Chapter 25

Then:

"I can't-" Dean breaks off and coming to a decision, heads for the car door. He slides into the Impala and revs the engine. Impulsively, I run in front of the car and cross my arms. If he's going to leave, he'll have to run me over. Thinking quickly, he spins the wheel to angle the car away from me and slams on the gas pedal, pealing away.

"DEAN!" I scream after him, but he's already out of the parking lot. Sam bursts out of the motel room and his face crumples with disappointment when he sees that the Impala's gone. "I tried to stop him," I tell him weakly as he approaches me slowly.

"I know." His voice is hollow.

"Sam, he's going to say 'yes,' we have to stop him."

He nods, looking over my head in the direction the Impala had gone. "As soon as Cas and Gabriel get better." I don't say what what we're both thinking: that by that time, it might be too late.

Now:

"So when we find him, do I get to punch him or-?"

"Ariel, we're trying to help Dean, not upset him even more."

"I'm just saying, hitting him might be therapeutic for all of us." I shrug.

"You've been hanging around Gabriel too much," Sam deadpans.

Looking up and grinning, Gabriel quietly sings, "Heeeat of the moment~!" Sam throws a book at Gabriel, which bounces off the archangel's head and lands on the floor. "Oww," Gabriel grumbles, rubbing his head, "Killjoy."

"Can we focus before Dean decides to jumpstart the Apocalypse for real?" Sam snaps.

"Why hasn't he already?" I ask.

"Because he'd have certain things he'd want to do before that, people he wants to see and-" Sam breaks off. "Of course. He went to Lisa."

"Lisa?" Gabriel echoes, raising his eyebrows. "Who the hell is Lisa?"

"Lisa Braeden," Sam explains as he grabs the book off the floor and shoves it back onto the shelf. "Ex of his, he probably went to say goodbye."

"Where does she live?" Castiel asks, getting up from his seat on Bobby's couch.

"Indiana, uhh...Cicero, I think."

"Let's go." Castiel reaches for Sam and they're gone in the next instant.

"Thanks for bringing us along," Gabriel calls after them sarcastically.

"Now you know how I feel when you and Cas zap off somewhere," I point out wryly, "Besides, your powers have been wonky ever since that Enochian spell, so you'd have probably landed us in Kentucky or something." It had been all Gabriel and Castiel could do to simply get me and Sam back to Bobby's this morning.

"Yeah, she might've added an extra word we missed," Gabriel agrees, flipping through the book of Enochian, "Maybe a power suppressor or something. Cas has been off since yesterday, too, not that he's noticed." I can't help but feel guilty; if I had caught that word, they would be back to normal by now. Looking up, Gabriel points at me warningly. "Stop that."

"What?" I blink, startled.

"You're blaming yourself for missing it, and I'm telling you to knock it off, it wasn't your fault."

I shrug and hold my hands up in surrender. "Whatever you say."

He frowns, but lets it go as he turns the book my way and points at a word. "Here, try saying that." I guess since we're waiting for Sam and Castiel to get back, he's decided to start teaching me Enochian.

"Um. Aderpan?" I look up at him, wrinkling my nose. "Sounds like a weird version of marzipan."

"No, each letter gets its own syllable. Like ah-deh-rah-pah-nah."

"Ah-deh-rah-pah-nah," I repeat, "What's that mean?"

"'Cast down.'" I give Gabriel a horrified look and he laughs. "Oh, don't worry, you didn't accidentally just cast me down. You need a full order to make it count, and besides, only Dad or another archangel can pull that spell off."

I relax, relieved, and that's when we hear Castiel returning.

"Let's go get your punch in." Gabriel closes the book and gets up. I follow him into the study, where Castiel is lowering an unconscious Dean onto Bobby's makeshift bed. Damn it, now I can't hit him until he wakes up. Castiel looks exhausted as he sinks into a chair near Bobby's desk while Sam merely looks drawn and upset.

"You were right," he tells me, "He was going to say 'yes.'"

"Awesome, so now he'll be more inclined than ever now that you've knocked him out and kidnapped him," Gabriel deadpans.

