Sioux Falls, South Dakota

May 13th, 2009

Beth had gone straight to her room the moment they'd returned to Bobby's, leaving Dean to tell the older hunter what had gone down between the three siblings.

She refused to talk to them, only leaving her room when she need to eat or get a drink or use the bathroom. She was standing in the kitchen, staring at the small amount of food in the fridge with dull eyes when Bobby suddenly spoke, causing her to jump in surprise.

"Dean?" he repeated, watching the other male in concern. "You listened to word I said?"

"Yeah, I heard you," Dean answered from the window. "I'm not calling him."

Beth turned her attention back to the fridge and closed the door before settling on an apple from the nearby fruit bowl. She bit into it quietly and chewed slowly as she glanced back at her brother and Bobby.

"Don't make me get my gun, boy," Bobby warned.

"We are damn near kickoff for Armageddon. We got bigger fish at the moment," Dean countered, turning around.

"I know you're pissed, and I'm not making apologies for what he's done, but he's your-"

"Blood? He's my blood? Is that what you're gonna say?"

"He's your brother and he's drowning," Bobby corrected. Beth glanced down at her half eaten apple and tossed it in the trash, not feeling hungry all of a sudden.

"Bobby, I tried to help him. I did. Look what happened."

"So try again."

"No. It's too late," Dean sighed as he walked past Bobby.

"There's no such thing."

"No, dammit!" Dean shouted. "No. We just gotta face the facts. Sam never wanted part of this family. He hated this life growing up. Ran away to Standford first chance he got, now it's like déjà vu all over again." He sat down on a nearby chair. "Well, I am sick and tired of chasing him. Screw him, he can do whatever he wants."

"You don't mean that."

"Yes, I do, Bobby."

"You're a selfish asshole, you that?" Beth suddenly demanded, reminding them that she was in the room and they both turned to her. "Do you have any idea what I would give to have my brother back? I would do anything. And here you are, complaining about Sam, well at least he's still alive! He may have done terrible things, but he's out there right now with that demon bitch and if you don't do something, you're gonna lose him, for good. He's gonna run himself into the ground before you get off your ass and save him!"

Dean looked startled at the lecture he'd just received, but before he could respond to her, she turned on her heel and fled up the stairs. Her door slammed shut a few seconds later with a loud bang that echoed throughout the house.

Beth stared down at the photo in her hands, tears slowly making their way down her face as she stared at the smiling faces of her mom, brother and dad. It was the same photo she'd taken from her house and had lost when Cas zapped her away from the station, it had been left in her brother's truck but suddenly on her pillow when she entered the room.

"Beth?"

She jumped, surprised at Dean's voice—she hadn't heard him come in. "Dean, what are you doing here?" she sniffed. "Usually when someone storms off and slams their door, it means they don't want to be disturbed."

"Get up," Dean ordered as he stopped in front of her and pulled her to her feet, the photo fell from her hands and landed on a velvet chair behind her.

"What the hell?" She glanced around in shock. She wasn't in her room anymore, instead, she was in a beautiful white room with fancy chairs, a shiny oak dining table and a bunch of paintings strewn about the walls. "Where are we?"

"Hello, Dean." They both spun around to find Cas standing behind them. "Beth."

"Uh, hi?" Beth raised an eyebrow, silently demanding for him to tell them where they were.

"It's almost time," he explained. His arms were hanging awkwardly by his side and he stared at them with an almost pitying look on his face.

"What?!"

Beth scowled from her position on the velvet chair as Dean circled the room once again, running his fingers over the pure white table cloth.

"Will you stop?" she grumbled. "You're making me dizzy with your pacing."

Dean rolled his eyes and walked past her, stopping briefly in front of colourful painting on an angel before turning back to the table, to find Beth sitting it and chewing away at a double bacon cheese burger.

"Where did you get that?" he asked cautiously.

"Dunno… it just appeared on the table." She shrugged and went back to eating.

Dean lifted a bottle of ice cold beer from the bowl full of ice and stared at it silently, unaware that an older, balding man in a suit had appeared just to their right.

"Hello, Dean," the man greeted. Beth let out a startled squeak, swallowing her mouthful as she tipped to the side and fell off of the table, landing at the man's feet. Cas squinted down at her, wondering why she had been sitting on the table in the first place. "You're looking fit."

"Well, how about this," Dean chuckled dryly. He leaned down at pulled Beth to her feet. "The suite life of Zach and Cas."

