Point of No Return
Michelle was sitting at a table in the motel room, sharpening one of her knives, her eyes trained on Dean as he packed away a few of his most prized possessions in a box. She'd seen him put in his leather jacket, his keys to the Impala, his gun, and a letter, all to be sent to Bobby.
"Sending someone a candy-gram?" a voice said from behind him.
Dean spun around, while Michelle just smirked, seeing Sam standing in the doorway of the motel.
"Did you tell him?" Dean glared back at her.
She rolled her eyes, "Let's see…you've confiscated my phone, pretty much handcuffed me to your side whenever we're near a payphone, and had your eye on me in case I randomly decide to try smoke signals," she fixed him with an unamused look, "How the hell was I supposed to contact him?"
"I don't know," he replied back, before shaking his head and turning to Sam, "How'd you find me?"
"You're going to kill yourself, right?" Sam frowned, "It's not too hard to figure out the stops on the Farewell Tour. How's Lisa doing, anyways?"
"I'm not going to kill myself."
"No?" Sam raised an eyebrow, "So Michael's not about to make you his Muppet? What the hell, man? This is how it ends? You just…walk out?"
He shook his head, "I'm not walking out."
"Then what are you doing?"
Dean rubbed his eyes, "I'm standing up."
"Not following," Sam shook his head in confusion.
"All we've done is run away from this and it's not working," Dean tried to reason, he'd already had this discussion with Michelle, but unlike Sam, she hadn't yelled or gotten in his face about it, she'd simply asked him why, "I'm your brother, I feel like I'm the older brother for both of you," he glanced back at Michelle, "And I'm not doing my job."
"Your job?"
"To protect you! It's my job to make sure you're safe, to make sure everything will be ok. And I've been doing a lousy job of it. Hell, if Michael can make it right, stop the devil, make it safe again, then I'm gonna do it. For you."
"What if I don't want you to do it?" Sam asked quietly. Dean just stared him down, Sam sighed, "Just…please. Not now. Bobby is working on something…"
"Oh, really?" Dean scoffed, "What?" Sam didn't answer, "You got nothing and you know it."
"You know I have to stop you," Sam said seriously.
"Yeah, well, you can try. Just remember: you're not all hopped up on demon blood this time."
"Maybe not," Sam nodded, looking at something over Dean's shoulder, "Maybe I can't. But you forget…Michelle certainly can."
Dean turned around, only to see a fist fly straight at his face. He hit the ground hard, knocked out by one fierce punch by a girl.
Sam looked down at the fallen form of his brother and shook his head, just slightly amused. He didn't think he'd ever get used to the sight of Michelle taking him out in one go. But it was like he said, if he threw a punch, Dean would punch back. If Michelle threw a punch, Dean wouldn't want to hurt her and punch back.
"I hope you brought help," Michelle muttered, flexing her fingers.
Sam nodded and Castiel walked through the door. He headed over to Dean, touching his fingers to Dean's forehead, transporting him to Bobby's, like he did with Sam and Michelle after.
~8~
When Dean woke up he was not a happy camper. But he could at least be thankful that he hadn't been locked up in the panic room…yet. According to Michelle, Sam wanted to lock him in there before he woke up, but Michelle had said Bobby deserved a chance to talk with him first and so they'd left him in the study.
"Yeah, no, this is good," Dean rolled his eyes, pacing in front of the wheelchair-bound man sitting at the desk, "Really. You know, eight months of turned pages and screwed pooches but tonight…tonight's when the magic happens."
"You ain't helpin'," Bobby commented.
"Yeah, well, why don't you let me get out of your hair, then?"
"What the hell happened to you?"
"Reality happened," Dean replied. He didn't want to tell them that ever since the Whore of Babylon, when Michelle had purified him of her influence, he'd been thinking about the situation clearer than he thought he ever had. But he wasn't going to tell them that, they might pin his behavior on Michelle's powers going wrong or something and he didn't want that, "Nuclear's the only option we have left. Michael can ice the devil, save a boatload of people."
"But not all of them," Michelle called from the kitchen, where she was making them coffee.
"We gotta think of something else," Bobby agreed.
