Title: Armageddon

Rating: T

Warnings: Major spoilers for "Utopia", "The Sound of Drums" and "Last of the Time Lords"; violence; mild language; allusions to rape (but I promise nothing explicit or graphic)

A/N: Well look at this! It's on time and a decent length! I'm feeling pretty good right now :) Hopefully you guys will enjoy the chapter. Just a heads-up: there will likely be a time-jump in the next chapter. I'm still not totally sure, but it's very possible.

Also, in real life news, I had planned on updating next Wednesday and am trying to write fast enough that I can post chapters every week instead of every two weeks, but I've got finals this week and next week so it's unlikely. HOWEVER, after next week, I am done so hopefully I can update faster then. (And if all goes well and I pass my Statistics exam *crosses fingers* I'll have my AA so yay!)

But anyway. Hope you enjoy the chapter!

Armageddon:

Part III: The Year of Hell

Chapter Forty-Three

It wasn't long after the broadcast of the botched escape attempt that the Master appeared on the television screen once more. He was sitting behind a large desk with his hands folded neatly in front of him and his wife standing to one side, looking pale and distant. Hotch, Fornell and Jack stood beside Gibbs as silent moral support when the Master began speaking about the "tragic" and "unnecessary" death of Director Jenny Sheppard.

He droned on for what felt like hours talking about how things would be so much easier if the people of earth would simply do as they were told—no bloodshed would be needed, the Toclafane would be peaceful, and the people would have more freedom. When he finally sat back and announced that he wanted to remind them all that there were still wanted people hiding, they expected the entire Wanted List to start playing as usual, but this one was much shorter.

Faces and names flashed across the screen—full of people that Jack informed them were the Doctor's companions and friends.

Martha Jones, Sarah Jane Smith, Captain Jack Harkness, Donna Noble, Doctor Grace Holloway… Dr. Holloway's face blanched when her face came up as it always did and Lisbon and Juliet—the two closets to her—reached out and squeezed her hands gently.

Once the List was finished, the Master's face appeared on the screen again, just as somber and serious as before.

"These people," he began, "are known associates of the Doctor. They are this planet's biggest obstacle to freedom from oppression. I can be a benevolent leader for humanity, but only when I have seen that every last shred of rebellion has been wiped out." He looked down for a moment and his fingers tapped against the tabletop to a beat on he could hear.

"Seeing how reluctant most of you have been to assist me in my search, I have decided that motivation is in order." His eyes gleamed and just a hint of a smile touched his lips. "Whoever is responsible for the capture of anyone on this list of people will be given the best accommodations, for themselves and their family. They will be removed from the work camps and given a reprieve from working in the factories for their lifetime. I will personally see to it that they are safe and happy."

His eyes bore into the camera and he smiled fully. "It's very simple: give me these people and the quality of life will dramatically improve for everyone."

As the broadcast ended, Grace Holloway sank down into a seat and closed her eyes. Her face was still pale and ashen and she gripped the fabric of her jeans tightly.

"You don't have anything to worry about," Abby assured her. "We wouldn't turn you in." Her eyes flicked to Jack and Reid. "Any of you."

Grace smiled faintly, "I know that," she said. "But… if he manages to find me—to find Jack or any of us—you would all be in trouble."

"We're not about to let that make any decisions for us," Lisbon said. "We're all in this together. He can look all he wants, but we aren't going to let him find us."

"We're safe here," Grace Van Pelt assured her. "And if we ever need to, we've all got experience moving at short notice."

Dr. Holloway nodded and took a deep breath. She had gotten used to the constant threat hanging over her head, but every time she let herself think about it, she felt the terror wash over her again, mingling with a quiet sense of guilt. She felt like she was putting them all at risk by being with them, even if they were already at plenty of risk without her. It wasn't as if she was the only one of them the Master wanted.

"I know," she repeated. "I just get anxious sometimes." She reached up and squeezed Lisbon's hand on her shoulder gratefully. She couldn't imagine how she would handle this if she had been alone.

Suddenly, the radio behind them crackled and she forgot her fear for a moment when Tony's voice came through over the radio.

"We've got them," he said. "They're alive. And, uh, we're on our way back. See you guys in a second."

McGee frowned and looked to Gibbs. "What does he mean a second?"

~/.\~

"Relax," Tony nudged Dean, who was staring nervously at the warehouse where his brother was being kept. "He's an archangel. I think he can handle a demon."

Dean snorted. "He'd better," he said. His threat felt empty, but he didn't care. All he wanted was to see Sam—alive. His gut was clenching painfully and he forced himself not to think the worst.

He wasn't even aware of how much time had passed before Adam suddenly spoke up, excitedly. "There they are! They're alive!"

Dean whirled around in the direction Adam was looking and immediately spotted them—Sam, Gabriel and Jake all standing there, looking relatively uninjured, but exhausted. Dean didn't waste a second and rushed forward, yanking Sam into his arms and hugging him more tightly than he had since he'd seen him resurrected.

"Don't you ever fucking disappear on me again, Sammy."

