"I'm your wife."
She spends a lot of time saying that these days. These weeks. Michael is slowly gaining back his memories of her. He remembers sitting in the sand with her the night Mark was conceived. He recalls the shockwave that ignited in him when Mark's grace and soul came into existence. He vaguely remembers the fevered promise that jumping into the cage was the sole act that could protect their unborn son. But he doesn't remember laying eyes on their child, doesn't remember the night Noah was conceived, doesn't even remember reaching his grace out to protect them. There are no memories of his green eyed boys, and with their existence erased there never will be.
She wishes to G…to herself…that she had her ring. Her wedding ring. The one with silver twisted thorns surrounding a teardrop garnet stone that housed Michael's grace. But that ring is long gone, the stone shattered to retrieve the grace that allowed her to escape from the alternative world, and the alternative Michael. The evil, twisted, corrupted version nothing like and yet everything like her steadfast, loyal husband. The Good Son. She has not told him of how her ring was destroyed, too afraid that details of this doppelganger would spill out.
She touches the reddened skin on her wrist where his sigil had been, now a faded scar much like their union. His hand comes down over hers. He traces the outline of the scar briefly before recoiling his hand. She recoils as well. Because Chuck has stripped her of her prophetic title, stripped her of her powers, she can only see him as her brother Adam, his true visage as cloaked to her as to any other.
"Jamie?" Adam again. "What do you say we go get something to eat?" Reluctantly she agrees and they walk together down a busy sidewalk in awkward silence. "He knows you're his wife." He finally says. "He knows, he just…doesn't understand. He doesn't know what's real."
"I know." She kicks an abandoned can with the toe of her boot out of her path. "He knows he should be grieving, but he doesn't remember why."
"I'm sorry for your loss." He says softly, holding the door to a diner open for her. She sighs softly, brushing dark waves of bangs away from her face as she walks inside and slides down into a booth. He sits down across from her and surveys the room, his attention everywhere but on her.
She pulls her black canvas jacket a little more tightly around herself. "You know for awhile, the story was that Mark was actually you. That Cas had pulled your soul from hell and put it inside our son."
Adam chuckles at that absurdity. "Why?"
"Michael and Cas came up with it. It was a…way to make them both feel less guilty…for having you trapped in the pit. It was just another layer in the reality we tried to create to protect Mark. To keep the fact that he was an archangel's Nephilim a secret." She scoffs a little. The lies all seem absurd now. The story, the reality, a horribly contrived satire. Nothing but sound and fury, signifying nothing. Because it was nothing. In the end it did nothing to protect her son, it only weaved a complicated lie that hurt her eldest brother, and even though Dean understood why she and Cas had to pretend, he never really did forgive her for it.
"Why did you decide to name him as Castiel's son?" Adam's curiosity has been peaked, and the diner is loud enough with various small talk that theirs would go unnoticed.
"I didn't." She says after awhile. "Cas was the only one who knew I was pregnant. He wanted to protect me, and protect Mark. We had to come up with some explanation that would satisfy both Heaven and my brothers. Dean had already seen my pregnancy through Zachariah, who was acting on Michael's orders not realizing that the baby was actually Michael's. We used Michael's grace, Mark's grace, and Cas's to kind of…prolong the pregnancy in Heaven, and hide it from the other angels, especially Raphael. It was Michael's power that kept Raphael from realizing too much." Adam's expression is stoic, so she smiles and adds. "Michael also made a deal with Crowley."
Adam laughs even as his eyes change and Michael surfaces. "I did what now?"
"You promised Crowley you wouldn't try to break out of the cage if he protected our son." Michael tilts his head in confusion. "You had the power to escape, in the beginning. You and Lucifer together. You chose not to, because of our son, because you could use your grace to protect us from the cage, and protect the world from Lucifer. When he escaped you were too weak from sharing your grace to escape with him."
Michael hangs his head. Jamie resisted the urge to reach out her hand to him. The duality of her husband and her brother is too much for her newly normalized senses. She spends a lot of time staring at her own hands.
A waitress delivers a burger and fries to their table and Adam reaches for it immediately. He takes a bite and his face swells with pleasure. "Mmm." He mutters.
"You know that stuff will kill you, right?" Jamie looks up and suddenly sees Michael sitting beside her. A wave of power rushes over her and she blinks, still seeing Michael sitting beside her. He puts his arm around her.
