January 27th - January 28th, 2010

Anna had come to Dean in a dream because she couldn't find us any other way. She asked if we could meet her at some warehouse, but we let Cass know what was going on before leaving. He decided that it wasn't a good idea for us to go, so he went by himself. Turned out he made the right choice because she tried to attack him. She intended to kill Sam to stop Lucifer. So, Cass prepared a spell to find Anna because he believed the only way to stop her was to kill her.

"Really? Anna?" Dean asked and shook his head. "I don't believe it."

"It's true," Cass said.

"So, she's gone all Glenn Close, huh?" Dean scoffed. "That's awesome."

Cass straightened up, confused. "Who's Glenn Close?"

Dean shook his head. "No one, just this psycho bitch who likes to boil rabbits."

"So, the plan to kill me, would it actually stop Satan?" Sam asked.

Dean shook his head. "No, Sam, come on."

Sam glanced at Dean and me and then back at Cass. "Cass, what do you think? Does Anna have a point?"

Dean and Cass exchanged a look, and then Cass turned his attention to Sam. "No. She's, uh, Glenn Close."

Sam nodded and looked down.

Dean walked up to Cass. "I don't get it. We're looking for the chick that wants to gank Sam." He shook his head. "Why poke the bear?"

"Anna will keep trying. She won't give up until Sam is dead. So we kill her first." Cass poured some sort of liquid into a bowl that sat on the table. "Zod ah ma ra la ee est la gi ro sa."

The bowl shot out red flames. Cass stepped back and leaned on the back of a chair with his eyes closed. We all watched, a little worried as he stood there, breathing heavily.

Then he looked up. "I've found her."

"Where is she?" Dean asked.

Cass shook his head. "Not where. When." He straightened up. "It's 1978."

I furrowed my brow. "What?"

Sam stood up. "Why 1978? I wasn't even born yet."

Cass nodded. "You won't be if she kills your parents."

"What?" Sam asked.

Cass walked up to us. "Anna can't get to you because of me. So she's going after them."

"Take us back right now," Dean demanded.

"And deliver you right to Anna?" Cass shook his head. "I should go alone."

"They're our parents, Cass, we're going," Dean said.

"It's not that easy." Cass took a few steps away from us.

"Why?" I asked.

Cass sighed. "Time travel was difficult even with the powers of Heaven at my disposal."

Sam nodded. "Which got cut off."

"So, what, you're like a Delorean without enough plutonium?" Dean asked.

"I don't understand that reference." Cass shrugged. "But I'm telling you, taking this trip, with passengers no less..." He shook his head. "It'll weaken me."

Dean walked up to Cass. "They're our mom and dad. If we can save them, and not just from Anna... I mean, if we can set things right, we have to try."

Cass hesitated and sighed.


Later that night, Cass packed jars of holy oil and his angel-killing blade into one of our duffle bags and then turned to us, "Ready?"

Sam took the bag from Cass and swung it up onto his shoulder, "Not really."

"Bend your knees," Dean said to us, and then Cass raised his hands, and there was a bright flash of light.


Sam, Dean, and I appeared in the middle of a street and a car honked at us. We snapped ourselves out of the weird daze we were in and moved toward the sidewalk.

Another car drove up and honked at us. "Get out of the street!" the driver yelled.

We stepped onto the sidewalk, and another car honked at us and sped away.

"Did we make it?" Sam asked.

Dean pointed to one of the cars. "Unless they're bringing Pintos back into production, I, uh, I'd say yes." Then he spotted something and started running.

Sam and I realized Cass was collapsed against a nearby car with his nose bleeding, so we ran over.

Dean pulled him up. "Take it easy. Take it easy. Are you all right?"

"I'm fine. I'm much better than I expected." Cass groaned and then spit out blood just before going unconscious.

"Cass?" Sam asked and put his hand in front of Cass's mouth. "He's breathing. Sort of. What do we do?"


After Sam and Dean carried Cass to a motel, Dean stayed inside to pay while Sam and I went to the phone booth. Sam ripped a page out of the phone book when Dean walked up to us.

"So I paid for Cass for five nights up in the, uh, honeymoon suite. I told the manager, 'Do not disturb no matter what.' You know what he said to me?" Dean asked. "'Yeah. Don't sweat it. Want to buy some dope?'"

Sam snorted.

