Castiel wasn't even surprised anymore when the pack of vampires ambushed them. It was becoming almost routine. He raised his sword, now covered with thick layers of dried blood and black slime. Although it had lost some of its sleek edge since it had first been forged by Heaven, it was still very effective. In Castiel's hands it was deadly.

Michael attacked first, never one for patience. As much as Castiel disliked, as Dean would have phrased it, the "righteous ass with wings", he was captivated by Michael's fighting skill. No wonder there was a seemingly infinite supply of artwork and tapestries depicting it. The graceful swing of his sword through the air was more like a dance. The flash of the blade blessed the vampire with its deadly kiss, then Michael unleashed Holy White Light onto the next. Disembodied heads and piles of dust littered the ground when he was done.

He paused. Michael raised his chin and surveyed the massacre scene. Castiel realized that Michael was waiting for a congratulations on a "heroic" fight. Michael looked expectantly at Castiel, but after seeing the steely frown on his face decided it was best to drop it.

Castiel sheathed his sword, no longer having the effort to clean off the grime. He strode past Michael, leaving the archangel to admire his accomplishment alone.

"Castiel," Michael said with a slight edge to his words, "you have lost the right to be prideful since you've fallen."

Cas's anger subsided for a moment to make room for heartache. Hearing Dean's voice being twisted in such a way at first distressed him, but now only fueled his fury. He stepped forward to stare into Dean's green eyes, which had once been filled with compassion, and faced Michael head on.

"You may be almighty in Heaven," Castiel said. "But this is not Heaven and you cannot threaten me."

With that, Castiel continued on, wanting to avoid anymore fights with monsters. At first he didn't hear Michael behind him, and he was almost worried that he would have to face Purgatory alone, and worse, that he would lose Dean forever. Yet he wouldn't let himself look back to check. Just when he was ready to break and turn back to get Dean, he heard footsteps behind him.

Let Michael be angry. As long as they were both still alive and moving forward, it didn't matter too much to Castiel.

The angels had been doing better. They'd healed surprisingly quickly, and had even begun walking on their own again. Bobby was happy with their progress and Sam was glad because now that they didn't need as much attention, he could do more research.

Even though he'd scoured every website, book, or bible verse, he couldn't find anything relevant to angel possession or defeating Michael. Just story after story praising his heavenly missions. With each turn of the page or click of the mouse, he felt a little hope die. Night after night he went to sleep with his eyes still blurry from reading. Although he didn't have his original dream again, it still haunted him.

He wasn't the only one on edge. The angels were all tense. Not only were they still shaken up from their narrow escape from Heaven, but they feared Heaven's return any day. The fact that Heaven hadn't found them yet only heightened their nervousness. Sam noticed that as soon as Hannah could walk again, she was pacing the hallways.

"As soon as we are healed enough to teleport, we must leave," she said, bringing the subject up again.

"And where exactly do you propose we go?" Balthazar asked. When Hannah didn't answer he replied, "Precisely."

"We mustn't give up hope," Hannah said. "Castiel would have wanted us to keep fighting."

"You're right," Sam said before Balthazar could interrupt with one of his wisecracks. "I can help. You mentioned before that vessels are hereditary. That means that if I could find Michael, I could convince him to let Dean go in exchange for me."

Hannah shook her head.

"It is hereditary, but there is only one chosen vessel for each archangel," she explained. She gave Sam a sideways glance.

"But I am a vessel?" He asked. Her eyes grew wide with concern. She pursed her lips.

"Yes," she said cautiously. Balthazar's mouth twitched. Sam's eyes flickered between them.

"What?" He asked. "What aren't you telling me?"

Hannah frowned and gazed at Sam. She sat down next to him and clenched her hands. Across the room, Balthazar fidgeted uncomfortably. Hannah glanced towards the room that Samandriel was in, then she looked at Sam.