Sam pushed him away with a small smirk, but his eyes were wide and bright and he kept on hand on Dean's shoulder. "It's Sam," he said. "And I'm fine." His eyes darted to Gabriel and he grimaced. "Thanks to him anyway."

"What about the demon?" Garth asked, his eyes on the angel. "What happened to him?"

"I killed him," Gabriel said. "This isn't my first rodeo, boys. Now, I'm assuming you don't want to stick around here much longer. So maybe we should get going."

Morgan frowned, "Wait," he said. "We should probably give them some warning before you start teleporting us anywhere.

"That's a good idea," Tony agreed, pulling out his makeshift phone. "Give me a minute."

~/.\~

"Are you sure about this, Sarah Jane?" Tish's voice was a quiet whisper as she followed along just behind the older woman. Her parents were at her side, Francine looking like she wanted to tug her daughter back and hide her. Luke was walking just behind Sarah Jane, quietly taking in their surroundings.

"Not entirely," Sarah Jane said. "But the Master hasn't been able to find our messages across the network so far, so it's unlikely to be a trap from him."

"But what if it's a trap from someone else? Someone who's looking to turn us over to him again?" Clive demanded. "You saw the broadcast as well as we did."

Sarah Jane smiled softly, though her brow was puckered slightly with trepidation. "I have a bit more faith in our allies than that," she said. "And that's why I want you three to stay back while I go in. If I don't come back for you, you'll have time to get back to safety."

"But you won't," Luke said, frowning worriedly.

"I'll be fine," Sarah Jane smiled and glanced down at K-9 at her feet. "I've got company. K-9 can protect me, can't you?"

The little dog nodded at her. "Always, Mistress."

She smiled brightly then. "Alright. You three wait here. Stay hidden. I'll be right back. Come along, K-9."

Tish chewed her lip nervously as she watched Sarah Jane disappear down a dark, quiet alley. They were still just outside of London—not far from where Tosh and the others were hiding, apparently. The factory was miles away, but the exhaust and fumes still made the air smell of oil and machinery.

"She'll be alright," Francine quietly assured her daughter. "She's gotten us this far. She knows what she's doing."

Sarah Jane didn't hear the rest of what was said as she carefully made her way to the end of the alley. There were two heavy doors there—back entrances to what had once been a club, if the signs out front were to be believed. Most of the area was deserted and the eerily silence made her uncomfortable.

She glanced down at K-9 and felt less alone. She squared her shoulders and stepped up to one of the door—its red paint rusted over slightly and very faded. Just in the center of the door was a small carving that looked fairly fresh. The scraped away area revealed crude drawing of the TARDIS. Sarah Jane ran her fingers over it and smiled.

She knocked on the door—two times, then a pause and then three more times.

After a moment, it opened a crack and she could just make out the face of a woman standing there, squinting at her suspiciously. There was a heavy chain on the inside the prevented the door from opening further and Sarah Jane stepped back.

The woman's face lit with a bright smile. "Bloody hell, it's really you! Sarah Jane Smith!" The chain rattled and the door was thrown open. Sarah Jane tensed and readied herself to run if this was a trap, but then a grinning ginger woman stood before her, thrusting a hand out in greeting.

"Donna Noble," she said brightly, her eyes dancing. "Pleased to meet you Miss Smith."

~/.\~

It took less time than blinking an eye for Gabriel to transport Jake, Sam, Dean, Adam, Morgan, Garth and Tony back to the Rufus's bunker. Jake was familiar with the odd sensation of angelic teleportation, but the others weren't quiet as lucky.

Dean shook himself and turned to glare at Gabriel, jabbing a finger in his direction. "A little warning would've been nice! I am never doing that again."

Gabriel smiled at him, "What no 'Thank you' for saving your brother's life?"

"Gabriel?" Hotch frowned at the angel.

"Got a call from Castiel about Sam and Jake," Gabriel explained. "I decided to be a Good Samaritan and help out." His eyes skirted over to the two recently rescued humans. Sam and Jake had been standing relatively close together when they had arrived, but now there was a considerable gap between them. He frowned and remembered the scene he had entered earlier.

"So they're safe from the demons?" Rufus demanded, eyeing him with scrutiny.

Gabriel hesitated. "For now. Neither of them will ever be totally safe."

"Why not?" Jake asked. "Why—why did they take us to begin with? What do they want with us?"

"What do they want?" Sam asked. "They can't just want one us to kill the other."

Gabriel stared at them and wondered just how much information would be too much. He knew—all the angels knew—exactly what the demons wanted.

"That's a story for another time," he said. "You need to stay focused on knocking the Master off his shiny pedestal."

"Wait, so you know why they were kidnapped?" Jane asked.

"And you aren't going to tell us? What if demons come after them again? Most of us aren't experience at handling that," Prentiss pointed out. "We didn't even realize Sam was gone until after it was too late."

"Demons are at the bottom of your To-Do list, people," Gabriel said. "They're bit players right now. Worry about one apocalypse at a time."

