November 12th, 2009
St. Mary's Covent, Illechester, Maryland
They were in an empty hallway. Alex immediately wrinkled her nose. The entire place smelled like death. Dean took off down the hall. "Sam!"
Alex followed. "Sam!" she yelled desperately. They could stop this.
"Sam!"
They rounded a corner, and heard a door slam close. They exchanged looks, then took off towards the noise. Up ahead, there was a wooden door. Dean got there first, trying the handle. It was locked. "Sam!" He threw his weight against it. "Sam!" He pounded on it angrily. "Sam!!"
"Dean?" Sam's voice came from behind the door.
"Sam!" Alex helped Dean try and break down the door. "Sam! Listen to me! Don't kill her!"
Dean was yelling the same things. "Open the damn door, Sam! Lilith is the last seal!" He looked desperately around, and, seeing a heavy candelabra, grabbed it, trying to bash in the door. "Sam!!"
The door didn't budge, not matter how hard they hit it. It was two minutes later before it suddenly gave in, and they rushed into the room. Alex froze. A body lay by the alter: Lilith. Blood poured down the stairs, pooling on the ground. Sam stood beside Ruby. Seeing Dean, she looked over, smirking. "You're too late."
"I don't care." Dean stepped forward menacingly. On an unspoken word, Sam grabbed Ruby from behind, a thick arm across her neck as Dean whipped out the demon knife. He stabbed her in the stomach. Ruby's face flickered with a yellowish light, and she let out a scream before going limp. Sam dropped her, and she crumpled to the ground.
Alex barely noticed. She was still staring at Lilith's body. They were too late. The blood moved like a snake, curling around to make a large circular pattern on the ground.
"I'm sorry," Sam whispered brokenly. He stepped back.
The ground began to shake. "It's starting," Alex whispered, voice trembling. They were going to release the devil. Lucifer.
"Sam. Let's go." Dean tugged him towards the door. Alex didn't move. "Alex."
"Dean . . . he's coming." Sam clutched at his brother's shirt, terrified. Light emanated from the center of the pattern, filling the room.
"Come on!" Dean yelled, dragging Sam towards the door. Alex followed, but froze when the door slammed shut. Dean rattled the door handles, trying to get them out. White light shot from the sigil on the ground, growing brighter by the second. A high pitched screech filled the room, and Alex covered her ears. She dropped to her knees beside Sam, shielding her eyes. The light continued to grow, filling the entire room.
...
Then it was gone. Alex cracked open her eyes. She was sitting beside Sam and Dean. The ringing in her ears faded, and she looked around, eyes narrowed in confusion. They were on a plane.
"What the hell," Dean whispered, opening his eyes as well.
"I don't know," Sam whispered back.
An intercom crackled to life. "Folks, a quick word from the flight deck. We're just passing over Ilchester, then Elicott City, and our final destination is Baltimore . . ."
"Ilchester?" Dean asked. "Weren't we just there?"
"So if you'd like to stretch your legs, now would be a good time -- holy crap!" The plane jerked violently, and the white light filled the cabin. People screamed, and the oxygen masks dropped. Both Sam and Dean reached for theirs, and Dean's eyes were filled with panic. Alex took her mask too, putting it around her face. The lights flickered, and then turned back on. The plane steadied out, and the pilot's voice came back on, telling them it was okay to take off their masks.
...
They landed in Baltimore, and Dean immediately rented a car, saying they were going to Chuck's. No one disagreed. After a while, Sam flipped the radio on. ". . . and Governor O'Malley urged calm, saying it's very unlikely an abandoned convent would be a target for terrorists, either foreign or homegrown."
Sam changed the station. "Hurricane Kinley, unexpectedly slamming into the Galveston area . . ."
" . . . announced a successful test of the North Korea nuclear . . ."
". . . a series of tremors . . ."
". . . swine flu . . ."
Sam turned off the radio. He took a deep breath. "Dean, look --"
"Don't say anything," Dean interrupted. "It's okay. We got to keep our heads down and hash this out, okay?"
Sam paused. "Yeah, okay," he finally agreed.
"All right. We'll first things first. How'd we end up on Soul Plane?" He looked in the rearview mirror at Alex.
Alex looked thoughtful. "Angels, I think. Maybe God."
"Well, whatever. That's the least of our worries." Dean gripped the wheel tightly. "We need to find Cas."
Alex slumped in her seat. Lucifer was free. They had released the devil into the world. Castiel, she prayed. We need your help. I . . . I'm sorry. I need to talk to you. Please.
Nothing.
....
Baltimore, Maryland
They drove to Chuck's house, getting there in the early morning. They knocked on the door, but no one answered. Finding the door was unlocked, they stepped inside. The house was a mess. Every piece of furniture had been overturned, and paper was scattered on the floor. Alex noticed large splatterings of blood over everything, and felt her stomach twist, not sure whose it was. But there was no way they could have survived.
She wandered into Chuck's office. It was in no better state. She came back into the kitchen to see Dean drawing something on the kitchen doors with his blood. Banishing sigil. Something creaked, and they froze. Sam turned around, walking into the living room very slowly. Dean followed, and Alex trailed behind, eyes warily darting around. She glanced behind them, then jumped when she heard the sound of something being hit. She looked towards Sam to see him stagger back. "Geez, ow!" he exclaimed, gingerly touching his head. Alex saw Chuck standing there, holding a plunger. She put two and two together.
"Sam!" Chuck exclaimed, relieved.
"Yeah!" Sam seemed pissed. Alex couldn't blame him.
"Hey Chuck." Dean stepped forward.
"So . . . you're okay?" The prophet studied them.
"Well, my head hurts," Sam pointed out.
"No, I mean -- I mean my latest vision," Chuck stammered. "You went, like, full on Vader. Your body temperature was one-fifty. Your heart rate was two hundred. Your eyes were black."
"Your eyes were black?" Dean asked, and Alex shared in his surprise.
"I didn't know."
"But where's Cas?" Alex asked.
"He's dead. Or gone. The archangel smote the crap out of him." He lowered his gaze. "I'm sorry."
