The Protector's Funeral

"How did you find us?" Sammy was silent for a while and Dean wondered if he wanted to know. A long sigh left Sam's lips and Dean was suddenly handed a book. The Winchester stared at the cover, recognizing it from when they were at that Supernatural Convention. It was one of Chuck's. The cover was of Dean and the angels by a lamp post and a dark shadow was hiding in the darkness of the alleyway. He flipped through the pages until he got towards the empty pages. Black ink was slowly starting to appear on it. The hunter's eyes drooped a little as his body began to give up on consciousness due to the blood loss and beating he had just gone through. They had to start buying these books from Chuck more often. Dean's eyes trailed to the three angels and he reached out a hand, fingers brushing over their soft wings before darkness swallowed him.

Continued now…

Charlie and Samandriel watched with wet eyes as Sam, Bobby, and Kevin stacked piles of wood together. By their feet lay a body draped in white. They were burning it today. The angels' protector had in the end succeeded in keeping the little ones safe, but had failed in surviving along with them. The two thought back to the other night when the guys and Hannah had returned home. Blood was everywhere and covered everything. There was no way to save their friend. The wounds were just too great.

Charlie let out a sad sigh and looked to Samandriel. "Shall we get the angels?" she questioned sadly. "I'm sure they want to say goodbye." Alfie swallowed thickly, pulling his gaze from the body and nodded. Charlie wrapped her arm around his waist, helping him move across the field and back towards the house. They silently entered the living room and glanced towards the couch. Sleeping baby angels and one other were curled up on the couch. Hannah was sitting on the floor next to them, completely asleep. Her hand was draped gently across Castiel like she had been comforting the angel during the night.

"Well, morning sleepy head," Charlie whispered from the doorway of the living room to the hunter resting on the couch with the angels. Dean lazily glanced up at them, watching as Charlie helped Samandriel into the room. The angel looked way better than he had before, but he wasn't fully healed up yet. Alfie sat down on a rocking chair near the couch and Charlie sat down on the floor in front of him.

"Where are the others?" Dean asked, glancing around for Bobby, Kevin, and Sam.

"They're outside readying Amber's body," Charlie stated sadly. Dean nodded, memory flicking back to the night before. Sam had brought the angel of protection's bloody body home along with Hannah while Dean had chased after the angels and ran from demons. Dean turned his gaze to the resting angels on his chest. They looked alright now. Their torn feathers were healing. In only a few spots were shaded a light purple from the attack last night. There were thick tear stains running down their rosy cheeks. He remembered their faces when they saw Amber killed and Lucifer's betrayal. Most of all he remembered the fear in their eyes when they thought for the second time they would lose someone so important to them. Dean chewed his lip, running his fingers over the healed feathers.

"Are they alright?" he questioned. Charlie and Alfie shared a look before answering. In all honesty, they weren't even close to alright. When the angels had woken up after Hannah had carried them into the house it nearly impossible to calm them. They kept screaming, crying, and calling out. They were terrified beyond belief. When Sam and Bobby had finished doing all they could to patch up Dean's body the angels just curled up next to him, not talking to anybody and not letting anyone touch them. When Castiel had fallen asleep and woken up from a night terror Hannah had rushed in and comforted him while he clung to the resting hunter. It had been a long night for the angels.

"They've been better," Charlie said vaguely. Dean stared at her for a moment before gently sitting up and startling the three angels awake. Even Hannah awoke. At first it took a while for their sleep addled minds to comprehend why their bed just moved, but then realization blazed in their eyes and Dean was instantly tackled into a tight hug. Dean smiled at the angels, holding them tight. It was quiet for the longest time before Dean finally pulled back from the angels with the widest smile on his face.

"Never do that again," all three muttered softly. Dean ran his hand up and down their backs in small circles before kissing them on the cheek.

"Don't worry. I don't plan on getting stabbed again anytime soon," Dean joked. The angels smiled a little and Dean picked them up, carrying them towards the door, wincing as his stitches pulled. "We better go say goodbye to Amber, yeah?" The angels nodded, eyes saddening a little more.

"Dwean –"

"I'm sorry, who?" Dean teased, winking at Cas playfully. A wide smile returned to Cas' lips and the angel stuck his tongue out at the hunter before climbing up on Dean's shoulders. "Balthazar, who is this Dwean your brother speaks of?" dean questioned, smirking the entire time as he made his way towards the door. Charlie followed him close behind.

"Hmmm…I don't know," Balthazar stated, both he and Gabriel giggling softly. Cas let out an exasperated sigh, lifting a wing and brushing his feathers against Dean's neck. The hunter cried out with laughter, swatting at the wing gently.

"Alright! Alright, I'm sorry!" Dean shouted before slamming shut the door behind him.

"I think they'll be alright now," Samandriel whispered softly, staring at the closed doorway. Hannah nodded, eyes trailing above them towards the heavens. A sad expression was on her face. She hated Lucifer for what he did, but she hated him more for leading those poor boys on and making them believe that they really did have their big brother back. In the end he abandoned them, but at least the angels had the Winchester family to have faith in.

"We should go to Heaven now that we are somewhat healed. Michael surely needs our help with what destruction Lucifer has caused." Alfie nodded in agreement and in a soft flutter the two were gone. Dean peaked his head into the living room, rolling his eyes at the sight of the empty room.

"Angels…why can't they learn how to say a decent goodbye?"

Lucifer stood in the garden, watching as Joshua tended his garden and the witch poke at a fat toad sitting in the gravel. Luci's face was set in a frown and his blood covered hands were balled into fists. He was impatient, but he didn't dare say anything to anger the two. At the moment he was the one following their orders after all.

"You did well today, Lucifer. All of Heaven is so distracted by you that they will not notice my and Lydia's little…happenings," Joshua stated with a smile. Lucifer glared down at the ground beneath his feet.

"I killed my own siblings for you, lost their trust, and –"

"And all in the name of God," Joshua finished for him. "Not all is lost, Brother. I told you that no lives would be taken and I have kept my promise. You shall see soon enough." Lucifer glared at his brother, but Joshua only smiled. "The experiment seems to be working beautifully. In fact, we have yet to see any sign of it bringing us trouble." Joshua took his brother's hands in his own, squeezing Lucifer's hands gently. "I promise. All will be made right, Brother."

Such a happy ending, right? This is the last of the plot chapters for a while now. Fluff will return in the next several chapters, but the plot chapters will be back again soon. I can't give away everything at once.