Thank you MaggieMay17 for beta'ing, Ncsupnatfan and VegasGranny for pre-reading. Thank you all for reading.

Chapter Twenty-Three

Sam was investigating a death in Beijing that he thought was one of Michael's monsters' kills. The teeth patterns were similar to what he'd seen from a vetala before, though much larger. He guessed Michael had added more to his ranks than just vampires and werewolves. By reading the coroner's report that he'd taken from the records after sending the file clerk to sleep, he saw that the body was drained of almost all of its blood.

Reading the file in its beautifully printed Mandarin characters was a surreal experience. The knowledge to read and understand all languages was an unexpected bonus of being an angel that Castiel had never mentioned before. Hearing the language spoken was more confusing. He heard both the words as he would have before, as nothing more than sounds that he couldn't comprehend, while his mind also translated them into English.

He guessed it would have given him a headache as a human.

He'd felt no pain as an angel, apart from the physical wounds given by Castiel, Jody, and her deputy, not to mention the high-powered rifle of the Vegas security guard. And he'd felt no tiredness since the very early days of his transformatrion into an archangel. It didn't feel quite right; it disconnected him from Sam the human and reminded him that wasn't who he was anymore. That was sometimes upsetting until he reminded himself that Sam the human would never have been able to protect his family as well as Sam the archangel could.

He closed the file, pushed the tray that held the body back into the fridge and closed the door. He'd not learned much from it apart from the fact that Michael's operations had spread to China and that there were now vetala in his ranks. It added to the cases he'd seen in Australia, Denmark, and Zambia in the last three weeks. The only continent he'd not found evidence on was Antarctica, though he'd only visited it out of curiosity. Standing beside the stars and stripes flag at the South Pole had made him wish, for perhaps the hundredth time that Dean was a real part of this experience, that he could tell him about all the things he'd seen and done.

Or perhaps Castiel was the person to tell. He would be able to relate to the things Sam was doing as he'd probably done them all himself.

Sam touched the forehead of the man he'd rendered unconscious, wakening him with a gentle push of grace and then flew away before he could do more than groan and blink drowsily.

He came to a stop at the peak of Mount McKinley in the Denali National Park. He liked it here. He was able to think when he was surrounded by open space. His situation felt less oppressive when he was reminded of his insignificance among the sheer spread of the world. Sometimes his new life was overwhelming; he had so much power and responsibility, and it was nice to feel small within it.

He felt a presence join him, and he made himself visible to Violet, who was standing pointedly further away than necessary, still nervous of him, he guessed.

"Hello, Violet," he said.

She bowed her head slightly. "Lucifer. How was China?"

"You were right; it was another of Michael's monsters that killed the man. I think a vetala." He frowned. "Were you the one who reaped her? Is that how you knew about it?"

"No. I just heard the news from Billie, and she asked me to pass it on to you."

"Do you think she'll make time for a face-to-face anytime soon?" Sam asked.

He wanted to speak to Billie for a purely self-serving reason. He didn't think she would be able to help him more than she already had, but it would have been nice to see someone that also saw him for who he truly was.

It was better to hear himself be addressed by Dean as Sam, but it was never the name he truly wanted, Sammy, as that had been lost with the memories.

"I don't know," she replied. "I can ask her, but I don't think she'd even give me an answer. She's very mysterious now that she's Death."

Sam shrugged. "Okay. What do you need? You found me for a reason, right?"

"Yes. I heard about a group of Michael's creations that are hunting that I thought you would want to know about."

Sam's breath caught. "You mean actual living creations I can talk to?"

She nodded. "They are in Canada. I can guide you to the place. It's off the beaten track in Manitoba."

"Yes," Sam said enthusiastically.

He had been hoping for a chance to speak to another of them. He'd not given the vampire enough time, not gotten more information out of it before killing it. If these monsters knew more than that one had, he might get some insight into Michael's plans and path. The fact there was evidence of so many of them, and that they were so widely spread made Sam think Michael wanted more than just troops to serve in the place of angels. He thought there was a plan coming together, and that scared him. Even with the Brits' help and network to pass on information, he didn't have his own army to counteract them.

