Chapter 12

Thanks for reading this story. Thanks to bjq and to .2018 for their reviews. Thanks to all followers and to the one who favorited this story.

New Chapter, read, enjoy and review.

"Free." A loud voice said coming from the beam light. Dean, Sam and Emma had rushed to the doors. But before they could go through them it closed on them. "At last, I'm free." The voice kept saying. Sam and Dean were trying to open the doors while Emma turned to face the beam of light that was shooting from the floor. "Dear Sister, you came to see my rising. How sweet of you."

"No." Emma breathed out. Terrified. "No." She repeated.

And then…the church was gone. So, was the blinding light and the voice. The three of them were now on board of a plane. A flying plane.

"What the hell?" Dean exclaimed on Emma's right. Sam was sitting between them.

"I don't know." Sam answered confused.

"Folks, quick word from the flight decks." The pilot's voice resonated over the speakers. "We're just passing over Ilchester, then Ellicott City. On our initial descent into Baltimore…"

"Ilchester? Weren't we just there?" Dean asked them.

"So, if you'd like to stretch your legs. Now would be a good time to…Holy crap!" The pilot exclaimed as the plane suddenly dive towards the ground.

A blinding light rose from the ground. The oxygen masks popped out in front of the passengers. While the plane kept descending. Panic rose among the passengers as the flight attendants rushed to their seats. Struggling to keep their balance. Dean and Sam put on their masks but Emma…Emma…

Emma was still making sense of what just took place in the church. Of Lucifer acknowledging her presence. Of the angels and demons working, for once, towards the same goal. It terrified her. It fueled her anger. More than ever, she needed to put an end to this. One way or another. Lucifer and Michael won't destroy their father's best creation. Mankind.

"Dean, look, I…" Sam started as they were on the road.

"Don't." Dean stopped him. "Don't say anything." Emma turned her head away from the window. And looked at the brothers in the front seats. "It's okay. We just got to keep our heads down. And hash this out, alright?"

"Yeah, okay." Sam agreed quietly.

"All right, well, first things first—How did we end up on 'soul plane?'" Dean asked.

"Angels, maybe?" Sam suggested. "I mean, you know, beaming us out of harm's way."

"I don't think angels has anything to do with this." Emma said from the backseat.

"Well, whatever. It's the least of our worries." Dean replied. "We need to find Cas."

The last time Dean saw Castiel, it was at Chuck Shurley's place. Castiel had sent him to Sam before the Archangel attacked them. Emma was worried about him as much as Dean was. The Archangel was a powerful being. More powerful than an angel like Castiel or Camael. She thought that whatever happened after Dean left, couldn't have turned in his favor. She feared the worst.

When they reached Chuck's place, she saw that she was right to worry about Castiel. Not only for him, but for Chuck too. Even though, it would be unlikely for the angels to attack him since he was a prophet. Nonetheless, the state of his house didn't reassure her. If anything, it didn't leave any doubt about what happened in this house. Everything was upside down; chairs flopped down on the floor. Toaster, keyboard, books and pages on the ground, splattered with blood.

It was eerily quiet as the three of them walked through the house, dreadfully. A creaking noise drew their attention. They turned their head towards the sound in sync. With Sam in the lead, they walked to the living room, from where the sound came from. They walked silently until…. Sam was hit over the head with a sink sucker.

"Geez. Ow." Sam exclaimed.

"Sam." Chuck seemed surprised to see him.

"Yeah!"

"Hey, Chuck." Dean greeted him.

"So…you're okay?"

"Well, my head hurts." Sam replied.

"No, I mean—I mean; my-My last vision." Chuck started to explain. "You went like, full on Vader. Your body temperature was 150. Your heart rate was 200. Your eyes were black."

"Your eyes went black?" Dean asked his brother. Emma looked up at Dean.

Sam turned around to face his brother. "I didn't know."

Emma glanced away from the two brothers, she already knew that something was broken between them two. This black eye thing was just one more to add to the pile. "Where's Castiel?" She decided to ask to Chuck.

