Chapter Sixteen: Denver

Dean has always tried to not notice his brother's personal life. However, it becomes very difficult when they're living together and he knows Sam better than he knows himself. He tries not to think too deeply about the time Sam spends in the shooting range with Jael and stays clear of the level when the shooting stops and it takes them two hours to emerge with rumpled clothing and guns that still need to be cleaned.

It all started innocently enough. Jael was terrified of sleeping, of losing consciousness. After a week of little to no sleep, it was time to do something about it so they offered to sit with her while she slept. They took shifts so they wouldn't be exhausted but one night, Dean walked in to find Sam stretched out top of the blankets and both of them were sound asleep. Dean didn't have to sit up with Jael anymore after that.

So when Sam tells him that he and Jael are going out to practice target shooting outdoors, Dean wishes them the best of luck and to have fun. Never mind the fact that the bag Sam is carrying smells of chicken and brie and sounds like a bottle of wine clanging around in there against silverware. He fights the urge to tease them, ask if they a blanket at least but it's been so long since he had seen Sam smile, he bites his tongue.

He takes the opportunity to use the indoor shooting range himself. It would feel good to blow out a couple targets. This waiting game is starting to wear on him and who knows how much longer they still have to go. He hasn't seen Cas in over a week and even though he's been praying every night for an update, the angel hasn't shown. He's through half his clip when someone taps him on the shoulder and almost gets shot in the process.

"Dammit, Cas!" Dean yanks his safety glasses off his face and fights the urge to throw them at the angel.

At least Cas looks apologetic. "Sorry. I did try calling to you."

Dean sets his gun down and tries to slow his heart rate. "You got news or just dropping by for tea?"

Cas looks tired and worn as he leans against one of the partitions of the range. "I came with an update. Sam and Jael?"

"Uh, out."

"Out?"

Dean smiles. "Don't ask."

"Ah, that explains it then."

"Explains what?"

Cas gives him a look that clearly translates he shouldn't say what he's about to but he's going to do it anyway. "The cupids were in an uproar when we let them back into Heaven. They weren't upset at being kicked out but that they were needed to match up two people and apparently, they weren't needed because the couple found each other and fell in love themselves. Winchester was a mentioned name but then no one would confirm it."

"How was that going to work? Jael was an angel up until a couple weeks ago."

"Jael was destined to lose her grace. How and when was irrelevant."

"So Sam fell in love and pissed off a bunch of cupids?" Dean laughs. "Sounds like something a Winchester would do."

Cas finally cracks a smile. "Yes, it does."

"How's the plan to trap Lucifer going?"

Cas' smile fades immediately. "The new cage that is being built is something to be seen. We have many angels working on it. Metatron fully powered up the angels that were in the charging portion of Heaven so we have Naomi, Zachariah, Balthazar, any and everyone helping. It should be done soon."

Dean couldn't exactly express happiness at hearing those angels were walking around again. Well, maybe Balthazar wasn't too bad to have on their side but Zachariah and Naomi could stay the hell away from him. "Once you get him in there, how are you making sure he stays put?"

"Ah, the locks. There are going to be 4400 spells that will be cast to contain him. The first twenty will keep him inside of the cage but allow other angels to leave."

"Why would you need to get out?"

Cas tilts his head to the side. "Because it will give Addison a chance to eject Lucifer. It will give us a chance to retrieve her."

"Retrieve her?"

"Lucifer will fight the ejection with everything he has. We are giving Addison the best chance at surviving this."

"Sounds like she doesn't have much of a chance of survival."

Cas' shoulders dropped when he sighed. "In all honesty, she doesn't. And neither does Gadreel."

"Gadreel?"

"We need something to break Lucifer's connection. Like you broke the connection between him and Sam, which allowed Sam to wrestle control from him. We need the same thing for Addison. Gadreel is the closest person to her. He's our best chance at breaking the connection."

Dean remembers that day, remembers the beating Lucifer gave him. The archangel was set on killing him with his bare hands. "At least Gadreel's made of tougher stuff than me."

Cas doesn't smile. "We could lose both of them, Dean. If this doesn't work-"

"I know, Cas. We've been down this road so many times, it's not even funny anymore. But somehow, we always manage to come through. Addison's a Winchester. She'll make it."

"I sincerely hope you're right."

Dean hopes so too.

Gadreel notices when they reach Phoenix three weeks later that Addy is starting to withdraw. They both know whatever the angels are planning is coming together quickly. Nervousness and dread are starting to creep into Addy's heart and it's coming out of her fingers when she drags the bow over the cello strings. The fun, light hearted songs that they would play together have given way to sad, more intense music.

People still pack the small cafes and bars that invite them to perform. They are starting to make quite a name for themselves and are turning down gigs. It should have been the happiest time of their lives. He's free, truly and completely. He's reclaimed the feeling of contentment and joy after a millennia of pain and shame. Addy has purpose and a soul, she has a connection to music and to him that have banished any and all doubt of whether or not she's real now. They should be happy.

But Lucifer is looming in the distance and snapping at their heels at the same time. There are times when Addy wakes in the middle of the night, shaking and sweating, certain that the devil is standing outside the window. Sometimes Gadreel is able to soothe her back to sleep and other times he watches helplessly as she trembles her way through the dawn. Each day that passes draws her as tight as the strings on her cello and finally, one night as they practice in a hotel room, she snaps.

