Preparing For War

Lauren was slumped against Dean unmoving when Sam came in the door. "What happened?" he asked with wide eyes as Dean picked her up and carried her over to the bed.

"I'm not sure, she was staring out the window talking to herself and just collapsed," Dean said, worried. "She's got a fever; go get some cool washcloths out of the bathroom and some Tylenol out of the bag she keeps in there, please?"

"There's no Tylenol in here Dean," Sam said a minute later, coming out with a couple of washcloths.

Lauren had started to come out of it, slowly regaining consciousness. "I took the last ones a couple days ago, forgot to get more," she said weakly.

"More headaches?" Dean asked.

Lauren nodded, "there's a convenience store in town, mind getting me some more?"

"You going to be okay until I get back?" Dean asked. She had sweat running down her cheeks and was breathing hard.

"Just go."

"I'll keep an eye on her Dean," Sam said. Dean sighed and grabbed the keys, heading out the door to the local town. Sam heard the Impala rev up and head out.

"You ok Lauren?" he asked, obviously concerned.

"I'll be fine," she smiled, but he wasn't convinced. He took her hand in his own and then froze, his head pounding suddenly, a vision sweeping over him.

"Sam?" Lauren said, "What is it?"

Sam rubbed his temples fiercely. He hadn't had a vision since the one he'd had that brought them to Tampa when Lauren was first attacked by the demon. He'd learned not to try to fight them; just let them take their course. When it was over, he looked up at Lauren with tears in his eyes. "Lauren, you…you…oh my God!"

"It's ok Sam. At least now I know how it ends," she said sadly. "I kind of thought it might be that way."

He looked at her incredulously, realizing somehow she knew what he'd seen. "It's not ok! Dean and I can stop this; we will stop this from happening."

"You can't tell Dean about this. Promise me you won't tell him, Sam!" she said desperately, squeezing his hand as hard as she could manage, her eyes pleading with him.

"I can't keep this from him Lauren," Sam started.

"You have to Sam, it's the only way to keep him safe," Lauren said, "I need you to do something for me." Sam looked at her again, the tears running freely down his cheeks now. "Think you can find something to keep you busy for a couple of days, give us some time together?"

"Sure," he smiled for a moment. Then, a look of slow realization came over his face. "You want to say goodbye!" Lauren looked away and said nothing.

They sat there in silence until they heard the car pull into the parking lot again. Lauren squeezed Sam's hand and he wiped the tears from his eyes. "I love you Sam, please do this for me."

"I love you too," he gulped.

Dean came in with a bottle of water and the Tylenol, giving it to Lauren who pulled herself upright.

"Those cool washcloths helped, thanks Sam," Dean said as he realized her temperature had already come down some.

"No problem, glad to help," Sam replied.

"You ok little brother?" Dean asked him.

"Yeah, just tired, I guess. I'm going back to my room, grab a shower," he said as he left.

Sam paced back and forth in his own motel room now. What am I going to do? I have to tell him. Do I really have to choose between my brother and my best friend? Because in the end, that's what this was about. He decided he wasn't going to have to make that choice. I will give Lauren her couple of days, but I will spend that entire time finding a way out of this. I can do this. He told Dean to enjoy some time with Lauren and he would let them know when he found their next gig.

A few days later, Sam realized that Lauren was right. "We got a lead on the demon," Dean said intently when they went to breakfast that morning.

"Really?" Sam said. "Where?"

"Some remote island. The signs have started up again," Dean said, scarfing down his bacon and eggs.

Sam nodded. Lauren looked up at him silently. "Alright," Sam said. "When do we go?"

Lauren smiled then, "right after breakfast!"

"What about Dad?" Sam asked Dean.

"What about him?" Dean replied.

"You called him right; he's meeting us there?" Sam said.

"No, I'm not having him run off half-cocked. You know how he is about this demon Sam. It's our turn to protect him, mostly from himself," Dean said with finality.

"Dean," Sam began.

"End of discussion Sam!"

0000000000

"You do realize we're going to have to fly Dean," Sam said when they were on the road.

"Nope, we're going by sea and no customs either, so we can take whatever we need," Dean replied.

They arrived on the island a couple of days later and set up in a cabin in the woods. The information they had isolated the point of attack to a three mile radius. There were no homes in the area, just a small abandoned warehouse. That's where they would start.

That morning, Lauren came out of the bathroom with a confused look on her face.

"What's wrong?" Dean asked.

"My ring's missing," Lauren said sadly.

"Did you take it off somewhere?" he asked.

"I had it when we left to come here, and I remember taking it off before I showered yesterday, but I could have sworn I put it right back on afterward. I've looked everywhere," she said.

"We'll find it," Dean said.

