Icy wind ran its fingers through my hair and over my chapped lips. There was a quiet over the group that I don't think anyone wanted to break. It was tense and thick, happiness completely absent. The only sound around us were the leaves crunching underfoot.

Elly was staring at her feet as we continued on through the forest. Her face was covered in dirt and blood, the baseball bat slung over her shoulder with a grimy hand. Her face was blank and she was obviously trying not to meet my gaze, or anyones. I couldn't imagine what feelings were running through her body. She had known. I couldn't begin to contemplate how hard it was for her to keep that quiet. It wasn't fair to her.

"D-Dean?" Maggie asked, breaking up the quiet forest. "I'm really sorry about your friend."

There was a pain in my heart and I watched as Dean turned to look at her with dark eyes and tight jaw before he continued on. She shrunk back and I reached out to pat her shoulder.

"He was our brother," I whispered over to her. "Let's keep moving. Dean will be like that for a while."

"We're almost there," Elly muttered with a sniff, shifting her backpack. She didn't look up from her feet.

I looked ahead and could see boards of plywood nailed into trees with different symbols painted onto them. Most likely angel wardings.

"We must be close," Maggie called out to the group. "On the outskirts at least."

"I-I can't go any further," Cas said in a strained voice, stopping at the edge of the marking. "The wardings are too strong."

Gabe walked over to the closest one and looked at it curiously, running his angel blade down the middle of it. He placed his hand over the insignia and the lines on each of the signs began to burn, turning a bright red before becoming a smoldering black.

Cas let out a small gasp, free from the magic that had restrained him. There was movement ahead of us and two men appeared over the hill, guns pointed at us. Dean and I quickly had our up.

"We're not here to fight!" Cas said. I looked over and could see his hands up in surrender. "We're looking for..." He trailed off as another person came over the hill. An easiness filled my chest and my gun lowered to my side. "Mary."

"Castiel?" she asked, having not spotted us yet. She took a few steps towards the angel, before her eyes wandered over the rest of the group, coming to stop on us. She quickly moved for us and snatched Dean up in a giant hug. I looked to the ground, waiting my turn. "How did you find us?"

I was pulled into a tight hug and held to her tightly, trying not to cry again. I didn't want to cry anymore. But I had my mom back. It had felt like a lifetime since I had last seen her. But she looked well, seemed well. She still somehow kept her hair curled perfectly, something that I had never been able to figure out how to do.

She pulled back with a warm smile, looking over both of us. But her smile fell as she glanced at the rest of our group. "Dean, Alex, where's Sam?" I caught the glimpse of a tear roll down Dean's cheek and I had to stop my chin from trembling as emptiness retook my chest. Neither of us could speak. My mouth was dry. Mom nodded a hand going to her mouth with a sharp inhale. "I'll show you to camp," she said softly. "Remake those marking." A wave of her hand set the two men to work.

She nodded up the hill and we all started after her. I had to change the subject. Anything to break the tension. "Mom, this is Elly," I said, motioning to her. She jogged over to be closer to us. "She helped us get here."

"Nice to meet you," Elly muttered softly. She wasn't as excited as I had hoped she would be. Under different circumstances... It didn't matter. "I've heard a lot about you."

"Oh, you're the long distance friend, aren't you?" my mom questioned. "How did you get dragged into all of this? I hope it wasn't Alex."

Elly's eyes met mine for a moment. "Not at all. I volunteered." She twisted the bat over her shoulder nervously. I rolled my eyes. That was definitely one way to put it.

My mom stopped in her steps and grabbed my left hand. "It seems a lot has happened while I've been away," she commented, looking over the ring on my finger. "Who gave the you ring?"

"What ring?" Dean asked, stopping to look over at where Mom was looking. I winced as he rolled his eyes with a tense jaw. "Please tell me you're not."

"Ketch and I are engaged," I muttered, heat coming to my cheeks. I looked away and pulled my hand free, using it to try to hide my face.

