p class="MsoNormal"The seconds that passed trickled down her skin like thick tar; time had become slow, sticky and too dark to understand as it stretched immeasurably, threating to snap into two. She couldn't breathe, the air… the air had become solid in her lungs, sitting heavy and stubborn to never leave./p
p class="MsoNormal"Silver vanished as it moved forward, parting all that stood before it, showing no mercy as it ploughed onward./p
p class="MsoNormal""Amateur hocus pocus. Don't forget, you learned all your tricks from me. Little brother."/p
p class="MsoNormal"Her mind had come to a stand-still, seeing… but not quite comprehending. Not quite grasping the tears in his eyes or the pain on his face. Not quite understanding the shaking hand stretched out to her, futilely reaching for the last thing he will ever love, ever see, ever know. Not quite hearing the gasped "I Love You" and "I'm Sorry"./p
p class="MsoNormal"Not quite comprehending that something very small and frail, that had survived after so many years of pain and abuse… finally snapped./p
p class="MsoNormal"Mercy stared wide eyed as his legs could no longer bear his weight; tracked his descent as the angel blade slid from the sheath of his body, glinting a mocking red as it greeted the light. She watched as the spark of mischief disappeared in a great flash of holy light, and continued to watch as every trace of Gabe, Gabriel and Loki slipped to somewhere she knew she would never reach./p
p class="MsoNormal"She paid no attention to the Devil as he moved closer to Sam and Dean, as the conversation continued as though Gabe had never even been there, as though he had just ceased to exist./p
p class="MsoNormal"One foot moved itself in front, then the other, then the first again. Uncontrolled, wobbling as they floated Mercy towards a nightmare. The rest of her body seemingly being dragged along unknowingly./p
p class="MsoNormal"Step…/p
p class="MsoNormal"Step…/p
p class="MsoNormal"Step…/p
p class="MsoNormal"Step…/p
p class="MsoNormal"The three men engaged in a verbal battle took no notice of the apparition gliding across the field. Far too involved to spare it even a slight glance./p
p class="MsoNormal"Step…/p
p class="MsoNormal"Step…/p
p class="MsoNormal"Step…/p
p class="MsoNormal"Step…/p
p class="MsoNormal"Flop./p
p class="MsoNormal"Mercy was vaguely surprised to find herself kneeling loosely on the ground./p
p class="MsoNormal"With vacant eyes she looked upon the man barely a foot away from her knees. Confusion was all that could be seen in the deep depths of nothing that passed as eyes. A hand shakily picked itself up from the ground and hesitantly inched forward, ghosting through the soft hair only to pause barely a hair's breadth from the skin./p
p class="MsoNormal""Gabe?" an airy whisper called out. "Gabe, baby?"/p
p class="MsoNormal"No reply./p
p class="MsoNormal""Hun, it's time to wake up now. Come back to me like last time, yeah? Laugh at the boys for falling for your trick again?" A shaky laugh forced its way through her, before it disappeared with a gulp./p
p class="MsoNormal""…Gabe… Please?"/p
p class="MsoNormal"The hand found cooling skin./p
p class="MsoNormal"And the world came cascading back to reality./p
p class="MsoNormal"No./p
p class="MsoNormal"NO./p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Andalus;"NO!/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"What left her lips could not have come from the earth. Could not have come from anywhere but the deepest darkest pits of Hell that not even the eldest of demons would approach. It tore through her body, shredding everything it could as it made for freedom, and shattered the very air./p
p class="MsoNormal"All creatures, Demons, humans, angels and anything else spun to stare in shock and horror at the sound of pure agony as it strangled them. The source crouched over the fallen body in a mockery of a twisted wraith./p
p class="MsoNormal"The demons and reapers took a hesitant step back, their instincts howling at what they perceived as a weak human. Though as a fallen archangel, or perhaps just as a narcissist, Lucifer had no such warning system. He sighed in feign annoyance, though his expression said much more about the anger he felt./p
