They're at a casino and Sam is sitting in a chair with his wrists tied to the arms of it. Larissa is sitting in a chair, a few feet across from him, but isn't restrained. Libby and Ethan are both held to their chairs by an invisible hold from Chuck and their chairs are off to the side.
Sam wakes up, fighting against the restraints.
"Hi, Sam." Chuck greets, standing next to Larissa. Sam looks at him before glancing at Larissa. He makes sure she has no injuries before he looks over at Libby and Ethan, Libby weakly struggling against the invisible hold.
"Dad--" Libby starts.
"No." He cuts her off, Libby immediately assuming he's mad. "No, it isn't your fault." Sam tells her, giving her a reassuring look. "Was it?" He glares at Chuck.
"Well, you know, I-- I couldn't see you guys. I needed to-- to catch up, you know? I hate missing my favorite show." Chuck says, walking over and standing in front of Sam.
"So I was right. You're weak." Sam says.
"Well, I wouldn't say weak, exactly. I mean, I pinata'd Hell. But, yeah, you figured it out. We're connected by these wounds. Which," Chuck chuckles, "annoying, right? And as long as we are, I'm stuck in this world. But you know what they say..." Chuck holds up a scalpel. "All good things must come to an end."
+++
"Come on, Sam!" Dean exclaims, taking his phone away from his ear.
"Have you tried Larissa?" Cas asks.
"Yeah. Same thing -- no answer." Dean says.
"She won't even answer me." Ophelia says. "Libby hasn't picked up any calls either. Ethan's not answering."
"What, you think he's with them?" Nathan asks.
"Maybe." Ophelia shrugs.
"Libby has found a new interest in teaming up with her lover boy." Daphne remarks, smirking.
"Ugh. Don't ever call him that." Billy grimaces, only adding to his sister's amusement.
"None of them are answering." Evie frowns, watching her phone ring as her sister still doesn't pick up.
"Well, maybe they just have their hands full with the case." Cas suggests.
"Yeah. Or they're in trouble." Dean says.
+++
"What are you doing?" Sam asks.
"Our wounds aren't healing properly. Because of you. It's as if there's something festering inside of you, something that won't let go." Chuck says while unbuttoning Sam's plaid, pulling his shirt down to reveal his wound.
Since his back is turned, Larissa quietly gets her phone out. She sees missed calls from Dean, Evie, Ophelia, and Jacob and clicks on Evie's contact since she's the most recent one.
"Now, I can't see it. I can't snap it away. But I know it's there." Chuck says while Larissa slips her phone back into her pocket.
"So, what, are you gonna just cut it out?" Sam asks.
"Hey, good idea." Chuck says. He leans in front of Sam, getting ready to cut the wound. "You're so helpful, Sam. Now sit still. I don't really know what I'm looking for here, so this might get messy."
"No, no, no." Libby mumbles, fighting against the invisible hold more.
Chuck stops just before the scalpel touches Sam's wound.
"I think we have an audience." Chuck says. He gets up, turning to Larissa. "Really, Lissy? Really?" He asks. Larissa pokes her tongue into her cheek while Chuck pulls her phone out of her pocket.
"Rissy? Rissy?" She can barely hear Evie call. Chuck puts the phone to his ear. Larissa sends her husband an apologetic look and he just shakes his head in reassurance.
"Hi, Evie." Chuck says. "I assume the rest of the Scooby gang is listening."
"Chuck, you dick." Dean growls.
"Bye, guys." Chuck throws the phone and it smashes against the wall. "Now, where were we? Right." Chuck walks back over to Sam who fidgets nervously, trying to brace himself.
~ ~ ~
"How the hell did this happen?" Dean asks.
"What are you doing?" Cas asks.
"Tracking their phones. Okay, here we go. Uh... Milford, Nebraska, at a casino. What the hell is Chuck doing at a casino? Whatever. We need to go." Dean states.
"To Purgatory." Cas states.
"Chuck has Sam, Larissa, and Libby. I'm not leaving them." Dean states.
"Me neither." Natalie says.
"Chuck's not gonna kill them. That's not the ending." Cas says.
"He's not gonna kill Sam. Libby and Larissa, and assuming Ethan's with them, are free game." Natalie says.
"Plus he'll torture them. Physically and psychologically." Jacob says.
"Will you all stop? Just stop being so stupid." Cas says.
"What?" Dean asks.
"Do you wanna be stabbed? Is that what this is? Cause I'll stab you, I don't care." Natalie says.
"If we attack Chuck now, we don't have anything that can hurt him. We get that leviathan blossom, complete Michael's spell, build the cage. That's our chance. That's the way we'll save Sam, Larissa, Libby, and Ethan, and that's the way we'll save the world." Cas states.
"Okay, well, some of us can go and try to get them while the others go to Purgatory." Ophelia says.
"No. Cas is right." Dean says. "Besides we might need your psychic powers in there."
"In Purgatory? No fucking way. I'm not going there." Ophelia denies.
"Yes, you are." Dean argues.
"No. I'm not a kid, you can't tell me what to do." Ophelia states.
"Well, if you don't wanna be useful, you shouldn't be a powerful psychic." Dean retorts.
"Dean, leave her alone. If she doesn't wanna go, she doesn't have to. There's still plenty of us." Natalie defends her girl.
"Not with powers. The more powers, the better." Dean states. "You're going." He tells Ophelia.
"You can't make me." Ophelia glares at him.
"You wanna bet?" Dean retorts, giving her an angry look, casting a short glance in Nathan's direction. Nathan tenses up once he notices the look, nervously looking between the two. Ophelia clenches her jaw, scoffing at the indirect threat.