"Yeah, well, that's easy for you to say," Dean replied, "But if Lucifer burns this mother down, and I coulda done something about it, guess what? That's on me."
"You can't give up, son."
"You're not my father! And you ain't in my shoes!"
Bobby stared at Dean a long minute, before pulling out a gun and setting it on his desk along with a bullet from his pocket which he held up to look at.
"What is that?" Dean frowned.
"That's the round that I mean to put through my skull," Bobby told him, setting it down on the desk, "Every morning, I look at it. I think, 'Maybe today's the day I flip the lights out.' But I don't do it. I never do it. You know why? Because I promised you I wouldn't give up!"
Castiel suddenly hunched over, grasping his head in pain, groaning. As Sam and Dean turned to look at him, Bobby's attention was focused somewhere just beyond, where he'd heard a clink in the kitchen. He could see Michelle through the doorway, rubbing her forehead.
"Cas, you ok?" Sam asked.
"No," he ground out.
"What's wrong?"
"Something's happening."
"Where?" Dean frowned.
Castiel didn't answer, instead he disappeared in a gust of wind, blowing papers around the room.
~8~
"I'm gonna get a beer, do you mind?" Dean asked Sam and Michelle as the three of them waited in the kitchen. Michelle was leaning against the counter, sipping the last of her tea, while Sam stood staring at his brother, watching him.
Sam eyed Dean a moment before moving out of the way of the fridge to let Dean through. Dean rolled his eyes and went to open the door, when Bobby called out.
"Guys!"
They ran out of the room and into the study, only to see Castiel laying the body of Adam Milligan down on a cot.
"Who is it?" Bobby asked, seeing their wide, disbelieving eyes.
"That's our brother," Sam breathed, staring at the boy in shock.
"Wait a minute," Bobby shook his head, "Your brother? Adam?"
"Cas, what the hell?" Dean turned to the angel.
"Angels," Michelle answered for him.
"Angels?" Sam looked at her, "Why?"
"I know one thing for sure," Castiel said, leaning over Adam, "We need to hide him, now," he reached out and put his hand on Adam's chest, branding the Enochian symbols into his ribs, the discomfort making Adam jerk awake.
"Where am I?" Adam asked, looking around frantically.
"It's ok," Sam said, holding out his hands to try and calm the boy, "Just relax, you're safe."
"Who the hell are you?" he glared at the group.
"You're going to find this a little...a lot crazy, but we're actually your brothers," Dean explained.
"It's the truth. John Winchester was our father, too," Sam nodded, "See, I'm Sam…"
"Yeah, and I'm sure that's Dean," Adam cut in, rolling his eyes, glaring at Dean, "I know who you are."
"How?" Michelle asked.
"They warned me about you. Especially you," he eyed her.
"Me?" Michelle frowned as the boys exchanged a confused look.
"Yeah. You're Michelle right? Sam's girlfriend?"
Michelle blinked before looking over at Sam, "I find it a bit disturbing that the angels are keeping tabs on our relationship."
Dean shook his head, "Who did?" he asked Adam, getting back to point.
"The angels," Adam answered, "Now where the hell is Zachariah?"
"So why don't you just tell us everything? Start from the beginning."
"Well, I was dead and in Heaven. 'Cept it…it uh, kinda looked like my prom and I was making out with this girl, her name was Kristin McGee…"
"Yeah, that sounds like Heaven," Dean nodded, smirking, "Did you get to third base?"
"Just keep going," Michelle cut in, nudging Dean.
"Well, these…these angels, they popped out of nowhere, and they tell me that I…I'm chosen," Adam continued.
Michelle and Castiel stiffened.
"For what?" Sam frowned.
"To save the world," Adam said.
"How you gonna do that?" Dean asked.
"Oh, me and some archangel are going to kill the devil," Adam replied, as though he were commenting on the weather.
"Which archangel?" Michelle asked, fearing she already knew the answer.
"Michael. I'm his uh, sword or vessel or something, I don't know."
"Well, that's insane," Dean remarked.
"Not necessarily," Castiel commented.
"How do you mean?" Dean looked over at him.
