*A/N* So I have finally returned y'all! After what seems like forever, I have finally managed to finish up the final chapter (along with a small bonus chapter that I originally didn't plan on writing) so I could finally wrap up this story! I apologize for such an agonizingly long wait, but I hope you all enjoy! Also, in advance, please forgive me for all the spelling/grammar issues I know are riddled throughout this chapter. I had a really hard time trying to go back through and proofread everything. Feel free to point out any issues you come across throughout the reading!!
Now, without further ado, please enjoy the second to last chapter (The last chapter will be posted shortly after this).
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Shapes began to appear around them seemingly out of thin air. The sounds of beating wings filled the clearing with a flurry of wind. In Dean's head he could hear the angel's Enochian screeching, but this time, it was mixed with actual intelligible words. However, the words that Dean heard weren't from the English language, yet he still understood them perfectly. Dean assumed that this was all part of Gabriel and Castiel's protection wards, however, Sam moved abruptly to cover his ears.
Sam's face was scrunched up in pain, knuckles turning white from the amount of pressure he was using to cover his own ears. In the baby sling, Lilly Grace began to fidget too; making distressed sounds and scrunching her face up, on the verge of tears. Dean covered her ears with his own hands, wincing against the pain in his own head as he tried his best to soothe her. The last thing they needed right now was for Lilly Grace to start crying and derail everything they had worked so hard to plan. They needed more time.
Dean's stomach was in knots as he tried to keep his daughter happy and calm. The tension in the air around them was thick enough to cut clean through with a knife.
Angels began materializing around them faster than Dean's eyes could fully comprehend. If he so much as blinked, he would have missed the appearance of each angel. There had to be at least two dozen of the winged bastards circling around their tiny group.
Dean could feel his anxiety spike as a feeling of dread and claustrophobia settled in his chest. He held Lilly Grace a little closer as if that would shield her from the opposing might of the angels around them.
"Gabriel, Castiel, by the power and the might of heavens might, we are demanding you to hand over that abomination without a struggle." A tall slender angel stepped forward with dark brown hair that was pulled back into a flawless bun as she spoke. Dean curled his lip in disgust as he recognized the angel. The woman was none other than Naomi, the same angel who tricked and brainwashed Castiel and basically forced him to be her obedient mindless soldier.
"She's not an abomination!" Dean sneered. "She's a living breathing person."
"No, she's not, that child is nothing more than a disgusting stain a stain on our land. That child shouldn't exist and poses a threat to the entirety of the world. She possesses enough power to bring ultimate despair and destruction not only to earth but also to heaven and hell. We cannot possibly allow that's creature existence to continue."
"Oh, so you only care when your homeland is also threatened or when you're getting someone else to fight your battles, right?" Dean spat, his vision turning red, words fueled on by hatred. "How do you justify turning my brother and I against each other to fight your family war and while threatening all life on earth? Was that okay because your home turf wasn't on the line?"
"That has no relevance to the current situation," Naomi retorted. "We are the protectors of the earth and humankind. That battle was between Michael and Lucifer alone."
"That's bullshit, and you know it!" Dean's teeth were grinding as he resisted the urge to blast Naomi's brains out right now. In his arms, Lilly Grace seemed to detect Dean's frustration and she too started to grow agitated. "What happened to all that 'divine destiny' shit you tried to throw at us back then?"
Naomi ignored his comments and said, "You are leading the world closer and closer to its final hour of life the longer that you allow that abomination to continue breathing."
He was tired of these winged dicks calling his beautiful, precious daughter an abomination. Lilly Grace was far from that, hell, she might even be one of the greatest things to ever happen to this damn universe. Dean was about to say as much, but Cas held up his hand, signaling him to hush. He clamped his jaws shut, biting his own tongue to silence the flow of words that were battering against his teeth, begging to be let loose. Dean had so much more he wanted to say, but he had to remember to keep his cool. Their entire plan would start to fall apart of any of them lost their cool and acted rash. He had to remember not to let the angels get to them, they had to stick with the plan or this was the end for them.
"Listen, I understand why you believe she is a disgrace," Castiel said in a toneless voice. "However, you have nothing to fear. We have no intentions of letting her destroy the world. We only seek to raise her as well as we can and bring her up to be a good person. If brought up right, she could actually change the world for the better."