Beth snorted in amusement and quickly covered her mouth, resorting to clearing her throat and looking away from the angels sheepishly. The two angels shared a mutually confused look before looking back at Dean. Beth looked between the two angels, and came to the conclusion that this 'Zach' must be the angel Zachariah that Dean told her about the other day. From what she could gather, he was just a big a dick as the others.

"It's ah… never mind." Dean glanced away awkwardly. "So what is this? Where the hell are we?"

"Call it a Green room," Zachariah replied, spreading his arms away from his body in a deep shrug. "We're closing in on the grand finale here. Wanna keep you safe, before show time." He plucked a burger from the pile and held it out. "Try a burger, they're your favourite."

"Uh, excuse me," Beth said, gaining Zachariah's attention. "I understand why Dean's here, but why am I?"

"We are under orders to protect you as well," Cas explained in his usual, gravelly tone.

"Why?"

"Because, even though you are the bastard child of John Winchester, you hold some 'semblance of importance to our bosses," Zachariah interrupted, sending her a withering stare. Beth flinched at the use of 'bastard child' and Dean tensed, pulling her slightly behind him.

"Don't call her that," Dean ordered lowly.

"Fine. Fine." Zachariah held his hands up in surrender and went back to offering Dean some woman from someplace to amuse him until it was show time.

"Why don't you just tell us the game plan?" Dean demanded.

"Let us worry about that," Zachariah said calmly. "We want you focused, relaxed."

"Well, I'm about to be pissed and leaving, so start talking, chuckles," Dean countered.

"All the seals have fallen," Zachariah admitted, walking around Dean and Beth. "Except one."

"That's an impressive score. Right up there with the Washington Generals," Dean said mockingly.

"You think sarcasm's appropriate, do you? Considering you started all this?"

"Wait, what?" Beth turned on Dean on disbelief. "You started the freakin' apocalypse?"

"Not now, Beth," Dean hissed. Zachariah smirked smugly.

"But the final seal," he continued, as though Beth hadn't interrupted. "It'll be different." He clapped Dean on the shoulder on his way back towards Castiel.

"Why?" Dean turned with him, watching him through narrowed eyes.

"Lilith has to break it, she's the only one who can. Tomorrow. Midnight."

"Where?"

"We're working on that."

"Well work harder," Dean snapped.

"We'll do our job. You do yours."

"Yeah, and what is that, exactly? I'm the one that stops her. How? With the knife?"

"All in good time."

"Isn't now a good time?"

"Have faith," Zachariah replied.

"What… in you?" Dean raised an eyebrow in disbelief. "Give me one good reason why I should."

"Because you swore your obedience," Zachariah reminded him. "So obey."

With that, Zachariah and Castiel disappeared, taking Beth with them and leaving Dean to stare at the empty spot his sister had just been in with worried eyes.

"What the hell was that?" Beth glanced around wildly, her eyes widening as she realized she was now in a room full of people. "Where am I? Where's Dean?"

"Dean is fine," Cas told her, taking a hold of her elbow and leading her towards the group.

"Why am I here?"

"Because you are meant to be," he answered. A woman with blonde hair stood up and approached them. "Because we were told to bring you here."

"Where is here?" Beth asked, eyeing the blonde warily.

"This is… this is an abandoned bar in New Orleans," Cas answered before turning to the blonde woman. "Rachel."

"Castiel," Rachel greeted politely and turned her sharp blue eyes on Beth. "Bethany Milligan."

"Uh, just Beth actually." Castiel released his hold on her elbow and took a step back.

"I have to go now," he explained at her confused look. "Rachel and the others are going to watch you."

"You mean babysit me?" she retorted bitterly, crossing her arms over her chest. "I'm 18, I don't need to be watched like I'm a child. It's not like I'm gonna break something or play with something I shouldn't."

"Why would you do that?" Cas tilted his head to the side in his overly-confused way before straightening up. Beth rolled her eyes and stuck her tongue out at him before he disappeared from sight.

"So," she turned to Rachel with a wide smile, "what do you guys like to do for fun around here?"

"…Fun?" Rachel repeated, looking at her with a look similar to 'are you for real?' on her face. "We do not have time for fun. The end of days is coming, there is a lot of preparation to be done still."

