I do not own Supernatural. I own Sarakiel, Vasa, and Kat. Contains dialogue and action from Season 4, Episode 22: Lucifer Rising.

The sound of Bobby and Dean arguing woke Kat up. She ran downstairs in time to see Bobby sweep his desk with his hands, knocking off multiple books and papers.

"You stupid, stupid son of a bitch," Bobby spat, advancing on Dean. "Well, boo hoo, I am so sorry your feelings are hurt, princess! Are you under the impression that family's supposed to make you feel good? Make you an apple pie maybe? They're supposed to make you miserable! That's why they're family!"

"I told him, 'You walk out that door, don't come back!' and he walked out anyway. That was his choice!" Dean retorted.

"You sound like a whiny brat," Bobby scoffed. When Dean pushed past him, he added, "No, you sound like your dad. Well let me tell you something. Your dad was a coward." That made Dean turn around.

"My dad was a lot of things, Bobby, but a coward?" he said.

"He'd rather push Sam away than reach out to him," Bobby continued. "Well, that don't strike me as brave. You are a better man than your daddy ever was. So you do us both a favor. Don't be him."

Before Kat could open her mouth, she felt a tug that could only have been made by the talisman that Dean was wearing. Sure enough, the two of them were in a familiar room. Artwork was on the walls, furniture was around the room, and a gorgeous fireplace stood under a picture of Michael. Dean looked confused, while Kat looked worried.

"Hello, Dean," said a familiar voice. Dean and Kat turned to see Castiel. "It's almost time." Kat looked at Castiel, who looked back at her with no expression on his face.

"Hello, Cas," Kat said, trying to be friendly.

"Hello, Katherine." Cas gave no indication that he remembered what he had promised. "Please wait here, both of you." He vanished, leaving Kat and Dean alone.

"Did they snatch you up to make me cooperate again?" Dean wondered aloud. Kat walked over to him, still in her pajamas, and gently touched the talisman.

"This is more than a tracking spell, Dean," she explained. "This binds me to you. If the Angels ever came for you, then I would be right there with you, no matter what."

"Why?"

"Because I'm not letting these feather brained asshats treat you like crap, that's why," Kat replied. Dean grinned and gave her a hug, cradling her in his arms.

"Thank you." The two spent some time looking at the artwork on the walls. Soon, Dean turned and saw that the large marble table now held a silver bowl filled with Dean's favorite beer on ice, and a platter of burgers.

"Hello, Dean," said another familiar voice, one that made Kat's skin crawl. The two turned to see Zachariah, and Cas standing behind him. "You're looking fit."

"Well, how 'bout this?" Dean said. "The Suite Life of Zach and Cas." When his joke was met with silence, "It's a…never mind." Kat moved closer to Dean, her eyes never leaving Zachariah. "So, what is this? Where the hell are we?"

"Call it a Green Room," Zachariah explained. "We're closing in on the grand finale, here. We want to keep you safe before showtime." He motioned to the table, completely ignoring Kat. "Try a burger. They're your favorite. From that seaside shack in Delaware. You were 11, I think."

"I'm not hungry," Dean replied, looking at his girl. "Kat might be hungry, though."

"No? How about Ginger from Season 2 of Gilligan's Island?" he said, a 'say no more' tone in his voice. "You do have a thing for her, don't you?" Dean wrapped an arm around Kat, pulling her to his side.

"No thanks. Kinda committed."

"We'll throw in Mary Ann for free," Zachariah offered. Kat frowned and balled up her fists. This Angel was getting on her last nerve.

"No. Let's bail on the holodeck, okay?" Dean said, keeping Kat secure to his side. I want to know what the game plan is."

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

"Well, I'm about to be pissed and leaving, so start talking, Chuckles," Dean shot back.

"All of the seals have fallen," Zachariah said with a sigh. "Except one."

"That's an impressive score," Kat mocked.

"That's right up there with the Washington Generals," Dean added.

"You think sarcasm's appropriate, do you?" Zachariah asked, his tone changing slightly. "Considering…you started all this?" Kat made to confront the infuriating angel, but Dean held her fast. "But the final seal, it'll be different."

"Why?"

"Lilith has to break it," was the reply. "She's the only one who can. Tomorrow night…midnight."

"Where?"

"We're working on it."

"Well, work harder."

"We'll do our job," Zachariah insisted. "You just make sure you do yours."

