Chapter 20
"What the Hell Charlie!" Dean cried as they landed in the distant past. Looking around none of them could believe their eyes. Trees sat everywhere, all short like they'd just started to grow… because they had. This was the beginning of time, this was beyond pre-history. Dean began looking around for dinosaurs to take a picture on his phone when he remembered a long forgotten history lesson where humans and dinosaurs never lived at the same time. Shucks.
"When are we?" Sam asked looking around in awe.
Charlie shrugged, "I don't know exactly… 31 years after Chamuel kicked Adam and Eve out of Eden is how Chuck described it in the book. So… a really long time ago."
"This is amazing," Sam the history nerd said until he heard the wrenching sobs.
A young woman, more a teenager, stood by two burning bodies wrapped in leaves. "That's Artemis, the only child of Abel. Cain killed her father only days after she was conceived, but she was conceived. Now, not only is her father dead and her mother long gone with a new man her husband, Mattias and son Samuel are dead."
"Samuel?" Sam asked and Charlie smiled.
"It's been a family name for a very long time."
"Who killed Mattias and Samuel?" Dean asked.
"Who do you think?" Charlie replied turning away. "Over there, you see the short man, actually he's tall for this time. That's him. That's Vassagio, the second demon ever created. Like Lilith he was twisted from a human soul by Lucifer even before he died though unlike Lilith who has stayed in Hell Vassagio is free."
"So our great, great, ancestors were killed by your demon daddy?" Dean rebuked. "Typical."
"They're my ancestors too!" Charlie rebutted.
"So Vassagio killed Mattias and Samuel. Not pleasant being killed by a demon but not rare either. How is that Cas's fault and how did that make us vessels?" Sam asked.
"Not rare," Charlie stuttered, "You do realize how many people are dead at this point right? Five- Abel, Lilith, Vassagio, Mattias, and Samuel. Maybe in 2013 it's not rare but now… now death is still a vague concept. People still think they will live forever, they don't know everyone dies because at this point no one has died naturally. Only brutally."
It took a while for it to sink in just how early this was. Once Charlie was confident they understood she began speaking again. "You see that white light over those trees?"
They nodded, "It looks like your providence." Dean remarked.
"Very good Sherlock Homes. That's your friend Castiel, without a vessel. There are no vessels yet, no need. Everyone can still look upon and hear an angel without any danger, there hasn't been enough sin or time for that to change. Vessels have yet to be needed so Cas is free… and in trouble.
If I remember Chuck's book it's Ezekiel who is punishing him. I wish I'd gone farther back but I guess I'll just have to tell you what happened. You ever heard the term guardian angel? Well at one point, long ago before God went AWOL and Heaven broke down everyone DID have a guardian angel. Castiel was assigned as Vassagio's, when he was human that is. It was Cas's job to teach him right from wrong, teach him how to survive, and protect him from Lucifer who hasn't been locked away yet. That didn't happen until 33 AD but that's a different story."
Sam made the connection but didn't say anything. The story of Jesus was definitely not something he wanted to go into today.
"So basically," Dean summarized, "Vassagio got turned into a demon because Cas didn't do his job. Yikes buddy, yikes."
Charlie nodded, "In his defense he was in Heaven fighting about giving the humans fire. As you can see he won that battle, but not quick enough to be around to protect Vassagio."
"So when Naomi said that he'd been rebelling for a long time… she meant it?" Sam stated flabbergasted about how much a rebel Cas was.
"Yes. He never rebelled against God's orders, but he never trusted the archangels. Smart fellow."
"Okay so I get how it's Cas's fault Mattias and Samuel are dead, but how did that make us vessels?" Dean asked wanting to get on with it.
"Mattias and Samuel died 3 days ago. Artemis hasn't slept since they died," Charlie began and Sam, who has heard the story enough times, took over.
"She's hunting Vassagio for revenge."
Charlie nodded and Dean looked impressed and amazed. "So the first hunter was our great great-great to the billionth power grandmother. "
"Is it just me or are you more surprised by the fact it was a woman than your relative?" Charlie asked indignantly. Dean didn't reply, but that was enough of an answer. Sexist pig. "Whatever, come on. I didn't bring us back in time to tell you what was happening. I brought you back in time to show you what happened."
Sam and Dean followed Charlie as she approached Artemis fearlessly. She looked up and spoke in a language which to Sam and Dean's surprise they understood. "I do not know you. I thought I knew everyone."
"We are from far away," Charlie told her with a gentle smile.
"You are very old and tall," Artemis said to Sam and Dean causing Charlie to choke on her laughter and Sam and Dean to look indignantly at each other. "Which of these are your father?" she asked Charlie.
"Um neither actually. These are my half brothers." Charlie told her with a laugh.
"We're very sorry about your family," Sam told the child widow.
"So am I, but I will get my revenge on the white eyes creature who did this. He stands over there, proud and strong, but if he can kill my husband and baby with a flick of his hand then I can kill him with something."