"Take me there," he added.

She nodded, and Sam spread his wings and followed her. Flying with a reaper was different than how he imagined it felt to fly alongside an angel. Though she was divine, too, Violet had no wings, and her method of movement was more akin to the teleportation that was Crowley's ability. He locked his attention on her, and his instincts did the rest. Flight with his own wings felt freer.

They came to a field of wheat stubble that housed a wooden barn with peeling red paint and an open door. Certain he'd lost the element of surprise, he marched to the barn and then raced inside, as Violet disappeared from beside him.

There were five monsters, one vampire, two werewolves, a heavily tattooed djinn, and another monster with clawed hands and silver eyes that he only recognized from his father's journal sketch—a kumiho. They were a striking sight, but more striking was the archangel that stood in front of them, addressing them in a speech.

"You know what you've got to do," Michael said. "Spread out and attack. Don't take targets that aren't for the mission unless you need to feed. Our intent isn't just a massacre. We want the enemy beaten by our army."

Sam stared at his back, stunned that Michael showed no signs of concern for his presence, though he must have known Sam was there just as he had sensed Michael, even concealed, in the bunker.

"Go now," Michael said, then slowly turned and smiled. "Hello, Sam."

"Michael," he growled.

Michael looked amused. "I see you found me. How? I've felt you on my heels for weeks, sniffing after my experiments and failures. Did you finally learn how to trace me, or is this pure coincidence?"

Sam refused to answer, not wanting to give Violet's help away and put her at risk. If he was apparently able to sense Sam, Michael would surely be able to find her.

"Not feeling chatty?" he asked. "Shame."

The monsters that stood behind Michael started forwards, and Sam flung out an arm. They were driven back a few steps by the pulse of energy he hit them with and knocked down, but he wasn't able to hold them to the wooden walls of the barn the way he'd intended.

Michael laughed. "You're not quite strong enough for that yet, Sam, but you are stronger. It's happening faster than I expected. Does this mean you're here to kill me?"

Sam was tempted to try, but the look in Michael's eyes told him it wouldn't work. All he'd probably achieve by attacking now was his own injury and possibly being weakened later when it mattered most. Despite the fact Michael couldn't kill him, Sam was sure he could hurt him enough to take his ability to defend his family.

"No," Sam said. "I've been looking for you to make my offer to send you home again."

"The offer… Yes. I hate to burst your bubble, Sam, but I know that it's a lie. And I'm aware that your surety that you'll kill me is not rooted in fact. I have had a glimpse into what's contained in Death's library, and I know your hand is only one of those that can kill me. There are others who are more likely."

"I meant what I said," Sam lied. "I will send you home. I know where the other ingredients for the spell are."

Michael smirked. "And you think I don't know? I'll let you in on a secret, I took more than pleasure in my visit to the place you call home." He withdrew his hand from his pocket and held out the Seal of Solomon. "You and your brother didn't hide it as well as you'd thought. If I wanted to go home, I could do it myself. I don't want to go home, though. I like it here. And you know I have made some new friends."

Sam looked at the monsters who had regained their feet and positioned themselves behind Michael in crouches that made them look as though they were preparing to spring at Sam.

Michael looked over his shoulder and said, "Stand down. Sam and I are just going to talk. He's no threat to me."

The monsters straightened up and fixed their eyes on Sam, their stares pressing into him like needles.

"How did you get into Death's library?" Sam asked.

"I didn't. I had a friend do it for me."

"A reaper?" Sam guessed and then sighed. "That's how you got the vessel. I knew you'd had help, but…"

"But you didn't know who," Michael finished for him. "No, I didn't expect you to know. Lucifer was much smarter than you. Obviously, you're dealing with the fact you're slowed down with all this new power and none of the infinite knowledge he had, but he told me you were smarter than this when we discussed you. And we did discuss you a lot. We had time while we sought the other necessary ingredients to bring us to this world, and he was happy to share information about the Winchesters that he hated so much." He raised an eyebrow. "How does it feel knowing that God has placed the being that hates them so much among your family as a brother and son?"

"Nick isn't Lucifer anymore," Sam said.

