Chapter Thirty-Six

I wasn't gonna end this story where I did, but I ended up writing a lot more than I thought I would before the big fight, so...Enjoy!

Sam watched as Zachariah turned away from them and began to chant in Enochian. Dean turned to look at them, giving a smirk and a shrug. Sam shared the victorious smile before they schooled their faces once more.

The barn trembled as a hum grew out of nowhere.

No turning back… Sam thought, bracing himself.

As Zachariah turned back to them, Dean gave the angel his final barter, selling the part. Sam squinted against the light as it filled the room, the hum growing even louder.

Zachariah looked over at Dean, smiling expectantly. "He's waiting for an answer, Dean."

Dean turned towards Sam, frowning in remorse. "I'm sorry…" He then gave the slightest smirk and a wink before turning back towards Zachariah and Michael's true form.

Please work… Sam pleaded.

"Yes," Dean told the archangel.

The light swept forward towards Dean, growing brighter. Sam held a hand up, trying to watch the unfolding scene. The light surrounded his brother, evidently trying to wrap him up in itself. Dean's head suddenly shot up, his arms flung out. Michael enveloped him, a cyclone of light and wind. Light began to virtually shine from Dean as the room grew brighter.

Sam and Adam shielded their eyes as the three angels watched, one in smug victory and two in worried concern. The light became blinding as Sam shut his eyes tight, waiting for the blast wave to end. As the inside of his eyelids stopped glowing, he immediately looked over at Dean.

Dean stood in the middle of the room, arms lowered back to his sides and staring at the opposite wall. Sam stared apprehensively at his brother, waiting for a sign as to who sat behind the wheel.

"Welcome home, Michael," said Zachariah.

Dean raised his hand, turning it over in curiosity before clenching it into a fist.

"Feels good to have your own vessel again, doesn't it?" asked Zachariah.

Dean lowered his fist, looking up at Zachariah.

"Yes, it does," said Dean in a monotonous voice.

It's not Michael, Sam kept telling himself. Dean's just acting.

"Well, shall we?" Zachariah asked, motioning to the door.

Dean stared at him for a moment before nodding stiffly. "We shall." He stepped over to Zachariah, but then stopped and looked back at Sam.

The bottom of Sam's stomach dropped out as Dean stared at him, for the eyes staring back at him were those of a complete stranger. The man in front of him was not his brother Dean Winchester; it was the archangel Michael.

Dean hadn't won…

The plan had failed…

Michael gave Sam a reassuring look, misinterpreting the sorrow on his face. "Don't worry. Your brother will be rewarded, as will all of you when paradise comes."

The words did not comfort him. What reward could be left when half the planet was left in ruin?

Sam reached into his pocket, hand clenching around the Horsemen rings. I was so sure I wouldn't have to use them…

"My brothers…" Michael said with a warm gaze at Castiel and Gabriel, "it was good to see you again." He stepped a little towards the two angels. "I admire the strength and aide you gave these boys recently. You have done well, though your intentions may have been…misguided."

Sam's heart sank even further. He knew…

That was why Dean hadn't been able to fight back. Once Michael had claimed his vessel, he was able to read Dean's mind and had discovered their true plan.

Why didn't I think of that? Sam berated himself for his lack of forethought.

Michael turned away from them before pausing and turning back. "And Sam…"

Sam looked back up at Michael, who was giving him a look of sympathy.

"I will take care of my brother before he gets to you," Michael told him. "I promise you."

Sam nodded, accepting the angel's vow.

Michael turned back towards Zachariah, beginning to leave with him. Sam turned towards the others to see similar expressions of grief. He had been so sure Dean would be able to best the archangel; he was Dean, for crying out loud! When he set his mind to something, he usually eventually got it.

"Michael?"

Sam looked back at Zachariah's voice to see him by the barn door. Michael, however, had frozen halfway there, just standing and staring straight ahead.

Zachariah took a step towards him. "What is it?"