"It was either this or let him start Judgment Day, and I wasn't about to let that happen," Sam snaps back.

"You know, if you had listened to me back at the Mystery Spot-"

"Oh, don't start that again!" Had they been arguing about that when I hadn't been paying attention? "I wasn't just going to let him die!"

"Yeah, and look what happened!" Gabriel retorts, "The world's nearly about to break down and you're too busy playing babysitter to someone who's given up!"

Sam looks furious and I take that as my cue to step in. "Stop it, both of you!" I step between them. "Look, we're in this situation, whether we like it or not. So all we can do is move on from here and make sure the idiot doesn't call Michael down here. Okay?" I glance between Sam and Gabriel, earning mutual huffs of irritation and reluctant nods. That's the best I can get, so I settle for sitting on the arm of Castiel's chair as Sam goes to call Bobby from where the older hunter is arranging his books in the other room.

As predicted, Dean wakes up pissed soon after Bobby joins us.

"The hell is your problem?!" he snaps at us and I take the opportunity to slap him. He winces, grabbing his face. "Woman!"

"Hey, I've been preparing that hit for a while," I say, rather proud of how red his cheek is turning from the force of my slap. "Serves you right for nearly running me over."

"He did what?" I'd conveniently neglected that detail in my recap to Gabriel earlier.

"You ran in front of the car!" Dean protests.

"Yeah, and the logical response would be to stop and get out of the car!" I argue.

"Because I'm the poster-boy for logical decisions," Dean snorts as he leans his head back against the couch, "So what's this miracle cure Sam was waxing on about?"

"Uhh, about that..." Sam clears his throat awkwardly.

Dean smirks humorlessly. "Yeah, no, this is good. Really. You know, seven months of turned pages and screwed pooches, but tonight's when the magic happens."

"You ain't helpin'," Bobby grumbles.

"Yeah, well, why don't you let me get out of your hair, then?" Dean gets up off the couch and I knock him back down, glad that he's still a little wobbly so I can pull it off. He scowls at me.

"What the hell happened to you?" Bobby demands.

"Reality happened. Nuclear's the only option we have left. Michael can ice the Devil, save a boatload of people."

"Not all of 'em." Gabriel raises an eyebrow. "I told you back in the warehouse, Dean, this ends bloody no matter what we choose. If we've got a chance to get more than just a boatload out in one piece, more power to us. Michael's not the answer."

"Yeah, well, that's easy for you to say. But if Lucifer burns this mother down, and I could've done something about it, guess what? That's on me."

"No, that's on us," I correct, "We're supposed to be a team here."

"Team Free Will?" Dean says wryly, "I was kidding about that, Air."

"Well, I believed in it." I shove my hands into my pockets, ignoring the brief hurt that flashes across his face.

"You can't give up, son," Bobby says gently, trying to break the tension between us.

"You're not my father. And you ain't in my shoes," Dean retorts harshly. Bobby's jaw clenches and he wordlessly pulls out a gun from a desk drawer and slams it down on the table. He takes a bullet out of his pocket and places it next to the gun. "What's that?"

"That's the round that I mean to put through my skull. Every morning, I look at it. I think, 'Maybe today's the day I flip the lights out.' But I don't do it. I never do it. You know why? Because I promised you I wouldn't give up!"

For fuck's sake, is everyone losing hope?

Suddenly, Castiel doubles over, clutching his head with a groan of pain.

"Cas?!" I'm the first at his side, followed quickly by Gabriel.

"Something's happening," Castiel says vaguely and looks up at Gabriel. The archangel's expression is pinched as he nods. Within a second, they're both gone, and papers flutter around the room in their wake.

I take the opportunity to snatch up the gun and bullet, despite Bobby's protests, and toss the bullet into the nearest trash can. The gun is easy enough to dismantle and I deposit the pieces back onto Bobby's desk, crossing my arms stubbornly.

"Have I made my point clear yet?" I demand and Bobby looks up at me before nodding grudgingly.

"Yeah, I get it." He pats my arm as he wheels out of the study. I whack Dean upside the head once more - "Ow!" - before leaving the study, too.

