Chapter Thirteen: Empty Promises

Dean stood on the beach, toes in the sand, wind blowing through his hair, sun hot on his back and the ocean spray hitting his skin was refreshing. It was a beautiful day; the kind he felt like he never got to appreciate before.

He blinked, taking a moment to look around at the empty expanse of sand and water around him. There wasn't a person in site; not a boat, or a plane or even a car on the road behind him. A deep frown pulled his brows. Where was he exactly? He didn't remember coming here. He didn't remember owning this shirt, and he knew he didn't own a pair of shorts.Dean looked to his right. Where was Bonnie? He wouldn't be at a place like this without her.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" The voice came from behind, conversational and contented. "I do believe I outdid myself with that sunset." He nodded out over the ocean to the sun on the horizon. "One of my bests perhaps." His hands slipped into his pants pockets.

Dean turned around, eying the man up cautiously, immediately on the defensive. "And who the hell are you?" This man looked extremely out of place in his three-piece black suit.

He stretched out his arms. "Do you not recognize your brother?" He stepped towards him. "I guess you wouldn't, seeing as John kept him a secret."

Dean's glare narrowed. It was an odd way of wording it, and his suspicion intensified. "No, if we had a brother I'd know about it."

Michael tsked. "Dean…why would John tell you about a boy that had no place in your world? Adam lived a normal life; he had friends, a mother, he was on honor roll…he knew nothing of monsters or demons and John wanted to keep it that way. So instead…" Michael drawled out looking back out into the sunset. "John took him on fishing trips and to baseball games. Some would say Adam got the better part of the deal. But I disagree." His eyes glance slid over to Dean. "I believe you have a higher purpose."

Dean nodded, his tongue running the inside of his cheek knowing. "You're Michael. Aren't you?"

"Clever boy. Was it the suit?" The arch angel laughed at his own double entendre.

"You think I'm just going to offer you my life so you can what, murder your own brother and mine in the process and I'll just be okay with that?" Dean snapped back disbelievingly. "Not a chance in hell."

Michael chortled. "Well, that's where we're all fated if you don't. It's your destiny Dean. And hey…if you're cooperative, I won't leave you a drooling mess when it's all over."

Dean eyed him again with a narrowed glare. "Why me? Looks like Adam, whoever he is, said yes, so why do you still need me?"

Michael glanced down at himself. "Adam's body won't be enough to contain my grace for long."

"Well, ain't that a damn shame. Guess you can't win 'em all."

Michael sighed, bowing his head condescendingly. "You just don't get it do you, Dean." When he looked back up, his eyes were intensely locked in on his future vessel. "Think of a million random acts of chance that let John and Mary be born, to meet, to fall in love, to have the two of you. Think of the million random choices that you make, and yet how each and every one of them brings you closer to your destiny. Do you know why that is? Because it's not random, it's not chance. It's a plan that is playing itself out perfectly. Free will's an illusion, Dean. That's why you're going to say yes."

.

Dean shot up in bed, covered in a sheen of sweat. Glancing to his right, Bonnie lay sleeping soundly, her back to him. He breathed a sigh of relief that his didn't wake her. As the dream came back to him, Dean was filled with a sense of foreboding. All his life, he believed that his free will was all he had; that his choices were his own…but to think that everything that has ever happened to him were all pieces being moved on a chessboard for a greater plan outside his control made him feel sick to his stomach.

…

2 Weeks Later:

Bonnie and Dean leaned against Baby overlooking the beaches of Santa Monica, watching Sam and Hope in the distance. They were walking back from the concession stand, each with an ice cream cone in hand, and laughter on their faces. In a moment of spontaneity, Dean drove them to the coast line, saying they all needed a break from the doom and gloom and maybe a bit of sunshine could do them all some good. His dream was sitting heavy on his shoulders, and if his destiny was already carved for him, then he was going to make the most of the time he had left.

Bonnie took notice of how close the two were walking; barefoot in the sand and shoes dangling from their fingers, her head dropping to his shoulder in an intimate gesture. "We did that." She stated proudly, bumping shoulders with Dean. "They look happy."

Dean grinned. "Yeah, they do." He turned to Bonnie, wrapping his arms around her waist. "I'm happy too. I know that we're far from the finish line, but these pockets of happiness with you, these moments when the world isn't ending…it's I could ever have hoped for. I want you to know that, whatever happens it was all worth it." He finished sincerely.

Bonnie reeled back to look at him curiously. "Why did you say it like that?"

Dean feigned confusion. "Like what?"

Bonnie pulled away. "Like a goodbye. Dean, you'd tell me if something was wrong, wouldn't you?" He could see the fear in her eyes and it nearly broke his heart in half.

