April 30th, 2010 - Sioux Falls, South Dakota
Amy stepped out of Bobby's house and walked down to the salvage yard. She found Sam and Dean leaning against the Impala and walked over to join them.
Both brothers had a beer bottle in hand, and Dean handed Amy one as she approached.
For once, she took it. "Thanks."
"Yeah, don't mention it," Dean said.
"So, we're really doing this?" Amy asked. "Sam's really gonna say yes?"
Dean didn't reply. He stared down at the bottle in his hand and took a sip of his beer.
"Yeah," Sam replied for Dean. "We're doing this."
Amy sighed. "Okay, then." She took a sip of her beer as well, coughing slightly at the bitter taste.
"Boys! Amy!" Bobby called from the house. "You three better come check this out!"
Dean let out a heavy sigh. "Guess we better go see what's up," he said.
The hunters stepped inside the house and headed into the study. Cas was in the study with Bobby, sitting on the couch.
"Whatcha got, Bobby?" Dean asked.
Bobby was pacing around the room. He turned to Dean and handed him the newspaper for that day. "A couple of people reported seeing at least two black-eyed folks just outside of town. I'm thinking we got a couple of stunt demons trying to lure us in."
Dean took the paper. "Yeah, well, we gotta go to them anyway," he said. "Get Sammy as much of that stuff as we can."
"So, we're really doing this, huh?" Bobby asked.
"Yes!" Dean snapped. "Can everyone stop asking me that?"
Sam stepped forward. "Dean, it's just...I'm sure we can find another way."
"There is no other way," Cas said before Dean could respond. "In order for Sam to regain control when Lucifer possesses him, he needs to consume several gallons of demon blood."
Dean tossed the paper down on the desk and leaned against it. "Great. That's just fan-freaking-tastic!" he snapped.
"So…" Amy trailed off, thinking for a second before continuing, "are the demons outside of town trying to lure us to Lucifer or to them because they know what the plan is?"
"My guess is they're trying to lure us to them," Bobby replied.
"Yeah, well, they're not going to be there much longer if we don't leave soon," Dean added. He stood back up. "Alright, let's gear up. We got a long drive ahead of us."
The hunters packed up their duffle bags and loaded them into the Impala. Cas even helped them load several empty milk jugs into the trunk. After everything was packed up, Sam, Dean, Amy, and Cas got into the Impala while Bobby opted to get into his own car and follow.
Dean pulled the Impala away from Bobby's house and started driving to the address Bobby had given him. Cas sat in the backseat with Amy, staring out the window at the moon above.
"Dean," Cas spoke, "if this plan works, and Sam is able to overpower the devil, you'll need to know the spell needed to open the cage."
"Spell?" Sam asked.
"Oh, yeah, I think I remember there being one," Amy said thoughtfully.
"So a magic word we gotta say to shove the devil back in the box?" Dean asked.
"Actually, it's quite a few words," Cas corrected. "Translated to English, it roughly means open the mouth of the cave to the wicked."
"Hmm." Dean nodded slightly. "So, what's this spell?"
"Bvtmon tabges babalon," Cas said, the foreign words rolling off his tongue.
"Bvtman-" Dean began.
"Bvtmon," Cas corrected.
"Bvtmon tabges babalon," Sam said easily.
"Show-off," Dean muttered as Amy chuckled. "Bvtman-mon tab...tabges-" He adjusted his grip on the steering wheel. "Hold on, I almost got it. Bvtmon tabges babalon."
Cas nodded. "Bvtmon tabges babalon," he repeated. "With that spell, the cage will open, and you should be able to get Lucifer back inside."
"What is that?" Amy asked. "Latin?"
"Enochian," Cas corrected.
Amy nodded in response. She didn't have anything else to add, so she leaned against the cold window as Dean continued driving.
A couple of hours later, they reached an old building. Bobby stayed outside while Sam, Dean, Cas, and Amy gathered up the jugs and headed inside.
Dean painted a devil's trap on the ground, and Cas lay some rope on top of it and threw the other end over a pipe above the trap. The hunters and angel then hid, waiting in silence for the demons to arrive.
Sam gripped the demon knife tightly as the minutes ticked by. Finally, the door swung open, and two demons stepped inside.
"Winchesters," one of the demons said in a singsong voice. "We know you're in here."
Dean stepped out of his hiding place, standing on the other side of the trap. "Hey!"
The demons turned around, their eyes pitch black.
"Yeah, that's right," Dean said. "Come and get me!"
The demons ran towards Dean. As soon as they were on the trap, they stopped, unable to move any further. Amy and Cas pulled on the ropes, and they tightened around the demon's ankles, hanging them upside down.
Sam stepped forward with the demon knife. He stabbed each demon, killing them both. Dean placed a pan underneath them to catch the blood, and Sam made a large cut down the demons' chest.
Blood started flowing out of both bodies, landing in the pan. After a while, the blood stopped, and everyone filled up a gallon jug with it. Once all of the jugs were filled, Sam and Cas picked up the jugs, and they all headed outside, where Bobby was still waiting for them.
Dean and Amy approached Bobby as Sam and Cas put the jugs in the trunk.
"I still can't get used to you at eye level," Dean joked.
Bobby smirked. "So, was I right?" he asked.
"As always, Yoda. Two stunt demons inside, just like you said."
"Did you get it?" Bobby asked.
Dean nodded. "Yeah, all the go-juice Sammy can drink."
Bobby turned to watch Sam and Cas still loading up the trunk. He turned back to Dean. "You okay?"
"Not really," Dean said quickly. "What do you got?"
