November 9th, 2009
Sioux Falls, South Dakota
She came back down a few hours later, driven by hunger. As she entered, Bobby hung up the phone. He let out a frustrated, "Balls."
Alex frowned. "What's wrong?"
"That was Rufus," Bobby explained, walking into the living room.
"Ah. What's up with Ruf-dog?" In response, Bobby slid something over to him." 'Key West sees ten species go extinct'," Dean read.
"Yup. Plus Alaska." Bobby turned his attention back to Dean. "Fifteen-man fishing crew, all stricken blind, cause unknown. New York, teacher goes postal, locks the door and kills exactly sixty-six students. All of this in a single day. I looked them up, no doubt about it."
"Seals," Alex half stated, half guessed.
Bobby nodded gravely. "And they're breaking. Fast."
Alex muttered curses under her breath.
Bobby shifted. "You know how to stop it?"
Alex shook her head. "Sorry. I . . . if I had gotten here sooner . . . I'm sorry."
Bobby grunted. "Sorry don't fix it." He sighed. "Doesn't matter."
"How many are left?" Dean asked.
"Who knows? Can't be many. Where the hell are your angel pals?"
Dean shrugged, glancing up at Alex. "Any ideas?"
Alex shook her head. "Castiel won't answer. I guess his superiors chewed him out pretty bad."
"I'm just wondering," Bobby began.
"What?"
"The apocalypse being right and all . . . is now really the right time to be having this little domestic drama of ours?"
"What do you mean?" Dean put his elbows on the desk, and Alex plopped down on the couch.
"I mean, I don't like this any more than you do, but Sam can kill demons. He's got a shot at stopping Armageddon."
Alex sat up. "What do you mean?" she asked slowly.
"What do you think we mean," Dean snapped. "He can kill Lilith."
Alex shook her head. She had to tell them. "No. We can't let him do that."
"Why not?"
"Because!" Alex snapped. "Lilith is the last seal!"
Before she had finished her sentence, she knew what had happened. She was no longer in Bobby's living room; instead, she was a romanesque-style room. "Alex."
Alex turned at her voice. "Zachariah."
"You know."
"Yes, I do."
Zachariah walked forward. "Now, the question is how."
Alex shrugged. "Listen." She knew she was in a shitload of trouble. "It doesn't matter how, alright?"
"And where did this wall in your mind come from?" Zachariah stepped forward. "Who exactly put it there?"
Alex said nothing, and forced herself to be calm.
"You know, I have a sneaking suspicion that is was Castiel." The seraphim sat down on the corner of the table. "I haven't asked him, and, to be quite frank, I don't think he would answer."
Alex shrugged. "I doubt he would as well." She rubbed her eyes with the palm of her hand. "So. I expect you are either going to kill me, or you will keep me here until Sam breaks the final seal."
"Killing you would be the simplest option," Zachariah concurred. "But perhaps not the smartest. No, I might consider letting you go after Lucifer is freed. On certain conditions."
Alex raised her eyebrows. "Such as what? Not shooting you in the head? Can't keep that promise, sorry. Because next time I see you and I have my gun, I will. I promise you that."
Zachariah stood up. "You would be right to respect me," he said, a threat lining his words. "You don't know what I can do to you. If you become uncooperative, I will personally wiggle my way under that wall of yours to see what is in there. And, trust me, you will not enjoy it."
Alex squared her jaw, but held back a sharp retort. "What do you want?" she growled.
"I'm glad you asked." Zachariah tightened his yellow tie. "For starters, I want your solemn promise that you will not stop Michael and Lucifer from fighting."
Alex nodded. She could do that.
"Two. You will do everything in your power to get Michael his vessel."
"Dean."
"Yes." Zachariah nodded his head.
Alex shook hers. "I can't promise that. But I can promise that I won't deter Dean from being Michael's vessel. His choice purely, not swayed by me."
The seraphim's eyes flashed. "I didn't know we were negotiating."
