Author's note: This is officially the end of Ominous Signs. Let me know what you think of this final chapter and the story as a whole if you feel like leaving a review. I'm sure you can all see where I'm going with the next one, considering how this one ends, but it's going to be a couple weeks before I can post any chapters for that one. I still have a lot of work to do before I'm comfortable sharing it.

Chapter 10

"The party ain't even started yet!"

On the same day that Dean left town, Whitney and Lana went out to a field near Nell's house and had themselves a picnic early in the afternoon. Whitney wanted to surprise her, so he carefully led her out there with his hands over her eyes, to prevent her from peeking.

Lana hummed to herself while he guided her along, and Whitney laughed a little when they arrived at their destination. "Okay, turn."

After a sudden sharp turn, Lana giggled playfully and Whitney said, "Alright, we're almost there."

"Alright," Lana said as she tried not to trip over her own feet. "Okay."

Then they came to a stop and Whitney said, "Okay, stop."

When he pulled his hands away, he said, "Open your eyes."

As soon as Lana opened her eyes and saw the blanket on the ground and the baskets full of food and flowers, she was amazed. "Wow!"

Then she turned to look at him. "Why are you being so mysterious?"

"Can't a guy plan a picnic for his girlfriend?" he asked.

Lana held up her hands in defense. "I'm not complaining! It's just kinda spontaneous."

Whitney chuckled. "Are you saying I'm usually boring?"

Lana laughed out loud. "I'm saying it's very nice. I'm just wondering what the occasion is."

Once they had settled down on the blanket, Whitney grabbed a red rose out of one of the baskets and handed it to her. "It's to thank you for being here for me when things got hard. I've done some stupid stuff this past year and you could've left me at any time, but you didn't."

Lana stared back at him. "We've been together a long time. I couldn't just abandon you when you still needed me."

Whitney took a deep breath as he prepared to give her the big news. "Lana, there's something I have to tell you. Since my dad came back, I've been wondering about some things."

Seeing the fear that had suddenly appeared on his face, Lana became worried. "What kind of things?"

"Things like…" Whitney paused as he tried to figure out how to get the words out. "Is there a God? Do angels exist? Is there a heaven and a hell?"

"Whitney, nobody really knows," Lana said. "What's going on, really?"

"What happened with my dad was a miracle. Most people don't get those kinds of second chances, but I want to change that for others."

Lana was still confused. "What do you want to do? Become a Marine like your dad?"

Whitney shook his head and smiled. "There's this church in Granville that's looking for volunteers to go out and serve the homeless. I want to become a missionary and do good in the world."

For the first time, Lana didn't even recognize Whitney. Though his face looked the same, he was a totally different person, and she was glad that she had stayed with him long enough to see him grow like this. There was, however, a part of her that was afraid. She knew that this kind of work could take him anywhere in the world and that some places were very dangerous.

"Isn't it kinda dangerous though?" she asked.

"Yeah," was Whitney's answer. "But most good things in life come with some kind of risk. I think this one's worth it."

For the next hour or so, the two of them enjoyed their picnic. After returning home, Whitney gave his parents the very same announcement and they were proud of him (his father most of all). Even though the Fordman family had never been the church-going type, his parents were thinking about changing that, since George had practically come back from the dead and his son was about to become a missionary.

Later that evening, when Whitney had a chance to be alone, he got in his truck and went for a drive into town. He came to a stop in a parallel parking space in front of his father's store and pulled out his phone to call the number Dean had given him.

After three rings, Bobby answered. "Hello?"

"Hi, is this Bobby?" Whitney asked in a timid voice. "Dean gave me your number."

"This is him."

Whitney grabbed his steering wheel with one hand and tapped his thumb against it nervously. "So, I told my family that I wanted to be a missionary and that I'm going to volunteer with a church in Granville. They're going out to feed the hungry in the big cities, and they're coming to the bus station here in Smallville, to pick up the members of their congregation that live here. If it's alright with you, I figured I could meet you there before we head out."

"Are you sure you still want to do this?" Bobby asked. "I know you asked Dean about it, but there's no pressure. I won't blame you if ya change your mind."

Even though Bobby couldn't see him, Whitney still nodded. "Yeah, I'm sure. I just wish I didn't have to lie to everybody about what I'm doing."

"I don't see why you'd have to."

Whitney was confused by this. "What do you mean?"