Alex went blank with shock. Was this suppose to happen? She couldn't remember.
"You're sure? Maybe he just vanished into the light or something," Dean asked hopefully.
"Oh, no. He, like, exploded," Chuck insisted. "Like, like a water balloon of chunky soup."
Alex looked down at the pools of blood, and her stomach twisted even more.
Sam studied Chuck closely. "You got a . . ." he trailed off, motioning to his left ear.
"Um, right here?" Chuck reached up, feeling his hair. "Oh, oh God." He pulled something out of his hair, looking at it. "Is that a molar?" He looked up at them, his voice on the verge of a wail. "Do I have a molar in my hair? This has been a really stressful day."
Alex closed her eyes at the thought. Cas was dead. Dammit.
"Cas, you stupid bastard." Dean shook his head.
"Stupid?" Sam turned around. "He was trying to help us."
"Yeah, exactly." Dean sounded angry, but Alex knew he was grieving.
"So, now what?"
"I don't know."
"Oh crap," Chuck said quietly.
"What?" Both Alex and Sam asked at the same time.
"I can feel them."
Alex opened her mouth to ask who, but was cut off.
"Thought we'd find you here." Zachariah's voice reached their ears. Alex spun around angrily to see the angel. He was accompanied by two other angels. He looked down at the overturned table, nudging the toaster with a foot. "Play time's over, Dean. Time to come with us."
"You keep your distance, asshat," Dean warned.
"You're upset," Zachariah observed.
"Yeah. A little. You sons of bitches jump-started judgement day."
"Maybe we let it happen," Zachariah admitted. "But we didn't start anything. Right, Sammy?" He winked. Alex narrowed her eyes at the angel. "You had a chance to stop your brother, and you couldn't. So let's not quibble over who started what." He shot a meaningful glance at Alex. "Let's just say it was all our fault and move on. Cause like it or not, it's Apocalypse Now. And we're back on the same team."
Dean looked surprised. "Are we now?" Alex tightened her jaw.
"You want to kill the devil, we want to kill the devil. It's synergy."
"And I'm just suppose to trust you?" Dean scoffed. "Cram it with walnuts, ugly."
"This isn't a game, son." Zachariah's voice grew serious. "Lucifer is powerful in ways that defy description. We need to strike now, hard and fast, before he finds his vessel."
"His vessel?" Sam spoke up. "Lucifer needs a meat suit?"
"He's an angel. Them's the rules. And when he touches down, we're talking Four Horsemen, red oceans, fiery skies: the greatest hits. You can stop him, Dean but you need our help."
"You listen to me, you two-faced douche," Dean snarled. "After what you did, I don't want jack squat from you."
"You listen to me, boy. You think you can rebel against us, like Lucifer did?" He looked over at Dean, and paused. "You're bleeding."
"Oh yeah. A little insurance policy in case you dicks showed up." He pulled the kitchen door over, revealing the angel banishing sigil. He pressed his bleeding hand against it.
"No!" Zachariah stepped forward to stop him, but white light exploded from the sigil. Alex felt a strange sensation, and took a small step back. The light faded, and so did the feeling. She discarded the thought of it being weird. She was just tired. Tired and grieving. Dammit Cas.
"Learned that from my friend Cas, you son of a bitch!" Dean yelled.
"This sucks ass," Chuck said quietly. Alex looked over at him.
"We should get going," she said quietly.
"Yeah. You gonna be fine on your own?" Dean asked.
Chuck nodded. "Yeah, yeah. I'll be okay."
Alex made a beeline towards the front door, Sam and Dean following.
...
They headed off toward the nearest motel. Regent Inn Motel. She sat on one of the beds, watching Dean clean his gun at the kitchen table. She flicked her knife in and out, comforted by the sound. She looked around the room. The wallpaper was faded and dirty, and the dimly-lit place looked like it hadn't been cleaned in years. The door opened, and Sam entered. "Hey."
"Hey." Dean looked up.
"Here." Sam tossed Dean and Alex a small bag. "Hex bags. No way the angel can find us with those. Demons either, for that matter."
"Where'd you get them?" Alex studied hers.
"I made them."
"How?"
Sam hesitated, and Dean looked over at him. "I . . . learned it from Ruby."
Dean put down his gun, standing up. "Speaking of." He approached Sam. "How are you doing? Are you jonesing for another hit of bitch blood, or what?"
"It's weird," Sam admitted. "To tell you the truth, I'm fine. No shakes, no fever. It's like whoever put me on the plane cleaned me right up."
"Supernatural methadone," Dean concluded.
"Yeah, I guess." He paused. "Dean . . ." Alex looked away, knowing where this was going.
"Sam," he interrupted, turned away from his brother. "It's okay, you don't have to say anything."
"Well, that's good. Because what can I say? 'I'm sorry? I screwed up?' Doesn't really do it justice, you know? Look, there's nothing I can say or do that will ever make this right --"
"Then why do you keep bringing it up?" Dean challenged. He turned back around. "Look, all I'm saying is, why do we have to put this under a microscope? We made a mess. We clean it up. That's it." Alex nodded. "All right," Dean continued, "so, let's say this is just another hunt. You know? What do we do first?"
"We'd, uh, figure out where this thing is," Sam established.
"All right. So we got to find . . . the devil." Dean faltered slightly, but pulled it back together. "Alex, any ideas?"
She shook her head. "Sorry. No clue. Maybe look closer to Baltimore? He's not going to go too far without a vessel."
Sam nodded and pulled out his laptop. "I'll look for strange weather, stuff like that."
Alex rolled over, curling up around a pillow. The bed dipped, and a hand rested on her shoulder. "You okay?"
"I'm fine." After a second, Alex admitted, "I . . . I don't remember if Cas was suppose to die. What if I screwed something up? He can't be dead!" Her words caught in her throat, and she blinked, trying not to cry.
Dean rubbed her shoulder comfortingly. "We'll figure something out," he promised.
Alex closed her eyes, willing the tears to stay in. She sniffled, burying her face in the pillow.
...
