Chapter 16
As the Winchesters and Castiel burned the body of the young prophet Dean couldn't help but wonder how many more deaths would occur during this war and if he could have prevented them all by following the plan last time.
Despite Sam's assurances that Charlie was okay and they didn't need to keep her locked up Dean refused to let her leave the devil's trap. Who cared if the 25% of the blood in her was human and 50% of that blood was the same as 50% of theirs. Family isn't always blood and the girl had started the Apocalypse. She wasn't getting off that easily.
Dean refused to visit her, but Sam had grown quite fond of the young girl. He'd begun to understand her wretched life and lack of parental guidance and in doing so he understood why she was so willing to trust a demon. Michael was her father, he'd been there for her when she was in danger, he dragged her from the place she was kidnapped and transfused.
And like Sam she had demon blood in her and that demon blood had resulted in them freeing Lucifer and starting the Apocalypse. There are some things that if you have in common you can't help but be friends. Freeing the devil is one of those things.
After they returned from Kevin's makeshift funeral Sam went to bring her lunch as always. Dean didn't expect him to return for at least an hour, he never did preferring to ask Charlie to figure out what happened than thinking about how to fix her mistake. However Sam returned quickly looking frazzled and called Cas and Dean to come and see her.
Charlie sat on her mattress they'd given her bags under her eyes. Dean wondered if she'd slept at all since getting out of Hell and if the demon and angel blood mitigated her need for sleep. From the looks of her she hadn't gotten whatever sleep she needed but how you slept after freeing Satin when you know he's looking to jump your bones Dean didn't know. Honestly you probably didn't, Sam hadn't either.
"It's Chuck. He clawed his way out of the ground about an hour ago so I told him to come here and meet you."
"Wait, you can talk to him? How?" Dean asked.
Charlie shrugged, "I don't know if it's the angel blood or the Prophet blood but I can speak telepathically with any active prophet. I never used it with Kevin, figured it would freak him out too much, but Chuck had visions of me before it even happened so once it did... he reached out to me first. He's a good guy despite his love for the vices. "
Dean couldn't help but wonder if Chuck knew what would happen to Charlie how did the angels not. Or did the angels know and just not care enough to stop it?
"The thing is he's not going to make it here. When the angels stuffed him back in his body and reversed the decay they wiped the Enochian from his ribs. They will grab him long before he gets here so don't even consider going after him it's too late. You'll see him soon though, don't worry. Everyone will come together living or dead when the time comes."
"What does that mean?" Castiel asked, "You don't mean the final judgement do you? That couldn't possibly happen now could it?"
"I... I don't know." Charlie confessed, "Even I only see what God or his angels want me to. I see Lucifer, Michael, Bobby, Jo, Ellen, Chuck, and you three standing in a row watching something... I don't know what."
"Where are you?" Dean asked accusingly after noticing she conveniently didn't state she was there. "You're possessed by Lucifer aren't you? You said yes."
Charlie's cheeks went pink as she nodded cautiously... "Castiel. Sam. Would you leave me to talk with my oldest brother? I know how to win this war and it's all about the vessels."
Sam and Cas looked at Charlie dubiously, yet something in their voice told her that they were leaving for Dean's sake not hers so they relented. Once they were far from hearing range Dean took in the breath to berate her for what he didn't know when she stopped him.
"You're smart guy Dean. I take it you've wondered what's going to happen with vessels. Lucifer has taken a temporary one,a poor middle aged woman named Linda who once had it all and then lost it to her older brother. Still, that doesn't change the fact that sooner or later he's coming for me and I don't know when and I don't know why but the prophecies all say the same thing-I'm going to say yes. Hopefully, when I do, it's going to be on my terms but... Lucifer is well he's the devil isn't he so that says it all.
So... vessels. Michael can't just possess anyone, he's stronger than even Lucifer and even Lucifer has the advantage of living on someones hate. Michael is restricted he has to be in someone of my bloodline and to be at his strongest he has to be in someone who is a brother to me. That leaves him with 3 options. Adam has already been burned out he can't go that path again. That leaves him with you, Sam, or... Mike."
"Mike? Who in God's name is Mike?"
"He's my half-brother... on my mom's side."
"I thought you said you had no living family?"
"I don't. Mike is dead. The person who took me, who did this to me, took Mike to. He was their guinea pig they pushed him to the limits so they'd know what they could do to me without... without killing me," Charlie's voice cracked as she talked about her past horrors. "He died because of me."
"And they'll bring him back just like they brought Adam back,"Dean hated those sons of b*tches who couldn't even respect their own rules of death.
Charlie nodded, "They're not planning on doing it right away. He was 11 when he died and even with their power he'd still be 11 when they brought him back, not exactly ideal war machine an 11 year old boy even with Michael in him. Still... if you or Sam don't step up to the plate they will."
"I'm not saying yes to Michael and neither is Sam and neither is Mike once they bring him back. Just like you're not saying yes to Lucifer. It's not going to happen," Dean said confidence wavering as he thought of God's words to him. He'd said that while prophesies weren't always his will they were the truth.
"You're right," Charlie said (apparently angel really can read your mind so therefore she can too) "Everyone has seen you as Michael's vessel, I've seen you as Michael's vessel. The only problem is everyone thought it was going to happen the first time around, when Sam was Lucifer. They were wrong. It might not even happen this time around, I don't know, but it will happen, eventually you will be Michael's vessel just as Sam was Lucifer's and I will be Lucifer's."
"What ever happened to God's sacred free will?"
Charlie couldn't help it, she laughed, "We still get free will, we still make our own choices, the prophecies just tell us what we are going to decide before we know we're going to decide it. Here is the thing Dean. You don't have to be Michael's vessel anytime soon. It will happen, but not until you let it happen. I'm going to say yes to Lucifer, but I'm not going to just do it now because I know I'm going to do it eventually. I will plan and I will wait.
You don't have to say yes to Michael, but he will be in someone facing Lucifer in me. Even I haven't seen who that someone will be yet. So I'm pleading with you Dean, begging with you. Just as you'd say yes to Michael to save Sam from him save yes to Michael to save Mike. Not because he's my brother, but because he's just a little kid. Don't do it today, but when the time comes let it be you who I face and not Mike. Please, I will only ask for this one thing in my life, let it be you."
Dean had never broken a promise in his life, for Pete's sake he'd even kept his promise to Sam and ended him when he was no longer Sam. If he made this vow to his pleading sister now he would be keeping it. Of course Dean would never let Sam be Michael's vessel, but Mike... Dean didn't know Mike so how was it any different from Cas possessing Jimmy? A random stranger can save the world. Why should it be Dean when he sacrificed so much so he didn't have to be Michael's vessel before?
Yet, looking at Charlie, Dean knew he wasn't doing this for Mike, he was doing it to his kid sister who like it or not was his responsibility and here to stay. "Fine. I won't let it be Mike. When the time comes, don't you dare count this as an invitation you d**che bag, I will make sure it is me who says yes to Michael. Mike can stay at rest where he belongs, it will be me."
In case you're curious I wrote this because all I wanted throughout season 5 was Dean to say yes. I really, really wanted Dean saying yes, so this fan fic was born.