"He's dead." Chuck replied sadly. "Or gone. The archangel smote the crap out of him. I'm sorry."

It was a blow to all three of them. Especially Dean, to whom Castiel had become a dear friend. "You're sure? I mean, maybe he just vanished into the light or something."

"Oh, no. He, like, exploded." Chuck shook his head. "Like a water balloon of chunky soup."

Emma looked around the house, letting out a deep breath. This wasn't right. Castiel dead, Lucifer rising. So far, her so called mission to stop any of this from happening, had failed. And it didn't seem like it was getting any better.

"Oh, god!" She heard Chuck exclaimed. "Is that a molar? Do I have a molar in my hair? This has been a really stressful day."

"For everyone, Chuck. For everyone." Emma agreed with him.

"Cas, you stupid bastard." Dean commented.

"Stupid? He was trying to help us." Sam reminded Dean.

"Yeah, exactly." Dean nodded.

"So, what now?"

"I don't know."

Emma started to hear whispers, the angels' voices. It was more than just hearing them, she was feeling them. "They're coming." She simply said.

The brothers glanced at each other before Dean grabbed a knife and sliced his hand. He then painted with his blood the banishing sigils on a door. A few seconds, that's all it took. A few seconds were enough for them to be ready.

"Thought we'd find you here." Zachariah said appearing behind them. "Playtime's over, Dean. Time to come with us."

"You just keep your distance, ass-hat." Dean growled at him.

"You're upset." Zachariah stopped.

"Yeah—a little." Dean retorted. "You sons of bitches jump-started judgment day!"

"Maybe we let it happen. We didn't start anything." Zachariah joked. "Right, Sammy? You had a chance to stop your brother, and you couldn't. So, let's not quibble over who started Let's just say it was all our faults and move on. Cause like it or not…It's apocalypse now."

"Yes, thanks to you." Emma quipped stepping next to Dean. "You made us believe that we were on the same team when it was never the case."

"You were never part of the team, Emmanuelle." Zachariah retorted. "You've always worked against us. Never choosing a side." He sneered at her. "But now, you have to choose. It's either Lucifer or Michael. So, who's it's gonna be?"

"Neither." Emma retorted.

Zachariah chuckled. "You say that now but give it some time. And you will join us. So, will Dean."

"Is that so?" Dean asked him.

"You want to kill the devil. We want you to kill the devil." Zachariah continued. "It's…synergy."

"And I'm just supposed to trust you?" Dean said. "Cram it with walnuts, ugly."

"This isn't a game, son." Zachariah retorted. "Lucifer is powerful in ways that defy description. And that one," He said nodding to Emma. "Can't even compete. We need to strike now, hard and fast—before he finds his vessel."

"Vessel?" Sam repeated. "Lucifer needs a meat suit?"

"He's an angel, still." Emma answered for Zachariah. "These are the rules."

"And when he touches down, we're talking four horsemen, red oceans, fiery skies—the greatest hits." Zachariah added. "You can stop him, Dean. But you need our help."

"You listen to me, you two-faced douche—after what you did, I don't want jack squat from you!"

"You listen to me, boy!" Zachariah snapped. "You think you can rebel against us? As Lucifer did? As she did?" The angel's eyes landed on Dean's hand. From which blood was dribbling down. "You're bleeding."

"Yeah." Dean looked up at him. "A little insurance policy in case you, dicks, showed up." He pulled the door on which he drew the sigil and slammed his hand on it.

"NO!" Zachariah cried out, lunging for Dean But was immediately swallowed by an explosive blinding light, vanishing from the room in an instant

"Learned that from my friend Cas, you son of a bitch." Dean sneered.

"This sucks ass." Chuck commented.

"Big time." Emma agreed.

Sitting on the bed of the hotel room they rented, Emma was going through her bag. Dean was on the small table of the room, assembling the guns, checking their ammunitions. The First One didn't know what to think or what would be the next step for her. Because now more than ever, she needed to recover her powers. If she wanted a fighting chance against Lucifer and Michael, she needed them.