"Not much. These look like omens to you?" Bobby handed Dean a newspaper, and Amy leaned over to get a better look. "Cyclone in Florida, temperature drop in Detroit, wildfires in L.A."
"Wait," Dean said. "What about Detroit?"
"Temp's dropped about twenty degrees, but only in a five-block radius of downtown Motown," Bobby explained.
"Detroit…" Amy said thoughtfully. "Isn't that where-?"
Dean nodded. "Yeah, that's the one." He tossed the paper down. "Devil's in Detroit."
"Really?" Bobby asked skeptically. "As far as foreboding goes, it's a little light in the loafers. You sure?"
"Yeah, I'm sure."
Amy nodded in agreement.
Sam and Cas closed up the trunk and approached them.
"Hey," Sam said, "you guys got anything?"
Bobby looked at Dean questionably before turning to Sam. "We got a location narrowed down for the Devil," he said. "Detroit."
"You sure?" Sam asked.
"Yeah, we're sure," Amy confirmed.
"Then we go to Detroit," Cas said.
"We best get a move on, then," Bobby said.
Dean sighed. "Yeah." He patted the old hunter on the back. "See you there."
The hunters and Cas headed back to the Impala and got in. Cas got into the back with Amy again, and they drove off, starting the long drive to Detroit, Michigan.
They were still driving by the time the sun went down. About an hour after it got dark, something caught Amy's attention, and she glanced over at the seat next to her to see that Cas had his head over the back of the seat and was snoring softly.
"Hey, guys," Amy said softly, "I think Cas fell asleep."
Dean turned to look in the backseat and smiled slightly. "Aw. Ain't he a little angel?"
Sam frowned. "Angels don't sleep."
Dean hesitated for a moment. "Sam, I got a bad feeling about this."
Sam chuckled slightly. "Well, you'd be nuts to have a good feeling about it."
Dean didn't laugh. "You know what I mean. Detroit," he said, voice rising slightly. "He always said he'd jump your bones in Detroit. Here we are."
"Here we are," Sam repeated.
Amy stared out her window. This really was it. The thing future Dean had talked about when Zachariah had sent her and present Dean to the apocalyptic future.
"Maybe this is him rolling out the red carpet, you know?" Dean asked. "Maybe he knows something that we don't."
Amy turned back to the front. "There's probably a lot he knows about that we don't."
Sam nodded in agreement. "We just got to hope he doesn't know about the rings."
Dean didn't say anything, but his grip tightened on the steering wheel.
Sam took a deep breath. "Hey, um," he began, "on the subject, there's something I got to talk to you about."
"What?"
"This thing goes our way, and I...triple Lindy into that box... y-you know I'm not coming back," Sam said.
Dean stared at his brother for a moment before nodding. "Yeah, I'm aware."
"So you got to promise me something."
Dean nodded again. "Okay. Yeah. Anything," he agreed.
"You got to promise not to try to bring me back."
"What?" Amy asked. "Sam-"
"No, I didn't sign up for that," Dean snapped.
"Dean-"
Dean cut Sam off. "Your Hell is gonna make my tour look like Graceland. You want me just to sit by and do nothing?"
"Once the Cage is shut, you can't go poking at it, Dean," Sam continued. "It's too risky."
"No, no, no, no, no," Dean said repeatedly. "As if I'm just gonna let you rot in there."
"Yeah, you are," Sam insisted. "You don't have a choice."
"You can't ask me to do this."
"I'm sorry, Dean. You have to."
There was a short pause before Dean spoke again. "So then what am I supposed to do?" he asked.
"You go find Lisa," Sam said softly. "You pray to God she's dumb enough to take you in, and you – you have barbecues and go to football games. You go live some normal, apple-pie life, Dean. Promise me."
Amy could see Dean tighten his grip on the steering wheel again. He turned to Sam, staring at him for so long that Amy thought he was going to drive off the road.
Finally, Dean nodded. "Okay," he promised. "If that's what you want?"
"What am I supposed to do?" Amy asked quietly.
"You could go with Dean," Sam suggested. "Stay with him and Lisa."
"I don't even know Lisa, though," Amy countered. "Never met her. I don't know how I'd feel going to her house and asking to live with her."
"Well then, what do you want to do?" Dean asked.
Amy stared out her window. She didn't speak for a long time as she thought about what she could do after Sam was gone.
"I'm not sure," Amy finally said. She turned to look through the back windshield at Bobby's car, which was still driving behind them. "Maybe I could just go back and stay with Bobby?"
Dean nodded. "I'm sure he'd like that. But I'm sure Lisa wouldn't mind."
"I'll think about it," Amy offered. "How's that?"
Dean nodded. "Alright."
May 1st, 2010 - Detroit, Michigan
They reached Detroit around three in the morning. Dean called Bobby as they drove around the sleeping town.
"Hey, you wanna tell us where we're supposed to be going?" Dean asked.
"Well, if the Devil really is here in Detroit," Bobby said through the speaker. "Then all of those omens point to a town just a few miles short of where we are right now."
Headlights flashed in Dean's rearview mirror as Bobby sped up, driving past them. "Follow me," the old hunter said.
Dean rolled his eyes and hung up the phone. He kept driving, now following Bobby to the next town.
They followed Bobby until he drove into an alleyway and turned off the car. Amy turned to Cas, who was still asleep next to her, wondering if she should wake him up.
"Wake him up, would you?" Dean asked, answering her mental question for her.
"Alright." Amy gently shook Cas. "Hey, Cas? Buddy? We're here."
Cas stirred in his sleep. He slowly opened his eyes and looked around, looking a little disoriented. "Where are we?"