"Wow. How boring your lives must be," Beth said in pity, ignoring the part about the upcoming apocalypse. "Well, don't worry. I'm gonna teach you guys how to enjoy yourselves."

Rachel stared after her in confusion as Beth headed past the table full of angels and hoisted herself over the bar, fiddling with something under the counter.

The lights in the bar suddenly dimmed as Beth pressed a few buttons attached to a remote under the cash register. She ignored the curious gazes she was receiving and pulled her phone out, plugging it into an extension cable just behind her and setting her music playlist to shuffle. The intro to 'Fighter' by Christina Aguilera filled the bar.

"Now," Beth started as she rested her hands on the counter and leaned forward, a wide grin spreading across her lips, "do any of you know how to dance?"

Four hours later, when Castiel reappeared to check on Beth, he was surprised to find his brothers; Daniel, Ezekiel, Samandriel and Hadriel playing a game of poker at their table—it appeared that Ezekiel was winning. What surprised him the most was the sight of his sisters; Rachel, Muriel, Nina and Miniel on top of the bar with a semi-drunk Beth dancing away. His sisters' moves were slightly clumsy as they followed Beth's lead.

"Woo!" Beth cheered raising her arms above her head and swaying from side-to-side. "Nice moves, Mini!" she said loudly to the black haired, green eyed angel as the other female spun around successfully without falling off of the bar.

"What is the meaning of this?" Castiel thundered, his voice freezing them on the spot. Beth let out a short laugh, her cheeks aching from all the smiling she'd done that day.

"Relax, Caaaas," she drew his name out with a large grin. "Why don't you join us?"

Castiel snapped his fingers and the music turned off, the lights came back on and the poker chips and cards disappeared. Beth let out a loud groan, mumbling about him being a buzz kill as Rachel, Nina, Muriel and Miniel climbed down and stood as straight as they could, their hands clasped tightly behind their backs, the male angels soon followed their example whilst Beth remained standing on the counter.

"You reaaally need to have more fun," she told him, waggling a finger before gulping down the rest of the whisky.

"Beth, you should come down from there before you get hurt."

"What's the worst that could happen?" she retorted, looking down at him. Cas went to pull her down himself when she yanked her leg out his reach. Everything seemed to slow down as Beth wobbled unsteadily on the edge of the bar and fell backwards. She hit the side of her face roughly against the bar stool on her way down and lay on her side, clutching her face in agony.

"Beth?"

The angels crowded around her, not quite sure what they should do to assist her. She let out a shaky breath, turning slowly onto her back and rising into a sitting position. Cas reached out to her, gently peeling her hand from her face. There was a long cut across her cheekbone and the side of her face was already a bright red.

"I can heal you," he said in confusion as she pushed his hand away and shook her head.

"It's only a cut—it won't kill me," she answered reassuringly, slowly starting to come down from her drunken haze. "Oh, I'm gonna had a killer hangover tomorrow," she groaned, rubbing her forehead.

She took the offered bundle of tissues from Rachel and pressed them against her bleeding cheek. She sent a cheeky smile up at them, increasing their confusion further.

"At least I got you guys to have fun, right?"

"It was fun," Nina—a dirty blonde haired angel with grey eyes—admitted reluctantly, sending a wary glance at Castiel.

"So, why are you here?" Beth asked as she climbed to her feet. "Are you taking me back to Dean?" She looked awfully hopeful, and a strange sensation settled in Cas's gut as he stared at her youthful face.

"I believe that would be best," he replied, "perhaps Dean can keep you from causing any more harm to yourself."

"It was an accident—I didn't deliberately fall off of the bar," she grumbled as she waved goodbye to the angels. Cas was silent as he set his hand on her shoulder. They disappeared from sight immediately afterwards and re-appeared in the Green room.

"What the hell happened to you?" Dean demanded, cupping her face gently and assessing the bruised side of her face. "What did you do?" he directed at Cas angrily.

"I didn't lay a hand on her, if that's what you're implying," Cas said tersely. "She somehow managed to encourage a group of my siblings to play poker and dance on top of the bar. She fell off of it in her drunken state."

"You… you got angels to drink and play poker?" Dean asked, amusement lighting up his face. "You've gotta tell me how you did it."

"It wasn't that hard, I just said that if it really was the 'end of all days' then they should at least try some human things before paradise comes and no-one has fun anymore."

"That is awesome," Dean chuckled once before turning serious. "Look, I need something," he said to Cas.

