This is the last chapter.
Warning: Character death.
Chapter Fifty-One
Annabelle
After three days without sleep, I finally crashed in the back seat of the truck we had stolen. I hadn't been tired a few minutes before so my sudden lack of energy surprised me. The adrenaline must've finally worn off, I thought before I gave in to fatigue. When I woke in my dreams, I knew that my sudden energy crash definitely wasn't an adrenaline rush wearing off. I stood in the front yard of my old home in Colorado. Dad, Mom, Lisa, and Andrew stood on the porch. They smiled and waved at me. Uncertainty crept into my mind. What if this was just another nightmare brought on by Zoe? Someone put a hand on my shoulder. I jumped, ready to attack, and turned to find Castiel.
"It is truly them. Go. Be with them," the Angel of Thursday urged. "You earned this visit."
With Castiel's reassurance, I turned, ran to the porch, up the five stairs, and into my family's arms. It had been months since my last visit with them. Tears blurred my vision.
"What's wrong, sissy?" Lisa asked as the tears spilled over my cheeks.
"Nothing, Lis, I just missed you all."
Lisa smiled at my use of her nickname. I returned the smile and fondly ruffled the small girl's hair. I looked to Andrew. He smiled widely at me. The last time I was here, I had convinced him that he was protecting the family. I stood straight and saluted him, and he saluted back. I knelt to eye level with him and faked a stern look.
"Have you been keeping Mommy, Daddy, and Lisa safe?"
"Yes, Annabelle!"
"That's a good little soldier," I smiled.
Andrew hugged me and whispered, "I missed you."
"I missed you, too," I whispered back.
Andrew straightened and asked, "Have you been keeping the world safe?"
I glanced at Mom and Dad. That same question was in their eyes. I'd talk to them alone later about everything that was going on. The answer that I gave the children was, "Yeah, I have."
"How's your boyfriend?" Dad asked.
I looked down, wanting to avoid the question. I wished with all my heart that Cas would've brought Dylan and Marina here so I knew they'd forgiven me. With all the running, it was only a matter of time before one of us collapsed because of exhaustion. We were going to have to face Zoe soon, and I had a sneaking suspicion the meet-and-greet would end badly for me. I needed some sort of closure; I needed to know that Dylan understood. My mother lifted my chin, saw the pain in my eyes, but I forced a smile and said, "He's fine."
"Andrew, Lisa, why don't you go play while Mommy and Daddy talk to Annabelle?" Mom said.
Andrew and Lisa ran off. I sat on one of the stairs and buried my face in my hands. Mom sat next to me and put a hand on my back.
"What's going on, sweetie? Is Dylan really okay?" she asked.
I shook my head. Despite how hard I tried to keep it steady, my voice shook. "He's dead. An angel possessed him. I had to kill him."
"Annabelle, I'm sorry," Dad whispered.
"It's okay. We've got bigger things to worry about," I regained my composure and stood up. "Have any angels bothered you besides Cas?"
"No," Mom said, "why? What's going on with the war?"
"Zoe's getting impatient. She set a trap for Sam, Dean, and I in Pueblo, and her forces have been ambushing us ever since. We can't stop for more than a few minutes. We're heading for California now, but we can't run forever. We'll have to stop soon. That's when we'll face Zoe."
I saw worry creeping into my parents' eyes as I spoke, but they deserved to know what was really going on.
"Just be careful, all right Belle?"
I grinned at my father's use of my old nickname. He hadn't used it since I had decided I'd grown out of it when I was ten. Now, the name brought nothing but comfort.
"I will, Dad. Everything will be okay," I assured him.
"How are Sam and Dean doing?" Mom asked, her voice quiet and laced with worry.
"They're tired. They haven't slept for three days."
"Oh dear. How long until you'll stop?"
"California's another day's drive away. I'll make Sam and Dean sleep when one or the other isn't driving. It's not fair for them to have to lug me around like this. I should be fighting the angels alone."
"You're doing as much as you can, Annabelle, and those boys would never let you face the angels alone. I've seen how they treat you. Both of them love you like you're their own child. They're good for you. They're your new family." Dad said.
He was right. Sam and Dean were my adoptive guardians now. They were family, and I loved them like family, too. But I hadn't had much luck with those I'd fallen in love with, considered family. I needed to keep them safe no matter what. One way or another I would make sure Sam and Dean were relatively safe. I didn't point this out to my parents. Instead, I said, "Yeah, but they can never replace you guys."
