-'For all the lovers and believers, and the ones who've been betrayed'-

Angel Training World: Part 7

Thick black clouds surrounded Jet's body, bringing with it the feeling of the Void. Sam gasped for air and slipped to his knees, his body was too heavy and nothing wanted to work for him anymore. "Jet…" he wheezed and fell to his face, each pulsing wave pushing him and forcing his body away through the dirt.

Dean gripped Castiel tightly and looked over at his little brother, his stomach turning when he saw the boy face down. "Sammy!" He shouted and dragged himself up, Cas still in his arms, "Sammy I'm coming!" The rippling power washed over them again and again, slamming into their bodies and making Dean stumble and trip on his way to Sam.

Cas had no strength to hold on and when the strongest flood of energy hit them Dean lost his footing. The two tumbled and were sent hurdling, Sam followed not too far behind. Dean tried to keep on his feet, his chest ached and his head felt like it was swimming with the Void's poison. He dug his heels into the ground and used all his strength to run to Cas' side again, Cas was closer. "I've got you," he groaned as he lifted his lover's limp body over his shoulder.

"Sammy!" he called again and snapped his gaze to Sam's new location, the torrential winds blowing his hair and clothes around him like a hurricane. The darkness surrounding Jet expanded with each swell of energy, rhythm like a racing heartbeat it surged over them. Dean carried Castiel to Sam and covered both of them, his back taking the brunt of the force. It continued until he couldn't open his eyes from the pain, keeping his boyfriend and brother on the other side of the onslaught.

And then, just as quickly as it had started, it stopped. Dean looked over his shoulder when he realized the pressure behind had ended. He could see Jet suspended mid air as the foggy mist slowly dissipated around him, some of it slipping inside him where it could. Dean's heart pounded, Sam and Castiel both lay unconscious at his feet, and his best friend hung suspended in the air.

As Dean slowly stood up Jet's body dropped from the height it had reached. Instead of falling on his back, however, he landed on his feet. Jet rolled his shoulders and straightened up like he hadn't just gotten the beating of his life, like he could continue as if nothing had happened. The taller male turned his head first, eyes fixed on Dean immediately.

They looked normal, they looked like Jet but Dean didn't dare assume, "Who am I talking to?"

"Still me," Jet replied and Dean exhaled a breath he'd been holding without his say so.

"What the fuck was that?" Dean snapped and gestured to Sam and Castiel, "You beat them unconscious with-"

"You think I did that?" Jet took a step forward as he barked right back at his best friend, "Like I would've done it on purpose?"

"No, but I want to know what the fuck it was so I can blame something! Cas' too weak for this bullshit."

Jet ground his teeth a bit and looked away, down at himself as he lifted his hands. "I don't know… I can feel it though. I can feel the Void, I can feel…" he trailed off and turned to look at the leveled grounds behind him, the city walls that had fallen and buildings left in pieces. Bodies littered the streets. "The monsters," Jet muttered, his chest slowly rising as he took in a breath and attempted to calmly exhale it.

"What do you mean?" Dean wanted to go to Jet's side but didn't dare step away from Cas and Sam, "You feel the monsters?"

Jet nodded and inhaled again, a long and heavy breath that Dean realized moved the air around him. "I can feel all of it, there are so many worlds stuck in the Void…" he turned around to walk to Dean except the first step he took shook the ground. Jet froze and looked at himself again. "What…?"

"Don't move," Cas groaned as he pushed himself to his knees at the very least, "Something's wrong with you."

Jet looked up, concern in his eyes again. Sam wasn't awake, he could look as scared as he needed to, and his gaze was stuck on Dean.

Dean felt his chest ache, Jet looked at him that way with the vacuo too, that expression that just begged save me.

"What's wrong with me?" Jet asked brokenly and Dean had to bite his lip for a second, his brow pushed up as he shook his head.

"I don't know, man. Calm down though, we'll figure it out." Dean tried to smile at him but had to turn toward Cas, "Are you alright?" He asked and helped his partner to his feet.

"I've been better, I've also been worse." Castiel responded somewhat bitterly, "But can you feel that? Jet feels almost the same as before."

"No?" Dean shook his head, "I thought the Imperator was still here."

"Exactly," Cas looked at him and Dean caught his serious expression like a fucking cold. Castiel held the same look when he'd said he had to kill the host of the demoni. "When you exorcised Sam that last time, do you remember what happened to the demoni?"

"It ended up in full form on the lawn…" Dean looked around them for something, a strange body, anything. "Where is it?"

"Again, exactly." Castiel turned his gaze to Jet who was looking between them quickly, not sure who to focus on. "It didn't come out."

"It's still in me?" Jet choked, his hand placed over his chest.

"No," Cas shook his head, "Not exactly. I think it is you."

Jet slowly raised his eyebrows as Cas' words sunk in, his gaze drifted down to where Sam remained still aside from the motion of his hair in the slight breeze. "What does that mean?"

"I don't really know," Cas stood as straight as he could though Dean's support was entirely necessary. "But it seems the Void… listens to you. You've taken the Imperator's place."

