Two Minutes to Midnight
Michelle rubbed her head as she felt the migraine pounding away on her skull listening to the brothers arguing in Bobby's study. They'd been arguing all night and it was now a little ways into the morning. She glanced down at the desk she sat at, looking at weather reports, Bibles lying open, news reports on fires, scattered all over.
"What the hell is wrong with you?" Dean demanded, glaring at his brother.
"Dean…" Sam began.
"No, don't Dean me! I mean, you have had some stupid ideas in the past, but this…" he looked over at Bobby, wheeling in from the kitchen, "Did you know about this?"
"What?" Bobby asked.
"About Sam's genius plan to say yes to the devil?" Dean remarked, Bobby nodded, "Well thanks for the head's up!"
"Well this ain't about me," Bobby argued.
Dean ignored him and turned to Michelle, "And how can you be ok with this?!"
"I'm not," she said looking up at him.
Sam, when telling Dean about his idea, had implied that Michelle hadn't argued against it, which led Dean to assume she was onboard. It was really Sam's decision, she wasn't going to argue or talk him out of it, but she was going to make damn sure he knew exactly what he was getting into and that he'd be able to fight his hardest to succeed before she could even begin to feel comfortable with it.
"Besides the fact that my boyfriend will basically become my uncle, we're talking the world's greatest evil here," she sighed and looked down, adding quietly, "I honestly don't know if I can stop that."
Bobby frowned, looking at her, a small flare of suspicion in him. He'd know that girl since she was little, there was something troubling her and it wasn't all about Sam possibly saying yes. And her last statement just fueled the fire. He made a note to speak to her when he got her alone. Something was going on, she was planning something, and he'd be damned if he let her go it alone like when she'd gone to Hell for Dean.
"There!" Dean cried, spinning to face Sam, pointing at him, "You can't do this."
Sam just shrugged, "Well that's the consensus."
"Awesome," he nodded, "Then end of discussion," his cell phone rang and he quickly snatched it from his pocket, grateful for the distraction, but he pointed at Sam once more before answering, "This isn't over," Sam rolled his eyes as Dean picked up, "Hello?" his eyes widened a moment, "Cas?" he asked, everyone looked up, startled, Michelle getting up to join them in the living room.
"Is he ok?' Michelle asked.
Dean quickly put the phone on speaker, "We all thought you were dead," he said to the angel, getting back to the conversation, "Well…except Michelle…"
"You should listen to her more," Castiel remarked, echoing the words Joshua had said to them once before.
"Yeah, yeah," Dean waved him off, "Where the hell are you man?"
"A hospital."
"Are you ok?" Michelle called.
"No."
Dean waited a moment before speaking, "You wanna elaborate?"
"I just woke up here. The doctors were fairly surprised, they thought I was brain dead."
"So…a hospital?"
"Apparently, after Van Nuys, I suddenly appeared," Castiel remarked, "Bloody and unconscious, on a fishing boat outside Delacroix. I'm told it upset the sailors."
"Uh, well, I gotta tell you, man you're just in time," Dean breathed, relieved that his friend was ok, "We figured out a way to pop Satan's box."
"How?" Castiel asked, before groaning. Apparently he'd jolted and hurt himself.
"It's a long story, but look we're going after Pestilence, now. So if you wanna zap over here…"
"I can't zap anywhere," Castiel grumbled.
"What do you mean?"
"You could say my batteries are drained."
"What do you mean?" Sam called.
"You're out of angel mojo?" Dean asked.
"I'm saying that I'm thirsty and my head aches," Castiel answered, "I have a bug bite that itches no matter how much I scratch it. I'm saying that I'm just incredibly…"
"…human," Michelle finished, "Sorry Cas."
"Point is, I can't go anywhere without money for an airplane ride and food, or pain medication ideally."
"Alright, well, look, no worries," Dean rubbed his head, "Bobby's here, he'll wire you the cash."
"Dean," Castiel called, "Wait…"
"I will?" Bobby asked.
"Don't worry Bobby," Michelle got up and walked back into the study, "I'll wire him the cash."
They watched as she sat down at the computer and picked up a phone to call her bank.
"You said no to Michael," Castiel said again, drawing their attention, "I owe you an apology."
"Cas, it's ok…" Dean started.
"You are not the burnt and broken shell of a man I believed you to be."
Dean looked up to see Sam watching him, amused, "…thank you? I appreciate that?"
"You're welcome," Castiel continued, "But…how did you escape?"
"Uh…Michael was descending and Michelle outed Zachariah for sending her to Hell, Michael smote his ass," Dean laughed a bit as that, "We almost got Adam out but they trapped him inside."
"Did Michael take him?" Castiel asked, very concerned.
"No. Michelle kicked down the door and got him out, he's dead Cas. Turned back to ashes."
Castiel was silent a moment, "Michelle pulled Adam out?"
"Yeah," Dean agreed. Castiel was silent again. Dean glanced up at Michelle, who had her back turned, on the phone discussing the wiring, "What?"
"That was a dangerous thing for her to do," was all Castiel said.