The sound of crinkling wrapping paper could be heard over the phone when Bobby took a bite of some kind of sandwich or burger, but when he finished chewing, he said, "Kid, you wouldn't be the first hunter I've seen dish out soup to the homeless."

"Really?" Whitney asked, surprised. "I wouldn't have thought that was something hunters did."

Then Bobby set him straight in a way he would never forget. "When you've been in the life for as long as I have, you'll have seen so much evil and death, that you'll wonder why the hell you bother gettin' up in the morning. You're gonna need to find hope anywhere you can find it. If volunteering is the thing that gets you through the day in between jobs, then that's what you gotta do. You gotta do whatever it takes to keep your head in the game and remember why you're in it."

Whitney could hardly believe his ears when Bobby finished his speech. Not only had those words been what he needed to hear, but they were incredibly motivating. They reminded him that he wasn't getting into this for himself; he was doing it to save other people from evil.

"Wow," Whitney said with a smile. "I guess you're right. Thanks for the advice, Mister Singer."

Then Bobby chuckled. "Don't thank me yet, boy, cause the party ain't even started yet!"

"Yes, sir," Whitney said.

Then Bobby added, "You can just call me Bobby if you want to. Everybody else does."

Whitney thanked him again and hung up his phone. After that, he went into the store to do some work for his dad until it was time to close up for the night. He still had a few things he needed to do before the big day, but there wasn't much time left. The Spring Formal was on the same day that the church bus headed out, and he needed to tie up a few loose ends before then because there was no going back.

In Manning, Colorado, Daniel Elkins was at home, sitting behind a desk covered with hunting journals. Behind him, there was a hidden safe embedded in the wall that was covered with photographs and articles related to the supernatural, to keep any of his enemies from knowing it was there. His office was similar to the Torch Office at Smallville High, in the sense that he had a "Wall of Weird" in there, but many of the articles were about unsolved cases that he and other hunters he knew were working on. One of those cases was that of Luther the vampire and his newest nest mate, Jodi Melville.

Daniel had his chair turned towards the hunter's wall, and he was looking up at a picture of Jodi and Luther that was pinned to the drywall with a nail. He was on the verge of closing in on them and was planning his next move when John Winchester suddenly called him.

Daniel answered right away. "John, how's your case going?"

"I'm in Lawrence right now with Dean and Constantine," John answered. "Constantine thinks the yellow-eyed demon is in Metropolis."

Daniel sighed and shook his head. "It's hard to believe that you're this close, after all these years of hunting it."

"I'd feel a helluva lot better if you were here with us," John said. "I know you're tired of this life, but you're still one of the best hunters I've ever met."

Daniel smiled. "Thanks, John. That means a lot to me."

Then there was a moment of silence before Daniel spoke again. "I'm working on my own case right now. I've managed to track Jodi down and she's found herself a new nest. I'm gonna use her to get to them."

John chuckled. "Any luck finding the Colt?"

"No, not yet. I'm sorry, John."

"It's alright, Dan. Constantine has a few tricks up his sleeve. We're gonna hit this son of a bitch with everything we've got."

"I hope you kill the bastard," Daniel said with a chuckle. "Let me know how it goes."

Then they said their good-byes and hung up. Shortly after getting off the phone, a small, rusty pickup truck pulled into Daniel's driveway, and he got up to take a peek behind the curtain. When the driver parked and got out, he let out a sad sigh.

After parking his truck, the driver went up to the door wearing a worn-out jeans jacket and an old Marines cap that he was allowed to keep after being discharged from the military. He didn't even have to knock before the old man came to the door and pulled it open.

"Ray McNulty," Daniel said softly. "It's been a while."

Ray stared at him coldly. "Do you have it?"

Daniel nodded and invited him in. "Yeah. I'll get it out."

Ray went inside and shut the door behind him. He took off his cap and watched as Daniel went over to the hunter's wall and removed the articles that concealed the safe. Then he opened it up and took out a gun case, which he then set on his desk.

Ray walked over with a smirk on his face while Daniel unlocked the box. "Are you sure this thing's gonna work?"

Daniel opened the case and showed him Samuel Colt's special gun and the remaining seven bullets that came with it. "She's a beauty, isn't she?"

Ray reached in and grabbed the gun. "Sure, if you say so."

Daniel stood there behind the desk, watching Ray inspect it. "I'm not sure if it'll work yet. I haven't tested it."