"Red, you're okay?" Dean asked her drawing her out of her thoughts.

"Yeah, why?" Emma asked in return.

"You've been awfully quiet." Dean replied. "Since, we've been beamed out of that church."

She looked up at him. Deciding on whether or not to tell him about hearing Lucifer…Not right now. Not while he's still dealing with whatever feelings he held towards Sam. "I mean considering that The End of Days is upon us. I'm doing fine." Emma sighed. "Are you?"

"Yeah." Dean replied shortly. She knew he was lying but so, was she.

"Hey." Sam said as he stepped into the room.

"Hey." The other two replied.

"Here." He threw small bags to both Emma and Dean. "Hex bags. No way the angels will find us with those. Demons, either, for that matter."

"Where'd you get it?" Dean asked him.

"I made it."

"How?"

Sam hesitated before answering. "I…I learned it from Ruby."

Emma could feel it. The shift in their relationship. It was tensed between them. As if they had to learn how to interact with each other, again. It was stiff, awkward, like they were walking on eggshells.

"Speaking of…How you doing?" Dean asked his brother. "Are you jonesing for another hit of bitch blood or what?"

"It's weird." Sam shrugged. "Uh, tell you the truth, I'm fine. No shakes, no fever. It's like whoever…put me on that plane cleaned me right up."

"Supernatural methadone." Dean nodded.

"Yeah, I guess." Sam said. "Dean—"

"Sam." Dean cut him off. Emma put down her bag by the bed. Trying as hard as she could not to listen. "It's okay. You don't have to say anything."

"Well, that's good." Sam answered as she walked into the bathroom.

Their voices were muffled by the door but she could still hear them. She decided to give them their privacy. They needed it, right now.

Her hair was tied up in a ponytail, the morning after. While her nose was shoved in books that she got at the local library. Sam was reading his father's journal whereas Dean was watching TV. When a knock resonated on the door of their hotel room. Sam moved to open the door. Dean pulled out his gun from under his pillow while Emma was getting up from the bed. She, too, pulled out her gun.

Sam opened the door and there was a blonde woman standing on the other side. "You okay, lady?" He asked her.

"Sam…is it really you?" She asked in return and Emma frowned up, glancing at Dean. "And you're so firm?" She noted after touching Sam's chest.

"Do I know you?" Sam asked her

"No." She retorted. "But I know you You're Sam Winchester. And you're…not what I pictured." She said disappointed, looking at Dean. Then her eyes landed on Emma. "Emmanuelle." She said walking up to the redhead. "The First One…"

"Yeah." Emma said confused, looking up at Dean and Sam for help. "And you are?"

"I'm Becky." Becky replied. "I'm sorry, I didn't know I would meet all three of you at once. I mean I've read all about you, guys. And I've even written a few…" She continued excitedly. "Anyway, Mr. Edlund told me where you were."

"Chuck?" Dean stood up.

"He's got a message, but he's being watched." Becky explained. "Angels. Nice change-up to the mythology by the way. The Demon stuff was getting kinda old."

"Right. Just, um…what's the message?" Sam asked her, hurrying her along.

"He had a vision." Becky closed her eyes and recited what Chuck had told her. "The Michael sword is on earth. The angels lost it."

"The Michael Sword?" Dean repeated.

"Becky, does he know where it is?" Sam questioned her.

"In a castle, on a hill made of 42 dogs." She said.

"42 dogs?" Dean raised his eyebrows.

"Are you sure you heard that right.?" Emma asked her.

"It doesn't make sense, but that's what he said." Becky assured them. "I memorized every word…for you." Becky touched Sam's chest.

"This is getting uncomfortable." Emma remarked as she watched Becky touching Sam's chest.

"Um, Becky, uh, can you…quit touching me?" Sam asked her awkwardly.

"No." Becky replied frankly.

"Alright." Emma drawled coming to Sam's rescue. She took the small blonde by the shoulders, and steered her away from Sam. And towards the door. "How about you go back to your place and wait for Mr. Edlund's next message." She suggested. "And then you can come to us again. And touch Sam some more."