"Of course, anything you wish," Cas agreed readily.

"I need you to take me to see Sam."

"Why?"

"There's something I gotta talk to him about."

"What's that?" Cas queried.

"The BM I took this morning, what's it to you?" Dean said sarcastically. "Just make it snappy."

"I don't think that's wise."

"He didn't ask what you thought of it," Beth pointed it. "He asked you to take him to Sam."

"Exactly. I didn't ask for your opinion," Dean added with a frown.

"Have you forgotten what happened the last time you met?" Beth flinched at his cold words and her hands flew up her neck, rubbing her bruised throat gently as she remembered how he strangled her until she was unconscious.

"No," Dean said sharply. "That's the whole point." The room went silent for a moment as Dean and Cas stared at one another and Beth stood awkwardly to the side. "Listen, I'm gonna do whatever you mooks want, okay? I just need to tie up this one thing. Five minutes, that's all I need."

"No," Cas replied. A reluctant expression flickered through his eyes as he stepped backwards. It was clear that he was torn between following his orders and helping them.

"What do you mean 'no'?" Dean asked lowly, a clear warning in his words. "Are you saying that we're trapped here?"

"You can go wherever you want," Cas corrected patiently.

"Super. I wanna go see Sam."

"Except there." Cas stood his ground, obviously not going to budge on the matter.

"I wanna take a walk," Dean returned.

"I'll go with you."

"Alone."

"No," Cas said firmly, his irritation at Dean rising.

"You know what? Screw this noise, I'm outta here." Dean took a hold of Beth's arm and steered her towards the door.

"Through what door?" Cas questioned. They both glanced at him in confusion, wondering what he was going on about. When they turned back around, the door had disappeared, replaced by a wall with a table in front of it holding some lit candles. Cas was gone when Dean spun around to have a go at him.

"No. No. No," Beth whined, her face buried in her knees as she rocked back and forth. Her fingers were tangled in her messy mane of hair.

"Beth?" Dean came over and crouched in front of her. "What's wrong?"

"No doors… no windows." She squeezed her eyes shut. It was like she was back in the crypt all over again. The walls seemed to be closing in on her as she struggled against the oncoming panic attack. "I-I can't breathe. I need to get out!"

Dean grasped her arms tightly as she struck out at him, fear clear in her watery hazel eyes. He drew her forward until her forehead rested against his shoulder and he stroked her hair gently.

"Hey. Hey, it's okay," he reassured her, holding her tightly as she started shaking softly. "I'm gonna get us both outta here, okay?"

She nodded jerkily, her breaths coming out in quick, deep gasps. Dean rubbed her back soothingly, encouraging her to deep breaths and to calm down. Beth's eyes locked on his and she followed his example hesitantly, breathing deeply through her nose. It seemed to work slowly, her chest eventually felt less tight and she found she could breathe normally again.

"Thank you," she whispered. He nodded in response and stood up, looking around silently. He picked up a heavy metal object and began hitting it against the wall, watching as the wood splintered easily under its weight, leaving a gaping hole in the wall. A frown crossed both of their faces when the wall was suddenly whole again, leaving no sign that it had ever been damaged.

"Quit hurling faeces like a howler monkey, would you?" Zachariah queried in exasperation from behind them. "It's unbecoming."

"Let me outta here," Dean demanded. "Let her outta here."

"Like I told you, too dangerous. Demons on the prowl."

"I've been getting my ass kicked all year, now you're sweating my safety?" Dean demanded in disbelief. "You're lying. I wanna see my brother."

"That's ill advised," Zachariah cautioned.

"You know, I am so sick of your crap riddles and your smug, fat face," Dean insulted. "What the hell is going on, huh? Why can't I see Sam? And how am I gonna ice Lilith?"

"…You're not… going to ice Lilith," Zachariah replied after a moment of silence.

"Uh, what are you talking about?" Beth piped up, staring at the angel in confusion.

"What?" Dean echoed.

"Lilith's gonna break the final seal," Zachariah unveiled the secret they'd been holding back since the beginning and Beth's expression grew hard, all traces of confusion fading as realization hit her. "Fait accompli, at this point. Trains left the station."

He walked away from them and sat down on the white and gold swirl-patterned chaise longue at the other end of the room.

"But, me and Sam—and Beth—we can stop-"

"Dean, they never wanted to stop it… did you?" Beth sent an accusing look at the angel. She couldn't understand why they were doing this, why would they want the apocalypse to happen? Didn't they realize it would roast half the planet—if not all of it—and killing billions of people at the same time?