Ophelia opens her mouth to reluctantly agree, but is stopped.
"No." Jacob intervenes. He walks over to them, his back slightly to Ophelia as he faces Dean. "No, you're not doing that. You're not guilt tripping her. You're not gonna threaten her or Nathan. They're young adults and they can make their own fucking choices. If she doesn't want to go, she's not stepping foot through that rift."
"You wanna stop Chuck or not?" Dean sneers.
Natalie remains to appear calm as she walks over to where Nathan is standing, placing herself slightly in front of him.
"I would love nothing more than to stop Chuck." Jacob states. "But I'm not gonna risk my daughter's mental health in order to do so. Mine? Sure. Hers or any other kids'? Not fucking happening."
"Dude--" Dean rolls his eyes.
"All three of us have been there. We know how terrifying that shit is. If she wants to go, fine. But I'm not forcing her to relive any single part of her trauma." Jacob growls, not backing down from the oldest Winchester.
Dean looks past Jacob at Ophelia, but Jacob side steps, blocking her from his view. Dean glares at Jacob.
"Fine." Dean mumbles. "End of the world happens? We'll blame you for coddling the psychic." He walks off.
Jacob rolls his eyes, doing his best not to rip his hair out of frustration.
"I can go." Ophelia quietly offers.
"Baby, no." Jacob shakes his head. "Forget whatever he says. If you don't want to go, you don't have to. You not going is not going to contribute to Chuck winning."
"It could, though." Ophelia says.
"O..." Jacob puts his hands on her shoulders. "You stay here. We got this part. I promise. Capiche?" He asks after she doesn't reply for a few moments.
"Capiche." She mumbles. Jacob nods, smoothing some of her hair down.
Ophelia moves out of his reach, leaving the room, Nathan hot on her tail.
"Hey, dipshit." Natalie calls. "You do realize she's a person, right? Not just some random tool to use when you need her? She's not your little soldier."
"She's useful. We need useful." Dean says.
"That's all you see her as? Useful? What the fuck is wrong with you?" Jacob sneers.
"Shut up already." Dean groans. "Look, she wants to defeat Chuck, too, all right. This is how we defeat Chuck." He states.
"So she's just some weapon at your disposal? And when she rebels, you aim a gun at her or try to kill her husband." Natalie questions. "You are smart enough to realize why you're not her parent anymore, right?"
"Whatever. Let's just get the show on the road." Dean says.
"I could go." Evie says.
"No." Jacob, Natalie, and Billy immediately deny.
"Wha-- come on. I'm 19. I think I can make my own decisions." Evie says.
"That's the exact argument Libby is having with your parents. Speaking of, they'd kill us if we let you go." Jacob says.
"Okay, well, they're not here." Evie says.
"But we are." Billy says. "And we say no. Like it or not, we're still dictating your sudden urge to go into life threatening situations."
"I agree with them just based on the fact I know we won't die here. I don't know what's over there." Delaney says.
"What's the fun in being an adult if you're still treated like a kid?" Evie asks.
"Let me know when you find out." Billy says, ruffling her hair.
"Lia?" Nathan softly calls, walking into the room. The blonde glances up at him, her grip tightening around the stuffed duck in her arms. "Hey. You okay?" He sits by her, resting his hand on her thigh.
"I really don't want to go." Ophelia says. "But... if it helps defeat Chuck, I probably should go. Even though Dean still scares the crap out of me. Knowing what he could and would do..."
"Hey." Nathan cradles her face. "I'm not going anywhere." He promises. Ophelia weakly smiles, nodding. "If you're gonna go, do you want me to go with you?"
"What?" Ophelia asks.
"To Purgatory. That way you're not stuck with Dean and Cas the whole time. At least not alone." Nathan says.
"Jacob and Nat are going." Ophelia says.
"And I'm the best at calming you down." Nathan points out.
"You wanna be stuck near Dean?" Ophelia questions.
"No." Nathan admits. "But I want to be there for you." He adds. "I can deal with flinching any time he raises a hand if it means you'll be okay." He tells her, stroking her cheek. Ophelia gives him a pained smile.
"No. I'll be okay. And you don't deserve to experience sticking by him or being in Purgatory." Ophelia says.
"Well, if you're not gonna let me go, at least come back to me in one piece. Preferably one unharmed piece." Nathan says.
"I promise." Ophelia assures.
+++
Chuck goes to cut Sam's wound, but hesitates. Larissa leans over, watching as Chuck continues to hesitate to touch Sam's wound.
"What's the matter, Chuck?" Sam asks.
"Nothing. I'm just-- I'm thinking." Chuck says.
"No. You're stalling." Sam accuses.
"What? Am not." Chuck argues.
"You are." Sam insists.
"Mnh-mnh. No." Chuck shakes his head.
"Yeah. You blink people out of existence. But when it's time to get your hands dirty, you can't do it. You just like to watch. Wow, Chuck." Sam laughs. "That-- that's a... I don't even know what to call it."
"You're a major wimp... coward, whichever word you prefer. You're worse than Dean." Libby comments, Chuck immediately glaring at her, but she just gives him a bright smile.
"I have a few choice words." Larissa comments. "Pathetic. Weak. Very... un-Godly, no?" Chuck glares at her.
"You know what?" Chuck asks after a moment. "You're right. I do like to watch." He says. "Larissa." He holds his hand up, forcing her to her feet and her arm is out.