They spent the night there, and most of the next morning. Dean and Alex brought in lunch, which was quickly eaten. Alex was growing bored with all of the doing nothing, so she flicked on the tv. Dean joined her, turning on the news. Alex glanced over at Sam; he was sitting at the table, reading John's journal for the umpteenth time. "How would you then explain the earthquake, hurricane, and multiple tornadoes, all at the same time, all around the globe?" the reporter on the tv asked.
"Two words: carbon emissions," the man replied. Alex snorted.
"Yeah, right, Wavy Gravy," Dean told the tv. Alex smiled.
There was a knock on the door, and everyone looked up. Dean grabbed his gun, motioning for Sam to get the door. He did. Alex heard what sounded like to be crying. "Are you okay, lady?" Sam asked.
"Sam?" a girl gasped. "Is it really you?" She was breathing heavily. Sam glanced back at Dean and Alex. "And you're so firm." Alex saw her reach out a touch Sam's chest.
"Oh," she mouthed to Dean. She decided to help Sam out.
"Do I know you?" Sam asked, baffled.
"No, but I know you. You're Sam Winchester. And you're --" She looked past Sam at Alex and Dean. "-- not what I pictured," she finished. "I'm Becky."
Alex approached, studying her. She had straight blonde hair, and was wearing a green plaid shirt under a brown jacket. Becky. Right. She ran through her list. Big fan, in love with Sam. She decided to help Sam out. After all, why the hell not? "Sammy." She stopped beside him, putting an hand on his shoulder. "You gonna let her in?" She ran her hand down Sam's arm to his wrist, pulling him away slightly to let Becky in. She glanced at Alex, and their hands, and entered. "You, uh, you might want to play along," Alex whispered. Sam was too confused to protest.
"I've read all about you guys. I've even written a few-- " She stopped, letting out a childish giggle. "Anyways, Mr. Edlund told me where you were."
"Chuck?" Dean stood up. Sam closed the door, and walked over to his brother. Alex followed.
"He's got a message, but he's being watched," Becky told them. "Angels. Nice change up to the mythology, by the way. The demon stuff was getting kind of old."
"Um, right. Just what's the message?" Sam asked impatiently.
"He had a vision. 'The Michael sword is on Earth. The angels lost it.' " Becky closed her eyes as she repeated it.
"The Michael sword?" Dean repeated.
"Becky, do you know where he is?"
"In a castle, on a hill made of forty-two dogs."
"Forty-two dogs?" Alex asked. "Are you sure that's right?"
Becky glanced at Alex. "Who are you?"
"Alex." Alex held out a hand. "Nice to meet you, too."
"Like, the Alex in the book?"
"Uh, sure."
"Are you sure you got the message right?" Dean interrupted.
She nodded. "It doesn't make sense, but that's what he said." She took a step closer to Sam. "I memorized every word." She touched Sam's chest again. "For you."
Sam looked over at Dean and Alex, then down at Becky. "Um, Becky? C-uh, can you . . . quit touching me?"
"No." Becky closed her eyes, running her hand over his chest.
"You want help?" Alex mouthed to him. Sam nodded, looking slightly desperate. "You owe me," she mouthed back. "Okay, Becky?" Alex stepped forward, breaking the woman's concentration. "Thanks for all the help, but you can go now." She took Sam's hand, threading her fingers through his.
Becky noticed, and stepped back. She nodded, making her way to the door. "Oh. Okay." She smiled at Sam, but glared at Alex. Then she left.
As soon as the door was closed, both Sam and Alex dropped each other's hands. "Ugh." Alex made a disgusted noise and wiped her hand off on Sam's shirt.
"Stop." Sam marched across the room back to his work.
"Hey, I helped," Alex protested. "Next time, I'll let you deal with her on your own." She emphasized the last few words before turning back to Dean. "What?"
"That was your plan?" Dean looked shocked.
"It got her out of here, didn't it?" Alex shrugged. She fell back on the bed.
"Yeah, and now she probably thinks we're dating or something," Sam argued.
"Better than her thinking she's dating you. Or you two are dating." Everyone wrinkled their nose at that one. "Yeah. That's pretty much what she writes about. Wincest."
"You still could have come up with a better way," Sam grumbled.
"Hey. It was acting, okay? And if I was going to date either one of you, I'd pick the less dysfunctional one."
"What?" Dean exclaimed. "Don't bring me into this."
"Why not? You're kind of cute," Alex joked. She threw a pillow at Dean for a distraction. "Okay. Michael's sword. Forty-two dogs. Any ideas?"
Sam seemed thankful for the change in topic. "I suppose I could contact Bobby. He might know something."
Dean nodded. "Tell him to bring Baby."
...
A few hours later, there was a knock on the door. Dean answered it. "Hey, Bobby."
Bobby stepped into the room, giving Dean a large hug. "Good to see you guys all in one piece." He told them, looking at Sam and Alex. He gave Sam a hug as well, and Dean closed the door.
"You weren't followed, were you?" Dean asked.
"You mean by angels, demons, or Sam's new superfan?"
Both Sam and Alex laughed. "You heard."
"I heard, Romeo -- So, sword of Michael, huh?"
"You think we're talking about the actual sword from the actual archangel?" Dean asked.
Alex thought. "Maybes. I don't remember any sword, but it has been a year and a half. I've forgotten a ton."
"Well, then you better friggin' hope it is." Bobby said. He opened one of his books, and Alex looked over at it. It was a picture of who Alex assumed to be Michael, holding a sword, surrounded by angels. "That's Michael. The toughest son of a bitch they got."
"You kidding me? Tough?" Dean scoffed. "He looks like Cate Blanchett."
"Well, I wouldn't want to meet him in a dark alley, believe me. He commands the heavenly host. During the last big dust-up upstairs, he's the one who booted Lucifer's ass to the basement. Did it with that sword. So if we can find it . . ." He traced a finger over the drawing.
"We can kick the devil's ass all over again. All right. So where do we start?" Sam asked.
"Divvy up and start reading." Bobby handed Alex his book. "Try and make sense of Chuck's nonsense."
