Author's Note:
This is a companion piece to my fic The Lucifer Problem. I had a few people who expressed in a variety of interesting and, shall we say, unique ways that I 'rushed' the ending of The Lucifer Problem by briefly touching on the end of the apocalypse in the epilogue. As most of my readers seemed to understand just fine, this was because The Lucifer Problem was not about defeating Lucifer. It was about saving Sam. The epilogue existed to provide a window into what happened in their futures, not to give a run down on the entire solution to how they stopped the apocalypse.
That being said, I thought the best way to deal with this issue was to do a companion piece about that final battle with Lucifer. Thus, To Protect And Defend was born. Enjoy.
"Found him," Gabriel announced, tossing a map at Sam with a flourish and collapsing onto Dean's bed with a dramatic flair they were all slowly learning to tolerate.
Sam caught the map with the tips of his fingers and smoothed it out onto the table, examining it until he found the arrow Gabriel had drawn to..."Indianapolis?" Sam asked with surprise.
Gabriel didn't look up, but tapped his forehead significantly. "He's moving North."
Sam glanced at the map again, only to have his eyes slide upwards to find Detroit. "Ah."
"Now he sees it. I say we take care of this now, before we have to deal with all the destiny crap." Gabriel shifted his head to the side to look at Dean, who was glaring at him impressively from the corner. "What do you think, short one?"
"Dude," Dean protested, "you can't call me that when I'm the second tallest person in here."
Castiel appeared in time to catch Dean's comment, and tsked gently at the hunter. "Do not rise to the bait, Dean," he chided. "Gabriel can find other avenues to amuse himself."
"You're no fun," Gabriel pouted, but after sticking his tongue out briefly at Dean, he let it go.
Sam turned immediately to Castiel, completely ignoring the bickering that had been going on behind him. "Gabriel found him. He's in Indianapolis."
"Are we ready?" Castiel asked, moving to place his arm around Sam, resting his hand on the hunter's side.
Relaxing, Sam leaned into the gesture and nodded. "As we're going to be." He paused, and looked up at Gabriel. "You're sure this spell will work?"
"Yes!" Gabriel groaned, sitting up and giving him a disparaging look. "I swear, you guys are all such worrywarts. I promise it'll work. This plan is easy. Dean-o casts the spell, you guard him, I distract Luci, Castiel keeps an eye out for Heaven, the spell works, Lucifer gets frozen into his vessel, Castiel opens the cage, and I push him in. See? Foolproof!"
Sam made a face. "Oh sure, nothing can go wrong," he snarked. "This spell, assuming it does work, will only freeze Lucifer for a half a minute at most, and that's only because he's not in a true vessel. If I get swarmed and Dean gets distracted, then what? Or if Michael intervenes, or if Cas doesn't have enough time to open the cage, or if Lucifer manages to kill one of you before we've even finished. Do you see where I'm getting concerned? Yes, it's a ridiculously simple plan, but there's more ways that it can go wrong than anything else we've thought of!"
"It's the best idea anyone's come up with," Gabriel said firmly. "I'm not having this debate every time we get closer, kiddo. Everything will be fine. I can hold my own against Lucifer, trust me, and I don't think Michael's going to interfere. Even if he does, that's why Castiel is on Heaven guarding duty. He'll know if they're coming. You and Dean have been a team since you were in diapers, so I don't see that being a problem either. You guys panic over every little thing. Why am I helping you again?"
"Because it is the right thing to do," Castiel informed him solemnly, turning back to Sam before he could see Gabriel's eye roll. "Sam, he is correct. This is the best plan, and we need to take Lucifer out before this goes any further."
Sam stared at the arrow on the map, thinking it over. His plan had been to attempt to defeat Lucifer within his mind and jump into the cage while Lucifer used him as a vessel. He still thought it was a valid plan, especially since his mental strength had grown. That had been an added benefit of brow beating Gabriel into helping them. He'd known a lot about how Sam's natural psychic ability functioned, without supernatural additives, and had been able to teach Sam to effectively shut Lucifer out of his mind. That had led to Sam being a lot more well-rested and just better at functioning in general, but it also gave him a mastery over his own mind that had made him sure he could overpower Lucifer if he became his vessel.