"Wh--" Larissa mumbles as Chuck puts the scalpel in her hand, forcing her hand to wrap around it. Chuck uses his hand, forcing her to walk closer to Sam.
"No, no, wait." Larissa says.
"What are you doing to her?" Sam asks. His concerned glance for Larissa turns into an angry glance at Chuck.
"Chuck, stop. Don't do this. St--"
Chuck snaps his fingers, Larissa no longer able to talk.
"Shh, shh, shh, shh, shh." Chuck shushes her. "Ah, why didn't I think of this first? It's so much more poetic."
"Lissy? Baby?" Sam gently calls, looking into her scared eyes.
"She's still in there, Sam. This is gonna hurt her as much as it hurts you." Chuck says.
The scalpel enters Sam's wound making him yell and groan in pain. Larissa quietly sobs, watching the scalpel dig around in his wound, tears silently running down her face. Libby quietly whines, squeezing her eyes shut and turning her head away from the two.
"Ohh. Maybe not quite as much." Chuck comments.
Libby's head is suddenly forced forward and her eyes are forced open, Chuck stepping into her line of view.
"Enjoy the show, sweetheart." Chuck smiles, patting her on the head. Libby cries as she has to watch her dad get hurt.
"Hey! Let go of her! Man, this is fucked up! You--" Ethan loses the ability to talk.
"Much more peaceful." Chuck smiles.
+++
Ophelia looks around Purgatory, feeling the familiar sense of terror and dread start to overwhelm her. She suddenly wishes she agreed to Nathan coming along.
Jacob quickly notices the blonde's uncomfortable state. He walks over, putting his hand on her shoulder to get her attention.
"Hey. You can go back." He quietly says.
"No. No, I'm fine." She mumbles, forcing a small smile.
Jacob sighs, wishing she would leave, but knows she's too stubborn and he doesn't have time to convince her. Jacob runs his hand down her arm, grabbing onto her hand, keeping a tight grip on it.
"How the hell are we supposed to even know what we're looking for here? You know, Michael coulda done us a solid and drawn us a picture." Dean says.
"You know, of all the times I've been in Purgatory, I've never seen a bloom of any kind." Cas says.
"Yeah. Exactly." Dean says.
"I was a little too busy making sure I didn't die to... notice any flowers, so..." Ophelia says.
"Yeah, same." Jacob nods.
"I'm a Purgatory virgin, so this is all up to you guys." Natalie remarks.
"Well, if we see it, we'll know. It's likely to be the only flower here." Cas says.
"Alright. Well, maybe we'll run into Benny. He's probably king of this place by now." Dean says. He checks his phone, seeing they have a little over ten and a half hours remaining until the portal closes. "Okay. Let's split up."
"What?" The four immediately question. Ophelia's voice cracks, her fear tenfolding. Jacob's grip on her hand tightens.
"You go that way. Oph and I will go this way, Nat and Jacob go that way. We'll meet back at the rift, alright? We'll cover more ground. We'll better our odds." Dean says.
"N-no." Ophelia shakes her head, squeezing Jacob's hand in a death grip -- both at being here and the idea of being separated from either of the two trusted adults.
"Yeah. We'll also improve our odds of getting lost or killed. Come on." Cas says, walking off.
"For once I agree with Cas." Natalie says, following the angel off, Jacob right behind her, dragging Ophelia with him.
+++
Larissa continues to dig around in Sam's wound while quietly sobbing and Sam cries out in pain. Chuck is sitting in a chair and strumming on his guitar. Ethan winces as he tries to look anywhere else, hating that he can't protect Libby from this. Libby tries to look away, but is unable to, quietly sobbing.
Sam yells as the scalpel twists and turns. He gasps for air a little, looking up at his wife.
"It's okay. It's okay, baby." He whispers to her as she lets out a quiet sob. "I know--" He stops to groan in pain as the scalpel twists. "I know it's not you. It's okay. It's okay. I love you." He whispers before groaning in pain.
"It's not working." Sam tells Chuck who stops strumming his guitar. Chuck forces Larissa's hand away, Sam breathing heavily. "I'm gonna die in this chair, Chuck."
Chuck forces Larissa to plunge the scalpel back into Sam's wound making him scream in pain. Larissa cries, watching the scalpel twist around as Sam continues to yell out in pain.
"Cause you'll keep cutting until I bleed out, and... that's cause you don't know what else to do. What then, Chuck? You-you-- you just bring me back and try again?" Sam asks.
"Son of a bitch!" Chuck yanks the scalpel out of Sam's wound. He stands up, putting his guitar down. Chuck heals Sam's wound. "Go. Go. Clean yourself up." He tells Larissa, forcing her to leave.
"How are you still like this?" He asks Sam.
"Like what?" Sam asks.
"This... defiant." Chuck says.
"It's not my first time on the rack." Sam says.
"No, no, no, no. No, this is more. This is... hope. Ah. That's what's stopping me -- you. You still think that Dean, Natalie, and Cas are gonna fly through those doors just in the nick of time. You still think that you're the hero of this story. You still think you can win."
+++
"I think we're going around in circles. We've seen this corpse before." Dean comments. It's now dark and they're still looking for the flower. Ophelia keeps her head on a swivel, barely looking in one direction for longer than two seconds. Natalie is holding onto her hand while Jacob has his arm around her shoulders, their comfort still not doing much to soothe the young blonde.
"No, Dean, my sense of direction is excellent. That's a different corpse." Cas says.
"I don't know." Dean says. He crouches down and examines the body. They turn as a leviathan attacks. Cas throws his hand out and the leviathan flies back, landing on the ground.