p class="MsoNormal"Mercy watched as her tears fell to the face of the love of her life. A deep hollow ache gouged into her very being as she fruitlessly grasped for any sign that this wasn't reality, that it was simply her mind creating horrors once again./p
p class="MsoNormal"She so desperately wanted to believe that any second her Gabe would grab her from behind in a sleepy gesture to reassure her he was THERE that he WASN'T LEAVING, NO MATTER WHAT./p
p class="MsoNormal"That's what Gabe had promised her when he placed the silver band on her finger. When they sent off the adoption application, when her brothers were swallowed by hell, whenever she so much as hinted slipping back into depression./p
p class="MsoNormal"HE PROMISED!/p
p class="MsoNormal""You have no such right to mourn MY brother. To whom do you think the blame falls upon? If it weren't for you parasites he would be safe and alive by MY side!" Satan called to the weeping woman./p
p class="MsoNormal""Blame?" Mercy sobbed out, "You're saying this is my fault?" Mercy gasped as she gently stroked Gabe's cheek./p
p class="MsoNormal""Isn't that obvious?" Lucifer spoke emotionlessly. Not a shred of empathy for the eldest Winchester./p
p class="MsoNormal"Her face cracked into a self-depreciating smile, "Yeah, I guess it is obvious."/p
p class="MsoNormal"Lucifer just barely dodged the gleaming blade as it sailed centimetres from his throat./p
p class="MsoNormal"Everyone gawked in surprise as they watched a very pissed off woman stagger to her feet with Gabriel's angel blade that had nearly beheaded the greatest evil humanity had known./p
p class="MsoNormal""What-" Lucifer started./p
p class="MsoNormal""It's obvious that it's all your fault! EVERYTHING!" Mercy screeched at the Devil. All trace of reason had left her, swallowed by the gaping hole in her chest, leaving behind a crazed huntress./p
p class="MsoNormal"Her clothes bloody and torn, mud and dust coating her skin and a beaming holy blade in her hand as her only weapon. Mercy knew she was acting irrationally; she knew she was breaking every code in the hunters manual by doing this./p
p class="MsoNormal"But she also knew she had nothing left to lose, and everything to gain./p
p class="MsoNormal"She attacked./p
p class="MsoNormal"Blades clashed as the human and fallen angel met. A dangerous battle had begun, and no one was stupid enough to try to stop it./p
p class="MsoNormal""It was YOU!" Mercy raged./p
p class="MsoNormal"Outwardly, the two looked to be dancing as the swords passed by both flesh and blade. Mercy was fast and ferocious with her attacks, her only defence being her speed as she dodged the glowing weapon. Her direction changed suddenly and without warning, the spontaneous movement making her unpredictable and deadly./p
p class="MsoNormal"Lucifer seemingly flowed as he fought, using his superior strength and height to deal harsh blows whenever Mercy wasn't fast enough. A deadly calm covered him and spoke greatly of his experience and age, he was no stranger to battles, or even war./p
p class="MsoNormal""It was YOU who did all this! Everything that has happened has been YOUR fault!" Mercy continued, not slowing at all in her pursuit. "It was because of YOU that my mom was killed!"/p
p class="MsoNormal"She slashed at the angels chest, drawing blood from where he was unable to dodge quickly enough./p
p class="MsoNormal""It was because of YOU that my dad went off the deep end and started hunting!" Her swings were becoming stronger and faster, hatred searing through her, empowering her. "It was because of YOU my brothers and I couldn't have a decent childhood! Because of YOU I couldn't be a proper girl!"/p
p class="MsoNormal"She felt the cool sensation of a cut slide across her face, she wasn't fast enough. Mercy grit her teeth and pushed herself harder./p
p class="MsoNormal""It was because of YOU that my dad died! That my brothers are hunted by heaven! That they have to live in fear of becoming nothing but meat-suits!"/p