"Why?" Dean asked. He'd gotten the sense that when Bobby had said Michelle was simply staring down the barrel of an archangel's gun there was something more to the story. Now, knowing Michael was her father, it made it more serious, but he still felt like he was missing something. Castile didn't say. Dean sighed, "Cas we know about Michael being Michelle's dad."
"She told you then?" Castiel asked, though the answer should have been obvious.
"Yeah," Dean scoffed, "Thanks for giving us the head's up."
"I was forbidden to speak of it. All the angels were ordered to be silent unless you figured it out or Michelle told you herself. Bobby knows this."
They looked over at Bobby, they already knew that the man had known Michelle's true parentage, they'd both told them as much. Apparently, when Azazel had tried to bleed on her, she's told them that her parents conducted rituals to see if she'd been affected. She's just neglected to add that her parents had gone to Bobby for the help. One of the rituals had indicated her heritage, he'd known she was an angelic child pretty much forever.
"You're avoiding the question Cas," Dean cut back, getting to point. He glanced up, they wouldn't have much time to talk as Michelle was distracted by her own conversation.
Castiel sighed, "She disobeyed his will. Her father or not, he could have her killed for doing what she did."
The men stared through the doorway at Michelle, shocked that her father would have killed her for simply pulling Adam away.
"Is she ok?" Castiel's voice pulled them back to Earth.
"Uh she freaked," Sam cleared his throat.
"But she's fine," Dean finished.
"I doubt it," was all Castiel said before he hung up.
~8~
Bobby sat in his chair outside the Impala as Dean spoke to him through the driver's side window, Sam sitting shotgun, Michelle in the back.
"Be careful," he told them as they prepared to head out after Pestilence.
Michelle leaned forward so she stuck her head between the boys and looked out at him, "Don't worry Bobby, I'll watch out for them. It's sort of my job now."
Bobby laughed as she sat back down and they pulled away.
~8~
The Serenity Valley Convalescent Home was a depressing sight, and it had nothing to do with the fact that it was such a gloomy night. Michelle had already learned from previous experience with Sam and Dean that neither were too fond of hospitals or the elderly…both of which they were now staring down at.
"So this is 'Doctor Evil's' lair huh?" Dean asked as he looked at the building through binoculars.
"It's kind amore depressing than evil," Sam commented, lowering his binoculars.
"That's like a four color brochure for dying young. Of course, to Pestilence, it's probably 'Dollywood' in there."
"Great. Whole building full of people. We don't know who's human, who's demon…"
"So far no demons I can see," Michelle called from her spot, kneeling on the backseat, staring out through her own set of binoculars.
"But we don't know who Pestilence is either," Sam argued, "So what do we do?"
"Hang on…" Dean commented, lifting his binoculars to the edge of the building, seeing a security camera attached to a light.
~8~
Michelle was impressed as they walked through the building, Dean had actually had an idea that didn't involve giving away their position or getting caught by demons. They walked over to a door with a security label on it.
Dean motioned for them to be silent and keep watch as he snuck into the room, "Hey, hi," he greeted the lone security guard watching the small screens of security feed, "We're looking for my nana, her name is Eunice Kennedy?"
"Go around front and see the nurse," the guard replied.
"You mind just helping me out, sir?" Dean shut the door behind him, "She's about uh, that small…" he gestured to his hip, "Gray hair, wears diapers…" he suddenly punched the man, hard, across the face, knocking him out, before banging on the door twice. Sam and Michelle quickly entered only to see Dean dragging the man away from the screens.
"Eunice Kennedy?" Sam asked, raising an eyebrow.
"That's the beauty about improv Sammy," Dean grinned as they all took a seat near the screens, watching, "You never know what's gonna come out of your mouth."
"That's also the reason most people think you're crazy," Michelle quipped as she plopped into a seat, "Or try to punch you."
Dean just rolled his eyes as they got to work looking for anything suspicious.
~8~
They'd been watching the screens for what felt like hours now. Dean was currently sitting on a table, resting against the wall, his head back, arms crossed, napping, while Michelle sat on Sam's right, her head resting against her hand as she stared blankly at the screen. Sam sat in his char, arms crossed.
Sam sighed, "So what are…" he began to as Michelle, when he noticed Dean was asleep. If he and Michelle couldn't sleep, neither could Dean. He reached over and nudged him, "Hey!" Dean jerked awake, glaring at Sam, who glared back and turned back to the screens, "What are we even looking for?"
"Well he's Pestilence so he probably looks sick," Dean shrugged.
"Everybody looks sick," Michelle argued.
Dean just shrugged again and began pacing…then sitting on the windowsill…then pacing once more…then…
"Hey!" Michelle shouted.
The boys looked over to see the camera with a line of static following an older man, straight across his face, hiding him.
"Oh, now we're talking," Dean grinned.
They quickly headed out to the hall with their shotguns. They turned to walk around a corner, when Michelle quickly pulled them back as a nurse stepped past with an empty wheelchair. She glared at them pointedly before peeking around the corner till the nurse entered an elevator and the doors closed. She nodded, signaling that the coast was clear, before they moved out again.
They walked down the hall, past an open doorway where a nurse was checking a patient and continued on. They turned a corner, went down a hall, and then Sam staggered.