"Dope." Dean shook his head. "We ought to stick around here, buy some stock in Microsoft."

Sam nodded. "Yeah, we might have to if Cass doesn't recover. Is he all right?"

"What do I look like... Dr. Angel, Medicine Woman?" Dean asked. "He'll wake up. He's, you know, tough for a little nerdy dude with wings."

"Hopefully, Anna landed like that too," I said.

Sam nodded. "Should buy us some time."

"So, did you find 'em?" Dean asked.

Sam nodded. "Yeah. Uh, the Winchesters. 485 Robintree." He held up the page he had ripped out of the phone book.

"Let's go pop in on the folks," Dean said.


We pulled up in our rental car across the street from a house with the Impala in the driveway. We got out and crossed the street.

"Sam. Wait, wait, wait," Dean said.

Sam stopped and turned. "Dean, Anna could be here any second."

"What exactly are we gonna march up there and tell 'em?" Dean asked.

Sam shrugged. "Uh, the truth."

"What, that their sons are back from the future to save them from an angel gone Terminator?" Dean asked. "Come on. Those movies haven't even come out yet."

"Well, then tell her demons are after 'em. I mean, she thinks you're a hunter, right?" Sam asked.

Dean nodded. "Yeah, a hunter who disappeared right when her dad died. She's gonna love me." He thought for a moment. "Just follow my lead." He walked past Sam and me and up to the house.

When we were all standing on the porch, Dean rang the doorbell, and a few minutes later, a younger version of the Mary I was familiar with answered the door.

"Hi, Mary," Dean said.

She shook her head. "You can't be here."

Dean nodded. "I'm sorry if this is a bad time."

Mary shook her head. "You don't understand. I'm not..." She looked at me and then at Sam, who was staring awkwardly at her. "I don't do that anymore." She turned her attention back to Dean. "I have a normal life now. You have to go." She moved to close the door.

Dean held his arm out to stop her. "I'm sorry, but this is important, okay?"

A younger version of Dad walked up, taking my breath away, and cleared his throat.

Mary smiled at him. "Sorry, sweetie, they're just—"

"Mary's cousins," Dean said.

Mary smiled uncomfortably.

Dean nodded. "Yeah, we couldn't stop through town without swinging by and saying, 'hey,' now, could we?" He held out a hand for Dad to shake. "Dean."

Dad furrowed his brow. "You look familiar."

"Really?" Dean asked and nodded. "Yeah, you do, too, actually, ya know? We must have met some time. Small towns, right? Got to love 'em."

"I'm John." Dad nodded and held his hand out to Sam, who just stared for a moment and then finally shook it.

"This is Sam," Dean said.

"Sam. Uh, Mary's father was a Sam," Dad said.

"Uh, it's a— it's a family name," Dean said.

Sam was still holding onto Dad's hand.

"You okay, pal?" Dad asked. "You look a little spooked."

Sam finally let him go. "Oh. Oh, yeah. Just a... long trip."

Dad looked down at me and held his hand out. "And who is this?"

I took his hand and shook it. "Ma— Maddison." I felt myself stutter awkwardly and hated myself for it.

Dad smiled. "Beautiful name."

"Thanks." I smiled and then let his hand go.

"Well, they were just on their way out," Mary said.

"What?" Dad asked. "They just got here. Real happy to meet folks from Mary's side. Please come on in for a beer."

"Twist my arm." Dean laughed.

Mary glared at him and then opened the door for us to walk in. We followed Dad and Mary into their living room and took seats on the couches. Sam couldn't stop staring at Mary, and it was making her visibly uncomfortable.

"Are you sure you're okay, Sam?" Dad asked.

Sam looked at him. "Wha— Oh. Yeah, yeah. Um, I'm just, um..." He looked back at Mary. "You are so beautiful."

Dad leaned closer to her.

Dean laughed. "He means that in a— a non-weird, wholesome, family kind of a way."

Sam nodded quickly, realizing he was putting off a creepy vibe. "Yeah, right."

"We haven't seen Mary in— in quite some time, and... see, she's the spitting image of our mom." Dean nodded. "I mean, it's— it's—"

Sam nodded. "Eerie."

"So, how are you guys related?" Dad asked.

"Ya know, uh, distantly," Dean said.

Dad nodded. "Oh. So you knew Mary's parents?"