"Worth it. Michael, I haven't seen a burger in 10 years."
Michael scoffs, picking up a French fry. He eyes it for a moment. "Go for it, kid." And then passes it to Jamie. "Eat."
Jamie, still a little shocked takes the fry. "You know, I know I don't need to eat. It just tastes so damn good." Adam continues stuffing the burger and fries into his face.
Michael smirks. "I wouldn't know. I don't know much about any of this. You'll be my guide. Both of you." He looks at Jamie. "Eat, Jamie."
The waitress delivers a pepperoni pizza, which Adam slides in Jamie's direction.
"Thank you." Adam smiles up at the waitress.
"You got it."
"So, what about you? You gonna go back to heaven?" Adam takes a slice of the pizza and begins to munch on it. He again slides the pizza in Jamie's direction.
"Uh, I don't know. My brothers are dead. My father never returned. In so many ways, I'm alone. Except for you." He glances down at Jamie. "What's wrong?"
Before Jamie can say anything Adam pipes up again. "Yeah. Same here. It's not like I have family waiting to see me. Well, besides Jamie."
"Well there's your brothers. Besides the fact that they left you to rot in hell, they can't be all bad. Right Jamie?"
"Family sucks." Adam shakes his head.
"What the hell is going on?" Jamie looks at Michael and then at Adam.
"What?" Adam asks, taking another slice of pizza. "Jamie, eat." He slides the plate even closer to her. "Maybe I should pick up some kinda little job." He address Michael again as though the archangel actually is sitting across from him.
"A little job?" Michael finally grabs a napkin and puts a slice of pizza on it. He moves it in front of Jamie.
Adam nods. "Yeah. Yeah, I mean, these are the same clothes we went to hell in. We're gonna have expenses, right? And whatever change I had, I spent on food, so, it's not like I can go back to college." He chuckles. "Not with an archangel inside of me."
"What the hell is going on?!" Jamie slams her hands down on the table. Adam and Michael both look at her in concern. Adam frowns. "Sorry. But…Adam, you see Michael here, right here, next to me?" Jamie gestures wildly at Michael.
"Yeah…"Adam shrugs.
"Adam. All this time all I could see is you. Now I can see Michael. The way you see Michael. That doesn't strike you as strange at all?" She looks over at Michael.
Michael frowns. "Wait. You're right. Something is causing you to channel your powers."
Adam's jaw drops open slightly. "I thought God stripped your powers?"
"So did I." Jamie looks up as a young blonde woman walks over to them and puts her hand on Adam's shoulder.
"Hello, Michael." She turns to Jamie and smiles. "Jamie. Long time no see."
Suddenly Jamie is hit with a second wave of energy. Her eyes glow blue at the same time Michael's do as well. "Lilith." They hiss in unison.
"You're dead." Michael says as Lilith walks around. She bumps Jamie with her hip and pushes her over in the booth. "Get your hands off my wife."
"Your wife?" Lilith smirks. "Listen, I'm back, baby. And I've been sent to fetch you." She glances at Jamie. "Both of you."
'
Jamie glares at her, arm reaching behind her for Michael's archangel blade. Michael gives her a look and she slowly retracts her hand. "I'm not accustomed to being fetched." His attention turns back to Lilith. "Who sent you?"
"You have to ask? Your daddy." She rolls her eyes when Michael's expression does not change. "God. Yeah. He'd like a word." She reaches over towards Adam's plate, which now has a piece of cake on it. She picks up some of the frosting with her finger and puts it in her mouth.
"You're lying." Michael's gaze doesn't shift, but Jamie reaches for his archangel blade again.
"Really not."
"Then why would he send you, a demon, a speck of infernal bile?"
"One, ouch. Two, maybe because we worked together before. Remember? Setting off the Apocalypse?"
"To try and bring God back."
"Right. Didn't work then, but then he came back on his own. So, win?"
"If that's true if he can come talk to me himself." While Lilith and Michael argue back and forth Jamie has Michael's archangel blade in her grip.
"Yeah, except I'm not supposed to leave without you." Lilith grabs Michael's arm.
"Get out."
Lilith shakes her head. "Michael. I can't fail him. And if you don't come with me, your little wife over here is toast." Lilith's other hand wraps tightly around Jamie's neck, shoving her against the wall.