The three went through their routines as normal, acting like it was any other hunt, packing everything they could think of. Sam came out of the bedroom, bag in hand, and saw Lauren and Dean gathering their things on the living room table.

"Dean, she can't go," Sam said.

"Already thought of it Sammy," Dean said as he grabbed Lauren from behind, pulling her into a chair and beginning to tie her hands behind it.

"Dean, we talked about this, you promised," Lauren said angrily, struggling to get free from his grip as he was securing the ropes.

"It's too dangerous Lauren," Dean said.

"Sam, you said you wouldn't tell him," Lauren yelled at Sam, tears building in her eyes.

"Tell me what?" Dean said, looking from Lauren to Sam.

"Dean, please, I have to be part of this. This thing killed my parents, my brother, his daughter took our little girl, please," Lauren pleaded.

Dean looked at her now, his heart filling, and wavered, reconsidering.

"Dean, if you let her come, she'll die. I saw it," Sam said.

"Sam!" Lauren screamed.

"What are you talking about?" Dean asked Sam.

"I had another vision. We were confronting the demon, and he killed Lauren," Sam said matter-of-factly.

"And you waited to tell me this until now, why exactly?" Dean thundered.

"She asked me not to, and I was afraid of splitting us up until it was time to go. In my vision, we're all together when it happens."

"Tell him who we are Sam," Lauren said indignantly. "In your vision, John was there too, right? That vision isn't coming true tonight Sam. Dean, you have to let me go with you. I have to be there. You have to trust me!"

Dean knelt down by the chair Lauren was in and said softly, "Lauren, if anything happened to you, I don't know what I'd do. I'm not going to risk it. I'm going to get rid of this thing for good, so that you and I can finally move on with our lives," he smiled, kissing her softly.

She returned his kiss with tears streaming down her cheeks. "Dean," she locked his eyes in her gaze, begging now. "If you go without me, you're not coming back," she said. "You and Sam will both die tonight, please don't go," she began to sob.

"I've been doing this a long time," he said, stroking her hair, trying to reassure her. "I am not dying tonight. I'm coming back for you!" He turned and joined Sam at the doorway.

"I'm sorry Lauren," Sam said quietly as he joined his brother. "I'm sorry."

Lauren hung her head and cried as the door closed behind them.

0000000000

They saw no sense in salting the warehouse because they wanted the demon to be there. Dean had the Colt and the last bullet, ready to make their move. They were there about five minutes when they heard something behind them.

"Show your face you son of a bitch!" Dean said whipping around.

Out from the shadows with his hands up, stepped John Winchester. "Hi boys," he said quietly. Dean and Sam stared open-mouthed.

"Where's Lauren?" John asked with a hint of desperation in his voice.

"Back at the cabin, safe. How the hell did you find us?" Dean asked.

"She has to be here," John practically shouted. "It's the only way!"

"What are you talking about?" Sam said.

"We don't have time for this," John said. "We have to get out of here now!"

"Dad, it's ok, we have the Colt!" Dean said exasperated, pointing at the gun as he and Sam followed John back toward the entrance.

"Going somewhere boys?" a familiar voice said as it snatched the Colt from Dean's hand and sent all three colliding into a wall.

0000000000

Dean woke up; his head hurting as he slowly raised it to look at his surroundings. This routine was starting to get old. Sam and John were pinned to one wall about ten feet away from the one he was adorning. He struggled, only to have his head snapped back against the wall.

"Miss me baby?" a voice said to his left.

"Meg," Dean said. "This is perfect. You're just who I wanted to see," he grinned defiantly.

She drew closer to him now, breathing hot along his neck. "I missed you too," she whispered. "You know," she said, looking down at her hand, "if I were Lauren, I would have asked for a bigger stone. Lord knows she's earned it dealing with your family and all you've put her through all these years. Still, it was a nice thought. Very sweet, I didn't think you had it in you to be honest. But, fun's over for Lauren. You're mine now, and I don't like to share," Meg said, approaching him again.

"You're crazy! You killed my daughter!" Dean yelled, furious.

Meg cocked her head and looked at him. "Sorry about that. Try not to take it too personally. Besides," she whispered, running her tongue along his ear. "We'll make beautiful babies together, you just wait! I'll make you forget all about the pain, and Angel, and Lauren. I'm all you need baby!"

"I don't think so!" Lauren said from behind Meg as she slammed her in the back of the head with a pipe.

"Bitch stole my ring," she said, removing it from Meg's hand and replacing it on her own.

Dean and Sam looked on in amazement. "How the hell did you get..." Dean began, but there was no time to finish his question as a dark swirling presence entered the room, gathering itself in the middle before taking human form.