Alex rolled her eyes, but took the book over to the bed and started reading. "Kid? You alright?" She heard Bobby ask. She looked up to see Sam staring at the pile of books.
"No, actually." Sam turned to face the older hunter. "Bobby, this is all my fault. I'm sorry."
"Sam . . ." Dean began.
"Again?" Alex sighed under her breath.
"Lilith didn't break the final seal. Lilith was the final seal." Sam told Bobby.
"Sam, stop it." Dean said firmly.
"I killed her, and I set Lucifer free."
"You what?" Bobby seemed shocked.
"You guys warned me about Ruby, about the demon blood, but I didn't listen. I brought this on."
Both Alex and Dean sat there silently. However, Bobby stood up and approached Sam. "You're damn right you didn't listen. You were reckless and selfish and arrogant."
"I'm sorry." Sam apologized.
"Oh yeah?" Bobby kept going. "You're sorry you started Armageddon? This kind of thing don't get forgiven, boy. If, by some miracle we pull this off -- I want you to lose my number. You understand me?"
Alex narrowed her eyes in worry and confusion. Bobby never got this harsh with anyone, much less someone he considered his own son. However, Sam didn't seem surprised. He just nodded, as if it's what he expected. "There's an old church nearby." He turned towards the door. "Maybe I'll go read some of the lore books there."
"You do that." Bobby watched Sam leave before turning back to the table.
...
A few quiet hours later, Bobby broke the silence. "I never would have guessed your daddy was right." He and Dean were seated at the table, completely focused on reading.
"About what?"
"About your brother."
Dean looked up sharply.
"What John said -- you save Sam or kill him -- maybe . . ."
"Maybe what?"
"Maybe we shouldn't have tried so hard to save him."
"Bobby!" Alex looked up from her journal, shocked.
"He ended the world, Alex. And we weren't strong enough to stop him proper. That's on us. I'm just saying, your dad was right."
"Dad." Dean froze. He got up and went over to his bag, looking through it. He pulled out a ziploc bag full of cards. "It's got to be in here somewhere."
"What the hell are you talking about?"
"Here." Dean pulled out one of the cards and held it up. Alex got up to look at it. "I don't believe it."
"What the hell is it?" Bobby asked.
"It's a card for my dad's lockup in upstate New York. Read it."
Bobby took the card. "Castle Storage. 42 Rover Hill."
"Castle on a hill of forty-two dogs." Dean took back the card.
"So you think your dad had the Michael sword the whole time?" Bobby asked.
"I don't know. I'm non sure what else Chuck could have meant."
"Yeah, okay. It's good enough for me." Bobby punched Dean in the chin, sending him flying through the half wall and onto the bed by Alex. She let out a startled yell. Dean rolled onto the floor, and Bobby hauled him to his feet, kicking him in the stomach. Dean flew through the closet doors. Alex jumped at Bobby, but he easily threw her into the wall. Then he pulled Dean to his feet. The door opened, and Alex struggled through the pain to look up.
A woman walked through, looking at Dean. "I always knew you were a big, dumb, slow, dim pain in the ass, Dean. But I never knew you were so V.I.P." She picked up Ruby's knife that was on the tv stand. "I mean, you're going to ice the devil? You? If I had known that, I'd have ripped your pretty, pretty face off ages ago."
"Ruby?"
"Try again," the demon advised. "Go back further."
"Meg?" Dean scowled.
"Hi. These are the days of miracles and wonder, Dean. Our father's among us. You know we're all dreaming again for the first time since we were human? It's heaven on earth. Or hell. We really owe your brother a fruit basket."
"My God, you like the sound of your own voice," Dean shot back.
"But you, on the other hand, you're the only bump in the road. So every demon -- every single one -- is just dying for a piece of you."
Meg. The familiar name rang through Alex's head. She struggled to her feet.
"And who are you?" Meg turned to her.
"Alex." Alex stood up tall, meeting the demon's gaze as confidently as she could.
"Hm." Meg looked from Dean to Alex. "So you're Dean's new bitch, eh?"
Anger flashed through Alex, but she held her tongue.
"Get her." Meg glanced at the demon behind her, then flicked her wrist at Alex. Black smoke flew out of the man's mouth and barreled towards Alex. She heard Dean yell, "No!" as it forced itself into her mouth. Then it stopped. She could feel it pushing to get it, but it couldn't. It pulled out, circling her body several times before returning to it's other victim. Alex watched, shocked.
The man stood back up. "I can't."
"What do you mean you can't?" Meg asked, eyeing the young girl. She shrugged, unsure. Dean glared at Meg, eyes dark.
"I can't," the demon repeated. "There's nothing blocking me. No charm, no spell, nothing. but I can't get in."
Alex smirked, pretending to know why she was protected. But inside she was terrified.
Meg held her gaze for several long seconds. "I suppose it doesn't matter," she finally continued, turning back to Dean. "Because, you know, your surrogate daddy's still awake screaming in there. And I want him to know how it feels to slicing the life out of you." She handed Bobby the knife. Alex stepped forward to intercept it, but was thrown back into the wall. She cried out in pain.
"Bobby!" Dean yelled. Alex looked up to see Bobby hold the knife to Dean's throat.
"Now!" Meg commanded. Alex struggled to her feet, watching Bobby raise the knife.
"Bobby, no!" Dean pleaded.
"No!" Alex screamed as the knife swung down. However, it missed Dean completely, burying itself in Bobby's stomach. Golden light flashed in Bobby's face, and he collapsed.
Anger flashed through Dean, and he rushed at Meg. Alex launched herself at the male demon, landing a solid punch before she was thrown across the room. She heard Dean hit the wall, and the door open.
"No!" She heard Sam yell, and scrambled to her feet.
"Hey, Sammy. You miss me? Cause I sure missed you." Meg turned.
"Meg?" Sam looked stunned and angry. Alex jumped at Meg, hitting her square in the back. They fell over, and Meg rolled them over, punching Alex in the face. She wound up for a second one when she was pulled away by Sam. He swung at her, but missed, and Meg kneed him in the crotch. He fell to the ground next to Alex.