"You're right. It is a different corpse." Dean says.
"We saw you following us." Cas says.
"Thought you'd never make your move." Dean says.
"What do you want?" The leviathan asks.
"Well, it's a little embarrassing saying it out loud, but we're looking for a flower." Dean states.
"A flower? What do I look like, a florist?" The leviathan remarks.
"Well, if you can't help us, see this boom stick?" Dean holds his gun up. "It's loaded with Borax filled shells. You know what Borax does to piranha faced freaks like you? I'd be happy to show you."
"We don't call it a flower. There's a blossom. Grows out of the soil when we die." The leviathan explains.
"When... leviathan die?" Cas asks.
"Oh, okay. Cool." Dean cocks his gun, aiming it at the leviathan.
"I-- hey! The body has to rot. it can take months. And then these blossoms blossom. Tan husks, bloody red centers. I know a place. Not far." The leviathan says.
"And look at that. Thought you weren't a florist. Get up." Dean orders and the leviathan gets up. He starts to walk away, but Dean stops him. "Wait. You know a vamp around here named Benny? Burly guy, Cajun?"
"No. Heard of him, though. Everybody has. The guy who got out and then came back. Like an idiot." The leviathan says.
"Pretty much. Where is he?" Dean asks.
"Dead. Long time ago. His own kind -- they didn't trust him and they -- ksch! -- ripped him apart." The leviathan explains.
"Move." Dean orders the leviathan, making him walk first.
+++
"How do I put this to you, Sam? Your hope is... misplaced. Now, I'm not saying you can't win. I mean, if you stay firm and the others don't screw up their part, with the exact right roll of the dice... you could. But what I'm saying is... you don't want to. You think you do, but you don't. Not if you knew. Not if you could see what I see. You want to know what happens when you win? Here. I'll show you."
Chuck claps his hands and the two are in the bunker. Sam looks over and sees Sam and Larissa sitting across from each other in the library, both on their laptops.
"Oh, shit." Larissa mutters.
"What? You find something?" Sam asks.
"Uh... n-no. The, uh, the guy who disappeared in Florida -- eaten by an alligator." Larissa informs.
Sam looks over and sees Dean nodding off in a chair.
"Hey, Dean, if you're tired, why don't you go to bed?" Sam suggests.
"I'm not tired. I'm not tired. I'm just resting my eyes." Dean says. "I'm good." Cas walks in with some beer, putting the bottles on the table. "Ooh. Jackpot." Dean shuts his laptop and gets up, grabbing a beer. "Thanks. All right, well, I say let's call it, hmm? Movie night?"
"Movie night!" Athena runs in. "Movie night! I vote movie night."
"We're not watching Frozen again." Justin groans as he walks in.
"We'll just see about that." Athena challenges.
"We're not watching Frozen, because we're watching Tangled." Libby says.
"Yeah." Evie agrees.
"Nuh-unh." Athena frowns.
"Uh-huh." The twins argue.
"Nuh-unh."
"Uh-huh."
"Meanie jar!"
"Meanie jar still doesn't exist." Libby sticks her tongue out at the girl.
"I love you, but no." Evie says.
Sam's lips quirk up a bit at his three daughters.
"Mommy, popcorn?" Athena asks.
"Yes, yes, we'll make popcorn." Larissa says.
"I'll go get Liam and B!" Athena races out of the room.
"You're not allowed to talk to her." Larissa tells Sam.
"What? Why?" Sam asks, frowning.
"Cause she's gonna give you those fucking puppy dog eyes and we're gonna be watching Frozen again." Larissa says.
"I-- no, we won't." Sam argues.
"Yes, we will. It's why we've already watched it so many damn times. We need to let it go." Larissa says.
"Aunt Rissy." Justin groans at the choice of words.
"You can't talk to them either." Larissa motions to the twins.
"Wha--" They both frown.
"Same deal. Puppy dog eyes, Tangled for the billionth time. Not happening." Larissa states.
"Daddy." Evie looks at her dad with puppy dog eyes.
"I--" Sam starts.
"Ah." Larissa holds a book up to block the girl's face. "No." She sternly tells her.
Sam's phone rings and he looks at the caller ID.
"Oh. Jody." He says, answering it, putting it on speaker. "Jody. Hey, How's it going?" He asks, but doesn't get a response. "Jody?"
"Sam..." Jody quietly says.
"Yeah. Hey." He says.
"It was just supposed to be a little nest, maybe three vampires. Claire and I went in armed to the teeth, but there were more. So many more. She's dead, Sam. Claire's dead." Jody informs. "Claire's dead."
Nathan immediately runs out of the room, Ophelia quickly following.
"No." Sam whispers, watching his future self and the others react.
The two are back in the casino.
"Oh, that was just the beginning." Chuck says. "No. This is... the rest. The other side of victory. What happens next." He holds up a pocket watch. "You just set it forward to any day or time and you can see it all."
"Nothing you show me... you cannot change my mind." Sam states.
"Then it doesn't change your mind." Chuck shrugs. "Come on, Sam. Don't you want to see the future?"
+++
They get to a field of rotting leviathan corpses and blossoms sprout from the ground.
"It's up this way. Just like I promised." The leviathan says.
"Leviathan blossom." Cas says.
"Alright, well, grab one. Let's get the hell out of here." Dean says. Cas walks to a blossom, but gets stuck. "Cas?"
"It's an angel trap." Cas says and turns to the leviathan. "You tricked us."
"Mother's got beef with you." Leviathan says.