Lauren backed away from Dean toward the center of the room, turning to face the yellow eyed demon. He eyed her carefully.

"Xaphan," Lauren said finally. "Your timing is perfect. I have presents for you!"

The Final Battle

"Xaphan?" John asked. "As in one of the fallen angels who sided with Satan Xaphan? As in the one who came up with the idea to set heaven on fire Xaphan?"

"One and the same," Xaphan said.

"It's him," Sam said. "The one who took Mom, and Jess!"

"Right again," the demon smiled, his eyes glowing.

"Of course it's him, the signs were all there," Dean said.

"About that," Lauren began. "I hacked the websites, made it all up to get you here. I knew he couldn't resist all three Winchesters in the same place at the same time," she smiled, looking at the demon now.

Father and sons looked at each other and realized they'd been suckered.

"I don't understand," Sam said. "Lauren, after everything this demon has put our families through, why would you do this?"

Meg rose to her feet now, angry, and more than a little sore from the blow from the pipe. "I've had about enough of you," she screamed at Lauren, gesturing at her with the same movement of her arm that had thrown the three men into a wall not long before that. But with Lauren, it only threw her back a couple of feet and she kept her balance fairly easily.

"Gee Meg, no protein shake this morning?" Lauren asked. Dean, Sam and John gaped as Lauren responded with her own arm movement that threw Meg halfway across the room.

"You've been holding out on me Lauren," Xaphan said.

"You don't know the half of it," she said, glaring.

"And you forget who you're dealing with," he reminded her, pinning her to the wall opposite Dean. "Did you really think that you could lure me into a trap and finish me off?"

"I was counting on it," Lauren said.

Dean was speechless. Everything he'd done to try to keep her safe, keep his whole family safe, and here they all were, at the mercy of the very thing he'd pr

omised her he would destroy.

Sam tried desperately to focus on the Colt and finish this before his vision became reality.

"This throwing us up against the wall deal is getting pretty old, haven't you got any other tricks?" Lauren asked.

Xaphan turned to face her now, staring at her with his yellow eyes. Lauren yelled out in pain as blood began to appear around her abdomen.

"Lauren!" Dean yelled.

"It's a little late for that, don't you think?" Lauren said to the demon as she looked down at her stomach.

"You refer to the prophecy about the elements?" Xaphan asked, laughing. "I suppose it's possible that I missed you as an infant and that you are one of them, but your child is gone."

"She's even more powerful now than she ever was in this life!" Lauren responded.

"What do you think she's Obi Wan Kenobi?" Meg scoffed, changing her voice to mimic Alec Guiness, "Strike me down and I shall become more powerful than you can possibly imagine?"

"Something like that," Lauren sneered.

Meg stalked toward Lauren now, taunting her. "She's dead and gone. Don't tell me you've forgotten. I took a dagger and slit your daughter's throat."

"You know Meg, sometimes you talk too much!" Lauren practically spat. Meg whirled as she heard a gun cock behind her, turning to find herself staring down the barrel of the Colt, suspended in mid-air, firing its last bullet into her forehead.

Dean and John stared at Sam, but he only shook his head.

"Damn, I thought she'd never shut up!" Lauren said, almost laughing.

"What the hell did you do?" Dean yelled, "That was the last bullet!"

The demon whirled on Lauren now, howling. He stared at her, but responded to Dean. "Your little girlfriend here thinks she has it all figured out. She knows the Colt won't work on me. Sam used it on me once already."

"I thought I'd missed," Sam said.

"Only one way," Lauren said, her breathing more labored now.

Dean felt a tingling in his chest and braced himself for the demon to execute all of them on the spot, but there was no pain. The demon was focused on Lauren now, furious over Meg's death. "You made a terrible miscalculation Lauren, and it's going to cost you everything."

"That's where you're wrong," Lauren said.

"I'm surprised I didn't sense your abilities before," Xaphan replied thoughtfully.

"Yeah, funny about that, don't you think? I wonder how many others you've missed," Lauren said.

The demon began attacking Lauren a little more strongly now, and she cried out in pain, bleeding more intensely than before, but Xaphan had decided that a slow death would suit his purposes.

John and Sam were fighting desperately against the invisible bonds which pinned them to the wall.

"Lauren! Come on you son of a bitch, why are you bothering with her?" Dean was trying to deflect the demon's attention from Lauren. "I killed your son, remember?" Xaphan didn't seem to hear him, focusing on Lauren and not wavering.

The tingling in Dean's chest grew stronger and he realized that it was coming from where his amulet rested. Suddenly, he heard Lauren talking to him. The amulet Dean, it hid my abilities from Xaphan when I was a baby. It hides yours too. Dean snapped his head up, eyes wide, staring at Lauren. Lauren was fighting hard not to scream, her face contorted, feeling her flesh start to split open. Then she looked up at Dean with determination and gave him a single nod.