"Nope. Never did." Zachariah had a smug smile on his face as he looked at Beth's horrified expression. "The end is nigh. The apocalypse is coming, kiddos, to a theatre near you."

"What was all that crap about saving seals?" Dean found himself asking, his eyes stinging at the sensation of tears that he blinked back.

"Grunts on the ground, we couldn't tell them the truth," Zachariah explained, shrugging carelessly, "we'd have a full-scale rebellion on our hands. I mean, think about it—would we really let 65 seals get broken unless senior management wanted it that way?"

"But why?"

"Why not?" Zachariah countered, throwing his hands up. "The apocalypse. Poor name, bad marketing—it puts people off. When all it is, is Ali-Foreman. On a slightly larger scale and we like our chances." His eyes flickered to them. "When our side wins, and we will, it's paradise on Earth, what's not to like about that?"

"What's not to like…?" Beth repeated dumbly, "what about all the innocent people that'll die during your little pissing contest?" she demanded, stealing the words straight from Dean's thoughts.

"You can't make an omelette without cracking a few eggs." Zachariah shrugged and stood up, buttoning up his suit jacket. "In this case, a few truckloads of eggs, but you get the picture." He stepped towards them. "Look, it happens. This isn't the first planetary enema we've delivered."

Dean's eyes flickered to a small, iron statue of an angel playing a trumpet and he was overcome with the urge to hit Zachariah with it.

"No, probably shouldn't try to bash my skull in with that thing," Zachariah warned him. "Wouldn't end up too pleasant for you."

"What about Sam?" Dean asked in defeat, looking away from the statue. "He won't go quietly. He'll stop Lilith."

"…Sam has a part to play," Zachariah explained. "A very important part. He may need a little nudging in the right direction, but I'll make sure he plays it."

"What does that mean?" Dean asked cautiously. Beth walked away from them, running her fingers over the smooth, white table that held the angel statue and stared at it intently, wondering what the odds where that she would be able to grab it and hit the smug bastard that was Zachariah with it. "What are you gonna do to him?"

"Sam, Sam, Sam," Zachariah chanted lowly, "Marcia, Marcia, Marcia. Forget about him would you? You have larger concerns. Why do you think I'm confiding in you, Dean? You're still vital. We weren't lying about your destiny. Just omitted a few pertinent details, but nothing's changed; you are chosen. You will stop it. Just not Lilith or the apocalypse, that's all."

"Which means?"

"Lucifer," Zachariah began, gesturing towards a painting of an angel slaying the devil. "You're going to stop Lucifer. You're our own little Russell Crowe, complete with surly attitude. And when it's over, and when you've won, your rewards will be unimaginable." He looked back towards the painting. "Peace. Happiness." He hit Dean on the back roughly. "Two virgins and 70 sluts."

"Tell me something," Dean ordered as the angel walked away, "where's God in all this?"

"God?" Zachariah repeated. "God has left the building."

"Wait, what's my role in all of this?" Beth demanded as Zachariah prepared to leave. "You keep saying Sam and Dean are important, but why do you need me?"

"Because, when paradise happens, my older brother will need a vessel to walk the earth in… his true vessel," Zachariah explained patronisingly.

"What older brother?" she asked, there had to be at least a million or more siblings that he had.

"Raphael."

Zachariah disappeared, leaving Beth and Dean standing there uselessly. Beth's mouth was slightly open in surprise at his answer. There was no way she was the true vessel to one of the archangels… was there?

"Cas!" Beth shot to her feet as the dark haired angel appeared. She and Dean had been trapped in that room for who knows how long and she was starting to go crazy. She wanted to leave, to go outside and get some air. "Have you come to help us or what?"

Cas gave her an apologetic look before turning towards Dean, who was searching for a signal for his phone.

"You can't reach him, Dean," Cas told him. "You're outside your coverage zone."

"What are you gonna do to Sam?"

"Good question." Beth's eyes flickered to Cas as she hoisted herself onto the table and crossed her legs, resting her elbows on her knees.

"Nothing," Cas stated. He walked closer. "He's gonna do it to himself."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Dean snorted as he looked away. "Oh right, right. Gotta toe the company line." He stepped towards Cas, getting into the angel's personal space. "Why are you here, Cas?"