Sam frowned as Michael stood there for a moment before he began to slowly back up, looking down at himself in what appeared to be confusion and panic. Sam's heart leapt back up into his chest.

Was Dean fighting back?

Michael's hand slowly reached for his head as his breathing quickened. He grabbed at his head as Sam waited with bated breath.

"Michael!" exclaimed Zachariah, taking another step towards him.

After a moment, Michael froze and then slowly lowered his hand. If only Sam was standing on the other side of the barn so he could see his brother's face to get some clue as to what had just happened.

Was he looking at the archangel…or his brother?

"What was that?" Zachariah demanded.

Michael paused a moment before stepping towards Zachariah and turning towards him so that Sam could see his profile. "It seems as though Dean is having trouble adjusting. He does not take to possession very well."

Sam deflated once more as he watched the impassive expression on his brother's face. Dean was indeed still in there, putting up a fight, but he turned out to be no match for God's right hand man.

"Understandably," assented Zachariah, relieved at the answer.

Michael nodded. "Yes, understandably." He turned to face Sam and the others, stepping away from the other angel and keeping his eyes on the floor.

"Well…" said Zachariah, looking eager to get moving, "are we ready to wrap this up?"

Michael paused for a while as he looked down at his hand, extending it in front of his body. A gleaming silver blade slid from his sleeve, and he immediately grasped hold of it. Curiously enough, he seemed to be hiding it from Zachariah.

"Almost," replied Michael, glancing up at Sam with a mischievous glint in his eyes.

Sam did a double-take, recognizing the eyes staring back at him.

Dean?

Dean suddenly spun around, shoving the angel blade up and through Zachariah's head. Zachariah stared back with wide eyes and slack jaw as light poured from his mouth.

A smile broke out on Sam's face as Dean yanked the blade out, light flashing intensely from Zachariah as he fell to the ground, wings burned onto the floor.

He did it! Dean beat Michael! It worked!

"You did it, Dean!" Sam exclaimed as Dean just stared down at the dead angel. When he didn't respond, Sam grew a little worried. "That…is you in there, Dean…right?"

Dean slowly turned towards Sam, and Sam felt the doubt begin to grow for a moment as a blank face met him.

Dean's face broke into a huge grin. "Did you see his face? That was awesome!" He looked back at Zachariah, laughing.

Sam finally allowed the tension to pass as relief flooded him.

Dean looked back at Sam and the others. "Douchebag didn't even see it coming!"

"You're in control of Michael's powers?" Adam asked him.

Dean gave a smirk as a brilliant flash of light filled the barn. A shadowy pair of wings unfurled behind him, stretching towards the ceiling. It wouldn't have surprised Sam very much except that he had only ever seen an angel's wings. Michael, on the other hand, was an archangel, the oldest and most powerful one. Michael's wings were so much wider and longer than Castiel's, and they seemed to shine with their own light, practically bursting with it. And as the wings extended, they gave the impression that the barn would soon no longer be able to contain them.

His wings rose towards the ceiling, towering over them. As the wings stretched to their maximum, they suddenly pulled back behind Dean before snapping out to their full span again. The light faded as they settled themselves behind Dean's back once more.

"Whoa…" gasped Sam, eyes glued to where the wings had vanished.

"I know!" laughed Dean. "Come on. We got a world to save." He marched towards and through the four of them on his way towards the door before stopping and turning towards them with the cockiest smirk Sam had ever seen. "Beam me up, Scotty!"

The next instant, Dean had vanished.

Sam chuckled a little at the way Dean was letting it all go to his head.

"He seems to be enjoying that way too much," stated Castiel, staring at the spot Dean had been standing.

Sam looked at Castiel, surprised by the angel's proficient use of the human vernacular. He shared a smile with Adam before glancing back at Castiel. "Yes, he does, Cas."