Meg knelt down beside him, punching him in the face. "Not so easy without your super-special demon powers, huh Sammy?" Meg grinned. Alex rolled to her feet, wrapping her arms around Meg, dragging her to the ground with her. She held her down as Sam recovered. She heard a thud, followed by a scream, and looked over to see Dean bury the knife in the other demon's chest. Meg took the opportunity to throw Alex off, scrambling to her feet. Faced with all three, she backed away. Suddenly she threw her head back, screaming as black smoke rushed from her mouth. The woman collapsed.
Dean lowered the knife, and Sam rushed over to Bobby. "He's still breathing," he said quietly.
"Let's get him to the hospital." Dean dropped the knife, kneeling beside the older hunter. "Let's go!" he yelled when nobody moved. He and Sam dragged Bobby to his feet. Alex ran ahead, opening the door for them. She grabbed the Impala's keys off the table. "Stay here." Dean instructed her when she handed him the keys. Alex started to protest, but Dean cut her off. "Not now. Stay here, stay safe, okay?"
Alex nodded, watching them drive off. She hurried back to their room. Looking around the room, she let out a loud breath. She had one body and one unconscious girl to deal with. Girl first. Alex cleaned the demon knife with a rag from Dean's bag before kneeling beside the young woman, shaking her awake. "You okay?" she asked quietly.
The woman nodded, eyes wide and full of fear. Alex got up and grabbed some water, handing it to her. She took it gratefully. "Thanks," she mumbled.
"It's going to be okay." Alex promised. "Um, can you walk? You'll have to see yourself out, sorry. Oh, and don't, don't tell people about this." She lapsed into silence. "You're lucky to be alive, you know."
"Thanks." the woman repeated, still shaken up. Alex let her sit in silence while she continued to clean up. She packed up their bags, figuring they'd leave very fast. She studied the body, not sure what they were going to do with it. She heard the woman stand up.
"You leaving?" she guessed. The woman nodded, walking towards the door. Alex stopped her. "Seriously. Don't tell anyone. Lay low, and they won't come back for you." That wasn't entirely true, but it was worth a shot. The woman nodded, hurrying out the door. "Wait!" Alex chased after her. She handed her a ten dollar bill. "Get a ride home, okay?" She returned to the hotel.
Her cell ran. " 'Ello. Dean?"
"Yeah. You okay?"
"Yeah. How's Bobby?"
"He's, he'll live. We're heading back. Get packed, we're going to New York."
"Done." Alex promised. "What do you want to do with the dead guy? The girl already left; I gave her some money to get a taxi."
There was a small pause at the other end of the line. "Uh, just leave him there. We don't have time to do anything. Wipe everything down, don't let anyone see you."
"K." Alex hung up. She finished packing and began to wipe down every surface, being very, very thorough. Then she froze. Alex reached down and picked up her necklace off the nightstand. She paused, studying it. The anti-possession charm hung there beside the angel wing. A shiver ran through her as she thought about how close she had come to being possessed. Why hadn't the demon been able to possess her? She shook the thoughts off, slipping the necklace over her head. She slung all of the bags around her shoulder, carefully closing the door as she left. Then she waited out in the street for the Impala.
"Get in." Dean pulled up against the curb.
"What about this stuff?" She shrugged her shoulder, motioning to the bags.
"No time. Throw it in the back." Sam looked impatient.
Alex didn't hesitate. She tossed it all into the back, climbing in. "Hotel's clean. Wiped every surface down. Might find DNA from stuff, but we should be fine."
Dean drove off.
...
An hour later, Dean spoke up. "What happened back there?" he asked, looking back at Alex.
"Huh?" Alex perked up, leaning forward.
"Why couldn't that demon, you know, possess you?"
Alex furrowed her brow. "I have no idea," she finally admitted. "I wasn't wearing the protection charm." There was a pause. "Maybe cause I'm from a different universe?" she suggested weakly. "I don't know why . . ."
"What?" Sam looked over at Dean.
"Some demon tried to possess Alex, but couldn't." Dean explained.
"Why?"
"I don't know!" Alex exclaimed angrily. "I'm not lying, and I don't know!"
Sam sat quietly for a few seconds. "Maybe you're just so full of yourself there wasn't enough room," he finally suggested.
Despite herself, Alex smiled. "Yeah, that's probably it."
They lapsed into silence.
...
Upstate New York
Two hours later, they pulled into the parking lot of Castle Storage in New York. Dean turned off the car, and they got out, circling around to the trunk. Both Sam and Dean prepped their guns, and Sam handed Alex hers. She took it without hesitation, tucking it away in her jeans. Dean unlocked the storage unit, and they entered, Sam covering them with one of his sawed-off shotguns. The first thing Alex noticed were the three dead men, laying in a devil's trap. She quickly assumed them to be demons, then turned her gaze elsewhere, deeming them no threat. The storage unit was large, full of weapons and boxes and shelves. They ventured further in, weapons posed.
"I see you told the demons where the sword is." Alex jumped at the voice. She spun around with Sam and Dean. Zachariah stood there, wearing his usual suit and tie. There two angels from Chuck's house were with him.
"Oh thank God," Dean said sarcastically. "The angels are here."
"And to think . . . they could have grabbed it anytime they wanted." Zachariah waved his hand, and the door closed. "It was right in front of them."
"What do you mean?"
Zachariah approached, stepping over a body on the ground. "We may have planted that particular piece of evidence inside Chuck's skull, but it happened to be true. We did lose the Michael sword. We truly couldn't find it. Until now. You just hand delivered it to us."
"We don't have anything," Dean insisted.
Zachariah looked at Alex. "Would you like to break the news, or should I?"
"Alex? Where's the Michael sword?" Dean asked. Alex pursed her lips, refusing to speak. She just glared at the angel.
"It's you, chucklehead," Zachariah finally spoke. "You're the Michael sword." Dean stared, surprised. "What, you thought you could actually kill Lucifer?" The seraphim chuckled slightly. "You simpering wad of insecurity and self-loathing? No. You're just a human, Dean. And not much of one."
