AN: Thanks to everyone who had taken the time to review. Especially the guest readers. The site tells me that there are 8 reviews, but I can only see 4, so if I haven't responded, it's due to technical difficulties, not lack of appreciation. I value all my readers, but special thanks to OldGirl-NoraArlani for her continued enthusiasm.
Dean stood silent and still amid the bustle of activity. On one side of the room, the coven was setting up for the ritual that would open the portal. The witches were quiet, focused despite the noise and confusion around them. People, most of them armed, were coming in and out in a steady stream, reporting for duty, asking for orders or just because they didn't know where else to go. The constant harassment from Lucifer's forces was wearing down the little community. The demon forces had been launching steadily stronger attacks against the compound, and a few minutes ago another group of hellspawn had begun attacking. In the distance Dean could hear the faint sounds of battle. Gunfire, and the gut wrenching baying of Hellhounds. That sound still made his blood run cold. But he wasn't afraid. It was indecision that kept him apart from everyone.
On the other side of the room, Lynn, Alex and some of the squad commanders were huddled around the table, talking animatedly over diagrams and papers spread around. Everyone was tense. Alex had an assault rifle slung over his shoulder and he had a small black bag at his feet. Lynn had a revolver tucked into the back of her jeans and another handgun on the table. Dean looked at his would-be sister and brother-in-law as he tried to wrestle his thoughts into submission.
What was he supposed to do? In the time he had spent with Lynn and Alex, and the rest of this community of survivors, he had grown to respect and care about these people. Lynn, Alex and Joy were family. They needed him and every fighter he had trained. It felt disloyal to even consider leaving them to their precarious fate, like he was shirking his duty when he was needed most. Lucifer was practically knocking on their door and it didn't look good.
But on the other hand, it had been almost a year since he'd seen Sam or even heard his brother's voice. When Sam had been at Stanford, Dean had at least swung by whenever he could to lay eyes on the kid. Now? Hell he didn't even know if Sam was alive anymore. The need to get back to Sammy was like an itch under his skin that over the months here, he had learned to ignore. But it never really went away. His stomach churned with both longing and guilt. He needed to get back to Sam, but how could he leave the people who needed him. What was he supposed to do?
"Dean," Lynn asked, reaching out to touch his arm. Dean startled, mentally kicking himself for being so lost in his inner turmoil that he didn't hear Lynn approach. He looked at her and she gave him a piercing look, a trick that she shared with his brother. Sometime it felt like Sammy could read his mind when he gave Dean that look, and Lynn was the same.
"No Dean, we're doing this," Lynn insisted, raising her voice a bit to be heard over the noise. "You need to get back to your own world, to your Sam," she said passionately. Alex had stepped up behind her and gave him a firm nod that let Dean know that he agreed with his wife. "Look, I know you feel guilty, but don't be. We wouldn't be nearly as well prepared if it hadn't been for you," said Lynn. She tugged on Dean's arm and stared into his face, obviously waiting for him to reply. Just as he opened his mouth, there was a huge boom, and Dean found himself clutching the wall and Lynn to try and keep them both on their feet. As the shaking stopped, Lynn turned back towards the table.
"What was that?" She gave Dean's arm a final squeeze and made her way back to the table full of war plans. Dean followed at a distance, curious and anxious. A young soldier, skidded into the room, and scanned the crowd. His face was white and he was covered with dust and blood. Spotting Lynn, he approached and came to attention in front of her. His eyes seemed too big in his pale face.
"What happened? Report, Thomas," Lynn demanded. Dean recognized the steel of command in her voice that reminded him forcefully of his father.
"Lynn, it's the east wing….it's,... it's gone," the soldier stammered, out of breath and visibly shaking. "There was this huge, white, fireball….and now the whole wing is gone, just vaporized…" his voice faded out and he brought a bloody hand up to cover his mouth at the horror of his own words. Lynn gasped and staggered herself, blindly reaching back for her husband.
"What?, how can it all be gone," asked Alex breathlessly, the colour draining from his face at this news. The east wing was used as their field hospital and had been full of people. Including Joy and the other children who had been gathered there in what they figured was the safest place for them during the battle. Dean felt his stomach lurch, sick and horrified as he absorbed what he had heard.
"Wait, what about Joy, and Melody and Katie," Lynn asked desperately, her voice rising, the commanding tone replaced by the lost sound of a mother clutching at straws. The dusty young man shook his head and let a sob break free.
"They're gone, everyone is gone, there's nothing there but a hole," he cried brokenly. Thomas turned, not waiting to be dismissed and stumbled away.