"Maybe they're moving on from you, Dean."
"Well that doesn't make sense."
"He is John Winchester's bloodline, Sam's brother," Michelle shrugged, rubbing her head, "It's not perfect, but it's possible."
"Well you gotta be kidding me," Dean scoffed.
"Why would they do this?" Sam looked at them.
"Maybe they're desperate," Castiel guessed, "Maybe they wrongly assumed Dean would be brave enough to withstand them," and he finished with a healthy glare at Dean.
"Alright, you know what?" Dean glared back, "Blow me, Cas."
"Look, no way," Sam cut in, shaking his head, "After everything that's happened? All that crap about destiny? Suddenly the angels have a Plan B? Does that smell right to anybody?"
"Not at all," Michelle agreed with Sam. She could just feel it, there was something else going on.
"You know this has been a really moving family reunion, but uh, I got a thing, so…" Adam tried to get up.
Sam quickly turned to him, "Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, no, no, no. Sit down. Just listen, ok? Please."
"It's unbelievable."
"Now, Adam…the angels are lying to you," Sam told him slowly, "They're full of crap."
"Yeah, I don't think so," Adam shook his head.
"Really?" Michelle scoffed, "Why not?"
"Um, 'cause they're angels?"
"They tell you they were gonna roast half the planet?" Sam asked.
"They said the fight might get pretty hairy, but it is the devil, right?" Adam shrugged, "So we gotta stop him."
"Yeah, but there's another way," Michelle said.
"Great," Adam replied sarcastically, not believing her, "What is it?"
"We're working on 'the power of love,'" Dean commented.
"How's that going?" Adam joked.
"Mmm. Not good," Dean sighed mock sadly.
"Look, Adam…" Sam cut in, glaring at his older brother, "You don't know me from a hole in the wall, I know. But I'm begging you. Please, just trust us. Give us some time."
"Give me one good reason," Adam told him.
"Because we're blood," Sam replied sincerely.
"You've got no right to say that to me," Adam glared.
"You're still John's boy," Bobby cut in.
"No, John Winchester was some guy who took me to a baseball game once a year. I don't have a dad. So we may be blood, but we are not family. My mom is my family. And if I do my job, I get to see her again. So no offense, but she's the one I give a rat's ass about, not you."
"Fair enough," Michelle stepped up, "But if you have one good memory of your dad, just one, then you'll give us a little more time. Please."
Adam stared at her, looking her in the eyes, before sighing and relenting, sitting back down on the cot.
"Thank you," she smiled, turning to see Sam and Dean staring at her.
"Two words," Dean said, holding up two fingers, "Hoo-Doo."
Michelle just smacked him upside the head as she went to make the kid something to eat at least.
~8~
Adam sat in the kitchen, playing with his half-eaten sandwich that Michelle had made for him. He glanced around, seeing Bobby turn his chair around to look at the bookcase and no one else in the kitchen. He quickly got up and headed for the door.
"Going somewhere?" a voice called behind him. He turned around to see Michelle leaning in the doorway, Sam coming up behind her as he heard her speak.
"Out for a...beer," he tried lamely.
"Great," Sam smirked, "We got beer. Have a seat."
Adam sighed and returned to the table as Sam grabbed two beers and an iced tea for him, Adam, and Michelle. He placed them at the table, sitting down beside Michelle, across from Adam.
"Great," Adam commented, taking the beer, "You know, you pitched this whole dewy-eyed bromance thing, but the truth is, I'm on lockdown, aren't I?"
"Adam, you may not believe it, but dad was trying to protect you," Sam sighed, "Keeping you from all of this."
"Yeah, well, I guess the monster that ate me didn't get that memo," Adam rolled his eyes.
"You remember that?" Michelle frowned, feeling sorry for the boy.
"Oh yeah."
"Still, trust me," Sam cut in, "The one thing worse than seeing dad once a year was seeing him all year."
"Do you know how full of crap you are?" Adam glared.
"What?"
"Really? You see, it was me and it was my mom. That's it. She worked the graveyard shift at the hospital. I cooked my own dinners. I put myself to bed. So you can say whatever you want about our dad, but the truth is, I would have taken anything."
