Dean walks into Athena's bedroom, finding her peacefully asleep in her bed, a stuffed animal clutched to her chest.
Dean softly smiles, bending down, and placing a soft kiss to his niece's temple.
"Be good for your mama and dad, okay, Athy?" Dean whispers, brushing some of her hair back. "You're still my favorite munchkin."
Dean quietly walks out and makes his way to the kitchen where Larissa is eating leftover pizza.
"Hey." Dean greets.
"Hey." Larissa mumbles, her mouth full of food.
Dean walks over and wraps an arm around her shoulders, hugging her.
"What are you doing?" Larissa asks.
"Nothin'. Nothing." Dean shrugs. He kisses her on the head before ruffling her hair and breaking the hug.
"Are you okay?" She asks.
"Yeah. Yeah, I'm good." Dean nods. "Where's Sam?"
"Library." Larissa answers.
"Cool." Dean nods, walking out.
+++
Sam, Larissa, and Athena get to Donna's cabin and it's nighttime. Sam was worried about Dean given his departure and Larissa refused to let him go alone. They walk around outside, Larissa holding Athena, and all freeze when Dean turns to them with a gun. Athena shrieks, jumping in her mom's arms.
"Dean! Whoa, easy!" Sam holds his hands up, an arm spreading out to be in front of his wife and daughter.
"Dean, what's going on here?" Sam asks.
"It's mom. She's gone." Dean states.
~ ~ ~
"I got his tags, put my guys on it, they're running 'em. I'm sorry." Donna tells them as they stand in her cabin.
"It's not your fault, Donna." Dean says.
"It's mine." Sam says. "Nick said when he left he was just gonna go home. I-I didn't know he was--"
"Killing people?" Dean questions his brother.
"Relax." Larissa harshly whispers, flicking Dean's ear.
"Sheriff?" A voice comes through Donna's radio.
"Yeah. Go for Hanscum." She replies.
"We got that van you were looking for. A traffic cam just caught it puling into a storage facility outside Grand Rapids." The cop informs.
"Copy that. I got it from here." Donna says.
"How far is Grand Rapids?" Dean asks.
"30, 40 minutes." Donna answers.
"We'll be there in 20." Dean states.
"Go." Larissa tells her husband. He quickly kisses her on the lips before rushing after Donna and Dean.
+++
Dean leads Sam and Larissa into the shed, showing them what he was working on.
"It's a Ma'lak box. Secured and warded. Once inside... nothing gets out, not even an archangel. Especially an archangel." Dean explains.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah. I've-- I've read about these, but-but no one's ever-- they're impossible to build." Sam says. "That's your plan? You want to be buried alive?" He asks.
"Buried's not safe enough. Plan is, pay a little hush money, charter a boat to take me out to the Pacific. Splash." Dean says.
"You and Michael, trapped together -- for eternity?" Sam asks.
"Yeah." Dean says.
"You do realize how insane this is, right?" Sam asks.
"It's the only sane play I've got." Dean says. "Michael gets out, that's it for this world. And he will get out."
"Well, how do you know that for sure?" Sam asks.
"Because I do. Because I can feel him in my head. That door is giving. I can feel it giving." Dean says.
"But there has to be another way." Sam argues.
"There's not, okay? There-- Sam, you've tried. Rissa's tried. Cas has tried. Jack... and I love you for trying. But none of it's gonna work." Dean states.
"We don't know that."
"Yeah, we do."
"What?"
"Billie."
"Billie?"
"She paid me a little visit. She said that there's only one way this ends right. And this is it. This, right here, this box. So, she gave up the special recipe, and all I had to do was the work. It's fate."
"Since when do you believe in fate?" Sam asks.
"Now, Sam. Since now." Dean states.
"So... you came out here to see Donna, to see mom on some-- some what? Some sick, secret farewell tour? You were gonna leave and you weren't even gonna tell me? Me? Do you realize how messed up that is, how unfair that is?"
"I didn't have a choice! Sam, you're last persona I could tell, the last person I could be around, cause you're the only one that could've talked me out of it. And I won't be talked out of it. I won't. I'm doing this. Now, you can either let me do it alone... or you could help me. But I'm doing this."
Larissa looks at her husband,
"All right." Sam agrees after a moment. Dean looks at Larissa who nods.
+++
A couple days later, Dean's driving and he stops at a rest stop.