"Eve." Cas says.
"Killing her alphas, swallowing her leviathan. Bringing you to her should earn us a nice reward." The leviathan says.
"What do you mean, "us?"" Dean asks.
"Guys!" Cas yells. A group of leviathans step out from the woods. Dean shoots one before the monsters knock the hunters out.
+++
Dean walks into a room where future Sam is loading a gun. Sam is standing across the room, watching.
"What are you doing?" Dean asks. "Come on, man. We just got back."
"I-if we don't hustle, the nest'll move on." Sam says.
"No, Sam. It doesn't matter." Dean says.
"What are you saying?" Sam asks.
"What I've been trying to say for months. It's time. Time to stand down." Dean says.
"You want to quit? What's happened to you, Dean?" Sam asks. "Ever since--"
"Ever since what? We lost pretty much everyone we've ever cared about? Ever since the mark made Cas go crazy? Ever since I had to bury him in the Ma'lak box? Ever since then? Ever since Daphne, Billy, Nathan, Delaney, and Ethan all died on a hunt we took them on? Ever since we lost Larissa and Jacob on hunts back to back? Ever since Athena and Liam and the twins got killed? Ever since Libby and Evie died? Ever since Ophelia died? Ever since Nat died on a hunt since she had a death wish after losing Jacob and the twins?"
"No." Current Sam whispers.
"Yeah. You know why? Cause the monsters -- they're everywhere. Everywhere! What we do -- it's not even hunting anymore. It's whack-a-mole. We don't even save people. Every friend we've ever had is either dead, or they got wise and they packed it in."
"Jody's still fighting, and Bobby--"
"Bobby has a death wish, and you know it. And Jody -- ever since what happened to Donna and the girls, she does, too. And after Rissa and the kids... so do you."
"What, and I'm not supposed to? She was my wife, Dean. And my kids... Ath-- Athena was seven. Liam was one and a half. Libby and Evie begged to go on that hunt and I let them. I'm just supposed to let that go?" Sam asks, his voice cracking.
"No, no, no." Real Sam mumbles. "No, not them. No." His eyes tear up, blurring his vision.
"What happened to Butch and Sundance? Dean, what happened to going out swinging?" Sam asks.
"We lost, brother. We lost. I'm done." Dean says.
"No, no, no. Dean." Sam calls as Dean walks out. "Dean!"
"This is a lie." Sam says. "Chuck, I know what you're doing. Chuck?!"
"Enjoying the show?" Chuck appears.
"You're just showing me this so I give up, so I lose hope." Sam says.
"I'm just the messenger, Sam. I'm sharing my omniscience with you." Chuck says.
"No, the Dean I know... he'd never give up, no matter how bad things got."
"Well, he does. He will. This is the truth, Sam. This is what comes next."
+++
After waking up, the four are searching the place for Cas, not having any luck so far, and there's only two minutes on the timer left.
"Dean." They turn and hold their guns up, finding Cas sitting with his back against a tree.
"Cas?" Dean asks.
"You made it." Cas says.
"We made it?" Dean questions as Cas stands up. "You okay?"
"I'm fine." Cas answers.
"What happened?" Dean asks.
"They were after me, not you. I figured it would be safest to give myself up." Cas says.
"They take you to Eve?" Dean asks.
"Yeah. We were en route. I waited until I... saw this." Cas pulls out a blossom from his coat. "It got a little smushed." Dean chuckles. "Once I had the blossom, I fought, caught them off guard. They fought back. I managed to get away."
"You did it. You did it, Cas." Dean says.
"Well, they're still after me. We should hurry." Cas says.
"Okay, Cas, I need to say something." Dean says.
"You don't have to say it. I heard your prayer." Cas says.
+++
"I'm sorry, kid. It's a shitty ending." Chuck comments. "You and your family deserve better."
"Yeah, right." Sam mutters.
"No. I mean it. I-it hurts me to see you go out like that." Chuck says. "Listen, I know our friendship has seen better days. But you have to know -- you and your family -- you and your brother -- matter to me. Deeply. You still do. I want better for you all."
"Where's Larissa?" Sam questions.
"She's fine. I powered her down in a broom closet. Don't change the subject." Chuck says.
"You know, Chuck... I've seen your plans. Dean and me, Cain and Abel."
"You don't know what you saw, Sam."
"I know it didn't look better to me."
"Okay, so, that way? Hmm? You being monsters? You being killed off by your friends? You really like that ending better? How about this ending? Watching your... what do you call her? Bessie? Your first baby girl. Watching her die. How's that for an ending."
"What?" Sam asks.
Chuck waves his hand, both Libby and Ethan getting up. Libby's eyes widen, Ethan clenching his fists as he tries not to move.
"Enjoy the show." Chuck smiles at Sam who fights against his restraints. Chuck makes a hand motion and Ethan punches Libby. She cries out in pain, stumbling back.
"I'm sorry." Ethan whispers, his eyes stinging with tears. With Chuck's force, Ethan hits Libby again before kneeing her in the stomach.
Libby cries out in pain as Ethan shoves her to the floor. He kicks her in the stomach a few times. Libby groans, attempting to fight back. As she starts to get up, Ethan punches her again.
Ethan grabs a fistful of her hair and yanks her up, keeping her head back.
"You liking this ending, Sam?" Chuck questions, Sam struggling against his restraints as he glares at Chuck before heartbrokenly looking back at his daughter.
Ethan punches Libby in the stomach making her hunch over in pain, his grip in her hair keeping her on her feet. Libby takes a deep breath, wincing, before kicking Ethan in the crotch. She bites his hand and shoves him away.