Dean nodded. "Yeah. Yeah, yeah. Mary's dad was, uh, pretty much like a grandpa to us."

"Oh. That was tragic... that heart attack." Dad reached over to take Mary's hand.

Dean nodded. "Yes, it was."

"So, uh, what are you guys doing in town, anyway?" Dad asked.

Dean shrugged. "Uh, business, ya know."

"Oh, yeah? What line of work?" Dad asked.

"Plumbing," Sam said quickly.

"Scrap metal," Dean said, just before Sam finished speaking.

Mary stood up. "Oh, gosh. It's almost seven. I hate to be rude, but I got to get dinner ready."

Dad smiled up at her and shrugged. "Maybe they could stay."

Mary shook her head. "I'm sure they have to leave."

Ring! Ring! Ring!

Dad looked at us. "Uh, look, please stay. Ya know, it would mean a lot to me. I haven't met much of Mary's side of the family." He stood up and walked into the other room to answer the phone.

"You have to leave. Now," Mary said.

Dean nodded. "Okay, just listen—"

Mary shook her head. "No, you listen. Last time I saw you, a demon killed my parents. Now you waltz in here like you're family? Whatever you want..." She shook her head. "No. Leave me alone."

"You and John are in danger," I said.

Mary furrowed her brow. "What are you talking about?"

"Something's coming for you," Dean said.

"Demon?" Mary asked.

Dean shook his head. "Not exactly."

Mary shrugged. "Well, what, then?"

Dean sighed. "It's kind of hard to explain, okay? It's— It's—"

"An angel," Sam said.

Mary laughed. "What? There's no such thing."

Dean nodded. "I wish. But they're twice as strong as demons. And bigger dicks."

"Why would an angel want to kill us?" Mary asked.

Dean sighed. "It's a long story, and we'll tell you the whole thing, but right now, you've got to trust us, and we got to go."

Mary hesitated.

"Look at my face and tell me if I'm lying to you," Dean said.

Mary stared at him for a moment and finally nodded. "Okay. Where do we go?"

"Out of here. We got to move now, though," Dean said, and we all stood up.

Mary nodded. "Okay. But what do I tell John?" She sighed as we turned the corner into the kitchen.

"Just tell him—" Dean looked around. "John?"

Mary picked up a notepad by the phone that read:

Back in 15

-J


Mary told us that the only place she thought Dad would go unannounced was work. The four of us hopped into the Impala and headed towards the garage he worked in. When we walked in, the garage was an absolute mess.

Then we spotted Dad being flung into the air by Anna. As he landed with a crash, Dean hurriedly pulled out the angel blade in an attempt to stop her. However, before he could reach her, Anna spun around, grabbing Dean by his wrist and throat.

"I wish I could say it's good to see you, Anna," Dean said as he tried to pry her hand off of his throat.

"You too, Dean," Anna said and then sent him flying out of a window.

Mary picked up the angel blade that Dean had dropped and twirled it in her hand to get a better grip before advancing on Anna. Dad sat up and looked shocked at the sight of Mary fighting like the hunter he never knew she was. Mary slashed at Anna, cutting her hand. Anna ducked as Mary took another swing at her and then appeared behind her. Mary swung around to face Anna before swiping at her again, but Anna caught her wrist.

Just as things were beginning to look grim, I noticed Sam sliding a blade across his palm before he began making his way to the nearest wall. He reached out, and hastily drew the angel-banishing symbol.

"I'm sorry," Anna said and then sent Mary flying backward onto a car's windshield.

She slid off the car as Anna advanced toward her, and then she stumbled to a bench and picked up a crowbar. She quickly turned and thrust the crowbar into Anna's chest. Anna stood there motionless and then pulled the bloody crowbar out of her chest, unphased.

Anna dropped the crowbar. "Sorry. It's not that easy to kill an angel."

"No," Sam said, causing Anna to turn and realize we were standing next to the symbol he had drawn. "But you can distract 'em." He pressed his palm to the sigil, and Anna immediately vanished.


After we hopped in the Impala and took off, Sam, Dean, and I in the back while Dad and Mary rode in the front. Mary told Dad it was probably best to drive to a secret old house that her family-owned in the middle of the woods. Shortly into the drive, Dad started asking questions about what happened. So, we ironically explained hunting and what Anna was to Dad, but he was having a hard time wrapping his head around it.