"Does she not know you two are together?" I heard Elly whisper from beside me. I shot her a dark look and a clarity came over her face as she realized something. "Oh. Oh! I-I see." She scratched at her head and looked away, her own embarrassment on her cheeks.

"No," my mom said sternly. "There is no way that I am-"

"Mom," I grumbled. "I'm 36! I am more than old enough to pick who I want to date and marry."

"He is twice your age."

"He is not that old," I said with a frustrated laugh. This was not how I pictured telling my mom. Or finding her again. I was tired of people judging me for being with Ketch. He had changed. The same way that I had noticed a change in Lucifer whenever Elly was around. "And he's changed."

I looked beside me at movement and saw Elly wander off in the direction of Ketch. She was whispering to him and he glanced over to us and small cocky grin on his stupid face. He whispered something to Elly who laughed.

"He tried to kill all of us," My mom shot back. "And I killed him. How the hell is he here?"

"Revival spell," he answered before I could, holding out his hand to my mom. "Nice to see you're doing so well, Mary." She begrudgingly returned the hand shake. "Been a while."

"Odd to see you without a bullet to your head," Mom grumbled, pulling her hand away swiftly. "I don't like this."

"You don't have any room to talk," I said, folding my arms. "I wasn't the one who fell for him first. I know what happened between you two."

"Ok," Dean interrupted. "Now that the whole group knows our personal family history and secrets and wrong doings, let's keep going, shall we?"

"I want to meet Jack," Elly said excitedly from beside me.

My mom sighed and started back on the path we were taking, Dean following. Ketch gave me a kind smile and kissed my head.

"Don't worry, Love. She'll come around," he whispered before heading in the direction everyone else had began moving.

"You are so lucky that I didn't tell her you're with the devil," I hissed over to Elly who smiled brightly. "And the only reason you want to meet him is because you're gonna be his mom."

"I am not going to be his mom. Besides,I'm sure she will find out eventually. Especially if he does show up here." I stopped, taking her arm to hold her back with me. My eyes were wide. "What? I told you he would show up."

A smile came to my face, a lightness filling my chest. "You-you said that Sam left him here."

"Yes?" she said confused. "So?"

"How is Sam supposed to do that if he's dead?" I asked back, making her face drain. "He comes back, doesn't he?"

"Alex, now wait a moment," she said, lowering the baseball bat from her shoulder and resting it against her leg to speak with her hands. "I didn't say-"

"El, my brother is coming back. And you didn't tell me!" I smacked her arm. "You little bitch! You didn't fucking tell me!" I hit her again and she tried to catch my hand.

"Ow!" she hissed. "Stop that!"

"You didn't tell me!"

"I didn't tell you because it's possible it won't happen!" She sighed, a hand to her head. "Alex, what was I supposed to tell you? I couldn't get your hopes up and then it not happen. That wouldn't have been fair to you."

My smile fell. She was right. Nothing was set in stone. It was still very possible that Sam was very much dead. She had been right in keeping this from me. My heart dunk back further now than it had been. This wasn't fair.

"Come on," I whispered, defeated. I started in the direction that the rest of the group had continued on in.

I had distanced myself from everyone in the group, spotting Dean alone at a table under a few pine trees. Elly was busy with Jack and Ketch. Gabe and Cas seemed to be in a deep conversation and my mom had to run off to deal with resetting the perimeter.

"Alex?" a voice said behind me, making me turn. I met the dark eyes of Cael. "How are you doing?"

I rubbed at my elbow, looking towards the gray forest floor. "I'm doing alright." I sighed. "Thank you for helping back there. I would have gone after Sam if you hadn't stopped me."

"I told you that isn't where you die, as long as you play your cards right. Your death will mean more than being torn apart in a random tunnel by monsters."

I wasn't exactly sure how to take what he said, but I was still grateful for what he had done. I gave him a small nod before turning back and heading over to my older brother. I took a seat beside him and he glanced up at me, before looking back at his hands.

"How are you holding up?" I asked, taking one of his hands in mine.

"I'm going back." He pulled his hand from mine and slid both of them into his jacket pockets.