Libby tries to run past him, but Ethan manages to grab her and he slams her against the side of a slot machine, Libby letting out a cry of pain at the harsh contact her back makes with the machine.
Ethan wraps a hand around Libby's throat, tightly squeezing it, cutting off her air. Libby claws at his hand, trying to get him away from her.
"I'm sorry." He whispers, trying to pull away from her, but Chuck's hold doesn't let him. Libby gives him a look of understanding and he nods. Libby kicks him in the crotch again, punching him in the face a few times and then shoving him, knocking him to the floor.
Ethan groans, Libby kicking him in the stomach. Ethan grabs her ankle, yanking on her leg, and sweeping her feet out from underneath her. Libby crashes to the floor with a yelp.
Ethan grabs her leg and harshly yanks, a crack echoing through the room making Libby scream. Ethan grabs a fistful of her hair and bangs her head into the side of a machine, knocking her out.
"Bessie!" Sam calls, fighting against the restraints more. "No, no, baby. Please." He whispers, trying to make sure she's still alive.
+++
They're in the library of the bunker and Cas works on the spell. He prepares to cut his hand.
"Wait. Wait, wait. Are you sure?" Dean asks.
"Dean, you've already taken the Mark. You can't take it again. I can. It's the only way." Cas says.
Everybody else stays silent, not really wanting to offer themselves up.
"Okay." Dean relents.
Cas cuts his hand and they finish the spell. Cas hands the sphere to Dean.
"Because I'm taking the Mark, someone else will have to destroy this. Anybody but me." Cas states.
+++
"It'll be better. It'll be better." Sam mutters to himself. "It'll be better." He tells Chuck. "If we win -- when we win -- when we beat you, I will make it better!"
"You can't, Sam." Chuck says. "You, Sam Winchester, have been playing fast and loose with the laws of nature for a very long time -- you and your family. Always breaking the rules. And that's what I love about you, Sam. It's so heroic. It's so... Promethean. But there's still so much about the fabric of the universe that you don't know... that you can't know. Cause you're only humans. But I'm God. Think about what I showed you. Look beyond the mark, beyond you and Dean fanging out -- heartbreaking, but not the headline news."
"The monsters."
"The monsters. Without me, it's a law of nature -- dark forces prevail, monsters rule, and you, your family, and everyone you love will die. Can you really live with that?"
~ ~ ~
"Dean?" Sam calls, seeing his brother. "Help. Help me!"
"Hey." Dean works on cutting the zip ties off Sam, Jacob glancing around as he stands near them.
Delaney rushes over to Ethan who Chuck tied up to a chair and she gets him free.
"Hey." Delaney gently shakes him. "Dude." She lightly hits him on the head, knocking him out of his zoned out trance.
"Hm?" Ethan hums, looking around. Daphne and Billy walk over, watching out for Chuck and making sure Ethan's fine.
"You good?" Delaney asks, helping him stand up. She glances down, noticing his bloody knuckles making her frown.
"Bee." Evie immediately races over to her sister, kneeling next to her. "Bee. Bee!" She shakes her.
"Oh, my God." Natalie mumbles, rushing over to her nieces and kneeling by them. She looks down at Libby, feeling for her pulse. "Cas! Cas, heal her!"
Cas quickly walks over and heals Libby, the girl shooting awake.
"Hey. Hey, hey, hey." Natalie coos at Libby's freaked out state. "Hey, you're okay. We're here. We got you."
"Bee." Evie mumbles, instantly getting her sister's attention. Libby lets out a shaky breath as she glances between the two. Evie pulls her into a tight hug.
"You're okay." Evie mumbles, stroking Libby's hair. "You're okay. It's over." She whispers, feeling her twin melt into her hold, hiding her face in her shoulder.
Natalie rubs Libby's back, gently squeezing Evie's arm. Ophelia and Nathan stand by, keeping an eye out for Chuck and making sure nothing happens to the three brunettes.
"Where's Chuck?" Dean asks.
"I don't know. He's close." Sam says. He looks up, his eyes widening. "Watch out!"
Larissa hits Jacob in the back with something metal, sending him to the floor. Jacob quickly stands up and Larissa holds the scalpel out to him, her eyes welling up with tears. She swings at him, but Jacob manages to dodge each of the attacks.
"Okay, hey, Rissa, hey. Okay, I really don't wanna hurt you." Jacob says. Still unable to talk, she just gives Jacob a tearful look.
Cas runs up and tackles Larissa to the floor making Sam jump, watching Cas pin her to the floor. Sam gets Dean's knife off the floor.
"Ooh." Nathan winces at the angel tackling the woman.
"Hi, Dean." He turns to see Chuck.
Natalie instantly grabs Libby and Evie, pulling them closer to her, keeping her arms wrapped around them.
Dean punches Chuck in the face, but it doesn't cause any sort of reaction.
"You know I had to." Dean says.
Chuck nods and then punches Dean, sending him flying to the ground.
"Me, too." Chuck says. Sam cuts the other zip tie off.
"Sam." Cas calls, holding up the sphere with one hand, using his other to keep Larissa down. He rolls it over to Sam who picks it up.
"Sam, smash it. Now!" Dean orders as Sam stands up. Sam looks between his family.
"Well, Sam?" Chuck asks as the hunter hesitates.
Sam looks between his families, the idea of losing them breaking his heart. He stares at Natalie for a bit, knowing he doesn't want to lose her again. He can't lose her again. And it's not even just about him. He could never be able to risk putting her through losing her husband and children. He knows they're the only things that keep her going. If something happened to them, she'd fall off the edge.
