Author's Note: It took me awhile to figure out what I wanted to do with Swan Song, so in the end I had to just think, "How would the characters most likely handle this?" And this is what I ended up with. I hope you likey. Review, please!

I don't own Supernatural.

***Ember POV***

May 15, Morning

Shhtttt click. Shhtttt click. Ember looked at the clock in her room at Bobby's house. It was 5:45 AM, and the light was just beginning to peak through the window. Dean was sitting at her small desk, playing with the four rings he had obtained from all of the Horsemen. He had made a deal with Death for the fourth ring, but at a price, he said: He had promised to allow Sam to become Lucifer's vessel.

"Dean," Ember said. "You just finally got home four hours ago. Come to bed."

"Did," he said, "Couldn't sleep."

Reluctantly, Ember padded over and put her arms around her boyfriends' neck, kissing him softly.

"Ember?" he asked her quietly.

"Hmm?"

"Can I ask you something?"

"Of course," she said. Truthfully, now that she was awake, she knew she wouldn't be able to get back to sleep either. The thought that Dean had lied to Death was terrifying, and the thoughts that Sam would dump himself into the pit – or would agree to become Lucifer's vessel and then wouldn't dump himself into the pit – were equally as terrifying.

"If it wasn't Sammy," Dean said, "If it was… was anyone else… would you tell them to go for it? Would you let them jump into the pit?"

Ember sighed. "Dean… If it wasn't Sammy, I wouldn't trust them to even try."

"You trust Sam?" Dean asked.

"Yeah, I do," Ember said. "He's not who he was a year ago, with Ruby. He's… he's desperate for redemption, though. He'll do anything to prove himself to you, and to Bobby."

"He doesn't have to," Dean said. "Not anymore."

"Yeah, I know," said Ember.

They were silent for awhile, before Dean finally said, "Considering that it's… you know, the end of the world. And if it wasn't Sam we were discussing… what would you say to him jumping into the pit?"

Ember sighed again. "You want to know what I think, from a logical standpoint."

"Yes," Dean whispered.

"You already know the answer to that," she told him, squeezing his hand. "Dean, it's the only thing that makes sense. Ultimately Adam and Lucifer – in whatever vessel – will face off. Honestly I don't know what they're waiting for… I'm surprised it hasn't happened already."

"The only thing I can think is that Lucifer is waiting for Sam," Dean said.

"Yeah, I agree," Ember said. "But he's causing a hell of a lot of death in the meantime."

"Exactly," Dean said. He paused again. "So you're saying I have to choose between my brother… and the rest of the world?"

Ember sighed again. "Dean, it's not your choice. And I hate it – I absolutely despise it, and I'd give anything to find another way, but… it's Sam's choice, in the end. And we both know what choice you would make, if it were you."

"That's what I was afraid of," said Dean.

Ember and Dean said nothing for a long time

***Ember POV***

May 16, Day

"Ember, wake up," Dean said quietly into Ember's ear.

Ember awoke with a start. Today was the day. Today was the day Sam sought out Lucifer. She looked at her alarm; it was nearly 8:00! "Dean, what the hell!" Ember looked down at her alarm. "What the hell is wrong with this thing? I know I set it for 6 this morning… Dean, why didn't you wake me?"

It was at that point that Ember noticed that Dean was looking extremely guilty. "Dean," she said sharply. "What did you do?"

"Look, Ember, it's just… um, your mother asked me to…"

"No!" Ember said fiercely. If her mother had been talking to Dean, it had been to beg him for her to stay away from the final battle.

Bobby came in at that moment. "Look, Ember, I can't help agree with your mother, and I know how hard it is-…"

"What the hell?" Ember said, fully awake now. She was furious with both of them. She knew what they wanted her to do, and there was no way she was going to stay back. They would need her help, anyway.

"Ember, do you remember when I was in the hospital?" Dean asked.

Ember stopped, surprised. Dean continued. "You said, 'Dean, where am I going to go? I'm in this too."'

