Title:Seraphs and Phoenix Wings (28/?)
Author: daksgirl
Rating: M
Pairings:Dean/Castiel, Michael/Lucifer (kind of!)
Genre: Family/ Drama
Spoilers: None
Warnings: swearing, violence, gore, torture, emotional angst (the usual), incestuous tones
Word Count: 5, 538
Summary: Michael has to confront his brother. But is it his brother really?
A/N: Sorry for the delay! Been travelling, so I wrote most of this yesterday on my birthday! :D that's just how much I love you guys haha. Definitely one more chapter that will finish the story, but I may do a add on if people want, just to round it to 30. Hope you like!
….
Michael twisted his body, wings stretched wide and straining as he ducked beneath his brother's arm, the metal of his blade clanging loudly as it collided with the slashing talons reaching for his face. Shoving his weight against his blade, he pushed away, narrowly avoiding a blow aimed towards his wings.
He could scarcely believe the creature before him was a brother he had once loved. Lucifer was bright no longer; now dark and twisted, he bled corruption in oily tendrils. His once beautiful wings that Michael had spent so many hours grooming were gone, wasted away to nothing. This was a monster, an abomination, where no grace could survive.
And yet…
Michael side stepped a lunge, his body remembering the fine movements of battle; a dance he had once excelled at. He felt the soft skin of his cheek slice open as those talons sought him out, and blood splattered onto the dry dirt beneath them. Avoiding the worst of the blow as he pivoted on his heel, his feather tips brushed against the waxy skin of Lucifer's and he recoiled.
There remained a part of him that harbored hope that his brother was not completely lost. A false hope perhaps, but it flickered within him resolutely. A tiny spark within an empty abyss.
"What's the matter Michael?" the creature before him hissed, shadows undulating a sinful dance. "Don't like what you see? This is your doing after all."
Gritting his teeth as he dodged those lethal talons, Michael pressed his advantage, forcing Lucifer back a pace with his blade.
Michael had spent years; decades and centuries regretting that single moment where Lucifer had slipped through his grasp. The moment where he had failed in his duty as protector, failed as an archangel, and failed as a brother. He could remember the brush of straining finger tips against his own, Lucifer's eyes so very wide and disbelieving as his wings turned to ash upon the wind. Disbelieving Michael had actually done it; had conjured the holy fire that consumed Lucifer whole as he fell from heaven into a hell of his own making. And Michael had felt a shiver of…of…satisfaction. For a moment, Michael was glad he had hurt Lucifer so, had punished him for past sins.
He had failed. In the end, he was no better than his brother. Lucifer had been Michael's sin for so long, and now this dark creature before him, this…this abomination was his doing. It was the result of Michael's inability, his own failures and darkest secrets.
No more. No longer would Michael allow himself to wallow in failure and pity. If they were one another's sin, then they were also their only hope for salvation.
"The blame falls on us both." Michael shoved his brother away, wings arcing above his shoulders threateningly. "But it was your vanity and pride that led you down this path, Lucifer. But it is not too late, you can still-"
"Shut up!" The words were laced with poison and loathing, and Michael staggered under their vulgarity as Lucifer straightened, his dead wings flapping uselessly. "I don't want to hear your pious preaching!"
Michael bared his teeth in a snarl, flames racing between his feathers. "Perhaps if you listened you would finally understand!" he shouted, and the earth trembled beneath his feet. "Perhaps if you cared for something beyond yourself, you would stop this!"
His only answer was an enraged screech, and Michael threw himself to the side, tucking himself into a roll. His bare feet scrabbled in the scorched earth as he straightened, blade held in front of him warningly.
"Was it worth it Lucifer?" He gestured around them towards the watching monsters, ignoring the slick slide of blood slowly trickling down his ruined cheek. "Was it worth killing Father to gain all this glory? Tell me!"
Lucifer crouched low to the ground, the dark cavities of his eyes swirling with malice. "Worth it? Was it worth it when you cast me down? Ripped my wings to shreds and cast me into that dark, cold place?"
Michael anticipated the move, but still stifled a pained yell as Lucifer slammed into his front; his blade skittering away in a plume of dust. The air was punched from his lungs as serrated talons dug into the unprotected flesh of his side; separating muscle. Michael could feel the darkness latch onto him, the dank corruption wiggling it's putrid tendrils into his skin. Lucifer snapped at him, the sweet cloy of decay forcing him to gag, and Michael reared back, wings flapping furiously. He could feel the slight scrape of teeth against his throat as Lucifer attempted to bite him again, but with a mighty push of his wings, the archangel broke free, stumbling back.