"Michael is the eldest of the archangels," She began. Sam raised his eyebrow quizzically, but didn't stop her. "And he loved God with all his heart. He completely devoted himself to him, followed his every command faithfully and happily. His admiration was matched only by that of his younger brother. But his brother was not as...obedient as Michael. There came a time when he challenged God, and subsequently fell from Heaven."

"The devil?" Sam asked. Hannah nodded gravely.

"His original name was Lucifer," Hannah explained. She paused for a moment. "Sam, you must understand that Heaven has plans that have been millennia in the making. And all of Heaven was prepared to carry them out, no matter to what end. However, sometimes chance intervenes."

"I'm sorry, but don't understand why this matters," Sam said. Hannah glanced at Balthazar, her eyes pleading for help. He shrugged.

"Sam…" She said, searching for the right words. "There were plans for Lucifer to rise, and Michael would defeat him in a momentous battle that would decide the fate of humanity, and Heaven. Just as Michael needed a chosen vessel, your brother...so did Lucifer."

"Am I...Are you saying that I'm Lucifer's vessel?" Sam asked.

"You were supposed to be. And Dean was to be Michael's," she continued. Her face suddenly darkened as she added, "but all those lives altered and paths changed to prepare for that great battle were abandoned when your brother died. He was an essential piece. You cannot play chess without a king. So the battle of the ages never came to be."

Sam held his head up between his hands, and gazed at the floor. Hannah gave him time to process everything he'd heard. After a few moments he brought his head back up and stared at the ceiling. Hannah watched him closely and Balthazar swirled his drink. The heavy atmosphere of the room was popped when Samandriel poked his head in.

"What are we discussing?" He asked.

"Hannah just told Sammy here about the whole 'Lucifer Vs Michael' ultimate showdown," Balthazar explained. Hannah cringed and Samandriel gaped at her.

"You told him?" He exclaimed.

"Hold on, hold on," Sam said. "So...Heaven was going to have Dean and I fight to the death?"

"It would have been Lucifer and Michael fighting, but that is essentially it. One of you would have died and the other would have to live with both the guilt of killing his brother and the burden of being a vessel for an archangel." Balthazar said, sipping his drink. "But it never came to pass."

Sam frowned, a thought crossing his mind. His forehead knit together as the thought took root and grew.

"Would Lucifer have been able to defeat Michael?" He asked.

"Who knows what would have happened," Balthazar said.

"Let's hope we never find out," Samandriel added. The other angels nodded. "I hate to worsen the already somber mood but…"

"Do you have news from Heaven?" Hannah asked eagerly. Samandriel nodded.

"I've learned why Castiel and Michael have gone to Purgatory," he said. "Heaven has uncovered an artifact called the Ring of Light. It has power to expand Heaven, but it had been lost in Purgatory ages ago."

"So...Michael can save Heaven?" Hannah asked.

"It appears so," Samandriel said. Balthazar laughed a cynical and sarcastic laugh.

"All that bloodshed and devastation to fight Heaven and they've found the solution," he said. Anna turned angrily on him.

"The only reason they began searching for a solution at all is because we forced them to acknowledge the problem!" Anna said. She took a few breaths, trying to steady her breathing.

"We cannot trust Michael or Heaven," she said. "Somehow...I can't explain it but this doesn't feel right. It is not like Michael."

"I agree," Hannah said.

"You don't know Michael, you've never even seen him," Balthazar said. "You're just bitter that they found the solution before us."

Hannah fumed, but Balthazar cut her off before she could retort.

"Perhaps if we turn ourselves over, they'll forgive us," Balthazar said.

"Michael isn't known for his forgiveness," Samandriel said nervously.

"We are not turning ourselves over!"Anna yelled. Sam actually jumped a bit. It was so loud he could have sworn he almost heard some sort of ringing in his ears.

"Turning ourselves over is our only chance to return home," Balthazar said vehemently.

"Listen!" Sam said, standing up. "Stop bickering. No one's turning themselves over to Heaven yet. Now, this is going to sound crazy but I propose we go to Purgatory ourselves, rescue Dean and Castiel, and find this artifact."