"Yeah, and what is that exactly?" Dean asked, getting more pissed by the minute. "If I'm supposed to be the one that stops her, how? With the knife?"

"All in good time," Zachariah said, pulling the angelic tone out.

"Isn't now a good time?" Dean fired back.

"Have faith," Zachariah said, still using the angelic tone. Kat was ready to kill him.

"What, in you?" she spat. "Give us one good reason why we should?" Zachariah closed the gap between the three of them.

"Because Dean swore obedience, little bitch. He has to obey." Dean looked at Cas, who looked down with guilt.

Dean paced the room, holding his cell phone, contemplating.

"Call him, Dean," Kat said. "This may be your only chance." Dean looked at her in surprise, and then a look of resignation came across his face.

"Ah, screw it," he said. He dialed Sam's number and began to leave him a message. Meanwhile, Kat stepped away and called to Castiel. The angel answered promptly.

"Yes, Katherine?"

"Cas, I wanted to make sure that you were still in," she said quietly. She searched the angel's shocking blue eyes. When he didn't answer, she took his hand. "Please, Cas. Sara is our only hope right now." At the mention of her name, a change came over Cas. The old fire was back in his eyes. He pulled Kat close and hugged her.

"I'm sorry that it's come to this," he said softly. "I'm sorry that you have to give up so much." Kat hugged him back, smiling at the gesture by the normally-emotionless angel.

"Cas, promise me something," she whispered. "When you see Sara, tell her how you feel." Cas responded by hugging her tighter.

"I promise," he said, his voice still soft, but solemn. Kat pulled away slightly and looked into Cas' eyes.

"I don't know if she's ever told you this, but your eyes are beautiful," she said. Gently, she reached up and pulled him in to a soft, gentle kiss. The only thing behind it was gratitude. When she pulled away, Cas was looking at her, a mixture of gratitude, sorrow, and admiration on his face. "She loves you, Cas. So does Dean, so does Sam…and so do I." She stroked his face with her thumb. "You're unique, Cas. Stay that way." Cas gently removed her hand from his face, but not before kissing it. He then reached out, placing a thumb on her forehead. There was a burning feeling as Cas burned an Enochian sigil on to her skull. When Kat opened her eyes, he was gone. Kat walked back in to the room with Dean, and sat on the couch with him, cuddled up. Eventually, she fell asleep, waiting for the inevitable.

Pounding on the walls woke her up with a jolt. Dean was trying to smash through the walls with an ornate stand as a hammer. When he paused for a second, the wall fixed itself. Dean threw his makeshift hammer on the ground as Zachariah appeared.

"Quit hurling feces like a howler monkey, would you? It's unbecoming," the Seraph said.

"Let us out of here," Dean demanded, immediately moving over to Kat to protect her.

"Like I told you, too dangerous out there. Demons on the prowl," Zachariah said simply.

"We've been getting our assess kicked all year," Dean spat. "Now you're sweating my safety? You're lying. I want to see my brother."

"That's…ill advised," Zachariah said.

"You know, I am so sick of your crap riddles and your smug, fat face," Dean began, laying in to the Seraph. "What the hell is going on, huh? Why can't I see Sam? And how am I gonna ice Lilith?" Zachariah sighed and sat down on a sofa on the opposite side of the room. Kat got up and joined Dean.

"You're not…going to ice Lilith," Zachariah said, resigned. That shocked Kat and Dean.

"What?"

"Lilith's going to break the final seal. Fait accompli at this point. Train's left the station," the Seraph said.

"But me and Sam, we can stop…." Dean stopped mid-sentence, a look of understanding coming across his face. "You don't want to stop it, do you?" Kat's eyes grew wide, and she realized that was what Sara had found out.

"Nope, never did," Zachariah answered. "The end is nigh. The apocalypse is coming, kiddo, to a theater near you."

"What was all that crap about saving seals?" Dean demanded.

"Our grunts on the ground – we couldn't just tell them the whole truth," Zachariah said, as if it were obvious. "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?"

"That's why Sara got sealed away. She found out, didn't she?" Kat asked.

"She would have been the leader of the rebellion," Zachariah said. "She's the only one in all of heaven that even has a hope of defeating Michael. We couldn't have her in the way."

"But why?" Dean asked.

"Why not? The apocalypse? Poor name, bad marketing - puts people off. When all it is Ali/Foreman. On a... slightly larger scale. And we like our chances. When our side wins - and we will - it's paradise on earth. Now, what's not to like about that?" Zachariah smirked. He was selling hard, but neither the hunter nor the witch were buying it.