"Sam?" Michelle asked, looking at him from the sudden movement, "You ok?"
He nodded and they continued on…till Dean started coughing. Michelle turned to ask him if he was alright but Sam started to cough as well. Now she knew, Pestilence was at work. The boys staggered.
She quickly reached out, laying a hand on both their arms and focusing. Moments later they straightened, shaking their heads as though to clear them, and looked around, feeling better than they had moments before. They looked down at her.
"Pestilence," was all she said.
They nodded, before cocking their guns and heading down another hall…only to stop short at the sight of a doctor and nurse collapsed on the ground, surrounded by mint green vomit and blood. They took a step over the bodies when Sam and Dean suddenly collapsed against the walls.
"Must be getting close," Sam mumbled as Michelle walked over to them, resting a hand on them as well, curing them of an entirely different disease than what had plagued them before.
"Do you think?" Dean ground out as Michelle healed him as well.
They headed down the halls again, but Sam and Dean were struggling, it seemed like every few feet they were hit by some malady or the other, always different. They were staggering as they walked, the diseases coming too fast for Michelle to heal them enough for them to continue on. As soon as one was gone another took its place. Dean sank to the floor just across from the room they'd seen Pestilence enter as Michelle supported Sam. She led him to Dean's side.
"Enough of this," Michelle muttered, getting frustrated with Pestilence as she attempted healing Dean.
"Dean?" Sam groaned out.
"He'll be fine," Michelle smiled at him, reaching out to heal him as well. She had nearly finished with the current disease, when the door opened to reveal a nurse. Sam quickly jumped to his feet, out of Michelle's grasp, holding out the demon-killing knife at the woman.
"Sam, wait!" Michelle called, she hadn't finished healing him yet.
"The doctor will see you now," the nurse said, stepping aside to reveal Pestilence standing at an old woman's bedside.
"Sam!" Pestilence grinned, "Dean! Michelle!" he motioned them in, "Come on in!"
Sam collapsed.
"Sam!" Michelle shouted, rushing to his side.
"Come right in," Pestilence said, this time less cheery and more menacing.
Michelle glared at the man before she was shoved forward, trying to help Sam up, by the nurse, who had grabbed a hold of Dean and began dragging him in.
The nurse dropped Dean on the floor beside Michelle, who was kneeling at Sam's side. Pestilence watched as Michelle put a hand on both Sam and Dean's backs, the brothers gasping and breathing normally, cured.
"Hmmm…" he mumbled, before sending another wave of disease at them, causing them to groan and collapse in on themselves, "You boys don't look well. Might be the um scarlet fever…" he said, getting up, but he paused, seeing them recovering once more. He glared, sending another disease, "Or the meningitis…" but that lasted less time than the fever, "Oh, ha, or the syphilis!" that seemed to take just a bit longer…but the boys were fine moments later…
Unfortunately the girl was looking a little tired.
"Impressive," he muttered, eyeing her. She seemed to be able to keep up with singular diseases, "But that's no fun…" how would she fair against combinations? He sneered, sending wave after wave of multiple diseases at the boys, the girl biting her lip in effort as she fought to fight the diseases off, "However you feel right now…" he smirked, seeing that the woman was having a difficult time keeping up, though she was just barely managing it, "It's gonna get so very, very much worse. Questions?"
Michelle glared at him for the boys.
"Disease gets a bad rap don't you think?" he walked over to the hand sanitizer on the wall as Michelle bit back a groan and focused on helping the boys, "For being dirty, chaotic," he continued, squirting some liquid on his hands and rubbing, "But really that just describes the people who get sick. Disease itself, it's very pure, single minded," Dean tried to reach for the knife but Pestilence saw him, "Bacteria have one purpose, divide and conquer…" he stepped on Dean's fingers, stopping him, "That's why in the end, it always wins…."
He kicked the knife away and released Dean's hand, watching in mild shock as it was quickly healed as well by the girl who was now panting, a thin layer of sweat on her forehead, "So you gotta wonder why God pours all his love into something so messy. And weak! It's ridiculous. And all I can do is show him he's wrong," he pulled out his glasses, "One epidemic at a time…" and put them on, "Now, on a scale of one to ten. How's your pain?"
Dean opened his mouth to reply, but Pestilence cut him off, "Oh not you two, you both should have been dead ages ago from the diseases I've been jettisoning at you…no, I want to know how the pain is for the pretty little girl keeping you both alive."
Sam and Dean's eyes widened as they looked over their shoulders to see Michelle, very pale, shaking, as she used her powers on them. Even they could see it was painful for her to keep up. She'd explained on the way over for them not to worry about Pestilence, she would handle the diseases they got. They'd asked how and she said that she never got sick, just a bonus of being part-angel. All she had to do was try to purify them of Pestilences affect and absorb the disease from them, let her body fight it off…but now they could see how painful it was to fight off multiple diseases while also healing their bodies of the damage the diseases had caused in the first place.
They were about to tell her to stop, when there was a thump in the hallway. The door flew open to reveal Castiel.
"Cas?" Dean groaned.