Sam joins me out on the porch after about ten minutes.

"All this just because God doesn't want to interfere," I say quietly, leaning forward on my elbows.

"Mm." Sam leans against the banister of the steps, looking exhausted.

"We've done this well so far," I point out, "I don't see why God not jumping in would make a difference now."

"I think, if all else failed, Dean still had that hope to cling to. Guess he doesn't see a way out now." Sam closes his eyes, leaning back against the wooden railing.

"And what about you?" I shuffle closer, nudging his shoulder with mine.

He opens one eye to crack a tired smile. "I think it's dangerous to let me have hope at this point, but it's all I've got left."

I know the feeling. "Yeah, me, too." Sam wraps an arm around my shoulders and we sit comfortably in silence for a few more minutes. Suddenly, there's a crash from inside.

"Sam!" Dean yells, "Ariel!" We're both on our feet immediately, running into the house. Castiel and Gabriel are back, lowering an unconscious young man onto the makeshift bed in the study.

He's kind of cute, I have to admit, and vaguely familiar. He's got short blonde hair and I have a feeling his eyes are blue.

"Who is that?" Bobby asks.

"That's our brother," Sam says, stunned.

"You mean Adam?" Bobby adds and then it clicks. I remember Adam from the end of Season Four of Supernatural. He had been killed by ghouls along with his mother and the ghoul had taken his form to trick Sam and Dean into being eaten, too.

"What happened?" I demand, turning to Castiel and Gabriel.

"Angels," Castiel answers gruffly.

"Why?" Sam presses.

"Does it matter right now?" Gabriel retorts, "Either way, we need to hide him." He presses a hand to Adam's chest and Adam starts awake when he feels the Enochian sigils being branded into his ribs. I was right; his eyes are blue.

"Where am I?" His voice is deeper than I'd expected, but he looks angry and scared at the same time, his eyes darting between all of us.

"Just relax, you're safe," Sam tries to pacify him.

"Who the hell are you?" So much for that.

"You're going to find this a little...a lot crazy, but we're actually your brothers," Dean says from the doorway. As if that's going to calm Adam down.

"It's the truth. John Winchester was our father, too. See, I'm Sam-" Sam begins.

"Yeah, and I'm sure that's Dean. I know who you are." We're all taken aback. "They warned me about you."

"Who did?" Castiel steps forward, frowning.

"The angels. Now where the hell is Zachariah?"

"Joy, the kid meets angels and he meets the douchiest of them all," Gabriel grumbles, rubbing his forehead.

"What're you talking about?" Adam scowls at Gabriel. "Zachariah brought me back."

"So why don't you just tell us everything? Start from the beginning," Dean suggests, crossing his arms.

"Well, I was dead and in Heaven. Except it, uh...it kinda looked like my prom and I was making out with this girl, her name was Kristin McGee-"

"Did you get to third base?" Dean interrupts.

I whack him on the arm. "Priorities."

"Keep going," Sam prompts Adam.

"Well, these…these angels, they popped out of nowhere, and they tell me that I'm chosen," Adam says.

"For what?" Sam's eyebrows shoot up.

"To save the world. Me and some archangel are going to kill the Devil."

"I am way too sober for this," Gabriel mutters under his breath.

"Let me guess, this archangel's name is Michael?" I suggest.

Adam stares at me for a moment and I can feel heat rushing into my face under the scrutiny before he nods. "Yeah. I'm his, uh...sword or vessel or something, I don't know."

"But that's insane," Dean protests.

"Not necessarily," Castiel says quietly at last, a bite of sarcasm in his tone. "Maybe they're moving on from you, Dean. He is John Winchester's bloodline, Sam's brother. It's not perfect, but it's possible."

"Why would they do this?" Sam asks, bewildered.

"Maybe they're desperate. Maybe they wrongly assumed Dean would be brave enough to withstand them." I didn't know Castiel could be so sassy.

"You know what? Blow me, Cas," Dean snaps.

Back, Destiel thoughts, back!

"Look, no way. After everything that's happened? All that crap about destiny? Suddenly the angels have a Plan B? Does that smell right to anybody?" Sam demands, looking between me, Bobby, and Gabriel.