p class="MsoNormal"She grunted as one if Lucifer's strikes cut deeply into her side. Her arms weeping from pain and blood as they were slowly turned to ribbons./p
p class="MsoNormal""It's YOUR fault I'm so messed in the head! That I can't function like a fucking normal human being!"/p
p class="MsoNormal"Gabe's blade sank deep into the arm of the Devil./p
p class="MsoNormal""And!"/p
p class="MsoNormal"Mercy kicked the devil to the ground. She glared down at him in utter contempt. Her shoulders jackhammering up and down as she desperately sucked in air, her body hunched over in a mix of pain, anger and exhaustion./p
p class="MsoNormal"Fresh tears washed away a stream of blood from her cheeks. The end was so close, the reason for all their hardships was at her mercy. And you know what?/p
p class="MsoNormal"She had finally fucking run out./p
p class="MsoNormal""IT'S YOUR FAULT GABE IS DEAD!" She screamed as she raised her husband's treasured weapon./p
p class="MsoNormal"Finally,/p
p class="MsoNormal"Finally!/p
p class="MsoNormal"Angel Blade sank into flesh./p
p class="MsoNormal"Mercy stared down with wide eyes, hands shaking and breath slowing. The grip on Gabe's blade loosened slightly as she watched the red soak cloth, as the body fruitlessly tried to close off the wound with more and more blood, only succeeding in blood loss./p
p class="MsoNormal"She heard yells from behind her, but she couldn't concentrate on that. She was instead oddly transfixed by the quickly forming pool beneath her./p
p class="MsoNormal"Mercy choked in open mouthed horror at the Angel-Blade embedded in her gut./p
p class="MsoNormal"And then at the angel smirking beneath her as blood from her mouth dotted his face. That motherfucker, Mercy just about thought before the pain finally hit. She heaved in complete agony as ice shot through her, splitting off and skewering every individual nerve in her body./p
p class="MsoNormal""No." She whispered./p
p class="MsoNormal"Lucifer's smirk turned to confusion at the word. Mercy didn't care. She didn't care about anything anymore. Except that she was going to make damn sure that her final act was saving her brothers./p
p class="MsoNormal"Mercy gripped Gabe's angel blade once again, and with one last Herculean effort, Mercy dragged any strength she had left, and simply brought it down into Satan's skull with a satisfying crunch and shock of light./p
p class="MsoNormal"She smiled victoriously as her body just stopped. It was time for lights off for one Mercy Winchester./p
p class="MsoNormal""MERCY!"/p
p class="MsoNormal""NO!"/p
p class="MsoNormal"-/p
p class="MsoNormal""Mercy." someone called softly. "Mercy, it's time to wake up."/p
p class="MsoNormal""Dad?" Mercy whispered, half asleep./p
p class="MsoNormal"Everything felt so warm. So perfect and comforting. Like one of those perfect mornings she had with Gabe every so often./p
p class="MsoNormal"Wait, Gabe?/p
p class="MsoNormal"Mercy shot up, no longer dragged down by sleep she fully took in her white surroundings. There was honestly nothing else, just blank white as far as she could see in any direction. It was now more suffocating than soothing, but Mercy could ignore it, she'd had worse./p
p class="MsoNormal""I'm afraid not Mercy." The same voice continued, almost… regretfully?/p
p class="MsoNormal"She slowly turned to look at her companion, wide eyed and fearful. There he was smiling so softly and comfortingly./p
p class="MsoNormal""Chuck? What?"/p
p class="MsoNormal""Ah. That's not my only name you know." Chuck spoke. Though not that Mercy was paying complete attention to what he was saying, she was too occupied with the man's sudden tidy appearance. Last she had seen him, he was nothing more than a hermit, inside and out. Now though, now he looked like a successful, well-adjusted man./p
p class="MsoNormal""God." She breathed. Earning a soft smile from the man-deity?/p
p class="MsoNormal""I have to thank you for stopping one of my sons, and showing another how precious love is. Though I doubt you'd want to know that only one actually died. Lucifer was able to escape at the last second, heavily injured though. Enough so that I could put him back in the cage."/p