"How'd you get here?" Pestilence demanded, whipping off his glasses.
"I took a bus," he replied, "Don't worry I…" he fell to the ground after having taken only a few steps into the room, coughing up blood.
Michelle looked up, "Cas!" she called, her voice horse as she currently fought off laryngitis. She tried to reach out for him but the angel shook his head, seeing the strain already on her.
"Focus on them," he called, grimacing in pain.
"Well, look at that…" Pestilence moved closer and leaned over him as Castiel looked up, "An occupied vessel but powerless. Huh? That's fascinating. Not a speck of angel in you, is there?"
Castiel suddenly grabbed the knife that had been kicked away and grabbed Pestilence's hands, cutting off his fingers, especially his ring, "Maybe just a speck!"
Pestilence screamed and backed away, the nurse lunging at Castiel and knocking him down. But Castiel was quick, he managed to move the knife to stab her as they fell, she died on top of him.
Michelle let out a breath, feeling the diseases disappear.
Dean jumped up and ran over to the fingers, grabbing the ring so Pestilence couldn't get it back.
Sam helped Michelle as she crawled over to Castiel, who was groaning in pain from his previous injuries. His eyes snapped open though when he found himself suddenly healed of all pain. He looked up to see Michelle had healed him. He stared at her, stunned. For her to be able to physically heal the injuries of others, especially those as extensive as the diseases and what he'd suffered…she was becoming remarkably stronger in such a short time.
Michelle smiled and stood up…only to sway and nearly fall back to the ground. Sam quickly grabbed her and swung her up into his arms, cradling her, as Dean helped Castiel to his feet, holding the ring.
"It doesn't matter," a voice said. They looked over to see Pestilence leaning against the bed holding his bleeding hand in his other one, "It's too late."
And then he was gone.
~8~
Dean dropped the ring onto Bobby's desk the next morning for him to see their work. Sam and Dean sitting before him at the desk, while Castiel leaned against a wall. Michelle was upstairs sleeping, Castiel had explained that the strain had been a bit much for her, nothing she couldn't handle, but she could do with some rest.
They'd each gotten a bit of sleep that night before talking with Bobby, recounting what had happened.
"Well, it's nice to actually score a homerun for once, ain't it?" Bobby asked, looking up at them, only to see Sam frowning, "What?"
"Last thing Pestilence said, 'it's too late,'" Sam replied.
"He get specific?"
"No."
"We're just a little freaked out that he might have left a bomb somewhere," Dean sighed, "So please tell us you have actual good news."
"Chicago's about to be wiped off the map," Bobby said, not sugar coating it, "Storm of the millennium. Sets off a daisy chain of natural disasters. 3 million people are gonna die."
"Oh," Dean dropped his head into his arms.
"I don't understand your definition of good news," Castiel remarked.
"Well, Death, the Horseman, he's gonna be there," Bobby continued, "And if we can stop him before he kick starts this storm, get his ring back…"
"Yeah, you make it sound so easy," Dean rolled his eyes.
"Hell, I'm just trying to put a spin on it."
"Well, uh, Bobby how'd you put all this together anyways?" Sam frowned, eyeing the older man.
"I had, you know, help," he shrugged.
There was a clinking of glass behind them and they looked over to see Crowley pouring himself some whiskey, "Don't be so modest. I barely helped at all," Dean looked back at Bobby, who rolled his eyes, before turning back to Crowley, "Hello boys," he grinned, leaning against the archway into the kitchen, "Pleasure, etcetera," he sniffed the whiskey before grimacing and putting it down on the table beside him, "Go ahead, tell them. There's no shame in it."
Sam and Dean turned back to Bobby, about to speak, when someone else did.
"Tell us what?"
They looked up to see Michelle standing in the side doorway, a blanket wrapped around her, her hair mussed from sleep, still pale but looking better.
Bobby sighed, "World's gonna end. Seems stupid to get all precious over one little soul."
"You sold your soul?!" Dean exclaimed as Castiel looked down.
"Oh more like pawned it," Crowley cut in, "I fully intend to give it back."
"Well then give it back!" Dean glared at the demon.
"I will."
"Now!"
"Did you kiss him?" Sam asked out of the blue.
"Sam!" Dean turned to his brother as Michelle sniggered.
"Just wondering…" Sam shrugged as they all turned to look at Bobby, who looked between them a moment.
"No!" he shouted. Crowley cleared his throat, they looked over to see him holding a camera with a picture of him and Bobby sealing the deal, "Why'd you take a picture?!"
Crowley looked at the picture a moment, "Why'd you have to use tongue?"
They all turned to Bobby, who just glared.
"Ok, you know what, I'm sick of this," Dean said, getting up and stalking over to Crowley, "Give him his soul back, now."
"I'm sorry, I can't," Crowley replied.
"Can't or won't?" Dean glared.
"I won't, alright? It's insurance."
"What are you talking about?"
"You kill demons," Crowley rolled his eyes, "Gigantor over there…" he nodded at Sam, "Had a temper issue about it. But you won't kill me as long as I have that soul in the deposit box."
"You son of a bitch," Bobby shook his head at the demon.