"You're going what? What do you mean you're going back?" My eyebrows furrowed as I tried to gauge his facial expressions.

"We have to get his body. He can't just stay in that tunnel." He rose from the bench, grabbing his pack as he did so. I swiftly stood too, following as he walked off.

"You can't just leave, Dean. What if something happens to you too?" I asked, trying to reach for him to stop him, but he moved faster than me. "You're both going to be stuck in that tunnel."

"Not if both of us go. We can handle them now that we don't have idiot people to look after."

"Mom!" I called as she entered the camp. "You can't let Dean leave."

"I am fully capable of handling myself, Alex. I do not need permission from mother."

"What on earth are you two going on about?" Mom asked as she got closer to us.

I was about to answer when a bill began to ring. All of us froze as several people with guns raced from where they were posted and towards the bells. Someone or something must have been coming. The whole camp waited quietly until I could see a figure moving through a gate and into the main enclosure.

Blood stained jeans, torn shirt, completely intact neck, long hair and blood splattered face. I couldn't believe it. I know that Elly had been telling the truth when she said he possibly wouldn't come back, but somehow my lungs were empty and my chest was warm and full and I was at a loss for words.

"Sam!" Jack called from where he was with Elly and Ketch, no longer upset with the news we had told him.

"Sam," I finally whispered, falling to my knees on the forest floor, a hand to my head. I wasn't sure how else to react. My body was numb. He was back. Dean raced forward and pulled Sam into a tight hug. My mom pulled me to my feet and we both raced over, snatching him up in our own embraces.

"Sam," Dean said softly. "What happened?"

I looked behind him and saw Lucifer leave the shadows of the gate and come into the dimming light. His hands were in his jean pockets and his grey eyes scanned the camp. Elly had been right again. He had shown up just like she had said.

"Lucy," I heard Elly say as she raced over. He caught her in a hug against him and I moved closer to hear them. "You're ok?"

"I'm fine sunbeam. I'm glad you're safe." He looked back up, eyes flickering around again until they stopped on Jack. "Hello, Son."

"He, uh..." Sam cleared his throat, nodding behind him. "He brought me back."

"It's what I do," he replied with a shrug, arm still around Elly protectively.

"It is not what you do," Cas said angrily, pulling Jack closer to him. "How did you get in here?"

"VIP pass. I'm with the band."

My eyes narrowed on him. I didn't like this. He was more cocky now. Something had changed. How was he here? He should be wasting away at the portal, drained of all of his grace. Elly never did explain how he had gotten out. And what about Rowena?

"Oh, come on. You should all be thanking me." Lucifer used his free hand to motion at Sam. "I gave Sammy an extra life, I didn't kill Rowena, I left the portal open. And I figured that since my little bros are such hot messes that you would need my help. I want to join the team."

I looked over Elly to see if she would give me any direction, but she looked honestly lost and confused. She was torn. She knew what he was like, she knew what he was planning to do, and yet she loved him. She wanted to trust him so completely, but she hadn't been able to let herself. It almost looked like she just wanted to be left alone.

Lucifer released Elly and moved towards his son. "Your name is Jack."

"And yours is Lucifer," Jack said back tentatively.

Dean was swift to intervene. "No! Absolutely not! You do not talk to him." He directed the words at Lucifer who looked offended. "And you." He pointed to Jack. "You do not listen to him."

"Don't you think it's kind of his choice?" Lucifer shot back at Dean.

"He has his grace back," Elly whispered over to me. She looked small at the several pairs of eyes that had been on her since she had hugged the devil. "He took down a group of Michael's angels that attacked him. We need to be careful around him."

"Are you picking sides, Elly?" I asked back softly as she hugged her arms around her.

"As much as I love him..." She sighed and looked away at my mom's prying eyes. "I know what's right and what's wrong."

"Are you trying to keep me from my son?" Lucifer's voice had risen.

"This is Kelly Kline's son," Cas clarified harshly.

"Kill him." Dean's voice had risen now too. "You have the blade, he's the devil! You kill him."

