Author's Note: I don't own Supernatural, because if I did, it would NOT have ended like THAT. I mean, Jesus, it wasn't even good for the non-Hellers, much less the Hellers!
***Ember POV***
January 21st
FIVE MONTHS LATER
Castiel and Ember spent a week in Boca Grande after the wedding, marred only slightly by the fact that things had ended so badly with Dean.
After that, days turned into months, and before long it had been almost six months since the wedding. Ember was happy (but not too happy). Jack was still a worry, though he was steadily improving. Shortly after the wedding, Jack suffered a mental breakdown during which he refused to leave his room for two days. Ember employed Krissy's assistance, and Jack admitted that he felt he had more difficulty processing everything that had happened to him now that he was human. (He didn't mention Mary specifically, but Ember understood that this was part, if not all, of the issue.)
Ultimately Jack was put on a low dose of an anti-depressant, which seemed to help somewhat. Ember hoped it wasn't permanent, but she was happy he was happy. After all, if it wasn't for her own supernatural magic, she doubted she would've gotten by without a few anti-depressants herself along the way.
Within the past few weeks, Ember and Castiel had spotted Jack and Krissy getting closer again. They weren't together in any sense of the word, but occasionally they would touch affectionately or look longingly at one another, so Ember had a feeling they would get there in the end.
Castiel had been accustomed to going to the bunker almost nightly, so the lack of Winchester interaction in his life wore on him more than it did Ember. He was slightly more irritable than he had been before the wedding, particularly around nighttime. These days, instead of going to the bunker, he typically kept busy while Ember was sleeping by going to hospitals and performing minor miracles on those he deemed worthy, or else finding hunts of his own. Occasionally he teamed up with Krissy, and, on one memorable occasion, Jo.
He teamed up with Eileen, or Eileen and Sam both, fairly often. Due to the fact that Eileen was pregnant, Sam had asked that she only go on hunts when Castiel was free to accompany her. At twenty-six weeks, Eileen had finally caved to the begging of literally everyone involved and agreed to remain in the general vicinity of the bunker for the remainder of her pregnancy. Before, that, however, she was, in Krissy's words, "pregnant enough for the hormones to make her especially restless, and not pregnant enough to just stay home."
As for the Winchester brothers themselves, Dean was on Ember's mind fairly often, and she knew the fact that they weren't speaking weighed even heavier on Castiel. Still, neither of them wanted to make the first move toward a reunion, and discussions about the situation only tended to make them angry again.
Krissy and Jack still spent time at the bunker, and always returned home with stories of hunts. Jack trained often with Dean and Sam since both Ember and Castiel relied heavily on their supernatural powers when fighting.
Dean seemed to have no ill will toward Jack, only toward Ember and Castiel, which (though she encouraged Dean and Jack's relationship) struck Ember as slightly unfair. Still, she was relieved enough that she didn't attempt to question it.
Both Jack and Krissy mentioned from time to time their disapproval of Ember's, Castiel's, and Dean's steadfast refusal to speak to one another. Still, lines of communication were open with both Sam and Eileen, so the situation was not as bad as it could have been. Both Sam and Eileen, for their part, took the stance that it was "only a matter of time until they pulled their heads out of their asses", and had preached patience to Jack and Krissy more than once. "They've done this before," Sam had reportedly told Jack on his first real hunt since he'd been turned human. "They don't speak for awhile, sometimes months or years at a time, but eventually something happens that all of us need to communicate about. Usually it's some sort of Apocalypse."
This prediction came true sooner than any of them would've hoped, on a Tuesday in January.
It was a day like any other – Ember had awakened alone, as Krissy was off on a hunt, Jack was training with other hunters, and Castiel was (according to his cell phone tracker) in Tulsa, Oklahoma. She was just logging onto her computer to start work when she saw Chuck outside her window, waving and smiling as though he had never left.
"Castiel!"
Castiel appeared next to her immediately, his brows knitting together as he spotted Chuck.
"I don't mind if he's here as well," Chuck said, appearing suddenly in the living room. "Since you two are joined at the hip, and all. Funny how that turned out so differently in the other universe."
"What are you doing here, Chuck?" asked Castiel in his deep, aggressive voice.
"Right," said Chuck. "So… you know how I left to go to my 'favorite universe,' and all that?"
Ember and Castiel looked at each other, then back at Chuck. "Yes?"
