The alarm blared loudly as the four of us walked to the remains of the box.
"I don't understand. The Ma'lak box can hold an archangel." Cass said.
"Jack's not an archangel." Sam replied.
"Yeah. Apparently, the kid leveled up." Dean added.
"What do we do?" I asked.
"We find him." Dean answered.
"How?" Cass asked.
"I don't know, Cass. You tell me." Dean snapped.
"Okay, the last time we found Jack, if wa—it was by praying to him, but that's not gonna happen again." Sam said.
"Yeah, you think?" Dean asked.
"You should have never tried to lock him away." Cass said.
"You know what, you're right. I never wanted to put him in that damn box. I wanted him dead." Dean said.
"Dean!" Cass said, his hand on my arm.
"He's dangerous, Cass, and you knew it! You've known it for a long time!" Dean shouted. "But that's okay, because you know what? Me, Anna, and Sam, we've killed just about everything there is. And this—Jack—we'll find a way. Because he's just another monster."
"Dean, not not." Sam warned upon seeing my clear expression of hatred towards the older man.
"Not now? Really, Sam? Look at what Jack just did! As much as I know you two don't like this, we need to kill Jack!" Dean said.
"No, we don't." Sam said.
"He's right, Dean," I said looking at him. "we need to protect Jack."
"Really, Anna? You know what, the wedding you want won't even happen! He's got no soul left! I doubt he'll still even love you! Or you'll even love him!"
Sam and Cass went silent and slowly backed away as I walked to Dean and smacked him hard across the face.
"Don't you ever say something like that again. If Jack doesn't love me anymore, I can handle that in time. But I will always love Jack." I shouted.
"Anna, he's dangerous." Dean said.
"So am I," I said. "and if you kill Jack, demons will be the least of your problems. I promise you that."
A long silence followed as the three men processed what I had just said.
"Anna..." Cass said, slowly walking up to me and placing a hand on my arm. "Come with me."
I let the angel pull me from the room and out into the hall, heading into the main room where he sat me down in a chair.
"What, Cass?" I asked, dragging my hands through my hair as I blew out a frustrated sigh.
"I know you get very protective over Jack, and I want to keep him alive as well, but Dean....he's got a point." Cass said.
"So you want him dead as well?"
"No. Not at all. I'm just saying that he's gotten more powerful. He needs to keep his powers in check. And the best way he keeps his powers in control is when he's with you." Cass answered, placing his hand on my shoulder.
"I doubt he'll want to see me now." I said.
"Then we find him."
"I'm not going with Dean and Sam." I shook my head.
"Not them. You and me. Let's go find Jack. Let's find him and show to Dean he's not a monster." Cass told me.
A smile formed and I stood up, the two of us walking up the steps of the bunker and heading outside, getting into his car and driving down the road.
"Where do you think Jack would have gone?" Cass asked.
"I would say his grandparents' house, but I don't think he'd go there anymore. It's too obvious." I answered.
Cass nodded and turned left. "Any other place that has some significance to him? Maybe a place just you two went?"
"Um.....well, we did go to visit my mom's grave once at the cemetery here in Kansas. Maybe he went there?" I guessed.
"It's inconspicuous enough. Let's check that place out, and if he's not there, we'll check his grandparents, okay?"
"That works for me." I nodded, the two of us going silent again for the remaining of the drive.
Cass parked his car on the dirt road right by the entrance to the cemetery, the two of us getting out.
Cass noticed me twisting my ring once again. "Are you okay? This is the third time today you've done that."
I sighed and looked at him. "What is he doesn't want to see me? He might have though I was in on Sam and Dean's plan."
"Hey," he placed his hands on my shoulders to calm me down. "Jack knows that you would never do something like that. He'll understand. Okay?"
"You sure?" I asked.
"I'm sure," he nodded, taking his hands from my shoulders. "Lead the way."
I walked towards the iron gates and opened the gate, letting him walk though first before closing the gate behind me.
💠💠💠
We had finally found Jack after hours of searching the grounds, finding him sitting in the dirt under an elm tree, his head in his hands.
"Jack." I said as I slowly approached him.
He looked up. "Anna? Cass? How'd you find me?"
"I thought of the places you and I went." I answered.
He stood up and walked forward, pulling me into a hug and burying his nose in my shoulder, his hand stroking my hair.
"Jack, I want you to know that I didn't—"
"I know. I know you didn't." he interrupted, his voice muffled slightly.
I looked at Cass as he smiled and nodded, mouthing "told you he'd understand", making me smile.
Jack pulled back and looked at me and Cass. "Where's Sam and Dean?"
"They're at the bunker. We left." Cass answered.
"Why?" Jack asked, confused.
"Dean. He wants to kill you, Jack." Cas answered.
"He—he does?" Jack asked.
"Yes. That's why Cass and I left. To find you and keep you safe." I said to him.
Jack sighed and nodded, looking at Cass. "I went to see my grandparents."
"The Klines." Cass said.
"I thought they liked me. Maybe they'd still like me. But my grandmother said I killed her—my mom. Which I did, just by being born." Jack said.
"Jack..." Cass sighed softly.
"I used to hate myself for it. But, I don't feel that way anymore. I don't feel anything." Jack said.
"Nothing?" I asked.
Jack looked at me and wrapped his arms around me, kissing my hair. "Except when I'm with you, Anna."
"After she said that, what did you do?" Cass asked.