Lucifer simply laughed. "He can't. He's too weak."

"Stop!" Jack yelled, breaking up the fight. "Just stop it!"

"You. Need. Me." Lucifer stood tall and unwavering. "I am a weapon. You can use me."

I could see Elly bouncing on her toes beside me, biting her lip. I placed my hand to the small of her back, calling her attention to me. I nodded towards them. If anyone could break up the fight, it was her.

She walked over and slid her hand into Lucifer's, whose eyes were still trained heavily on Jack. He did take her hand though. She pulled on him.

"There will be plenty of time to discuss this later." Elly tried to break them up. "Please stop fighting." I could see Jack's golden eyes looking over the two of them curiously. We would have to do a lot of explaining when this whole thing was over. "If you want your son, you need to behave."

"I'm just here to help," Lucifer grumbled, loosening his stance. "I can take on Michael. I've already beat him before. You need me."

Elly looked over me desperately and I glanced around. Someone to the side had a pair of cuffs in their bag with Enochian carved into them. I grabbed them from the bag and stepped closer. "How about, just incase your innate evil overwhelms this newfound team spirit," -He gave me a sarcastic look- "you wouldn't mind wearing these, now would you?"

He pulled his hand from Elly's and held out his wrists with a roll of his eyes. It was almost like he meant what he had been saying. Like all he wanted to do was help and meet his son. Elly moved aside and I slapped the cuffs over his wrists, clicking them closed.

"So the rift isn't closed?" Sam asked, staying as far away as he could from Lucifer.

"No, it's open," Lucifer answered smuggly. "I left Rowena some grace. So you have, I'm thinking... 31 hours, give or take."

"Cas, lock him up. We'll get him out when we need him." I would be lying if I said that I wasn't surprised that Elly didn't fight against me. "Dean, Sam, let's start planning what we need to do to get back. We're going to gave to take the mountain trails. I am not letting anyone back into that fucking tunnel."

Cas took Lucifer and began to lead him away and Jack followed. As much as I wanted to stop him, he was just curious. Lucifer was his dad after all and any kid would want to know more about their parents. Especially one as twisted as the devil.

Elly sighed a hand going to her head. Ketch stepped into the group and took her shoulders, leading her away. I was glad he was here to help me. It was a lot to handle when I had to take care of my erratic family that was incredibly impulsive and angry all of the time.

"What do we have to work with? Mom, is there anything? Anyway that we can get back faster?" I continued on.

"We have some old cars out back. But I don't know if they run or not.

"I can get them running," Dean offered. "Better than sitting her and doing nothing."

"Great. Sam, let's make sure we have enough gear to get back."

"Right," he nodded, heading after Dean as Dean walked away, anger still on his features.

"Mom, are you ready to go?"

She looked hesitant, almost as if she didn't want to leave. She looked around at everyone who had dispersed and gone back to what they had been doing before. She gave a nod and I took a deep breath before heading off in the direction that my brothers had gone.

I rounded the corner of a building and found them on the old and rickety porch. "What are we going to do with Lucifer?" Dean asked, a hand over his mouth.

"Let me take care of him," Sam replied. "I'll take care of him."

"Can we think about this?" I stepped forward, attempting to jump into the conversation. They both looked at me darkly and I knew I wasn't welcome. "We can't just get rid of him."

"Look, I'm sorry about your friend." Sam folded his arms over his chest. "But we all know what he is capable of doing. He has to be taken care of."

"You can't just take him from her. It's not fair."

"Alex, this isn't up for discussion," Dean said sternly, temper still high. "Your little friend is just going to have to deal with it."

"That's what I'm afraid of," I admitted. I turned away from them to head back and paused. "Just remember what she can do with a gun. She's not the same girl she was when she got here. She's been through one of our lifetimes in the span of a few months. She won't shut up and accept things anymore. She is strong."

"What are they talking about?" Ketch asked as we looked on at Lucifer and Jack. Cas had explained that Jack had wanted to speak to Lucifer and despite all of us trying to convince him otherwise, the boy had made up his mind.