Sam nodded his head a little, understanding. He'd always resented his dad being there, being how he was, but…thinking about it in relation to Adam, he was actually the lucky one to have their father in his life.
"Alright?" Adam continued.
"Look, if we had known we had a brother…" Sam began.
"Well, you didn't, so…"
"We would have found you," Sam finished. Adam scoffed and shook his head, "Look, I can't change the past. I wish I could. But from here on out…"
"What?" Adam interrupted again, "We gonna hop in the family truckster? Pop on down to 'Wally World?'"
"Tell you one thing," Michelle spoke, smiling softly, "With an attitude like that, you would have fit right in around here."
Sam turned to mock glare at her but couldn't help but see the truth in her words. He turned to Adam, "Tell you something else…" Adam looked at him, waiting for him to continue, "An attitude like that and Michelle would have kicked your ass nine ways from Sunday for it…"
Michelle let out a laugh as Adam just looked between the two of them like they were crazy.
~8~
Michelle stood in the study, skimming one of the books she'd left at Bobby's, as Adam slept on the cot. Castiel and Sam had gone to take Dean down to the panic room, the man now more gung-ho than ever to say 'yes' if it would mean protecting Adam too. She was supposed to look after Adam. They'd figured that Castiel with his nifty knock-em-out mojo and Sam would be able to take care of Dean and she was more than capable of babysitting.
She looked up as Castiel entered the room, looking at her a moment before walking over to her.
"Dean's not happy," he commented.
"I don't imagine he would be," she replied.
He glanced over at Adam and then back at Michelle, "What are you going to do now that he's back?"
She looked up at him, "I don't know."
"You need to be careful," he warned her, "This may be the only second chance you'll get to take the next step."
"I know. As soon as an opportunity presents itself, I'll take it."
He hesitated a moment, "Don't…don't do anything too rash though. I know you believe this to be important…"
"It is."
"But it is not more important than you."
"That's a matter of opinion," she smiled lightly at him.
He looked away a moment, nodding to himself, before he turned back, "You weren't going to stop Dean from saying yes."
It wasn't a question.
She sighed, closing her book. She glanced over at Adam, making sure he was asleep, before turning to the angel, "No."
"Why?" he frowned, staring at her, Michelle didn't answer, only gave him a pointed look, he blinked, "You're planning something…"
Before she could reply the sound of Bobby's wheelchair reached them, moments before he entered the room, not looking happy, "How's the kid?" he asked, nodding at Adam.
Castiel stared at her more, waiting for her to finish what she was going to say.
"He's fine," she smiled at Bobby, effectively halting her conversation with Castiel for now.
Bobby nodded and wheeled more into the room as Sam entered behind him.
"How's he doing?" Bobby asked.
Sam just shrugged and scoffed.
"How are you doing?" Michelle frowned, sensing Sam's sorrow and stepped over to him. She wrapped her arms around him, hugging him, instinctively knowing it was what he needed.
He returned the embrace, holding her tightly to him, breathing in her scent. In that moment he realized something, it didn't matter if Dean didn't believe in him and his ability to keep saying 'no,' Michelle had all the faith in the world in him. She'd saved him numerous times, even when Dean couldn't. As long as she was there, he would fight on, he could only hope to one day prove that to his brother again.
He'd be strong, if not for Dean, then for her.
~8~
Sam was in the kitchen getting a beer, when he suddenly heard Michelle shout, "Cas!" and bolt out of the room. He quickly ran after her, following her to the panic room, only to see the door wide open and no sign of Dean or Castiel.
Michelle looked around, silently cursing when she spotted the angel banishing symbol on the wall, "Damn it Dean!" she shouted, glaring at the wall. She never should have taught them it.
"Where's Cas?" Bobby called, wheeling in.
"Blown to Oz," she shook her head, staring at the symbol again.
"Look, we'll get Dean," Sam said, glancing at Michelle, judging by her angry expression he would not be able to convince her to stay with Bobby…she would want to personally kick Dean's ass for doing that to Cas, "He couldn't have gone too far. Just watch Adam."