"Monsters? Monsters?" Dad asked for the fifth time.

Mary nodded. "Yes."

"Monsters are real," Dad said.

Mary sighed. "I'm sorry, I didn't know how—"

"And you fight them?" Dad looked in the rearview mirror at us. "All of you?"

Sam nodded. "Yeah."

"Even her?" Dad nodded at me. "She's just a kid."

I nodded. "Yeah."

"How long?" Dad asked Mary.

"All my life," Mary said, "John, just try to understand—"

Dean shook his head. "She didn't exactly have a choice—"

"Shut up, all of you!" Dad shouted, "Look, not another word, or so help me, I will turn this car around!"

The car instantly fell silent. I exchanged looks with Sam and Dean.

"Wow. Awkward family road trip," Dean whispered.

Sam chuckled under his breath. "No, kidding."


Mary led us into an older unkempt house in the middle of the woods and flipped on a light switch when we walked through the front door.

"Place has been in the family for years." She walked forward into a living room and flipped a carpet over, revealing a devil's trap underneath. "Devil's trap. Pure iron fixtures, of course." She flipped on another light. "Um, there should be salt and holy water in the pantry, knives, guns."

Sam shook his head. "All that stuff will do is piss it off."

"So, what will kill it?" Mary asked, "Or slow it down, at least?"

Sam shrugged. "Not much."

Mary laughed. "Great."

"He said not much, not nothing. We packed." Dean thumped his duffel bag down on a table and rummaged through it. "If we put this up and she comes close..." He pulled a paper with the angel-banishing symbol on it out of the bag. He showed Mary. "We beam her right off the starship."

Mary nodded. "Mm-hmm..."

"This is holy oil." Sam held up a bottle.

I shrugged. "It's basically a devil's trap for angels."

Sam nodded and gestured for Mary to follow. "Come on. I'll show you how it works."

"Hey, what's the deal with the thing on the paper?" Dad asked.

Dean nodded. "It's a sigil. That means—"

Dad shook his head. "I don't care what it means. Where does it go?"

"On a wall or a door," Dean said.

"How big should I make it?" Dad asked.

Dean sighed. "John—"

"What?" Dad snapped, "Y'all might have treated me like a fool, but I am not useless. I can draw a damn—" He picked up the paper. "Whatever it is... a sigil."

"Why don't you go help Sam out?" Dean asked. "Maddison and I will take care of this, okay? 'Cause, this has got to be done in— It's got to be done in human blood."

Dad picked up a knife, unsheathed it, and sliced through his palm. "So, how big?"

"I'll show you." Dean chuckled.

"What?" Dad asked.

Dean shook his head. "All of a sudden, you— you really remind me of my dad."


Dad and I stood silently in one of the bedrooms, drawing sigils on the wall while Dean went to grab some things downstairs.

"How long have you known about this... hunting stuff?" Dad asked.

I shrugged. "All my life, it's all I've ever known. It's how my dad raised me."

"Seriously?" Dad asked, shaking his head in disappointment. "Who the hell does that to a kid?"

"Well, I mean, he's not the only one who's done it." I shrugged. "Mary's parents, for example."

Dad shook his head. "I don't care." He scoffed. "Ya know, what kind of irresponsible bastard lets a child anywhere near— Ya know, you could've been killed!"

I nodded. "There have been some close calls, but I'm still kicking."

Dad shook his head. "The number it must've done on your head— Your father was supposed to protect you."

I nodded. "He did. He even died trying to save Dean." I shrugged. "Even after death, he protected us." I nodded. "It used to make me sad that he was barely around, but to be honest, I get it now. He was doing the best he could, and he actually made me a stronger person because of it. He saved people, and because of what he taught me, I get to too."

Dad nodded and listened.

"I've realized a few things very recently that I didn't know." I smiled. "I always knew that he loved my brothers' mother, but I never knew how much." I shrugged. "But he lost her because something most people don't even realize exists killed her." I sighed. "I think it drove him crazy, and knowing my dad, if he didn't try to do anything about it, he would've died a lot sooner than he did. If it wasn't for him pushing himself to fight, my brothers might not be alive right now, and to be honest, I probably wouldn't even exist." I shook my head. "I just wish I could tell him how much I miss him and how much I love him... for everything." I smiled at my dad and felt my eyes well with tears.