I shake my head. "It's more like a weird loophole than a Plan B. Does Heaven even like loopholes?" I look at Gabriel, who shrugs.

"When it suits them."

"You know, this has been a really moving family reunion, but I've got a thing, so-" Adam begins, swinging his legs off the bed and making to stand.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, wait." Sam holds out a hand placatively. "Just sit down and listen, okay? Please." Adam scoffs, but sits down again. "Now, Adam, the angels are lying to you. They're full of crap."

"Yeah, I don't think so." Adam rolls his eyes.

"What makes you say that?" I raise an eyebrow.

"Um, 'cause they're angels." He gives me a look that screams "You're an idiot and I'm not."

"They tell you they were gonna roast half the planet?" Sam prompts.

"They said the fight might get pretty hairy, but it is the Devil, right? So we've got to stop him."

"At what cost?" I point out and Adam falters. "People are going to die if any one of you say yes." I aim a pointed glare at Dean, who firmly avoids looking at me.

"You've got another option?" Adam asks and I grimace, knowing I've got nothing.

"Well, we're working on the power of love," Dean snarks, clearly getting back at me for hitting him.

"How's that going?"

"Awesome." I'm starting to understand how these two can be related. The snark-levels are off the chart.

"Look, Adam, you don't know me from a hole in the wall, I know. But I'm begging you. Please, just trust me. Give me some time," Sam pleads, "We're blood."

"You've got no right to say that to me," Adam says bitterly.

"You're still John's boy," Bobby says gruffly, speaking for the first time.

"No, John Winchester was some guy who took me to a baseball game once a year. I don't have a dad. So we may be blood, but we are not family. My mom is my family. And if I do my job, I get to see her again. So no offense, but she's the one I give a rat's ass about, not you," Adam retorts.

"Fair enough," Sam says quietly, "But if you have one good memory of Dad, just one, then you'll give us a little more time. Please."

Grudgingly, Adam nods, his jaw clenched.

Given Dean's stubborn mindset, we stick him in the panic room, leaving Castiel to watch over him. Adam settles down in the kitchen, picking at a half-eaten sandwich, and Sam watches him like a hawk from our spots in the living room. He heads over to stop Adam when the younger man tries to make a escape not-so-subtly.

"Try this one." Gabriel points at a word from the Enochian book and I glance at it.

"Balie?"

"Yeah, and what does it mean?" he prompts.

"Something to do with salt." I'm doing better with my Enochian, the language coming easily to me as I practice more and more words. Maybe it's my old memories acting up, or maybe I'm just good at languages, but Gabriel's pleased by my progress. I look back at Adam, who's been left to his own devices again as Sam returns to the living room.

I wonder if he plays a musical instrument. He has long fingers, like those of a pianist, and I can see him in a high school band or-

"Ariel!" I snap out of it, blinking at Gabriel.

"What?" Did I miss something he'd asked me?

He glances between me and Adam before groaning in despair. "Don't even go down that road."

"What road?!" I demand, but I think he already knows, because he only rolls his eyes at me. I flush bright red.

Sam looks confused, trying to follow our conversation. "What happened?"

"Ariel here has a crush on your half-brother," Gabriel informs him.

"No!" I protest, shaking my head violently. "No way!"

Sam looks, surprisingly, to be on the verge of laughter. "Jeez, Air, of all times..."

"Kid, the Winchester bloodline is nothing but trouble - no offense, Sammich - and getting all lovey-dovey with one of them ends up with you dead," Gabriel warns me.

Sam shrugs. "To be fair, that's just more specific to me. Hey, if she likes him-"

"No, absolutely not," Gabriel argues. I'm surprised Adam hasn't noticed our heated conversation yet.

"-maybe she can get through to him." Sam nods his head towards the kitchen. "Go on, Air, see if you can get him to stick around for a while."

"Nope, you can't make me." I cross my arms stubbornly.

"Actually, I kinda can." With that, Sam physically scoops me up and I yelp in surprise.