"Michael!" Jamie chokes. She whirls back and stabs Lilith in the arm with his archangel blade.
"Ow!" Lilith loses her grip on the Winchester only to stare right into Michael's eyes as they flash blue and he smites her in a bright flash of light.
"I told you not to touch my wife." People in diner are stopped and staring at Michael and Jamie. Michael lifts his fingers. "Remember nothing." He snaps his fingers and the diner returns to normal as if nothing happened. "Are you alright?"
Jamie nods. "Can we go?"
"Yeah." Michael gets up and grabs unto her arm as she also gets up. She moves towards him and he grips her as they hurry out. They move quickly into an alley and Michael pulls her into his arms. "I remembered." He pushes her back so he can look at her. "I remembered you're my wife."
"Whatever happened…Lilith tripped my powers somehow. I don't understand." She wraps her arms around him, burying her face in his shirt. "Michael." She whispers.
"Jamie…" He pauses. "Castiel is calling for me."
Jamie looks up at him. She takes a step back, straightens his jacket. "My brothers need you."
"They think I'll help them?"
"Will you?"
"Michael?" Jamie appears in front of Castiel. Castiel raises an eyebrow. "Jamie! But how did you?"
Jamie looks around. "This isn't the bunker…" She looks at Cas. "What do you want with my husband?"
Cas tilts his head to the side. "We need his help, Jamie. Please, I just want to talk to him."
Jamie studies Cas for a moment. "Where are Sam and Dean?"
"At the bunker."
She moves her hair out of her face, clearly not trusting him. "I don't have my powers, but I still think you're lying."
"I'm not lying. We really do need his help. Jamie. Please."
Against her better judgement Jamie looks over her shoulder. "Michael?" She calls. The archangel appears just behind her.
Cas smiles a little. "Thank you. Thank you for coming. Do you remember me?"
Michael sneers. "You called "ass-butt" and set me on fire. And then you helped send me to hell."
Cas nods. "I did."
"And now what? You've come to tell me that God, my father, creator of all things, is my enemy? Or maybe you just came to beg forgiveness."
"Oh, I didn't come to beg." Castiel takes a lighter out of his pocket and flicks it on.
"Michael!" Jamie grabs for her husband, trying to push him out of the ring of holy oil but she's too late. Cas drops the lighter and a ring of holy fire ignites around them.
"Jamie." Michael grabs her to shield her from the flames.
"Castiel!" Jamie hisses. Just then Dean and Sam enter from another room. "Dean! Sam!" Dean shows Michael and Jamie a pair of handcuffs. Jamie turns her attention back to Cas. "Castiel, what have you done?"
Michael paces the lower office of the bunker, handcuffed. Jamie sits on the table with her back towards Cas and her brothers. Her wrists are also handcuffed. "Even for you, especially for you, this is stupid." Michael gestures at his locked wrists.
"And getting stupider." Jamie raises her own cuffed wrists. "I don't have powers, but I'm still gonna kick both your asses."
"Good to see you, Mike, Jamie." Dean smirks.
Michael's gaze turns to Sam. "Sam. You look well. Last time I saw you in the Cage… "
Sam shakes his head. "Yeah, it doesn't matter. We need your help. God…"
Michael cuts him off. "I've heard. Repeatedly." Jamie gets up and moves closer to him. He regards her for a moment.
Cas sighs, shakes his head, starts to move towards Michael and Jamie. "Well, then you're aware that…"
Michael quickly backs up, even away from Jamie who instantly looks hurt. "I'm not aware of anything. You're asking me to trust you- you, who doomed me, you, who let Lucifer walk free while your own brother sat in hell." He moves his glaze accusingly towards Dean and Sam.
Jamie gasps lightly, her eyes drifting to Castiel. Sam frowns deeply, the accusation hits deep, and worse…is true. "Doing what we do, we've had to get used to losing people. Probably too used to it. With Adam, we said goodbye because we thought we had to. We were wrong."
Michael instantly retreats back into himself, and then smirks. "Well, don't tell me. Tell him." His eyes flash blue, Jamie gasps softly, taking a step back.
Adam blinks, and looks towards his brothers. "Hey, Sam. Dean."