Dad nodded at me like he was trying to understand. "I'm sure he knows."


A little while later, I went into the living room to help Mary set up some holy oil traps.

"So, did your parents raise you in this life too?" Mary asked, after a few minutes of her glancing over at me without saying anything.

"Yeah, my dad did." I nodded.

"Do you ever think about leaving?" she asked.

I shook my head. "No."

She furrowed her brow. "You've never thought about it?"

I shrugged. "I mean, I would be lying if I didn't think it would be easier." I sighed. "Something really big would have to happen for me to finally be done with it, though."

"Like what?" she asked.

"I think that if my family died, it would go one of two ways." I sighed. "I would either go nuts and kill everything and anything in my path before either enacting my revenge or getting killed. Or I would completely disassociate myself from this life."

Mary's eyes widened. "Those are two extremes."

I nodded. "Yeah, I know, but it's hard to see any other option."

Mary nodded. "Yeah, I'm kind of at that point myself. John's all I have left, so I guess..." She chuckled. "I chose disassociation."

I laughed. "That's probably the smarter choice."

Mary smiled. "Hopefully, for your sake, you choose the same, but..." She rolled her eyes. "I'm finding it hard to separate when hunters and strange creatures keep popping into my life."

I nodded, feeling a little sad knowing her future. "I guess it's not so bad to be prepared for everything, though."

Mary sighed. "Yeah, I just hope it doesn't drive me insane or kill me."

We heard heavy footsteps followed by a sigh from Dean as he entered the room.

Mary turned to Dean. "Okay. You said you'd explain everything when we had a minute. We have a minute. Why does an angel want me dead?"

Dean shrugged. "'Cause they're dicks."

Mary laughed and then shook her head. "Not good enough. I didn't even know they existed, and now I'm a target?"

Dean sighed. "It's complicated."

"Fine." Mary shrugged. "All ears."

Dean shook his head. "You're just gonna have to trust me, okay?"

Mary nodded. "I've been trusting you all day."

"It's kind of hard to believe," Dean said.

"All right, then. I'm walking out the door." Mary turned toward the front door.

"I'm your son," Dean blurted out.

I widened my eyes at him.

Mary quickly turned back. "What?"

Dean nodded. "I'm your son." He shook his head. "Sorry. I don't know how else to say it. We're from the year 2010. An angel zapped us back here. Not the one that attacked you. Friendlier."

Mary shook her head. "You can't expect me to believe that.

Dean nodded. "Our names are Dean, Sam, and Maddison Winchester. Sam and I were named after your parents. When I would get sick, you would make me tomato-rice soup because that's what your mom made you. And instead of a lullaby, you would sing Hey Jude, 'cause that's your favorite Beatles song."

Mary shook her head, starting to cry. "I— I don't believe it. No."

Dean sighed sympathetically. "I'm sorry, but it's true."

"I raised my kids to be hunters?" Mary asked.

Dean shook his head. "No. No, you didn't."

"How could I do that to you?" Mary asked.

Dean shook his head. "You didn't do it... because you're dead."

Mary's eyes widened. "What? What happened?"

"Yellow-eyed demon. He killed you, and..." Dean glanced toward the doorway. "John became a hunter to get revenge. He raised us in this life. Listen to me. A demon comes into Sam's nursery exactly six months after he's born. November 2nd, 1983."

"Wait, I die that night?" Mary asked.

Dean nodded. "Yes."

She looked at me. "Then is she mine? There's no way she's older than Sam."

Dean shook his head. "No, she isn't, but... she is John's."

Mary looked at me, almost as if she was hurt by this news. I felt terrible, like I didn't belong. I felt bad that I made the only woman I had ever thought of as my idea of a good mother look at me with such hurt in her eyes.

Dean sighed. "Look, I just need you to remember that date. And whatever you do, do not go in there. You wake up that morning, and you take Sam, and you run."

Sam walked in. "That's not good enough, Dean." He shrugged. "Wherever she goes, the demon's gonna find her. Find me."

"Well, then what?" Dean asked.

"She can leave Dad. That's what," Sam said and looked at Mary. "You got to leave John."

Mary furrowed her brow. "What?"

Sam nodded. "When this is all over, walk away and never look back."

"So, we're never born." Dean nodded at Mary. "He's right."