The devil grinned at him. "Think you can save me? Think you can bring me back to the light or something?"
His chest was heaving, and Michael struggled to straighten, pain lancing along his side. His blade was too far away to grab easily, and he cursed silently.
"I do," he finally muttered. "You can be saved, Lucifer."
His brother laughed, and it sounded like a thousand screams. "So optimistic. Guess the rumors about you were wrong, big brother. You're not all impotent."
Michael stifled a scream as he pressed a hand to his ripped side, teeth grinding against the pain. "And the rumors of you were very much true."
Lucifer shrugged. "What can I say? Folks just love to hate the bad guy." The devil drew a fist to his mouth, long tongue curling obscenely around one bloody claw as he sucked it into his mouth. He smacked his dead lips happily, now stained with blood. Michael's blood.
"Would you look at that," the devil smirked. "You taste pretty much the same, lover."
Michael was shaking, fury lighting him up from within. He couldn't lose himself to this…this thing. Lucifer had lost himself to it many years ago, but Michael could not afford to do the same. It was a poison, slow and deliberate, and it had taken root in Lucifer so utterly, so completely, it was a part of him. The creature before Michael was the devil, not an angel. Not a brother.
But poison could be drawn from a wound. And Michael would not let his brother slip through his fingers again.
"Lucifer, look around you!" he yelled, as the earth rumbled beneath them both. "If you must hate me then let it be so. Leave the world out of this. This dispute is ours and ours alone."
"Oh I beg to differ." The devil straightened with a dark chuckle. "Look at them all, Michael. Little insignificant monkeys. Gods, monsters, humans…They all go about their pathetic lives the same way. They're sheep, living under the thumb of an absent shepherd. And they all mewl and bleat for someone to tell them what to do, to tell them how to live, how to die. I'm doing them a favor really." He advanced again, but Michael held his ground.
"You wanted me to be just like them. Brainless. Spineless." The shadows promised untold horrors. "And this little black sheep said no. You couldn't stand it."
Michael stared unflinchingly into the abyss his brother had lost himself to. "You are wrong. We are not a brainless flock. We are a family, little brother, and you have strayed far from us, out into the cold wastes." With more conviction then he felt, Michael took a step forward, his flames of holy fire crackling warningly at the shadows that moved slickly towards him. "And even if it takes me a lifetime, I will find you, Lucifer. I will save you and I will bring you home. To me."
For a brief moment, Michael thought he saw something within the abyss. Something light in the dark. A weak flutter of wings.
The night sky above them erupted into white light, the monsters around them shrieking in confusion, and the abyss folded itself back into place. Distracted by the light, Michael was unprepared as Lucifer grabbed him, one fist seizing the base of his wings, the other wrapping around his throat and dragging him forward. Michael struggled futilely, the pain in his wings forcing a shocked yell from his lips. The iron band around his neck tightened, choking off his cry as he was wrenched up against Lucifer's body. Darkness pulsed against his chest, mocking the panicked beat of Michael's heart.
"Guess what?" the devil snarled into his face as Michael struggled. "I don't want to be saved."
He could feel the warm flow of blood down his back; trickling wetly from his wings. Michael's fire snapped and spluttered at the shadows beginning to overpower them, the glow slowly beginning to dim from the archangel's wings. Dully, Michael noticed the monsters around them were turning; fleeing away with frightened screeches. Lucifer paid them no heed, tightening his hold and forcing a pained grunt from his brother.
"How does it feel Michael?" the devil whispered to him as Michael stared wide eyed into his own destruction. "Oh the things I'll show you. I'll show you the true meaning of pain, brother. And I'll make you beg for it."
Michael sucked in a burning breath, forcing himself to stare into that awful face. "I'm… I'm sorry," he bit out, voice strangled as the claws dug bloody trenches in his neck. "Kn...know that I forgave you. Many…years ago."
His vision greyed as his air was cut off in a furious grip. "I don't need your apologies or forgiveness," Lucifer spat, breath hot and putrid against Michael's face. "I just need you to suffer."