"Adam?" Sam can't help but utter, looking at his half brother in disbelief. Adam chuckles. He moves closer to Jamie, but she brushes away from him with a reluctant sigh, glancing towards Dean. A knowing look passes between them, leaving Dean in similar disbelief.
"Wait, Mic- Michael lets you talk? I mean, he lets you be?" Dean looks between both of his youngest siblings, causing Jamie to look guilty.
Adam however nods passionately. "Uh, yeah. In the Cage, we came to an agreement. We only had each other. Well and Jamie…sort of." He gestures to her but she retreats again, not wanting him to touch her.
Dean sighs. "Adam, look, I know we bailed on you, okay, and there is nothing that we can say to fix that.:
Adam sighs similarly, the looks they wear identical in a way that only siblings can manifest. Jamie and Sam wear identical frowns themselves, especially as Jamie shifts closer to him and inclines towards her in unspoken comfort. "How about, uh "I'm sorry"?
Adam's eyes flash with blue light instantly. "Enough." Michael proclaims. Jamie looks away as he continues. "Why am I here?"
Cas recovers to the switch first. "Michael, we needed to speak with you because God is back. You didn't think the Cage just opened on its own, did you?"
Michael considers this. "If my father is back, he will usher in Paradise."
"No, he won't. Because Paradise is boring, and your dad he's just looking to be entertained. Which means we're his puppets. All of us, especially you." Dean gestures pointedly at the archangel, his voice growing louder and more impatient.
"I won't hear this. You're lying." Adam gets up suddenly. Jamie backs away from him even more. "I don't know what your agenda is, but you're lying." Michael shakes his head, pointing at Cas, Dean, and Sam in turn. He gets to Jamie, and she can feel the accusation in his glare.
"Damnit Michael, listen to them!" Jamie finally breaks her silence. She gasps a little with her intake of breath, her eyes fixing an icy stare at her husband. He takes a step back, feeling the wrath of her pain and fury that she unleashes at him suddenly. "He killed our sons!"
Michael pauses for a moment and then his eyes flash blue. "I'd give it a rest. He's not listening."
Jamie wretches at her wrists and cuffs fall open. Dean and Sam's eyes widen and their jaws drop just slightly. Jamie clenches and unclutches her fists before storming away. "How did she…" Dean starts to ask.
"Jamie lost her powers when God did whatever he did…but it didn't take away the grace inside her." Adam sighs. "I will talk to him." He looks at Sam and Dean.
"Jamie?" Dean enters the kitchen and sits down next to his sister. She looks at him, glaring and moves over a little so he can turn to her. "Been awhile."
Jamie sighs. "I'm sorry I didn't…return your calls."
"Well I knew you weren't dead, I just….figured you needed some time. After what happened." Dean tries to smile. "Michael doesn't…" Jamie tenses when he says his name. "Sorry. I just…"
"He doesn't remember the boys. That's why. He…just doesn't remember, and he can't…he can't see into my head, so…He barely remembers me." She sighs, shaking her head and looking away.
Dean starts to get an idea. "Wait a minute…"
Jamie glances at Cas as they stand in front of the door. "You sure about this, Cas?"
"No, but it's as good a plan as any."
She nods. "Let's do this." They enter the room where Michael is seated at the table, looking as calm as ever.
"Adam?" Cas asks, more a ruse than anything.
Michael smirks. "Not this time. I'll spare you the effort. I'm not gonna betray my father and everything I've believed in." He looks past Cas to Jamie. "Not even for you, my love."
Cas shrugs, remaining calm. "Why not? You know, he betrayed you. You know, Michael, I never really liked you." Cas walks into the room, while Jamie stays by the door. "Even when I was just another angel, I thought you were too haughty, too- To paraphrase a friend, you had an entire oak tree shoved up your ass." Jamie smirks lightly, crossing her arms and leaning against the doorframe. "But now? I'm looking at you, and I- I just pity you. Because you were never God's favorite. You were just a little part of his story, a tiny part of his story. You weren't even a star. At least Lucifer knew that God can't be trusted." Cas moves closer to the table and puts his hands on it, leaning forward. "But I guess he was always the smart one."
Michael jumps up and grabs Cas. Jamie rushes into the room as they start fighting. Michael grabs Cas and holds him by the throat, trying to strangle him. "Michael!" Jamie yells, grabbing unto her husband's arm. Cas holds both Michael's arm where he's got his throat and Jamie's.