"I'll return it. After all this is over and I can walk safely away. Do we all understand each other?!"
They all exchanged looks, when Michelle stepped forward and walked over to stand before Crowley. She stared at him a moment before speaking, "Just so WE understand each other…I know what you're planning, and believe me, if you DON'T give the soul back, I will kill you myself in the most painful way imaginable short of using my time in Hell against you."
Crowley stared at her a moment, sensing something different about the girl...she was stronger than the last time he'd seen her…and getting stronger by the hour.
He blinked, nodding, before disappearing.
~8~
Dean was rummaging through the trunk of the Impala when Sam walked over and leaned against the side of it. He sighed and Dean looked up before walking over to lean next to his brother, "Let me guess," he said to Sam, "We're about to have a talk?"
"Look Dean, um," Sam pushed off the car to face his brother, "For the record, I agree with you. About me. You think I'm too weak to take on Lucifer…well so do I. believe me, I know exactly how screwed up I am…" he took a breath, "I still can't wrap my head around how someone like Michelle could ever want me despite that…"
"What about Michelle? What do you think this whole plan will do to her?"
"I have to do it FOR her. If it will save the world, if it'll save her…" he swallowed hard, "If it will at least save her, then my world will be saved."
Dean just shook his head, "You'd die and her world would be destroyed with you. How can you do that to her?"
"I don't want to do that to her," Sam sighed, "But this is the one chance I have to prove that I can help. I mean, you…you, Michelle, Bobby, Cas…I'm the least of any of you…"
"Ah Sam…" Dean shook his head, trying to cut his brother off.
"It's true. It is. But I'm also all we got. If there was another way…" he shook his head, "But I don't think there is. There's just me. So I don't know what else to do. Except to try to do what's gotta be done. To do it for her."
Dean looked up at him, considering his words.
"But…before I do this for her," Sam continued, "There's something I need to do with her first…" he reached into his pocket and pulled something out for his brother to see. Dean's eyes widened at what was in his brother's hand when…
"And…" they turned to see Crowley on the other side of the Impala, "Scene," he walked around and held out a newspaper for them to take, "Something you need to see."
Sam took the newspaper and opened it, reading the headlines, "'Niveus Pharmaceuticals rushing delivery of its new swine flu vaccine to quote 'stem the tide of the unprecedented out break…' uh, shipments leave Wednesday…"
"Niveus Pharmaceuticals," Crowley said, as though the name should spark something, they just stared at him, "Get it?" he asked, but they just shook their heads. He rolled his eyes, "You two are lucky you have your looks."
"Actually, they're lucky they have me," Michelle called, walking over to them. Sam couldn't help but smirk at how Crowley took a few steps away from her, her threat still clear in his mind, "The vaccine is the Croatoan Virus."
"What?" Dean blinked, not quite sure he'd heard her right…not quite sure he wanted to.
"Brady, VP of Distribution in Niveus," she spelled it out. It didn't take long for the brothers to make the connection themselves.
"Ah yes, sound of the abacus clacking," Crowley smirked, "You all caught up?"
"So Pestilence was spreading swine flu…" Sam began.
"But not just for giggles," Dean finished, "It was step one."
Michelle nodded, "Step two is the vaccine."
"And you both think…"
"I know," Crowley cut in, "I'd stake my reputation. That vaccine is chockfull of grade-A, farm fresh Croatoan Virus."
Sam nodded, "Simultaneous country wide distribution. That's quite a plan."
"You don't get to be Horsemen for nothing," Crowley shrugged, "So you boys better stock up on…well, everything. This time next Thursday we'll all be living in zombie land."
~8~
That night Sam was packing a van while Bobby sat beside him.
"Alright well, good luck stopping the whole zombie apocalypse," Dean said to his brother.
"Yeah, good luck killing Death," Sam added as Michelle swung a bag over her shoulder, standing next to Dean.
They had decided that Michelle should go with Dean, not only because it made Sam feel better that his brother was protected from the demon going with them, but also because Michelle seemed immune to the Horsemen and, hopefully, Death was no exception. Dean might need her to cover him more than they needed her to blow up a building.
"Yeah…" Dean trailed.
"Remember when we used to just hunt wendigos?" Sam asked randomly, "How simple things were?"
"Not really," Dean laughed.
When hunting the supernatural, nothing was ever simple.
Sam smiled, "Well um…" he pulled out his demon-killing knife and held it out, "You might need this."
"Keep it," Crowley appeared with a rather large knife of his own, "Dean's covered," he handed over what they now saw to be a scythe, "Death's own. Kills, golly, demons, and angels, and reapers, and rumor has it, the very thing itself."
"How did you get that?" Castiel frowned, seeing the blade.
"Hello!" he shouted, "King of the Crossroads!"
Michelle just shook her head, "A sad little king on a sad little hill."
For some reason her words seemed to affect the demon, he quickly turned to Bobby, "So, shall we? Bobby, you just gonna sit there?"
"No, I'm gonna River Dance," Bobby scoffed, rolling his eyes.