Michael slumped in the devil's grasp, eyes wide and staring into the darkness, even as it began to consume him. It pulsed along his skin, writhing into his very flesh. It whispered atrocities, promised pleasure and pain, glory and power. It cleaved him open, and a thousand terrible voices screamed their approval as the shadows forced their way into his body. They pulsed inside him, obscene fingers behind his eyes, twisting into his mind and grace.
All the while, Michael kept his eyes open. The darkness was impenetrable, and it whispered so to him, urged him to submit, to fall into its oily depths. It hurt him. It wanted him. It was a thousand tortures in one single moment. His skin sliced open, his veins torn from his body. His flesh peeled from his bones, his mouth rendered to bloody pulp, yet Michael did not make a sound.
Michael kept his eyes open. He kept them trained on the darkness, searching. He could see it, even as his eyes dissolved in their sockets, as he was flayed and ripped asunder. A tiny flicker in the black, delicate wings that fluttered weakly against a glass cage as Michael sank deeper and deeper into the abyss. A tiny and broken thing that was so lost it could barely be found.
But Michael had found it. He reached out towards it, and the darkness hissed at him, the abyss closing in around him tighter. It spoke but did not, a thousand voices that said nothing, yet screamed. It promised him everything.
"I do not want anything you could ever provide," Michael told it, and the shadows howled their outrage. "I want my brother, and I am taking him."
It tried to stop him, to burn him away, to freeze him. It stabbed and slashed and threatened, but Michael could not be stopped. His fingers wrapped around the tiny thing, it's paper thin wings soft against his fingers. The shadows tugged on it, refusing to surrender such a prize that had been given to them so willingly.
And Michael was so tired. So weak.
Father, he thought dreamily, the darkness pushing slick fingers into his heart and tugging him deeper into its embrace. Father I found him. Forgive him Father, as I have. I love him. Save him.
Light splintered through the darkness like lightning, a high voice laughing, pure and loud. Michael felt the shadows slip from him, wailing. Tiny wings beat against his fingers in a panic, but Michael kept a hold of them, even as the abyss retreated.
Feeling flooded his body, pain, but real pain, and Michael blinked back into consciousness. Lucifer was staring at him, and the devil took a step back as the shadows screamed.
"What..."
Michael snapped his wings wide; dislodging the painful claws and slammed his shoulder into Lucifer's chest. Startled, Lucifer staggered backwards, and Michael took the opportunity to grab his brother by the neck, fingers sinking into the sunken flesh as he slammed the devil to the ground.
Lucifer howled, thrashing in an attempt to dislodge him but Michael bore down on him, digging his knee between the dead wings before him.
"No," Michael's voice was firm, resolved, and the devil stopped moving. "No more."
…
Monsters were fleeing in all directions. Gabriel watched them go gleefully, Eve's death rippling through them all and destroying what little courage they had ever actually had. It was pretty fun to watch, especially when Fenrir decided to give them a quick start by nipping at their heels. Raphael landed in a crack of lightning, hair disheveled and face splattered with blood.
"Lucifer will destroy Michael," she ground. "We must hurry to try…and…" She trailed off as she noticed the child in Castiel's arms, cocking her head curiously.
"Castiel. You have a…"
Death strode by her, crooking a finger at her in a clear 'follow' motion. "Later, Raphael. We have some business to attend to."
The fledgling in Castiel's arms clapped her hands together happily, twisting to look up at her Sire curiously. Castiel smiled down at her, and Gabriel felt like bursting into song, or doing a little dance. Anything to get these ridiculous mushy feelings out. He felt drugged, floating on a cloud, and he smiled dreamily as Fenrir trotted back to his side, pressing his large bulk tightly against Gabriel's side.
Raphael shot a disbelieving look towards him as she fell into step behind Death. "You have much to explain, horseman."
Death shrugged dismissively as he stepped over several corpses. As the monsters fled before them, Gods began to turn towards them, joining their strange march forward.
"Buy me a drink sometime and maybe I'll oblige."
The earth quaked as they drew closer to the epicenter of ground zero, and Gabriel moved closer to Castiel, wings fluttering nervously. Dean walked alongside, expression shell-shocked, but shoulders squared and resolved. Gabriel had to give the guy props. Got dragged out of hell, fell in love with an angel, had to potentially be a vessel, had to fight a war against impossible odds, then helped create God. It was enough to make Gabriel's head hurt, let alone a human's.
