Chapter 21

Sarah, hunted alone for almost two months after her encounter with Famine. She had just finished up with a job and was looking for a new one in her motel room when a voice startled her.

"You know it's easier to hunt when you work with a team."

Sarah jumped from her seat and pointed her gun at the intruder. A man that was dress like a gardener stood before her, unfazed by her gun.

"Who are you?" She demanded.

"Let's just say… we have mutual friend." He answered. "You can call me Joshua."

"What are you doing here?"

"I've been instructed to shed some light on a few things." He said evasively.

"Like what?" she asked but he disappeared. She looked around the room, but he reappeared behind her and place his fingers on her forehead.

Looking around again, she found that they were no longer in her motel room but in another one that looked familiar.

"Where are we?" she asked.

"This is one of Dean's memories. One that he recently relived on a field trip in heaven." Joshua explained.

"Heaven? What? Is he….?" Sarah asked shocked.

"He is fine. For now." Just then they saw Dean break into the room, "Don't worry, he doesn't see us." Sarah instantly remembered where she'd seen this room before. "Remember where you are now?"

"This is where Dean and I…" Sarah trailed off as she watched herself walk out of the bathroom in her under ware and start digging through her bag. "Why was he reliving this?" she asked softly.

"This is one of his fondest memories. One that helps to keep him from giving up entirely." Joshua said as they watch Sarah and Dean begin to kiss. "Well I believe it's time for our next stop." He then touched her forehead again.

Joshua then showed Sarah several different moments in Dean's life where she'd helped to save him from himself.

Next he ported them to a diner that was filled with dead bodies. She saw a crippled old man sitting in a wheelchair and Castiel near by shoving raw hamburger meat into his mouth.

"The other Mr. Winchester." The old man said with difficulty.

"What did you do to him?" Dean asked gesturing to Cas.

'You sicced your dog on me. I just threw him a steak."

"Is that Famine?" Sarah asked, Joshua.

"Yes."

"So this is your big trick? Huh? Making people cuckoo for cocoa puffs?" Dean asked.

"Doesn't take much-hardly a push. Oh, America-all-you-can-eat, all the time. Consume, consume. A swarm of locusts in stretch pants. And yet, you're all still starving because hunger doesn't just come from the body, it also comes from the soul." Famine explained.

"It's funny, it doesn't seem to be coming from mine." Dean replied.

"Yes. I noticed that. Have you wondered why that is? How you could even walk in my presence?" Famine asked.

"Well, I like to think it's because of my strength of character." Dean said smugly.

"I disagree." Famine said, moving closer to Dean and touching him. "Yes. I see. That's one deep, dark nothing you got there, Dean. Can't fill it, can you? Not with food or drink. Not even with sex."

"Oh, you're so full of crap." Dean muttered.

"Oh, you can smirk and joke and lie to your brother, lie to yourself, but not to me! I can see inside you, Dean. I can see how broken you are, how defeated. You can't win, and you know it. But you just keep fighting. Just... keep going through the motions. You're not hungry, Dean, because inside, you're already...dead." Famine ranted.

"Let him go." Sam said, walking into the room.

"Why are you showing me all of this?" Sarah asked, tears glistening her eyes.

"I will tell you, but first we have one more stop to make." The touched her forehead again and they were transported to an enclosed garden. Sarah saw Sam and Dean talking with Joshua.

DEAN: I… I don't get it. God's not talking to nobody so…

JOSHUA: Why's he talking to me. I sometimes think it's because I can sympathize—gardener to gardener—and, between us, I think he gets lonely.

DEAN: (disgusted) Well, my heart's breaking for him.

SAM: (interrupting) Well, can you at least get him a message for us?

JOSHUA: Actually, he has a message for you. Back off.

DEAN: What?

JOSHUA: He knows already. Everything you want to tell him.

DEAN: But…

JOSHUA: He knows what the angels are doing. He knows that the Apocalypse has begun. He just doesn't think it's his problem.

DEAN: (stunned) Not his problem?

JOSHUA: God saved you already. He put you on that plane. He brought back Castiel. He granted you salvation in heaven (he turns to face Sam directly) and after everything you've done too. It's more than he's intervened in a long time. He's finished. Magic amulet or not, you won't be able to find him.