"About him," Elly muttered, taking another bite of the stew that had been made. She exhaled sharply, her teeth clenched. It must have been hot because she grabbed her water bottle and took a long drink from it. "About how he isn't as bad as what the world says. About Jack's mom."

"Are you ok with that?" I questioned, taking a bit of my own food and wincing at how hot it was.

"It's not like I have any room to speak. And she was a great woman. She has a wonderful son. And we won't be together forever." Elly pushed the bowl aside with a weary look. "I'll go back to my world eventually. I can't stay here forever, as much as I may want to. I am home sick."

I rubbed her back. "We'll get you home soon. We should be able to get another portal open. We just need to figure out how, but if a demon got through, maybe Crowley will have the way for us to get you back." I looked back up and watched Lucifer and Jack talk again for a moment. "Now what are they talking about?"

"About how he's done things that are wrong, but for the past few centuries, he's been trapped in a cage and hasn't been able to do anything evil. He just wants to be better."

I leaned against my fiance, using him as support as we watched on. It had been an exhausting few days and I felt like I'd been put through the wringer with everything that had happened.

"Everyone deserves a chance to change." I said, keeping my eyes on Jack and Lucifer.

Elly looked over me curiously. "You really think he's changed?"

I smiled, "I believe he loves you. And if I've learned anything over the last month, it's that love changes people." It was true. I never thought I'd be in the place I was. I never thought someone could go from something I used as an escape to someone I couldn't live without. And I really did believe that Lucifer had done the same for Elly. "If he hasn't, then you know where the gun is and how to shoot it." I said, changing the tone to a teasing one.

"A bullet wouldn't hurt him," Elly said back with a smile.

"No, but it'd be funny to watch." I said, laughing at the mental image it gave me.

My attention was thrown back to Jack and Lucifer as they moved apart, Jack apparently done with the conversation.

"That was quick. What did Lucifer say?" I asked Elly.

"I-I don't know. Dean should have interrupted, but if he's busy fixing the car then I don't know."

Jack came over to the table and sat down, eyes on Elly. "You're with my dad?" he asked matter of factly, just jumping right to the point.

"Is that a problem?" Elly inquired back.

Jack tipped his head to the side and licked his lips. "Then, you think he's good, right?"

Elly blinked several times, at a loss for words. I watched with a small smile, curious as to what she was going to say. "I-I, well..." Elly ran a hand through her hair and looked to me for help, but I shook my head with a small laugh. "I think he's trying very hard to be a better person. Only time will tell," she finally got out.

"What do you think of him Jack?" I asked, patting Elly's hand.

"I...I believe he can be good." Jack said, cocking his head to the other side, "But I don't believe he's fully changed. A person can not change who they once were." He paused, seeming to take a moment to think over his words. "Especially if they were that person for a very long time."

"Just give him time. I'm sure he'll come around," Ketch offered out like he was giving some great fatherly advice.

"He's Satan. How can one just "come around" from that?" Jack offered up.

We all sat silently, the kid had a point. But we had one too. Lucifer had changed for Elly, whether it was for good or not remained to be seen but either way he had changed for her. If he ended up being one of the bad guys again then we knew how to deal with that. We could beat him and it would be over with. Elly would be heartbroken beyond belief and I would be sending home an empty shell of the girl that once lived there but it would be what it was. Something you just really couldn't fix. And she would understand. As we sat silently, Dean approached us, grease and other car fluids on his hands and up his arms.

"I got some cars started, a jeep and an old ford. We should be able to use them to get to the rift before it closes. But we should leave now just in case." He said as he got closer.

"Let's go then. Everyone check your packs and meet us at the border of camp in ten minutes." I said, standing from where I'd been sitting. "I'll go find mom and Sam. Dean could you find the angels?"

My older brother nodded and went off the find them. I looked over Elly, Jack, and Ketch. They made me smile. We were an odd group but it made us strong. With a small nod they each went on their ways and I went on mine. We were going home.

