hand down his face.
They've aged in the last year, I notice. Sam's getting crow's feet, a worn look of exhaustion a permanent presence on his stubbly face. Dean doesn't look much different from his brother, a few more age lines, more demons swimming in those green depths.
"He offered us a solution to the Mark."
"How? I thought Crowley didn't know much more than us about the Mark of Cain?"
"And why would he help you guys?" Rick piggybacks off of Michonne's initial questions.
"The why is simple," Sam explains. "Aria was the strongest being alive. She posed a serious threat to Crowley and his position in Hell. He was more than happy to make sure no one could threaten him."
"Okay, so what changed? What did Crowley know that we didn't?"
Dean sighs. "It's not what he knew, it's what someone else knew. Turns out Crowley's mother is alive and happens to be a very powerful witch. We don't know the details of how she is alive after all these years or how she and Crowley have been reunited. The important thing is that she had a spell book, the Book of the Damned."
The others listen with baited breaths. They know this leads to nothing good. Even if the Mark is gone, from experience, they're aware that any time you work with a demon, a price has to be paid.
"The Book of the Damned has six black magic spells. One of which can cure the Mark of Cain."
"Black magic? Like the kind of magic that comes with a hefty price that could destroy the world?" Jesus' knowledge catches us off guard, but no one questions him. Instead, Sam and Dean nodded in acknowledgment.
"Yeah, but we didn't use the spell," Sam defends.
"You think that's any consolation for what we really did, Sam?" Hazel eyes slide to me in hurt, but it's the truth. I'm tired of this dance. There's no justifying this.
Breathing in deep, I pick up for the guys. "We could go through the whole story and every grimy detail, but what's the point? The truth is that if we cured the Mark, it would have destroyed the planet. Death even made an appearance to stop us from doing so. But, there was another way to rid the Mark, and that's to transfer it to somebody else who is worthy."
Pale faces stare back at me, understanding the consequences of our actions.
"Who did you give it to?" Michonne ventures during the apprehensive silence.
My gaze meets the Winchester's, seeing little remorse. They know the monster we've created now, know that we have damned this already cursed world. Yet, they don't care because it's family.
God, when are we ever going to learn?
"Lucifer. He was the original bearer of the Mark. So, we went to Hell and made a deal with the devil."
Grim faces stare at me, eyes widened in shock. Rick draws in a breath that shakes, his gaze focused on the table in front of him. The hairs on the back of my neck stand at attention when he speaks.
"You gave the Mark to Lucifer?"
Dean and Sam both open their mouths to protest, but Rick silences them. "No, I don't want to hear it."
The sun warms my back while I lean into the window. "You're safe," I reassure, still not able to look the others in the eye. I keep my gaze focused on the floor, crossing my arms over my chest.
"Lucifer has the Mark, but he's not getting out of the cage. He never left it. The Book of the Damned has two spells; one to summon Lucifer in his cage and one to temporarily neutralize Lucifer's powers. Sam and I went into the cage, made a false bargain about setting him free and transferred the Mark."
"It ain't that simple. Something happened and you ain't telling us," Daryl accuses, and I hate that he can't accept my words and let it be.
"That's the important part. The rest doesn't matter."
"Bullshit. Ya'll gave the devil the Mark of Cain! We deserve to know."
"Aria died, again!" Sam snaps, silencing the room.
I stare at the floor, wishing I could sink down through the cracks and disappear. My skin prickles with their gazes, but I ignore them, especially Daryl's.
"Lucifer wanted a deal. He would accept the Mark, but only if I became his vessel again. We agreed but we were never going to go through with that. Aria transferred the Mark to Lucifer, and then he punched a hole through her abdomen. All to ensure that I would say yes. Rowena reversed the spell and got us out of there before anything else could happen, but Aria was…"
A chill runs down my spine, the wetness of my blood pooling under me, and the taste of iron thick on my tongue all fresh in my mind. No fear in that moment, only relief that I could die without hurting anyone anymore. Too bad death didn't stick, as usual.
"How are you here then?" Jesus probes, unaffected by the news, unlike the others.
