Chapter 21

The two unlikely allies were awake as the first rays of the sun tried to penetrate the haziness of a new day. They crawled from their hiding place and looked around before Charlie led them through the forest. She stopped at a small stream running over rocks so they could get something to drink and take a short break. She looked over at this young man and wondered how she could be so trusting of him after all she had been through. And then she knew when he looked over at her and smiled with trust and openness in his eyes. He seemed so...Innocent to the things around him, but yet seemed powerful and strong in other ways. She had believed him when he said he wouldn't hurt her and wanted to keep her safe. Charlie was startled from her thoughts when Jack splashed water at her sprinkling her face with the wetness. She laughed and tossed some at him and that confirmed her thoughts. He was an innocent soul and anyone could see that.

The day was humid and bleak and clouds seemed to be building in the direction they were heading. They continued on, Charlie stopped along the way to pick some berries and dig up several roots to eat. Jack watched her and accepted a couple of berries but turned down the root after one bite. It had a dull, bland, slightly bitter taste that he didn't like and wondered how she could eat it. But as he looked around, Jack had a feeling she was lucky to get what she could to eat.

Something inside of him was building that he didn't quiet understand since he hadn't really felt it before and decided it was rage and anger. He had felt it coming off Dean when he and Sam first met him, after he was born. Dean wanted to kill him and Jack was feeling that emotion now toward the angels that were supposed to help and protect humanity and instead were killing and using them as vessels. He didn't understand why God would let this happen in this world.

Jack was still a child emotionally and intellectually, but he was learning quickly with the help of Dean and Sam. He wanted to do good and help people, like his Mom wanted him to. If there was a way to stop this slaughter, he was going to find it and end the bloodshed. He knew that would be what Dean and Sam would do and wanted to make them proud of him.

It was almost dusk when Charlie pulled him down and pointed to the partly collapsed structure set on a hill below them. He could feel them down there in the structure, but there was something else too. It was like it was just out of his reach of seeing it.

"Something is down there they are trying to hide. I think the place is warded," Jack told Charlie as she studied the building. "It has to be the place where they have Mary."

"We need to get in there, but it would be better to wait until dark and hopefully the security will be less," Charlie told him. "Let's find a place to hold up where we can see and keep an eye on the comings and goings."

"Okay, you are probably right. We need to be strategic and gather intel before going in," Jack agreed. He knew a little of how Dean and Sam worked a hunt and was trying to do the same. He followed Charlie to a hidden spot that gave them a good vantage point to see what was happening below.

"Charlie can I ask you something?" Jack questioned once they were settled.

"Sure, I'm all ears," she said looking to him.

"What was this world like before the battles I mean?"

"Well...We didn't have the wastelands like we do now and there were cities everywhere. I mean it wasn't perfect, but we didn't have to fight for survival," she said.

"Can I see?" he asked.

"How can you do that?" she asked suspiciously.

"It won't hurt; I promise. I can access your memories and see through your eyes with just a touch," he replied gently.

"Okay I guess, but don't dig too deep, don't need you seeing me making out or anything."

"I'll be careful," Jack said carefully placing his hands on the sides of her head and closing his eyes. He prodded her memories and began to leaf through them. He saw her being brought home from the hospital, her growing up, birthday parties, family vacations, losing her parents, alone in the world, teaching herself to survive, learning computers, seeing some of the country, finding LARPing and embracing that world. He saw beautiful scenery and huge cities, small towns and sea sides. Then he saw the reports of the battles and how the country was being taken over and destroyed. Jack pulled away not wanting to see more of that since he was living it.

"Are you okay?" Charlie asked when Jack pulled away and hugged his knees as he thought on all that he had seen.

"Yes, I just can't believe the angels would do that to this world. It is not right and if I can fix it I will," he told her, determination in his voice.

"I believe you. Glad you're on our side," Charlie told him wondering if he was really strong enough to help. He had taken out those other angels but they were not archangels, so she didn't know how he would fair against Michael.

They grew quiet and watched the movements below, seeing angels coming and going. By the time darkness swept across the land, things had quieted down and they decided it was time to make their move. Charlie and Jack crept from their hiding spot and made their way down the hillside to the building.

"You have to find Mary and get her out," Jack whispered to Charlie. "I can feel the power inside and it will hinder me if I try. I will take care of the guards outside. I can't let them catch us or we will never get out of this."