Castiel appeared next to me, and I felt my heart sink. I knew he was here to take me back to the real world. I knew I had to go: it was my responsibility to go back and make sure Zoe didn't hurt anyone, but I didn't want to leave my family so soon.
"I will give you a few minutes to say goodbye," Castiel said, a twinge of sympathy in his voice.
"Lisa! Andrew!" Mom called in the direction the children had run off in.
It took a few minutes for the two to come bounding back toward us. As soon as they saw Cas, they knew what was going on. They rushed to me and tackled me with a hug.
"Do you have to go?" Andrew whined.
"Can't you stay a while longer?" Lisa asked.
"No, I have to go. Sam and Dean need me," I said.
"Aw … Okay. I love you, Annabelle," Andrew said.
"I love you, too," I whispered.
Lisa's lower lip quivered; her eyes filled with tears. "I love you, sissy!"
Lisa tackled me with another hug. I felt her body shake with a sob and her tears soak into my shirt.
"Don't cry now, Lis. You'll make me cry. I love you, too."
Lisa pulled herself together, let go of me, and stood next to Andrew. I turned to my parents and hugged Dad.
"I love you, Belle. Be careful," Dad whispered and kissed the top of my head.
"I love you, too, Daddy. I'll be careful."
I let go of my father and moved to my mom. She enveloped me in a warm hug and whispered, "I love you. Be a good little hero."
"I will. I love you, too, Mom. I'll come see you again soon."
As soon as I'd said the words, I woke up in the back of the truck. Dean had fallen asleep in the passenger seat, Sam was driving, and Cass was sitting next to me. I felt unwelcome tears sting my eyes at the thought of my family, but quickly blinked them back. Now wasn't the time to show weakness. I turned my attention to Castiel.
"What are you doing here, Cass?" I asked.
Sam jumped at my voice and looked in the rearview mirror. Obviously, he hadn't noticed the angel had joined us.
"Hello, Sam," Cass greeted the surprised hunter. "You should wake Dean. He will want to hear this."
I gently shook Dean's shoulder and said, "Dean, wake up. Cass is here. He said you'll want to hear this."
Dean lazily opened his eyes and looked around the car noting the presence of the angel. Finally, he rubbed his eyes, sat up, and said, "Hey, Cass. What've you got for us?"
"I have the new weapon Annabelle asked for."
Sam and Dean looked to me, thoroughly confused. I thought about how I would explain this to them. Everything had happened so quickly, I hadn't gotten a chance to bring up my idea of angel sword bullets. To be honest, I had forgotten to check in with Cas about them. I put on my act of being in charge and having everything under control again before I spoke.
"I asked Cass to try to melt down an angel blade and make bullets out of it. I was thinking we could take Zoe and her angels by surprise. I meant to tell you, but everything happened so fast. So, what've you got, Cass? Did it work?"
Castiel nodded and brought each of our guns out from his trench coat. He distributed the weapons and warned, "Use these wisely. Each of you only has three bullets."
Dean stared at his gun, an amazed look on his face for a moment before he said, "It works just like a regular gun?"
"That's the idea," I said. "Zoe won't expect it. We'll take her by surprise. Easy enough, right?"
"Yes," Cass said, "they do work like a regular gun. It should take Zoe by surprise. The weapon's creation was kept secret."
"That's even better," I said.
I felt a rush of excitement run through me. I couldn't wait to see the surprised look on Zoe's face when a seemingly harmless bullet killed her. This was our greatest advantage over Zoe. This gave all of us more of a chance to survive than close-quarters combat like how we had to fight with angel blades. These guns could mean the difference between winning this war and a tragic loss.
"Annabelle, what made you think of this?" Sam asked incredulously.
"You never thought about it? It just seemed like a good idea." I shrugged.
"You're a genius, kid," Dean remarked.
"Aw, come on, anyone could've thought it up."
"Take some credit," Sam said. "Dean's right, you're brilliant."
"I must leave," Cass said, saving me the trouble of arguing with Sam and Dean over whether or not I was a genius. "Good luck, Annabelle, Sam, Dean. You will need it."
Before any of us could question Castiel's remark about needing luck, the angel was gone leaving us to admire our new weapons. The road to California seemed to be more exciting than nerve racking now.