Gabriel, on the other hand, was giving them all a skeptical frown. "You kidding? He's the very personification of 'drunk with power.'" He gazed back at where the eldest Winchester had disappeared, taking on a thoughtful look. "Now that I think about it, Lucifer was a lot like that before he…" he shrugged, trying to find the word, "flipped."

Sam frowned incredulously at the archangel before rolling his eyes. "Come on. We better catch up to him before he does something stupid."

****************************************************SPN&BTVS***********************************************************

Cordelia sat on the bench in Buffy's backyard, half lost in worry and half lost in passion. The kiss Dean had given her earlier had lingered in her mind all morning. She was thrilled that Dean apparently felt the same way about her, which, of course, was why she was worrying so much about him. Which one would she see when he came back: Dean or Michael?

Cordelia turned her gaze heavenward, praying to a God she hoped was listening. Please bring him back to me…

A flutter of wings whispered through the yard before Dean suddenly appeared on the back patio.

"Dean!" Cordelia cried, jumping up from the bench.

Dean turned towards her and gave her a smile as she ran to him. Dean spread his arms as Cordelia reached him and jumped into them, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"I was so worried," Cordelia told him.

Dean held her tight. "I missed you, too."

Cordelia unraveled herself from Dean and stepped back a little. "Did it work? Are you…angelic, or whatnot?"

Dean smirked before raising his hand. Instantly, a brilliant pink tiger lily appeared in his hand, and he held it out for her.

Cordelia's face brightened immeasurably, accepting the flower. "My favorite!"

"I know," said Dean.

"You were reading my mind, weren't you?" Cordelia accused with narrowed eyes.

"Guilty," said Dean. He stared at her for a moment longer before beginning to lean towards her.

Before they could kiss, Castiel, Gabriel, Sam and Adam appeared in the yard. Dean and Cordelia pulled apart, faces blushing slightly. How they could share a passionate kiss in front of every single member of their little team earlier that morning but be shy now that it was only four of them watching was a completely mystery.

"Dean, we gotta talk," said Sam.

"'Bout what?" asked Dean, wrapping his arm around Cordelia's waist.

Cordelia smiled a little, loving the feel of it.

"About you," said Castiel.

Dean frowned. "What about me?"

"We're worried that you're letting Michael's powers go to your head," said Adam.

"I am?" asked Dean.

"Definitely," nodded Sam. "And Gabriel said that that was a lot like how Lucifer was before he fell, so—"

"Whoa, whoa, wait," said Dean. "You're comparing me to Lucifer? Are you serious?"

"Well, you are a little—" began Gabriel.

"I'm having a little fun!" Dean defended himself. "What's the harm in indulging myself before I go off to meet my doom?"

"Don't you even try pulling that dying wish thing," Sam told him. "You're only allowed to use that once."

Dean rolled his eyes. "I promise I won't go psycho and kill everyone."

Sam smirked. "Good enough, I guess."

"Come on, let's go get the troops together," said Dean, turning towards the back door with Cordelia and heading inside.

"You seem to be holding together very well," Sam told him.

"As opposed to…" Dean said.

"Well, I mean, controlling Michael," said Sam. "You look like you're not even trying."

"Well, the hard part was winning control in the first place," Dean explained as they headed towards the living room. "Once I figured out which strings to pull, it was pretty easy to keep them that way."

"Right…" said Sam as they emerged into the living room.

The others were all deep into their conversations, not having noticed the group walk in. They stood there for a moment before Dean snapped his fingers, shorting out all the lights in the house. The voices in the room ceased abruptly, and Dean snapped his fingers once again, turning all the lights back on. Everyone in the room looked over at them as Dean lowered his hand.

"There's something you don't see every day," said Xander.

Buffy stood and walked over to them. "Well, that's one bit of good news."

"Damn right," said Dean. "Now, let's hope our luck holds. Time to find the devil."

"Oh, I wouldn't worry about finding him," Gabriel spoke up. "He'll probably find us."

Dean stared at him, shaking his head. "Explain."