Dean's heart began racing now, desperate to save Lauren, unable to really believe what was happening. Angel's the key Dean, help me reach her. It has to be all three of us, the family. Call to Angel. I can't hold on much longer Dean, we have to do this together! Dean closed his eyes, head down, focusing. The amulet fell from his neck.

"No!" Sam screamed. John looked at him. "My vision. It's happening. No!" Sam wanted to close his eyes, not see what was about to happen.

The demon whirled around to face Dean as soon as the amulet fell, his eyes crazed. "You!" he said incredulously, and Dean began to bleed too.

Lauren looked up now, "God's had enough Xaphan," she said quietly.

He looked back at her, laughing. "There have to be three elements Lauren. You really should have been more thorough in your research."

"You forget what day it is," Lauren responded, using every ounce of her strength. Her head dropped again, the only thing holding her up was the demon's lock on her body.

"Dean?" John said now, looking from Lauren to Dean and back again. Lauren looked bad. She can't take much more of this. John's breath caught in his chest. Will any of us live through this?

"November 2nd," Sam yelled suddenly. "All Souls Day! The intercession of the faithfully departed… the joining of the living…..and the dead…"

Xaphan's eyes grew huge and he whirled back to face Lauren, determined to finish the job. The bleeding grew worse.

Suddenly, in front of John and Sam, a small light appeared, growing steadily until it evaporated to reveal a young girl.

"Angel?" John and Sam yelled at the same time.

Dean looked up quickly, "Angel?" he looked at her, unsure of his own eyes.

"Daddy," she smiled at him.

"Honey?" Dean said. "Lauren, she's here," he said, looking at Lauren now.

Lauren lifted her head, the faintest hint of a smile on her face. "I knew you'd make it," she said.

Xaphan began laughing now, almost cackling.

Dean was staring at Angel, smiling at her, mesmerized by the glow of her small body as she stood there beaming with light all around her.

"Daddy," Angel said a little reproachfully. "We have a job to do."

Angel looked at the demon and then at both of her parents. Suddenly a blinding light radiated from her chest to Lauren's, from Lauren's to Dean's, then back to Angel's, forming a triangle between them, surrounding Xaphan. He screamed in surprise and then howled in agony as the light joined itself in the middle of the triangle and blew him apart. Immediately following, Angel disappeared again.

Sam, John, and Dean were released from their bonds and Lauren slumped to the floor.

"Angel?" Dean said, looking around desperately, but she was gone. "Lauren!" he yelled, running to her. "Dad, go get the car, now!" He cradled Lauren in his arms, talking to her, "it's going to be ok". Sam went around to her other side.

"Sam," Lauren said, reaching for his hand.

"Yeah?" Sam looked at her with tear-filled eyes.

"You take care of your brother for me, ok? Stick around, for a little while anyway. He needs you, you know?"

"Don't you do this Lauren, not now, not after everything that's happened. You hold on, do you hear me?" Dean yelled.

"Don't say goodbye to me," Sam said. "We're going to get you to the hospital. It's going to be ok."

"Sammy," she said, starting to cry. "You and I both know that's not true."

Dean looked from Lauren to Sam and back again. "Lauren, why? Why didn't you tell me?"

"If I had told you, Xaphan would have sensed your thoughts and we wouldn't have had a chance."

Dean swallowed hard. "I heard you talking to me, telling me to call Angel. I heard you."

"I knew you would," she smiled. "Dean, your family is safe. You don't have to worry about keeping Sam from the demon anymore. John's quest is over. You can start to heal now."

"We can heal now," Dean said, panic edging into his voice. "You're my family too. We can all heal now."

"I'm sorry Dean," Lauren said sorrowfully.

"You promised me happily ever after, remember? I'm going to hold you to it," he said through tears. "Don't you leave me!"

"'Til death do us part," she said with a sad smile, her voice getting weaker and her breathing shallower. She looked away from him now, past Sam. She took a sharp breath. "She's here!"

"Who?" Dean said, looking around.

"Angel, she's here," Lauren repeated.

Dean looked around frantically. "I don't see anything Lauren."

Lauren looked at Dean again. "No one goes alone," she said.

"Lauren, please!" Dean pleaded.

Sam's heart was breaking for his brother. John came running back in, about to tell them the car was right out front, suddenly realizing he was too late.

"She says it's time to go now," Lauren said.

"No!" Dean shouted. "Lauren, no! Don't you give up on me!"

She reached up to touch his cheek and smiled. "Never!" Her eyes closed, her hand fell, and her body went limp.

And the lights in Dean Winchester's world went out.