"What do you mean, I'm the sword?" Dean asked coldly.
"You're Michael's weapon. Or rather, his . . . receptacle."
"I'm a vessel?"
"You're the vessel. Michael's vessel."
"And you were planning on telling me, when?" Dean turned angrily to Alex.
"Sorry I've been a touch busy with the whole Lucifer rising crap," Alex retorted. "You try remembering eight seasons of details for an extended period time."
"Why me?" Dean turned back to the angel.
"Because you're chosen. It's a great honor, Dean."
"Life as an angel condom. That's real fun. I'll pass, thanks." Dean replied. Anger flooded through Alex, and she lifted her gun, unloading three shots into Zachariah's head. They hit their mark dead on.
Zachariah turned towards her. "Excuse me?"
Alex squared her jaw. "I made you a promise, remember?"
The seraphim clicked his tongue disapprovingly. "Joking, always joking. Well, no more jokes." Zachariah raised a hand, finger pointing at Alex like a gun. "Bang."
Pain. That was the first thing Alex felt. Her legs buckled beneath her, and she fell to the ground. She vaguely heard Zachariah 'shoot' Sam, and felt him hit the ground beside her. "God!" Sam cried out. Alex screwed up her face in pain.
"You son of a bitch!" Dean yelled.
"Keep mouthing off, and I'll break more than just their legs," Zachariah warned. "I am completely and utterly through screwing around. The war has begun. We don't have our general. That's bad. Now, Michael is going to take his vessel and lead the final charge against our adversary. You understand me?"
"How many humans die in the crossfire, huh?" Dean challenged. "A million? Five, ten?"
"Possibly more. If Lucifer goes unchecked, you know how many die? All of them. He'll roast the planet alive."
"There's a reason you're telling instead of just nabbing me," Dean reasoned. "You need my consent. Michael needs my say-so to ride around in my skin." Alex tried to pull herself up into a sitting position through the pain.
"Unfortunately, yes."
"Well, there's got to be another way."
"There is no other way. There must be a battle. Michael must defeat the serpent. It is written."
"Yeah, maybe. But on the other hand -- eat me. The answer is no."
"Okay. How about this? Your friend Bobby. We know he's gravely injured. Say yes, and we'll heal him. Say no and he'll never walk again."
"No."
"Then how about we heal you from -- stage four stomach cancer."
Dean doubled over. He coughed, blood coming from his throat. "No," he choked out.
"Then how about your brother as well?" Sam began coughing up blood as well, a small pool forming below his head.
"No," Alex warned Dean, shaking her head.
Zachariah glared at her. "Then let's get creative. Let's see how Alex does -- without her lungs." Zachariah snapped his fingers. Then Alex couldn't breathe. She gasped, trying to draw in air, but she knew it had nowhere to go. She rolled onto her back, desperately fighting the panic that was boiling up inside her empty chest.
"Just kill us," Dean whispered angrily. Alex looked over to see Zachariah bending over Dean, holding his chin, looking into his eyes.
"Kill you?" the angel laughed. He straightened back up. "Oh, no. I'm just getting started."
Alex stared at the ceiling, still fighting panic. There was a bright flash of light, and Alex looked up, eyes widening as she saw him. Castiel. She arched off the ground as bright lights flashed behind her eyes. She heard loud scuffling, followed by another flash of white. Alex closed her eyes, feeling herself starting to lose consciousness. I'm going to die, she realized, and that realization strangely comforted her. She vaguely heard Castiel and Zachariah conversing, but couldn't focus. Then she passed out.
...
The next thing she felt was cold air rushing into her lungs. She didn't open her eyes immediately, instead she focused on her breathing. In and out. In and out. "You three need to be more careful." She heard Castiel's voice near her. She cracked open her eyes to see the angel kneeling beside her, blue eyes watching her carefully.
"Yeah, I'm starting to get that. Your frat brothers are bigger dicks than I thought," Dean replied. Alex struggled to sit up.
"I don't mean the angels."
Alex's memory began coming back. She stood up on shaky legs, and Castiel helped her to her feet. Alex suddenly wrapped her arms around his waist, pulling him into a hug. "Dammit," she whispered. "I thought you were dead."
"I was."
"Then how are you back?" Dean asked.
"Lucifer is circling his vessel." Castiel ignored Dean. "And when he takes it, those hex bags won't be enough to protect you." He stepped away from Alex and approached Sam and Dean. He put one hand on each of their chests. Both Sam and Dean gasped.
Castiel turned to Alex. His blue eyes held Alex's gaze as he gently placed a hand on her chest. A strange painful sensation shot through her, and she gasped as well, but found herself unable to tear her eyes away from the angel's.
"What the hell was that?" Dean asked, causing Cas to look away.
"An Enochian sigil. It's to hide you from any and every angel in creation, including Lucifer."
"What, did you just brand us with it?" Dean asked incredulously.
"No. I carved it into your ribs."
"Cool." Alex looked down as if she could see it.
"Were you seriously dead?"
"Yes."
"Then how are you back?" Dean repeated. Castiel didn't answer. Instead, he vanished.
...
They stood there in silence for several seconds. "Waste of a damn trip," Alex mumbled.She looked over at Sam and Dean. "We gonna head out?" Her attention was brought back to all of the artifacts in the storage unit. She wandered over to a box.
"Don't touch that," Dean told her tiredly. Alex dropped her hand. "Let's leave." Dean followed Sam back to the car. Alex trailed after them, picking up her gun off the floor.
She quietly got into the backseat of the car. "Now what?" she quietly asked.
"Now, we're going to make sure Bobby's okay." Dean started the car, pealing out of the parking lot and onto the road.
...
They drove in complete silence. Three hours later, they pulled into the darkened parking lot of St. Martin's Hospital. Alex followed them through the winding halls, stopping before Bobby's room. "I'll be right back. I have to go the bathroom." she smoothly lied. She turned around and headed off, glancing back to make sure Sam and Dean weren't following. She let out a loud sigh. She didn't want to go in and face Bobby. Not only would she have to answer the question of if Bobby would be okay, but she would also have to explain why that demon couldn't posses her, and frankly, she didn't have an answer. She looked up, finding herself in the hospital's cafeteria. She grinned.