"You're as insane as your brother," Balthazar said. "Look where his plan got us."

"Balthazar," Hannah reprimanded.

"You have any better ideas?" Sam asked. "You said it yourself, what else are you going to do? Go back to Heaven and be executed for treason or else locked away for the rest of time? There's a better way. We can't stop Michael ourselves, but there is someone who can," said Sam.

The angels' eyes widened. Hannah took a step back, shaking her head in disbelief. Anna's mouth twisted down. Samandriel's eyes were wide with fear, and even Balthazar was stupefied into silence.

"You don't know what you're suggesting," Samandriel said. "It would destroy the world!"

"Not if we're in Purgatory," Sam pointed out.

"It doesn't matter," Balthazar said. "He would find a way out eventually. Either him or Michael and I'm not sure which would be worse, but either way we'll end up screwed."

"Weren't you willing to follow your leader..." Sam said.

"Castiel," Hannah said. Sam nodded.

"Weren't you willing to follow Castiel to the ends of the earth and beyond?" Sam asked. He paused, waiting for someone to say something. When no one did, he continued, "Has that changed?"

Balthazar wouldn't look Sam in the eye, but Hannah wouldn't look away.

"Sam, I want to save Castiel just as much as you want to save your brother," she said, her voice close to cracking, "but what you're proposing is not only suicide, it's putting the entire world at risk. And with Michael in Purgatory, there would be no one to stop Lucifer."

"That's why I would make a deal with him beforehand," Sam said.

"I'm sure he would be all too happy to fight his brother," Samandriel pointed out. Hannah and Balthazar looked at him with shock and betrayal. He shrunk back.

"Please, just consider it," Sam begged. "I'm going to get my brother back, with or without your help."

Balthazar cringed, Hannah looked away, and Samandriel frowned. Sam knit his brow while his eyes flickered between them. Hannah shook her head gently, and looked at Sam, but her eyes were filled with sympathy now.

"If we agree to help you-" Hannah began. Balthazar protested, but she shot him an angry glance out of the corner of her eyes. She continued. "I will help you, but you must understand the monumental consequences if you fail. Are you willing to risk all of that to save Dean?"

Sam's eyes were big and round as he stared at Hannah. She looked back at him, but her eyes were hard as she waited for him to answer.

"Would you risk all of that to save Heaven?" He asked. Hannah recoiled. She clutched her hand and didn't answer. Balthazar glanced nervously between her and Samandriel. Anna, however, stepped forward.

"I'll help you," she said.

"Anna, don't be ridiculous," Balthazar said. "It's not worth it."

"If we could save Heaven…" Samandriel murmured. Balthazar turned on him, but he continued. "It's what Castiel would have wanted."

"I can't believe you're supporting this," Balthazar said, shaking his head.

"What do we need to do?" Hannah asked.

"You can't be serious," Balthazar moaned. "I'm not going to be a part of this!"

"I'm tired of hiding from Heaven," Samandriel said. "We started fighting for a purpose and...and we owe it to Cas to help him and save Heaven. Balthazar, don't lie to yourself. You want to help him too."

"No, I don't," he said, crossing his arms. "I want to save myself."

Hannah and Samandriel crossed their arms too, and frowned at him. He frowned.

"No," he repeated. Anna raised her eyebrow. Sam took a step back, not wanting to get in the middle of them.

"Balthazar…" Hannah prodded. Balthazar rolled his eyes and groaned.

"Alright fine!" He said. "But I'm not dealing with any demons and I'm not going into Purgatory."

"That's...That's great," Sam said, overwhelmed with happiness. "You don't need to. I just need help finding Lucifer."

"It's not a matter of finding Lucifer," Samandriel said. "It's a matter of breaking him out."

Sam frowned quizzically. Hannah glanced at the others, and then back at Sam.

"Have you heard of the 66 seals?" She asked.