"Sam," Dean said warningly. "We're not having this argument again."
"No, I know," Sam said automatically. The reason they'd gone after a different plan in the first place was because Dean and Castiel had outright refused to entertain the notion of him saying yes to Lucifer, let alone going to Hell to stop him. They'd both thrown themselves into research, dragging a reluctant Gabriel right along with them, and together managed to piece together a variety of ideas to explore. Gabriel had been the one to discover the spell they were planning to use, and it was the overall simplicity of the plan that made Sam nervous. He couldn't help but feel that he would be in some way responsible if anything went wrong.
"I mean it," Dean said, moving into Sam's line of vision and forcing his younger brother to focus on him. He didn't miss it when Sam's eyes drifted briefly to the amulet before focusing on his face again. Since he'd taken it back, it had become a clear reminder of the rebuilding of their relationship, something he did not take lightly.
Sam sighed and nodded. "This better work," he muttered.
"Oh, it'll work," Dean confirmed, bravado clear in his voice. "Are we going to head out or what?"
Castiel raised an eyebrow at Dean. "Perhaps we should gather the supplies for the spell first."
"Right. I meant after that," Dean corrected himself gruffly, ignoring the smirk Sam gave him.
"Let me know when you chuckleheads are ready and I'll get us there," Gabriel announced, relaxing back onto the bed.
"Wait, why can't we drive?" Dean protested.
Sam gave him a disparaging look. "Dude, we're in Nebraska. We do not have that kind of time. Gabriel, can you bring the Impala with us so Dean doesn't bitch about leaving it behind?"
"I do not bitch, bitch!" Dean snapped at him, pausing to make a face as he thought about what he'd said.
"You know you do, jerk," Sam returned, chuckling.
Gabriel sat up again and sighed. "Yes, I can bring the damn car. Finish packing already. We have a war to stop, remember?"
Lucifer was in an abandoned duplex. It was clear that he had demons guarding him, but not clear how many.
"Lucifer!" Sam called out. It had been a bitter battle to get Castiel and Dean to allow him to take on this role, but it seemed likely that the only way they'd be able to get into the same room as the archangel without a frontal assault on the building was for Sam to pretend to be giving himself up.
A demon emerged from the building looking suspicious. "What is this?"
"I want an audience with the Devil," Sam said, his tone not wavering in the slightest.
"Why?" The demon demanded.
Sam chuckled, his voice low with dark humor. "Why do you think?"
"Dumbass," Dean muttered from behind him, smirking when the demon scowled at him.
Something jerked the demon's attention back towards the building, then he turned to them and nodded slowly. "Fine. Enter." He turned quickly and stalked towards the duplex, leading Sam, Dean, Castiel, and Gabriel behind him.
Lucifer was on the second floor, sitting in an armchair with a copy of Pilgrim's Progress.
"I'm going to go out on a limb here and call that the most ironic thing I've ever seen," Sam admitted as he entered the room.
"Ah, Sam!" Lucifer greeted him, snapping the book shut and rising. "It's been a long time."
"Thankfully," Sam replied, noting the irritation in Lucifer's voice when he mentioned Sam's growing ability to block him out.
"So why are you here now?" Lucifer asked curiously, glancing over Sam with an appraising eye. He didn't spare a glance for those behind him, instead focusing solely on the younger Winchester. "You're early, you know. Our meeting was set to happen in Detroit, and I'm not there yet."
"This ends now," Sam corrected.
"I see. Why the audience? Big brother, I see, and somehow you've managed to gain the allegiance of the two angels who've most betrayed Heaven. How did you manage that, I wonder." Lucifer made a clicking noise with his tongue and raised an eyebrow. Nodding towards Gabriel, he commented, "I must admit, Gabriel, it's good to know you're alive. I question for how long, given your affiliation with the Winchesters, but nevertheless."