"This apocalypse?" Morgan stared at him. "Are you telling me the demons are trying to start their own?"

Gabriel snorted. "The fact that demons want to end the world surprises you?" he asked. "Seriously?"

"If they are then we have to stop them too," Jack said. "We don't want to save the world just to have it fall apart again. Wouldn't it be better to stop it before it starts?"

"Not possible," Gabriel said. His eyes settled on Dean and Sam. "The demons are part of a bigger story and there's no stopping that. So let it go. Worry about the Master and his minions and one day—probably far in the future—the demons and angels will do their tango and the fuse will go out. Like it was always meant to."

There was silence for a long moment. None of them had thought that there might be another end of world coming along and they weren't entirely sure how to handle the fact that an archangel had just told them there was nothing they could do to stop it.

"You're talking about the real deal," Van Pelt said quietly. "Like… God and the Devil and the End of Days."

Gabriel frowned. "Exactly. So if you've read the Book of Revelations you should be prepared. Now," he clapped his hands and turned away, refusing to talk about it any longer. He looked at Jake and tilted his head. "You were with Tosh and her group right? I assume you want to be there again instead of here. Kind of crowded anyway."

"Yeah, yeah," Jake nodded. "I mean… if you don't mind."

It wasn't really about whether or not he minded doing him the favor. Gabriel had a feeling Dean wouldn't be too thrilled once the entire story of Sam and Jake's abduction came out. He nodded. "Heading that way anyway," he said.

Jack cleared his throat. "If you're giving people lifts…"

"You're leaving, Jack?" Ducky spoke up from the back of the room and Jack smiled at him.

"I really should be with my team," he admitted. "…What's left of them at least." He thought about Owen and Gwen and fought not to grimace. At least Tosh and Ianto were alive. He was their leader and their boss and he should be there to help them.

"Besides, he does have a point about it being crowded here."

Gabriel raised a brow, but nodded. "Anyone else have an urge to go to London?" No one said anything he turned to Jack and Jake. "No? Good. Hold on you two."

And they were gone, with the faint sound of rustling wings lingering behind them.

~/.\~

Tosh, John and Ianto had been waiting by the computer to hear about the rescue attempt on Jake and Sam Winchester for hours. Sherlock was sitting away from them, looking pensive and being entirely silent. No one wanted to ask what he was thinking about—they'd been subject to his odd moods for long enough to know not to bother him when he was thinking.

"What no welcome back hug?" a familiar voice suddenly sounded from behind and they all jumped, turning toward it to see Jack standing there, grinning brightly next to Jake and Gabriel.

"Jack!" Ianto reacted first, surprising everyone when he launched himself from his seat and into Jack's arms, kissing him before suddenly stumbling back, his face a bit pink as he blinked rapidly.

"I—sorry,"

Jack just smiled at him and pulled him and Tosh into a hug. "Don't be. I've missed you."

"We missed you too, Jack," Tosh said, her eyes faintly sparkling with tears. "And Jake!"

She pulled herself from Jack's embrace to hug Jake. "You're back!" Her eyes went to Gabriel and she frowned. "Did you…?"

"Of course I did," he said.

"Glad you have you back," John said, smiling at Jake. He looked tired, but whole and not anywhere near as bad as he had looked when his nightmares had started getting out of control.

"Good to be back," Jake said.

"Well this is touching," Gabriel said, "but I've got to go. Toclafane to kill."

"Wait!" Jake reached toward him, frowning. "My family—"

"Don't worry," Gabriel said. "I'll make sure someone's watching them at all times. They'll be safe."

Jake smiled gratefully, but didn't have time to say anything before Gabriel vanished again. He felt himself relax more as he turned back to the room. Jack still had one arm around Ianto and looked so happy he could burst and John was eyeing him critically.

"You alright?"

"I will be," Jake promised. "It'll take some time, but…"

"Yeah," John nodded. "Well, we're here for you if you wanna talk."

"Thanks."

~/.\~

A/N: So, still kind of short, but a much better length than last chapter. I hope you all enjoyed it! Please let me know what you thought.

And because I'm still so happy about last night's SPN, I'm gonna say it: GABRIEL, GABRIEL, GABRIEL, GABRIEL! *throws confetti and launches fireworks* GABRIEL! Gabriel and Cas together. Gabriel and Cas hugging. Gabriel calling Cas Sam and Dean's "boy-toy". Gabriel in Cassa Erotica. Gabriel making jokes about porn. Gabriel being bitchy about Sam and Dean not even being sad when he died. And Gabriel not confirming or denying if he's really alive and so giving me hope that he isn't dead and god, writers, BRING HIM BACK!

Anyway. Sorry. I'm just so happy because after 4 seasons they finally brought Gabriel back and I have missed him like crazy and I may want to stab Metatron in his stupid face, but I'm glad he decided to use Gabriel to gain Cas's trust because GABRIEL.

I'll stop now. Hope you enjoyed the chapter. Please let me know what you thought! Reviews are much appreciated.