"Well, turns out, they actually might suck worse than you guys. Totally shot – well, it doesn't matter. Point is, I'm starting with a clean slate!" Chuck spread his arms wide excitedly.
Ember and Castiel looked at each other again. "What does that mean?" Castiel asked, annoyed.
"Look, you won't feel a thing!" said Chuck. "Well, at least, you won't feel much, in the grand scheme of things. The point is, this is like… a farewell tour."
Ember looked at Castiel for a third time, fear growing with each moment.
"Like, you know how right before you send all of your old books to Goodwill, you read through them one last time?" Chuck asked. "Well, this universe, and especially you, Ember – you're one of my favorite stories!"
Castiel's grip on Ember's hand was near crushing, and Ember was squeezing back just as tightly.
"So here's how this is gonna go," Chuck said. "I'm gonna destroy the multiverse. All the little universes. They're all gone. I'm not sure how I'm gonna destroy this universe yet, but a plague sounds good. Might name it after a beer… anyways, since you've got the second place spot in my favorites collection, you earned a stop on my farewell tour. So, do you want to grab a bagel or something?"
"You're going to destroy our universe?" Ember repeated. This was surreal. She felt shock coursing through her body. She knew eventually she'd start to panic, but for now her brain was scrabbling to catch up with literally everything that was going on.
"You can't do that!" exclaimed Castiel, who apparently had no such problem. He started forward toward Chuck, and Chuck snapped his fingers. Ember felt her breath freeze in front of her, and her lungs began to tighten.
"Yeah, the bagel was probably a bad idea," said Chuck. "Anyways… toodles!" He gave a tiny wave, and then he was gone.
Ember began to cough as she unfroze.
***Castiel POV***
January 21st
Castiel and Ember had flown straight to the bunker. Predictably, their reunion with the brothers was not going well.
"Did you say something to make him angry?" Dean said in a manner that was more accusatory than it should have been.
"I didn't do anything!" Ember snapped at Dean defensively. Castiel wondered if her fuse when it came to Dean had actually gotten shorter during the past few months.
"Okay, okay," Dean said loudly, throwing his hands in the air, "I was just making sure he's not pissed at something you and Cas haven't told us about."
Regret flashed through Dean's eyes as soon as the words came out of his mouth. Castiel had a feeling that Dean hadn't realized how his words sounded, and how they related to the situation with Mary, until after he had spoken.
Ember took his words in the most hurtful way possible. "That was low, Dean, even for you," she snapped venomously.
"Enough!" yelled Sam, and both Ember and Dean looked at least somewhat put out.
"Have you done something to piss him off that you haven't told us about?" Ember asked, glaring daggers at Dean with her eyes.
"Because it wouldn't exactly be out of character," she prayed so that only Castiel could hear her.
"No, I haven't done anything out of the norm!" Dean snapped, downing a glass of whiskey. "I was only asking because when he left, he was pissed at you and Cas."
"Because Rowena sacrificed herself before one of us could get around to it?" Ember asked incredulously.
"You know," said a calm voice from behind the group of them. "Dinosaurs fought more than ever when their species came to an end, too."
Everyone in the room – Sam, Dean, Castiel, Ember, and Eileen – turned as one to stare at Death. He was calm as ever, sitting on a chair near the wall and eating what appeared to be a burger from Five Guys. "The carnivores ate more to be stronger, the herbivores defended their land more fiercely – but, in the end, they all died." He licked ketchup from his finger.
"What are you-…?" Eileen found her voice first.
"News travels fast," said Death. "God killing the world and all that."
They all looked at each other before Sam finally said, "Can you help us?"
"Yes and no," Death said, biting into his burger and moaning appreciatively. "I can give you some time. Ember -…" Death gestured at her with one long, sticky finger … "'Really is the most valuable player of all of your merry men. If it weren't for God's little warning, we wouldn't have a chance."
Castiel waited for good news. "As it was," added Death, "I'm strong enough to hide our universe for a bit. A few months at most."
"A few months?" said Dean. "That's all you can-…"
"Reapers will die to buy you this time," Death snapped dangerously. "And this spell will take all of my attention and most of my power."
Dean stopped talking and moved backward.
"What about the plague?" asked Castiel.
Death smiled faintly. "Many will die," he said. "But we have more weapons than God knows about, now. We will survive it, since we have been given time to prepare."
Sam caught Castiel's eye again before he asked, "What do you want from us?"
"Figure out a way to stop God," Death said before diving back into his burger.