He forced a smile, affectionately brushing her cheek with the pad of his thumb. "Nothing's wrong baby, I promise." He was saved from further questioning when Hope and Sam reached the car. "So…where to next? You two find any cases last night or were you otherwise occupied?" he teased with a smirk, earning a backhanded slap to his chest from Bonnie.

"Well since you asked…" Hope started facetiously, a snarky glint in her eye. They bantered like siblings and it was something that always brought a smile to Bonnie's face.

"Forget I said anything." Dean cut her off holding up his hand and closing his eyes, forcing the image out of his brain.

Sam chuckled in amusement. "There was something local that popped up on the police scanner this morning that might be up our alley. Robbing at a comic book store on Rodero. Clerk swears up and down the guy had black eyes."

"Demons in Los Angeles…shocker." Dean snarked. "Well, I could use a good salt and burn. This will be a quick one, you two want to sit this one out?" he asked Bonnie and Hope.

The two girls looked at each other. "No, we're in!" Bonnie smiled brightly.

Sam nodded in amusement. "You want to go for the shopping, don't you?"

Hope shot him a look. "Well, duh."

…

The girl's bounced off arm in arm while the boys headed into the comic book shop. They slipped under the yellow caution tape, and approached the front desk but there was no one there. Dean nodded to Sam to look around and they both split up between the aisles. The place was in shambles; books and magazines littered the floor, and figurines and memorabilia were broken.

As they approached the back, they could hear someone shuffling about, and rounding the corner revealed a younger man with long hair and a Wolverine t-shirt crouched down, sorting through the damaged goods.

"You work here?" Dean asked, stopping in front of him.

The guy scoffed. "No, I usually just spend my time walking into random stores and cleaning up other people's messes." He jabbed irritably. "Who the hell are you guys?"

The flashed their badges with straight faces, watching as the kid stood and his attitude dropped. "FBI. We just had some questions about the robbery." Sam explained.

"Oh uh, yeah…sure. Sorry, lots of people have been by asking questions. Police, media…our regulars. I've just been trying to salvage what's left." He told them sadly holding up the broken action figures.

"This your place?" Dean asked, glancing around.

The clerk shook his head. "My uncle's. I run it for him. He's lost a few screws, but this place meant the world to him. He's gonna be devastated when he finds out."

"Any idea what they were after?" Sam probed.

The guy laughed ironically. "Yeah…it's super weird. Out of all the valuable things in here; collector's items that are worth thousands if not more they picked the least valuable thing here. Tore up the whole place until they found it." He told them as he moved back behind the counter.

"And what was that exactly? An amulet, some kind of talisman or something?" Dean questioned, a deep frown marring his brow.

The clerk gave him a weird look. "It's a comic book store, not a magic shop. It was a book series. Nothing special; the stories are a bit far fetched but does have a pretty die-hard fanbase." He turned around and crouched, getting into a safe in the cabinet. "The robbers took the whole collection from the bargain bin, but my uncle was a die-hard fan himself…he kept his personal collection locked away." He turned back handing them the stack. "There it is. Supernatural; the epic tales of Sam and Dean Winchester." He scoffed. "All this for a stupid book."

Dean and Sam froze. "I'm sorry what did you just say?" Sam snatched a book off the counter and look physically disturbed at the cover.

"Yeah, it's kinda dumb. They kill monsters or whatever…it's not for everyone."

Dean grabbed the book from Sam and was appalled by the depiction of him on the cover. "I'm going to be sick." He mumbled turning away.

Sam's eyes didn't leave the covers as he flipped through them. "How many of these are there?"

"Uh…twenty-four I think. The author stopped writing about a year ago. Thank God, right?" he laughed.

Dean was all business now, formalities gone. "The guys that robbed you; you told the police they had black eyes, right?"

"Uh yeah…but maybe it was a trick of the light." He responded uncertainly.

"It wasn't. What did they look like? Did you catch a name?" Dean pushed on.

"It was two dudes. Wearing suits. They mentioned someone named Charlie or Carly? I dunno man, shit was hectic."

Sam closed his eyes knowingly, and Dean slammed a hand to the wall. "Son of a bitch! Crowley! Was the name Crowley?"

"Yeah that's it. Then they were gone."

Sam held up the books. "Can we hold onto these for a bit? For the investigation."

"Yeah sure man, whatever."

…

Bonnie was holding back her laughter but Hope was merciless in her teasing, laying stomach down on the bed. "Wow, Dean…they really captured your essence with this book cover." He shot a glare in her direction as he paced the floor of the motel room.

"Hope…" Bonnie started. "Come on, that's ridiculous. Dean could never pull off long hair like that." She burst into laughter, unable to hold it in any longer. "I'm sorry babe…but you look like Fabio." Now even Sam was snickering.