p class="MsoNormal""So what?" Mercy spoke up harshly, "Is this the part where you bring everything to a close like some shit story? 'Well done Mercy, you have achieved all this and now have earned a place in heaven or hell or wherever'? Your story is now over?"/p
p class="MsoNormal"Chuck/God turned to look out at the white nothingness, obviously seeing much more than she could. This, for some reason, pissed her off even more./p
p class="MsoNormal""To be honest Mercy. You were never supposed to be part of the story to begin with. Just one day, something, I don't know what, came to the earth and placed your soul here before vanishing. It was only because of that being's plea that I let you live. I still have no clue who or what it was."/p
p class="MsoNormal"Mercy looked on in disbelief. Yes, she had known she wasn't part of the plan to begin with, but to hear it from God himself? It sort of solidified it in her mind./p
p class="MsoNormal""And? So what happens to me now? Can I go see Gabe in heaven now?" Mercy demanded. She needed to see him. See that her husband was going to be with her forever from now on, and there was no way they were getting separated again./p
p class="MsoNormal""I'm sorry Mercy. Angels- even archangels- don't have heavens. When they die, they cease to exist."/p
p class="MsoNormal"-/p
p class="MsoNormal"Mercy felt herself wake up again, a cry of protest on her lips, to see a familiar room, and a very familiar face./p
p class="MsoNormal""Hey tiger."/p
p class="MsoNormal"Mercy looked at Gabe in hope. Looked deep, searching for something to tell her that what Chuck had said was a lie./p
p class="MsoNormal"It wasn't there. That gorgeous twinkle of mischief./p
p class="MsoNormal"Mercy collapsed and curled up into a ball. Sobbing loudly as she buried herself into the darkness of her mind. This time, she didn't want to come out./p
p class="MsoNormal"That was not her Gabe. A cheap imitation wasn't going to do anything but torment her further. This wasn't heaven./p
p class="MsoNormal"This was her own personal hell, she thought as she cried out, trying to block out the fake voice calling her name./p
p class="MsoNormal"Silver vanished as it moved forward, parting all that stood before it, showing no mercy as it ploughed onward./p
p class="MsoNormal""Amateur hocus pocus. Don't forget, you learned all your tricks from me. Little brother."/p
p class="MsoNormal"Her mind had come to a stand-still, seeing… but not quite comprehending. Not quite grasping the tears in his eyes or the pain on his face. Not quite understanding the shaking hand stretched out to her, futilely reaching for the last thing he will ever love, ever see, ever know. Not quite hearing the gasped "I Love You" and "I'm Sorry"./p
p class="MsoNormal"Not quite comprehending that something very small and frail, that had survived after so many years of pain and abuse… finally snapped./p
p class="MsoNormal"Mercy stared wide eyed as his legs could no longer bear his weight; tracked his descent as the angel blade slid from the sheath of his body, glinting a mocking red as it greeted the light. She watched as the spark of mischief disappeared in a great flash of holy light, and continued to watch as every trace of Gabe, Gabriel and Loki slipped to somewhere she knew she would never reach./p
p class="MsoNormal"She paid no attention to the Devil as he moved closer to Sam and Dean, as the conversation continued as though Gabe had never even been there, as though he had just ceased to exist./p
p class="MsoNormal"One foot moved itself in front, then the other, then the first again. Uncontrolled, wobbling as they floated Mercy towards a nightmare. The rest of her body seemingly being dragged along unknowingly./p
p class="MsoNormal"Step…/p
p class="MsoNormal"Step…/p
p class="MsoNormal"Step…/p
p class="MsoNormal"Step…/p
p class="MsoNormal"The three men engaged in a verbal battle took no notice of the apparition gliding across the field. Far too involved to spare it even a slight glance./p
p class="MsoNormal"Step…/p