Even though the idea scared me, and I hated it, I knew they were right.

Mary shook her head. "I— I can't. You're saying that you're my children, and now you're saying—"

"You have no other choice. There's a big difference between dying and never being born. And trust me, we're okay with it, I promise you that," Dean said.

Mary nodded with attitude. "Okay, well, I'm not."

"Listen, you think you can have that normal life that you want so bad, but you can't. I'm sorry." Sam shook his head. "It's all gonna go rotten. You are gonna die, and your children will be cursed."

"There— There has to be a way," Mary pleaded.

"No, this is the way. Leave John," Dean said.

Mary shook her head. "I can't."

"This is bigger than us," Sam said, "There are so many more lives at stake—"

"You don't understand. I can't." Mary paused. "It's too late. I'm— I'm pregnant."

While we tried to absorb this unfortunate information, Dad walked in. "Hey, we got a problem. Those blood things, the sigils... they're gone."

Sam furrowed his brow. "Gone... as in...?"

"I drew one on the back of a door. I turned around. And when I looked back again, it was a smudge," Dad explained.

Dean walked over and looked at the back of the front door. "He's right."

Mary bent down to check the oil circle we had just poured. "There's no more holy oil."

Suddenly, a high-pitched sound filled the room. Sam pulled out the angel blade, and we all covered our ears. The windows and lights shattered, 'causing the room to immediately go dark. Then the front door burst open, and a man walked in. Instantly, the sound stopped.

"Who the hell are you?" Dean asked.

"I'm Uriel." The man smiled.

Dean backed away. "Oh, come on."

Sam stepped in front of Dad, Mary, and me and stepped back. "Go."

We all moved away from Uriel, but Anna was standing in the doorway when we looked at our other exit.

Dean shrugged. "Here goes nothin'." He charged at Uriel, and then Sam went after Anna.

Uriel easily threw Dean across the room, and Anna did the same to Sam, causing him to drop the angel blade. Dad dove forward, picked up the blade, and lunged for Anna, but she blocked it and threw him through the wall and into the back yard.

"John!" Mary shouted.

I stepped in front of Mary as Anna slowly approached her.

Anna sighed. "Please, move. I don't want to hurt you."

I shrugged. "Yeah, well, here we are."

Anna glared at me and continued to move forward when Sam stepped between us, but Anna ripped a pipe out of the wall and stabbed him in the chest. My eyes widened as he stumbled into the wall.

"Sammy!" Dean shouted.

Sam slumped to the floor, bleeding heavily from his mouth.

I ran to him. "Sam!" I checked his pulse, but there wasn't one. "No, no, no... Sam?" I cried as I shook him.

"Anna," a deep voice echoed through the room, and I turned to see Dad staring directly at her.

"Michael," Anna said, with a little fear in her voice.

Michael stepped forward and put his hand on Anna's shoulder, causing her to immediately burst into flames, screaming. Then he turned to Uriel.

Uriel stepped back, shaking his head. "Michael. I didn't know."

"Goodbye, Uriel." Michael snapped his fingers, and Uriel disappeared.

"What did you do to John?" Mary asked.

"John is fine." Michael smiled.

"Who—" Mary shook her head. "What are you?"

"Shh..." Michael touched Mary's forehead, and she fell unconscious. He turned to Dean. "Well, I'd say this conversation is long overdue, wouldn't you?"

Dean pointed to Sam. "Fix him."

Michael shook his head. "First... we talk. Then I fix your darling little Sammy."

"How'd you get in my dad, anyway?" Dean asked.

"I told him I could save his wife, and he said yes," Michael said.

"I guess they oversold me being your one and only vessel." Dean scoffed.

"You're my true vessel but not my only one," Michael said.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Dean asked.

"It's a bloodline," Michael explained.

"A bloodline?" Dean asked.

Michael nodded. "Stretching back to Cain and Abel. It's in your blood, your father's blood, your family's blood."

So, it was true, Lucifer could use me as a vessel if he had no other option. I honestly was hoping he was just messing with me to get to Sam, but knowing it was true, actually scared me.

"Awesome." Dean rolled his eyes. "Six degrees of Heaven Bacon. What do you want with me?"

"You really don't know the answer to that?" Michael asked.

"Well, you know I ain't gonna say yes, so why are you here? What do you want with me?!" Dean yelled.