"How?" Bobby demanded, "You may have noticed, he's got a slight height advantage."
"Cuff him to your chair," Michelle suggested, "Please, just watch him."
Bobby looked at her a moment before nodding and they ran out of the room.
~8~
Michelle's angel radar seemed to be stronger than ever. They'd been out in the Impala only a few hours when she'd stiffened and said she could sense Castiel a few miles away…and he was pissed. She'd suggested they head back to Bobby's, just knowing that Castiel was probably confronting Dean right at that moment. Sam had not been happy to find Adam missing when they returned.
"Bobby, what do you mean, 'Adam is gone?'" Sam demanded.
"Should I say it in Spanish?" Bobby rolled his eyes.
"He's gone? How? What the hell, Bobby?!"
"Watch your tone, boy! He was right in front of me, and he disappeared into thin air."
"The angels took him, didn't they Cas?" Michelle asked.
Bobby and Sam looked over to see Castiel standing there, carrying a bloody and battered Dean over his shoulder.
"Yes," he nodded.
"What the hell happened to him?" Sam's eyes widened, seeing his brother in such a state.
"Me," Castiel replied, setting Dean down on the cot.
"I told you Cas could be damn scary when he wants to be," Michelle whispered to Sam.
When she'd said she could sense Castiel, Sam had asked how, he'd thought the radar was only for the immediate vicinity. She'd said normally it was, but it depended on how much of a connection, how familiar she was, with an angel. Castiel had been in her life since she was young, she could probably sense him half a state away if she really tried. She'd explained that Castiel had been like a guardian angel for her, protecting her…and damn was he terrifying when he saw her hurt.
"What do you mean, the angels took Adam?" Bobby shook his head, not having heard her, "You branded his ribs, didn't you?"
"Yes," Castiel repeated.
"Adam must have tipped them," Michelle agreed.
"How?" Bobby frowned looking at her.
"Probably in his dreams," she shrugged, glancing at Castiel, who nodded.
"Well, where would they have taken him?" Sam asked.
~8~
Michelle was waiting upstairs in the study with Castiel and Bobby, both of whom were not very happy with Sam, who was down in the panic room, letting Dean go so he could come with them to face Zachariah and get Adam back.
They had already realized that it was a trap they were walking into. Castiel had done some recon and seen the green room crawling with angels, but could sense no archangel there. There was no way, if they truly had intended to use Adam as a vessel, Michael wouldn't have popped into him the second they had him. They were clearly waiting for Dean to come to the rescue.
She looked up to see Dean walk in, rubbing his wrists from where he'd been handcuffed to the cot.
"We doing this?" Dean asked, looking around.
Michelle nodded, standing up and walking over to the boys.
"I still think this is a not a good idea," Castiel remarked as he stepped up.
"Just come back in one piece," Bobby sighed, knowing he wouldn't be able to stop them.
Castiel raised his hand and zapped them to just outside an abandoned warehouse.
"Where the hell are we?" Dean asked, looking around.
"Van Nuys, California," Castiel replied.
"Where's the beautiful room?"
"In there," he nodded at the door.
"The beautiful room is in an abandoned muffler factory in Van Nuys, California?" Dean raised an eyebrow at the angel.
"Where'd you think it was?" Castiel tilted his head in question.
"I…I don't know," Dean shrugged, "Jupiter? A blade of grass? Not Van Nuys."
"Tell me again why you don't just grab Adam and shazam the hell out of there," Sam replied. He hadn't gotten much out of Castiel when he'd returned with his information. He'd rattled off a bunch of information that only Michelle seemed to decipher.
"Because there are at least five angels in there," Michelle answered, proving Sam's thoughts correct.
"So?" Dean shook his head, not seeing the problem, "You're fast."
"They're faster," Castiel replied. He began to take off his tie and wrapped it around his palm, "I'll clear them out. You two grab the boy. This is our only chance."
"Whoa, wait," Dean held up a hand to stop him, "You're gonna take on five angels?"
"Yes."
"Isn't that suicide?" Dean frowned, concerned.