"I don't like to make promises I can't keep." Alex stuck her hands in her pockets. "Besides. If I were to convince De -- err, try to convince Dean to be Michael's vessel, I could very easily lose his trust. And then where would that put us?"
"I told you. There is no negotiating."
"Then no deal." Alex removed her hands from her pockets, balling her fists.
"I don't think you understand who you're dealing with."
Alex squared her jaw once again, but said nothing.
Zachariah sighed. "I'll be back in one hour. Give me your answer then." Then he was gone.
"It's not going to change!" Alex snapped. She let out an angry breath, reaching for her phone. It wasn't with her. She let out another frustrated noise. "Castiel?" she prayed aloud. "Uh, hate to bother you, and all." She cursed under her breath. "Your boss is a dick, anyone ever tell you that?" She sat down at the table, resting her head on the table. She was boned. Screwed. She lifted up her head, letting it drop against the table in frustration.
"Alex."
Alex didn't look up. "What do you want."
"You called me."
"I just was talking to you."
Castiel hesitated, confused. "Then I'm here to talk back."
Alex turned her head, looking over at the angel. "Hm."
Castiel frowned. "What are you doing here?"
"Zachariah."
"Why?"
Alex angrily pushed her chair back, standing up. "Because I was going to tell Dean what the final seal was."
Castiel said nothing.
Alex wanted to yell. "Don't you care, Castiel? We can still stop this!"
Castiel turned to her. "Is this really such a bad thing? We can have paradise."
"What happened to you, man? Since when have you been rooting for the apocalypse?"
"It is what must happen." Castiel disappeared, and Alex screamed in anger.
...
An hour passed. Zachariah, as promised, returned. "What is your answer?"
Alex didn't look up from where she had her head on the table. She raised one hand, sticking up her middle finger. Then she was flung backwards. She hit a wall, collapsing to the ground. She lay there for a second, catching her breath. Then she slowly stood up.
Zachariah was inches from her face, pinning her against the wall. "I asked for respect," he growled.
"Is that part of our negotiating?" Alex growled back.
"Don't think I'm above torture." The seraphim's voice was low and dangerous, and Alex swallowed nervously. "That's what I thought." Zachariah stepped back. "Now. Do you agree?"
Alex shook her head. "I told you I can't!" she snapped. "You know it has to be Dean's decision." She let out a long breath. "What if I can promise you this. Dean will say yes. Michael and Lucifer will fight. Is that enough?"
Zachariah tipped his head. "What are you not telling me?" he asked. "Trust me, I know how these manipulating certain truths works."
Alex raised an eyebrow. "Do the details matter? I told you what you will happen. I will do everything I can to keep it on track."
The angel studied her for several seconds. "And this is true?"
"Every word." Alex nodded.
"If you are lying, I will cut you up myself."
Alex nodded in understanding. "Good thing I'm not."
The angel disappeared, and Alex let out a long breath.
...
She was there for almost three days. Food appeared when she grew hungry, but she was utterly alone. Neither Castiel nor Zachariah visited, not matter how much Alex prayed to the former. A search of her own pockets had turned up her journal and a pencil in her jacket, but that was all. There was nothing else for her to do, so she spent her time sitting in the corner, arms around her knees, thinking.
Then, something changed. There was movement. "Hello, Dean. It's almost time."
Alex looked up. She saw Castiel, his back to her. She could see another pair of legs, but the rest of him was obstructed by the table. However, she knew it was Dean. She jumped up.
"Alex?" Dean looked surprised, then his face grew angry. "What the hell?"
Alex hurried over to him, pulling him into a hug. She just shook her head.
"What is she doing here?" Dean demanded of Castiel. A hand flew up to rest on her back, keeping her near.
Castiel lowered his gaze. "She's here because she needs to be."
Dean positioned himself in front of Alex. "I don't care, okay? We're leaving."
"You can't."
Dean hurried around the room, looking for a way out. Alex stood, arms crossed, watching him. Then, several hamburgers appeared on the table, along with a bucket of ice and beer. Dean noticed. He picked up a beer.