~oOo~
When we reached California, I opted we drive into the Redwood Forest. We could lead the angels far away from any civilization and end this war without attracting much attention. Sam and Dean agreed, and we drove farther into the forest than any civilian would be willing to go. We found a clearing and stopped there. I went over a plan with Sam and Dean before we got out of the car. I stood in lead with Sam and Dean to the right and left of me and slightly behind me. The summer sun peeked through the branches of the enormous trees and warmed the clearing. A sudden breeze noticeably cooled the clearing and made it clear we weren't alone anymore.
"Well, Zoe," I said, "Come on out. No more hiding."
Three angels materialized across the clearing from Sam, Dean, and I in the same formation: Zoe, the leader, in front and two angels flanking her. Each were armed with a gun which struck me as strange, but I kept my shock hidden.
"Good afternoon, dear. I assume you have made your choice," Zoe said. Her voice was as velvety and inviting as always, but there was a cold look in her brown eyes.
"Yes, I have. I have a question for you: since when do angels carry guns?"
"I could ask you the same thing. Dear, we knew you weren't the brightest, but bringing guns to kill us? That's just stupid." A provocative smile played on the angel's lips.
"We know. We're surrendering."
"Now, how am I supposed to believe that?"
"Zoe, we're not stupid enough to bring guns to face angels. Look," I put my hands where Zoe could see them, "I'm coming with you. It's over. We give up."
"Come here, then, dear." Zoe watched suspiciously as I approached her. I had only taken a few steps when she said, "Come slowly, dear."
I slowed down, and Zoe stayed quiet. Once I was close enough to the angel, I motioned for Sam and Dean to shoot the other two angels which they promptly did. Unfortunately, Zoe was able to react faster than any of us thought she would. Within seconds, Zoe drew her gun, took aim at me, and fired. I felt the bullet pierce my skin just below my breast, and it suddenly became hard to breathe. I heard Dean scream something, and someone caught my upper body before it hit the ground. I heard a gun fire and watched a bullet that seemed to be moving in slow motion hit Zoe right between the eyes. Already a lot of blood was accumulating on my shirt. Whoever caught me lowered me slowly to the ground. It was Sam. His eyes were filled with tears, but he was trying hard not to cry.
"It's okay, Sam," I rasped.
Breathing hurt, and talking hurt even more, but I tried for the boys. I heard Dean screaming for Cas, but I knew Cas wasn't going to come. He would be busy in heaven. I was going to die.
"Annabelle …" Sam choked my name out and a tear ran down his cheek.
"It's okay. I'm gonna be okay," I gasped feeling as if the world had suddenly run out of air to breathe. "Get – get Dean over here."
"Dean, she wants you," Sam called over his shoulder.
I tried to hold myself together for Sam and Dean's sake. Dean came and knelt next to me. Tears glistened on his cheeks.
"You're gonna be all right, Annabelle. I'm gonna get Cas here and —."
"Stop, Dean," I interrupted. "I'm not getting out of here."
I reached up to wipe tears from Dean's cheek. A tear slid from my eye, and I coughed. The taste of blood filled my mouth. I spat the warm red liquid out to the side. Dean grabbed my hand and held it.
"Don't talk like that, Annabelle," Sam said quietly, but I knew by the defeated look in his eyes that he knew I wasn't getting out of this one.
"You'll be okay, kid," Dean insisted.
I shook my head slightly. "There's nothing you can do, Dean. Please, don't do that," I said as I looked at the two men who were about to cry.
If they cried, I would cry, and I had to be strong for them. It was all I could do in my last moments.
"Do what?" Dean asked, stifling a sob.
"Don't cry, both of you. I'll be okay. I promise."
I tried to squeeze Dean's hand, but I was too weak. I could feel the puddle of blood growing around me.
"What are we supposed to do when you're gone?" Sam asked.
"Give me a hunter's burial and move on."
I gave a sad smile and coughed again. More blood flooded my mouth and was spat out to the side.
"Relax, Annabelle," Dean said.
He ran his hand through my hair, pulling it away from my face, and kissed my forehead. A cold darkness began to cloud my vision, and I knew it was time.
"I'll be okay, I promise," I whispered one last time and closed my eyes.
The darkness overtook me, and I felt peace for the first and only time in my life. I was gone. It was over.