Sam's eyes drift to Larissa who struggles against Cas, still under Chuck's spell. His eyes water and heart breaks as he thinks of her dying, knowing he'd never make it. His mind flashes to Athena and Liam, hating the idea of putting them through anything, of them dying at a young age. They should get to live until they're gray and old.
Sam looks over at Libby and Evie, the younger one still cradling her sister, both enveloped in their aunt's arms. His heart breaks at the thought of them dying again. Of them dying with each other. Of him losing his entire family. He'd never survive.
"Sam!" Dean yells. Sam falls to his knees and drops the sphere, it rolling away, Chuck stopping it with his foot.
"I can't." Sam says.
"What?" Dean asks.
"I can't. I'm sorry. I... I just can't." Sam says.
"What did you do to him?" Dean angrily asks, glaring at Chuck.
Chuck and Sam's shoulders both glow where their wounds are and Chuck lets out a small groan.
"Ahh!" Chuck sighs in relief. "Yeah! Oh, man. Whew!" Chuck moves his left arm around. "Yeah, that's the stuff."
"What happened?" Cas asks, standing up and Larissa gets up.
"Um, short version -- Sammy lost hope, and now I'm free." Chuck says. Larissa looks at her husband while he moves his arm around. "Hey, take it easy on the kid. It took a lot to beat it out of him." Larissa glances at Sam who is still looking down and breathing heavily.
Dean stands up and Chuck picks the sphere up. Chuck starts to crush the sphere.
"No." Dean mutters. Chuck crushes the sphere, blue powder drifting and dust and broken pieces of it fall to the floor. "No!" Chuck drops the few remaining broken pieces. "Well, what now? You're not gonna dust us."
"Oh, yeah? Why not?" Chuck asks.
"Because you're holding out. For your big finish." Dean says. "Yeah, we know about your galaxy brained idea, how you think this story is gonna go. Sam got a little look into your draft folder."
"Sam's visions -- they weren't drafts. They were memories." Chuck corrects. "My memories. Others Sams and other Deans in other worlds. But guess what? Just like you, they didn't think they'd do it, either. But they did. And you will, too."
"No. Not this Sam. And not this Dean. So you go back to Earth 2 and play with your other toys. Because we will never give you the ending that you want."
"We'll see." Chuck says before vanishing.
Libby pulls away from Evie and glances around. She slowly gets up, Natalie hesitating, but letting her go. Evie holds onto her wrist until she's out of reach, watching her walk over to her boyfriend. Libby puts her hand on Ethan's arm to get his attention.
"Libby. Libby, I am so sor--" He stops when she hugs him, feeling her clutch onto the back of his hoodie. Ethan slowly wraps his arms around her, tightening his grip after a moment, Libby melting into his hold.
+++
Libby sits on the counter while Ethan stands in front of her and cleans a cut on her forehead.
"Cas heals you... just for you to get home and slip in the shower." Ethan tsks, Libby letting out a soft laugh.
"I love being injured. Gets me attention." She quips, Ethan chuckling.
"Listen, uh... about you being injured." Ethan says, frowning. Libby sighs, knowing where this is going.
"I'm okay." She promises. "I'm not mad at you or anything. I know it wasn't really you. Chuck was making you do it, it's not your fault. It's kind of like being possessed."
"Why are you so understanding?" Ethan questions.
"Cause I've been misunderstood... and it sucks." Libby weakly smiles. Ethan pulls her to his chest, hugging her, rubbing her back. Libby rests her chin on his chest so she's looking up at him. "I'm sorry, though. For hurting you."
"You were just fighting back. Honestly, I'd be a little mad if you didn't fight back and just let me beat the shit out of you." Ethan says, Libby barely getting a laugh out.
Ethan softly smiles at her. He lightly brushes his nose against hers before kissing her on the forehead.
"Wanna go to bed?" Ethan asks.
"I, uh... I should talk to my parents real quick." Libby says.
"Okay. You wanna stay with them or want me to spend the night?" Ethan asks.
"Spend the night, please." Libby tells him.
"I will be waiting." Ethan says, pecking her on the cheek before leaving. Libby softly smiles, gently rubbing her cheek as she feels her chest swell.
+++
Sam makes his way to Evie's room after checking on his two youngest. He notices the light off and quietly opens the door. Delaney is fast asleep, Evie lying in bed and scrolling on her phone. She looks up when the door opens, the light from the hallway seeping in.
"Hey." He whispers.
"Hey." She mumbles, carefully getting out of the bed. She scurries over, ushering him out of the room and quietly shutting the door.
"Hey. I just-- I wanted to check on you. You okay?" Sam asks.
"Yeah." Evie nods. "Yeah, just... you know, the usual insomnia." She shrugs. "I'm okay. Should probably be asking you that."
"I'm fine, baby." Sam assures, both aware that's a lie. "I'm just... glad you're all here and okay. Alive." He gently smiles, scratching her head.
"Yeah." She mumbles, quietly sighing. She hugs him, tightly wrapping her arms around his middle. Sam tightly hugs her back, resting his chin on top of her head. He lets out a quiet sigh, relaxing as he holds one of his babies.
"I love you." Evie tells him making Sam's lips quirk up.
"I love you, too, baby girl. So, so, so much." He whispers, placing a kiss to her head, his grip tightening for a few moments.
+++
Larissa is sitting in bed, her back resting against the headboard, and she's playing with the ends of her hair.