"What happens to all the people during your little pissing contest?" Dean demanded.

"Well," Zachariah replied, standing up. "You can't make an omelet without cracking a few eggs. In this case…truckloads of eggs, but you get the picture." Both Dean and Kat scoffed. "Look…it happens," Zachariah continued. "This isn't the first planetary enema we've delivered." His eyes traveled to a small statue that Dean was eyeing. "Uh, no, Dean. Probably shouldn't try to bash my skull in with that thing. Wouldn't end up too pleasant for you."

"What about Sam? He won't go quietly. He'll stop Lilith," Dean said. Zachariah took a deep breath.

"Sam... has a part to play. 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. "What are you gonna do to him?"

"Sam, Sam, Sam. Marcia, Marcia, Marcia. Forget about him, would you?" Zachariah said. Every word this asshole uttered made Kat want to shove her fist right in his face. "You have larger concerns. Why do you think I'm confiding in you? You're still vital, Dean. 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."

"What does that mean?" Kat asked. Zachariah motioned up to a painting on the wall.

"Lucifer," he declared. "You, Dean, are 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. Peace, happiness…two virgins and seventy sluts." Zachariah laughed, but Dean just took Kat's hand. "Trust me," the angel continued. "One day, we'll look back on this and laugh."

"Tell me something," Dean said, causing Zachariah to stop. "Where's God in all this?"

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

Dean pulled out his phone to try and call Sam again. He seemed desperate to get to his little brother. Dean had told Kat that he had managed to at least leave Sam a message, saying that he was sorry. Kat could practically see Dean begin to unravel, making her decision even harder. She kept telling herself that she was doing this for him, but now, more than ever, she was second guessing herself. As she sat there, trying to resolve her dilemma, Castiel arrived.

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

"What are you gonna do to Sam?" Dean demanded.

"Nothing," Cas answered. "He's gonna do it to himself."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Dean asked. Kat got up, realizing more and more.

"Cas let Sam out," she said simply. "Didn't you?" When Cas nodded, Dean got angrier. When Cas didn't answer his question, he just kept getting pissed. "Right, gotta toe the company line. Why are you here, Cas?"

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

"Sorry?!" Dean exclaimed. He punched Cas as hard as he could. Cas' head merely snapped to the side, his face giving no reaction. Dean turned away and flexed his hand in pain. He looked at Kat, who just shrugged, her face saying, What did you expect? "It's Armageddon, Cas. You need a bigger word than 'sorry'."

"Try to understand," Cas said. "This is long foretold. This is your…"

"Destiny? Don't give me that 'holy' crap," Dean spat. "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! You know what's real? People, families - that's real. And you're gonna watch them all burn?"

"What is so worth saving?" Cas retorted, getting closer to Dean. "I see nothing but pain here. I see inside you. I see your guilt, your anger, your confusion. I can see Kat's pain and emptiness at Sarakiel's absence. I see her pain at seeing you in pain. In paradise, all is forgiven. You'll be at peace. Even with Sam."

"You can take your peace and shove it up your lily-white ass," Dean said quietly. "Cause 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." Cas turned away, trying to ignore him. "Look at me!" Dean shouted, grabbing his shoulder and turning him back so that they were face to face. "You know it! You were gonna 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."

"What would you have me do?" Cas asked quietly.

"Get me to Sam" Dean pleaded. "We can stop this before it's too late."

"I do that, we will all be hunted. We'll all be killed," Cas replied, getting serious, annoyed, and afraid at the same time.

"If there is anything worth dying for, this is it," Dean insisted. Cas shook his head and looked down.

"You spineless, soulless son of a bitch," Dean was saying. "What do you care about dying? You're already dead. We're done."

"Dean," Cas said, trying to reason with him.

"We're done," Dean repeated, his back to the angel. When Cas made to leave, Kat caught his arm. She pleaded with him silently, doing her best to mimic Sam's puppy eyes. Cas merely looked down, and then vanished. Hesitantly, Kat walked over to a fuming Dean. "The nerve of that son of a bitch. But what does he care? He's already dead."

"Dean, that's not how that works," Kat explained. "The Angels were created by God, not by dead souls. How else could Cas remember things that happened before humans even existed?" Dean looked at her, surprised and confused. "What? Sara told me things."