"Can you handle them?" she asked clutching the angel blade tightly in her hand.

"Yes, they are only left two to guard. I should be fine. Just get her out of there," he assured Charlie.

Charlie circled around the area and saw a door in the back and snuck toward it, being careful to be quiet. She got inside and tried to see in the dim light radiating from a candle. She moved deeper into the place and cautioned a glance into a room with the windows barred and saw a metal cage hanging from the ceiling and what looked like a woman in it.

"Mary Winchester?" she whispered once she was close enough.

"Yes, who are you?" Mary gasped as she tried to keep her body still so the spikes wouldn't jab into her no more than they already had. There were stains of blood on her clothes from being pierced when she grew tired and let her body relax.

"I'm going to get you out of there," Charlie told her. She studied the lock and reached into her pocket for a piece of wire.

"The key is hanging on the wall," Mary told the young woman when she saw what she was doing.

"Good idea," Charlie huffed thinking she should've looked first. She grabbed the key and unlocked the cage, trying to be quit as the door squeaked open. Before she could catch her, Mary fell to the floor and lay there panting as she tried to get her body to work again. "Come on we need to get out of here."

"I know," Mary said steeling herself as Charlie helped her up. She limped toward the hallway, leaning heavily on Charlie since she was weak and hurting. They stepped out into the darkness when a figure moved toward them.

"Where are you going humans?" an angel demanded as he raised his hand to stop them. Before he could strike, an angel blade appeared through his chest and he cried out as his grace was destroyed in a blinding flash of light. He fell to the ground, a black impression of his wings baked into the ground.

Jack looked to Mary and Charlie as he pulled the blade from the angel's back. He grabbed the dropped angel blade and stepped toward them. Mary pulled back instinctively, but Charlie stopped her.

"It's okay, he's with me," Charlie told her.

"Mary it's good to see you. We've been looking for you. My name is Jack," he said happily.

Thoughts raced through her mind as she tried to place the name. She had never seen this young man before but he seemed to know her. And then a picture of a cabin and a woman in labor filled her mind. She remembered the name painted on the wall.

"Jack, you're Kelly's son?" she asked in shock. Her mind was whirling with questions.

"We need to leave this place, it's not safe," Jack told her moving to help her. "I need to get away from the building so my powers won't be dampened."

"Yeah, don't think they're going to like their prisoner being broken out," Charlie agreed.

With the help of Jack and Charlie, Mary shuffled away from her prison and into the woods. Jack led them since he could see and guided them away.

"We need to find the others," Charlie told Jack since he had seen them last.

"I can get us there, but it will be a hard journey," Jack said.

"I'm okay, we need to keep going," Mary insisted as she drew in some long breaths and tried to push the pain aside.

"I can help," Jack told her. He laid his hand on her chest and willed his grace to heal her. This was new to him and he wasn't sure he was doing it right, but pulled away when Mary sighed with relief.

"It's better," she smiled at Jack.

"She's right; we need to get as far away as we can. When they find out she's gone they'll track us," Charlie explained to Jack.

"I can take care of that," Jack replied. He waved a hand behind them to erase any trace of them having been this way. "Alright, we should go."

Jack got them going again and picked the easiest route for Mary to travel even thought it would take them longer to find Bobby and the others. What little of the moon's glow that filtered through the dust cloud didn't give them much light, but enough that they weren't in total darkness. They kept moving for nearly three hours until Mary stumbled between them and Charlie called for a ten minute rest.

Jack found a stream nearby for them to drink from before moving out again. He kept them going for a couple more hours before deciding to stop and let Mary and Charlie sleep for a few hours. He found a secluded spot in some trees and stood guard while they slept.

He was proud of himself for rescuing Mary and hoped they could find Sam and Dean and go back to their world. But before he did that, he was going to stop the angels, especially Michael, from completely destroying this world. The humans that were left deserved a chance and he was going to see they got it.

Maybe this was what his Mom saw when she told him he would do great things and be a light for the world. If he could save this world from destruction, it would show he wasn't like his father and was good. He wanted his three fathers to be proud of him.

spn

Morning light was beginning to make its way through the branches of the trees when Jack woke them and told them they needed to head out. Mary was stiff and sore from the hike the night before and from being stabbed by the spikes in the cage, but she didn't complain and fell into step with Charlie. She studied Jack as he walked ahead of them wondering how he could be this size already. She knew that much time had not passed since she was dragged into this world for him to age normally.