She returned to Bobby's room, chewing on another Skittle.
"Unlikely to walk again?" she heard Bobby yell. "Why, you snot-nosed son of a bitch! Wait 'till I get out of bed!" The door opened, and a doctor ran out. Alex stepped back to give him room, shoving the rest of the candies into her mouth. "I'll use my game leg and kick your friggin ass! Yeah, you better run!" Alex stepped into the room to see Bobby look over at Sam and Dean, who were standing by the window. "Can you believe that yahoo?"
"Screw him," Dean promised. "You'll be fine. Right?" he looked over at Alex. She opened her mouth, showing him it was full, using it as an excuse not to answer. She mumbled something incoherent to prove her point.
"So, let me ask the million dollar question. What do we do now?" Sam saved Alex from explaining further.
"Well, we save as many as we can as long as we can, I guess," Bobby answered. "It's bad. Whoever wins, Heaven, Hell, we're boned."
"What if we win?" Dean asked. Both Sam and Bobby looked over at him, surprised. "I'm serious." Dean insisted, though Alex thought his confidence sounded forced. "I mean, screw the demons and the angels and the crap apocalypse. Hell, they want to fight a war, they can find their own planet. This one's ours, and I say they get the hell off. We take 'em all on. We kill the devil. Hell, we'll even kill Michael if we have to. But we do this our own damn selves."
"And how are we suppose to do all this, genius?"
"I got no idea. But what I do have is a GED and a give-em-hell attitude, and I'll figure it out."
"Great," Alex mumbled. "Cause the Pythagorean theorem's gonna be a huge help." Dean shot her a glare, but said nothing.
"You're nine kinds of crazy, boy," Bobby agreed.
"We're all crazy," Alex reminded him. Sam let out a snort in agreement.
"Yes, we know." Dean patted Bobby on the shoulder. "Listen, you stay on the mend. We'll see you in a bit." He walked off towards the door. Alex turned to follow.
"Sam?" Bobby stopped the hunter. Sam stopped. "I was awake. I know what I said back there. I just want you to know that, that that was the demon talking. I ain't cutting you out, boy. Not ever."
There was a short pause, and Alex smiled. "Thanks, Bobby," Sam whispered.
...
Alex left the room, following Dean out to the car. An ambulance drove by, and Alex stopped, letting it pass. Sam caught up, walking by Dean's side. "You know, I was thinking, Dean. Maybe we should go after the Colt."
"Why? What difference would that make?"
"Well, we could use it on Lucifer. I mean, you just said back there --"
"I just said a bunch of crap for Bobby's benefit." Dean turned to face his brother. "I mean, I'll fight. I'll fight till the last man, but let's at least be honest. I mean, we don't stand a snowball's chance, and you know that. I mean, hell, you of all people would know that."
Alex opened her mouth to protest, but quickly shut it, figuring it would avoid further questioning. Dean stalked past Sam.
"Dean."
"Is there something you want to say to me?" Dean spun around, eyes flashing. Alex shrunk back, standing by the lamppost. There was a very long, uncomfortable pause. Finally Dean spoke. "I tried, Sam. I mean, I really tried. But I just can't keep pretending everything's alright. Because it's not. And it's never going to be. You chose a demon over your own brother, and look what happened."
"I would give anything -- anything -- to take it all back," Sam said quietly.
"I know you would. And I know how sorry you are. I do. But man . . . you were the one I depended on the most. And you let me down in ways I can't even . . ." he trailed off, struggling to find the right words. "I'm just, I'm having a hard time forgiving and forgetting here, you know?"
"What can I do?"
"Honestly? Nothing," Dean admitted. Sam let out a small, understanding nod. "I just don't -- I don't think we can ever be what we were. You know?" Dean continued. Sam nodded again, head hung. "I just don't think I can trust you."
Alex flinched at the harsh words, and Sam looked up, shocked. Dean shook his head and turned around, walking back to the car. He stopped by the Impala, looking back. Alex took a step forward, but Dean stopped her with a glare. She stepped backwards, back behind Sam, the look in his eyes hurting her beyond description. She heard the car door slam, and the Impala drove off into the night. She looked up at Sam. "Sorry," she apologized quietly.
Sam looked down at her, and Alex shrunk back, expecting anger. But when he spoke, he only sounded tired. "You've caused enough trouble," he sighed, turning his broad back to her. He slowly walked off towards the hospital. The sky opened up, and cold rain fell onto the pavement. Alex started to follow Sam. He turned back to her. "Don't." He shook his head wearily.
Alex stopped, lowering her head. Thunder crashed, and Alex watched Sam disappear into the hospital. Rain drummed on the ground, and soon, Alex was soaked, her hair plastered to her scalp, and her clothes clinging to her skin. But she didn't move. She didn't want to. This isn't your fault, she told herself. It was going to happen anyways. But you could have stopped it. You could have stopped it, and you could have saved all those people. You could have saved Bobby. Anger flashed through her, and she spun around, fist balled. She lashed out, a fist connecting with the post. Pain flashed up her arm, but she refused to admit it.
"Miss?" A voice snapped Alex out of her thoughts. "Are you okay?" Alex looked up to see a man.
"Go away," she growled. "Leave me alone. Leave me alone!" Her voice rose, cracking. The man walked away. Pain and hurt flashed through her, and she slumped to the ground, leaning against the lamppost. She put her head in her hands, wanting to disappear. A single tear slipped down her face as frustration built up inside, pushing to get out. She buried her head in her knees, letting out an inhuman scream.
...
She didn't want to move, but the November cold drove her inside. She sat in the lobby, curled up in one of the chairs.
...
The next thing she knew, she was being shaken awake. She looked up to see who it was. Dean. Alex closed her eyes, reburying her head in her knees. "Alex?" Dean's voice was deep in concern. "What are you doing out here?"
"Doesn't matter." Alex forced her body to uncurl, wincing in pain. She found herself unable to move her right hand, and looked down to see it was red and swollen. She groaned.