"Hey," Sam snapped, regaining Lucifer's attention. "They're all off limits. Anyone you could go after because of me? No fly zone. That's the deal."
"This was never about hurting you, Sam," Lucifer said calmly. "I regret the methods necessary to bring you to me, but once you are mind, I have no need to target your loved ones."
"I want your word," Sam said firmly. "Swear to me that you'll leave them all alone."
Sighing deeply, Lucifer nodded. "I swear."
"Good," Sam confirmed. "Then let's get this show on the road."
There was a moment of pure chaos as everyone fell into position. Castiel turned and burnt out the two demons in the room, including the one who had led them there. Gabriel moved forward in one swift motion and knocked Lucifer to the ground with a punch, using the element of surprise to keep his advantage. Dean shot to the side with his bag and quickly set out the spell supplies, drawing the appropriate sigils with chalk and beginning to crush ingredients together. Another demon burst into the room, and Sam had a knife embedded between two of its ribs before Dean even noticed the near interruption.
A noise of pure rage tore itself from Lucifer's lips, and he fell upon Gabriel, sword drawn and poised to strike. Gabriel had his out a split second later, blocking the blow and twisting away, but only barely. A cut on his cheek leaked grace, and he rubbed at it with irritation. Keeping himself planted between Lucifer and the others in the room, Gabriel adjusted himself into a better fighting stance and waggled his eyebrows at Lucifer. "Come at me," he taunted.
"How DARE you?!" Lucifer hissed, a mixture of anger and shock on his face. "You, Gabriel, how can you wage war against me for these humans!"
"Look," Gabriel said, exasperated. "I had a recent epiphany that basically boiled down to the fact that I'd rather not see this world explode. I lost you a long time ago, Luci, and if I have to stop you to save everything else, Heaven and Earth? Well, I'm okay with that."
"I'm not going to destroy the planet," Lucifer scoffed. "I like this place."
"It's just the people in it you want to burn?" Gabriel said wryly.
"Naturally." Lucifer adjusted his stance, seeming to feel that the battle was about to wage again.
"That, my dear brother," Gabriel pointed out, "is the problem."
Sam stood guard, but no demons had challenged him yet. He was beginning to think that Lucifer's entourage was smaller than they'd assumed. "You almost done there?" He whispered loudly, trying to be heard over the swords, but not to be loud enough to draw attention to themselves.
"Yeah, give me a sec," Dean muttered, holding a bag of blessed salt with his teeth while he crushed a lamb's bone into the bowl.
"Sam," Lucifer taunted, "Do you really think this will work? I can take you and Gabriel out simultaneously and overrun Castiel and Dean with demons before you could even blink."
Sam had been free of Lucifer's interference in his mind for so many weeks now that the sudden intrusion was almost staggering. He held out a hand to stop Castiel from coming to him, conveying with his eyes that it was important Castiel maintain his mission. Focusing all his energy on what he'd learned from Gabriel, Sam shoved back.
"Get the hell out of my mind," Sam snarled, building up a wall of psychic energy and shoving it forward as a barrier between himself and Lucifer.
"Your tricks can't save you, Sam," Lucifer told him, almost sadly. "Without the blood, you're nothing. You think you have power? If that is what you crave, you can say yes to me and know what it's like to have an archangel within you."
"Never," Sam bit back, feeling weary of the same old exchange. He could feel the anger feeding his natural power, but he clamped down on it and shoved it away. Anger was a brittle force. He'd learned that years ago, but Gabriel had reminded him and put it into focus for him. He was always a hell of a lot more effective when he focused on his bond with Dean, or his love for Castiel. True forgings were better fodder for psychic power than pure rage could ever be, which explained why the demon blood had been so hard on his system. It wasn't just an addiction. It fed into his anger, which led to a distorted sense of power that he could never truly master.
Lucifer staggered under the weight of the pressure Sam was responding with, and Gabriel took advantage of the distraction to knock Lucifer off his feet and swipe his blade away.