"We're here," Dean answered. "In Detroit."
"Why do my eyelids feel heavy?"
"You fell asleep," Amy said.
Cas sat up as Sam and Dean got out of the car. After a moment, Amy and Cas followed. The three hunters and angel stood on one side of the vehicle as Bobby stood at a distance, looking up at a building through a pair of binoculars.
After a while, Bobby walked back over to them. "Demons," he informed them. "At least two dozen of them. You were right," he told Dean, "something's up."
"More than something. He's here. I know it." Dean walked around to the trunk and opened it up.
Sam approached Bobby, who gave him a small smile.
"I'll see ya around, kid."
"See ya around," Sam echoed. He pulled Bobby into a hug.
"He gets in," Bobby said, pulling away from the hug, "you fight him tooth and nail, you understand? Keep swingin'. Don't give an inch."
Sam nodded as tears started welling up in his eyes. "Yes, sir."
Amy stared down at the ground as she leaned against the Impala with her arms folded across her chest. Sam's shoes entered her vision, and she looked up to see him standing in front of her.
"Take care of Dean for me while I'm gone, okay?" Sam asked.
Amy tried to smile. "Isn't it Dean's job to look after me? The younger one?"
"He's gonna need someone there when I'm not."
Amy looked back down at the ground, hiding the tears that were forming in her eyes. Finally, she nodded. "Okay," she promised.
Sam nodded back. "Thank you, Ames."
"Yeah," Amy said quietly. "No problem."
Sam turned to Castiel next and held out his hand. "Take care of these guys, okay?"
Cas frowned. "That's not possible."
Amy couldn't help but smile at the confused angel.
"Then humor me," Sam said.
"Oh. I was supposed to lie," Cas realized. "Uh...sure," he said awkwardly. "They'll be fine."
Sam chuckled. "Just – just stop... talking." He walked around the Impala to the trunk, where Dean was standing by the open jugs of demon blood. "You mind not watching this?" Amy heard him ask.
Dean walked back over to the others. Behind her, Amy could hear Sam pick up a jug of blood and start gulping it down. She shifted uncomfortably on the spot.
"You okay, kid?" Dean asked.
Amy smiled. "I feel like I should be asking you that."
"We'll get through this," Dean assured her as he leaned against the car. Amy could tell from his tone that he didn't even believe himself, though.
After a few minutes, the trunk of the Impala closed, and Sam cleared his throat. "Okay." He walked past Dean and Amy, determination on his face. "Let's go."
Dean and Amy watched Sam walk off. After a moment, they began to follow.
As they approached the building, Sam raised his arms. "All right!" he shouted. "We're here, you sons of bitches! Come and get it!"
The door swung open, and three demons stepped outside.
"Hey, guys," Dean greeted. "Is your father home?"
Before Amy could react, the demons teleported behind them and grabbed the hunters. They dragged them inside and shoved them into a room. Lucifer was standing by a window, looking out onto the street below.
Amy turned back to Lucifer. A mix of emotions were running through her, anger and sadness mostly, about the Devil in front of her who had killed Gabe.
"Hey, guys," Lucifer said, not turning to face them. "So nice of you to drop in." He breathed on the window, and it frosted over with condensation. He drew a pitchfork on the glass. "Sorry if it's a bit chilly. Most people think I burn hot. It's actually quite the opposite."
"Well, I'll alert the media," Dean said with a scowl.
Lucifer turned around, and Amy took a reflexive step back. The Devil's face was covered in red sores.
"Help me understand something, guys," Lucifer said as he stepped forward. "I mean, stomping through my front door is... a tad suicidal, don't you think?"
"We're not here to fight you," Sam promised.
"No?" Lucifer took another step forward. "Then why are you?"
"I want to say yes," Sam said firmly.
Lucifer paused in confusion. "Excuse me?"
Sam closed his eyes and took a deep breath. The next second, the demons in the room flashed with light and dropped dead to the ground.
Amy looked back, breath shaking slightly when she saw what Sam could do now. She turned back to Lucifer, who was looking at the demon's bodies, somewhat impressed.
"Chock-full of Ovaltine, are we?" the Devil asked.
"You heard me. Yes," Sam repeated.
Lucifer tilted his head. "You're serious," he realized.
Sam shot Dean a glance before turning back to Lucifer. "Look, Judgment Day's a runaway train," he said. "We get it now. We just want off."
"Meaning?"
"Deal of the century. I give you a free ride, but when it's all over, I live, he lives, you bring our parents back-"
'Wait, what?' Amy thought, glancing up at Sam. She hadn't known bringing John and Mary back was going to be part of the deal offered.
Lucifer cut Sam off. "Okay, can we please drop the telenovela?" he asked. "I know you have the rings, Sam."
'Damnit,' Amy thought. 'That can't be good.'
Sam shifted on the spot. "I have no idea what you're talking about."
"The Horsemen's rings?" Lucifer asked. "The magic keys to my Cage? Ring a bell?"
Amy shot a worried look up at the brothers as they exchanged a glance.
"Come on, Sam. I've never lied to you," Lucifer continued. "You could at least pay me the same respect. It's okay. I'm not mad. A wrestling match inside your noggin... I like the idea: just you and me, one round, no tricks. You win, you jump in the hole. I win…" he shrugged, "well, then I win. What do you say, Sam? A fiddle of gold against your soul says I'm better than you."
"So he knows," he said. "Doesn't change anything."
"Sam," Dean warned.
"Sam, don't," Amy said quickly. "We can think of something else."
"There's no time." Sam turned to Lucifer, glaring at him. "Yes."