"I would love that." Becky said adoringly to Emma.

"I know you would." Emma said pushing her out of the door. "See you soon, Becky." And closed the door on her. She looked at Sam and grinned at him teasingly. "You have a fan."

"Ha, ha, very funny." Sam dryly countered.

A few hours later, after Becky's impromptu visit. Emma left for the old church nearby. Minutes before Bobby arrived at their hotel, bringing the Impala for them. Emma had been researching information about Michael and his sword. All she knew about him, was that they were supposed to be family. That he was her brother and that once in the past, he tried to kill her and almost did. The portrait of Michael from the hands of men, painted a very feminine version of the Archangel. Blonde locks or brown locks, large white wings with a sword in hand. Fighting Lucifer and banishing him out of heaven. That part of the story, she knew too well.

She'd been at it for hours before Sam joined her. He looked defeated as if someone had kicked his puppy.

"You okay there, Sammy?" She asked softly.

"Yeah, I just thought I could give you a hand." Sam said grabbing a book from one of the piles. She had stacked on her small desk.

"Why don't I believe that?" Emma said going back to her readings. Seeing that Sam didn't want to talk for now.

She rubbed her eyes as they walked out of the church. She looked up at Sam briefly as they walked back to the hotel together. "I'm sorry." She apologized.

"What?"

"I'm sorry, you know, for pulling a gun on you." She reminded.

Sam scoffed. "It's okay. You were just protecting Dean. Actually, I'm glad my brother has someone looking out for him."

"I would have done the same for you." Emma assured him quickly.

"Even after what I did?" Sam asked.

"Yes, even after that." Emma smiled at him. "I should probably be angry but…if we want a fighting chance, we gonna need you."

"I don't believe that."

"Look, it's gonna be rocky for some time but it'll be fine in the end."

"Not with Bobby."

"I doubt that. I mean he's the one who asked me to bring you back." Emma told her. "And that even after he knew that you were about to break the last seal."

"That's not what he said." Sam snorted. "He yelled at me as soon as he arrived. Asked me to lose his number. He's disappointed."

"Maybe." Emma sighed. "But being angry or disappointed won't help us, now. All we need, right now, is to stop Luicfer and Michael. That's what we do. We fix our mess"

"Easy, right?" Sam said as they climbed the stairs to their room.

"Yeah." Emma scoffed.

When they got closer to their room, they heard sounds of struggles coming from inside. They glanced at each other before rushing to their room. Sam opened the door and he was hit in the face. Emma got in after him. And saw as soon as she got in, that two demons were fighting the brothers. She also realized that Bobby was lying on the floor with a Ruby's knife on his side.

"Bobby!" She yelled as she went to him, only for her to be stopped. By the female demon.

"I won't break your face too much." She promised the First One. After she slammed the woman against the wall. "Your brother would love to see you again."

"I bet he does." Emma replied before headbutting the demon.

The demon staggered back and the First One kicked her in the chest, sending her flying on the floor. The Demon got back on her feet and wiped the blood off of her lips. She looked at Emma and smirked at the woman. Dean was now standing on Emma's right, holding Ruby's knife. When she saw the knife, she tossed her head back and a black smoke came out of her body. Leaving the vessel in a heap on the floor, once it was gone.

"Dean!" Sam called his brother. Dean and Emma rushed to Bobby's aid.

They drove Bobby to the hospital as fast as they could. His head was resting on Emma's laps while Dean explained to them what had happened. Bobby had been possessed by a demon before he even joined them at their hotel. Dean had located the Michael's sword and now thanks to him, the demons knew where it was too. It wasn't his fault of course, he couldn't have known that Bobby was a demon at that point.

"What happened?" A nurse rushed to them as soon as they stepped in the hospital. Sam and he was holding Bobby's limp body and Emma was right behind them.

"He got stabbed." Dean replied quickly.

"Can we get a gurney?" She called to two other male nurses. They rushed off to the sides to get the gurney. They put him down on the gurney and the three of them made to follow as they took Bobby away. "Just wait here." The nurse stopped them.