"Maybe it is. But then I won't have to watch you fail. I'm sorry, Dean. I don't have the same faith in you that Sam and Michelle do."
Castiel looked over at her and she sighed, pulling out her knife and handing it over to him.
"What the hell are you gonna do with that?" Sam frowned.
~8~
The trio watched through a crack in the door of the warehouse as Castiel entered and managed to kill one of the angels that attacked him.
"What are you waiting for?" he demanded, "Come on."
The rest of the angels closed in on him, just as he ripped his shirt open, the angel banishing sigil carved into his chest, and pressed his palm to it, sending all the angels, including himself, away.
They quickly ran into the warehouse and over to the shack that housed the room. They opened the door, looking around.
"Adam!" Michelle shouted, being the first to spot the lone Winchester crumpled on the floor against the wall, she ran over to his side with Dean, trying to help him up, Sam keeping lookout.
"Adam, hey," Dean greeted, trying to check him over, "Hey."
"You came for me," Adam moaned.
"Yeah, well, you're family."
"Dean, it's a trap."
"We know," Michelle replied, helping the boy stand.
"Dean, please," Zachariah said, appearing behind them, "Did you really think it would be that easy?"
"Did you?" Dean asked.
Sam suddenly came at Zachariah from behind with Castiel's sword. If he couldn't kill Zachariah, at least he could harm him, distract him as they got Adam out. Zachariah simply knocked it out of his hand and threw Sam against a screen.
"Sam!" Dean shouted. He quickly looked over at Michelle, who nodded, running over to Sam as Dean supported Adam.
"You know what I've learned from this experience, Dean?" Zachariah said, drawing Dean's attention back to him, "Patience," he waved his hand and Adam fell back to the floor, coughing up blood.
"Adam?" Dean knelt down, before glaring up at the angel, "Let him go, you son of a bitch."
"I mean, I thought I was downsized for sure. And for us, a firing...pretty damn literal. But I should have trusted the boss man. It's all playing out like he said...you, me, your hemorrhaging brothers…" he turned his fist in Sam's direction before Michelle could move, causing him to cough up blood like Adam, "You're finally ready, right?" Zachariah turned back to Dean.
Dean looked from him to Adam and Sam, lying on the floor, both coughing up blood. He looked over at Michelle as though she would have the answer, like she so often did. But she was looking from between Adam and Zachariah.
"You know there's no other choice," Zachariah called, "There's never been a choice."
"Stop it," Dean growled, "Stop it right now!"
"In exchange for what?" he smirked.
"Damn it, Zachariah," Dean shouted as Adam coughed again, "Stop it, please. I'll do it."
"I'm sorry," Zachariah held his ear, "What was that?"
"Ok, yes. The answer is yes."
"Dean!" Sam shouted, groaning, staring at his brother disbelievingly.
"Do you hear me? Call Michael down, you bastard!"
"How do I know you're not lying?" he eyed Dean suspiciously.
"Do I look like I'm lying?" Dean replied, his face stony.
Zachariah smiled and turned, beginning to summon Michael, "Zodiredo…noco…aberamage…nazodpesade…he's coming."
The room started to shake, filling with light.
Sam looked over at Dean, a questioning look on his face, asking his brother why. But Sam felt someone squeeze his hand. He looked up to see Michelle smiling softly, he frowned and looked back just as Dean winked at him.
"Of course, I have a few conditions," Dean cut in.
"What?" Zachariah spun to face him.
"The few people whose safety you have to guarantee before I say yes."
"Sure, fine. Make a list."
"But most of all…" Dean smirked, "Michael can't have me until he disintegrates you."
"What did you say?"
"I said…before Michael gets one piece of this sweet ass…he has to turn you into a piece of charcoal."
"You really think Michael's gonna go for that?" Zachariah laughed.
"Who's more important to him now? You…or me?"
For a moment Zachariah looked a bit scared, before his face hardened, "You listen to me. You are nothing but a maggot inside a worm's ass. Do you know who I am…after I deliver you to Michael?"
"Expendable," Dean grinned.
"Michael's not gonna kill me," Zachariah sneered.
"Maybe not," Dean agreed, "But I am!"