"No!" Dean and Amy shouted, but it was too late.
Lucifer closed his eyes, and a bright light emanated from him. Amy and Dean shielded their eyes as the light began filling up the room before dying down again.
Once the light was gone, Lucifer was gone, and Sam was lying motionless on the floor. Amy hurried over to Sam to check on him while Dean quickly took the Horsemen rings out of his pocket and threw them onto the wall.
"Bvtmon tabges babalon," Dean chanted.
A giant hole opened up in the wall and began sucking air in.
Amy stared at the hole for a second before turning her focus back on Sam. "Sam?" she asked frantically. "Sam, come on, get up."
"Sammy!" Dean knelt down on the floor next to Amy and began shaking his brother as well.
Sam stirred slightly. "Dean," he groaned. "Amy."
"Sammy."
Sam groaned again. "I can feel him." He winced in pain. "Oh, god!"
Amy stood up. "Come on, Sam," she said as she grabbed the hunter's arm and started to pull him up. "Get up."
Dean put Sam's other arm over his shoulder.
"You got to go now! Come on!" He helped Sam to his feet. "Go now, Sammy. Now!"
Sam stumbled towards the hole and stood in front of it. He took a few deep breaths, then straightened up, all nervousness and fear now gone as if they were never there. Sam was gone now, and in his place stood Lucifer.
Lucifer turned to Dean and Amy. "I was just messing with you. Sammy's long gone." He turned back to the hole in the wall. "Chdr bvtmon tabges babalon," he chanted.
Dean and Amy watched helplessly as the hole closed back up.
Lucifer turned back to the hunters. "I told you... this would always happen in Detroit." He vanished from the room, leaving Amy and Dean alone in the silence.
Amy fell to her knees as she stared at the now bare wall. Tears began forming in her eyes as she turned her head to the ground, unable to bring herself to look up at Dean.
After a few moments of silence, she felt a tug on her arm as Dean pulled her to her feet.
"I'm sorry," she whispered. "Dean, I'm so sorry."
"Come on," Dean said. Amy could hear the pain in his voice as he spoke. "Let's get out of here." He let go of her arm and walked out of the room, leaving Amy to follow.
Amy followed Dean at a distance out of the building. Cas and Bobby were still waiting by the cars for them.
"Well?" Bobby asked as they approached. "How'd it go? Sam jump back in?"
Dean didn't answer as he walked past Bobby and Cas and stood next to the driver's side door. Amy could still see a few teardrops running down his cheek. He wiped them away, still avoiding everyone's gaze.
"Sam wasn't able to take control when Lucifer possessed him," Amy answered quietly for Dean. "He-Lucifer left. We don't know where he went."
A loud thud behind her made Amy jump. Dean had hit the top of the car with his fist, causing a small dent to form just above the door.
Amy didn't know what to do. Should she comfort the man? Stand back a few feet in case he decided he needed to hit something? She turned to Cas and Bobby, who both looked like they didn't know what to do either.
Something seemed to catch Dean's eye. He walked down the alley and crossed the street to a store window, where several televisions were playing the news.
The screens showed a massive pile-up on a bridge. "Reports are flooding in," the reporter was saying, "a 7.6 earthquake in Portland, 8.1 in Boston, more in Hong Kong, Berlin, and Tehran. The U.S.G.S. has no explanation but says to expect a six-figure death toll."
"It's starting," Cas stated as he walked in front of Dean.
"Yeah, you think, genius?" Dean snapped.
"You don't have to be mean," Cas said.
"Is there anything we can do?" Amy asked.
"I suggest we imbibe copious quantities of alcohol," Cas said. He shrugged. "Just wait for the inevitable blast wave."
"Yeah, swell. Thank you, Bukowski," Dean snapped again. "I think she means, how do we stop it?"
Cas turned to Dean. "We don't. Lucifer will meet Michael on the chosen field, and the battle of Armageddon begins."
"Okay, well, where's this chosen field?" Dean asked.
"I don't know."
"So, you're saying there's nothing we can do?" Amy asked. "Except wait to die?"
"I'm sorry," Cas apologized. "This is over."
Dean stepped forward, jabbing a finger at the angel. "You listen to me, you junkless sissy – we are not giving up!" He turned to Bobby. "Bobby?"
Bobby didn't answer.
"Bobby?" Dean tried again.
"There was never much hope, to begin with," Bobby said quietly. "I don't know what to do."
"Okay, you know what?" Amy asked. "No! I refuse to believe that there's nothing we can do." She lowered her voice. "There are eleven god damn seasons of this show, and this is only season five. There is no way in hell it all ends here!"
"Finally, someone with sense," Dean said half-jokingly. "There's gotta be someone who knows where all of this is going down."
"The only person who would know would be someone who knows what the angels are saying," Cas told them.
"So like...another angel?" Amy asked. "But not you."
"No, not me," Cas confirmed.
"What about a prophet?" Dean asked.
"In some cases, yes," Cas replied. "But-"
"Awesome." Dean pulled out his phone. "I'm gonna call Chuck, see if he's heard anything. Why don't you two head back to the house."
"And let you two go up alone against the devil?" Bobby asked.
"This isn't your fight, Bobby," Dean said softly. He didn't wait for a response as he turned and walked back to the Impala.
After a moment, Amy followed. She climbed into the passenger seat of the car as Dean dialed Chuck's phone number. He hit the talk button and put the phone on speaker.
After a few rings, Chuck answered. "Mistress Magda?"
Amy rolled her eyes. She knew he was still pulling off the awkward human persona around anyone but her, but sometimes it got to be a bit too much.