I watched my brothers as everyone else began to gather with us. They stood closer together than they usually did. They always did this when one of them died. It was like they weren't numb to it like I was. It was good that they weren't numb to it like I was. I looked on at the group approaching us. My mother lead the way. I wasn't even sure I could call her that. She had been in my life for only a few weeks before Michael kidnapped her and Jack. I didn't feel like I knew her. Yet I loved her. I looked at Jack, the young nephilim that still had so much to learn and know about this fucked up world we lived in. He was so innocent, yet he'd been forced to grow up so quickly because being a kid wasn't safe for him.

I let my eyes travel over the angels, Gabe, Cas, Cael, and Lucifer. Each one had their scars from the time they'd spent around my family. Gabe had 'died' more than once. Cas was in a dangerous love. I owed Cael my life for the things he did to help me. And Lucifer owed me his for introducing him to Elly. My eyes went next to Ketch as I fiddled with the ring on my finger. He had changed for me. He was no longer the psychopath my brothers and I had first met that year ago when we'd had a grenade shot at us. I smiled as my gaze last fell on Elly. She had changed so much since she came into my life. Most of the change good, although some of her new preferences scared me. I had put her though so much shit and she had survived it all. She was stronger than anyone else here. I was the reason they were all here. I was the reason things hadn't gone the way they were supposed to.

I shook my head as the group joined us. I could be melancholy about everything that had happened later, after our final battle was won and everyone was finally safe.

"Right." I started, "It's already been decided that I'll be with Sam and Dean in the Jeep. Lucifer, Cael, and Gabe will be coming with us. The rest of you will be in the Ford." I threw the keys to the other car at Ketch, trusting him to know how to drive the large truck. I watched as he immediately handed the keys off to Elly.

I only questioned it for a second before Dean started talking. "We're taking the path around the mountains," He said, having already pulled out a map and had it laid out on the hood of the jeep, "It'll take us roughly 2 hours but it's the quickest route." He drew a line with his finger along the path, "Everyone keep your eyes open, they're could be dive bombs from any angle and I'm not willing to lose anyone again." Dean handed out small mags of silver bullets to everyone, "These are angel killing. Not sure what makes them do it but I know they work. Everyone load up and be ready."

With that we all took out places. I helped Sam into the Jeep and then took my position hanging onto the side of it, it was the only way we could fit everyone and I was the only one willing to risk my life to do it. I looked inside to Dean who had climbed into the driver's seat and nodded that I was ready, gun at my side and arm slinked around a bar to help me stay on. He nodded back and I looked back to where Elly was indeed behind the wheel of the ford. I waved at her and she gave me a thumbs up. We were all ready to go. We were all ready to be home. I waved sharply at Dean and he started up the engine.

The jeep jolted forward and we started off, leaving me completely alone to my thoughts as the cool wind blew through my hair. My mom had been hesitant to leave, wanting to stay and continue to help the group, but they insisted that she leave and that they could handle themselves.

Jack on the other hand had been nothing but a chatty cathy the entire time, asking both Elly and Lucifer multitudes of questions until they had all been separated into different cars. Elly looked relieved. It was a lot for a 23 year old girl to handle. He was so curious and she was still so naive in so many aspects. And I was sure it had been uncomfortable to talk to a tv character you liked, who was the son of your devil boyfriend and another woman who was at least 10 years your age. And Jack may have technically only been a year old, but he was in his late teens physically and that had to be odd for Elly as well.

I took a deep breath, looking around us at the calm forest. It looked like home, just devoid of color. Why was I trying to compare it to home? I had to be positive. We were going to make it through that portal. We were going to be fine. Michael was going to be trapped here and we could get Elly home and set everything back to normal.

She could go back to her math tutor boyfriend, Josh... Mark... Whatever his name was. She would be decently happy enough with him. And her mom would be there to help get her back on the right path towards finishing up college and getting a degree. Something, I had to admit, I was a tad jealous of. I had always thought that learning a skill would be fun, but I preferred guns to being trapped in a classroom.