"No, no, we—we can't just leave him!" Sam protested.

"Just don't move. I've got questions."

"Sammy, we got to go." Dean said to his brother.

"No. No way, Dean." Sam argued.

"The Demons heard where the sword is." Dean retorted. "We got to get it before they do, if we're not too late already."

"He's right, Sam." Emma agreed. "We got to go."

"Come on!"

Castle Storage, 42 Rover Hill. Loading their guns and getting ready for a fight. Demons would be there waiting for them and probably Angels, too. When they step inside the storage room, they quickly realized that someone had got there first. Demons, dead demons were lying on the floor.

"I see you told the Demons where the sword is." Zachariah said from behind them. He was standing there with two of his men.

"Oh, thank god. The angels are here." Dean sarcastically shot back.

"And to think…they could have grabbed it any time they wanted." He continued. He walked over one of the bodies, held his hand up and shut the door behind them. "It was right in front of them."

"What do you mean?" Sam asked him.

"We may have planted that particular piece of prophecy inside Chuck's skull, but it happened to be true." Zachariah explained. "We did lose the Michael sword. We truly couldn't find it. Until now. You've just hand-delivered it to us."

"We don't have anything." Dean told him.

Zachariah let out a deep breath as if he was aggravated by Dean not understanding him. "it's you, chucklehead. You're the Michael's sword."

What he just revealed rooted Emmanuelle to the spot. It was as if the wind got knocked out of her. She always knew, some part of her, always knew.

"Lucifer and Michael have already picked their vessels. Two brothers, like them. They're still young."

Hearing it, though, made it more real. It was just a souvenir, a fading memory. This was the truth, an ugly one.

"What, you thought you could actually kill Lucifer?" Zachariah scoffed at them. "You simpering wad of insecurity and self-loathing? No. You're just a human, Dean. And not much of one."

"What do you mean, I'm the sword?" Dean asked him.

Emma was quicker to answer. "He means that you're Michael's vessel. Just like Lucifer, he needs one."

It all made sense to her now, the similarities that she's seen between the Winchesters brothers and hers. The reason why she was so worried about their relationship being broken, damaged for good. It all came down to the apocalypse and to her brothers.

"I'm a vessel?" Dean looked at her but Emma kept her eyes on Zachariah. "And you knew?"

"She forgot." Zachariah said looking between Dean and Emma. "Like she has forgotten all the rest. That's what happens when you damage your grace as badly as you did, Sister." He spat the last word with a smirk.

"Why me?" Dean asked him.

"Because you're chosen!" Zachariah simply answered. "It's a great honor, Dean."

"Oh, yeah. Yeah, life as an angel condom. That's real fun. I think I'll pass, thanks." Dean countered clearly not pleased with this idea.

"Joking. Always joking. Well, no more jokes." Zachariah pointed a finger gun at Dean. And then turned it to Sam. "Bang."

There was sickening crack as Sam fell on the ground, screaming in pain. "SAM!" Emma rushed to Sam's side.

Zachariah flicked his fingertip at her and her back slammed harshly against the wall, invisible binds holding her against it. She couldn't move anymore. "I need you out of the way." The Angel told her.

"You, son of a bitch!" Dean cussed at the angel.

"Keep mouthing off, I'll break more than his leg." Zachariah warned him. "I am completely and utterly through screwing around. The war has begun. We don't have our general. That's bad." Zachariah lost his sarcastic tone, being suddenly serious. "Now, Michael is going to take his vessel and lead the final charge against the adversary. You understand me?"

"How many humans die in the crossfire, huh?" Dean asked, keeping his eyes away from Sam. His anger turned to the Angel. "A million? Five, ten?"

"Probably more." Zachariah replied. "If Lucifer goes unchecked, you know how many die? All of them. He'll roast the planet alive."

"There's a reason you're telling me this instead of just nabbing me." Dean continued. In his back, Emma was trying to free herself from those invisible bounds that were holding her. "You need my consent. Michael needs my say-so to ride around in my skin."