"We've been through much together, you and I," Cas started quietly. "And I just wanted to say, I'm sorry it ended like this."

"Sorry?" Beth repeated. She shook her head from her perch a few feet away. "You don't know the meaning of that word."

Dean suddenly drew his arm back and punched Cas in the face. The angel's head snapped to the side and Dean's expression screwed up in pain as he shook his hand out. "It's Armageddon, Cas. You need a bigger word than sorry."

"Try to understand, this is long foretold," Cas urged, an almost desperate look in his blue eyes. "This is your—"

"Destiny?" Dean interrupted furiously. "Don't give me that holy crap. Destiny, God's plan… it's all a bunch of lies, you poor, stupid son of a bitch. It's just a way for your bosses to keep me, and keep you in line."

Cas clenched his jaw, staring at Dean bitterly. Beth rolled her eyes at their little spat and started braiding her hair into a side, fishtail braid.

"You know what's real?" Dean continued, staring Cas in the eye. "People. Families, that's real. And you're gonna watch them all burn?"

"What is so worth saving?" Cas demanded, his full attention on the dark blonde human. "I see nothing but pain here. I see inside you. I see your guilt, your anger, confusion. In paradise, all is forgiven. You'll be at peace. Even with Sam."

Cas looked away, his jaw still clenched in anger and Dean followed the movement, regaining Cas's eye contact without difficulty.

"You can take your peace, and shove it up your lily-white ass," Dean said firmly. "Because I'll take the pain and the guilt, I'll even take Sam as is. It's a lot better than being some Stepford bitch in paradise. This is simple, Cas. No more crap about being a good soldier, there is a right and there is a wrong here and you know it." He grabbed Cas by the shoulder roughly and spun him around. "Look at me! You know it! Now, you were going to help me once, weren't you? You were gonna warn me about all this before they dragged you back to bible camp. Help me, now. Please."

Beth watched the exchange curiously, trying to decide if Cas was actually going to help them or continue to stand there and make Dean beg for help.

"…What would you have me do?" Cas asked finally, to Beth's surprise.

"Get me to Sam, we can stop this before it's too late."

"I do that, we will all be hunted," Cas argued, turning to meet Dean's eyes. "We will all be killed."

"Then it'll be worth it," Beth interrupted from her seat on the table. "If us dying to stop the apocalypse is what it takes, then so be it. We'll be saving billions of lives in the long run."

Castiel stared at her for a moment, assessing her quietly. The girl he'd been told to watch numerous times throughout her life had changed completely. She was still a coward, deep down, but she knew the difference between right and wrong and she wasn't afraid to stand up for what she believed in, even if it meant standing alone. Her bravery overtaking her fear in difficult situations was something he would unwillingly admit that he found intriguing, admirable, even. He shook his head and had to look away as disappointment spread across her face.

"You spineless, soulless son of a bitch," Dean insulted in irritation, glaring at the angel. "What do you care about dying? You're already dead. We're done."

"Dean—" Cas started.

"We're done," Dean repeated, interrupting him.

"You know, I expected more… I expected better from you so called angels," Beth scowled as he turned to look at her. "You heard my brother—we're done with you."

"This is ridiculous!" Beth yelled, glaring at the ridiculously white ceiling. "How long are you bastards gonna keep us here?"

"You can yell as much as you like, they won't answer," Dean chuckled dryly as he picked up a burger. He was about to take a bite out of it when he was suddenly yanked backwards by the back of his coat and the burger slipped from his grasp.

"Cas, what the hell are you doing?" Beth watched in shock as he threw her brother against the wall and covered his mouth.

Cas pulled the demon killing knife from the waistband of his slacks and stared at Dean, conveying with his eyes that the hunter needed to stay quiet. Dean nodded once and Beth quickly caught on as the angel released Dean. He pulled his sleeves up and cut his arm open, using the blood that poured out of it to start drawing some sort of symbol on the wall.

"Castiel," Zachariah said sharply, and Beth spun around to look at him. Cas went back to drawing on the wall. "Would you mind explaining just what the hell you're doing?"

Castiel finished the symbol and slammed his hand down on it. Zachariah let out a shout of pain before he disappeared in a flash of bright light.

"He won't be gone long," Cas told them urgently. "We have to find Sam, now."

"Where is he?"

"I don't know. But I know who does," Cas replied, handing the knife to Dean. "We have to stop him, Dean. From killing Lilith."