Jet pushed his hand into his hair and pulled it back, only for it to drop back over his forehead seamlessly. He closed his eyes and concentrated on the feeling, the power in him was new and there wasn't a way to get it out. It was part of him now, it was him. "Rex and I saw a lot of one another when he was taking over, he obviously knew a lot more about the Void than I did."

"Obviously," Dean laughed half-heartedly, "Why do you call him Rex, anyway?"

"That's how he introduced himself." Jet shrugged, "But my point is I learned something, the Void can't be stopped the way we've been doing it. It has to be sealed again."

Castiel and Dean looked at one another, neither sure what to say. "We don't know how." Dean turned back to Jet, not liking the distance between them. It was like a forced fissure, even though Jet was back he was still out of reach. "Did the Imperator tell you?"

"Sort of," Jet laughed and shook his head with a heavy sigh, "I know how to do it, but whoever does stays with it. If I go I'm not coming back." His words hung heavily in the air.

Sam moaned and pushed himself up, a little out of it for a few seconds before his mind filled him in. "Jet?" He snapped his head up to look at his boyfriend who smiled in return. He didn't have time to really take in Jet's expression, all his mind could comprehend was the fact that Jet was standing there.

"Hey Sam,"

Sam forced himself to stand and ran forward a few steps before Dean caught his arm. "Wait a second," Dean warned as calmly as possible but Sam tugged at his brother's grip.

"Why?" He frowned and looked over at Jet who just shrugged again.

"I'm not safe."

"Bullshit." Sam tore away from Dean and ran to hug the man he'd been missing for too long. He wrapped his arms tightly around Jet's shoulders as he captured his boyfriend's lips. Dean and Castiel both swallowed hard as they expected the worst, but nothing happened. Jet carefully placed his hands on Sam's hips and around his lower back, his jaw moved perfectly in time with Sam's.

Cas relaxed when he was satisfied that nothing would happen between them and leaned his head against Dean's shoulder, "So what do we do now? Jet's the new king of the Void." He spoke softly and glanced up at his partner.

"I don't know…" Dean bit his lip and sighed, "I mean I know but I don't want that to happen."

Cas nodded quietly, "I can't think of anyone else that could do it."

"He's the one that knows how and, I mean he's part of it now." It hurt Dean to say it. "Jet's literally the only one that makes sense to do it."

Sam leaned back once he felt stable enough to do so, the smile on his lips slowly slipped away from him as he finally took in Jet's expression. "Why do you look like you're about to leave again?" He asked anxiously, his hands digging into Jet's shirt.

Jet glanced down as he bit gently on the corner of his cheek, "It's because I might have to."

Sam's face went pale and no words came to his mind, all he could do was stare at Jet's face and hope he was kidding. "No, you can't. I just got you back." He leaned his head down against Jet's shoulder, "Why do you have to go?" He whispered as strongly as he could but his voice still broke.

Jet hugged him close and angled his mouth close to Sam's ear, "To keep you safe, like I promised."

Sam held tighter, his nails dug into skin as his body trembled, "What are you going to do?"

"The Void needs to be sealed or the priests will be doing this forever and slowly losing that fight." Jet kissed his cheek and pulled back to see Sam better. He lifted his hand and cupped his boyfriend's face carefully, each movement was tricky but with Sam's life at stake he didn't have time to struggle with it. "Whoever does the job is sealed with it."

"And why is that you?" Sam snapped and hit Jet with a balled fist, "Why do you have to do it? You're just a guy; you're just like me. We're not priests, we're not supposed to be doing this!"

Jet caressed Sam's cheek and shook his head again, "I'm not just a guy anymore, Sam. The Imperator didn't leave me, he is me now. The Void needed a new leader and who better than the old king's host?" He leaned forward so their foreheads were touching, his voice was low and Sam thought that every word uttered would break him in two. "I'm part of the Void now, Sam. When it gets sealed I go with it regardless, I might as well be the only one that goes down with that ship."

"You self-sacrificing asshole," Sam muttered through fresh tears, he kissed Jet again, holding the warm embrace for as long as he could without his sobs breaking it. He could barely breathe as Jet held him, one of Jet's hands pet through his hair while the other arm was unmoving around his torso. Sam couldn't stand it, his face pressed against Jet's chest and soaking it through. "You can't go," he wheezed out the words, as his breathing grew shallower and sharper he gasped, "I love you, you can't go."

Jet's jaw tightened as he clenched it, Sam felt something drip onto his head and he looked up. Jet's eyes were just as wet as his own, his lower lip failing to keep stiff as it quivered, "I love you too," he whispered painfully and kissed Sam again, the taste of salt shared between them. "More than anything, Sam, I love you." He sniffled once and exhaled shakily, "If hating me for this helps you through this then, please…" He didn't finish the sentence and Sam didn't want him to.

Dean and Castiel approached them, the latter more sturdy on his feet now than before. Dean placed a hand on Jet's shoulder and gave it a squeeze; there weren't words he knew how to share at that moment.

