I have to let him do it, it's what he wants and it's needed, I thought while walking to the Impala and Sam who was drinking a beer. Seeing his thoughtful expression, I knew he was thinking about Lucifer and everything with the Apocalypse.
"Hey", Sam greeted me before looking at the person behind me, whom I was quite sure was Dean.
"Hiya", I replied and handed Dean a beer before grabbing one myself.
He has to, I'll have to let him do it…
"You okay?" Sam wondered.
"I'm in", Dean and I said in unison.
"In with…?" he asked us confused.
"With the whole letting Lucifer possessing you-thing. We're in", I stated.
"You're gonna let me say yes?"
"No. That's the thing. It's not on me or Abby to let you do anything. You're a grown— well, overgrown— man. If this is what you want, We'll back your play", Dean said.
"Thank you", Sam said relieved.
I turned and looked at Sam, who seemed troubled with something. Perhaps the fact that he'd doom himself to an eternity of misery and hell, literally.
"Are you sure you want to do this, Sammy?" I wondered, making him sigh softly.
"I let him out. I got to put him back in."
"Aw. Ain't he a little angel?" Dean joked while I stroke Cas' hair as he slept, snoring slightly. Something I would have found cute, if I hadn't been so worried that he might not adapt to becoming human, without a soul to move on with.
"Dean, we don't sleep. Angels don't sleep", I said slowly.
Me? I didn't feel tired. Instead, I felt stronger and stronger for every minute. And that scared me. Because I knew that It would be near if my powers began to come back so quickly.
"Will he be okay?" Dean asked.
"As a human, yes. As an angel, no. Almost all of his Grace has faded away. He's human, kind of", I explained and let his head rest on my shoulder.
"Sam, I got a bad feeling about this", Dean stated.
"Well, you'd be nuts to have a good feeling about it", Sam replied.
"You know what I mean. Detroit. He always said he'd jump your bones in Detroit. Here we are."
"Here we are", I echoed.
"Maybe this is him rolling out the red carpet, you know? Maybe he knows something that we don't", Dean continued.
"Dean, he knows a hell lot more than we do. But we gotta hope he doesn't know about the rings. It's our only chance", I said.
We were silent for a moment, everyone just thinking. What if he did know about the rings? What the hell would we do then? Smile embarrassed and run for heaven's sake?
"Hey, um... on the subject, there's something I got to talk to you about", Sam suddenly said after our quiet moment.
"What is it?" I wondered.
"This thing goes our way and I...Triple Lindy into that box... y-you know I'm not coming back", he began.
"Yeah, we're aware", Dean said for both of us.
"So you got to promise me something. Both of you."
"Yeah, of course. Anything", I promised.
It was obvious. If my brother wanted something as his dying wish, I would do it.
"Yeah", Dean agreed.
"You got to promise not to try to bring me back", Sam told, making me almost lean forward in horrification. But I didn't since Cas was still asleep.
"What? No, I didn't sign up for that", Dean protested.
"This is nuts, Sam!" I exclaimed.
"Guys—"
"Your Hell is gonna make our tour look like Graceland. You want us just to sit by and do nothing?" Dean questioned upset.
"Once the Cage is shut, you can't go poking at it. It's too risky", Sam stated.
"You're out of your mind, Sam. Do you think we're gonna let you rot in that thing?" I said frustrated and freaked out.
"Yes, you are. You don't have a choice."
"You can't ask us to do this", Dean said.
"I'm sorry, Dean. You have to", Sam replied.
"So then what are we supposed to do?"
"You go find Lisa. You pray to god she's dumb enough to take you in, and you— you have barbecues and go to football games. Abby, I don't know, live with Cas in some house with white fence or something. Just go live some normal, apple-pie life, Dean, Abby. Promise me."
"Demons. At least two dozen of them. You were right— something's up", Bobby told us after having watched the building.
"It's not just something, he's here. I can feel it", I said slowly while feeling angelic presence in there.