As Castiel picked his way over the dead body of a troll, the fledgling let out a high pitched laugh, and for a moment, Gabriel was sure he saw something leave her; something bright and glorious.
But then it was gone, and the girl resumed her solemn blowing of spit bubbles.
The smart monsters had already retreated; those that stayed were butchered by the enraged Gods as they swept forward. The bodies littering the ground grew thicker as they continued forward, until they at last reached the arena where the fate of the world had been decided.
Michael was waiting for them as they approached, Lucifer struggling feebly beneath him. Gabriel grinned cheerily, digging his fingers into Fenrir's fur.
"Looks like we missed the big fight huh?"
Michael smiled wearily at him, and Gabriel could read the relief and gratitude in his eyes as the archangel looked between him and Castiel. "Gabriel. I…thank you."
Raphael threw her hands in the air, eyes flashing as she stalked forward. "Would someone kindly inform me as to what is going on?" she demanded. "I do not much care for ignorance!"
Michael chuckled, and Gabriel knew then that it was going to be ok. That somehow, and he didn't know how, they had done it. They had won. "Raphael. How I have missed your sensible ways, sister."
Death nodded to the tired archangel. "Glad you could make it Michael. Been a bit of a mess without you."
Michael looked like…well hell. Bloody gouges marred his pale throat and stained his wings that drooped tiredly down his back as he slowly straightened. Lucifer hissed weakly, and Michael placed a bloody foot on him warningly. The devil stilled, amazingly staying where he had fallen.
Death looked down at him, smirking. "Well. Now who's the leashed one? Let me just savor this for a moment."
The assembled Gods parted, and Pestilence, followed by his two other brothers, emerged. All three horsemen were covered in viscera from head to toe. Gabriel felt a twinge of fear as he noticed the creatures on their heels, but it seemed Eve's children now only answered to their fathers. War looked creeped out as the large fire hound leant up against his side, looking up at him adoringly, and the horseman tried to subtly inch away.
Pestilence glanced at the fallen devil, then up at Death. "You can savor it at home," he said wearily. "Let's be done with this mess."
War wrinkled his nose, shaking his leg in a subtle attempt to shake off his rather large canine admirer. "So did we win? Can I go now?"
Michael glanced over at Death, and the horseman sighed. "Fine." With an irritated mumble, the horseman reached into his ruined suit jacket, long fingers fishing around for a moment. With a small grunt, he slowly pulled his hand free. As he opened his fist, Gabriel could see the four rings of the horsemen nestled securely in his palm. Death glanced over at Michael.
"Am I to assume you managed to get it?"
For a moment Michael merely stood there. Then slowly, reverently, he held up a clenched fist. Death grinned, all teeth and black eyes.
"Excellent. Now if you all don't mind, I need a bit of room." The sound of scuffing feet as a bunch of angels and Gods obeyed was enough to send Gabriel into a giggle fit, but he managed to contain it.
Death glanced over towards them all. "Except Castiel and the fledgling."
Dean bristled, jaw clenching. "Just what are you gonna do?"
Death rolled his eyes, waving him away dismissively."Nothing your human mind would understand."
With comforting whispers, Sam drew Dean back as Castiel slowly walked forward. The fledgling in his arms was quiet, watching Death with wide green eyes. Gabriel stayed where he was, jumping slightly as Raphael slid into his space. His sister looked worried, and Gabriel didn't say anything as he felt her hand slip into his, merely giving her a reassuring squeeze.
Death crouched low to the ground, staring down at the dark thing Michael had defeated. "You know who I am."
The creature didn't look at him. "Cease the theatrics. If you're going to do it, do it."
Death looked positively gleeful. "I was hoping you would say that."
What happened next was hard for even Gabriel to process. It was old magic, magic Gabriel himself had never seen. Using the power of the rings, Death did the impossible, and Gabriel could feel the shift in the air, his grace shivering. Death was absolute. Death did not care for corruption, or hate. Death was the end of all things, evil and good, and Gabriel watched as the creature died before him; it's dark life force ebbing away as Death took what belonged to him. Raphael shuddered beside him, her bloody face now stained with tears, and with a heavy heart Gabriel realized he was watching his brother, what was left of him, die.
With a final gasp, the creature thudded to the ground, nothing but an empty husk. Death pulled away to stare down at it curiously, before motioning to the still angels beside him.