With that Artemis took off leaving Charlie to answer her brother's flood of questions.
"How can we understand her? It's not like they had English back then… back now." Sam asked.
"This is before the Tower of Babel," Charlie explained, "It's hard to understand from our viewpoint but at this point no matter what language you speak you will be understood because God has not created barriers in our minds so we can't understand yet. If that makes any sense."
It didn't but Dean was eager to change the subject.
"Why did you bring us back here? You could have just told us all of this."
"I brought you back because I've read Mattias… no names were mentioned but in the story it was said 2 tall men and a tall woman, I know I'm tall back now, came and taught Artemis how to trap a demon, even if they couldn't help Artemis kill him because Ruby's knife is back in the bunker and salt won't be invented for years and… we can bind him, that's it. But trust me we won't need to do anymore than make a devil's trap and then the rest will be taken care of."
Sam and Dean still didn't know if they trusted Charlie, but they didn't have the option, not to in pre-historic times, so they did as she said. Heading in the same direction Artemis went they saw her and quickly ran to catch up.
When they did Dean spoke to the startled Artemis, "It was a demon who killed your family, by the name of Vassagio."
"I know. Only such a great evil could have pure white eyes."
"My siblings and I… we know a bit about demons," Sam told her. "We could teach you how to make this thing called a devil's trap it won't kill the demon, but once a demon steps inside it is powerless and cannot get out unless the devil's trap breaks."
Artemis seemed weary, understandable when a stranger just killed her family and a non-stranger killed her father. However, like any other hunter, her determination for revenge overpowered her good judgment. "You will come to my house and show me how to make this devil's trap. I will bind the demon and starve it to death if I have to."
No one wanted to crush her hopes by telling Artemis that you can't starve a demon to death. Let her dream.
Her 'house' was literally a bunch of sticks piled together by mud. "The angel Ariel showed me how to build it," she said proudly, "I do not know where he is. Usually he is around. Where are your angels?"
No one wanted to let Artemis know that there would come a time when you wouldn't want an angel hanging around so they went with the simple I do not know answer which she accepted even if she didn't believe. One track mind must be genetic… even thousands of generations back because she could have passed for any modern day Winchester.
"We need something to draw with," Dean told her. "Something that is not easy to wipe away or get destroyed."
Artemis thought for a moment before disappearing into her hut. She returned with two dead snails. Charlie gasped as she took them into her hands. "I was going to use these to dye Samuel's clothes so I could always see him when he wandered off. He does not need them now."
Dean was about to ask what help a snail would be when Charlie cracked open the shell dripping purple dye everywhere. Setting to work a medium size devil's trap was drawn in the fields by the house. It wasn't obscured at all so they had to hope Vassagio didn't know what a devil's trap could do because if he did they were scr*w*d.
"How will this hold him in? There are no walls," Artemis pointed out causing them all to smile.
"Demons can't be held by walls," Sam told her, "But magic can hold them. This is magic."
"If it would have protected my family why did the angels no teach it to me?" Artemis asked.
"Keep asking that question," Dean whispered too loud, "I still ask that question."
"Come," Charlie said. "We'd better go it will soon be dark."
Dean and Sam said their goodbyes to the first hunter before following Charlie past to the treeline where she sat on a boulder clutching her head in her hands.
"You okay?" Dean asked.
"I'm fine," She replied too quickly. "God is just yelling at me for breaking every single rule in the book… you know. The usual."
Sam remembered what it felt like when Lucifer yelled in his head and wished, for Charlie's sake, that she had a hand wound to press that would make him go away. Yet she didn't, because unlike the Lucifer in his mind, the God in Charlie's was real.
"Will Vassagio come for Artemis?" Dean asked as the sun began to set and the hunters of this time came out.
"When does a demon ever let prey slip away and not try again?" asked Charlie rhetorically. It was almost sad how a demon wouldn't change in a million years… literally.
The Winchesters sat and as they did the question Charlie had been avoiding was asked, "So how are we any different from the hundreds of others who have to be related to Artemis too?"
"It's on both sides of our blood," Charlie told him resigned to them learning the truth upon inquiry. "We are the only 3 people who will ever be born who every single person in our bloodline is on both sides related to Artemis."
"That wasn't chance," Dean told her.
"No, it was cupids. Millions of cupids making sure our ancestors got together so we'd be born. Lucifer's vessels and Michael's vessel. The perfect 3."
"Are you related to us on both sides?" It wasn't a question but a conclusion. Charlie had to be or no amount of cupids could make it so she was a perfect vessel too.
"Yes. Our mothers are sisters," she told them softly.
"Our mom was an only child. She told us that. We saw that when we went back in time," Sam reminded Charlie and she nodded.
"Mary was an only child, but only after my mom was possessed by a demon at age 12. The demon rode her cross country until finally a hunter exorcized it. She… she never wanted the life of a hunter so she took it as an opportunity to get out. Mary never knew she was alive and it wasn't until she met your dad that my mom knew Mary was dead."