There was silence.
"You want us to kill God!?" asked Dean incredulously.
"Is that even possible?" exploded Ember.
"It's not not possible," said Death. "Theoretically." He moaned again as he ate his burger. "You humans really do make the best food."
"How are we supposed to kill God," asked Eileen. "We're human."
"Not only that," said Sam. "God has to exist for the universe to exist. It's a balance between Dark and Light."
"You could end the Darkness as well," commented Death. "But, I didn't say 'kill God.' I said 'stop God.' Trap him, throw him in a cage like Amara, or kill them both. Any of the above should work."
"You say that like it's easy," muttered Dean.
"Dean Winchester," said Death, standing up. His beady eyes fixed on Dean like a predator. A power flashed in his eyes that Castiel recognized as even older than himself, and it chilled him to his true form. "You've bested Lucifer, after he held me bonded for more years than you care to understand. You've conquered Death itself, in a manner of speaking. Your gang of merry men is the most equipped of anyone in this universe to fight Chuck.
"Plus, it's now or never," Death continued, now calm. He finished his burger and made the wrapper disappear with a brush of his fingers. "He's weak."
Castiel and Ember looked at each other in surprise. "He was wounded in that other universe," Death added. "I'm not sure how. I've never seen anything like it before. He's still regaining his full strength."
"Why us?" asked Sam finally after several long seconds of silence. "Why does it have to be us?"
"Unless you're prepared to counteract the global pandemic that's just hit us and shield this world from God's view for the next few months, I feel I've divided the labor accordingly," said Death, licking ketchup off of one long finger.
"I didn't mean-…" Sam jumped in defensively.
"I know what you meant," said Death. "But I barely had time for that burger, much less your pity party."
Dean looked like he was going to say something, but Death jumped in ahead of him, standing up. "Contact whatever allies you think you can trust," said Death. "My reapers and I will shield this universe from God with the exception of any doorways between words, and/or any direct and meaningful prayers from anyone in this room or myself. Understood?"
None of them spoke, but Death seemed to take their silence as agreement. "I'm leaving instructions to summon me when you have a plan to face God," he said, handing a scroll of parchment to Castiel.
"We'll do what we can when we can no longer hide you," said Death, stepping backward. "Until then." His eyes lingered on Ember's until he disappeared.
***Sam POV***
January 21st
That first night after Death left, Eileen was the first to come up with a good idea. "I think," she said, bringing several shot glasses out of the cabinet, "That we should get really, really drunk tonight, and worry about all this tomorrow."
"You can't drink!" Sam exclaimed. "You're-…"
"Pregnant," Eileen said, stopping pouring drinks to sign along with her words. "I'm aware. But I can watch you drink and laugh about it."
So that's what they did.
He had a vague memory of Krissy returning to the bunker and being caught off guard by all the empty liquor bottles. "You'd better tell me what's going on tomorrow, Dean," she had said before retiring to bed. The memory was hazy, though, and might have been a dream.
Sam awakened around 10AM, but it was 11 by the time painkillers made it possible for him to crawl out of bed. He smiled at his wife, who he suspected was responsible for leaving the painkillers next to their bed, and headed to the living room.
Sam, Eileen, and Ember had all made it to the appropriate bed in the bunker, but Castiel was still passed out in the library when Sam made his way to the kitchen. Sam wasn't sure where Castiel had gotten the liquor he had drank the previous night, but he had made at least 6 separate trips to obtain it. Currently he was snoring in an armchair, his mouth open and thrown back in a very undignified position.
Dean, surprisingly, was awake in the situation room, an open bottle of painkillers on his left and a glass of whiskey in his hand. Sam raised his eyebrows. "Really, Dean?"
"He was supposed to be gone," Dean said, ignoring Sam's question. "God was supposed to be gone."
Sam sighed and sat down next to him at the situation table. "Yeah," he said. At the moment, and with his head still pounding in the background, he couldn't help but agree with Dean's defeated frame of mind.
"So, what?" asked Dean. "We're just stuck in his… in his maze, still?"
"Worse," Sam said. "He's tossed us aside like an old toy."
Dean took a swig of whiskey. "And he didn't even bother to wipe us out himself, ya know? He just… sent down a plague and went on his merry way. And now… what are we supposed to do, man? Just… just roll over and die?"
Eileen came into the room just then, smiling wanly, her hand on her stomach. Sam felt a new resolve awaken inside him.
"We fight," he said determinedly.