"Jack, I was with your mother right before you were born."

"I know, I saw you through her eyes. You were kind to her and helped her. Thank you."

"How can you be this old?"

"I think it has something to do with me being part angel. Castiel said my body grew to an age that I could protect myself since my mother died giving birth to me."

"What about Sam and Dean? They wouldn't have let you come alone. Where are they?" she questioned now that she could think straight and realized Jack hadn't said anything about her sons.

"We all came through another rift but I don't know where they went. I hope maybe they can find a way to this world and then we can go home together. They agreed to be my fathers and help train me," he said proudly. "So I guess that kind of makes you my grandmother."

"Well, I guess you are right, never though about having a grandson, much less being brought back like I was."

"Castiel was who my Mom chose to be my Dad, but he is dead," he said. Sadness lacing his words as he hung his head. "I felt him before I was born and how much he loved me."

"I'm sorry about that Jack. I know he would have made a good Dad."

"Who are Sam and Dean?" Charlie asked feeling left out of the conversation.

"They are my sons. I don't think I caught your name dear," Mary replied.

"I'm Charlie. Jack saved me from being killed by angels so I agreed to help him find you," she told her. "I couldn't let him go wandering around alone and get captured."

"Thank you for helping him."

"Do you know what Michael has planned? Did they talk to you?" Charlie questioned.

"Michael and Lucifer are teaming up. They were going to use me for bait to lure Sam and Dean here and capture them. They were going to make them say yes so they could possess them since my sons are their true vessels."

"He would do that?" Jack asked turning to look at Mary. "My father would be that evil and cruel?" he muttered turning away as he thought about Lucifer. He had not met him yet, but tried to picture him as misunderstood and wanting to do good. The more he was learning about the true nature of him, the less he liked him.

"Jack, Lucifer has done horrible things to Sam that you don't know about. He is not a good man no matter what he told you. It took a long time to get the story out of them, but Sam sacrificed his life to save the world. He let Lucifer possess him and jumped into the Cage, dragging Michael with him. His soul was tortured by both of them for centuries before he was saved by Death. Can you image what that was like?"

Jack turned from her as he continued on, mulling over what he was told. He wanted to believe his father was good and only made bad choices, but it seemed he was wrong about him. It saddened him to know the evil that was within him. How could he team up with this world's Michael and hurt these people? How could he torture humans?

"Are you okay Jack?" Charlie asked moving up beside him. She wasn't sure exactly what was going on here but she liked him and didn't like for him to be sad like this. There was enough sadness and misery in the world right now. They needed some hope and maybe see a light at the end of the tunnel for them. She didn't know how many humans were left in the world, but they had to hang in there so humanity wouldn't be lost.

"I am fine; I just have some things to work out."

"I'm sorry Jack, I didn't mean to upset you," Mary told him softly. "But I thought you should know the truth."

"It's fine. We should find the others by late afternoon if we can keep the steady pace."

"Good, we need to let Bobby know what you know," Charlie told Mary.

They moved at a quicker pace now that the sun was out and they could see. Jack kept them moving at a south western angle wanting to be sure he kept them away from any angels. It was mid afternoon when three armed humans stopped them, but Charlie cleared it with them so they could proceed on to the camp.

Bobby was waiting at the edge of the camp for them and stared in shock as Mary came into view.

"Who are you?" he asked cautiously his hand on his gun.

"Mary Winchester," Mary told him taking in his body language. "I take it there is a Mary in this world too?"

"There was, we lost her a long time ago and her husband John. It was a big blow to our side, they were both good fighters."

"Did they have any kids?" she asked.

"No, afraid not," Bobby told her. "Nice to see you again kid. Didn't know you were looking for this Mary. Wish i had the men to have spared to help."

"You too Bobby and that's fine. Charlie and I were able to rescue her."

"Charlie, thought you were up north."

"Was heading your way when I got captured, but Jack saved me," Charlie said shaking his hand. There wasn't much physical contact anymore since they never knew from one day to the next who was going to die.

"Come on let's get you something to eat," he said motioning them toward the camp. "And then you can rest up and tell me what you have learned."

They walked with Bobby into the camp as the eyes of the others watched warily.

A/N: Mary has been found and rescued. We will be finding out what happened to the brothers in the next chapter. Thank you for coming alone on this journey. Reviews would be great! NC