I leaned back against Cas's frame while watching Sam and Bobby say goodbye to each other— maybe forever. Or perhaps there would be a way to only release one person…
"Take care of these guys, okay?" Sam said and held out his hand to Cas.
"That's not possible", Cas stated and grasped it.
Sam took on a weird face expression that gave me the feeling of a 'really?'-face.
"Then humor me."
"Oh. I was supposed to lie. Uh... Sure. They'll be fine", Cas lied and winked at him like the worst liar in history, making me almost roll my eyes and shake my head.
"Just— just stop... talking", Sam said and went to the trunk full of the jugs with demon blood.
I sighed before swiping my hands over my face, not of exhaustion, but worry.
"He'll make it, Abigail", Cas murmured in my ear.
"That's what I'm scared of", was my reply.
Some minutes later, I could hear Sam close the trunk, which made me follow him wearily. This was it.
"All right! We're here, you sons of bitches! Come and get it!" he shouted to the demons.
Sam's shouting made three demons dressed in suits walk down to meet us. I wasn't so used with demons in suits, only angels. Preparing for the dance probably.
"Sup. Is my bro home?" I said and smirked, putting on my Winchester mask.
A few seconds later, the demons dragged us up to a room before releasing us. And in that room, guess who stood there?
"Hey, guys. So nice of you to drop in", Lucifer said while still looking through the window.
Awkward family reunion number two, I thought as Lucifer froze the window by breathing on it, before drawing a pitchfork. A part of me wanted Lucifer down in the Cage because our brother, but the other part of me screamed that it was wrong and that he still was my brother, whom I still loved even after everything that had happened. So it ended with that I ignored my voices.
"Sorry if it's a bit chilly. Most people think I burn hot. It's actually quite the opposite", Lucifer told my brothers while still doodling on the window.
By saying that, I immediately glanced at his icy wings.
"Well, I'll alert the media", Dean muttered, making me roll my eyes.
Lucifer turned to take some steps closer toward us. It was then I really could see how much damaged his vessel had endured. The second he would leave him, Nick would die, definitely.
"Help me understand something, guys. I mean, stomping through my front door is... a tad suicidal, don't you think?" he wondered.
"We're not here to fight you", Sam stated.
"No? Then why are you?" Lucifer asked, but didn't seemed to be surprised at all.
Shit.
"I want to say 'yes.'"
"Excuse me?"
Sam closed his eyes and seemed to concentrate. A second later, the three demons were lying dead on the floor.
"Chock-full of Ovaltine, are we?" Lucifer noticed.
"You heard me. Yes."
"You're serious", Lucifer stated.
"Look, Judgment Day's a runaway train. We get it now. We just want off", Sam lied.
"Meaning?"
"Deal of the century. I give you a free ride, but when it's all over, I live, they live, you bring our parents back—"
"Okay, can we please drop the telenovela? I know you have the rings, Sam", Lucifer revealed, making everyone go quiet.
We're screwed. On higher level than we ever had had screwed on.
"I have no idea what you're talking about", Sam lied after a too long silence.
"The Horsemen's rings? The magic keys to my Cage? Ring a bell? Come on, Sam. I've never lied to you. You could at least pay me the same respect. It's okay. I'm not mad. A wrestling match inside your noggin... I like the idea. Just you and me, one round, no tricks. You win, you jump in the hole. I win... Well, then I win. What do you say, Sam? A fiddle of gold against your soul says I'm better than you", Lucifer taunted.
"So he knows. Doesn't change anything", Sam mumbled.
I widened my eyes and stared at him terrified.
"Sam."
"We don't have any other choice", Sam argued.
"No", Dean and I exclaimed one the same time.
Sam steeled himself before I heard the word I had dreaded to hear:
"Yes."
Lucifer nodded while smirking slightly. Then pure white light appeared as he went out from his old vessel (whom fell down on the floor dead), and in inside Sam's body. Sam slumped down to the floor, in where I instantly went down on my knees to check if he was okay. Grace pumped in him while I could feel Lucifer inside him, plus the wings did the work too. But vessels could still have the wings even if they were in control, right? I thought while the panic rose in me.