"Speaking of, what's this about you sacrificing yourself for Sara?" Kat blanched. Her eyes grew wide and she turned away from Dean, finding it hard to even look in his direction. She could feel Dean's disappointment and fear. "It's true…I thought Bobby was lying…I thought he had read wrong. First Cas refuses to help me, and now you're going to kill yourself to bring Sara back? Kat, what the hell?"

"Dean, it's the only way to free her," Kat said.

"Bullshit," Dean snapped, moving over to her and yanking on her shoulder, forcing her to turn and face him. "There has to be another way, a way for her to get out without you sacrificing your life for her."

"And what other way would that be, Dean?" Kat snapped back. "Because if you can think of something, please, share with the class."

"We can ask Cas…"

"Cas doesn't know," Kat cut him off. "No one knows, except for the assholes that put her away in the first place, and they're not talking. Don't you get it, Dean? They want the apocalypse to happen. They want the world to end. You heard Zachariah: Sara is the only one with any hope of stopping Michael. If I don't do this, we are dead."

"If you do this, you're dead, and where does that leave me?" Dean shouted, tears forming in his green eyes. Kat's mouth snapped shut, her grey eyes wide. Dean sighed and grabbed her shoulders. "Dammit, Kat…I love you. There haven't been very many good things in my life, and you're one of them. You're smart, a damn good hunter, and the only witch I've managed to be in the same room with without wanting to kill. When I say I love you, I mean it with everything I've got. I've never felt this way…about anyone…ever. Kat if you leave me…I don't know what I'll do." Kat was speechless. Dean allowed his tears to flow freely, all machismo gone. He was bearing his soul to this woman, this beautiful witch that he had come to love. At that moment, everything Kat had planned was a bad idea. She wanted to stay. She wanted to be with Dean. She wanted to share her life with him.

"Marry me," she whispered. She sent out a mental prayer to Cas, and told him to listen to this.

"What?"

"Marry me, Dean. I know what you keep saying about attachments, but we're both in the life. As long as we are, let's at least be happy." Kat studied Dean as a mix of emotions crossed his face. Finally, he grinned.

"If we're going to do this, then let's do it right," he said. He took Kat's hands in his, and got down on one knee. "Katherine Elsin, will you marry me?"

Kat was never one for showing too much emotion openly. However, despite her asking the question first, when Dean asked it, she reverted to a giggling school girl.

"Yes, Dean Winchester…I will marry you!" Dean jumped up and scooped her into a kiss, full of love and light. Suddenly, the two of them heard wings announcing the arrival of an angel. They turned to see Vasa, Sara's lieutenant, standing there. In one hand, she had a small black velvet box. In the other, a piece of paper with both of their names on it.

"Vasa?" Kat asked, looking at him. She merely handed the box to Dean, and placed the paper on the table, holding a pen out to the two.

"Who is she?" Dean asked.

"Sara's lieutenant. I thought they killed you?" Kat said, still happy to see the dark-haired angel.

"Sarakiel would kill them if they did. The Archangel was hoping this for you, so she set this up through me," she said simply. Kat looked at the paper as Dean opened the box. Inside were two matching gold bands, as well as a gold band with a small iridescent crystal on it. Kat signed the marriage certificate, which had already been notarized. Dean came up behind her and did the same. Vasa stood near the two of them and gestured for them to stand before him. The did, holding hands and looking at each other. The angel spoke words about love and commitment, how two souls joining together in the face of danger was a symbol of true, strong love.

"Dean Winchester, do you take this woman to be your wife?" Vasa asked Dean.

"I do."

"Katherine Elsin, do you take this man to be your husband?" she asked Kat.

"I do." Dean took both of Kat's rings out of the box and slipped them on her fingers.

"Kat, I give you this ring as a symbol of my undying love and commitment to you." Kat followed suit with Dean's ring.

"Dean, I give you this ring as a symbol of my undying love and commitment to you."

"By the power vested in me by God, I now pronounce you husband and wife. Dean, you may kiss your bride." Dean pulled Kat close, dipped her, and kissed her deeply. When they broke apart, Vasa was smiling. Kat gave the angel a big hug.

"Thank you," she said softly.

"Sarakiel sends her love," Vasa replied, returning the hug. "Be good to each other, you two." Dean nodded and held his new wife in his arms. With a nod, Vasa vanished. No sooner had she, then Castiel appeared behind Dean, slammed him against the wall, and covered his mouth.