"I just...ran." Jack said sadly, looking at the two of us, his arms still around me. "Mary was a mistake. But, ever since then, I've tried to do the right thing—except for Dumah."
"She led you astray." Cass said.
"And then I tried on my own, but every time I try, it never goes right. It never...all I ever wanted was to be good. But now I'm just....empty. Cass, I know you're here because you love me, and I want to love you back. I just...I can't."
"But you're able to love Anna still?" Cass asked.
"Yes. When my soul was leaving me...it tried to take that piece of me. But I was able to hold onto that piece of me. I didn't want to lose my love for her." Jack said, looking at me.
Cass nodded. "You can't feel yet. We just need time to fix this. We need to go someplace safe where no one can find us."
The sound of a car screeched to a halt and we looked to see Dean running at us, a gun in his hand.
"Cass, Anna, step aside." Dean said as he walked forward.
"Dean..." Cass said.
"Step aside!" Dean repeated.
I looked at Jack and then Dean. "No."
"Anna. Cass," Jack said, his eyes glowing golden before the two of us were thrown aside and landed on the grass, far from them.
"Anna. Are you okay?" Cass asked as he got up, helping me up.
"Fine." I answered, brushing myself off and looking to see Jack and Dean talking.
"You're not gonna lock me up again, are you?" Jack asked.
"No." He answered, aiming the gun at him.
"Jack! No!" I ran to them and Cass's arms went around me, holding me back. "Let me go! Jack!"
"Dean! Dean! Stop!" Sam ran up to his brother. "Hey! Dean!"
"Stay back, Sam!" Dean shouted, his finger moving closer to the trigger.
I pushed myself out of Cass's arms and ran to Dean to stop him, having Sam grab my arms and hold me back.
Chuck came up next to us and we looked at him.
"Chuck?" I asked.
"Hey, Anna." He greeted.
"Do something!" I said, watching Chuck's expression turn into a little smile.
"You're enjoying this." Sam said.
"Shh." Chuck shushed us as we all looked on, seeing Dean lower the gun and toss it away.
"No. Pick it up!" Chuck said as he walked towards Dean. "Pick it up. This isn't how the story's supposed to end."
Sam let go of me and I ran to Jack, his arms going around me as I hugged him tightly, the two of us looking at Chuck.
"Story?" I echoed.
"Lookit, the—the—the gathering storm, the gun, the—the father killing his own son. This is Abraham and Isaac. This is epic!" Chuck said with a laugh.
"Wait. What are you saying?" Dean asked.
"He's saying he's been playing us." Sam said. "This whole time."
"Come on." Chuck said.
"Our entire lives. Mom, Dad—everything. This is all you because you wrote it all, right? Because—because what? Because we're your favorite show? Because we're part of your story?" Sam asked.
"Well, I didn't write that." Chuck said, pointing between me and Jack. "But I gotta say, it's cute. But that kid is still dangerous. So pick up the gun. Pick it up and I'll bring your mom back."
"No." Dean shook his head.
"It's one life. You'll get over it."
I frowned and got out of Jack's arms, walking forward and punching Chuck in the nose, having him fall to the ground in pain.
"Ow!" Chuck shouted.
"Yeah. She's pretty violent when it comes to Jack." Sam said with a smile, Dean standing by his side.
Jack hid a smile and wrapped his arms around me once again, kissing my forehead.
"You don't want your mom back?" Chuck asked.
"Of course we do. But my mom was my hero. I'll miss her every day if my life, but she would not want this. And it's not like you really care. Cause Sam's right. The apocalypse, the first go-around, with Lucifer and Michael—you knew everything that was going on, so why the games, Chuck? Huh? Why don't you just snap your fingers and end it?!"
"And every other bad thing that we've been killing, been dying over—where were you? Just sitting back and watching us suffer so we can do this over and over again? Fighting, losing people we love? When does it end? Tell me." Sam added.
"Dean, don't do this." Chuck said.
"No, we're done talking. Cause this? This isn't just a story. It's our lives! So God or no God, you go to hell." Dean shouted.
Chuck laughed. "Have it your way." he snapped his fingers, Jack screaming as white light burned into his eyes.
"Jack?! Jack!" I said with worry as he fell to the ground in pain, Cass kneeling next to Jack.
"Stop it!" Dean shouted.
"Jack!" Sam shouted, picking up the gun and firing at Chuck, shouting as he fell to the ground, blood on his shoulder.
"Fine! That's the way you want it? Story's over. Welcome to The End." he said and disappeared, the sky suddenly going dark into night.
"Jack? Jack. No, no, no. Please. Please wake up." I pleaded as he laid unmoving on the ground, his eyes burnt out.
"Anna....he's gone." Sam set a hand on my shoulder.
"No. No, he's not." I shook my head, tears flowing down my face, pushing his hair back. "He can't be."
"Anna. Listen to me—" Cass said.
"Cass." Dean shook his head.
"Wait, I thought that the gun was the only thin that could..." Sam said.
"He's a writer. Writers lie." Cass said sadly.
I sniffed and wiped at my eyes, leaning back against Sam as he knelt down and held me in his arms.
Rumbling quickly interrupted us and we all stood up, looking around and seeing spirits fly up into the night sky.
"What the hell is happening?" Dean asked.
"Souls," Cass answered. "Souls from Hell." as dead people emerge from their graves and slowly made their way to us, surrounding us.