"Dean. The rings", I told him quickly.
He nodded slowly and took out the Horsemen's rings, threw them on the wall before saying the incantation Death had learned him (Open the mouth of the cave to the wicked one). From nothing, a large hole was created from an invisible force, revealing a deep nothing, which I knew was the entrance to the Cage.
"Sammy!" I exclaimed and helped him up as he groaned on pain.
"Abby! Dean! I can feel him. Oh god!" he groaned.
"You got to go now! Come on! Go now, Sammy. Now!" Dean shouted at him.
For a second, he did nothing. But then, Sam— no, Lucifer— turned and smiled slightly.
"I was just messing with you. Sammy's long gone", he stated before he closed the hole.
He then walked to the wall and snatched the rings off the wall. The only thing Dean and I could do was watching and trying to hold back the tears.
"I told you... this would always happen in Detroit", he said calmly.
"Are you sure you don't want to go with me, Jophiel?"
I took a deep breath, trying to not show anymore weakness than I had before I shook my head.
"No."
For a split second, I could see genuine hurt on his face, before he spread his wings and disappeared.
"Reports are flooding in— a 7.6 earthquake in Portland, 8.1 in Boston, more in Hong Kong, Berlin, and Tehran. The U.S.G.S. has no explanation but says to expect a six-figure death toll", they informed on the news.
"It's starting", Cas stated,
"Yeah, you think, genius?" Dean snapped, making me glare at him.
"You don't have to be mean", I said.
"So what do we do now?" Dean questioned, directing it to me and Cas.
Just in that second, I saw everything with precision, like someone had given me lenses for maximum maximum strength. Everything was magnified. My body radiated with power, power I hadn't felt in almost three decades, but it felt natural, like it hadn't been gone at all. When I looked down on myself, I could see my true form as easily as it had been to see normally.
I was restored.
I was 100% Archangel now.
And what had Gabriel said? You've got kind of zero shot in killing Lucifer. It didn't mean it was impossible, I could do it. Even if Lucifer and Michael were stronger than me, they wouldn't be able to snap their fingers and blow me apart like a balloon. They would have to fight me if they would want kill me.
"I'll fight them", I said while instantly locating where my Archangel blade had crashed when I had fallen.
"It's our best and only shot, I guess."
Dean, Bobby and Cas stared at me in perplexed like they believed I had gone nuts.
"Abby, you're talking about fighting Michael and Lucifer. You're not full—" Dean began.
"Yeah, I just did", I told him slowly.
He widened his eyes before I hugged him. Archangel or not, he still was my older brother, the one who had carried me and Sam out from our house. And it would always be so.
"See ya Dean-o, I love you big bro. Say hi to Lisa and Ben from me", I mumbled before I let go and hugged Bobby too, while feeling tears rising again.
"Blood or not, you're my father and nothing will change that", I told.
"Be careful, kid", he told me as I took some steps closer to Cas.
I blinked away the water from my eyes before I noticed tears forming in Cas' blue eyes before rolling down.
"Don't cry", I whispered and used my thumbs to wipe them away.
"I love you, Castiel. Remember that, okay?"
I leaned in and kissed him slowly, feeling salt on his lips. Everything in me sparked All I wanted was the whole thing gone and my family together, being happy. For a split second, I envied fairytales, where the story ended with the princess and the prince kissing and living happily ever after, probably with their family, too. But this was real, and there'd be a battle to fight. I reluctantly broke off, staring lovingly at Cas and what was left of my family, before I flied away.
Lawrence, so fitting, I thought the second I appeared in Stull cemetery, where Michael and Lucifer already were.
"Jophiel, you've come", Michael stated.
I nodded slowly, twirling the blade in my hand. Of all the places, the blade had to be outside of Kansas. Peachy.
"I see you guys already have fought a bit, but only in words", I noticed by the tension between them.
"Why are you here, sister? Didn't you tell me a couple of days ago that you wouldn't participate?" Michael questioned.
I shrugged slightly.