"Well I suppose if you want to impress the ladies," the demon shrugged. They all looked at him curiously as he sighed, "Bobby, Bobby, Bobby, you really wasted that crossroads deal. In fact, you get more if you phrase it properly. So, I took the liberty of adding a teeny little sub-A clause on your behalf. What can I say? I'm an altruist. Just gonna sit there?"
They all turned to look at Bobby, who looked down at his foot, moving it. His mouth dropped open as he proceeded to move his legs and then stood up, stunned.
"Son of a bitch…" he breathed.
"Yes, I know, completely worth your soul. I'm a hell of a guy."
"Thanks…" he looked up at the demon.
"This is getting mordling. Can we go?"
He turned and walked off, leaving Bobby smiling at his legs. Dean sighed and followed after the man, while Michelle turned to Sam, "You better come back to me in one piece," she told him.
He smiled gently down at her, "You better come back alive."
"Always," she smiled, leaning in to give him a quick kiss before running off after Dean and Crowley.
~8~
Bobby was driving the van down the road, having insisted, as he now had use of his legs, while Sam sat shotgun, Castiel in the back, leaning over the seat to speak to them. Sam had just finished explaining his idea to the angel.
"Yes to Lucifer, then jump in the hole…" Castiel summarized, "It's an interesting plan."
"That's a word for it," Bobby grumbled.
"So go ahead, tell me it's the worst plan you ever heard," Sam sighed.
"Of course, I am happy to say that, if that's what you want to hear," Castiel replied, "But it's not what I think."
Sam shifted in his seat to look at Castiel, "Really?"
"You and Dean have a habit of exceeding my expectations," he shrugged, "I don't know how much of that can be chalked up to Michelle though, but he resisted Michael, maybe you could resist Lucifer…" he took a breath, considering what he wanted to say, but decided against it. He had been about to mention that even Michelle hadn't said no, but that was something he needed to talk about with her first, find out why, "But there are things that you would need to know."
"Like?" Sam frowned.
"Sam…" he took a breath, not liking what he was about to say, "If you say 'yes' to Lucifer and then fail…the only option left is for Dean to say 'yes.' Now that Adam is dead, Dean is the only vessel left. This fight will happen. And the collateral…it'll be immense," and then he added, "There's also the demon blood."
"What?!" Sam's eyes widened, "What are you talking about?"
"To take in Lucifer would be more than you've ever drunk."
Sam shared a stunned look with Bobby before turning back to Castiel, "But…why?"
"Strengthens the vessel. Keeps it from exploding."
He'd already given this explanation to Michelle. She'd asked him back at Bobby's, when Dean had gone to pack the Impala up and Sam went to speak to his brother. She'd asked what Sam would have to do if he said yes. She'd gotten a very peculiar look on her face when he mentioned the demon blood, more so when she'd asked why, if both Michael and Lucifer were angels, Dean wouldn't need it to let in Michael.
He couldn't answer, he didn't know.
"But the guy he's in now…" Sam began, shaking his head in disbelief.
"Is drinking gallons," Castiel replied slowly.
"And how is that not the worst plan you ever heard?" Bobby remarked. And then Michelle's words echoed back to him, she wasn't sure she could stop Lucifer…the blood must have been why, the sheer amount of it, "Especially after what Michelle did to clean you out!"
Sam could only look down.
~8~
Dean, Crowley, and Michelle were walking through a light rain in Chicago, trying to find the place Death was said to be.
"Hey, let's stop for pizza," Crowley commented.
"Are you kidding?" Dean glared at him.
"They just said it was good, that's all."
Michelle suddenly stopped, staring at a large warehouse ahead of them, her eyes drifting around the area as though looking at something only she could see.
"Up ahead," Crowley nodded, stopping as well, "Big ugly building, ground zero, call it a stable if you will. He's in there."
"How do you know?" Dean frowned.
"Have you met me?" Crowley scoffed, "'Cause I know."
"The block is swarming with reapers," Michelle cut in, ruining Crowley's ego trip.
Crowley mock glared at her, "I'll be right back," he turned and walked towards the building, disappearing. A moment later, "Boy is my face red," they turned to see Crowley standing behind them, "Death's not in there."
Michelle snorted, so much for knowing.
"You wanna cut the cute and get to the part where you tell me where he is?" Dean replied.
"Sorry, I don't know," the demon shrugged and walked away.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, wait a minute," Dean stormed after him, stopping in the man's path, "You don't know?"
"Signs pointed. I'm just as shocked as you," he walked past Dean and continued on.
"Bobby sold his soul for this?!" Dean called.
Crowley turned around, "Relax. All deals are sold back on store credit. We'll catch Death in the next doomed city."
"Millions Crowley!" Dean glared, getting worked up, "Millions of people are about to die any minute."
"True, so I strongly suggest we get out of here," he reasoned, walking off.
"Dean," Michelle said, putting a hand on his shoulder, "Don't worry."
"Don…don't worry?" he shouted, rounding on her.
"I have a feeling Crowley's just winding you up," she replied, not perturbed by his yells, "He knows exactly where Death is. Let's just go and find him."
With that she walked off, leaving Dean to follow after. He grumbled to himself as he walked over to the Impala and got in, Crowley in the backseat with Michelle in the passenger's.