"Exactly my point," Ember said, "I'm in this, so you'd better-…"

"You're only in this because you've had no other choice," said Dean, and Ember's words died on her tongue. "You never wanted to be a hunter. You did it because it was safer than staying in one place and waiting for the demons to come to you. It was safer for you, and safer for the people you loved."

"Dean, I love you!" she protested, and flinched at how whiny she sounded.

"And I love you too," he told her, yelling now. "I love you enough to let you have a normal life. Without Lucifer, you can go back to therapy, go back to exorcising a low-level demon once every couple of years and having the rest of them leave you alone… you can have the apple pie life that none of the rest of us could ever have!"

Ember was stunned. For a very long time now, she had always imagined that if she ever did settle down, it would be with Dean. "What about you?" she asked.

He sighed. "I don't know," he said. "Ember… you know what we plan to do. There are no guarantees for any of us – me, Bobby, Cas, or Sam. We might all get ourselves killed fighting Lucifer."

"Yeah, and then what the hell am I supposed to do?" she asked.

"You're supposed to live," Bobby said from the doorway. "Like your mother wants. Like we want. Like Sam wants."

"And what if I could've helped you live?" Ember shouted.

"You can't," said Bobby. "Lucifer is far more powerful than you… you're not nearly powerful enough to meet him in battle, but just powerful enough to be a threat to his army," said Bobby. "Now that he knows which side you fight for, you'll be the first one taken out."

Ember knew he was right, but that didn't stop her from insisting. "You can't keep me here. None of you can."

"Actually, we can," said Castiel from the doorway, filing his way inside.

"What do you mean?" Ember asked, narrowing her eyes.

"I recreated the warding that was on the door to the room where Adam was being held in the muffler factory," Castiel told her. "Your demon powers are strong enough that it'll keep demons out and you inside."

Ember was seething now. They had planned this out! They must've all gotten up at the crack of dawn to do this warding. Well, fuck them. "If you try to keep me in here while you guys go on this suicide mission, I'll raise this place to the ground, Bobby!" she yelled maniacally at him.

"Yeah, I thought of that," said Bobby. "So most of the place is protected by magic. But you're welcome to burn the TV, it's getting old anyway."

"YAAAAHHHHHH!" screamed Ember. She threw Castiel against a wall, and he hit the wall and slid down it, blood appearing on the side of his head.

"Cas!" she screamed, leaping after him as soon as he hit the floor. "Oh my God, Cas, I'm so sorry! I forgot you weren't… I forgot, I'm so sorry!"

Castiel picked himself up off of the floor, dabbing at the blood trickling from his head. "I probably deserved that for something at some point," he said casually.

"Cas, I'm so sorry!" Ember protested. "I didn't mean to-… I just thought…"

"You forgot I don't have the powers I used to," Castiel said. He glared at her, moving his head back and forth slowly. "I understand. You are very upset. But don't let it happen again. It hurt."

"What's all the noise?" Sam asked from the doorway. "Can we get this show on the road?"

They all looked at each other then, unsure what to do or how to act. Finally, Ember spoke, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "If this is my last time seeing everyone…" She took the sarcasm out of her voice. "I want to say goodbye to everyone. Separately."

Ember didn't really want to say goodbye to anyone, but she'd learned at some point that it's better to say goodbye than to regret not having said it. She wasn't prepared for this, and she knew she'd think of a thousand better things to say later. Still, if there was anything she had learned from Carl, and from Jesse, and from the several other experiences with death and abandonment that she'd had throughout her life, it was that she never, ever wanted to leave (or let others leave) angry. She was still furious, of course, but she knew she would be more furious later if she didn't tell them all goodbye now.

Ember thanked Castiel for everything, and apologized profusely for sending him across the room, even though he had stopped bleeding and promised that he was not in pain. "I'll see you again," he told her, "in Heaven. I'll find you."

"You'd better," she told him. "But not too soon."

Ember hugged Bobby good-bye. "I know you're not gonna like this," Bobby told her, "but the truth is I'm happy to die hunting, much happier than I'd've been to keep livin' without legs."

Ember hung her head. "I know, Bobby. But what about your soul?"