"But Lilith's gonna break the final seal," Dean argued.

"Lilith is the final seal," Cas admitted gruffly. "She dies, the end begins."

Beth's mouth dropped open as she stared at him, not believing what she was hearing. If that was case, and Lilith was the final seal, then they needed to find Sam and stop him before it was too late.

After being zapped from the Green room, Beth found herself standing in between Cas and Dean in an incredibly messy living room. A man was pacing back and forth in front of his computer, and he appeared to be in the middle of a very, personal phone call.

He turned around and gaped at them, his eyes wide in surprise. Beth waved once, fighting an amused grin as he glanced at her nervously.

"W-wait. This isn't supposed to happen," the man stuttered. He went back to his phone call, "no, lady, this is definitely supposed to happen, but I just gotta call you back." He hung up and his arm dangled by his side as he watched them closely.

Chuck let out a long sigh and put the phone down before gesturing for the trio to follow him over to the table where a large pile of paper was strewn about. As soon as Dean told him that they were looking for Sam, he pulled a single piece of paper free and handed it off to Dean.

"St. Mary's? What is that, a convent?" Dean asked, glancing up from the paper he was looking at.

"Yeah," Chuck nodded. "But you guys aren't supposed to be there, you're not in this story."

"Yeah, well. We're making it up as we go along," Cas explained. Beth sent a proud look in his direction, grinning as he glanced at her.

A sudden ringing filled the air and Chuck's computer screen flickered twice. Chuck looked towards the window as a bright light shone through it.

"Oh man, not again," he complained.

Beth's eyes were drawn to the light, even as Dean tried to force her head away. She couldn't understand why Dean was telling her not to look, that it would burn her eyes out. The light didn't seem to be affecting her at all, nor was the ringing as it slowly died down and a voice replaced it.

"Bethany Milligan," the voice said. "I should've known you would be with them."

"What?" she asked in response, squinting as the light took on a form that had about 600 wings or more, "why wouldn't I be with them?"

"You need to leave. Now," the voice warned. Dean was trying desperately to get her attention, but her gaze was locked on the figure. "I will not tell you again."

"It's the archangel!" She vaguely heard Cas call from beside her. "I'll hold him off. I'll hold them all off. Just stop Sam."

He pressed his fingers against their heads and Beth got one, last good look at Cas and his slightly fearful expression before they were sent away from Chuck's house and into the dusty hallway of St. Mary's Convent.

Just up ahead, Sam was standing over a woman—who could only be Lilith—with strawberry blonde hair. Ruby glanced back over her shoulder at them, and smirked sinisterly at them, raising one hand and closing the doors with her powers.

"Sam!" Dean called, banging on the doors as screams filled the air. "Sam!"

"Sam," Beth joined in, tugging uselessly at the door. "You don't have to do this!"

They could both faintly hear Ruby yelling at Sam, telling him to 'do it now' and 'what are you waiting for?' and then a loud, sarcastic laugh sounded from inside the room as they continued banging on the door.

"Dean, when we get in there, Ruby's mine," she said, glancing at him. He had no choice but to nod at the fierce look on his half-sister's face.

Dean picked up a nearby candle holder and began ramming the bottom of it into the door. Beth bit her nail nervously, the lack of screaming was clearly a bad sign. It clearly meant that they were too late—Sam had killed Lilith and now the end was coming.

Dean finally got the door open and they both rushed in, Ruby stood up and turned to face them, a smug grin on her face.

"You're too late."

"I don't care," Dean growled and handed the knife to Beth, who smirked cruelly.

"I've been waiting for this since I first found out about you," she told Ruby calmly. Sam grabbed Ruby from behind, pinning her arms down and giving Beth the perfect opportunity to plunge the knife into Ruby's heart. She twisted it ruthlessly and felt a sick sense of satisfaction as Ruby's skeleton flickered, and she gasped out of pain. Beth yanked the knife out and handed it to Dean as Sam let Ruby's body fall to the floor.

"I'm sorry," Sam told them, voice full of guilt and sorrow.

"We don't have time for that now," Beth said and pointed towards where the circle of blood joined together and a beacon of burning white light burst out of it. Beth cried out, stumbling backwards as she covered her eyes.

"Sammy, let's go." Dean grabbed Sam's arm and reached out, pulling Beth to him.

"Dean," Sam breathed, "he's coming."