"Unfortunately, yes." Zachariah confirmed.

"There's got to be another way." Dean shook his head.

"There is no other way. There must be a battle. Michael must defeat the serpent. It is written."

"Yeah, maybe." Dean said glancing briefly at his brother. "But, on the other hand, eat me." He bit back. "The answer's no."

Zachariah was not going to give up so easily as he continued "Okay. How about this? Your friend Bobby—we know he's gravely injured. Say yes, and we'll heal him. Say no, he'll never walk again."

Dean took his time to answer but he was determined not to yield. "No."

"How about we heal you from…Stage 4 stomach cancer?"

"Zachariah, NO!" Emma yelled at him from her position as Dean fell to his knees in a fit of coughs.

In spite of the blood covering his hand, Dean croaked out. "No."

"Then let's get really creative." Zachariah sneered down to the brothers before looking up to Emma. "And what if we reopened old wounds?"

A sharp pain went through Emma's body, as blood seeped through her shirt. She screamed as cuts reopened over her whole body, even the one inflicted to her by her brothers. Her scream died down as a strange calmness washed over her. The pain was gone and so, was her invisible bounds.

Zachariah stopped his little game, as she fell to her knees. He looked at her, somehow in awe. Her reopened wounds, were all stitched up again. No scars, left on her skin. Standing on her feet, she slowly raised her head. Her eyes were glowing blue, like they did in St Mary's church. Her wings spread in her back, wider and larger than her angelic brothers.

She marched onto Zachariah, walking past Dean and Sam, healing the ailments inflicted to them by the angel. With a flick of her fingers, she sent him flying against the wall. The two angels accompanying him, attacked her. But they were dismissed with a flick of a hand.

"This is impossible." Zachariah said terrified. He was taller than her and yet, she was towering him.

"And yet, it is." She replied, her voice deeper than it usually is. "Don't worry, today is not the day you die." This would not last. This surge of power was temporary. She could feel it. She had to act quick. "I need you to deliver a message. To Michael and Lucifer…" She paused. "I, Emmanuelle, am back. The Vessels are under my protection for as long as I live. They want to get to them, they will have to get through me."

"You're weak, your grace is not whole." Zachariah retorted.

"You were right. My grace has been damaged. By my brothers. By me." She said back. "But like all wounds, it heals." She smirked at him.

A blinding light shone in the room. Emmanuelle looked to her right, Castiel had stabbed one of Zachariah's goons with an Angel blade. The second one attacked him but Emmanuelle intervened. She threw her hand up and yanked him from his vessel.

"Emmanuelle." Castiel nodded at her.

"Glad to see you're alive." She nodded back.

"How are you…" Zachariah started.

"Alive?" Castiel finished for him, standing next to Emmanuelle. "It's a good question. How did these two end up on that airplane? Another good question. Cause the angels didn't do it. I think we both know the answer, don't we?"

"No." Zachariah breathed out. Emmanuelle smirked as she released her hold onto him. He fell into a heap on the floor. Emmanuelle stepped away from him as he was getting up. "That's not possible." He said looking at Emmanuelle and Castiel.

"It scares you. Well, it should." Castiel said.

"It seems there's another player in the game. Bigger than you imagined." Emmanuelle continued. "I suggest you go and deliver that message. To both of them. If you know, what's good for you." She said with warning tone.

Zachariah started, terrified and left. "You need to be more careful." Castiel said walking up to the brothers.

Emmanuelle's skull felt as if her head was being split in two. Her glowing eyes turned back to their brown, her legs gave out from under her. She vaguely heard someone screamed her name. Blood trickled down her nose, her vision ebbed away into nothingness as she fell.

"What's happening to her?" Dean looked down at the small woman in his arms.

"Her grace hasn't healed properly, yet." Castiel explained. "And it won't heal, if she keeps using her power for that long. Don't worry, she is fine."

"Hey, Cas, were you really dead?" Sam asked him.

"Yes."