He was sure of that. He saw the way Nick looked at Dean, the same way Sam had with the bond they'd shared. Nick didn't know who or what he was; Chuck had seen to that, and Billie had confirmed it. Nick had a life with them, a history, that was built on love. The people Sam loved were in no danger from him.

Michael considered him a moment. "No, he's not, but doesn't it burn you to look at him and know who he really is? Lucifer was also happy to talk about what he did to you. I imagine those years in the Cage left some lasting memories."

Sam clenched his jaw and stayed silent.

Michael chuckled. "I see they did.

"Who is your reaper?" Sam asked.

"Sure, I'll tell you so you can go kill her. That makes perfect strategic sense."

"It's a woman then," Sam said smugly. "That's all I need to know. Billie will be able to root her out."

"You're assuming Billie doesn't already know, that she didn't bring you here today for a reason."

Sam frowned. He didn't think Billie would be working with Michael. She'd told Sam he needed to kill him. She'd said he needed to be stopped. Sam was a safer bet to have as the world's archangel as he was no threat to anyone she would want to live. Michael was a threat to everyone.

"You're lying," he said. "Billie doesn't know. She wouldn't bring me here. It was…" He gasped. "Violet!"

Michael smirked, and Sam knew he was right.

How long had she been playing him? Since the beginning, when Billie had told her to help him? Sam had been helpless with his powers, and she'd trained him to use them, but had she taught him everything? Were there other powers she'd neglected to teach him because she didn't want him to be a threat? He wasn't sure, but he saw now that she'd played him well. Even recently, when he was with her, she'd acted as though she was scared of him.

He'd been so stupid.

"Why did she bring me here?" he asked. "Why did you want me?"

"I wanted to talk to you."

Sam narrowed his eyes. "No, it's more than that. I… I'm being distracted."

At the same moment that the realization came, there was another. It was too quiet. The monsters were breathing heavily, eager to strike, and he could hear ambient sounds of the barn and surroundings—the creak of the wooden walls as they settled and the birds singing outside, the breeze against the stunted stalks of maize. But there was no hum in his mind of angel radio. It was blocked.

Sam was here, distracted, which meant Michael wanted him busy while he did something else. And he thought he knew where the real threat was and to whom.

Sam cursed and took flight, settling in the library of the bunker a moment later. It was empty, and he could hear no sound of presence anywhere inside, but he called for Dean and Castiel anyway. There was no response, and he reached for the hum in his mind and shouted, "Castiel!"

"Sam!" the answer came at once, steeped in stress. "Where have you been? I called you, and Dean prayed. We need—"

"Stop talking!" Sam snapped. "What's going on? Where are you?"

"We're in Sioux City. Claire, Claire Novak, my vessel's daughter, called about a case she needed help with, but she's not answering her phone now. I heard a prayer, but she was too panicked to make sense. We're still an hour out from where she was said she was. You have to go. Now!"

"Where is she?" Sam asked.

"Just outside Sioux Falls, a deconsecrated church called The Ministry Chapel."

Sam knew it. It was a small place about a twenty-minute drive from Bobby's place.

"I'm going," Sam said. "I'll find her."

"How?" Castiel asked.

Sam didn't answer. He withdrew from his own mind, severing the connection with Castiel, and took flight immediately.

The smell of blood was the first thing to reach his senses before he had even set down in the old church, and the horror of the scene was the second the moment his wings curled in at his back.

There were four of Michael's enhanced vampires in the room, standing in a circle around Claire, who was tethered to a ceiling beam by her wrists. Her toes barely touched the floor, and there was blood smeared around her mouth. Her eyes were wide and scared, her breaths panting. She showed no sign of relief at the sight of him; if anything, she looked more scared. Sam guessed Dean and Nick had filled her in on who he was, probably after his brief meeting with Jody, but they'd not yet explained the 'truth' of his situation as the vessel.

Sam threw out his hands at the vampires, and they were knocked back to the floor with grunts and growls. While they were momentarily distracted, Sam turned his attention to Claire.

"It's okay," he said. "I'm going to help you."