"There's a battlefield where Michael and Lucifer must meet for their final showdown," Gabriel replied. "That's where he'll be."

Dean frowned in confusion, gesturing at Sam. "But he doesn't have his vessel yet."

"The two archangels are honor-bound to fight on the chosen field, no matter what," Gabriel explained. "Trust me, he'll show."

"Okay…" said Dean, nodding. "You wouldn't happen to know when or where, would you?"

Gabriel shook his head. "Sorry. The only people who know of the final battlefield are Michael, Lucifer and our Father. It's very under wraps. No one else would have been told."

Dean shook his head at their latest dead end, wishing that they had some sort of instruction manual to help them through this last hurdle.

Dean's eyes widened as he realized just where he could get one of those. "Told, no…but maybe someone's seen it."

Faith frowned as he dug out his cell phone. "What do you mean?"

Dean ignored her, wanting to get his answers as soon as possible.

"I think I know," said Sam. "Chuck."

The phone rang as Dean waited.

"Dean?"

Dean smirked a little. "I take it you knew I'd call."

"Kinda, yeah," Chuck replied on the other line.

"Listen, I need your help," Dean told him. "Did you see where the title fight between Michael and Lucifer goes down?"

"The angels are keeping it top secret—very hush-hush," said Chuck.

Dean rolled his eyes. "Aw, crap."

"But I saw it anyway," said Chuck, the smile audible in his voice. "Perks of being a prophet. It's tomorrow, high noon—place called Stull Cemetery."

The name rang a bell in Dean's mind. "Stull Cemetery…Wait, I know that. That's an old boneyard outside of Lawrence. Why Lawrence?"

"I don't know. It all has to end where it started, I guess."

"Alright, Chuck. Do you have any idea what's gonna happen next?"

"I wish that I did. But I-I just…I honestly don't know yet. But…I think you'll do great."

"Alright," said Dean. "Thanks, Chuck."

"Good luck," Chuck told him before hanging up.

Dean put his phone back in his jacket. "Stull Cemetery, Lawrence, Kansas. Noon tomorrow."

"Well, then…" shrugged Cordelia, smiling over at Dean suggestively, "last night on earth?"

Dean smiled right back, walking over to her and giving her a kiss. "Last night on earth."

The two of them turned and headed for the basement. Everyone else just stared around awkwardly at each other.

"So…" muttered Xander, clapping his hands together to ease the tension, "who's up for drinks?"

**************************************************SPN&BTVS*****************************************************

Dean followed Cordelia up the stairs and into the living room, latching onto her waist as they laughed. Sam, Adam, Bobby and their two guardian angels were waiting in the living room.

"I trust you two had a good sleep," said Bobby.

Dean wrapped his arm around Cordelia's shoulders as she wrapped hers around his waist, shrugging in a noncommittal way. "Not really."

Cordelia giggled, hiding her blushing face in his chest.

Sam rolled his eyes. "Yeah, real funny. Adam and I had to sleep on the floor up here."

"Sorry," Cordelia told him. "Where's everyone else?"

"Out back," Adam told them. "One last training session."

Dean looked down at his watch, seeing that it was close to eleven o'clock. "Someone should go get them. We gotta get going."

"We're with ya," said Buffy as she came in with her whole gang.

Dean looked over at Angel and Spike, who stood there, ready for a fight. "Guys, you realize that it's the middle of the day, right?"

"Don't worry," said Willow. "We got a plan."

Dean shrugged. "Alright."

Cordelia turned to face him, looking up into his eyes. "Listen…good luck, okay?"

"You, too," Dean told her.

Cordelia reached up on her tip-toes and planted a kiss on him. She poured every ounce of love she had into that kiss, wanting to give him something to remember her by during the next few hours. Cordelia finally pulled away from him, her hands on the sides of his face.

Dean let out a stunned sigh, his breath taken away. He turned to the others. "Let's kick some devil ass!" He held a hand out to Cordelia.