"Hello, Dean. You're looking fit." Zachariah appeared across the table.
Dean put back the beer. "Well, how 'bout this? The suite life of Zach and Cas." Neither angel got in, and Alex was too pissed to laugh. "It's a . . ." Dean tried to explain. "Never mind. So, what is this? Where them hell are we?"
"Call it a greenroom. We're closing in on the grand finale, here. We want to keep you safe before showtime." He gestured towards the hamburgers. "Try a burger. From the seaside shack in Delaware. You were eleven, I think."
Alex stepped forward, picking one up and unwrapping it. She was learning to take food when it came.
Dean, however, stayed where he was. "I'm not hungry." His voice was growing strong with aggravation.
"No, how about Ginger from season 2 of 'Gilligan's Island'? You do have a thing for her, don't you?"
Dean glanced at Alex, then back at Zachariah. "Tempting. Weird."
"We'll throw in Mary Ann for free."
Alex shook her head. "Not while I'm here."
Dean looked down at her. "What'd they offer you?"
"Torture. I declined."
Dean narrowed his eyes, turning back to the angel. "No. Let's . . . bail on this holodeck, okay? I want to know what the game plan is."
"Let us worry about that. We want you . . . focused. Relaxed."
"Well, I'm about to be pissed and leave, so start talking, Chuckles."
Zachariah sighed. "All the seals have fallen. Except one."
"That's an impressive score." Dean's sarcasm took over, the only hint that he was seriously pissed, yet scared. "That's, that's right up there with the Washington Generals."
"You think sarcasm's appropriate, do you? Considering . . . you started all this? But the final seal, it will be different."
"Why?"
"Lilith has to break it," Zachariah explained, ignoring Alex's snort of amusement. "She's the only one who can. Tomorrow night -- midnight."
"Where?"
"We're working on it."
"Well, work harder!" Dean snapped, taking a step forward.
"We'll do our job. You just make sure you do yours."
"Yeah, and what is that, exactly? If I'm suppose to be the one who stops her, how? With the knife?"
"All in good time," Zachariah promised. He approached Dean.
"Now's a good time."
"Have faith."
Alex wished she had her gun to shoot him.
"What? In you?" Dean snorted, feeling the same way. "Give me one good reason why I should." He took a step forward angrily.
Zachariah did the same, coming inches from Dean's face. "Because you swore your obedience," the angel growled.
Dean held his gaze, then looked away, eyes resting on Castiel. Castiel looked down, guilt written on his face. Dean searched for words, but found none.
Zachariah, satisfied, disappeared.
"Cas." Alex turned to the other angel.
He looked up at her. "Don't." Then he was gone.
"Dean."
"What." Dean turned away from her angrily.
"Don't be pissed at me," Alex snapped.
"I'm not pissed!" Dean spun around, anger blazing in his eyes. "Dammit, Alex --"
"This isn't my fault," Alex insisted. "The only reason I'm here is because I want to stop it all!"
"What do you mean?" Dean stepped closer to her. "You were going to tell us something about Lilith."
"Yeah, like, you shouldn't kill her." Alex's patience was wearing thin.
"Why not?"
"Because she's the final seal!" Alex finally snapped. "When Sam kills her, he sets Lucifer free."
Dean's anger flared up again, this time with a new vengeance. "Why didn't you tell us this?"
"I did! That's what got me here!" Alex took a deep breath. "There are reasons I don't tell you guys things. Zachariah threatened to torture me, Dean. He'd find a way through the wall and into my memories, and then no one will be safe."
"Wall? What wall?"
The young girl closed her eyes, slumping down in a chair. "I, uh, I had Cas built a wall in my mind. To keep angels from reading my mind. Well, my memories. It, uh, it would have killed me to build a wall around my whole mind."
Dean sat down next to her. "Why didn't you tell us this?"
Alex shrugged. "Never came up," she mumbled, head in her hands. She let out a long breath, running her hands down the side of her face and neck. Her voice cracked. "I'm sorry."