"That was before Lucifer jumped into my twin's bones. What other choice do I have then? Neither of you will stop. Because both of you are too stubborn to back down in this stupid fight, so as the youngest in the family, it's my responsibility to prevent you two from fighting your asses off and exploding the planet."
Michael frowned annoyed.
"So you'll kill both of us now. What logic is that? Both of us are here to kill Lucifer, so why not let me do it then?"
I sighed irritated. Had he already forgotten our conversation back in 1978? It had only been like, 32 years ago or something like that.
"Don't remember, Michael? The fight between you two will scorch away almost all life. And believe me brother, the last thing I want is to end your lives, we've already lost too many of our siblings", I said softly and held down the tears while thinking of Gabriel, Anael and Raziel.
Lucifer quickly looked away from my gaze and directed his eyes down on the ground while balling his fist with a hurt look on his face. I wasn't sure whom would forgive Lucifer first: me or himself.
"Please, I beg you both, don't do this. We're family, we shouldn't fight. This is wrong ", I continued pleadingly.
Michael's face was like a stone's, but since I had known him for ages, I noticed sadness flicker for a slight second.
"Enough. You know I don't want to hurt you, Jophiel— even less kill you. But I will do it if that is necessary. Step away, or fight with me, sister. This is your last chance. Please", Michael begged while Lucifer shot me a sad look.
I swallowed before I shook my head for the millionth time.
"No, I won't do either, and you know that", I replied held up the Archangel blade, ready to attack.
We started to circle one another, with all of us keeping an eye at one other. The prophesy had kind of been right, I had sided with a side, having to kill a brother. Just not the way they had prophesied it.
"I'm sorry", I apologized lowly and was about to make a move, when I could hear the sound of an engine.
And not just an engine. I had been living in that car for my whole human life, recognizing it was easy. Especially since 'Rock of Ages' was playing loudly too. I turned and looked at the Impala driving up to us, the song playing louder and louder. And I had no idea if I wanted to kiss my brother, or hit him in the head with the hilt of my blade.
"The hell, Dean?" I muttered to myself as he stepped out of the car while Lucifer and Michael glared at him.
"Howdy, guys", Dean greeted us and began to lean against the Impala, with my two eve older brothers looking at him coldly.
"Sorry. Am I interrupting something?"
Just a bit, I thought, as Dean got inside the car and turned off the tape deck before he closed the door, walking toward Lucifer.
"Hey. We need to talk", he told him.
Lucifer glanced at me and Michael, and looked back at Dean, smirking superiorly.
"Dean. Even for you, this is a whole new mountain of stupid", he stated.
"I'm not talking to you. I'm talking to Sam", Dean replied.
"You're no longer the vessel, Dean. You got no right to be here", Michael accused.
"Adam, if you're in there somewhere, I am so sorry", Dean apologized genuinely.
"Adam isn't home right now", was Michael's reply.
"Well, then you're next on my list, buttercup. But right now, I need five minutes with him", Dean stated.
"You little maggot", Michael growled, taking steps toward Dean.
"You're no longer a part of this story!"
"Hey!" an also familiar voice called.
I widened my eyes and looked at Bobby and Cas, who was holding a Molotov cocktail, making me wonder what the hell they planned.
"Assbutt!"
That was the new insulting word for the year. Cas then threw the cocktail at Michael, something that made him burn by the holy fire, which probably came from the bottle. Which didn't kill him, of course, but made him scream in pain. I took a step back while watching my oldest oldest brother getting barbecued, before he disappeared in a burst of flames.
"Assbutt?" I said confused and stared at Cas, who looked like he had no idea where that insult had come from.
"He'll be back— and upset— but you got your five minutes", Cas said and directed that to Dean.
"Castiel", Lucifer said slowly, and furiously.
"Did you just Molotov my brother with holy fire?"
Castiel smiled slightly horrified while staking some steps back.
"Uh…no", he said, something that would have made me laugh, if it hadn't been Lucifer.
"No one dicks with Michael but me", he stated.