"You will never win. Be prepared to say hello to your cage again, Lucifer, because it's all you're going to be seeing for the rest of eternity." With that final biting remark, Sam put all the force he had behind shoving Lucifer out. He felt the Devil leave his mind with a sudden release, and relaxed slowly out of the mental battle.
Three demons rushed into the room, headed straight for Dean, but Sam was ready. He snapped back to the present and whirled on the first demon, stabbing it and removing the knife to fend off the second. He could hear Dean working faster behind him as he dropped the second demon, kicking the third one back before he regained his balance and shoved the knife through its ribs.
With a triumphant crow, Dean dropped the match into the bowl, yelling at the same time, "NOW, CAS!"
As Lucifer struggled to recoup the ground he'd lost while mentally fighting Sam, Castiel had already begun the incantation to open the cage. The ingredients hit the right stage of incineration with perfect timing, and Lucifer's vessel froze in place. A split second later, the floor opened before them to reveal a yawning abyss.
"Goodbye, brother," Gabriel said, almost sadly, as he shoved Lucifer forward, watching him topple back into the cage that had been built for him.
The cage closed, and the Winchesters and angels were quiet for a moment, as though not sure everything had really gone all right. After a beat, however, Castiel was across the room pulling Sam into a hug, giving them both a moment to ensure the other was fine. After that, Castiel moved to stand beside Sam, holding the young hunter's hand while they both endured victory hugs from Dean, who seemed to be trying to do a victory dance.
Sam watched, amused, as Dean moved forward to embrace Gabriel, then jump back and examine himself, as though mere contact with the archangel would have turned his jacket pink and sparkly or something equally ridiculous. It was a valid fear, Sam would admit.
"Don't worry," Gabriel reassured Dean with a wry smirk. "I have to behave like an adult now."
"What do you mean?" Sam asked curiously, leaning towards Castiel almost unconsciously, comforted by the reassuring presence at his side.
Gabriel looked resigned, but glanced upwards. "Someone has to keep an eye on Michael. Far be it from me to imply that Castiel leave Earth, so I'm going to go play responsible archangel for a while and make sure there aren't any more impending wars."
"Thank you, brother," Castiel told him solemnly.
"Eh, don't worry about it. Have a drink on me and celebrate." Gabriel snapped his fingers, and suddenly the Winchesters and Castiel were seated in a booth at a bar, each holding a cold beer.
"That BASTARD!" Dean roared, slamming the beer down and jumping to his feet. He tore out of the booth, heading for the front door.
Castiel looked concerned, but Sam held up a hand to stop him from following Dean. "Don't worry about it, he'll be back. He's just pissed because Gabriel transported him away from his car." Sam chuckled lightly and shrugged. "Gabriel knows better than to send us across the country. We're probably still in Indianapolis."
Castiel's held tilted slightly to the side, then he nodded. "You are correct."
As he confirmed that, Dean returned and reluctantly slid back into the booth, gripping his beer. "Doesn't hurt to celebrate a little," he acknowledged. At Sam's questioning look, Dean shrugged almost guiltily and added, "We're only about a block away."
Laughing, Sam leaned forward to clink his bottle with Dean's, then did the same to Castiel after indicating what he wanted him to do. "To saving the world," Sam proclaimed with a grin. "Here's hoping we never have to again."
"Seconded!" Dean emphasized, swigging his beer.
Castiel took a sip of his own beer and made a face. "I am not sure I appreciate the flavor of this particular drink," he admitted.
Dean leaned forward and grinned. "Dude, we just stopped the apocalypse. I will buy you a freaking two hundred year old whiskey if that's what you want to celebrate with."
Sam chuckled and leaned to the side to stage whisper to Castiel, "I'd take him up on that, Cas. An offer like that won't last long."
Smiling at the sound of Sam's laughter, Castiel nodded to Dean. "That sounds good then, yes. I will try some of that."
At the wide-eyed expression on Dean's face, Sam cracked up, and even Castiel found it amusing. After a beat, Dean joined them in laughing.
Maybe they'd have to save the world again, maybe they wouldn't. But tonight, while they teased each other and drank cheap beer, it was safe, and that was enough.