He grabbed Castiel's sword and stabbed Zachariah through the chin, straight into his head. There was a brilliant light from Zachariah's eyes and mouth as the man disappeared. Dean fell to the ground, dropping the sword, looking stunned that he'd succeeded.
"Did you really think that would work?" a voice said.
He looked up to see Zachariah standing before him, "I'd have thought being told dozens of times before that it would sink in, only an angel can kill an angel."
Dean could only look up in horror as the angel stood before him.
"Hey!" Michelle shouted. Zachariah spun to face her, "I'm guessing Dean and I are important to Michael yeah? The sword and shield?"
"What of it?" Zachariah eyed her suspiciously.
"He'd want us both in perfect condition, not a blemish right? No lasting scar that can't be healed within moments?"
It was a long shot, a very long shot, but it just might be their only chance of getting out of there alive if she was right.
"And?" he rolled his eyes, answering her question.
She smirked, "How's he gonna react when he finds out you sent me to Hell again to start the Apocalypse?!"
Zachariah's eyes widened tremendously as he looked up moments before a blaze of lightning fell from the light, striking the angel dead.
"Come on!" Michelle yelled as a piercing note resonated, Michael was close.
"Can you walk?" Dean turned to Adam, helping him up as Michelle got Sam.
"Yeah," Adam nodded.
"Ok, come on," Dean hefted him up, leading him to the door where Michelle was standing with Sam.
"Come on!" she shouted "Move it!"
They ran to the door, Michelle and Sam rushing through. Dean ran through as well, Adam right behind him…only for the door to slam shut behind him, leaving Adam locked inside.
"No!" Adam called, "Dean! Help! It won't open!"
Dean spun around and tried to open the door but pulled his hand away as the knob burned him.
"Dean, help!" Adam yelled, "Dean!"
"Hold on!" Dean banged on it, "We'll get you out. Just hold on. Adam! Can you hear me?!"
There was a piercing note that they could hear even through the door.
"Move!" Michelle shouted, half-shoving Dean out of the way. She took a breath and kicked the door open. Dean and Sam flinched back at the too bright light, shielding their eyes, as Michelle ran straight in. Moments later she fell out of the room with Adam in her arms as the door slammed shut again.
She was breathing heavily as Dean and Sam rushed to her side, taking Adam away from her. As soon as he was in their grip, Michelle scrambled back, pressing her back to the shack's wall, pressing her hands to the side of her head, nearly hyperventilating.
Adam was gasping as well, as he gripped the arms of his brothers. He looked up at them for only a moment, before he breathed out and didn't breathe again. The boys watched in horror as their brother turned back to ashes before them.
"What just happened?" Dean breathed, staring down at the pile of ashes actually disintegrating on itself before them till there was nothing. He looked up at Sam, who could only shake his head.
They looked over at Michelle, thinking she might have the answer, only to see her folded in on herself, her knees to her chest, her arms bent and clasped before her chest, her head on her knees. From the rise and fall of her shoulders they could see she was breathing far too fast and erratically for it to be healthy.
"Michelle!" Sam shouted, scrambling over to her side. He reached out and touched her shoulder, his eyes widening in shock at feeling her trembling and shivering. He quickly looked over to Dean, signaling with his eyes that something was very wrong. Dean ran over as Sam scooped Michelle into his arms, clutching her to him as they ran out of the warehouse, seeing the Impala sitting outside, curtsey of Cas.
~8~
Sam watched worriedly as Michelle slept soundly on the cot of Bobby's house. Dean had nearly sped the entire way back, Michelle falling asleep on Sam's shoulder nearly an hour after they left, having calmed down just a bit. She was still shaking though, which worried them both.
But she seemed fine now…which brought up the question of why wasn't she before.
"What are you two?" Bobby glared at them, "Idjits?"
"Bobby please," Sam turned to face the man, "Just tell us what's wrong with her."
"Damned if I know," he sighed, shaking his head as he too glanced over at the girl.
"A guess then?" Dean asked.
"Panic attack," Bobby suggested.