Elly had never really mentioned what she wanted to be. I think she was just trying to finish her general so she could get a job. But now, I knew none of that would appeal to her. It was the same with everyone who went hunting. They needed it. It became our lifeblood. And now she had Lucifer, who had been fun when I had been with him. Charming and manipulative and funny in the best ways. He really would treat her like a queen. She could shoot a gun like no one's business. She could take care of herself just fine. I didn't need to worry over her anymore. But a part of me still did.

The time seemed to drag on, and my fingers were getting numb from clasping the metal bar. We had to be getting close now. And nothing had happened so far. It struck me as odd that nothing had. When had been the last time that a car had driven through these mountains? It had taken Dean awhile just to find gasoline that hadn't turned to tar to use. Not to mention that the car motors alone were loud enough to echo forever through the trees that surrounded us.

Thunder had begun to fill up the sky and clouds darkened everything rather quickly. But as we rounded a corner, I could finally see in the distance the shimmering glow of the doorway back. Dean pulled to the side of the path and turned off the car. I hopped from the running board onto the crackling leaves as Elly pulled up behind me in the truck.

She hopped out and I watched as Sam and Dean pulled Lucifer from the seat he had been in, still cuffed. Ketch pulled me to him giving me a chaste kiss.

"Let's get home. I miss sharing a bed." He gave me a wink before going to join the rest of the group.

"I don't like this," Elly muttered over to me as she adjusted her bag over her shoulder along with her new toy, the baseball bat. "It was too easy."

"We're going to be ok. We're going to get home and then we'll get you home. I promise." I said, taking her hand.

"This isn't like the episode."

"Has this been anything like the episodes?" I asked back with a smile, pulling her along.

"Bits and parts?" She looked up with a confused smile. "I think I like this better than the show."

"Well that's good. I like it better too." I said, giving her a smile.

"It's closing!" Sam called back to us. "Hurry up!"

I dropped Elly's hand and we both ran to catch up. I jogged pass Gabe who had stopped, looking behind us.

"Angels!" he shouted, causing all of us to turn, guns out.

In a blink the dozen were nothing but dust on the ground. We all turned to Lucifer, he still had his hand resting in the in the air where he'd snapped his fingers. The angel cuffs melted from around his wrists.

He inhaled through his teeth. "Yeah, about the cuffs... I knew they wouldn't hold me in this world. But I didn't want to step out of line or worry you, so I just played along." He was twiddling his fingers as he spoke like a child who was about to be disciplined. He laughed nervously, looking between the disapproving looks. "You're welcome. Don't all say thank you at once."

"Get through the rift everyone." I said, turning my attention to the rest of the group, rather than give the sass king what he wanted.

I watched as everyone passed through. Ketch first, followed by Jack and then Mary. Cas took a second to share a look with Dean before going through after Gabe. Cael followed cautiously, Dean following through after him, gun forward and still ready. I met Sam at the rift. I smiled at him.

"We wanted to go back for you. We…" I tried to find the words.

"I know, Alex. We would do the same for you." Sam said, "Go through and take Elly. I'll…"

He was interrupted by the sound of impacts in the ground. We blinked in the dust that they kicked up and saw more angels appear, at least ten of them this time. There was another central blast and we watched as Michael appeared from it, wings a flutter until the dust settled, taking the shadow with it.

"Fuck!" I yelled out, "Sam go!"

"I'm not…" My younger brother tried to argue with me.

"I'm not losing you again." I said, grabbing his arm and pushing him just close enough to the rift that it sent him through it. I turned to Elly and back to the rift. It was only a sliver now. Who knew how many seconds we had left. "Come on El!" And Michael was getting dangerously close to us. "We need to go!"

Elly only looked at me, a clear decision in her eyes, and I knew I wasn't going to like it. In seconds she was pushing with all her might against me and I was falling through the rift. I fell through onto the floor of the bunker, the rift closing before I could get to my feet and run back through it.

"No!" I yelled, running into the wall and slamming my fists against it. "Elly!"