2 hours before

"Hey! Get your paws off of me!" Lucifer shouts to Gabriel, dusting off his shoulder. Then he looks around and realizes where he is. He glances over Sam and the others and locks away almost in shame.

Sam didn't expect that kind of reaction.

"Alright, let's get this over with..."Lucifer says and Gabriel frowns "You don't even know why we are here."

"It is kinda obvious. You want me back in the cage." He states it as a fact, no fuss, no surprise on his face.

Sam frowns. He can't yet process the change he is seeing in Lucifer, so sudden, so unexpected. And he doesn't really look all that comfortable with it. But he says nothing. Instead he points to the opened part of the cage.

Lucifer hangs his head down and just walks in. He is a bit surprised by the fact his brother is still there, but otherwise sits in the corner opposite of him.

Michael looks up "Why are You here?"

"He is right where he should be. With his big brother." Sam answers making both archangels roll their eyes at him. Lucifer wants to say something, but he can't even bring himself to look at Sam.

"Are you sure about this?" Gabriel asks as Sam walks out of the cage. "This isn't just slapping on a big get-along shirt over them. We have very little time if any at all."

Sam sighs. "I know. Dean will just have to hang in there, I'm sure he can."

"And them?" Gabriel asks pointing at the cage.

"They'll work it out." Sam answers, and again his mind goes back a decade. Zachariah once said he and Dean were so similar to the archangels, but Sam didn't really see it then. He certainly does now.

When Sam walked out, both Michael and Lucifer were confused, a bit by his words and a bit by the fact that he literally left the door open. Lucifer was the first to speak up. "You know about..." he says pointing outside of the cage, and like Michael could read his mind he nods "Amenadiel? I know."

"And about the..." Lucifer says pointing up, and again Michael knew what he was talking about "The other me? I know." Lucifer pouts his lips and nods. The minute of silence was broken again by Lucifer "You're not gonna do anything about it?"

Michael rolls his eyes at him "Why bother?"

Lucifer was surprised to hear this, surprised to see his brother like that. He did just want to curl away and do nothing, but he didn't expect his brother to want the same. "You giving up?" he asks plainly.

Michael just shakes his hand and turns away from him.

"Wow, have you changed..." Lucifer continues.

"Don't act all that surprised. You're no better." Michael retorts making Lucifer smile. And then Michael smiles realizing what he has said. Lucifer was better. Well, as better as the Devil can be.

"You know, that – he says pointing up high – that could have been you. Not that you could ever beat me, but if by a slight chance you did..."

"Yeah, I know. If I hadn't spent time in this cage, I would have... It doesn't matter... Things are never going to be the same as before."

"You're right. Things aren't going to be the same. I mean, dad is never coming back..."

"Yeah, and whose fault is that?" Michael snaps at the shocked Lucifer.

"Both of yours." A voice says from the opening of the cage imitation. Gabriel stood there the whole time listening in. He was getting slowly pissed at his brothers and with the lack of time he decided to intervene.

"Gabriel? You... You came back?" Michael's face threw a lot of emotions. Confusion, happiness, relief, doubt.

"I have been back for a while now, Michael."Gabriel states plainly.

The confusion and doubt dropped from Michael's face. He was glad to see his brother.

"Now, are we just gonna sit here and pity ourselves, or are we gonna do something?" Gabriel asks.

And the confusion was up again...

"You... you want to fight?"

"Hey, what can I say? Things are different. This isn't just about our family any more. This is bigger."

Sam was relieved when he saw all three archangels step out of the cage. Gabriel gave him a nod before both he and Lucifer disappeared. Michael approached Castiel and said something to him, making the angel frown at first but nod in the end. Then he took off.

"Sam... I can't go in there like this. I am not strong enough in this vessel."

"I figured you wouldn't be." Sam sighed. This was the actual part that Castiel was talking about. The part of the plan that was just plain dumb.

"Take me." He whispered.

"As much as I am surprised you want to say yes, I cannot do that. You were meant to hold my brother, not me."

"But the bloodline... I should be a good vessel too, right?"

"Not when there is someone better. And I need your help to make him say yes."

Sam shook his head. "No, there is no way he will say yes again."

"I wasn't talking about Dean, Sam. I was talking about your father."

1 hour before

...Angels are watching over you...

John woke up in that memory again. He wasn't sure if he was dead, if he was in Heaven again, but he didn't care. All he knew is that he had to go back, had to help Dean. Help the others.

In this memory he was his older self. So was Mary. She was rubbing her pregnant stomach, looking at the new built crib and then at the angel on the shelf.

...Angels are watching over you...

"They sure are." A voice said behind him. John turned around, on high alert. The last thing he expected to find there was his son Adam.

He's voice cracked as he asked "Are you..." But Adam waved his hand. "No, no. I'm not your kid."

Michael took as step forward and his visage transformed into a younger version of John. John gasped for air. "Michael."

"It's ok, dad. He is the other Michael, remember?" John flinched at the sound of Sam's voice coming from behind him. Sam slowly approached looking at Michael.

"What... what is going on?" John asked confused.

"I think you know." Michael responded. "I am the only one strong enough to defeat that other Michael. But I need help. I need a strong vessel."

John frowned at him and then turned to Sam. Sam's eyes were on the ground. It took a lot of straight for Sam to say what he was about to say "Dad. I know what this looks like. I know you know all about the archangels, saying yes and what it did to us all."

He gulped as he continued, his eyes tearing up. "But, this is the only way I know how to save Dean. How to make sure that Michel will be down for good."

John kept gazing at his younger son, thinking. Then he asked "How do we know he's not just as bad as him?"

"I'm not. The cage changed me." Michael reassured him.

Sam continued "I... I can't say I want you to do this. I can't say it will be ok, that everything will turn out alright. I can't say I fully trust him... I don't want to lose you, but I can't lose Dean either."

John did give up his life for Dean once. But this time it was different. It wasn't just about Dean and Sam anymore. It wasn't just about their family. AWMichael could burn the world to the ground.

John turned to Michael "What about my son, Adam?"

Michel replied "His soul has already been sent to Heaven. I can bring him back to life if you want, but I don't think that would be a good idea. He wasn't made for this life."

John nodded, agreeing.

Then he pondered for a minute before he finally turned to Michael. "Let's do this."

*Authors comment – I wanted so badly for the last line to be "Let's get this party started." But it just doesn't seem like something John would say. I honestly don't know what is up with me and Pink these days.