Dean looked visibly uncomfortable. "Um, no, Chuck."
"Oh, uh, Dean," Chuck said quickly. He cleared his throat. "Uh, wow. I, uh, I didn't know that you'd call."
"Who's Mistress Magda?" Dean asked.
"Nothing. She's a, uh, a – just a, uh... a close friend," Chuck stammered.
"Uh, huh," Amy said knowingly. "Sure…"
There was silence on the other line. "Is Amy with you?" Chuck finally asked.
"Yeah, hey, I'm here," Amy said. "Do me a favor? Remind me to never call you."
"Uh, yeah," Chuck agreed, "no problem."
"So, whatever happened to Becky?" Dean asked, still off track from the real reason he had called.
"Didn't work out," Chuck said, "I had too much respect for her."
Dean laughed. "Boy, you really got a whole virgin hooker thing going on, don't you?"
"Okay, this can't be why you called," Chuck said quickly.
Dean's face fell once more. "Sam said yes."
"I know," Chuck said quietly. "I saw it. I'm just working on the pages."
"Did you see where the title fight goes down?" Dean asked.
"The angels are keeping it top secret," Chuck said, "very hush-hush."
Dean groaned. "Aw, crap."
"Damn it," Amy whispered.
"But I saw it anyway," Chuck admitted. "Perks of being a prophet. It's tomorrow, high noon. A place called Stull Cemetery."
"Stull Ceme-" Dean paused for a moment, "wait. I know that," he realized. "That's – that's an old boneyard outside of Lawrence."
"Kansas?" Amy asked.
Dean nodded. "Why Lawrence?" he asked Chuck.
"I don't know," Chuck said. "It all has to end where it started, I guess. And since all three of you were all born there...it makes sense."
"All right, Chuck. You know of any way to short-circuit this thing?" Dean asked.
"Besides the rings?" Chuck asked. Amy could almost see him shaking his head on the other line. "No. I'm sorry."
"Well, do you have any idea what's gonna happen next?"
"I wish that I did," Chuck said quietly. "But I-I just – I honestly don't know yet."
"All right." Dean nodded. "Thanks, Chuck."
"Yeah, thanks, man," Amy added.
"Anytime," Chuck said after a long pause. "Be careful out there, you guys."
"Yeah, you too." Dean ended the call and closed his phone.
"So, now what?" Amy asked.
"We go to Lawrence." Dean opened the door and stepped out of the car.
Amy followed him outside as Dean walked around to the trunk. He opened it up and rummaged around in the trunk, checking the weapons.
Bobby and Cas approached them as Dean closed the trunk back up.
"I thought I told you guys to go back to the house," Dean muttered.
"You goin' someplace?" Bobby asked, ignoring Dean's comment. "You're goin' to do somethin' stupid. You got that look."
"We know where Lucifer is," Amy said.
"I'm gonna go talk to Sam," Dean said.
Bobby scoffed. "You just don't give up."
"It's Sam!" Dean snapped.
"If you couldn't reach him here, you're certainly not gonna be able to on the battlefield," Cas argued.
"Well, if we've already lost, I guess we got nothing to lose, right?" Dean asked, sounding defeated.
"I just want you to understand," Cas continued, "the only thing that you're gonna see out there is Michael killing your brother."
There was a long pause. Dean looked down at the keys in his, fiddling around with them for a bit. Finally, he looked back up at Castiel. "Well, then I ain't gonna let him die alone."
Dean got back into the Impala.
Amy turned to Cas and Bobby. "We're going to Stull Cemetery in Lawrence," she told them. She climbed into the Impala's passenger side, and Dean started the engine, driving out of the alley.
May 2nd, 2010 - Katy Township, Missouri
"What are we gonna do when we get there?"
Amy stared up at Dean as she waited for him to answer. They had been driving all night and were now less than a few hours away from their destination.
"I don't know," Dean admitted. "Hope to God I can get through to Sam before Lucifer kills us?"
"What are you gonna say?"
"Haven't decided on that yet either."
Amy stared down at her shoes, kicking the toes lightly against each other. "I really hope we can get through to Sam," she said quietly.
"Yeah, me too," Dean said after a beat.
Amy turned to look out her window but quickly retreated to looking out the windshield. The sun had come up a few hours ago and was at just the right height to shine directly into her eyes.
Amy didn't know what to expect when they got to the cemetery. She didn't know if they'd all die, if they'd win, or if Sam would be able to regain control. Right now, though, she only hoped they reached the cemetery on time.
Lawrence, Kansas
They reached the cemetery with only a few minutes to spare. Dean stopped the Impala a few feet from the entrance, letting the car idle.
Sam...Lucifer and Adam were standing inside the cemetery, arguing about something. Adam didn't seem like himself, though, and Amy remembered that Michael had used him as a vessel instead.
Dean's knuckles turned white as he gripped the steering wheel tighter.
"We doing this?" Amy asked.
"Hell, yeah, we're doing this." Dean stuck a tape into the deck and turned up the volume.
Rock of Ages by Def Leppard began blaring through the speakers as Dean slowly drove through the gates.
Dean stopped the Impala just past the entrance. He got out of the car, standing behind the open door. "Howdy, boys," he shouted over the music.
'We're gonna burn this damn place down!' the music blared. 'Ooh, ooh! Down to the ground.'
"Sorry. Are we interrupting something?" Dean asked mockingly. He slammed the door shut and walked towards Sam…Lucifer. "Hey. We need to talk."
"Dean." Lucifer scoffed. "Even for you, this is a whole new mountain of stupid."