Dean laughed bitterly. "Fight God?"
Sam nodded.
"It's God, Sam," Dean protested. "How the hell are we supposed to fight God?"
Sam gently picked up Dean's whiskey. "Well, being sober would help."
Dean looked as though he wanted to protest, but thought better of it.
"I'm going to go try to wake the angel."
***Ember POV***
January 22nd
To Ember's surprise, the first day after God's announcement had brought much less arguing than she'd expected. She, Dean, and Castiel had adopted a coolness around each other that was icy but not hostile. Dean, like Ember and Castiel, must have decided to put their argument aside for the greater good. Jack had even made a comment about how he was "glad we're all working together again," but had shut his mouth immediately when three pairs of eyes stared him down awkwardly.
Within an hour of actual discussion about the situation at hand, all five of them had decided unanimously that the best course of action was a long-overdue trip into Hell to visit this world's version of the archangel Michael, who still possessed the Winchesters' estranged brother Adam.
Dean and Ember had been ready to go, but Castiel and Sam had insisted on gathering intelligence first and making some general preparations. Gathering intelligence proved to be a bigger issue than anyone had expected – the single demon the group of them managed to summon at the crossroads told them only that Hell was ruled by a duo of demons who was unstoppable and reigned with an iron hand.
The final piece of information necessitating their trip to hell was from the prophet, Donatello, who (under Castiel and Krissy's watchful eye) deciphered a passage written on the demon tablet.
"There appear to be annotations, personal observations," Donatello explained.
"By Metatron?" asked Castiel.
"By the scribe, yes," said Donatello. "As if he were trying to give context to God's actions."
"For example?" prompted Dean.
"'The almighty guards his secret fear, but it is always there,'" Donatello read.
"Fear of what?" asked Sam.
"'Fear of what, I do not know,'" said Donatello. "'This he shares only with his favorite."'
"Favorite?" asked Dean.
"At the time this was written, Lucifer had been cast down," said Castiel. "Michael sealed him in the cage. So Michael was the favorite."
-SPN-SPN-SPN-SPN-SPN-
The next day, Krissy and Eileen helped Dean, Sam, Castiel, and Ember prepare a spell that would send them temporarily to Hell.
The spell transported them to a scene Ember recognized only from Castiel's darkest memories – the outskirts of Hell. Everything was a dark orange glow, and lightening could be heard overhead. Sam, Dean, and Castiel didn't react, but Ember was overwhelmed by the feeling that hit her – as though she'd never be happy again. She immediately took Castiel's hand and squeezed it.
He looked back at her in surprise, which changed quickly to understanding. "You get used to it after awhile," he said sympathetically. His grace felt like a cool breeze.
Sam eyed them sympathetically. "Now where?" he asked Castiel.
"This way," Castiel answered, and led them into a large antechamber with statues.
Demons appeared from nowhere, all female in modern suits.
They all sniffed the air. Ember had worn a variety of scents to mask whatever attracted demons to her, but she knew it wouldn't work down here in Hell.
"Stay there," one of the demons said, her eyes turning black.
"Yeah, don't go anywhere, okay?" said another demon, leering at Ember.
"Look, we're not looking for trouble, okay?" Dean offered. "We just wanna talk-…"
The fighting began in one breath, though all three demons ignored Ember entirely.
On one side of her, Sam got kicked in the head. On her other side, Castiel was shoved away from a demon. Ember prepared to use her powers to aim her angel blade into someone's back, but they were fighting too quickly and Ember couldn't risk hitting one of her friends. She was beginning to panic.
Suddenly, a familiar voice rang out, "Stop!" and Ember caught a flash of red.
The demons immediately released the Winchesters and Castiel. Ember attempted to assist Castiel, but he brushed her off as he stood up.
"Hello, boys," said Rowena. "Ember."
The witch looked fantastic. Her body had a dusky glow to it, bathed in the light of the flames of Hell. She was flanked by four male demons, in addition to the three female demons that had fought Sam, Dean, and Castiel.
"Rowena," said Ember in surprise.
"You did say you wanted to see the one in charge?" she said, smiling slightly.
"Rowena, we thought you were dead," said Dean.
"Oh, I am, dear," Rowena said. "Pretty much everyone here is. When I died, my soul went to Hell. Big surprise."
Ember caught Castiel's eye. "And the demons just… handed you the throne?"
Rowena smiled pridefully. "No one hands you anything, darlin'. I took it."