Dean shook his head. "It's fine." He stood up. "Cas? Castiel!" He angrily walked over to one of the many mantelpieces lining the wall and lashed out, knocking one of the angel figurines to the ground. It shattered.
"You asked to see me?"
Dean turned to see Castiel. Alex did the same, not bothering to get up. Dean cleared his throat. "Yeah. Listen, I, uh, I-I need something."
"Anything you wish."
"I need you to take me to Sam."
Castiel tipped his head. "Why?"
"There's something I got to talk to him about."
"What's that?"
Dean snapped, "The B.M. I took this morning. What's it to you? Just make it snappy."
"I don't think that's wise."
"Give it up, Dean," Alex mumbled. "You can't get out."
"Well, I didn't ask for your opinion," Dean snapped at her.
"Have you forgotten what happened last time you met?"
"No. That's the whole point." Dean circled around to stand in front of the angel. "Listen. I'm gonna do whatever you mooks want, okay? I just need to tie up this one thing. Five minutes -- that's all I need."
"No."
Dean frowned. "What do you mean, no? Are you saying I'm trapped here?"
"You can go wherever you want."
"I want to go back to Bobby's," Alex snapped.
Castiel turned to her. "You have to stay here."
"Why?" Alex stood up angrily.
"Because those are my orders."
Alex sat down frustratedly, grabbing a beer out of the bucket. "Screw your orders," she muttered.
"So. I can go wherever? Super. Take me to Sam."
"No."
Dean huffed. "Fine. Then I want to go on a walk."
"I'll go with you."
"Alone."
"No."
"You know what? Screw this noise. I'm out of here." Dean turned to leave, walking towards the door. Alex knew that wouldn't work.
"Through what door?" Castiel asked, voice strong and angry.
Dean turned to look at Cas, confused, then turned back towards the door. It was gone. "Dammit." He turned back to Castiel. He was gone.
"Never would have worked," Alex muttered, standing back up.
Dean's fist balled. He ran over to the wall, grabbing a small stone pedestal. He started banging it against the wall, trying to break through. Alex watched, sitting down once again. He was getting nowhere.
"Son of a bitch!" Dean threw the pedestal down out of pure frustration.
"Quit hurling feces like a howler monkey." Alex jumped at Zachariah's voice. "It's unbecoming."
Dean spun around. "Let me out of here."
The seraphim shook his head. "Like I told you: too dangerous out there. Demons on the prowl."
"I've been getting my ass kicked all year," Dean snapped. "That's not why I'm here. You don't want me to ice Lilith, do you?"
"Frankly, no, I don't." Zachariah approached. "Lilith is going to break the final seal. Besides, it's fait accompli at this point. Train's left the station. Right, Alex?"
"Yeah," Alex begrudgingly admitted. She glared at the angel. "Doesn't mean we can't try." She stood up. "So why'd you try to get us to stop it?"
Zachariah turned to face her. "Our grunts on the ground -- we couldn't just tell them the whole truth. We'd have a full scale rebellion on our hands. I mean, think about it. Would we really let sixty five seals be broken unless senior management wanted it that way?"
Alex snorted. "Your senior management sucks. Michael would really destroy the entire world just to do what God wants him to?"
"Hold your tongue," Zachariah snapped, turning on the young human. "Don't forget what we've discussed."
Alex let out a wordless growl.
"Alex told me," Dean snapped. "This was your plan all along, wasn't it? To let Sam ice Lilith? Set Lucifer free?"
"Nothing's changed, Dean. You're still vital. We weren't lying about your destiny. We just . . . omitted a few pertinent details. You are chosen. You will stop it. Just . . . not Lilith, or the apocalypse. That's all."
"Which means?"
Zachariah gestured to a large painting on the far wall. "Lucifer. You're going to stop Lucifer. You're our own little Russell Crowe, complete with a surly attitude. And when it's over . . . and when we've won . . . your reward will be . . . unimaginable. Peace, happiness, two virgins and seventy sluts."
Alex huffed. "I'd rather shoot you in the face."