"Cas!" Kat shouted, but Cas ignored her. He drew the demon knife from Dean's belt, and looked at him intently. When Dean nodded understanding, Kat was confused. "What's going on?" she asked Dean as Cas released him. Dean just pulled Kat to the side, keeping her close by. The two watched as Cas sliced his arm open, and began drawing a sigil on the wall with his own blood.

"Castiel!" a voice shouted. Cas kept going. Zachariah entered the room and made for the blue-eyed angel. "Would you mind explaining just what the hell you're doing?" Cas finished what he was drawing and slammed his hand on the wall. Zachariah disappeared in a flash of light and a scream.

"He won't be gone long," Cas said, frantic. "We have to find Sam now."

"Where is he?" Dean asked.

"I don't know," Cas replied, but I know who does. We have to stop him, Dean, from killing Lilith."

"But Lilith's gonna break the final seal," Kat said.

"Lilith IS the final seal," Cas said, emphatically. "She dies, the end begins."

Castiel brought Dean and Kat to Chuck's house. He was pacing his kitchen and talking on the phone, when he jumped at the sight of the three of them.

"Wait…" he stuttered. "T-this isn't supposed to happen." A female voice on the other side of the phone said something. "No, lady, this is definitely supposed to happen, but I just got to call you back." He hung up and looked at the three of them.

"We need to find Sam, Chuck," Kat said, moving toward his computer. On the screen was a page.

"Lucifer Rising," Kat read out loud. She looked at the writer, an eyebrow cocked. "Not if we can help it." She scrolled through the pages and came across a scene where Sam finally sees Lilith. "St. Mary's in Ilchester, Maryland."

"St. Mary's?" Dean repeated. "What is that, a convent?"

"Yeah, but you guys aren't supposed to be there," Chuck protested. "You're not in this story."

"Yeah, well," Cas said, looking at Dean and Kat. "We're making it up as we go."

"Right," Chuck sighed. "Oh, congrats, you two," he added. Kat and Dean looked at him. Chuck gestured to the rings on Kat's left hand. "Dean needs a Mrs. Winchester in his life." Kat looked at the rings, and couldn't help but smile at being called by her new last name.

Suddenly, the computer screen flickered, and the house started rumbling. White light started pouring in to the house.

"Aw man!" Chuck lamented. "Not again! No!"

"It's the Archangel!" Castiel shouted. "I'll hold them off! I'll hold them all off! Just stop Sam!" He clapped the two on the forehead, and they vanished.

They found themselves in an abandoned hallway. Gathering themselves, they looked around, and started walking down it. They could hear some commotion nearby, and when they found it, their hearts dropped. Sam had his hand outstretched toward Lilith, who was pinned to the altar behind her. Ruby was a few steps behind Sam. When she saw Dean and Kat, she smirked and flung out her hand, causing the doors to shut. The two of them ran to the doors and started pounding as hard as they could, both screaming Sam's name.

"Dean, stand back!" Kat commanded. Dean moved away as Kat steadied her stance, facing the door. With a deep breath, she heaved power at it. "RUMPATUR!" she shouted. The door moved, but stayed intact. She tried again, each time adding to the power she was throwing. Halfway through another incantation, she froze. She could hear whispering. "Shit," she muttered. She pulled everything she had at one final push.

"RUMPATUR!" she screamed. The door flew open, splintering slightly. Sam was on the floor, distraught and on the verge of tears. Dean charged in as Kat tried to recover from the last blast.

"You're too late," Ruby sneered. Dean drew the demon knife.

"I don't care," Dean snarled back. Sam jumped up behind Ruby and held her by her arms. With a grunt, Dean drove the knife in to Ruby, killing her. Kat's eyes were drawn to the pattern that Lilith's blood was making on the floor.

"I'm sorry," Sam choked out. Kat looked at her now brother-in-law. He was broken, tired, and afraid. Dean was taking the role of the big brother again, comforting his little brother. Kat went on the other side of Sam, still out of breath, and gripped his arm gently. Suddenly, there was a shot of white light pouring from the center of the pattern on the floor. The convent began to rumble. Dean grabbed Sam's jacket.

"Sammy, let's go," Dean said. But, Sam and Kat couldn't move. "Sam! Kat!" Dean called, but he was suddenly transfixed on the widening hole in the floor.

"Dean…" Sam said, clutching Dean's shirt. "He's coming." Kat suddenly had an overwhelming sense of fear wash over her. Dean reached over and pulled her to him. She clung to him, and only one word was on her mind.

SARAKIEL!