"So," she said, turning to Ember, who was closest. "Why are you here?"
"Chuck," said Dean. "He's back, and he's outta control, and we need to rein him in."
"You want to rein in God," Rowena said disbelievingly.
"We think there's a way," said Sam. "Listen, we just need to speak to Michael."
"Michael, the out-of-his-head archangel?" she laughed. "This just gets better."
Rowena turned to the demons. "Leave us," she said. "Fetch the King. Tell him the Winchesters are here."
The tallest of the male demons nodded his head. "Yes Ma'am." All seven demons shuffled out of the room.
The moment the demons had left the room, Sam asked, "Rowena. Did you know what would happen when you stabbed Jack?"
Everyone turned to look at him, then turned slowly back to look at Rowena.
"Did I know I'd die?" Rowena laughed. "Of course I knew, Samuel."
"Then why did you do it?" asked Dean.
"Whatever he offered you…" Castiel shook his head. "You had to know he wouldn't follow through."
"Ah, but he did," said Rowena, smiling. "Though, of course, there are moments he tries my patience… on the whole, I'm more than satisfied with our deal."
Ember attempted to catch Castiel's eye in question, but found the angel looking at Sam, the same confusion evident in his features.
"Who… tries your patience?" asked Sam.
Rowena looked stunned. "Chuck didn't tell you?"
Both Winchesters shook their heads, and Castiel and Ember followed suit.
At that Rowena laughed, a genuine, heartfelt laugh that seemed to go on forever. Castiel and Ember looked at each other uncomfortably. Ember tried to catch Dean's eye, but he refused to look at her.
"Well, you'll see in a bit. I don't want to spoil the surprise," Rowena finished when her laughter had finally subsided. "But, Chuck gave me the only thing I wanted that I couldn't get for myself.
"And wee Jack, is he… human?" Rowena asked. "And his soul?"
"Yes," said Ember. "Yes, he's… fine. His soul is back. His powers are gone but he's… whole again."
She looked at Castiel, then back at Rowena, suddenly realizing how much she owed this woman.
Rowena seemed to tune in to their feelings. "Don't look at me like that. You don't owe me anything. I mean, sure, there are things I miss about being alive. Flesh-on-flesh sex.
Amazon doesn't deliver here, yet."
She looked at them, smiling. "But, I'm queen. My subjects revere me. Well, fear me, which is better," she amended. "I should have died a long time ago."
Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. "Enter," Rowena said in her lilting Scottish drawl.
The tallest demon entered. "The King has arrived," he said.
"Excellent!" said Rowena. "Send him in."
Somehow Ember knew, a second before he entered, who it would be. Chuck gave me the only thing I wanted that I couldn't get for myself.
"Hello, Moose. Squirrel. Feathers. Mudblood." Crowley nodded at them each in turn, as they looked back at him in shock.
"I thought you said they knew, mother?" Crowley said, taking in their shocked faces.
"I thought they did," Rowena said, a smile tugging on her lips. "But Chuck does like to keep his cards close. It sounds like he's made it to the top of their enemies list."
Crowley laughed incredulously. "Chuck, meaning God, has made your enemies list?" His laugh turned deeper and more rich. "Then I suppose I fear for our Heavenly father." He shook his head. "I'll have to stay more up to date. This could definitely be interesting."
"They're asking for Michael," said Rowena. "They want to convince him to join the cause."
Crowley raised his eyebrows. "Let Michael out of the cage?" he asked. "You do know he's been in there for more than a millennium in Hell years," said Crowley. "He's probably nuts. Out of his goddamn mind."
"We have handcuffs," said Castiel. "They will hold him."
"But we'd like to talk to him in the cage if possible," Dean added. "The way we attempted with Lucifer a few years ago."
Castiel shot Dean a look of hurt and annoyance, and Dean returned a look of defiance. Rowena did not miss the exchange, and her perfectly manicured eyebrow raised.
This had been a minor point of contention in the preparation for the trip to Hell. Dean did not want to take any chances with Michael, and had insisted upon leaving Michael in the cage to initiate a discussion. Castiel, in contrast, had wanted to get out of Hell as soon as possible before Ember's "demon attraction problem" caused more problems for them than her "demon powers" could solve. Ember, who usually had a fiery opinion on these things, had been caught between her desire to stay away from demons and her desire to keep a firm hold on Michael.