"See the truth for yourself." Castiel reaches up and takes ahold of Michael's head with both hands. Michael's eyes flash. Cas transfers the images of Chuck playing with Sam and Dean Michael sputters, his face red as he watches. Finally Jamie lets go of Michael and touches Cas's forehead. Instantly Jamie's memories of her sons transfer to Cas and through him to Michael.
Jamie's voice plays in Michael's head. A lullaby she sings to Mark in Enochian. An image of Jamie holding an infant Mark before putting him in his crib. Thunder flashes and Mark's wings appear. The infant Mark stares straight ahead into Michael's eyes. His eyes are blue-green.
Michael cries out in pain. "Mark."
Jamie sobs and then lets forth another memory. This time she's singing to Noah. The room is slightly different, this time Mark is older and sleeping in a bed as Jamie rocks Noah. She sings the same lullaby. Thunder again flashes, revealing Noah's wings curled around himself. He moves his face to the side and stares at his father with green eyes that could only come from him.
Michael gasps and releases Castiel, falling back into the bookshelf. "Michael!" Jamie rushes for him, taking him into her arms. "Michael look at me." He gasps, his jaw trembling. He stares into her eyes and she starts to cry.
"Michael?" Cas asks softly.
Michael's gaze turns dark and he shouts at Cas. "Leave! Get out! I want you dead!" He wretches himself away from Jamie and curls up.
"Get out, Cas!" Jamie hisses, still clinging to Michael. "I've got this." She turns to her husband and moves closer to him.
Cas leaves and Jamie sits for a long time next to him. He finally stands up and leans against the doors. She gets up and moves closer to him. "I know." She finally says.
"He took our boys." Michael hisses. He slams his hands against the doors. "He tried to take you from me. My love, my prophetess, my right hand…my wife." He looks at her and she moves into his arms. He pulls her close and kisses the top of her head. "I will avenge them."
"No." She breathes. "If you try…he will kill you. And I have lost too much already. Help my brothers."
He groans and suddenly the entire bunker begins to rumble. Dean and Cas rush in. Jamie looks over at them, moving slightly away from her husband, but still within his grip. Michael doesn't look at them. "God lied to me. I gave everything for him. I loved him. Why?" He squeezes Jamie's shoulders. "I'm not even the only Michael." He moves away from Jamie and finally turns to Dean and Cas. "And he killed my children. My sons! They were children and he slaughtered them." He hisses but regains his composure. "So, yes, I will help you. What was done to the darkness can be done to God, if he's as weak as you say. And I know how." Michael pulls a folded piece of paper from his pocket and slides it across the table. "That's the spell."
Cas picks it up and looks at it. "And the ingredients?"
"Myrrh, cassia, rockrose."
Dean nods. "We've got that."
"And, to bind the spell together, the nectar from a Leviathan blossom."
Dean looks confused. "A Leviathan blossom? What is that, like a flower?"
"A flower that only grows in one place." Michael glances at Jamie.
Jamie nods. "Purgatory."
Dean and Cas look at each other. Michael snaps his fingers and a portal appears. "That's the door. It'll remain open for 12 hours." Dean glances down at his watch. "Now, if you'll please." Michael holds his wrists out to Dean.
Dean takes the key from his pocket and removes the handcuffs. "You coming with us?"
Michael glances up at him. "No."
Dean glances over to his sister. "Jamie?"
Jamie hesitates. She glances at Michael and then turns to Dean. "I…have lost so much. Emma. The boys. Mom. Having Michael back…I need to be with him right now."
Michael holds his hand out and Jamie takes it, they walk past Dean and Castiel towards the Bunker door.
Dean turns. "Before you go can I talk to him?"
Michael looks at Jamie. She lets go of his hand and his eyes flash blue. "Yeah?" Adam asks, turning back to Dean.
Dean hesistates for a moment before walking closer. "Adam, I want you to know we are sorry. What happened to you… You're a good man. You didn't deserve that."
Adam smiles sadly, looking down and then looking at Dean. "Since when do we get what we deserve?" Adam glances towards Cas. "Good luck." He turns away.
Dean grabs Jamie and kisses the top of her head. She pats his shoulder, and nods to Cas before taking Michael's hand. They leave down the hall together as Dean and Cas turn to the portal.