"Hey." Sam softly greets making her look up. She offers a weak smile as he shuts the door and walks over. He sits across from her, resting one hand on her shin. "You okay?"
Larissa hesitates to answer.
"I'm sorry." She says, sitting up and crossing her legs, Sam's hand falling from her shin to the bed.
"For what?" Sam asks.
"I... the-the wound digging and-and--"
"Hey. No, no, no. Baby, it's not your fault." Sam says, placing his hand on the side of her head. "It wasn't you. It's not your fault."
"Then why do I feel so shitty?" Larissa asks.
"Because emotions are complicated." Sam says. "But it's not your fault. It wasn't you. He dug into the wound. He hurt me."
"Yeah, but it was my hand." Larissa says, her voice cracking as she gets teary eyed.
"But it was him. It's like being possessed. You didn't have control over your body. He was calling all the shots. It wasn't you." Sam says, cradling both sides of her head. "It's not you." He mumbles, resting his forehead against hers. She squeezes her eyes shut, a few of her tears falling and Sam wipes them away.
"It's okay. It's okay. I'm okay, you're okay. It's over." He whispers, stroking her cheeks. "It's not your fault. I love you."
"I love you, too." She sniffles. Sam frowns, placing a soft kiss on her lips and he pushes her hair out of her face, cradling her face in both hands.
"So what made you lose hope?" Larissa asks, mostly just wanting the focus to be off of her.
"It... he showed me what would happen if we won. And... and I believe him. I still do." Sam says.
"What happens?" Larissa asks.
Sam stares at her for a few seconds, knowing she doesn't need to know the pain of knowing what could happen like he does. He knows she already stresses over the kids and him enough, he doesn't need to increase it.
"Don't worry about it." Sam quietly says.
"That bad, huh?" Larissa asks. Sam clears his throat, looking down.
"Maybe." He mumbles.
"Let me guess -- we all die." Larissa says.
"Basically, I guess, yeah." Sam nods. "But I-- let's just not dwell over it right now, okay? You don't need to know, it's not... it's not gonna make anything better or something, you know?"
"But you wouldn't have to know it and keep it to yourself." Larissa says.
"Don't worry. I'm okay." Sam tells her. Larissa nods a little. Sam looks down, seeing her playing with the ends of her hair and glances up to see the sad look has returned in her eyes.
"It's really not your fault, Lissy." Sam tells her.
"Yeah. Yeah, I know. Guess my heart just has to catch up to my brain." Larissa says.
Sam frowns, putting a hand on the back of her head and he pulls her closer, placing a long kiss to her forehead. After, he pulls her head to rest on his chest, his chin resting on top of her head as his free arm wraps around her.
Sam continues to hold her, knowing she needs it, and she just melts into his arms, feeling a lot safer than she did earlier.
~ ~ ~
Larissa is asleep in Sam's arms, the man still awake, unable to fall asleep. Sam looks over at the gentle knock on the door, watching Libby step in.
"Hi." She whispers.
"Hey." Sam gently greets. "Hey. Uh..." He carefully moves Larissa so she's lying on the bed and he makes sure she doesn't wake up. "Hey." He walks over to his oldest. "You okay? Are you hurt? What happened?" He inspects the cut on her forehead.
"Oh, uh... fight with the shower floor. Shower won." Libby smiles.
"Oh. Ooh." Sam winces. "You sure you're okay?" Sam asks.
"Yeah. Yeah, I'm good." Libby nods. "Listen, uh... I-- I'm sorry. For... for falling for the trick. I just-- I thought it was Alexandra and-- and I wanted to help, especially since Daphne's already lost one girlfriend, she doesn't need to lose another potential one. Especially if I had anything to do with it. And-- and I didn't know that it was Chuck and--"
"Hey, hey, hey." Sam coos. "It's okay. It's okay. You're okay." He gently leads her out of the room and down the hall a bit so they don't wake Larissa up. "Baby, it's not your fault."
"Yes, it is." Libby argues. "I-- I took the bait. I got all of us in danger. I didn't know that--"
"That's exactly it." Sam cuts her off. "You didn't know. None of us did. We couldn't have. Even if you did everything differently, he still would've found a way to get to me. Baby girl, this is not on you. You were doing the right thing by helping somebody in need, it's not your fault you didn't know it was a trick. That's why it's a trick -- because you didn't know."
"It's unfair that he did any of that to you, but it is not your fault. None of us blame you, trust me. You don't need to blame yourself."
"Okay." Libby whispers, her eyes stinging with tears. Sam glances over her features, feeling the dread of losing her fill him even though she's right in front of him and okay.
"Hey." Sam cups her face and makes her look at him. "I love you so, so, so freaking much." He tells her, kissing her on the forehead and then pulling her into a hug.
"I love you, too." Libby mumbles.
Sam kisses her on the head, tightening his grip a little.
"You gonna be okay? Wanna sleep in our room?" Sam asks.
"Uh..." Libby thinks of Ethan plus her blowing up at Larissa earlier. "No. No, I-- uh, there-- um..."
"Ethan's here?" Sam asks.
"My answer depends on your reaction." Libby says and Sam chuckles.
"Just keep the door open or he's never coming back." Sam warns.
"Got it." Libby gives a thumbs up. Sam kisses her on the head before letting her go and watching her leave.
Libby gets to her room and Ethan is already lying on the bed, scrolling through Netflix. Libby gets in bed as Ethan chooses a movie he knows she likes. She cuddles into his chest, Ethan's arms tightly wrapping around her and he plants a soft kiss to her head.