"How can you even think like that?" A lesser ranked angel standing on the right of Naomi asked in disbelief. "What is possibly running through that skull of yours that is making you believe that you have what it takes to train and control such an unpredictable force of nature? Raising her to be a good person will be as easier as telling a hurricane which direction to go."
"Well for us, controlling something as powerful as a hurricane is no problem at all." Castiel hummed in amusement. "So that must mean my job will be incredibly easy."
"Don't be smart with us. You know what he meant Castiel." Naomi snapped. It didn't seem like she was in the mood for anyone's sass today.
"What if she really does end up trying to destroy the planet?" the lesser ranked angel said, speaking up once again.
"Listen, what I'm trying to say is that we won't let it happen Raziel," Cas insisted, addressing the angel by name. "We will not allow the girl to destroy the earth. I am aware that we can only do so much, but so far, Lilly Grace has not tried to turn on humanity. She has not committed any acts of evil or malice that would warrant a death sentence. Unless she starts to travel the path of death and destruction, I believe that she belongs among the living. No one is born evil or bad."
"So, you've already named the half-breed mutt?" another angel, sneered. Dean wanted to throw an angel blade right between the eyes of that dirty scowling monster, but he forced himself to refrain. Dean was sure that he could nail the shot though, his fingers twitched at the thought. The angel would be dead long before anyone even registered what was happening. Angels weren't the only ones with lightning quick reflexes.
Dean watched as Cas shot him a sidelong glance, their eyes meeting for just a moment before darting back forward to the opposing angelic forced. What Dean saw in Castiel's eyes was a hard, unreadable look, with a hint of sadness hiding just beneath the surface. Cas pursed his lips briefly and inhaled deeply before saying, "Listen as I said, I understand your concerns, but I am prepared to do what is necessary if we are unable to raise her properly. If she plans to destroy the world when she gets older, we will be prepared to eliminate her before she has that chance."
Dean felt his stomach churn at Castiel's words. He knew what that look was for, it was an apology and a plea of forgiveness and understanding all wrapped into one. Cas knew that Dean would never go for something like that, but if it meant they got to extend their daughters life, he would have to go with it, no matter how sick the idea made him feel. He looked down at the little strapped to his chest. She was still so tiny and innocent. Dean could never imagine Lilly Grace trying to end all life on earth. She was not a bad person. Dean didn't believe that the soul within her tiny body was capable of malice or any evil intent. He knew that he would never be able to kill this tiny bundle of joy; she already had her little fingers wrapped around the strings of his heart. If he had to choose between killing his daughter and letting the world burn to the ground, he would let the world burn in an instant. His daughter's happiness and safety were more important to Dean than the fate of the world. Dean had always been one to choose family over the world. He hoped that Cas knew that was true too.
"I'm not quite sure that Dean is on board with that little suggestion," came Naomi's sharp piercing voice. Apparently, his expression had been advertising his emotions just a bit. Naomi was glaring at Dean with a look of complete and utter hatred.
Dean felt a surge of electricity and power build up inside of him. His vision was turning red from rage and he could just feel his blood pressure rising from the stress. "If you think I'm gonna just let-"
"Dean, shut up," Sam interrupted harshly.
He looked at his younger brother and saw his own anger and irritation reflected at him. Sam was mad too, but he was holding his tongue better.
"What was that Dean?" Naomi taunted, leaned forward slightly and cupping her hand behind her ear. She was trying to goad him on and Dean knew it.
"Why can't you just give her a chance? People aren't born bad." Dean insisted, cupping a hand protectively behind his daughter's head to hold her close in her baby sling. "Look at Sam, he was supposed to become the equivalent of the antichrist, but he was brought up by the right people and turned out to fight for good."
"The difference is that Sam was human, and this child is not. Giving her even one chance could mean the end of the world. All it takes is one single slip up or one temper tantrum to eradicate everything in existence," Naomi spat. "That is just not something we're willing to risk. There are too many unpredictable variables."
"Everything in life can be considered an unpredictable variable. Look at us, look at how much Dean and I have changed fate and the course of the world." Sam pressed, speaking for the first time.