"Hey. Man, I-I just want to make sure that you're still with me on this thing. You're gonna see it through to the end." Dean says.
"Well, I gave you my word, didn't I?" Sam asks.
"Okay, alright. Just, you know, after what you said last night, I-I-I don't need you and Rissa and mom coming up with some way to stop me." Dean says.
"You know, mom hates this. I hate this." Sam says.
"I also hate this." Larissa adds.
"I know." Dean tells them.
"And Cas and Jack, you haven't even told them." Sam says.
"Okay, well, yeah, that's because I'm not good with the whole big goodbyes, alright? I-I-I don't need to get shaky on this thing." Dean says.
"Wouldn't be the worst thing." Sam comments.
"You know what Michael wants to do, you know that this will stop it, and you know that there's no other way. So, just put the end of this trip outta your head, okay?"
Dean gets out and goes to the bathroom. Sam takes his phone out, calling Cas and putting it on speaker so Larissa can hear.
"Sam." Cas says.
"Cas." Sam replies.
"Were you able to talk him out of it?" Cas asks.
"No. So, I'm counting on you. Uh, any luck?" Sam asks.
"I-I did as you asked. I've-I've looked for any possible way to forcibly extract Michael and destroy him. But so far, nothing." Cas explains.
"And what about Rowena?" Sam asks.
"She went through the entire Book of the Damned and found nothing. And I told her to do it again, see if she missed something, and, uh... well, the woman has a remarkable command of profanity." Cas states.
"All right, thanks. Uh, keep going." Sam tells him.
"Sam. Maybe if I spoke to Dean--"
"It wouldn't matter. Believe me, I-I've never seen him like this. He won't listen to me. H-he just-- no. If we don't find some way... Dean's gone."
Larissa reaches out, wrapping her arms around Sam's neck while he hangs up with Cas.
"I'm sorry, baby." Larissa mumbles, reaching up and softly stroking his cheek.
"I know." Sam sighs. "I just... I wish he wasn't so stubborn."
"Well... it's your guys' best trait." Larissa comments. "It does get very annoying."
"Yeah, I know." Sam mutters. Larissa kisses him on the cheek.
+++
Sam had found a case, the brothers working it, though Larissa stayed back with Athena for it.
Sam is on the phone with Cas and it's on speaker phone.
"So, then, this might not end with Tony Alvarez. Because the next prophet's gonna show up somewhere a-and--and the crazy could start all over again. By the way, Cas... I thought there could only be one prophet at a time." Dean says.
"And there should, but Donatello is between life and death. I mean, you know, perhaps the next prophet was activated before his time? "Cas suggests.
"And went all Hannibal?" Dean asks.
"The natural order's been upset. Perhaps Donatello's state has created a prophet who's-- who's not only premature... malformed." Cas states.
"Okay. But if Tony was wired wrong because of Donatello, then the other prophet will be wired wrong, as well, and the next and the next and the-the next and--"
"We get it." Libby says.
"How do we end this?" Sam asks, but Cas doesn't say anything.
"You know how." Dean says.
+++
"You're making the right choice." Dr. Rashad tells them as she leads them to Donatello's room. Sam is holding Athena. "Your uncle's in a persistent vegetative state, being kept alive by machinery and nothing else. Sometimes letting go is the right choice."
"Tell me about it." Dean says.
"Just coincidentally, you all being here at the same time. Dr. Novak, meet, uh--"
"Yes, I know." Cas walks out of Donatello's room. "I know these people. Mr. Winchester and the other Mr. Winchester and Mrs. Winchester."
"Doctor." The three greet.
"Ca--" Athena starts, but Sam's hand quickly covers her face, cutting her word off. He quietly shushes her, removing his hand.
"So, Dr. Rashad, you were saying there's been no improvement with our uncle?" Sam asks.
"That's right. There's no real brain activity to speak of. Um, nothing beyond the occasional muscle spasm or, uh, babble of words. Strictly reflexive." Dr. Rashad explains.
"W-What kind of babbled word?" Sam asks.
"Follow me." Dr. Rashad says, her, Sam, and Larissa going into Donatello's room. After a bit, they walk out, Dr. Rashad staying in Donatello's room.
"Guys. Check this out. Okay, so, a couple days ago, Donatello started making some, uh, random noises. Uh, Dr. Rashad thought he might be coming out of it, so he shot this video." Sam says.