"I'm not talking to you," Dean corrected. "I'm talking to Sam."
Amy got out of the car. She stood with one foot still inside as she watched the interaction.
Lucifer scoffed. "Should have figured you'd be here too," he said.
Amy closed the door and walked closer. "Give us Sam back," she warned.
Lucifer scoffed. "Or what?"
"You're no longer the vessel, Dean," Michael cut in. "You got no right to be here. Neither of you."
Dean took a deep breath and looked over at Michael. "Adam," he said softly, "if you're in there somewhere, I am so sorry."
"Adam isn't home right now," Michael taunted.
"Well, then you're next on my list, buttercup." Dean pointed at Lucifer. "But right now, I need five minutes with him."
"You little maggot." Michael started walking towards Dean and Amy. "You are no longer a part of this story!" he yelled.
"Hey, ass-butt!"
Amy turned to see Cas and Bobby standing behind them. Cas was holding a Molotov cocktail in his hand, which he threw towards Michael.
Michale began yelling in pain as flames engulfed his body. Everyone shielded their eyes as the fire died down.
Dean turned to Cas. "Ass-butt?"
Cas shrugged, silently saying that he didn't know what he was talking about either. "He'll be back," he told Dean and Amy, "and upset. But you got your five minutes."
Lucifer glared at Cas. "Castiel. Did you just Molotov my brother with holy fire?"
"Uh…" Cas chuckled nervously. "No."
"I see Winchester logic has rubbed off on him," Amy muttered.
"No one dicks with Michael but me." Lucifer snapped his fingers, and Castiel exploded.
Amy ducked out of the way, shielding her face as chunks of meat and blood flew through the air. Once it was over, she looked up at where Cas had been standing previously. "Cas?" she asked hesitantly, knowing she'd get no response.
"Sammy, can you hear me?" Dean asked nervously.
Lucifer slowly turned around. "You know... I tried to be nice," he said, slowly walking forward, "for Sammy's sake. But you...are such a pain...in my ass." Lucifer grabbed Dean by his jacket and threw him against the windshield of the Impala.
"Dean!" Amy reached for her gun but was quickly thrown across the cemetery.
Amy groaned in pain as she landed on the grass next to a gravestone. Her back felt stiff, and everything hurt. She slowly sat up as she heard gunshots nearby. Bobby was shooting Lucifer in the back.
Lucifer turned, and Amy watched in horror as he made a twisting motion with his hand, snapping Bobby's neck.
"No!" Amy cried out. She heard Dean do the same as she stood up on her feet.
Lucifer grabbed Dean's legs and pulled him off the hood of the Impala. He punched him hard, causing Dean to fall back against the Impala and spit out blood.
Dean turned around and said something Amy couldn't hear. Lucifer punched Dean two more times, and Dean fell to the ground.
Amy ran back to the battleground as Lucifer began kicking Dean around. "Sam!" she called out, stopping a few feet behind Lucifer.
Lucifer turned around and cracked his neck. "Sammy's not here right now. Leave a message." He grabbed Amy by the wrist and spun around, throwing her against the side of the car as well.
Amy grunted in pain again as she hit the car. She looked over at Dean. One eye was swollen shut, and he had several cuts across his face.
A swinging fist collided with Amy's face, and she tasted blood in her mouth. Lucifer started going back and forth between punching Dean and punching Amy, giving neither of them any time to fight back.
Finally, Lucifer stopped punching them. Amy could now barely see out of her own eyes, which were swollen shut. She could feel the blood running down her face and onto her clothes.
"Sam, it's okay," Amy heard Dean say softly. "It's okay. I'm here. I'm here. I'm not gonna leave you." She heard two more punches. "I'm not gonna leave you."
Amy braced herself for the inevitable punch from Lucifer, but it never came. She didn't hear him punching Dean either.
After a moment, Lucifer spoke. His voice was softer, though, and Amy quickly realized that Sam had regained control.
"It's okay, Dean," Sam said. "Amy. It's gonna be okay. I've got him."
Amy heard Sam walk across the grass. "Dean?" she groaned out.
"It's gonna be okay, Ames," Dean told her. "Sam's got him."
"Bvtmon tabges babalon," Sam chanted the spell Cas had given them earlier.
The wind began to blow around them. Amy opened her eyes as much as she could to see Sam standing in front of a giant hole in the ground, looking nervously at her and Dean.
"Sam!" Michael was back. He stood between the hunters. "It's not gonna end this way! Step back!"
"You're gonna have to make me!" Sam warned.
"I have to fight my brother, Sam!" Michael continued. "Here and now! It's my destiny!"
Sam looked over at Dean and Amy. He closed his eyes and spread out his arms. Michael ran forward as Sam began to fall backward and grabbed Sam's jacket. The two of them fell into the hole, which closed behind them in a blinding light.
Amy let out a shaky breath as the hole closed up. They had won, but this felt more like a loss to her. Lucifer was gone, but so was Sam, Cas, Bobby, even Adam.
Dean slowly stood up and walked over to where the hole had been. He knelt down in front of the rings and hung his head.
Amy closed her eyes again and leaned against the car. Footsteps caught her attention, and she opened her eyes again to see Castiel standing behind Dean, looking much better than the last time she had seen him.
"Cas, you're alive?" Dean asked.
"I'm better than that." Cas touched Dean's forehead, and the hunter's wounds instantly healed up.
Dean slowly stood up. "Cas, are you God?"
"That's a nice compliment," Cas said. "But no. Although, I do believe he brought me back.
He walked over to Amy and touched her forehead as well. "New and improved."