Dean noticed, and frowned. "Did Sam do this?" he asked with barely concealed anger. "Son of a bitch."
"It wasn't Sam." Alex tried to stagger to her feet. Dean helped her up, his face still angry. "No. He's with Bobby."
"And why are you out here?" He noticed Alex's wet clothes. "Have you been out there all night?!"
"I came in when it got cold. You wouldn't let me go with you, and Sam wouldn't let me go with him." She looked down at her swollen wrist, which she was cradling against her chest. "I guess I had to let out a little steam."
Dean made an angry noise. "Let's get you inside." He helped her farther into the hospital.
...
Within the next hour, Alex found herself back in Bobby's room. Dean had made sure she had gotten her wrist checked out, and thankfully, it wasn't broken. The doctor had bandaged it to keep the swelling down, and told her to stay off of it, but it would heal. "She what?" Bobby exclaimed, looking over at Alex. He looked between Sam and Dean. "You two better man up and get responsible. You can't just leave her alone."
"Bobby," Alex said, exasperated. "I can take care of myself."
"Well, obviously you can't," Bobby shot back. Alex huffed angrily, crossing her arms, but thought better than argue. "What were you two thinking? She's your responsibility, boys. What if something worse had happened?" Both Sam and Dean hung their heads like two chastised schoolboys. Alex huffed again, stomping out of the room. She sat down on the ground, leaning against the wall. She heard the door open, and looked up to see Dean. She stood up.
"Listen," Dean began. "I'm sorry about last night--"
"Doesn't matter," Alex interrupted. "Bobby's always like that. Where we staying now?"
"Motel down the street," Dean answered. "But--"
"Key." Alex held out her hand.
Dean wordlessly gave it to her. "Room 15. But--"
"Shower. TV." Alex didn't let him finish. "Bye." She stalked off down the hall. Exiting the hospital, she walked across the parking lot and out to the main road. She paused, not sure which way to go.
"Left!" she faintly heard Dean yell. She didn't acknowledge him, but stalked off down the street, heading left.
...
Ten minutes later, she reached a motel. Assuming it was were they were staying, she walked up to room 15, sliding the key into the lock. It worked. The door clicked open, and Alex stepped inside. She hardly bothered checking it out. Instead, she headed straight to the bathroom, stripping off her stiffly dried clothes. She stepped into the shower, the warm water pummeling her cold skin. She didn't bother washing her hair; instead, she just stood there, too tired to care. Only when the water grew cold did she finally turn it off.
She stepped out, wrapping a towel around her. Not hearing anyone in the other room, and not wanting to put back on her wet clothes, she stepped out of the bathroom, grabbing Dean's duffle bag that was on the bed. She rifled through, pulling out a clean shirt. She pulled it on, frowning when she realized that this wasn't Dean's shirt; it was Sam's, and it was huge. Alex finally shrugged, not wanting to care. She dug around for a pair of pants. Not really wanting to even try to put on his jeans, she opted for his sweatpants.
Finally dressed, she fell back onto the bed, burying her head in the pillows. She was tired, but not tired enough for sleep to come. Her wrist hurt, and Alex realized she was in fact laying on it. She shifted, pulling it out from under her. She rolled over, reaching for the remote. Flicking on the tv, she scrolled through the channels. Like always, there was nothing on. Sigh. So she turned on some documentary about murders. Oh well.
She propped herself up against headboard, and her mind started to wander. What happens next? She made a mental list. Lucifer rises. Bobby's in a wheelchair. Four horsemen. Death. Pestilence. Famine. What was the other? War. Order? Death was last. Pestilence before that. War or Famine? Not sure. Crowley. Colt doesn't work. Five things. What five things? Her mind started to wander. She shook her head, getting back on track. Gabriel. He gets killed. Save him. She narrowed her eyes, thinking harder. Sam says yes. Cas is cut off. Crap. Sam falls in. With Michael and Adam. Something with Zachariah? Hm. Bobby gets better. Not sure how. For some reason, her mind kept going back to Lucifer. Can't find us now, can you big boy? she thought. Not with those rib carvings and such. Hm. Probably got your vessel now. Nick, right? Yah. Nick. She shook her head. "Are you talking to the devil?" she asked herself. She returned to her show.
...
A few hours later, the door opened, and Dean and Sam stepped through. They walked in, not making any eye contact with Alex. "You guys okay?" she asked.
"Yeah." Sam sat down on the other bed, still avoiding her gaze.
"Bobby chew you out some more?" she guessed.
"Yeah." Dean pulled two beers out of the fridge, tossing one to Sam. "Bottom's up."
"Pass me one." Alex held up a hand.
"Uh-huh, girl." Dean shook his head. "I've just gone through two hours of Bobby railing on us about you. I'm not doing anything that'll get me in trouble again."
Alex rolled her eyes. "Come on, man. I drink beer all the time. You've never gotten in trouble for giving it to me; why would he start now?" Nothing happened. Alex sighed. "He's just mad that he's helpless in the hospital. It'll pass."
"So he does recover?" Sam looked over at her.
"Yeah." Alex narrowed her eyes. "I think. I'm not sure how long it takes, but yeah."
"Cas'll probably fix him." Dean promised his younger brother.
Alex opened her mouth to protest, but thought better of it. "Do your ribs feel weird?" she asked instead. "I mean, mine are a little sore, but nothing too bad." She ran a hand over hers for emphasis.
"Mine feel fine," Sam answered. Dean nodded in agreement.
"Okay. Then it's just me," Alex joked. "Probably from losing my frickin lungs." She turned back to her show.
"Uh, why are you wearing my clothes?" Sam finally asked.
Alex turned to look at him. "Because mine were wet. And my bag is still in the trunk. Your shirts are huge. I mean, seriously. I could fit another person in here." She pulled the extra fabric off to one side, showing them.
"They fit me just fine," Sam defended himself.
"What are we watching?" Dean changed the subject.
Alex shrugged. "Some show about solving murders." She saw Dean roll his eyes, but let it slide.