"So what?" Dean asked them, "We call in a bomb threat? A thousand bomb threats? How the hell are we supposed to get 3 million people out of Chicago in the next ten minutes?"
"Dean?" Michelle called.
"Yeah?"
"Crowley's gone."
He looked over his shoulder to see Crowley had, in fact, disappeared…again, "Come on!"
"There!" Michelle pointed, seeing him standing outside a pizza joint.
Dean turned and watched as Crowley mouthed something he couldn't understand at them, "What? I can't hear you."
"I said," Crowley sighed, appearing in the backseat, "I found him. Death, he's in there," he pointed back at the pizza place.
Dean got out of the car along with Michelle, checking back inside, "Are you coming or…"
"Gone again?" Michelle asked, not even bothering to look back.
"Yup."
"Shoulda seen that coming," Michelle smirked at him.
Dean just rolled his eyes at her as they headed to the pizza place. They quietly entered, looking around to see everyone was dead, save a thin man sitting at a table facing the outside window, eating a pizza slice. Dean glanced at Michelle, pushing her behind him just enough where she might not notice he'd done so and grabbed the scythe. Unfortunately, the handle began to grow hot in the presence of its master and Dean dropped it with a clang.
"Thanks for returning that," the thin man, Death, said, not at all fazed. Dean looked down to see the blade was gone, when he looked back up, it was on the table beside the man's hand, "Join me Dean, Michelle. The pizza's delicious," Dean glanced back at Michelle, who could only shrug, as they walked forward, just reaching the table, when Death spoke again, "Sit down…" he gestured with his fork as he cut up the pizza. They sat as he looked at them, "Took you long enough to find me. I've been wanting to talk to you."
"I gotta say, mixed feelings about that," Dean admitted, "So…is this the part where…" he cleared his throat, "You kill us?"
Death just glanced at Michelle before turning to Dean, "As much as I would like that for all the disruptions you and your brother cause…you seem have an inflated sense of your importance. To a thing like me, a thing like you, well…" he took a sip of his drink, "Think how you'd feel if a bacterium sat at your table and started to get snarky?" he glared at Dean a bit before smiling at Michelle, "But this young lady with you, she's something else entirely…perhaps something more than a bacterium, hmmm?"
"More than a single celled organism?" she smirked a bit, "I'm honored."
Dean tensed, just waiting for Death to kill her, but the man just smiled and let out a small laugh, shaking his head, not many people took the risk to get funny with him, "This is one little planet in one tiny solar system in a galaxy that's barely out of its diapers. I'm old Dean. Very old. So I invite you to contemplate how insignificant I find you," he put a slice on Dean's plate as well as Michelle, "Eat."
Dean looked at Death and then down at the slice, then over at Michelle. He slowly picked up a fork and knife, cutting a small piece and eating it, his face morphing into one of slight delight.
Michelle just rolled her eyes at him and picked up her slice, taking a large bite herself.
"Good, isn't it?" Death asked.
Dean could only chew and agree, "I gotta ask…how old are you?"
"As old as God," he sighed, "Maybe older. Neither of us can remember anymore. Life, death, chicken, egg, regardless of the end, I'll reap him too."
Dean's eyes widened, "God?! You'll reap God?!"
"Oh yes," Death looked up, "God will die too Dean."
Dean looked stunned, when Michelle leaned over and said quietly, "He doesn't mean literally Dean," Dean looked at her, shocked, "It's more metaphoric. Every religion in the world has a basis in God. He starts a religion and when it wanes, he replaces himself with the gods the humans thought they were worshiping the entire time, moves on to the next religion. When he reaps God," she nodded at Death, "It means he'll cease to be OUR God and become the god of the next religion."
Death smiled, "Finally, someone who understands Death."
"Well this is way above my pay grade," Dean just shook his head, way too over his head in all this.
"Just a bit," Death smirked.
"So then why are we still breathing? Sitting here with you, I mean, what do you want?"
"The leash around my neck off," Death said seriously as Dean gave him a look.
"Lucifer has Death bound to him," Michelle said, "Remember, in the graveyard, in Carthage?"
"Some unseemly little spell," Death sneered, not at all pleased, "He has me where he wants, when he wants, that's why I couldn't go to you. I had to wait for you to catch up. He made me his weapon, hurricanes, floods, raising the dead. I'm more powerful than you can process and I'm enslaved to a bratty child having a tantrum."
Michelle snorted, that seemed to hit the nail on the head.
"And you think we can unbind you?" Dean frowned, following along.
"There's your ridiculous bravado again," Death rolled his eyes, "Of course you can't. But you can help me take the bullets out of Lucifer's gun," he leaned forward and held up his hand with the ring on it, "I understand you want this."
"…yeah," Dean said slowly.
"I'm inclined to give it to you."
"To give it to us?" Michelle frowned, not sure why someone as powerful as Death would give up his source of power.
Death simply nodded.
"…then what about Chicago?" Dean continued.
"…I suppose it can stay," he shrugged, "I like the pizza," he took off his ring and held it up to them, serious once more, "There are conditions."
"Ok, like?" Dean asked, his eyes on the ring.