From what the boys had told him of Michelle's state before she'd calmed down, it seemed to fit. She was trembling, gasping for breath, nearly hyperventilating, her heart racing, sweating but shivering, her eyes dilated, pale, and seemed to have trouble just moving without Sam to help.
"A panic attack?" Dean raised an eyebrow at that. Even when Michelle had faced down Alastair the first time she was nowhere near as closed off or out of it as she was before.
"Looks like," Bobby nodded.
"What for?" Sam frowned, not understanding how Michelle, of all people, had been reduced to such a state.
"Idjits," Bobby mumbled under his breath before looking up at them, "The girl just pulled an archangel's vessel right out from under him as he was descending…gotta have pissed him off some."
"So?" Dean shook his head, not following, "We've pissed off plenty of archangels."
"Not like this," Bobby replied grimly, "Lucifer didn't do shit to you, Gabriel was basically a joke, and you trapped Raphael. Michael's the baddest son of a bitch of the bunch and she basically just stared down the barrel of his gun to try and save Adam. Can't tell me you'd expect anyone not to react that way."
The boys were silent, they hadn't thought of it that way. Michelle had risked her neck to help them…and now she was paying for it. Sam could only imagine how Dean felt, especially after his whole speech about feeling like he was failing her as a big brother.
"What changed your mind?" Sam turned to Dean, curious. Neither of them had spoken much on the way back, too concerned about Michelle to really focus on anything but getting her to Bobby's.
"What do you mean?" Dean looked at his brother.
"I saw your eyes," Sam said, "You were totally rockin' the 'yes' back there."
Dean sighed, "Honestly? The damnedest thing. I mean, the world's ending. The walls are coming down on us, and I look over to Michelle, to you, and all I can think about is 'this stupid son of a bitch brought me here.' I just didn't want to let you down. Either of you."
"You didn't," a voice said. The boys looked down to see Michelle watching them through drooping eyes, "Don't you dare think you did," she told him firmly.
"You almost did," Sam smiled a bit at Dean, sitting down beside Michelle, stroking her hair as she blinked, trying to wake up, "But you didn't."
Dean nodded, "I owe you an apology though."
"No, man. No, you don't."
"Just...let me say this," Dean cut in, taking a breath, "I don't know if it's being a big brother or what, but to me, you've always been this snot-nosed kid that I've had to keep on the straight and narrow. I think we both know that that's not you," he glanced at Michelle before turning back to Sam, "Not anymore. I mean, hell, if you're grown-up enough to find faith in me…the least I can do is return the favor. So screw destiny, right in the face. I say we take the fight to them and do it our way."
Sam smiled nodding.
"Sounds good to me," Michelle agreed, "Now shut up so I can sleep!"
The boys just laughed, heading out of the room to talk quietly a ways away.
Michelle rolled over on her side, facing the wall, her back to them. Her smile faded as she scrunched her eyes shut, a tear rolling down her cheek at what had just happened.
The boys had no idea what she'd done to get Adam back for even just those few seconds…the consequences.
A/N: What was Castiel talking about? This is her only second chance to do what? What did she do? What happened when she saved Adam? What consequences? Why wasn't she going to stop Dean from saying 'yes'? What is she planning?
Well...next chapter, we've got Gabriel...and a whole mess of revelations as the truth finally comes out...
But, lol, I love when grown men get knocked out by girls. It always reminds me of the movie 'Serenity,' for fans of it, you'll know what I mean when I say Jayne and a 90-pound River eh? :)
Just some notes on reviews...a concern was brought up that Michelle will jump in the box instead of Sam...don't worry, I can safely say that that will NOT happen. For any readers coming in from my DW fics, you all know I definitely try to surprise you and that would just be too obvious :) I'm also not planning to write any other Supernatural stories, I mentioned way back in 'Hell' that, for me, the show just hasn't been as good after season 5. I made it halfway through season 6 before I just...couldn't keep interest in it. So I don't think I'd be able to write a story going all the way to season 8 as a result. Idk, maybe one day in the future, if I manage to get back into it, I'll revisit that idea, but so far, this will probably be my only Supernatural series.
I will have another OC story coming out in about a week though, a BBC's Sherlock one for anyone who's interested :)