The original argument had been mediated by Sam's usual brand of calm reality. "This argument is pointless," he had said. "The moment we all get into Hell, it'll be a crap chute anyway. We need Ember's powers." And no one had been able to deny this. Now that they knew Rowena was the Queen of Hell, however, it seemed both Castiel and Dean had returned to their original desires.
"We'll keep him in the cage," said Crowley. "I'm tired of cleaning up your messes."
All four of them opened their mouths at once with a comeback, but Dean's was fired off first: "Blow me, Crowley."
"How I've missed your highly intellectual banter," said Crowley.
Rowena, meanwhile, was watching Castiel and Dean, who were standing farther away from each other than usual and avoiding eye contact. "You two," she said to Dean and Castiel, crooking a long finger in their direction. "Come with me. I need to gather ingredients."
Castiel shot Ember a look of regret as he followed Rowena out of the room. They hadn't intended to be separated, least of all willingly. She responded with a shrug. It's fine.
Rowena stopped just before reaching a highly arched doorway and raised an eyebrow at her son. "For Heaven's sake, offer them refreshments, Fergus! I taught you to be a better host than that!"
Crowley rolled his eyes and gestured them forward, leading them into a room that had quite clearly been decorated by Rowena. There was a large, gold gilded couch and an ornate desk with a matching gold chair. Crowley moved to grab a selection of glasses and some Scotch off of a small table and began pouring them each a glass.
Ember crowded onto the gold couch next to Sam. His knees came halfway up to his chin in his effort to sit on the small couch. He sent her a small smile and a look that said quite clearly, "Now what?"
"So, Moose. Mudblood," said Crowley, handing Sam a small bottle of Scotch. He did not appear awkward in the slightest. "What'd I miss? Heard Squirrel offed Lucifer, finally. Knew he'd do it in the end."
Sam opened his mouth to retort, but Ember stopped him. "Actually, Crowley, I… wanted to ask you about something, since we're here."
Crowley gave a slow, crooked smile, and held his hand out to her. "Yes, Darling," he said. "Since you're asking, I'd love to show you how naughty I can really be."
Ember rolled her eyes and brushed away his hand. She wondered at what point Crowley had stopped scaring her. "You seem to know quite a bit about Hell lore and even some about angel lore, and I wondered if you might have an answer to something I've been wondering."
Crowley leaned back in his chair, smiling thoughtfully. "The problem with us making a deal," he said. "Is that I already have everything I want. Loyal subjects, all the sex I could want, and I don't even really have to do anything. Mum is an awful hag, but apparently you turned her 'good' or something." He held up air quotes. "She's really trying to 'make amends.'"
Crowley cocked his head and smiled. "I would be willing to make a deal for sex with you," he said. "But I doubt Feathers or Squirrel or whichever one you're dating these days is willing to share."
Once again, Ember saw Sam begin to speak and stomped on his foot. "So, there's nothing I want," Crowley finished.
Ember rolled her eyes again, but said, "We would owe you a favor. And you know the power of us owing you a favor." Sam looked at her with narrowed eyes but allowed the exchange to continue.
Crowley sat back, nodding. "That is a fair point," he said. "You said you wanted information? I suppose it depends on the nature of the information. Ask your question, and I'll decide if a Winchester favor is worth my answer."
"Okay," Ember said. She took a deep breath. "So, you already know about other universes."
Crowley nodded, taking a sip of Scotch. "Well, awhile back, I met another Ember, from another universe," Ember explained. She told Crowley how Mel had had demon powers that were far greater than her own, but did not seem to have ill intent toward humans.
"I don't understand it," Ember said. "During the Demon Blood Bonds, I lost most of my ability to care about… about my kids, about my job, about anything. And, last year, I actually did give in to my demon side, and I went… crazy. I wanted to kill anything, and everything, and… Cas had to put me to sleep to keep me from hurting anybody. I was barely hanging on."
Crowley raised his eyebrows. "Shame I missed that. You seem normal now. Well, normal for you."
Ember explained how Lucifer had told her that if she used her increased demon powers to do a good thing, she would go back to her "normal" level of demonic powers. "It took everything I had, Crowley. And the only thing 'good' I could think to do, in the moment, with all those awful thoughts running through my head, was to sap power from Lucifer and give it to Cas to remake his wings. And we're lucky it worked, or I would be rampaging the countryside right now, I guess."
Sam squeezed her hand in comfort and caught her eye. Things had been so busy lately that they hadn't seen each other much, between the fight with Dean and Eileen's pregnancy. She was glad to take comfort in him now.