"Oh yes, we are very aware of all the problems and trouble that you two boys cause for everyone." A different angel pipped up with crossed arms. "You both create far more problems than you realize."
"Maybe if you guys got off our dicks we wouldn't have so many problems." Dean shot back.
"Yeah, it's only me and Castiel who's supposed to be on these boys' dicks," Gabriel said with a sharp laugh.
Sam's cheeks flushed a dark shade of pink at the comment while Dean just wore a smug prideful smile.
"Though we don't approve of your actions, we have no care for what you do in your private time; all we care about is resolving the current situation as quickly and efficiently as possible."
"Well, we'll have to come up with a different solution; because you are even crazier than I thought if you think we're just gonna hand Lilly Grace over," Dean told them defiantly, puffing up his chest. "We were hoping you'd be willing to negotiate with us, but clearly we were giving you too much credit."
"Ooh looks like someone has gotten brave again now that he's back in his own body." Raziel taunted Dean.
"Raziel, hush," Naomi, scolded the angel. The other angel ducked his head in shame and stopped talking. "Anyway, who said that we were willing to wait for you to hand her over? We will take her by force if need be."
Cas, Sam and Gabriel and all pressed in closer to Dean and Lilly Grace.
"You'll never get your hands on her," Gabriel growled. "At the end of the day, you're gonna be walking away, tail between your legs."
"You speak so boldly considering the weakness of your fighting forces." Naomi chuckled. "You think the four of you can stop us? It's just two angels and two humans, one of which unable to fight because of a certain delicate lifeform strapped to their chest, against all of us."
"We've done more with less, bitch. You've seen us overcome the odds before, haven't you?" Dean said with a smirk. "We're fighters remember, hunters actually and damn good ones at that, we don't go down easy and we certainly don't plan on giving up without a fight."
"This is your last chance to hand the creature over peacefully Dean Winchester," Naomi said darkly.
"You can stick your all-powerful angelic might up your pasty white asses. There is no way I am handing my daughter over to you greedy, selfish bastards."
"Have it your way then," Naomi sneered. "You heard them, they declared war. We must obtain the abomination at all costs."
Dean slipped his hand into his pocket and pulled out an angel blade. As he moved, the angels around them jumped to life and began swarming them in a flurry of wings and sound. Dean felt a heavy invisible force pressing against his body, but he fought against it, trying his best to shield his daughter the force. Beside him, Sam went flying backward through the air, his long brown hair whipping wildly into his face.
Before Dean could even shout after his brother, Sam was being yanked back by another invisible force, which Dean found to be Gabriel.
"I've gotcha Sammich," Gabriel said as he brought Sam back down to the ground beside them.
Dean swung his angel blade wide as one of the angels took their moment of distraction to leap forward, reaching for Lilly Grace.
The angel howled in pain, as the blade sliced across his chest, splitting the skin to reveal an ethereal blue light.
"Take that you bastard," Dean crowed proudly.
"Dean, be careful," Cas warned. "Try not to let them get to close to you."
"No shit Sherlock," Dean growled as he swung at another angel who dared to venture too close. This angel managed to dodge his attack, and two more angels started to close in on him. Cas, Sam, and Gabriel were all doing their best to keep the angel away from Dean, but these guys were like fucking linebackers, rushing them in groups and breaking through their defense lines. He dodged them as well and was able to get away from the angels without much effort.
The wards that Gabriel had set up were slowing the other angels down a little and making their abilities a little weaker, but it was clear that creating such intricate wards had also taken a lot out of the archangel. Gabriel was looking a little worn out and he was letting the other angels a little closer to him than Dean thought was strictly comfortable or necessary.
Dean spared a glance down at his daughter who frankly, looked terrified and confused as all hell. "It's alright sweetheart," Dean cooed, trying to comfort the distressed child. "Daddy is just settling a dispute between these assholes. I just need you to stay quiet and behave for me just a little longer, okay?"
Lilly Grace just looked up him with her large doe eyes, without making a sound. Dean wasn't sure that his daughter understood what he said, but he had to believe that she knew something important was happening.
"Dean look out!" Sam shouted, pulling Dean from his thoughts. When he looked up, Naomi was running straight for him, three angels flanking her, ready to pound on Dean. Everyone else was already engaged in a battle with other angels and Dean was on his own to fight of the four angels who were gunning for him.