Ray popped the cylinder out of place and looked through the holes before he said, "We can test it on Luther. He's gonna pay for what he did to Jacob."

Then Ray snapped the cylinder back into place and aimed the empty gun at the picture of Luther and Jodi on the wall, right before he pretended to shoot them and made a sound effect with his mouth. "Pff!"

"You know I hate lying to John," Daniel told him. "I said we'd save the first bullet for the demon that killed his wife."

Then Ray pointed the Colt at Dan. "You've done a lot of lying recently, Old Man. Jay got killed by Luther on your watch, after you told him it was safe to go in. My boy, Van, was crushed when he found out his uncle died. You owe us."

Daniel hung his head. "I know… I couldn't bring myself to tell John that Luther got away. It was all my fault."

Ray put the weapon back in its case. "After this hunt, I'll never bother you again. You can go hunt with the Winchesters if you want, or you can eat buckshot. I really don't give a damn what happens to you. I just want you to make this right."

Then Daniel looked up at him sadly. "I have a pretty good idea of where Jodi went. Since she became one of Luther's vamps, she's been his weakest link. She's still new at this, so she's sloppy."

Ray smiled. "What are we waiting for then? Let's go."

Then they loaded everything they needed into the back of Ray's truck. Since they only had seven bullets for the Colt, they had to rely on machetes and dead man's blood for most of their hunt, but no matter what, Luther was going to take one of those special bullets between the eyes and Daniel was going to make sure it happened this time.

Later that evening, Lionel Luthor was at Luthor Corp Plaza in Metropolis, meeting with Dominic Sanatori and a few of his company's many investors. All of them were annoyed with Lex, but all for different reasons, and they were hanging out in a conference hall to discuss their next move. Lionel was staring out at the city through the windows, while an old man with a bald spot on his head that was rimmed with a circle of gray hair, went on and on about how they needed to close the Smallville Plant and cut their losses.

"Lex has been pouring too many of our corporate funds into those pet projects of his," The investor whined. "His projects at Cadmus Labs and the fertilizer plant aren't making us any money, and we're sinking further into the hole!"

Lionel rubbed his beard with one hand while he allowed the investor to make his case, but when the guy finally stopped talking, Dominic jumped in. "Not to mention all the time he's spent obsessing over the Kents. His little research project with the tabloid reporter hasn't done us any favors either."

When the other investors at the table failed to chime in, Lionel turned towards them with a smirk. "You have all made excellent points, but I don't need any more convincing. Lex should be here, by my side, where I can keep a closer eye on him."

"So, you're going to close the Smallville plant, then?" the balding investor demanded.

"Yes," was Lionel's answer. "Lex has done more than enough to demonstrate that he isn't ready to inherit my company."

Dominic smiled and said, "I would argue that he'll never be ready. Lionel, wouldn't it be wise to leave the company in the hands of someone more… Competent?"

This time, a younger investor with fiery red hair and a matching goatee finally joined the conversation. "I agree. Lex is still the same rich, spoiled brat he always has been. He doesn't have what it takes to run such a massive corporation, unfortunately."

Lionel chuckled when he heard the investor's comment, but he glanced at Dominic, who had remained standing behind his chair throughout the entire discussion. "I take it you have someone in mind, Dominic?"

Dominic stiffened and held his chin high, as if he was about to make some sort of grand announcement, and then he placed his hand against his chest. "I have proven myself quite worthy of your respect, if I don't say so myself. I understand the inner workings of the business world and I know all there is to know about running this company. When the time comes for you to retire, Sir, I can assure you that I'll be the right man for the job."

"I'll consider it," Lionel said. "For now, I still believe my son to be useful in some capacity. He just needs to know his place."

Dominic scowled at Lionel, who had already turned his attention back to the investor with the bald spot on his head. "Now that everything is settled. I have other things to attend to."

The balding investor sitting at the table exchanged a glance with Dominic and the others, just before two Luthor Corp security guards entered the meeting hall with a man in between them who was wearing dirty coveralls. The guy being escorted into the room had short brown hair with a little gray on the sides, and a faint smile on his lips. Despite the appearance of his work uniform, he had an air of confidence that was unbecoming of a custodian working at Luthor Corp, and it made the rest of Lionel's guests uncomfortable when they saw him.

Dominic and the two investors that spoke earlier glanced back at the custodian, and Lionel seemed surprised when the strange man asked, "Where's all the booze and bitches, Mister Luthor? I was told there was a party going on in here."