"I just want you to understand what you and I have to do," Michael said.

Dean nodded. "Oh, I get it. You got beef with your brother. Well, get some therapy, pal. Don't take it out on my planet!"

Michael shook his head. "You're wrong. Lucifer defied our father, and he betrayed me. But still... I don't want this any more than you would want to kill Sam." He turned away. "Ya know, my brother, I practically raised him. I took care of him in a way most people could never understand, and I still love him." He turned back to Dean. "But I am going to kill him because it is right, and I have to."

"Oh, because God says so?" Dean asked.

Michael nodded. "Yes. From the beginning, he knew this was how it was going to end."

"And you're just gonna do whatever God says?" Dean asked.

Michael nodded. "Yes, because I am a good son."

Dean nodded. "Okay, well, trust me, pal. Take it from someone who knows... that is a dead-end street."

"And you think you know better than my father? One unimportant little man. What makes you think you get to choose?" Michael asked.

"Because I got to believe that I can choose what I do with my unimportant little life," Dean said.

"You're wrong. You know how I know?" Michael asked. "Think of a million random acts of chance that let John and Mary be born, to meet, to fall in love, to have the two of you. Think of the million random choices that you make, and yet how each and every one of them brings you closer to your destiny. Do you know why that is? Because it's not random. It's not chance. It's a plan that is playing itself out perfectly. Free will's an illusion, Dean. That's why you're going to say yes." He rolled his eyes, "Oh, buck up. It could be worse. You know, unlike my brothers, I won't leave you a drooling mess when I'm done wearing you."

"Well, what about my dad?" Dean asked.

Michael shrugged. "Better than new. In fact, I'm gonna do your mom and your dad a favor."

"What?" Dean asked.

"Scrub their minds. They won't remember me or you," Michael said.

Dean shook his head. "You can't do that."

Michael shrugged. "I'm just giving your mother what she wants. She can go back to her husband, her family—"

"She's gonna walk right into that nursery!" Dean shouted.

"Obviously." Michael turned away. "And you always knew that was going to play out one way or another." He turned back. "You can't fight City Hall." He walked over to Sam and me and pressed his fingers to Sam's forehead. Sam disappeared, and the bloody pipe clanked to the floor beside me. "He's home. Safe and sound." He looked at me. "Your turn." He pressed his fingers to my forehead, and I appeared back in our motel room, in front of a perfectly healthy Sam.

I smiled. "Sam..." I ran to him and pulled him into a hug.


Dean had returned shortly after me, and later that night, we started packing up the room to head out. We hadn't heard from Cass, and we were a little concerned we would never see him again.

"Castiel," Sam said, and I turned around to see Cass standing right in front of him. Sam grabbed hold of him before he fell to the ground. "Hey, hey. Whoa."

"Cass." Dean ran over and helped hold Cass up.

"We got you," Sam said.

"You son of a bitch. You made it." Dean laughed.

"I— I did?" Cass asked. "I'm very surprised." He collapsed in their arms.

"Whoa! You're okay," Sam said, trying to hold him up.

"Bed?" Dean asked.

Sam nodded. "Yeah, yeah."

Dean and Sam hauled him off to the closest bed and laid him down on it.

"Well, I could use that drink now," Dean said.

Sam nodded. "Yeah."

Dean walked over to the kitchen and poured two glasses of whiskey. "Well... this is it."

"This is what?" I asked.

Dean shrugged. "Team Free Will. One ex-blood junkie, one angsty teenager, one dropout with six bucks to his name, and Mr. Comatose over there. It's awesome."

Sam shook his head. "That's not funny."

Dean took a sip from his glass. "I'm not laughing."

Sam sighed. "They all say we'll say yes."

Dean nodded and handed Sam the other glass. "I know. It's getting annoying."

"What if they're right?" Sam asked.

Dean took another sip. "They're not."

"I mean, why— why would we, either of us?" Sam asked. "But... I've been weak before."

"Sam," Dean said.

"Michael got Dad to say yes," Sam said.

"That was different. Anna was about to kill Mom," Dean said.

"And if you could save Mom... what would you say?" Sam asked.

Dean didn't answer and just took another sip.

His lack of a response scared me a little bit, but my worry was distracted for a moment when my phone buzzed. I grabbed it and flipped it open to read it.

Nate: Hey D. I miss u 2. Just need more time.