Dean slumped, hands against the table to hold himself up and fought to control his emotions. Joy, the children and all those people, dead. It broke his heart thinking about what a massive blow Lucifer had just delivered. He glanced up, but wished he hadn't. Alex, usually stoic and calm, looked wrecked. His head was bowed and tears streamed down his face. Alex's chest heaved as he gripped his chair with white knuckles in an obvious effort to stay on his feet. Dean looked at Lynn, expecting her to be even more devastated, but she seemed to be staring into the distance, eyes wet and clouded with an intense sorrow that hurt to look at. Lynn dragged a sleeve across her face and closed her eyes for a moment. Then, with a breath, she visibly straightened and squared her shoulders. Lynn was in command, and emotions would have to wait. She turned back to Dean and clenched her jaw.
"C'mon," she said, her voice brooking no argument. "It's almost time, get a move on." And with that Lynn turned and made her way across the room where the coven was setting up. Alex just sighed and wiped the tears off his face. He picked up the black duffle bag and followed them to the magical semi-circle. Dean pushed off the table and followed too, his own face wet as he tried to process the loss of his baby niece and the friends he had known that were in the field hospital. Katie and Melody were gone too.
"Lynn, wait," Dean called. His sister glanced over her shoulder at him, but refused to meet his eyes. The three stepped over the lit candles and painted symbols and Dean grabbed her arm. "I can't go. Not now, we need to -" Lynn cut him off.
"No Dean, you need to go home," she said firmly before she yanked her arm out of his grip. "I'm not losing you too." At that she finally did meet Dean's eyes and he knew that she needed this. That keeping him safe was all that was keeping her going. Dean recognized that look, having seen it in the mirror more than once. Alex put a hand on her shoulder and she turned towards her husband as she shrugged it off. "I'm Ok, Alex," she lied.
Dean had to be within the semi-circle before they painted the final symbols. Once the coven closed him into the marked area, there was no leaving it until the symbols were removed. Back on other side of the room, the large table had been moved aside. The injured were beginning to make their way here and other people were doing their best to treat them with makeshift supplies. The head witch, a woman named Kiki of all things, signaled Dean to come over. Dean had originally had difficulty trusting the coven, but they had proven loyal beyond fault to Lynn, so he had eventually learned to live with them. Crouching down to hear the woman over the noise, she gripped his arm, then shifted her jacket, exposing a vest of explosives.
"If things go bad, we're closing the portal permanently once you're gone. No way is Lucifer going to be able to follow you." She smiled grimly. "Just so you know." Dean was shocked, but he looked towards the other witches to see if they knew about Kiki's plan. As his eyes went around to the other six members of the coven, they all gave him a solemn nod, and two others showed their own suicide vests. He turned back to Kiki and put his hand over hers that was still holding his arm.
"Thanks," Dean said, trying to convey the depth of his respect and gratitude in the one small word. Kiki nodded, then let go and went back to her symbols and preparations. Dean joined Lynn and Alex again. As devastated as he was at the loss of Joy and the others, his sorrow was nothing in comparison to theirs, and he knew they must be trying to push their pain away for his sake. It was time to say his goodbyes.
"Lynn," Dean began. "I can't tell you how sorry I am."
"Don't" she said through clenched teeth, obviously trying to keep it together. "We don't know that she's gone for sure yet." She sniffed and drew herself up again. Dean just nodded.
"Look, I want you to know that if I could be in two places, I'd stay. You two are family," Dean said, stopping before his own emotions got ahead of him. Dean sucked at this touchy feely stuff. He could never find the right words. "Anyway, it's time, you gotta go," he finished softly when he was sure his voice would be steady.
Alex shoved the black bag into his hands. "Here's some stuff I want you to have. Just photos and things." Then the soft spoken man stuck out his hand. Dean shook it, but then hauled the man in for a rough hug. When they broke apart a moment later, Alex just clapped Dean's shoulder. He stood with the back of his hand across his mouth trying to pull himself together as Lynn stepped forward.
"So, you take care of yourself Dean," she said in a slightly shaky voice. "Take care of Sam. And maybe you can tell him about us one day." At that her tears started to flow again and she stepped into Dean's arms. He buried his face in her hair and held her tightly, feeling a tear of his own escape. After a long moment, he put his hand on her shoulder, and pushed her away very gently. He leaned in and kissed her forehead before letting her go completely. Clearing his throat, he forced a smile. She smiled back and caressed his cheek briefly, then Alex pulled Lynn towards the edge of the semi-circle and they stepped beyond the symbols. Kiki finished the last one and the air shifted with the subtle shimmer of the powerful magic. Dean shouldered the bag Alex had given him and got ready for the portal to open.