Cas did the same with Sam, "We should head back to the mainline."

"The sooner it's sealed the sooner the priests can stop dying," Jet nodded but hesitated to let go of Sam, "I get it… we should go."

The portal opened and they all stepped through, it didn't matter that the other priests were still inside, they'd find their way back out once everything settled.

-'To all the fighters, all the dreamers, and the ones who've not been saved.'-

Mainline

Cas looked away and grit his teeth, anger swelling in him, "This… this isn't fair to you." He turned back and clenched a fist, "You aren't part of this, Dean and I were the ones meant to seal this thing away. We're the ones everyone's been talking about, it should be a priest that suffers this!"

"You've spent centuries alone, Castiel." Jet snapped back, "You've done nothing but suffering with the vague promise of a life to go home to as a reward. You finally meet Dean, your partner, you fall in love again, and you heal. But because some goddamn destiny says so it has to be you that takes this on?" His lip pulled upward in a snarl as he spoke, Sam could feel the power surge inside him. "Like I fucking said, when this thing gets sealed up I'm going to be sealed with it. It doesn't make any fucking sense to send you two if I'm already going."

Dean rubbed his shoulder; he'd never lifted his hand. "Jet, calm down. Cas just thinks it's unfair."

"It's all unfair." Jet nearly shouted but Dean knew his yelling voice enough to know that wasn't it. "You and Cas had to do this crazy bullshit to save the world, no choice involved. Sam and I didn't have to go but no matter what would happen, in any scenario, he loses someone he loves. And I'm just in the wrong place at the wrong goddamn time. Trust me, I know it's unfair. But Cas," he looked at the high priest seriously, "You can't spend the rest of your life thinking that. You and Dean weren't ever alone; Sam and I were right along with you, which means this kind of shit happening to us is just as likely. Don't give me that 'only a priest' bullshit, okay?" His expression softened as he uttered the last word, his mouth feeling dry as he said it.

Castiel nodded and ran his hand over his eyes, wiping at the tears that started there. "I'm so sorry, Jet."

Jet smiled a little and went to give Cas a hug, "It's okay," he gave the priest a good squeeze and a pat on the back, "You said when this all started not to come crying to you about this kind of thing, right? It's not your fault."

Dean went to Jet next and hugged him tight; they didn't let go for several moments, too scared to. Their cheeks were touching and Jet felt the slip of a tear out of Dean's eye, he choked out a laugh but it only led to a sob escaping him. "I'm glad I could see you guys again," Jet whispered.

"Yeah," Dean swallowed past the lump in his throat, "I'm sorry I couldn't save you, man."

"It wasn't on you to save me, that's my job." Jet reached up and ruffled Dean's hair playfully as he pulled back, a smile on his face. "Your job is to take care of Sam, like always."

"Jet," Sam exhaled heavily and tried to steady himself but tears fell freely and he had nothing left in him anymore. Strength was fleeting and he didn't know what to say, "What do I do without you?"

Jet walked up to Sam again and held him the way he'd done previously, their eyes fixed on one another as if it'd be the last time, and it just as well might be. "You do what you have to. Scream, cry, break down if you need to but one of these days you'll have to get over me."

Sam slowly shook his head, "I can't,"

"You can do anything, I've seen it." Jet leaned up and kissed his forehead, "Don't forget me, but don't get stuck."

"Jet-" Sam pulled him down into another proper kiss, holding him there stubbornly. "Don't go?" He asked one more time in the hopes that maybe it'd work, that it'd change something.

But Jet only smiled at him, that smile he loved so much. "I love you." Those were the last words Sam heard Jet say before he was thrown Dean's way. He watched with wide and horrified eyes as Jet leapt off the side of the mainline.

Sam didn't have it in him to scream again, he'd called Jet's name over and over in the last while and now it just hurt too much to say it anymore. Nothing happened for several seconds but when it did they noticed. The darkness surrounding the worlds and engulfing even the mainline itself receded, sucked back down into the depths below, far away from them. Every world that had fallen into it slowly began to right themselves as the blackness seeped from their cracks like blood through a wound.

In moments the other priests stepped onto the mainline, all around them people in blue coats appeared. But those three barely saw them; Dean closed his eyes and lowered his head, his hands lifting from holding Sam down. Castiel went to the brothers and hugged them both, tears streaking all of their cheeks, "We tried." Cas muttered to them but instead of replying all they could do was weep.

-'Don't lose your faith; I know you're right. Don't be scared of being lonely.'-

Author's Note:

Hey guys there'll be an epilogue and a short index after this chapter, but after that this story comes to a close. Thank you all for reading, I love you guys. To the anonymous guests that I can't speak to, some of you have been so kind I wish I could tell you how awesome you are. To those that I can speak to feel free to drop me a PM if you wanted. You've all been so wonderful and I hope you enjoyed this finale. Don't unfollow yet, the epilogue is just around the corner.

For those that don't know, I love getting reviews even after a story has long ended so don't worry, it's not a bother if you have something to say.