They watch the video where Donatello's eyes are open and he starts speaking in another language, his eyes rolling back.
"That's Enochian. He's saying, "I will strike down the first born in the land of Egypt. I will execute judgement."" Cas says.
"Well, that's the same thing that that screwed up new prophet was spouting." Dean says.
"Donatello's mind is fighting to rebuild. It's-- it's like he's trying to organize his... memories, the words of God." Cas says.
"So that's what Tony was picking up on." Dean says.
"Well, then, I-I can fix him." Cas says.
"Wait. How? I thought he was too far gone." Dean says.
"Dean, if there is a spark -- a hope -- then I have to try. You taught me that." Cas states, walking into Donatello's room, the others following.
"Get out." Cas orders the doctor.
"What?" Dr. Rashad asks.
"You heard him." Dean says.
"You said you wanted to discontinue treatments." Dr. Rashad says.
"And we've changed our minds. Look, if there's a chance that Donatello could fight through this, then we're gonna take it. He ain't leaving the party if the music's still playing. Clear?"
~ ~ ~
"Hey. Anything?" Sam asks, the Winchesters walking into Donatello's room where Cas still is.
"Something. Something uncertain." Cas says, his hand glowing over Donatello's head.
"Well, what exactly are you looking for?" Sam asks.
"That." Cas says, moving his hand away and Donatello wakes up.
"Donatello?" Dean asks, the man looking around. "We should turn off these machines."
"Whoa. Wait, wait. He could die." Sam says.
"There's only one way to find out." Dean says. He turns the machines off and Donatello shuts his eyes. He wakes up again as Dr. Rashad walks into the room.
"Hey. Welcome back, champ." Dean says.
"Dean?" Donatello asks, it muffled by the tube.
"Get him his glasses." Dean says and Cas puts Donatello's glasses on him. "Now, look at that. It's a miracle."
+++
Sam is leaning against the Impala while Larissa is sitting in the backseat and Athena is asleep in her booster seat.
"Where's the party?" Dean asks, walking over to his brother.
"It's right here." Sam tosses Dean a beer can. "I mean, we're celebrating, right?"
"Okay." Dean says.
"Yeah, but not too much. Tomorrow morning, we're, uh, back on track. No rest for the self destructive." Sam says.
"Well, I will call this a win. Kinda nice. Going out on a high." Dean says.
""Going out" being the operative phrase."
"Sorry."
""Sorry." How sorry are you? Sorry that you fight to keep Donatello alive, but when it comes to you, you just throw in the towel? Or are you sorry that, after all these years, our entire lives, a-after I've looked up to you, after I've learned from, I-I-I've copied you, I followed you to Hell and back... are you sorry that all of that it-it-it means nothing now?"
"Who's saying that?"
"You are when you tell me I have to kill you. When you're telling me that I have to just throw away everything we stand for, throw away faith, throw away family. We're the guys who saved the world. We don't just check out of it!"
"Sam, I have tried everything. Everything! I got one card left to play and I have to play it." Dean states.
"You have one card today! But we'll find another tomorrow. But if you quit on us today, there will be no tomorrow! You tell me, uh, you don't know what else to do. I don't either, Dean. Not yet. But what you're doing now, i-it's-- it's wrong! It's quitting! I mean, l-look what just happened. Donatello never quit fighting. So we could help him because he never gave up. I believe in us, Dean."
Sam punches Dean in the face.
"I believe in us." Sam goes to punch Dean again, but he stops him.
"Hey, hey, hey, hey!" Sam hugs Dean.
"Why don't you believe in us too?" Sam asks.
"Okay, Sam. Let's go home." Dean says.
"What?" Sam asks, pulling away from his brother.
"Let's go home. Maybe Billie's wrong. Maybe. But I do believe in us." Dean states. "I believe in all of us. And I'll keep believing until I can't. Until there's absolutely no other way. But when that day comes -- if that day comes... Sam, you have to take it for what it is -- the end. And you have to promise me that you'll do then what you can't do now, and that's let me go. And put me in that box."
"Yeah, alright. Alright, alright." Sam agrees.
"Now, you heard me. Let's go home." Dean pats Sam's cheek. "Don't hit me again, okay?" Sam walks to the passenger door and gets in.
=========================
We get to see John in the next chapter