"I can't do this," she says, leaning over her cello and hugging it to her chest. "I don't want to do this, Gad."

He puts his own cello in its case before gently extracting Addy's from her grip. "Maybe there's another way."

"No, there's not. Lucifer wants me. He won't take another chance with Sam."

It didn't surprise him that she had shared her worries with Sam through their skype sessions. If Sam knew of the angel's plan to re-imprison Lucifer, he didn't share any of it with Addy. But he did listen to her concerns and tried to calm her. It is still early enough to call him but Addy grabs his hand.

"I don't want to talk to Sam."

His surprise at how easily she can tell what he's thinking has long since faded. "Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure."

He sits down on the chair across from her, still keeping her hand in his. He doesn't know what to say to her and finds he doesn't have to because she starts speaking.

"I want you to promise me something."

"Of course."

She takes a deep breath before establishing eye contact and holding it with an intensity he hadn't seen before. "When I say yes to Lucifer, I want you to stay as far away from me as possible."

"Addy-"

"I mean it. The first thing Lucifer will do is harm you or worse. I won't let him do that. I couldn't live with myself if that happened."

Gadreel shook his head. "I will not leave you to face this by yourself."

"Don't you understand? Lucifer will kill you!"

"There is a possibility he won't."

Addy stands up and settles herself on his lap, his arms automatically going around her to hold her in place. "I don't want to take the chance. I want my happy ending. I want it with you."

"I promised to protect you. You said you were holding me to that promise. I can't and I won't leave you now."

She worries her lip for a moment before lowering her head and giving a slight nod. "Okay. Alright. Just please, survive this."

"I will. You do the same." He wants his happy ending too.

They seal the promise with a kiss that is interrupted by her stomach growling. Gadreel stands up, putting Addy down on her feet.

"Sushi?"

"Sounds good."

There is a Japanese place a block down from the hotel. Sometimes Addy went with him but tonight, she reaches for her cello so he will go alone. It only takes him twenty minutes to get the order and make it back to the room.

The empty room.

Addy has been looking for an opening to leave for Denver so when Gadreel leaves to pick up some food, she packs her bag and runs. She leaves the SUV, taking a taxi to the Phoenix airport. She's able to sweet talk her way onto a flight to Denver. She has to get there quickly, as quickly as possible. As soon as Gadreel gets back to the room and finds her gone, his first course of action will be to call Sam and Dean. She can't afford any interference.

She finds her seat on the airplane, buckles her seatbelt and checks her phone. Someone texted her a picture, an unknown number. It's a picture of Matt, her ex-fiancé, playing with his kids in the backyard. Another text comes through as she is looking at the picture.

Would be a shame if something happened to one of them. Or all of them for that matter.

Addy quickly responds. I'm on a plane right now. Meet me at the Denver Airport in two hours.

A reply comes back just as she's asked to turn off her phone for take off.

Good girl.

She stares off into nothing during the short flight. She has been having dreams for the last week of Lucifer coming to her, needing her as a vessel as his was failing him. She quickly found he was not above threats though he tried finesse first. He was growing desperate. That was when the texts started. Pictures of her friends and family, or at least the friends and family that Metatron gave her. Even though Matt and his family probably had no memory whatsoever of Addison Weaver, she couldn't stand the thought of something happening to them because of her.

The angels know that Lucifer has been waiting to take her. She can only hope that they are prepared for it. She doesn't want to be responsible for a blood bath. She doesn't want to be responsible for the apocalypse. She doesn't want to die either and she knows Michael well enough to know he would put her down in a second if it meant saving the world. She certainly doesn't want Gadreel, Sam, Dean, Jael or Cas to get caught in the crossfire either. She spends the rest of the flight praying for safety for the people around her, safety for the entire world. She prays until she runs out of words and the plane lands.

She's not surprised to see him, Lucifer, waiting for her down by the baggage claim. The skin on his face burned and mottled. He still looks unassuming, almost nonthreatening. If it was't for the smug smile on his damaged face, she would have been fooled by his looks entirely.

"Addison. We meet again. In Denver, of all places."

"Imagine that."

"Oh come on, don't be such a downer. We're going to have a lot of fun."

Addy frowns. "I have a feeling your idea of fun and my idea of fun are two very different things."

He steps forward and frames her face with his hands. "Sweetheart, you haven't ever experienced fun. Or joy. Or even happiness. I'll give all those things to you and more. I promise."

"A pretty pack of lies."

He smiles. "I never lie. So, do I have your consent?"

Addy looks around at the weary travelers around them. "Not here. Not in front of all these people."

Lucifer rolls his eyes. "Fine."

Addy follows him out the door and into the parking garage. He stops by a convertible BMW. "Is that yours?"

"I don't need a car. And neither will you once you say yes."

She made the decision to go through with this but fear is choking her. She's going to give him her body, give him the reins to do whatever he wishes. She thinks about asking him to spare certain people but realizes he wouldn't keep his promise even if he agreed to it. She's come this far. Everyone knows this was going to happen and she can only hope they're prepared for it.

"Addison," he sing-songs, "Addy girl, I'm waiting."

"Yes," she spits out.

"What was that, dear?"

She looks him dead in the eye and prays once more. "I said yes."

And everything goes white.