p class="MsoNormal"Step…/p
p class="MsoNormal"Step…/p
p class="MsoNormal"Step…/p
p class="MsoNormal"Flop./p
p class="MsoNormal"Mercy was vaguely surprised to find herself kneeling loosely on the ground./p
p class="MsoNormal"With vacant eyes she looked upon the man barely a foot away from her knees. Confusion was all that could be seen in the deep depths of nothing that passed as eyes. A hand shakily picked itself up from the ground and hesitantly inched forward, ghosting through the soft hair only to pause barely a hair's breadth from the skin./p
p class="MsoNormal""Gabe?" an airy whisper called out. "Gabe, baby?"/p
p class="MsoNormal"No reply./p
p class="MsoNormal""Hun, it's time to wake up now. Come back to me like last time, yeah? Laugh at the boys for falling for your trick again?" A shaky laugh forced its way through her, before it disappeared with a gulp./p
p class="MsoNormal""…Gabe… Please?"/p
p class="MsoNormal"The hand found cooling skin./p
p class="MsoNormal"And the world came cascading back to reality./p
p class="MsoNormal"No./p
p class="MsoNormal"NO./p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Andalus;"NO!/span/p
p class="MsoNormal"What left her lips could not have come from the earth. Could not have come from anywhere but the deepest darkest pits of Hell that not even the eldest of demons would approach. It tore through her body, shredding everything it could as it made for freedom, and shattered the very air./p
p class="MsoNormal"All creatures, Demons, humans, angels and anything else spun to stare in shock and horror at the sound of pure agony as it strangled them. The source crouched over the fallen body in a mockery of a twisted wraith./p
p class="MsoNormal"The demons and reapers took a hesitant step back, their instincts howling at what they perceived as a weak human. Though as a fallen archangel, or perhaps just as a narcissist, Lucifer had no such warning system. He sighed in feign annoyance, though his expression said much more about the anger he felt./p
p class="MsoNormal"Mercy watched as her tears fell to the face of the love of her life. A deep hollow ache gouged into her very being as she fruitlessly grasped for any sign that this wasn't reality, that it was simply her mind creating horrors once again./p
p class="MsoNormal"She so desperately wanted to believe that any second her Gabe would grab her from behind in a sleepy gesture to reassure her he was THERE that he WASN'T LEAVING, NO MATTER WHAT./p
p class="MsoNormal"That's what Gabe had promised her when he placed the silver band on her finger. When they sent off the adoption application, when her brothers were swallowed by hell, whenever she so much as hinted slipping back into depression./p
p class="MsoNormal"HE PROMISED!/p
p class="MsoNormal""You have no such right to mourn MY brother. To whom do you think the blame falls upon? If it weren't for you parasites he would be safe and alive by MY side!" Satan called to the weeping woman./p
p class="MsoNormal""Blame?" Mercy sobbed out, "You're saying this is my fault?" Mercy gasped as she gently stroked Gabe's cheek./p
p class="MsoNormal""Isn't that obvious?" Lucifer spoke emotionlessly. Not a shred of empathy for the eldest Winchester./p
p class="MsoNormal"Her face cracked into a self-depreciating smile, "Yeah, I guess it is obvious."/p
p class="MsoNormal"Lucifer just barely dodged the gleaming blade as it sailed centimetres from his throat./p
p class="MsoNormal"Everyone gawked in surprise as they watched a very pissed off woman stagger to her feet with Gabriel's angel blade that had nearly beheaded the greatest evil humanity had known./p
p class="MsoNormal""What-" Lucifer started./p
p class="MsoNormal""It's obvious that it's all your fault! EVERYTHING!" Mercy screeched at the Devil. All trace of reason had left her, swallowed by the gaping hole in her chest, leaving behind a crazed huntress./p
p class="MsoNormal"Her clothes bloody and torn, mud and dust coating her skin and a beaming holy blade in her hand as her only weapon. Mercy knew she was acting irrationally; she knew she was breaking every code in the hunters manual by doing this./p