On instinct alone, Dean lifted his free hand and pointed his palm in the direction of the charging angelic force.
"Back off!" Dean roared as his hand heated up with hot white energy. That energy exploded out of him, much like it had when the witch girls had tried to kill him and rolled over the angels in waves. All four angels were stopped in their tracks and pushed backward.
Dean couldn't help the smirk that slipped onto his face to see Naomi's perfectly up done and well-manicured hair to fly free from its bun and fall wildly around her face. The other angels who had been beside her had also fallen into a state of dishevelment from their clothes to their hair.
The fight that was taking place around them seemed to stop instantaneously as everyone turned to see what had happened. Air was blowing past Dean, creating a suffocating wind tunnel, making it hard to breathe as he tried to regain his barrings.
Naomi seemed similarly thrown off by the display of power Dean had shown, staggering a little as she got back to her feet. "What in our father's name was that?" she gasped, using one of her long pristinely-manicured hands to toss her long dark hair out of her face.
"That was the power of karma, bitch," Dean crowed proudly.
"How did you take on angelic abilities when your soul still resonates human energy?" Naomi insisted, scowling hard at him, but making sure to keep her distance.
"Wouldn't you like to know," Dean mocked. He then raised his palm again and shot another blast of energy in Naomi's direction.
She tried to dodge before the blast could strike, but she was still off-kilter from Dean's first shot, and the second wave of energy hit her square in the chest.
Naomi clutched at her chest, gasping aloud as she was tossed back again, falling hard onto her ass.
While on the ground, Naomi's eyes wide with shock as she looked between Castiel and Dean.
"Castiel, is that a portion of your grace?" she asked, eyes still comically wide.
"Ah, you do recognize my power then," Castiel hums in interest.
Naomi opened her mouth and closed it a few times, resembling a particularly stupid looking fish before she found her words again. "How does this buffoon have some of your grace inside him and how is he able to utilize a power that is not his own?"
Castiel's lip curled upward into a smug smile. "As it turns out, even when a soul bond is successful, there can be some... lingering effects such as DNA transfer."
"You... you should be dead..." Naomi breathed, staring at Dean as if he'd just grown a second head.
"If I had a dollar for every time someone said that to me, then I'd have enough money to buy the kind of house that my daughter deserves to be raised in," Dean said with a bitter laugh.
"If the soul bond didn't kill you, the foreign DNA forced into your genetic code should have," Naomi told him.
"Well, there is an exception to every rule, isn't there," Dean told her with a shrug. "Besides, I clearly don't really like being dead, otherwise one of my past deaths would have been permanent."
With a screech of anger, Naomi jumped up and launched herself at Dean again. Dean had no time to react and felt his heart leap in his chest as he realized a fraction of a second too late that she was going to get him this time.
However, just as Dean was lifting his hand to push her back, Naomi seemed to hit a barrier. Dean felt a ripple of power push out from around him and throw Naomi back again. The small child strapped to his chest cooed happily as Naomi collided with the wall, a static crack of energy electrifying the air around them. Dean felt the hair on his arms and the back of his neck rise as the electricity pushed away from him in waves.
There was another split second pause in time as Naomi landed on the ground again. Then, everything jumped back into action again. The other angels were once again fighting them and pushing in to try and capture Lilly Grace.
On Dean's left, one angel got close enough for him to grab. Instinctively, Dean reached for the guy's face and used his grace to make a deadly explosion. The angel opened his mouth in shock, a white-blue light filling his eyes and nearly blinding Dean before he collapsed to the ground. His wings left a burning scorch mark on the grass as he took his final breath of air.
Dean crowed triumphantly when he realized that he had enough power to not just throw an angel back but to actually kill one.
He turned and shot another killed beam at another angel who was brave enough to charge him.
Behind and beside him, Cas, Sam, and Gabriel were all doing the same. Cas and Gabriel were fighting off angels, killing them with a mixture of their angel blades and angelic grace. Meanwhile, Sam was focused on killing angels solely with angel blades, one in each hand. Sam wielded each blade as if they were one single blade, each hand working together in tandem, flowing perfectly with the rhythm of his lank, toned body. There was no denying that Sam's fighting skills were good enough to match any angel's power.