DEAN: But he can stop it. He can stop all of it.

JOSHUA: I suppose he could, but he won't.

DEAN: Why not?

JOSHUA: Why does he allow evil in the first place? You could drive yourself nuts asking questions like that.

DEAN: So he's just going to sit back and watch the world burn?

JOSHUA: I know how important this was to you, Dean. I'm sorry.

DEAN: (emotional) Forget it. Just another dead-beat dad with a bunch of excuses, right. I'm used to that. I'll muddle through.

JOSHUA: Except… you don't know if you can, this time. You can't kill the Devil, and you're losing faith, in yourself, your brother, and now this?

Sam looks at Dean. He's realizing just how desperate and depressed Dean really is.

JOSHUA: God was your last hope. I just… I wish I could tell you something different.

SAM: (concerned) How do we know you're telling the truth?

JOSHUA: You think that I would lie?

SAM: It's just that… you're not exactly the first angel we've met.

JOSHUA: I'm rooting for you boys! I wish I could do more to help you, I do! But... I just trim the hedges.

DEAN: So what now.

JOSHUA: You go home again. I'm afraid this time, won't be like the last. This time, God wants you (he lifts a hand) to remember.

Sarah watched as Joshua snapped his fingers making Sam and Dean disappear then looked over at Sarah.

"Why did you show me this?" she asked, tears spilling down her face.

"To show you that they need you more than ever."

"I thought God was done meddling in our lives."

"Well, maybe after this time. Just think of this as a gentle nudge. They need you to help them keep the faith."

"Faith in what, exactly?" she retorted.

"In each other and themselves." Joshua said. Sarah just looked up at him. "They are both ready to say 'yes'."

"What? They wouldn't."

"Dean almost did, before Castiel stopped him and now they are allowing Sam to." Joshua explained.

"What? Why?"

"Because Sam is going to sacrifice himself to save everyone. Only he can't do it alone. He needs Dean and you to help keep him strong." Joshua said before snapping his fingers and transporting Sarah back to her motel room.

She quickly packed up her belongings and loaded up her car. The last thing she did was grab her phone, which was blinking with a new message. She instantly played the message.

'Sarah… I, uh, I'm not sure what to say. I'm not even sure if you're getting the messages on this number anymore, but, I didn't want to… ah… go without telling you goodbye. The best thing my dad ever did for me was making you my sister. I love you. I hope you have a good life. Goodbye.'

Sarah stared at the phone in shock as fresh tears rolled down her face at Sam's message.

She tried to call him back but he didn't answer. Dean and Bobby didn't either. She quickly tried calling Chuck.

"H…hello?" Chuck answered.

"Chuck. Where are Sam and Dean?" Sarah asked bluntly.

"Sarah?"

"Yes it's Sarah. Now tell me, where they are."

"Sarah… Sam's said yes…"

"Already? Dammit. Where is he?"

As soon as Chuck told her the location, she grabbed her things and hit the road. She parked a ways away from the cemetery, to get a good look at the area. She was surprised to see that only Lucifer Sam was in the cemetery.

"Sarah. Good to see you." LS said as she approached. "Here to watch the show?"

"You do not seem surprised to see me." Sarah said.

"I believe I told you in a dream, that I'd be seeing you soon. So tell me. What's your big plan? Come to bat your eyes at me?"

"I've come to say a final goodbye to my brother. I couldn't let him go through this alone."

"Ah… so touching, but I'm bored now and it's almost time for the fun to start." He said before flinging her back against a headstone, knocking her out.

She woke up later to see the impala parked nearby. She stood up and looked through the back windows to see LS beating someone on the other side. He looked up at her and smirked before flicking his wrist at her again. High into the air this time.

This was it. Sarah knew this was the end for her, but little did she know, she had distracted LS enough for Sam to pull back through. LS was temporary blinded by the sunlight glinting off the roof of the impala. In that one moment, dozens of memories sprang through LS's façade, allowing for Sam to reemerge and jump into the hole, sealing Lucifer in his cage once more.

To be continued...