"Did dad know?" Dean said disgusted. "Did he know he was hooking up with mom's sister?"
Charlie shuttered, "Never asked… but I'd guess so. The two people who loved her most comforting each other…Yeah you're right. Creepy."
Night fell and the rustling of prehistoric creatures sparked worry to spread through Dean, "Charlie, I know the dinosaurs are all gone, but what else in these woods would have no qualms eating us?"
Charlie chucked, "Almost everything. Don't worry. I'll protect you."
Dean scowled and Sam laughed. Dean was a fully trained hunter; he didn't need his little sister who was half his age protecting him. Dean was about to protest as much when he heard Artemis's yowl, "Come and get me you unholy being! End me the way you ended them!"
Through the dusk light the Winchesters could just barely make out Vassagio's swaggering walk and Artemis flying through the air without Vassagio even looking at her.
Gently pressing her hands against their chiseled chests Charlie stopped her brothers from revealing them. "She'll die," Sam hissed.
"No she won't," Charlie assured, "This isn't TV time isn't fluent and history doesn't change. Artemis will live. We are proof of that."
The boys didn't look happy but for the first time ever they actually trusted her.
Charlie could see Artemis running about in an attempt to lure Vassagio into the devil's trap. It must have worked because a cry of surprise sounded through the moonlit sky.
"We should go over there. Exorcize him. Let him rot in Hell until the Egyptian era at least," Sam suggested as he moved into their line of sight.
"Sam!" Charlie hissed, "Get back here! We're not needed just watch."
"That Devil's trap isn't going to hold forever Charlie. And then all it will have done is make Vassagio mad."
"I'm serious. Get back here. It's not Vassagio or Artemis you don't want seeing you, it's him!" Charlie pointed to the pure white light which began to shine down upon Artemis and Vassagio. The boys withdrew quickly fully aware of who and what it was.
"That's an angel," Dean told them unnecessarily. "That's Michael isn't it?"
"Yes," Charlie confirmed. "That's Michael." Longing lined her voice as she thought of the angel who'd been like a father until he renounced her.
"What's he saying?" Dean asked even though he already had a fairly good idea. All the puzzle pieces were finding their places.
"What do you think?" Charlie replied far more harshly than Dean deserved, "Michael is telling Artemis that nothing can kill a demon but, if she says yes and allows him into her, together man and angel can banish the demon from this earth in a spell that will be used until there are no demons any longer."
"And she says yes," Sam concluded with a nod, "She became the first vessel."
"And by doing so anyone with her blood can be a vessel. The more powerful the angel, the more blood of Artemis is needed. So for Michael, the most powerful angel…."
"To be his true vessel you have to have no blood of Cain. Just like us," Dean finished.
Charlie nodded, but didn't speak. Instead she turned back towards Vassagio and Michael just in time to see the first demon exorcism. The black smoke which billowed from inside Vassagio worried Charlie as she remembered a nightmare where she was no more than that black smoke of a demon, where Charlie was no more than her demon blood.
Pushing the dream away Charlie had just enough time to swear before Dean and Sam noticed Michael looking right at them through the dark forest.
"You are not of this time." When he spoke, Michael was far too close to them for anyone's liking. Stupid teleportation.
"No, we're not. There was just a lesson to be learn and now that the lesson has been learnt we will go home," Charlie told Michael trying not to display either her sadness and betrayal or joy at hearing him speak to her again. (Even if he was a she in Artemis's vessel.)
"You are a prophet," Michael stated, "And you are vessels."
"Yes. I am the Prophet from my time period and we are all pure descendents of Artemis."
"My father told us one day there would be prophets, but I do not know much of prophecy," Michael confessed completely entranced by Charlie. The boys didn't complain no one wanted Michael to look to closely at them and somehow know that in the future they weren't on the best of terms.
"The first prophet will not be born for hundreds of years," Charlie told him, "But when he is born you will know and you and the other archangels will protect him just as you will protect all prophets up to my day."
"You are not human," Michael realized suddenly, "You have my blood running through your veins and that of Vassagio too! How is that possible?"
Charlie looked apologetically at her brothers but did what the prophecies said she would. What Chuck's book said she'd do. What Charlie was born to do. She spoke a prophecy, the first prophecy, and the last prophecy.
"There will come a time when three perfect descendents of Artemis will be born within the same generation. Their names will be Samuel, Dan and Charlotte Winchester and before their final death they will all be vessels. Sam will free Lucifer from his cage and become his vessel, I,Charlie, will do the same. Dean however will follow the path of light and become the vessel of Michael, your vessel as you travel to the final battle with Lucifer. The final battle between the first born angels, Michael and Lucifer, will ensue and only one will survive. So it will be. So it will always be. On this day, I Charlotte Winchester proclaim it as God has told me."