p class="MsoNormal"But she also knew she had nothing left to lose, and everything to gain./p
p class="MsoNormal"She attacked./p
p class="MsoNormal"Blades clashed as the human and fallen angel met. A dangerous battle had begun, and no one was stupid enough to try to stop it./p
p class="MsoNormal""It was YOU!" Mercy raged./p
p class="MsoNormal"Outwardly, the two looked to be dancing as the swords passed by both flesh and blade. Mercy was fast and ferocious with her attacks, her only defence being her speed as she dodged the glowing weapon. Her direction changed suddenly and without warning, the spontaneous movement making her unpredictable and deadly./p
p class="MsoNormal"Lucifer seemingly flowed as he fought, using his superior strength and height to deal harsh blows whenever Mercy wasn't fast enough. A deadly calm covered him and spoke greatly of his experience and age, he was no stranger to battles, or even war./p
p class="MsoNormal""It was YOU who did all this! Everything that has happened has been YOUR fault!" Mercy continued, not slowing at all in her pursuit. "It was because of YOU that my mom was killed!"/p
p class="MsoNormal"She slashed at the angels chest, drawing blood from where he was unable to dodge quickly enough./p
p class="MsoNormal""It was because of YOU that my dad went off the deep end and started hunting!" Her swings were becoming stronger and faster, hatred searing through her, empowering her. "It was because of YOU my brothers and I couldn't have a decent childhood! Because of YOU I couldn't be a proper girl!"/p
p class="MsoNormal"She felt the cool sensation of a cut slide across her face, she wasn't fast enough. Mercy grit her teeth and pushed herself harder./p
p class="MsoNormal""It was because of YOU that my dad died! That my brothers are hunted by heaven! That they have to live in fear of becoming nothing but meat-suits!"/p
p class="MsoNormal"She grunted as one if Lucifer's strikes cut deeply into her side. Her arms weeping from pain and blood as they were slowly turned to ribbons./p
p class="MsoNormal""It's YOUR fault I'm so messed in the head! That I can't function like a fucking normal human being!"/p
p class="MsoNormal"Gabe's blade sank deep into the arm of the Devil./p
p class="MsoNormal""And!"/p
p class="MsoNormal"Mercy kicked the devil to the ground. She glared down at him in utter contempt. Her shoulders jackhammering up and down as she desperately sucked in air, her body hunched over in a mix of pain, anger and exhaustion./p
p class="MsoNormal"Fresh tears washed away a stream of blood from her cheeks. The end was so close, the reason for all their hardships was at her mercy. And you know what?/p
p class="MsoNormal"She had finally fucking run out./p
p class="MsoNormal""IT'S YOUR FAULT GABE IS DEAD!" She screamed as she raised her husband's treasured weapon./p
p class="MsoNormal"Finally,/p
p class="MsoNormal"Finally!/p
p class="MsoNormal"Angel Blade sank into flesh./p
p class="MsoNormal"Mercy stared down with wide eyes, hands shaking and breath slowing. The grip on Gabe's blade loosened slightly as she watched the red soak cloth, as the body fruitlessly tried to close off the wound with more and more blood, only succeeding in blood loss./p
p class="MsoNormal"She heard yells from behind her, but she couldn't concentrate on that. She was instead oddly transfixed by the quickly forming pool beneath her./p
p class="MsoNormal"Mercy choked in open mouthed horror at the Angel-Blade embedded in her gut./p
p class="MsoNormal"And then at the angel smirking beneath her as blood from her mouth dotted his face. That motherfucker, Mercy just about thought before the pain finally hit. She heaved in complete agony as ice shot through her, splitting off and skewering every individual nerve in her body./p
p class="MsoNormal""No." She whispered./p
p class="MsoNormal"Lucifer's smirk turned to confusion at the word. Mercy didn't care. She didn't care about anything anymore. Except that she was going to make damn sure that her final act was saving her brothers./p