"Alright, Castiel. Bring her here."
The angel paused for a moment, uncertainty flickering across his face. Michael smiled over at him, opening his arms.
"Do not fear little brother. I will hold her."
It was a testament to how awesome Gabriel's parenting skills were really, when Castiel nodded slowly, handing the quiet fledgling to Michael with open trust. The archangel shifted the small girl in his arms, slowly sinking to his knees beside the still form on the ground. As the world watched, Michael whispered something into the girl's ear, slowly opening his clenched fist before her.
There, in the palm of his hand, was a moth. It was a drab little thing, one wing bent at a strange angle, the other torn and ragged looking. It cowered in Michael's hand, antennae twitching nervously. The girl watched it with wide eyes, reaching out to poke at it cautiously. The moth withstood the inspection, ratty wings shivering. Happy with its reaction, the fledgling turned to babble something quietly in Michael's ear, who smiled and nodded.
Scrunching her little face, she reached forward again, gentler this time. Michael helped move the moth onto her small hand, and she cupped it carefully as she brought it towards her face. Gabriel watched, mouth dry and heart pounding as she studied it. Then, like a candle suddenly lit in a dark room, she smiled brightly and leant forward to plant a gentle kiss on its tiny shaking body.
If Gabriel had thought that the fledgling's birth had been earth shattering, this was a shattering of worlds. Gabriel had to shield his own eyes as the night turned to day; white light eliminating any trace of the black as Raphael clung to his hand with a death grip.
When he could actually see again, Gabriel had to stifle a yell of shock. There, where the monster the world had known as the devil had lain only moments before...lay his brother, unconscious. The Morningstar. Lucifer's glossy black wings were spread either side of him, lined with shimmering silver flame Gabriel hadn't seen in so long. His blond hair was clean, his body unscarred and new. Michael straightened from his crouch, turning to smile at a frozen Castiel.
"Castiel," the archangel's voice was soft, the love in his eyes genuine as he moved the fledgling in his arms. "You…" He swallowed heavily. "I…I have no words for what I owe you."
In his arms, the girl harrumphed at him, squirming to wrap her small arms around his neck. Michael laughed, wings fluffing with pleasure as he rubbed his cheek against her hair.
"And you as well…." he paused, pulling back to squint at her playfully. "I suppose Father is an odd name for you now, is it not?"
The fledgling grinned at him, reaching up to grab his ears in either hand, tugging his face close to hers. With a contented purr, she rubbed her tiny nose against his, and Michael sighed shakily, pressing a kiss to her cheek as he pulled away.
He handed her back to a speechless Castiel, his hand lingering on the younger angel's arm before pulling away.
"You did it, Castiel," he smiled. "You united our family."
Castiel looked winded as he settled the girl in his arms. "I…I don't understand."
Death dusted himself down, tugging to straighten his jacket. "Welcome to the club of mysteries," he muttered. "If I had known all the hassle this stupid plan would cause, I'd never have agreed."
The horseman turned to point half-heartedly at the girl. "You hear me? Next time you have a crazy scheme, don't get me involved."
Unrepentant and unaware, the girl merely smiled at him cheerily.
Raphael hurried forward, surprising everyone by slinging her arms around Michael's shoulders and burying her face into his neck. Michael froze for a moment, before his whole body relaxed, wings moving to touch hers.
"Brother," her voice was muffled, thick with tears. "It is…good to see you again."
Gabriel should probably be participating in this feeling-a-thon. With self-assured steps he moved forward, cheekily batting at Michael's wing with his own.
"If it's all the same to you, I've used up my family angst on my furball already."
Michael smiled bemusedly as he pulled away from Raphael. "I missed you as well Gabriel. I'm glad you are with us once again."
The angels were startled as Dean stomped over to stand beside Castiel, arms crossed and expression stormy.
"Alright. I'm not moving until someone gives me a straight answer!" he threatened. "What was that, why is the devil suddenly all pretty, and for the love of G-" He trailed off, looking over at his daughter, currently engrossed in playing with Castiel's hair. He lowered his voice. "For the love of something, why do Cas and I have an angel love baby?"
Michael glanced down towards the unconscious Lucifer, crouching down to trail his fingers gently against his brother's slack cheek.
"Perhaps I am not the best to ask, Dean Winchester," he said quietly. "I am merely thankful that it did happen."