Dean ripped the book out of Hope's hands and tossed it across the room. "Yeah, yeah…it's really funny but what's not funny is how spot on these books are. Every little detail, from our childhood, to how mom died, to dying and going to hell. Somebody tell me how that's even possible?"

"It can't be coincidence. And if Crowley is after these books, then everything we know, he knows." Sam stated uneasily.

"Who's Crowley?" Hope asked curiously.

Dean's jaw clenched. "Crossroads demon, and current pain in my ass. How did he find out about this before we did?"

"Better question is why does he want it?" Bonnie countered thoughtfully. "If these books are everything that's already happened…there may be a chance that this author already knows what's to come."

"Maybe he's a seer? Someone with visions?" Sam pondered, pulling the laptop towards him and tapping the keys urgently, going into research mode.

Dean sneered. "This guy can see the future and he chose to write books about us?" he exclaimed disbelievingly. "What the hell for?"

"He's a prophet." Cas announced upon his arrival, catching everyone in the room off guard and earning s couple glares at his lack of warning. "Sorry…"

Sam shook his head in confusion. "Wait, a prophet? Like Moses, Elijah…that kind of prophet?"

"Yes. They are the mouthpieces and conduits of the inspired word; selected by the highest-ranking arch angels. Chuck Shurley is to write the Winchester gospels." Castiel explained frankly.

"Chuck?" Dean scoffed. "Prophet of the lord and the guy's name is Chuck…go figure. Well…where the hell is he? How do we stop this? How do we stop this guy from writing anymore books?"

"You don't. Prophets are tethered to an arch angel. They are heavily protected. If any harm should come to a prophet or his word, God's wrath will come unto those who test his will." The angel answered firmly. "I strongly suggest against it."

Bonnie canted her head curiously. "Where have you been, Cas? We've been praying for days and it's been radio silence. You had us worried." She told him genuinely with a hand on his arm.

The tension left him, and he graced her with a compassionate smile. "I didn't mean to cause you concern. Heaven has been in turmoil. With Lucifer on the loose, every angel is on high alert. Time is running out, and each day that passes he gets closer to finding his true vessel." His eyes subtly glanced at Sam, and he picked up on the way his jaw clenched and Hope's hand caressed his knee in comfort. "You know…"

Sam snapped his gaze up to Cas, eyes wide. "Know what?" He tried to play dumb but not very well.

Castiel turned to Dean, frustrated. "You told him?"

"I didn't tell him anything!" Dean retorted holding up his hands.

"Somebody better tell me something right now." She turned to Dean with a wounded look on her face. "Dean…what's this all about? What's going on?" He felt terrible keeping her in the dark like this. He closed the distance between them, running his hands up her shoulders comfortingly, wondering where to start. He didn't need to because Sam spoke up first.

"I'm Lucifer's true vessel. He's been…coming to me in my dreams; taunting me…but I'm not giving in." He finished strongly. "I can fight him Cas…I'll never say yes to him."

Hope was right there in support of him, which Bonnie caught onto quickly. Dean had his head bowed, and Cas stood there stoic as usual. "Am I the only one that didn't know this?" she glanced around at the group hurt. "Sam…" she whispered sadly, her heart clenching in worry for him.

He stood, looking down at Bonnie sympathetically. "I only told Hope. I didn't even want Dean to know."

Hope sat up from her spot on the bed, swinging her legs over the foot of the bed. "How did you know, Dean?"

"I told him." Cas admitted guiltily. "I had hoped that if Dean and I were able to steer Sam away from Lucifer, we could prevent him from getting close enough to reach him. It appears I was wrong."

"I'm helping him." Hope stated softly. "I made this elixir that keeps Lucifer out of his head at night. He hasn't made contact in weeks, so that's a good sign."

The wheels turned in Dean's head contemplatively. "Yeah…yeah, that's good. We're going to get through this. Maybe Chuck has some answers for us. Cas...? Can you help us find him?"

"Of course. He's in Kripke's Hollow, Ohio. I'll take you." He nodded resolutely.

Bonnie turned back to Dean. "Is there anything else I should know?" She eyed him, trying to read his face.

He forced a smile. "No. No secrets. I promise." The lie sat heavily on his chest like an anvil, and seeing her sigh of relief didn't do anything to lighten the weight. He had to tell himself that he was doing this for her. That telling her about Michael would only devastate her. She snaked her arms around him, gripping him tightly, and Dean caught Castiel's disapproving look over her shoulder. He ignored it. He would tell them…he would. Just not now.

…

AN: Sorry for the long wait! Busy month and I hit a bit of a wall for a while. I'm back on track now. A reader gave me the idea of Bonnie and Hope's reaction to Chuck Shurley and the books so thank you negi83 for the inspiration.

Please let me know what you think 😊 - Vanessa