"Cas brought me back," I answer, lost to the memories of waking up in Hell with the brothers kneeled next to me with the angel. Maybe they would have let me stay dead if Cas wasn't an archangel. Resurrecting a soul is so much harder when you're a seraph than a leader of Heaven.
Closing my eyes, I rest my head on the warm glass. It pounds from the crying and the rollercoaster of emotions.
Again, silence fills the room.
I'm sick of it.
"That's it?" Rick presses, indifferent to my near death.
Not that I blame him. Death doesn't exist for this group when you have a guardian angel protecting you.
The words hang in the air and I wait, pretending I didn't hear them. Yet, when the brothers don't speak up, a sigh leaves me and I answer.
"No. We stole the Book of the Damned from Rowena. That's why Cas didn't come back. He's working with Heaven to keep it protected."
"Which means what for us?" Michonne asks.
"Right now, nothing," Dean reassures, but it does not ease the group.
"What does that mean? Crowley doesn't help without a reason and you guys stole a powerful book from the witch that works with him. That sounds like something, Dean."
Maggie's gaze cuts deep when she calls the older brother out. I note the new harshness in those pale depths, the firm lines of determination etched around her hard-pressed lips. She exudes the fierceness of a lioness, ready to eat those that dare to prey on her young.
"Doesn't mean it is," he fires back with his own ferocity. "Look, as much as it pains me to say this, Crowley's helped us out for a lot more with no cost. I don't like it because it feels wrong. It goes against everything I was raised to do, but I trust him."
Gaping faces stare back, Sam breathing a long sigh. "We want to stop the fighting between heaven and hell. Right now, with the people in charge, it could work. Crowley is a businessman and Hannah wants all of her brothers and sisters found and brought back to heaven. It's peaceful and we want to keep it that way."
Skepticism paints their features, weary glances shared with one another. It's a far-fetched idea, but for the most part, it's working. Crowley's at ease running Hell like he wanted all those years ago when he took the throne. Hannah and Cas are working to reverse what Metatron did and restore Heaven to the place it used to be. There's no war for the first time.
"You said that this means nothing for now. What about later?" Jesus questions.
The brother's spare each other a look before answering. At this point, after all these years of knowing them, I find that it's an unconscious instinct, that when they are in uncomfortable situations or stressed, they look to each other. As though they need to double check that they're not alone in this.
Daryl continues to pace in the doorway when I spare him a quick glance. Longing tears at my heart, but I ignore it. I don't deserve to want what we had. Not yet, at least. What I did was selfish. Now it's time to let someone else have what they want. He wants me to stay so I'll stay. Beyond that, I have to be patient and take whatever I can get.
"Crowley is aware that we have the Book of the Damned. We stole it from Rowena thanks to his help. Like I said, he likes the peace we have and he knows that book in her hands will only cause problems."
"However, to get the book we had to make a trade. The Book of the Damned for one of the Hands of God. They're objects that were touched by God himself and hold some of his power. Crowley has one, the Rod of Aaron. Cas said that one of the angels, while on earth, managed to find a piece of the Ark of the Covenant. That's what we gave Crowley in exchange for the book."
Rick pinches the bridge of his nose, graying curls slicked back. Slight hints of the color shine through his dark hair, reminding me how much a year can do.
The others all sit with varying degrees of unrest. Sam's explanation didn't soothe the group's concerns. If anything, he added to their anxieties. Not only does Lucifer have the Mark of Cain, but Crowley has two Hands of Gods, weapons that hold the power of God himself.
"What if this is a trap? How do we know Crowley won't stab us in the back or this witch won't come after you guys for revenge? You realize that you're putting a lot of faith in two enemies that have wanted you guys dead from the beginning?"
I stare up at the bright sky, tracing the wisps of clouds overhead. The brief moment of silence ends with a worn breath from Dean. It's the sound of a man who stands on the final battlefield, knowing that after he crosses, he'll be home - safe and done with a lifelong fight.