Amy instantly felt the swelling go down in her eyes, as well as the cuts on her face heal up. Finally able to see again, she stood up as well. "Thanks, Cas."
Cas nodded in response. He walked over to Bobby and touched him on the forehead as well.
Bobby let out a gasp and sat up as he was resurrected. He stared at Cas for a moment until the angel stood back up and walked away. He stood up and looked back at Dean and Amy.
Amy hurried over to Bobby. "Bobby!" she exclaimed. "Are you okay?"
Bobby groaned. "'Course I'm okay."
Amy took the old hunter's hand and helped him to his feet. "Sam's gone," she explained. "He regained control and..." she trailed off, staring at the spot where the hole used to be.
"Balls," Bobby said quietly.
Dean stared down at the rings in his hand. After a moment, he walked back to the Impala, stopping next to Bobby and Amy. "See you back at the house?"
Bobby nodded. "Okay, boy."
Amy watched Dean walk away and get into the car. After a moment, she followed him and climbed into the backseat so Cas could sit in the front.
Dean quietly started the engine, and they drove away from the cemetery.
"What are you gonna do now?" Dean asked.
Amy stopped staring out her window and turned to the front. They had been driving for almost an hour now in complete silence.
Cas shrugged. "Return to Heaven, I suppose."
"Heaven?" Dean repeated.
"You mean you're leaving?" Amy asked.
Cas nodded. "For now. With Michael in the Cage, I'm sure it's total anarchy up there."
"So, what, you're the new sheriff in town?" Dean asked.
"I like that." Cas smiled. "Yeah. I suppose I am."
"Wow." Dean scoffed. "God gives you a brand-new, shiny set of wings, and suddenly you're his bitch again."
"I don't know what God wants," Cas said. "I don't know if he'll even return. It just... seems like the right thing to do."
"Well, if you do see him, you tell him I'm coming for him next," Dean snapped.
"You're angry," Cas noticed.
Dean scoffed. "That's an understatement."
"He helped," Cas argued. "Maybe even more than we realize."
"That's easy for you to say," Dean snapped again. "He brought you back. But what about Sam? Or Amy? What about me, huh? Where's my grand prize? All I got is my brother in a hole!" he shouted.
"You got what you asked for, Dean," Cas said quietly. "No paradise. No hell. Just more of the same. I mean it, Dean. What would you rather have? Peace or freedom?"
Amy watched as Cas disappeared from the passenger seat just as Dean looked over at him.
"Well, you really suck at goodbyes, you know that?" Dean muttered.
"What are we gonna do now?" Amy asked quietly. She climbed over the bench seat and sat down on the passenger side.
Dean didn't say anything right away, but Amy could see tears forming in his eyes again.
"It's okay," she said. "You don't have to answer."
Dean answered her anyway. "We'll probably head to Bobby's," he said. "Grab our stuff before we go. Do you, uh, do you know if you want to stay at Lisa's yet?"
"I haven't had time to think about it," Amy admitted. "Do you want me to stay?"
"I'm not sure," Dean said quietly.
Amy turned to look out her window. "Are we gonna try and...you know?"
Dean seemed to understand what she was implying. "He didn't want us to," he reminded her.
"Yeah, but-"
"Amy," Dean cut her off abruptly, "It's too risky. Sam knew that."
Amy nodded. "Fine."
"Alright," Dean said. "Now, let's... let's just drop the subject, okay?"
"Yeah," Amy said quietly. "Okay."
May 3rd, 2010 - Sioux Falls, South Dakota
The rest of the car ride was unbearably silent. They reached Bobby's house by mid-afternoon, and Dean started to get out of the car without a word.
"It'll be okay, Dean," Amy said quietly, though she wasn't sure she believed it herself.
Dean stopped in his tracks. He kept his back to her with one foot out of the car and a hand on the door. "Do you really believe that?"
"I want to."
Dean got out of the car, and Amy followed, passing Bobby's truck parked in front of the house. They stepped inside the house and made a beeline towards the study.
"Hey, Bobby," Amy greeted.
Bobby grunted in response. Noticing Dean's expression, his face softened. "We'll do whatever it takes to get your brother back," he promised.
"No," Dean said, shaking his head.
Amy and Bobby exchanged a glance.
"No?" Amy asked.
"Sam made me promise that I wouldn't try to bring him back," Dean said. He turned to Amy. "You remember that, right?"
"Well, yeah," Amy said, "but I didn't think you'd actually listen."
"Yeah, well, it's what Sam wanted."
"So, that's it?" Bobby asked. "You're giving up?"
"I'm not giving up!" Dean snapped. "I'm keeping a promise."
The room fell silent as everyone processed what was happening.
"Ames, why don't you go pack?"
Amy nodded and hurried out of the room, giving a quick look back before hurrying up the stairs. She tossed her duffle bag onto the bed and opened a drawer in the dresser. After staring at the folded clothes for a moment, she began to pack everything up.
A few minutes later, her dresser was empty, and the duffle bag was stuffed full of clothes. After doing a quick sweep to make sure she didn't forget everything, she headed back downstairs.
"You ready?" Dean asked.
"I'm ready."
Dean led Amy and Bobby out of the house. They stopped by the Impala, and Amy tossed her bag into the back before turning to Bobby.
"Take care, Bobby," Dean said.
Bobby nodded as tears welled up in his eyes. He jabbed a finger at Amy. "Take care of her, you hear?"
"Don't worry, Bobby," Amy spoke. "I'll hold him to that."
Bobby placed a hand on Dean's shoulder before pulling him into a hug. Amy could see Dean tearing up before she was pulled into the hug as well.