"So you're back to normal, or, well, whatever normal is for you," Crowley repeated, taking another sip of Scotch.
"Yes," said Ember. "When I gave into my powers, it was a disaster. But for Mel… she still had control. She could move people, and kill angels and demons, and do everything I could do when I opened the door to my powers… but she wasn't ruled by them. She was still a… a good person. So my question is… how?"
Crowley thought a moment, then said, "Did you ever think that maybe you're just weak?"
Ember felt hurt, but she tried not to let it show. "Oh, yes, Crowley," she said sarcastically. "That piece of information is definitely worth a Winchester favor."
Crowley laughed.
Sam said, "He obviously doesn't know the answer," and moved to stand, but Crowley waved a hand lazily and Sam was thrown back into the couch. He still had use of his arms and legs, and shot Crowley an annoyed glare.
"I might," said Crowley. "That's kind of a big question, but I have a fairly good working theory." He turned to Sam. "What about you, Jolly Green? Do you agree that this question is worth a Winchester favor?"
Ember resisted the urge to stomp on Sam's foot. This had to be his decision.
Sam said slowly, "If you can provide a decent answer, Crowley, then yes. It's worth a Winchester favor. Not a big one. We can give you information. We're not taking on a demi-God and we're definitely not helping you get rid of your mother."
Crowley laughed. "Wow, Moose. You like to cover all the bases. All right then, a small to medium sized favor."
"Agreed," said Ember. "But I won't seal it with a kiss."
Crowley tossed her a small indulgent smile. "Fine. It's not worth fighting Feathers over anyway. One other thing, though. If you regain stronger demon powers as a result of this, you may never use them on me, or to take over Hell."
Ember and Sam looked at each other, and this time Sam spoke aloud what Ember was thinking. "You do know the answer to this!" Sam said. "You already know, and you haven't said anything before because you're afraid."
"And I've a right to be!" Crowley exploded. "You know the power she's got. I want information, or a medium-sized favor. Help me take out a common enemy. Or, someone who is my enemy that could be your enemy. And, if my information leads you to an increase in your powers, you may never use them on me, or to take over hell."
Crowley's eyes were piercing now, and he was becoming animated.
"Agreed, so long as you and your mother remain in charge," Ember said. "Sam?"
Sam thought a moment, then said, "Yeah. Okay, I can go with that."
"Excellent," said Crowley, brandishing a contract with a snap of his fingers.
-SPN-SPN-SPN-SPN-SPN-
Twenty minutes and a ten-page contract later, Crowley sat back in his chair and thought, once more at ease. "This… Mel, character. What were the circumstances under which she succumbed to her demonic side?"
Ember tried to remember. "Well, there was an Apocalypse, like ours, only she didn't have any advance warning. She was with her mother – our mother – well, her mother, who is that universe's version of my mother. And, um… Azazel came, and was threatening to kill her mother if she didn't unlock her powers or whatever. So, she snapped, and helped her mother escape, and then came back and killed everybody."
Crowley's eyes widened when Ember mentioned that Mel had killed Azazel, but he plowed on with a side glance to the contract. "OK. And you… under what circumstances did you succumb to your demonic side?"
"Lucifer pissed me off!" Ember exclaimed immediately. "Cas and I were in jail with him, and he goaded me, and goaded me, and… he told me Azazel was my father. And Jack was lost, and we couldn't do anything to get him back stuck in a damn jail cell next to Lucifer of all people, and I just… I lost it." She felt angry just thinking about Lucifer's jabs.
Crowley sat back in his seat. "Well, there you have it," he said.
Ember looked at Crowley with confusion. "Huh?"
"It's the same idea as how you managed to cage your powers before," said Crowley. "Like Lucifer said. It's all in what you do with your demonic powers from the beginning."
Ember still didn't understand, but Sam's eyes widened. "I get it! Ember, Mel used her demonic powers to get her Mom to safety! She used them to save her mother! But when you went dark, you just killed a bunch of demons, remember? Including their hosts!"
Ember remembered the raw power that had surged through her, the anger… but Mel had used her powers out of fear…
She understood. "So, you think if I unlocked my powers and used them for the right reasons, I'd be able to control them?"
Crowley shrugged. "They're your powers, hell if I know. I only know how magic works, love. It's my best guess."
"Thanks, Crowley," Ember said hesitantly.
Crowley blushed.