Cordelia took his hand and held hers out for Buffy. One by one, they all joined hands together. Dean looked over at Castiel and Gabriel, nodding at them. The angel, archangel and Slayer-possessed-by-an-archangel closed their eyes and concentrated on their rendezvous point. It took a little extra effort than usual, considering they were hauling two witches, two vampires, a half-demon psychic, a vampire's son, seven humans and about thirty or so Slayers.

There was one great jolt, and Dean opened his eyes to see that they had landed in a grove of trees. Angel and Spike immediately headed for some of the denser shade as Dean stepped up to the edge of the trees. A sign hung over the rusted entrance of an old, weed-covered graveyard: Stull Cemetery.

"Well…" said Dean, turning towards them, "this is it."

"Looks feasible enough," said Buffy, eyes scanning the battlefield.

"Alright, Castiel, Gabriel and I will keep you hidden from Lucifer," Dean explained to the team as he faced them, feeling for all the world like a general readying his troops for battle. "He won't know you're there until he sees you. When I give the signal, you join the fight."

"What's the signal?" asked Buffy.

"You'll know it when you see it," said Dean. "What about them?" He gestured at Angel and Spike as he looked at Willow. "You said you had a plan?"

Willow nodded. "I've been able to conjure sunlight before. Doing the opposite should be fairly easy."

Dean shrugged. "Okay." He looked back at the others. "As for the rest of you, just stay away from Lucifer. He tends to only kill those who get in his way. We have one hour."

Buffy headed towards her Slayers, readying her own morale-boosting speech. "Alright, listen up…"

Dean headed over to Castiel and Gabriel. "Listen, guys…whatever happens…thanks."

Castiel nodded at him. "Good luck, Dean."

"I'll be watching your back," Gabriel told him.

Dean turned to Bobby, unable to find the words for what the hunter had done for them their whole lives. Bobby placed a hand on Dean's shoulder, returning the gesture with a smile.

Dean then turned to his two brothers. "So…"

"Yeah…" said Sam.

"Hey, thanks…" said Adam after a moment, looking between the two of them. "Thanks for coming after me…both times…even though I was a ghoul that first time."

Dean and Sam chuckled for a moment before the gravity of the situation began weighing on them again.

"You'll do great," Sam told him. "I know you will. I mean, you've already taken on Michael, and he's the strongest archangel there is."

Dean smiled. "Yeah…Lucifer should be a piece of cake."

Dean stared for a moment at his brother, amazed at how the kid he knew had grown up into this man before him. He pulled Sam into his arms, giving him a hug. Sam hugged him back for a moment before Dean pulled away from him a little.

Dean looked over at Adam, holding an arm out for him. "Aw, get over here, you little brat."

Adam stepped over, and Dean and Sam pulled him into a hug.

*********************************************************SPN&BTVS*********************************************************

Dean looked around at all the tombstones around them, giving them a silent sorry for what was about to happen on their graves.

Don't do this, Dean.

Dean sighed in annoyance. No matter how many times he tried, he just couldn't shut Michael up. He may have been able to control Michael's powers, but it seemed he had no control over the archangel's mind.

I don't know what you're complaining about, Dean told him. You'll still be killing Lucifer…in a manner of speaking. I'm just crowd control.

I have to fight my brother, Dean. It's my destiny.

Just sit back and enjoy the view, buddy boy.

Dean could practically feel the disappointed shake of Michael's head.

I hope you know what you're doing.

Dean smirked, shaking his own head. Me, too, Michael. Me, too.

Dean frowned as he felt a presence approaching him. He turned to find Lucifer standing behind him. It was the first time Dean had seen Lucifer in his current vessel. The two only times he had met Lucifer in person was when he had taken Chloe and then Sam's appearance and then in 2014, but by then, he had moved on to a new vessel. And compared with all the vessels Dean had seen, this one, by far, fit him the most.

Lucifer smiled frigidly past his pale skin and blistered skin. "Hello, Michael."