Bobby shrugged. "Well, I ain't goin' to Hell, not if it's in a safety deposit box. Tell you what though, if you're cravin' adventure… if I die, I'm gonna come back as a ghost, okay?"

Ember frowned. "Bobby, you know you can't-…"

"No, I mean, I'm gonna have to. Just for a little while, just so you and I have time to get my soul back, and then you can know I've gone to Heaven."

Ember laughed, despite herself. "Okay, Bobby, you've got yourself a deal. Don't die, okay?"

"Well, I'm gonna try," he said, giving her a long hug.

"And Bobby?"

"Yeah?"

"You know you're my father, right? No matter what any demon did."

Bobby smiled. "Yeah, girl, I know."

Sam was harder to say good-bye to.

"Ember, I'm glad I got to talk to you alone," Sam said.

Ember didn't know what to say. What was there to be said? With the other three, at least if they died, they would go to a better place, a safe place. With Sam, they were hoping he ended up in Hell. What could she possibly say? "Sam…"

"Ember, I won't come back from the pit," he said.

She said nothing.

"You've gotta make sure Dean doesn't come looking for me."

"Hell no!" Ember said, surprised. This had not been the goodbye speech she had anticipated. "I'm not agreeing to that, and he won't either!"

"Ember, he's gonna need you after I… well, when I'm in the pit," Sam said.

"There's no denying that," Ember said, "but I will never, never promise to stop looking for you, or to make him stop looking."

"I made this mess, and I'm going to clean it up," Sam insisted.

"Look, I'll be there for Dean, but you can't, can't make me promise that," Ember said, finally looking at him. As she feared, when she looked at him she began to cry. "Sam, you're… you're my best friend. And I never… I should've been able to stop you. I should've killed Ruby when I had the chance, earlier. I was strong enough."

"Ember, this is not your fault, okay? I just… I want what's best for Dean. Consider it a dying man's wish, okay? Please!"

Ember looked at her lap, then up at Sam again. "Sam, I'll do anything for you, you know that. Anything. But you can't ask me to do this. And you can't ask it of Dean, either. This is Hell we're talking about. And Dean and I will never be happy while we know you're rotting in there."

Sam and Ember stared at each other for a few seconds, eyes narrowed and calculating. Then, finally, Sam pulled Ember into a long hug. "I can't make you promise it," he said. "But just… know that it's what I want. And it's what's best."

"Duly noted," Ember said into Sam's chest. Then she added, "Sam, I want you to know, you don't have to do this."

Sam sighed again. "Yes, I do."

"No, listen," Ember said. "You don't have to do this, for redemption, or so that Dean and I think better of you, or-…"

"I know," Sam said, stepping back from her. "I'm doing it because it's what's right, and I'm the only one who can."

Ember looked downward, breaking eye contact. "And you know it too," Sam added. He took her into a hug again, and they stayed that way for a few moments. "Take care of yourself, Ember," he said, and made to leave the room.

"Good luck, Sam," she whispered.

Dean was the last person to say goodbye to Ember, and the most awkward. He stood in front of her for a few seconds, unsure of what to say. "Your mother will be here in a couple of hours," he told her awkwardly.

"Yeah, okay," she said, still awkwardly. "Dean, it's not too late. I could still go. You know I'd be-…"

"Ember," he said warningly, without looking at her.

"Fine," she said irritably, and they went back to standing awkwardly. Finally, she held her hands out to him and said, "Dean. Come on. Talk to me. It's me."

Dean swallowed, then finally began to speak. "Look, Ember, if I do make it back… we should get a place together."

"What?" Ember asked, surprised.

"Ember, I wanted you to know," he said, shuffling his feet again, "that when I picture myself happy… it's with you."

Ember didn't know whether to hug him or punch him, but she settled for hugging him and crying. "I'm sorry Dean," she said. "I know you hate… this."

"I love you, Ember," he said into her hair. "And I… I wanted you to know that this past year has been the best year of my life. Despite the apocalypse, despite everything…" And he held her back, then, to look in her eyes. "I don't remember ever being so happy as I have been this last year." His voice broke on the end, and he held her closer again.