Zachariah pointedly ignored her. "Trust me, Dean. One day, we'll look back on this and laugh."
Dean's eyes flickered around the room before they came to rest on the seraphim. "Tell me something. Where's God in all this?"
"God?" Zachariah actually laughed. "God has left the building."
Dean was silent for a second. "I don't believe you."
"Believe it." Alex dragged her fingers down across her eye. "Archangels run the show. Freakin fallible angels. In control of everything." She sighed, reaching for a beer. When she looked up, Zachariah was gone.
Alex took a sip. "How's Sam?" she asked quietly.
"He's gone."
"Gone? What happened?"
Dean closed his eyes. "We don't know. All the demon traps were busted. Ruby, probably. Sam knocked Bobby out and stole a car." He looked over at Alex. "It was killing him, being in there. I, I would have let him die, too."
Alex let out a murmur of sympathy. "Also. When did you 'swear your obedience'? To who, angels? Zachariah?"
"Sammy was dying," Dean snapped. "And I thought I was the one who could stop it, okay? What was I suppose to do?"
Alex closed her eyes.
...
Neither she nor Dean really talked for the next hour. Alex sat in the corner, moping. Dean walked over to the left wall, pulling out his phone. He dialed a number, waiting. Then he frowned.
"You can't reach him, Dean." Castiel appeared with a light gust of air. "You're outside your coverage zone."
Dean turned to face the angel. "What are you gonna do to Sam?"
"Nothing," Castiel promised. "He's going to do it to himself."
"What's that suppose to mean?" the hunter snapped. When Castiel looked down, Dean scoffed, "Oh, right, right. Got to toe the company line. Why are you here, Cas?"
"We've been through a lot together, you and I," Castiel said quietly. "And I just wanted to say, I'm sorry it ended like this --"
"Sorry?" Dean snapped. He lashed out, punching the angel in the face. Castiel turned his head, barely flinching. His eyes locked with Alex, and she almost missed Dean turning away, cradling his wrist. She stood up. "It's Armageddon, Cas," Dean growled. "You're gonna need a bigger word than 'sorry.' "
Castiel continued to stare at Alex, and she approached. She reiterated Dean's words. "Sorry?" She shook her head. "Really? Is that all?" Her voice lowered. "I trusted you, Castiel. You've betrayed us -- me -- and all you have to say is sorry?! It's the end of the damn world!"
"Try to understand." If Castiel could sound pleading, he was doing it right now. "This has been long foretold." He turned to Dean. "This is your --"
"Destiny? Don't give me that 'holy' crap." Dean was beyond angry. "Destiny, God's plan . . . It's all a bunch of lies, you poor, stupid, son of a bitch! It's just a way for your bosses to keep you and me in line! You know what's real? People, families -- that's real. And you're gonna watch it all burn?"
"What is worth saving?" Castiel countered. "I see nothing but pain here. I see inside you. I see nothing but guilt, your anger, confusion." He turned to look at Alex. "You're hopelessly lost, blaming everything on yourself. In Paradise, all is forgiven." He looked back at Dean. "You'll be at peace. Even with Sam."
Dean took a step forward, his face inches from Castiel's. "You can take your peace -- and shove it up your lily-white ass. 'Cause I'll take the pain and the guilt. I'll even take Sam as is. It's a lot better than being some Stepford bitch in paradise. This is simple, Cas! There is a right and there is a wrong here, and you know it!"
"What will you have me do?"
"Get me to Sam." Dean lowered his voice, hoping he was winning. "We can stop this before it's too late."
"I do that, we'll be hunted," Castiel told him. "We'll be killed." He shook his head, looking down.
"You spineless," Dean turned away, raising his voice, "soulless, son of a bitch! What do you care about dying? You're already dead! We're done."
"Dean . . ." Castiel stared hopelessly at his friend.
"We're done!" As Dean spun around, Castiel disappeared.
Alex closed her eyes. "Dean . . . "
"Leave me alone!" Dean stormed off across the room.
...
Half an hour passed. Then Dean spoke. "Alex."