Disgusted by the custodian's unprofessional demeanor, the red-haired investor glared at the stranger, whose eyes glinted yellow when they met each other's gaze. The young investor could have sworn that it was a trick of the light, but the custodian's eye color returned to normal almost immediately, and he shuddered when he felt a chill run through his spine.

"Could you give us some time alone?" Lionel asked. "I need to have a chat with my guest."

Realizing that he was being told to leave, Dominic gestured for the investors to follow him. "Let's go."

Everyone else got up and followed Dominic and the security guards back into the hall. When the sliding glass doors closed behind them, the guy in the coveralls showed Lionel his yellow eyes again. "Lionel Luthor, long time no see."

Lionel walked over to the demon and smiled at him. "Azazel. What do you say we step into my office? I'll get you a drink."

Azazel nodded. "Very well. I always did like the view from up there."

Then the two of them left the meeting hall and took the nearest elevator up to the top floor. After getting off, they went around a few corners and headed into Lionel's office, where Azazel went around behind the desk and waited for his servant to pour him a glass of scotch. Making himself comfortable, the demon took a seat in the chair and crossed his feet up on top of the desk. Mud and dirty water that had been stuck to the soles of his meat suit's work boots dripped onto the furniture, but he didn't give a damn about that, since everything Lionel owned was his anyway.

When Lionel brought Azazel his drink, the demon took the glass and smiled up at him. "I've always appreciated your taste in liquor, and your hospitality is still second to none."

Lionel suddenly stepped into Dominic's role as the CEO's lap dog, and stood in front of the desk, looking down at the demon with his hands clasped together behind his back. "I appreciate the compliments, but I know you didn't come all the way up here just to have a drink. Have you seen Lucas recently?"

Azazel took a sip of his drink, but never took his eyes off of Lionel. "Yes. He's been doing surprisingly well up there in Edge City. He's growing stronger every day."

Lionel chuckled. "You seem surprised."

"Never in my long life, would I have imagined that he'd have what it takes to be the chosen one," Azazel admitted. "I was always betting on a different horse, but perhaps he'll win the race."

"Lucas is a Luthor," Lionel reminded the demon. "Greatness is in his blood."

Azazel chuckled and set his drink aside. "He's the bastard spawn of a mentally unstable whore you slept with back in eighty-two. Such a reputation hardly inspires confidence."

"I would've given you Lex, but he wasn't what you wanted," Lionel argued. "And Julian hadn't even been born yet. When you came to collect your payment, I had to give you a son, so I used Rachel Dunleavy to provide you with one."

"Fortunately, unlike your oldest, Lucas has other attributes that I find quite useful," Azazel said, when he noticed that Lionel was starting to sound annoyed. "I have my eye on a couple of my other special kids, but in time, we shall see which one is truly destined for greatness."

Satisfied with that explanation, Lionel smirked. "I'm confident that my son will be the one, but perhaps you could explain to me what it is you need him for."

Azazel grabbed his glass off the desk and downed the remainder of his drink. "Ah, so good."

Then he got up and handed the empty glass to Lionel, without answering the question. "Thanks for the drink, I'll see you again shortly."

Lionel took the glass from the demon and watched him walk away. "If you'd like another, you know where to find me."

Azazel ignored him as he casually strolled over to the automatic, sliding glass doors, but he paused and glanced back while he waited for them to open. "Oh! I almost forgot to deliver a message to you."

Lionel raised his eyebrows curiously. "Hmm?"

Azazel turned to face him and grinned. "Your father sends his regards."

As soon as Lionel heard that, his mouth hung open in shock. While he had been busy building an empire for himself in Metropolis, his father was being roasted in Hell after being killed in a tenement fire with his wife, and it was all caused by a deal the two of them made several years earlier. Azazel started laughing when he saw Lionel's reaction, and he continued to laugh as he turned away and walked down the hall. The further he went, the more his laughter sounded like the hissing of a snake, and Lionel realized, for the first time ever, that he was no longer in control. The prospect of him being some demon's bitch was beyond terrifying, and hearing the demon's laughter shook him to his core.

Final author's note: If you see any missing spaces or words in here that I missed, let me know. Sometimes when I upload the word documents in here, it messes up the formatting and I have to go through it again to fix it. Thank you to everyone who favorited and followed this story. It's been a lot of fun writing it. :)