p class="MsoNormal"Mercy gripped Gabe's angel blade once again, and with one last Herculean effort, Mercy dragged any strength she had left, and simply brought it down into Satan's skull with a satisfying crunch and shock of light./p
p class="MsoNormal"She smiled victoriously as her body just stopped. It was time for lights off for one Mercy Winchester./p
p class="MsoNormal""MERCY!"/p
p class="MsoNormal""NO!"/p
p class="MsoNormal"-/p
p class="MsoNormal""Mercy." someone called softly. "Mercy, it's time to wake up."/p
p class="MsoNormal""Dad?" Mercy whispered, half asleep./p
p class="MsoNormal"Everything felt so warm. So perfect and comforting. Like one of those perfect mornings she had with Gabe every so often./p
p class="MsoNormal"Wait, Gabe?/p
p class="MsoNormal"Mercy shot up, no longer dragged down by sleep she fully took in her white surroundings. There was honestly nothing else, just blank white as far as she could see in any direction. It was now more suffocating than soothing, but Mercy could ignore it, she'd had worse./p
p class="MsoNormal""I'm afraid not Mercy." The same voice continued, almost… regretfully?/p
p class="MsoNormal"She slowly turned to look at her companion, wide eyed and fearful. There he was smiling so softly and comfortingly./p
p class="MsoNormal""Chuck? What?"/p
p class="MsoNormal""Ah. That's not my only name you know." Chuck spoke. Though not that Mercy was paying complete attention to what he was saying, she was too occupied with the man's sudden tidy appearance. Last she had seen him, he was nothing more than a hermit, inside and out. Now though, now he looked like a successful, well-adjusted man./p
p class="MsoNormal""God." She breathed. Earning a soft smile from the man-deity?/p
p class="MsoNormal""I have to thank you for stopping one of my sons, and showing another how precious love is. Though I doubt you'd want to know that only one actually died. Lucifer was able to escape at the last second, heavily injured though. Enough so that I could put him back in the cage."/p
p class="MsoNormal""So what?" Mercy spoke up harshly, "Is this the part where you bring everything to a close like some shit story? 'Well done Mercy, you have achieved all this and now have earned a place in heaven or hell or wherever'? Your story is now over?"/p
p class="MsoNormal"Chuck/God turned to look out at the white nothingness, obviously seeing much more than she could. This, for some reason, pissed her off even more./p
p class="MsoNormal""To be honest Mercy. You were never supposed to be part of the story to begin with. Just one day, something, I don't know what, came to the earth and placed your soul here before vanishing. It was only because of that being's plea that I let you live. I still have no clue who or what it was."/p
p class="MsoNormal"Mercy looked on in disbelief. Yes, she had known she wasn't part of the plan to begin with, but to hear it from God himself? It sort of solidified it in her mind./p
p class="MsoNormal""And? So what happens to me now? Can I go see Gabe in heaven now?" Mercy demanded. She needed to see him. See that her husband was going to be with her forever from now on, and there was no way they were getting separated again./p
p class="MsoNormal""I'm sorry Mercy. Angels- even archangels- don't have heavens. When they die, they cease to exist."/p
p class="MsoNormal"-/p
p class="MsoNormal"Mercy felt herself wake up again, a cry of protest on her lips, to see a familiar room, and a very familiar face./p
p class="MsoNormal""Hey tiger."/p
p class="MsoNormal"Mercy looked at Gabe in hope. Looked deep, searching for something to tell her that what Chuck had said was a lie./p
p class="MsoNormal"It wasn't there. That gorgeous twinkle of mischief./p
p class="MsoNormal"Mercy collapsed and curled up into a ball. Sobbing loudly as she buried herself into the darkness of her mind. This time, she didn't want to come out./p
p class="MsoNormal"That was not her Gabe. A cheap imitation wasn't going to do anything but torment her further. This wasn't heaven./p
p class="MsoNormal"This was her own personal hell, she thought as she cried out, trying to block out the fake voice calling her name./p