"Dean…" Ember whispered.

They stayed there, hugging, for a long time, until Castiel finally knocked. "Sorry to interrupt," Castiel said, "but it's past time to go."

"I know," Dean said. "Oh! Right!" He shot a glance at Castiel. "Ember, I was supposed to tell you… if we do succeed, you'll know immediately. Castiel thinks the increase in your powers should go back to normal once Lucifer is in the pit."

"It's my best guess," Castiel said. "But one of us will call you as soon as we're able, regardless."

Ember nodded, looking again at Dean.

"I love you, Ember Nelson" he said, kissing her.

"I love you too, Dean Winchester," she said.

And then they were gone.

***Ember POV***

May 18, Afternoon

It had been over 48 hours.

Just under 19 hours after they had left, Dean had called to tell Ember they'd all arrived in Detroit.

At just over 21 hours, Bobby had called to explain to Ember that the plan hadn't worked: Lucifer had known about the rings, and had taken both Sam and the rings and disappeared. They were on their way back.

"What if Lucifer comes here?" Ember had asked him.

"I thought of that," Castiel said, as Bobby had put him on speaker phone. "Crowley's adding angel warding to Bobby's place as we speak."

"Thanks," said Ember. She was upset about Sam, and upset about the coming apocalypse, but at least Dean and Bobby were okay, and she could get some sleep.

Ember woke up 27 hours after they left, and she and her mother prepared Bobby's house with food and beer, as two people will for two men who are very deeply upset.

At 36 hours, Dean called to explain that he'd decided to head toward the final battle anyway. It was scheduled for noon the following day.

"Dean, no!" Ember cried into the receiver. "That's suicide!"

"Maybe," Dean said. "But I've gone to Hell for my brother… trust me, suicide is nothing, in comparison." And to tell the truth, Ember had known, all along, that he'd make that decision.

Starting at 11:30 AM on the day of the final battle, Ember began attempting to walk out of her house. She knew Castiel was right – she'd know, long before she got a phone call, what had happened with Michael and Lucifer. The strength of her powers were the only things keeping her inside the warding. If Lucifer was defeated and her powers went back to normal, the warding would allow her to leave.

By 12:10, Ember was lying in the doorway to Bobby's house, tapping her toe rhythmically against the magical barrier, with her mother desperately attempting to distract her by engaging her in conversation. Finally, Ember felt her toe poke through. "Mom!" she said excitedly. "I'm free!"

Immediately, Ember raced to her car, a blue Cruise that had been housed at Bobby's for over a year now.

"Wait!" her mother screamed after her.

"Well, come along, then!" Ember exclaimed.

"Fine," her mother said quickly. "We'll take my car."

It was nearly a half hour later of non-stop calling when Castiel finally answered his phone.

"Dean says to stop calling," the angel said immediately. "We'll meet you back at Bobby's."

"I'm on my way there," Ember answered. "I'll meet up with you in Omaha."

"Ember says she'll meet up with us in Omaha," Ember heard Castiel say to Dean.

"Tell her there's no need, we'll be home in a few hours!"

"He said-…" Castiel began.

"Tell him I don't care, I'll meet him in Omaha!" Ember told Castiel. Without waiting for an answer, she asked, "Is Bobby with you?"

"He's in his car," Castiel answered. "I brought him back."

"What do you mean you brought him-…"

"I have to hang up the phone," Castiel said. "We'll see you in Omaha."

It was another five minutes before Ember was able to reach Bobby, who gave her the rest of the story. "I'm sorry about Dean," he said. "I told him to call you. He just-…"

"Doesn't want to talk about it yet," Ember filled in. "Yeah… I know."

"I love you, kiddo," he said, after a pause.

"I love you too, Bobby. See you in Omaha."

Ember was sad for the loss of Sam. Truthfully, she was forced to admit, it was the best case scenario. Dean was alive. Bobby was alive. Even Cas was alive. And now, her life could finally settle down.