Suddenly there was another blast that shook the building. The sounds of gunfire and screams grew loud outside the room, and partially drowned out the chanting that the witches had begun. One of the guards at the main door dropped and everyone inside the room raised their weapons. The doors burst open and about a dozen demons pushed into the room.
"Stop him!" one of the demons screamed pointing at Dean before a round of anti-demon bullets took him down. But more demons poured into the room and rushed the people inside. Dean pulled his own gun, but wasn't able to do more than watch from inside the protective magic. He strained to find Lynn and Alex in the melee that was happening in front of him, but he couldn't spot them in the mess of combatants. Dean could feel the electricity behind him, building to create the portal.
The screaming increased as the battle grew even more violent. Dean's heart was pounding and he paced the semi-circle, feeling angry and helpless. From near the doorway, he heard Mateo's voice shout. "He's here, he's here," before his friend's voice was cut off in a cry of agony. Panic seemed to grip the room. The steady voices of the witches the only noise that hadn't been amplified. Abruptly, everything grew quiet and still, everyone was shoved against the walls, or to the floor. Dean recognized the demonic force that was holding people frozen. Slowly, the demons climbed to their feet grinning and leering at the humans still pinned in place. Then a man walked through the doors.
It was Lucifer. Even though Dean knew it wasn't Sam, it wasn't really even this world's Sam, it still made his stomach turn to see that familiar face. With a flick of his long fingers, bodies slid across the floor leaving an open path for the devil and his entourage to enter. Lucifer had his "toys" with him, a young man and a teenaged girl who he kept on leather leashes. Sweeping the room with a glance, Lucifer found Lynn among the humans pinned against the wall. With another wave of his hand, he flung her forward to land on her knees at his feet.
"Hello sister," Lucifer said with a sneer. "So good to see you again."
"Go to Hell Lucifer," Lynn spat. Dean admired her defiance even as he cursed the magical barrier. It kept him from being pinned too, but it meant he could do nothing to help his sister.
"Oh sis, I was there," Lucifer said airly. "It was fun for a while. I redecorated, had a couple of orgies, killed a few demons...it was amusing for a while, but I'm bored now. So I thought I'd pay you and dear Dean a little visit. I hear you have a door to a whole new playground." With that Lucifer and Lynn both looked towards the portal that Dean could feel forming behind him. Dean shot a glance at Kiki, who was still chanting. He saw her stealthily pull the small switch that was connected to the explosives from an inner pocket.
"Oh look, I'm just in time. Dean, Dean, Dean," Lucifer said in mock admonishment. "Did you really think I'd let you leave?" Lucifer chuckled and strolled closer to the barrier. In his peripheral vision, Dean could see one of the witches tremble as the coven fought to keep the barrier intact. Dean stood staring at the evil son of a bitch wearing Sam's face. Lucifer was dressed in what looked like tailored, black silk pajamas.
"So what's up with the leisure suit, asshole?," Dean taunted, hoping to buy the coven the few extra minutes they needed to complete the spell and open his ticket home.
"Oh this?" Lucifer languidly gestured to his clothes. "Well one does like to be comfortable when travelling."
"You're not going anywhere," shouted a ringing voice. Lucifer spun around. Angels had appeared behind him, headed by Michael and Castiel. Michael spoke again. "We are going to finish this, once and for all brother. I will not let you bring your poison to another world." Lucifer heaved an exaggerated sigh.
"Fine, if you insist brother, but let's make it snappy, I have a portal to catch." And with that Lucifer flung a ball of flames at the party of angels. Dean, and the humans who could move shielded their eyes, some jumped out of the way. When he could see again, Dean could tell that Michael and the angels were unharmed, but Lynn, who had been on the floor between them, toppled over. She had been in the direct line of fire and her body was like a pillar of ash. Dean barely had a chance to gasp in horror, heard Alex scream his wife's name.
The agonized scream was like a switch flipping the battle that had been suspended back into action. The angels leapt at the demons and the humans were released from their supernatural freeze frame. Within seconds the room was filled with smoke and screams and the sounds of death. A stray bullet hit the shoulder of Mark, one of the witches, and he fell forward. The rest of the coven raised their voices as he struggled to right himself. Dean glanced behind him to see the portal swell from a small blue circle to the full sized door of light.
"Dean - Now!" hissed Kiki. She hovered her thumb over the trigger device. With a final look of gratitude and regret for the witch, Dean hitched the black bag higher on his shoulder and jumped through. He could feel the heat on his back and felt the shockwave slam into him and push him forward before he stumbled to his feet in the dark school room.