"For a long time, I thought that I would never stop killing monsters. I knew I would die doing the job, knew that this was the hand I was dealt so might as well make the best of it. There was always going to be another monster around the corner, another dick who wanted to end the world. So, whenever things we're quiet, I sat asking myself the same thing. What's next? When will the other shoe drop because it doesn't just end."
His emerald gaze cuts to Rick, directing his words at the man, even though they apply to everyone in the room.
"You're asking if I think this could work. I'm telling you that I have faith it will. And if it doesn't, then we deal with it when it comes. We did it right this time, though. Trust us."
Apprehension stares back at the oldest Winchester. He's asking a soldier if he's ready to go home. The real question, though, can the soldier leave the battlefield?
Michonne reaches out, her hand gripping Rick's. The two lock gazes, the softest of smiles adorning her face before he squeezes her hand and nods.
"Okay."
One by one, the others nod in agreeance, standing together as they put their faith in the Winchesters.
"Is that everything?" Jesus questions, his green eyes flickering between the brothers and me.
Sam and Dean nod. "Yeah. Once we finished up with Crowley, we made our way back here."
Everyone takes a moment, lips pursed in thought and heads nodding along as they process all the information thrown at them in the last couple of hours. There are still questions, their eyes gleaming with them. I wait knowing that this is far from over.
Daryl's southern drawl cuts through the quiet. "When they found you, why'd you go with them?"
I meet hazel and emerald eyes, the brothers wearing grim expressions remembering our first encounter. Once more my gaze finds the floor, those few nights back with them a stark reminder of the vicious monster I had become.
"I didn't want to."
"But you did. Why?"
"It wasn't willingly, but," a long sigh flutters pass my lips. "I couldn't kill them. I wanted to. The mark told me to, but I don't know. Every time I had the opportunity, I'd stop."
"So, you couldn't stop yourself when you killed hundreds of Saviors, but all of a sudden when Sam and Dean show up, you've got a conscious?"
Jesus's hostility catches me off guard. The venom tinging his voice makes my stomach roll and heart plummet. I knew that what I did could not be forgiven. Still, a small part held onto hope that maybe I could be forgiven for my sins. It was foolish to let that little flame live.
Dean growls his name with a warning, arms crossed over his chest where the shirt goes taut and shows off his muscled arms. The two stare each other down, the bearded man's gaze unrelenting.
My breath shakes on the inhale, crossing my own arms to hide the trembling before my worn words pierce the tense quiet.
"I don't have an explanation. There is no justifying what I did. I killed the Saviors because I wanted to protect you all. Whether that is the whole truth or I just wanted to kill, I couldn't tell you. Things with the Mark were...complicated. There was this haze. It was addictive. Once I gave in to it, nearly nothing could drag me out of it. I lived in it for almost a year - a void free of emotion and when you don't feel, all those conflicts inside don't matter and you do whatever because you can - because you don't care."
The truth of my words leaves me hollow. They ripped my organs free and left me an empty carcass of meat and bone - a vague resemblance to my year free of emotion. I keep my gaze lowered, a coward in the face of my judgment.
A few minutes later, Jesus's question fills the room, a hint of disbelief tinging his words.
"How can you move on from what you did?"
Tears burn my eyes, my knees threatening to buckle beneath me. "I don't know."
"Then how do you expect us to?"
A/N: *nervous laughter* ummm sorry? Really, I am. I have been meaning to put this chapter up for two weeks and honestly didn't have the time. I'm working to change that. I've got way too much going on in my life and I need this back. Writing is my stress relief. So, hopefully within the next month or so things calm down a little bit, and I can spend some more time getting content out.
But what about that chapter, huh? I hope you all liked it. I debated for a long time on how to get rid of the Mark. This story isn't meant to be super long so I didn't want anything complicated like the show, even though I really liked the plot line of that season with the Darkness. Plus, I felt like after everything from the last story and in general, they needed a break. Sometimes really complicated things can have easy solutions. So, that's my take. The main focus is Aria and how she's going to come back from all that she did. I didn't want to take away from that.
I hope you all enjoyed it! I'll try to get the next chapter up sooner! Also, thank you to everyone who has reviewed/followed/favorited this story!