"What." Alex raised her head off the table where she was now sitting.
"Talk to Cas."
"What?" Alex looked over at Dean.
"I mean, you know, pray to him." Dean sat down next to her, taking a hamburger. Then he placed it at back. "He won't listen to me. But maybe to you. Come on. He's really our only chance, right?"
"Yeah, I guess so."
"So, I dunno, convince him."
Alex looked into Dean's face, letting out a long breath. "Okay. I'll try. No promises, okay?"
"Yeah. Of course." Dean stood back up, walking to the other side of the room.
Alex closed her eyes, feeling Dean's gaze on her. Uh, hey Cas, she began awkwardly. So, uh, listen. I know you want to stop the apocalypse. And so do we. But your superiors don't, okay? The final seal isn't just to broken by Lilith, it is Lilith. When Sam kills her, he sets Lucifer free. She took a breath, opening her eyes to look at Dean. He was watching her out of the corner of his eye. I, uh, listen, man. Your heart's always been in the right place, and if that means screw your superiors, then screw them, you know? Just, uh, I know you'll do what's right here, okay? I mean, and I would know. She let out a small laugh in her head. Please, man. We, uh, we need you. I need you.
Nothing happened. Alex opened her eyes, letting out a small sigh.
"You think you got through?"
"I don't know." Alex shook her head. "But, I do know Zachariah's gonna be pissed if he finds out." She grabbed a hamburger.
...
Five minutes ticked by. Then ten. Dean walked by the basket of hamburgers, pausing. He finally took one. Then he was spun around. Alex jumped up, but saw Castiel and stopped. Castiel pinned Dean against the wall, a hand over the human's mouth. They stared at each other for several seconds, and Castiel drew a knife from his coat pocket. Dean nodded slightly, and Castiel stepped back, glancing at Alex. She nodded as well, watching as the angel drew the knife across his arm, drawing blood. He quickly smeared it across the wall, drawing the ever-familiar angel banishing sigil.
With a sudden gust of air, Zachariah appeared. "Castiel!" he snapped. "Would you mind explaining exactly what the hell you're doing?"
In response, Castiel slammed his hand against the sigil, turning to look at his boss. Alex flinched as Zachariah was thrown far away in a brilliant flash of white light. "He won't be gone long," Castiel told Dean. "We have to find Sam now."
"Where is he?" Dean asked. Alex hurried over to them.
"I don't know. But we have to stop him." He looked over at Alex. "You were right. Lilith is the final seal."
"Of course I'm right," Alex snapped tersely.
"What are we going to do?" Dean asked. "We have to find Sam!"
"I know." Suddenly, they were gone.
And they reappeared in a dingy kitchen. Sitting at the table was Chuck. On the phone. Seeing them he stared, shocked. "Wait. T-This isn't suppose to happen."
"Sir?" Alex heard the faint sound of a woman on the phone. There were magazines on the table, several pornos.
Chuck picked back up the phone. "No, lady, this is definitely suppose to happen, but I got to call you back." He slowly hung up. "I . . ."
Castiel stepped forward. "Where is Sam?" he growled.
"Wh -- Sam?" Chuck looked from Castiel to Dean to Alex. "This, this isn't suppose to happen. I mean --"
"Answer the question!" Alex snapped.
"St. Mary's," the prophet stuttered. He hurried into the living room.
Dean followed. "St. Mary's? What is that, a covent?"
"Yeah, but you guys aren't suppose to be there. You're not in this story."
"Yeah well . . ." Castiel glanced back at the humans in his charge. "We're making it up as we go."
Alex let out a small snort of amusement.
Suddenly, Chuck's tv screen lit up with static. The ground shook, and a bright white light shone through the windows. "Aw, man!" Chuck exclaimed, shaking slightly. "Not again!"
"It's the archangel," Castiel whispered.
"Remiel?"
"Yes." Castiel turned to face them. "I'll hold them off," he promised. "I'll hold them all off! Just stop Sam!" He placed his palms over their foreheads, and suddenly they were gone.