Finally, the hunters pulled away. Dean and Amy got into the Impala and, after giving Bobby one final look, drove away.
Cicero, Indiana
Dean kept his eyes fixed on the road as they drove to Lisa Braeden's house.
Would Lisa like her? Would Ben? Would there even be enough room for her to stay? These were the thoughts racing through Amy's mind as they got closer.
Dean pulled the Impala up against the curb and turned off the engine.
Amy followed Dean out of the car and slowly walked behind him. She needed to make a decision fast. It was now or never.
"Dean, wait," Amy said quickly.
Dean stopped halfway to the door and turned around. "Everything okay, Ames?"
"Uh, yeah, I, uh-" Amy nervously rubbed the back of her neck, avoiding eye contact with Dean.
'It's just three words, Amy,' she thought to herself, 'I'm not going. Why is that so hard to say?'
"You're not coming with, are you?" Dean asked for her.
Amy looked up. "I just don't think it would be a good idea," she admitted. "You deserve to be with Lisa, but me? I don't know her, she doesn't know me, it feels wrong asking her if I can stay."
Dean nodded slowly, a hurt expression on his face. "If that's what you really want, but...promise me you won't disappear for good."
Amy smiled slightly. "I promise."
"Where will you go?"
"Maybe I'll go see if I can stay with my grandparents," Amy said. "Get to know them a bit?"
Dean nodded again. He ran a hand over his mouth and stroked his chin. "So, I guess this is goodbye, huh?"
Amy smiled again, this time bigger. "For now. You're my family, Dean. I'm not throwing that all away."
Tears began to form in Dean's eyes, and Amy could see her own vision starting to blur as well.
Amy threw her arms around Dean in a hug as she began to sob. "Goodbye, Dean," she said softly.
"Take care, Ames."
The two hunters pulled away from the hug, and Amy began to walk back down the sidewalk. She pulled her bag out of the backseat of the Impala and turned around and gave Dean a final look before heading down the sidewalk to find a car she could hotwire.
It was a ten-minute walk before she finally found what she was looking for; a silver Camry parked underneath a broken streetlight. She gave a quick look around to make sure she wasn't being watched, then tried the door handle. It was locked, so she used her powers to unlock the door from the inside.
The door swung open, and Amy climbed into the driver's seat. She hotwired the car and closed the door, driving down the road towards Lawrence, Kansas.
May 4th, 2010 - Lawrence, Kansas
Amy pulled up to her grandparents' house the following day. She spotted their car in the driveway as she parked the car next to the curb and turned off the engine. Taking a deep breath, she got out of the car and walked to the front door.
Knocking on the door, Amy began to get even more nervous. What if her grandparents turned her down? What if this drive was for nothing?
The door swung open, and Amy's grandmother stood in the doorway. "Amelia?" the old woman asked. "Are you okay, sweetheart?"
Amy couldn't get a single word out. She broke out into tears on her grandparents' front porch, shaking as she let every emotion she had been holding in out at once.
Her grandmother, April, didn't need an explanation. She pulled Amy into a hug, rubbing a hand up and down her back. "There, there," she said softly. "Come inside, dear."
Amy sniffled as she was led inside the house by her grandmother. Her grandfather, James, was snoring away on the couch, his cane leaning next to him.
April led Amy over to the big armchair and sat her down. "I'll make you some tea," she offered before heading to the kitchen.
Amy watched as her grandmother disappeared into the next room.
'Maybe this was a bad idea,' Amy thought to herself, 'coming over here unannounced. Maybe I should just leave right now.'
April came back into the room and sat down on the couch, next to her still sleeping husband. "Now then, why did you come all the way here?" she asked. "I noticed you came in a different car than last time. Are Sam and Dean not with you?"
At the mention of their names, Amy looked down sadly. "No, they, uh, Sam's….gone. And Dean and I went our separate ways."
April let out a small gasp. "Oh. Amy, I'm so sorry," she said apologetically.
"I don't have anywhere to go," Amy continued. "I really don't know why I came here, but it was the first place I thought of for some reason."
April stood up, placing a hand on Amy's shoulder. "Of course you can stay here," she said. She nodded towards the stairs. "We have the guest bedroom upstairs. You are more than welcome in this house, sweetheart."
Amy smiled as a tear fell from her eye, and she wiped it away. "Thanks, grandma."
"Do you have any bags?"
Amy nodded. "It's in my car."
"Why don't you go get them, then?"
Amy stood up and wiped another tear away. She hurried back outside and grabbed her bag from the car before heading back inside.
"Go ahead and put your bags in the guest room," April called from the kitchen as the front door closed behind Amy. "I'll have that tea ready when you come down."
"Okay," Amy called back. She headed upstairs and pushed open the door to the room she had been in once before when she first met her parents.
The floorboards creaked as she stepped inside the room. The same twin bed with blue sheets was pushed against the wall. The wicker chair was gone, but the fireplace with six picture frames on the mantle was still there. Amy instantly recognized the photo of her great-grandmother that her mother had compared her to.
The dusty air was getting to her, so Amy tossed her bag onto the bed. She opened a window before leaving the room and hurried downstairs, where a cup of tea was sitting on the kitchen counter.
Amy walked past her grandfather, who was still sound asleep and entered the kitchen. "Are you sure I can stay?" she asked.
Her grandmother smiled at her. "Of course, you can."
Amy looked down, hiding a smile. "Thank you." She took a sip of the hot drink in front of her, wondering how long she would stay here. Forever? A few months? She didn't expect this to last very long, something she was all too familiar with, but it would be nice while it lasted.