"You have to do whatever it takes to put Lucifer in his cell," Death replied, eyeing them both carefully.
"Of course."
"Whatever it takes," he repeated, turning to Dean.
"That's the plan."
"No, no plan. Not yet. Your brother, he's the one that can stop Lucifer," this time he turned to Michelle, looking at her meaningfully, "The only one."
Michelle frowned as Death stared at her, as though willing her to see something. She blinked…realization dawning on her.
"What you think…" Dean continued, not having noticed the exchange.
"I know," Death cut in, turning to Dean, "So I need a promise, you're going to let your brother do what he needs to do to stop Lucifer," he held up his ring, "Well, do I have your word?
"Ok, yeah, yes," Dean reached out to take it, but Death pulled back.
"That better be yes, Dean," Death glared at him, "You know you can't cheat death."
"Yes, then," Dean rolled his eyes.
Death eyed him a moment and turned to Michelle, "You're the one with all the promises yes?" she nodded, "Then promise me, you will do what needs to be done and return my ring when this is over."
Dean smirked, already finding a loophole in the promise. Michelle had to do what needed to be done, never said anything about making Sam do it.
Michelle took a breath and nodded, "Of course."
"Is that a promise?" he asked, raising an eyebrow and holding out a hand for her to shake.
"Yes," she said, reaching out to shake his hand, sealing the deal.
"Good," he smiled, leaning back as he dropped the ring into her hand, "Now, would you like the instruction manual?"
~8~
Dean was sitting in the back of Bobby's shop, fiddling with the rings on the table, pushing Death's towards them, watching as they magnetized and surrounded the ring in the center. Someone nudged a piece of scrap out of the way and he looked up to see Bobby walking over.
"So how'd it go with the Rockettes audition?" Dean asked. Michelle had gone to make sure Sam was ok the moment they pulled up. He'd glanced over, seeing that they were fine, all there to greet them, before heading out back to think.
Bobby shrugged, "High kick's fair, boobs need work," Dean nodded, "I walked up and down stairs all night for no damn reason," he laughed, "I'm sore," he sighed, "Feels so good, I'm scared it's a dream. But then I remember that the world's dying bloody so…" he held out a bottle to Dean, "Drink?"
Dean took the bottle, opened it, but then pushed it aside, "Check it out…" he separated the rings again and pushed Death's forward, magnetizing the rest.
"Hmm," Bobby hummed, putting his beer down and reached out to the rings, but pulled away, "So Death told you how to operate those? The whole deal?"
"Yeah," Dean picked them up, "That's nuts…" he looked down at them in his hand, "Course I got bigger problems now," he tossed them onto the table.
"Really? Like?"
"What do you think Death does to people who lie to his face?"
"Nothing good," Bobby commented, sitting down, "What'd you say?"
"That I was cool with Sam driving the bus on the whole Lucifer plan," he replied, taking a swig of the beer.
"So Death thinks Sam ought to say yes, huh?"
"I don't know. Yeah."
"Hmm," Bobby nodded slowly.
"But I mean, of course he'd say that, he works for Lucifer," Dean replied, trying to reason with himself.
"Against his will I'd say."
"Well I'd say take his sob story with a fat grain of salt. I mean he is Death."
"Exactly. He's dead. Think of the kind of bird's eye view."
"Seriously?" Dean's eyes widened at what Bobby was saying.
Bobby could only shrug, "I'm just saying…"
"Well don't," Dean glared, "What happened to you being against this?"
"Look, I'm not saying Sam ain't ass full of character defects but…"
"But what?"
"Back at Niveus," he shook his head, "I watched that kid pull one civilian out after another. He musta saved 10 people, never stopped, never slowed down. We're hard on him Dean, we've always been. But, in the meantime, he's been running into burning buildings since he was what, 12?"
"Pretty much," Dean scoffed to himself.
"Look, Sam's got a darkness in him. I'm not saying he don't, but even you have to admit, since Michelle started hunting with you, it's had a hell of a time coming out. She's like a guiding light or something, she brings out his good, and he's got a hell of a lot of good in him too."
Dean looked down, "I know…"
"Then you know Sam will beat the devil or die trying. That's the best we could ask for. So I gotta ask you, what exactly are you afraid of? Losing? Or losing your brother?"
Dean looked up at Bobby.
It was so much worse than Bobby realized. He just had a terrible feeling in his gut that one way or the other he would lose someone he cared about.
Either his brother…
Or his sister.
A/N: Curious...Michelle said what she did about being unsure if she could stop Sam/Lucifer before she asked Castiel about the blood. All I'll say is that, what she was thinking of and what Bobby now assumes she was thinking of are not the same thing. And to throw in one more question before we near the end, what was in Sam's hand that he showed Dean?
Speaking of the end...OMG! Only one chapter to go! And it's a doozy. Even more revelations will come about and hopefully all questions that have arisen over the course of the trilogy will be answered. What Michelle has been planning, why she's been a little distant, what 'second chance' Castiel reminded her she has, and more.
I'm really excited, and sad, for the next chapter. I hope you all love it.
Also, threw a little line from Firefly in here for fans :)