I glanced at Cas worriedly, but it was too late. Lucifer snapped his fingers and made Cas explode in his own blood.
As I watched it, not a sound came out. Nothing. Or yes, something, the sound of my scream. But it wasn't human no, it was the sound of my true voice, which made my brother cover his ears in pain. Castiel was dead, he really was dead. I closed my eyes with tears running down, agony clawing at my Grace and being. Cas, my Castiel was gone, forever. I would never see him again. He was gone.
"How many of us are you going to kill, brother?" I screamed in Enochian before falling down on my knees.
Lucifer glanced at me sadly, before he spoke. Not in words, but in my head. A private angel radio between us.
I'm sorry, little sister.
"Sammy, can you hear me?" Dean asked hopefully and looked at Lucifer, whom looked down at him (literally and metaphorically).
"You know... I tried to be nice... for Sammy's and Jophiel's sake. But you... are such a pain... in my ass", he said before he threw Dean onto the Impala.
"No!"
I rushed to Dean's side, holding the blade between him and Lucifer.
"Don't", I warned.
"Step away, Jophiel", he growled.
I almost flinched at his harshness in his words, but stopped myself. I wasn't human anymore, I had to be strong. Couldn't wail because my brother got slightly pissed. Especially not after the blood on his hands. Gabriel and Castiel's blood.
"No", I replied coldly.
Quicker than I could react, he grabbed my wrist and used it to stab myself in the stomach. Not somewhere I could die, but still being weak.
"I told you to step away, sister", he muttered and flung me away my neck, making me crash on the ground, the blade still in my body. The last time I had been attacked and wounded by a blade had been up in Heaven, with a normal angel blade. I would definitely traded that feeling with being an angel, with an Archangel blade protruding from my stomach.
Grace shone slightly as I raised my hand weakly and tried to yank out the blade, just when I heard something snap near me.
"NO!"
Bobby's neck snapped like a twig, before he fell down like a marionette, which someone had cut off the strings of.
Cas, Bobby, they were gone. And I knew Dean wouldn't be alive after Lucifer was done with him. And me? All I could do was watching my brother beat my brother into a bloody pulp. I had never felt so weak and helpless in my whole life, and I was an Archangel. So fucking ironic…
"Sam, it's okay. It's okay. I'm here. I'm here. I'm not gonna leave you. I'm not gonna leave you!" Dean exclaimed, his face beaten into a bloody pulp when Lucifer drew back his fist, preparing for a new punch, when something stopped him.
I had no idea how it went down, how Sammy regained control over his body again, but he did. I took a deep breath, and pulled out the blade with so much force I yelled loudly, before I dropped it on the ground and felt the wound closing as I slowly walked to my brothers.
"It's okay. It's gonna be okay. I've got him", Sam whispered before he took out the rings and tossed it on the ground.
Open the mouth of the cave to the wicked one.
And with that, the ground opened up, just like back in Detroit. This time, he wouldn't fail. He would sacrifice himself for the sake of the world. Even if I was feeling miserable about it, I was damn proud to have him as my twin.
"Sam! It's not gonna end this way! Step back!" Michael (whom had come back) ordered.
"You're gonna have to make me!" Sam shouted back at him.
"I have to fight my brother, Sam! Here and now! It's my destiny!"
Sam looked at Dean and I, before he held out his arms and let himself fall down into the chasm. Michael lunged at him and grabbed his shirt while trying to pull him up. And I could see it, he would succeed doing it, if someone didn't stop him. It was the only way… And after what I had done under my years. I just wanted to do some good, one last time.
"I'm sorry, Dean", I called painfully, before I collected all my strength, and threw myself at Michael, making him lose his balance and fall.
I looked up in the sky and smiled sadly.
And then everything went dark.
A/N: Hi guys! This is the last chapter and I just wanted to thank y'all for reading, following, favoriting and reviewing this story. I can't even describe how thankful and happy I am. And I'm sorry to say this, but I'm not sure if I'll do a sequel or not. But again, I love you.
A/N Update: The sequel is out now!