Death sighed tiredly, rubbing his temples. "Is it really all that important to you human? Everyone's happy, let's go home."
"And get drunk!" Balthazar helpfully supplied, Crowley turning to give him an affection slap on the shoulder in agreement.
Dean took a step forward, eyes flashing. "It actually is."
Death threw his arms into the air, eyes beseeching the heavens. "What is there to get? A long time ago an old friend came to me and said "Death, you know what, my kids are going to go ape-shit insane and I don't want to stop them. They need to learn about free will and responsibility and grown up things, but a lot of bad stuff will probably happen." "
The horseman glanced over at Castiel, eyes flicking between the angel and Dean. "But there would be someone who would bring balance to the Force. In particular someones. So Han Solo and Luke Skywalker fell in love and blew up the death star and saved Darth Vader and everyone cheered. The End."
Gabriel grinned over at the horseman. "Tiredness makes you snarky. I like it."
Castiel frowned, glancing down at the fledgling. "So…my fledgling is God. He has been reborn, and He has also restored Lucifer."
Death made a despairing noise. "Yes. Sort of. She's God but not as He was. She's something new. Hopefully improved."
"That makes a whole lotta nonsense," Bobby interjected, and Death merely shrugged at him.
"Take it up with my lawyer. I did my part."
Gabriel laughed, high and carefree. He felt like he could take on the world. "Oh Dean-o don't you see? Forget the rest of it, this is your daughter. So she's special. Of course she is. Anything popping out of Castiel has to be."
"And that?" Dean gestured towards Lucifer impatiently. "That's the devil. You know, bad guy that we've been fighting? How come he gets a free outta jail card?"
"He doesn't," Michael said quietly. Carefully, he gathered Lucifer's unconscious form against his chest; the Morningstar's wings trailing in the dirt as he straightened. "I managed to salvage what little was left of Lucifer's grace. It will be a long and arduous journey of atonement before he can be considered an archangel once more."
He smiled at Castiel. "But it will happen. I have faith."
Snapping out of his stupor, Castiel took a worried step forward. "Where will you go?" He asked, brows knitting together with worry. "What if Lucifer is still corrupt-"
"He is not," Michael interrupted gently. "And as for where we shall go…I do not know. For a while we both have much to discuss. Much to work through."
He glanced over at Raphael and Gabriel. "But we will return. This I promise you. I believe heaven is safe in the care of my siblings."
Raphael looked stricken. "Michael…I…" she took a deep breath, squaring her shoulders as she slipped back into soldier mode. "Take care of him, brother."
Michael nodded. "Of course," He glanced back towards Castiel, shifting Lucifer in his arms. "I will see you again my fledgling. And we will speak of many things."
Then, with a smile, Michael wings pushed down and the archangel was gone.
For a moment, everyone stood in silence. The girl murmured to herself, snuggling her face into Castiel's throat, and the spell was broken.
Sam grinned over at his brother, winking. "Hey Dean, your love stopped an apocalypse."
Gabriel burst out laughing as Dean groaned. "Oh don't you dare Sam…"
"It's the power of loooove!"
"I will murder everyone you love, starting with myself."
Gabriel bounced over towards Castiel, reaching out to tickle the girl's foot. "Your Daddy is a real drama king you know that kiddo?"
She laughed at him, batting his fingers away. His chest felt all gooey and he had the irrational urge to smell her and see if she had that new fledgling smell.
"Oh man," he sighed wistfully. "I want one."
He glanced wickedly over at Sam who was still busy taunting Dean with song, and the tall Winchester faltered on the chorus, eyes widening.
"Oh no. Don't look at me."
Gabriel advanced with a wicked gleam in his eye. "Come on Sammy boy," he wheedled. "Just lie back and think of your laptop or something. I'll do all the work."
"Dean! Deean!" Sam took off hollering, tripping over monster corpses, an archangel hot on his heels.
His brother watched him go, a smile tugging at his mouth.
"He's just teasing Sam!" he called after his brother. Balthazar snorted, shooting a look at Castiel, who smiled and shook his head. Dean looked over at his angel, eyebrows high.
"Right, Cas?"
Castiel hoisted their daughter higher on his hip, picking his way through the dead monsters. Dean followed closely behind.
"Right, Cas? RIGHT?"
The girl's laughs and Sam's shrieks for mercy echoed across the battlefield. The battle had been won.
…