She looked a little startled and then winced as he drew his blade, and it gleamed in the light from the bare bulb above him. "Too bright," she moaned.

The meaning of the words, the blood around her mouth, sank in, and Sam's breath whooshed out of him. She was changing.

"Did you feed?" he asked desperately.

She shook her head jerkily. "No, they're waiting."

He didn't ask what they were waiting for as he had a more pressing concern. "Whose blood were you fed?"

Claire flinched and looked to the right at the vampire that was leering around its descended fangs as it scrambled to its feet. "His."

"Okay," Sam said, his tone soothing. "We're going to fix this."

"Why would you?" she asked.

Sam didn't have a chance to answer as the vampires were on their feet again and coming at him. He went for the one he needed the blood from and kicked it in the gut then slammed the hilt of his blade down on the vampire's head, not managing to knock it unconscious but stunning it, so it fell back against the wall and slid down to the floor.

The moment it took was the chance the others needed to attack. They bowled into him, driving him back, and he swung out with his blade. He felt it catch on flesh, and there was a howl of pain.

With another wave of his hand, he drove them back and swept his blade through the air, slicing the head from the closest vampire and kicking it aside as it landed by his feet. He widened his stance and waited for the next to come close enough for him to kill. The vampire he'd stunned was trying to get to its feet, but he was able to knock it back with a pulse of power, far easier than it had been against the monsters with Michael as this one was weaker.

The taller vampire struck, its stinking breath on Sam's neck, and for a moment, he forgot he was an archangel. His mind took him back to that tunnel in the apocalypse world, to the teeth that had bitten into him and torn out his throat.

His fear became anger, and he flung it off of him with a roar of rage. The vampire fell, and Sam swung, but the other vampire that was still standing jumped onto his back, its hands tight around Sam's neck.

Sam forced himself forward with the vampire still clinging to him and drove the blade into the neck of the downed vampire, slicing off its head.

There was a grunt at his neck, and he allowed himself to fall forwards, effectively dislodging the vampire attached to him, so it rolled over his shoulder and landed heavily on the floor.

With a swift slice, Sam decapitated it and chanced a glance at Claire. She looked scared. From what he'd seen of Dean's process of change, it had been a painful affair as well as scary, and he wanted it over for her. He needed blood, though, and he had nothing to gather it in.

"Okay, Claire. I need to get its blood, and I need something to catch it in. You have to stay here."

"No! You have to let me down," she pleaded.

"I can't. If you drink even a drop of blood, the cure won't work. You have to stay here. I'll be gone a minute, that's all."

"Don't leave me like this!" Claire begged.

Sam couldn't reassure or help her properly without the blood, so he grabbed the vampire by the shoulder and took flight to the bunker's kitchen. He dropped the vampire on the floor, but the movement seemed to have energized it somehow, and it started to scramble to its feet. Sam kicked its legs out from under it and grabbed a sports-cap water bottle—one of his own that was probably now Nick's—from the drainer then bent and cut the vampire's throat, making blood flow freely. He caught it in the bottle, then capped it and set it down on the counter before cutting the vampire's head off and straightening.

"Castiel," he called on angel radio. "She's alive, but it was vampires, and she's changing. I've got the blood, but I need you to bring the other ingredients for the cure so I can get right back to her. You need garlic, sage—"

"But you just told me she's in Nebraska!" Castiel said stridently. "I heard you. We're going there now."

Sam's eyes widened. "That wasn't me, Cas! Distraction… It's got to be Michael! Get Dean away from there. I'm coming. Do not let Dean say yes, whatever you do! You have to protect him, Cas!"

"I will. We're…" Sam heard an audible cry of shock from his friend, and then Castiel said, "It's too late, Sam. He's here."

"No!" Sam shouted, but there was no response. Michael had severed the connection.

He cursed and spread his wings again, but before he could fly, he was slammed with a pulse of white light and torn out of the kitchen. Banished again at the exact moment he needed to be free to fly most of all.

So… We're coming closer to the end now. The big Michael fight is approaching, but the story doesn't end there. With a little more for this and Part II, there is so much more to see and do for Sam.

Until next time…

Clowns or Midgets xxx