"Sam, put me down!" I kick him, but he doesn't even flinch, depositing me in the doorway to the kitchen and glancing pointedly at Adam. I huff and approach the table, making sure to calm down before asking tentatively, "You mind if I sit here?" Adam looks up and shakes his head before going back to staring morosely at the tabletop. I sit down in a chair beside him, noticing Sam's left the kitchen again. I guess since Gabriel hasn't intervened yet, he doesn't mind as much as he lets on.

"I never caught your name," Adam notes.

"Ariel," I say quickly and he raises an eyebrow. My face feels warm and I'm pretty sure I'm red as a tomato as I stammer, "I-I'm Ariel."

"Zachariah warned me about you." I blink, confused. "He said you were a fallen archangel on Lucifer's side."

"Lucifer?" My embarrassment is forgotten as I roll my eyes. "That's a load of crap. If I was on Lucifer's side, then wouldn't I be out causing havoc?"

"I guess he was exaggerating that one," Adam admits, "But the archangel stuff, that's true?"

"It is," I say carefully, and we lapse into an awkward silence. Adam's staring at me as if I'm sort of ticking bomb waiting to go off. "I'm sorry," I offer when the silence becomes unbearable, "About this whole mess."

"You didn't know the angels would bring me back," he points out, relaxing slightly. I guess my apology reassures him that I'm not going to explode any second.

"True." I fold my arms and rest my chin on them. "Doesn't make me feel any better about keeping you here."

"You could let me go," he suggests and when I look up at him, startled, he grins wryly. "Just kidding. I think Sam and Dean might skin you alive."

"No kidding. I'm barely on Dean's good side right now as it is." I make a face. "Not to mention it's not a good idea, anyway."

"I thought angels were supposed to be the good guys," Adam says, imitating my position by folding his arms and dropping his chin onto them.

"Some are. Like those two." I jab my thumb towards the doorway to indicate Castiel and Gabriel. "And I used to be one of the good ones, I think."

"You think?" Adam frowns at me.

"I don't remember anything before I fell from Heaven," I admit, "I guess it's better in the long run, but...it sucks sometimes. Especially when Castiel or Gabriel make a reference I should understand, but I don't." Adam's watching me, and my cheeks heat up. "I'm rambling, aren't I? Sorry, I do that a lot, everyone gets sick of it after a while, oh, God, I'm such a spaz."

Adam genuinely smiles then. I can't help but admire how it changes him completely, his face lighting up as his lips curve upwards. "No, it's okay. It's kinda nice to know I'm not the only one totally freaked out by everything."

I grimace. "Understatement. A year ago, I was a biomedical engineering major who didn't even know monsters existed."

"Replace BME with biology and you've got me in a nutshell," Adam agrees.

"Pre-med?"

He nods before sitting up straighter in his chair, excited. "You, too?" I nod back; why had I ever disliked this guy? "Please tell me you took Organic Chemistry."

"Ugh, don't remind me, that was a GPA-killer." I slump back in my chair dramatically and Adam laughs.

I can't believe I'm discussing school with the Winchesters' illegitimate half-brother when Michael wants him for a vessel and Dean is locked up in the basement's panic room. It's like something out of a weird supernatural soap opera, but it's also a slice of normal that I haven't had in what seems like forever. And when Adam looks back up at me with blue eyes bright with amusement, still smiling, I can't bring myself to care about Michael or any other crap coming our way.

At least until blinding white light flashes through the house, and I hear Gabriel scream in pain.

"Gabriel!" I race back through to the living room, but he's gone. A shell-shocked Sam and Bobby remain, and I feel my heart stop.

I'm going to ignore any "when are you going to update" messages from now on, because it's been putting some extreme stress on me since I have exams coming up. If I don't update when I say I will, I'd appreciate a little consideration. I get that it means you like my story, but it really just makes me more pressurized to finish a chapter while studying for exams.

That being said, this also accounts for why this chapter is essentially crap, but hey, look, Adam's here in honor of the new Percy Jackson movie coming out in August! (even though the first one quite frankly sucked -shifty eyes-) Hopefully, I'll have the next chapter out either Tuesday or next weekend.

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