"Then, how are you back?" Dean asked him. But no answer came as the angel vanished from the room. Leaving only them two and an unconscious woman.

Currently sitting in Bobby's room, Emma was wincing as the eldest hunter was yelling at his doctors. Doctors that have just given him bad news. Such as Bobby being paralyzed from the waist down. Of course, he wasn't too happy to learn that he was unlikely to walk again. A piece of cotton was stuck in her nose, still bleeding since she woke up.

She had woken up in the car on their way to the hospital. Before going into Bobby's room, she has covered up her bloodied shirt. Dean and Sam told everything to Bobby and Emma. What had happened, how Cas was alive and how Emma had turned full on Angel. Fact that the latter did not remember.

"You believe that yahoo?" Bobby turned to the three of them.

"Screw him, you'll be fine." Dean assured him.

"So, let me ask the million-dollar question." Sam sighed. "What do we do now?"

"Well, we save as many as we can for as long as we can, I guess." Bobby answered. "It's bad. Whoever wins, heaven or hell, we're boned."

"What if we win?" Dean said. "I'm serious. I mean screw the angels and the demons, and their crap apocalypse. They want to fight a war, they can find their own planet. This one's ours, and I say they get the hell off it We take 'em all on. We kill the devil. Hell, we even kill Michael if we have to. But we do it our own damn selves."

"And how are we supposed to do all this, genius?" Bobby asked him.

"I don't know." Dean replied. "But what I do have is a G.E.D. And a 'give them hell' attitude. And I'll figure it out."

"You are nine kinds of crazy, boy." Bobby shook his head in disbelief.

"It's been said." Dean agreed. He then patted Bobby on the shoulder. "Stay on the mend, okay? We'll see you in a bit."

Emma got up with a little groan. Her body was entirely sore. She smiled at Bobby on her way out. "Sam?" Bobby called. "I was awake. I know what I said back there. I just want you to know that…that was the demon talking. I ain't cutting you out, boy."

"Thanks, Bobby."

'You're welcome." Bobby nodded. "I deserve a damn medal for this, but…you're welcome."

Emma wanted to believe in Dean's little hopeful speech but she couldn't. Knowing that Lucifer was out there, probably already possessing his vessel, didn't make her feel really hopeful. Especially knowing that tapping into her angelic powers may leave her grace damaged for good.

"You know I was thinking, Dean." Sam started as they walked to the car. "Maybe we could go after the Colt."

"The Colt? What Colt?" Emma asked confused.

"Why? What difference would that make?" Dean asked in return.

"Well, we could use it on Lucifer." Sam suggested. "I mean, you just said back there—"

"I just said a bunch of crap for Bobby's benefit." Dean cut him off. "I mean…I'll fight." He stopped, and so, did Sam and Emma. "I'll fight till the last man, but let's at least be honest. I mean, we don't stand a snowball's chance, and you know that. I mean, hell, you of all people know that." Emma's eyes fell shut as Dean walked away.

"Dean…" Sam called him back. "Is there something you want to say to me?" Emma walked away from the brothers and stood by the Impala.

"I tried, Sammy." Dean sighed. "I mean, I really tried. But I just can't keep pretending that everything's all right. Because it's not. And it's never going to be-You chose a demon over your own brother, and look what happened."

"I would give anything…Anything…to take it all back." Sam said apologetically.

"I know you would." Dean retorted. "And I know how sorry you are. I do. But man…You were the one I depended on the most. And you let me down in ways that I can't even…" Dean paused, struggling to find the words. Words strong enough to describe how he was truly feeling. "I'm just—I'm having a hard time forgiving and forgetting here. You know?"

"What can I do?" Sam asked.

"Honestly." Dean answered. "Nothing. I just don't…I don't think that we can ever be what we were. You know? I just don't think that I can trust you."

She knew it would never be the same between them. And yet she believed that it still could be mend. That with time, in spite of the broken trust, Dean would forgive Sam. But now she feared that, in the end, Dean would turn his back on his brother. And this can't happen. Not with Michael actively trying to incorporate his vessel.