No matter how hard the four of them fought through, and no matter how many bodies piled up on the ground, it seemed like the wave on angels was unending. For every two angels that Dean killed or shook off, five more were already filling that empty space.
Strapped to his chest, Lilly Grace was unnaturally silent and seemed ultimately unphased by the bloody, violent massacre taking place around them. Dean peered down at her briefly, placing a hand on her in comfort to make sure she was alright. The little girl was looking up at him with her large, blue doe eyes and Dean was surprised that there wasn't even a hint of agitation or distress on her face. He knew Lilly Grace was still only a couple days old, but it seemed like she was turning out to be an even bigger mystery than he was anticipating.
Dean hated when he had to look away again to fight off more angels. He was ready to get her out of this place and back to a safe, clean, peaceful environment. Hopefully, if all went well, Dean would be able to provide that for his daughter for the rest of his life. They just had to make it through this battle first.
Suddenly, Dean's vision was obscured by white-hot pain. His shoulder was burning like he had been touched by fire and he cried out, curling inwards to protect Lilly Grace from harm. He turned his head to see who had slipped past his defenses. Behind him, was a dark-haired female, with a proud, cocky smirk on her lips. In her hand, a bloodied angel blade, which had just moments ago been impaled into his shoulder blade. Dean had been cut by an angel blade in the past, but he didn't recall the pain ever being quite this intense. Over his shoulder, Dean could see a faint glow of white-blue light emanating from the wound.
Dean was a little surprised to see "his" grace gleaming through the wound. He should have assumed that he would be even more susceptible to angelic weapons now that he had acquired some of Castiel's grace.
In the back of his consciousness, Dean could hear Sam and Castiel calling out to him. Cas was trying to fight his way closer to Dean to help him, but more angels started to swarm in around them, closing the gap that separated them.
Dean's heart was pounding out of control and he could feel his pulse in his throat. All he could think about was protecting Lilly Grace and getting everyone out of here alive. His shoulder was aching and sweat was pouring down his brow as he watched the enemy forces press closer. They were going to die, this was it, they had lost.
Suddenly, the world seemed to slow down around him, almost seeming to freeze altogether. Dean's ears felt like they were stuffed with cotton, all the sound around them seemed to dull to a whisper, leaving nothing but a soft buzzing in his head. He had to be dead already, there was no other explanation, this was his life flashing before his eyes before he breathed his last breath. Dean had only a split second to appreciate the silence and the bitter taste of defeat before the air was torn apart with the sound of a violent crashing explosion. It sounded like a someone had dropped a nuclear bomb on them. His ears were stinging, screaming at him to stop the sound and his vision had gone white, blinding him until he saw nothing at all.
Dean curled both arms protectively around his daughter and held her close, trying to shield her from harm and ensure that no one slipped by and snatched Lilly Grace away. He was knocked back onto his ass from the force of the blast, landing hard, but never letting go of his daughter.
When the sound of the explosion faded, leaving Dean's ears ringing loudly, he looked up, opening eyes he didn't remember shutting. What he saw before him, was beyond comprehension, words were stolen straight from his lips and falling silent before they could formulate in his throat. This was it, this is what they had planned for as a last-ditch effort to win the fight. Everyone had been depending on Lilly Grace's raw, uncontained power to end this battle. They had all know the risks and accepted the fact that no one would make it out alive.
All around him, angels lay scattered on the ground, their bodies burnt and lifeless, dark imprints of their wings staining the ground, burning deep scars into the grass.
All that was left were a few dozen angels who had somehow managed to escape the blast. Naomi, who had also survived, looked around in shock, her expression a look of devastation and disbelief.
"What..." Naomi opened her mouth and closed it over and over, resembling a rather stupid, flustered fish. "What have you done?" She finally gasped.
"We warned you to leave us be," Castiel growled. He too had been knocked down the ground by the massive blast, but other than the typical battle wounds they received, Castiel looked unharmed. He seemed shaken up, but alive and breathing. 'We gave you that chance to turn back and go."
"This is why we need to stop the child, this power she possesses is far too dangerous and unpredictable," Naomi countered, glaring at the small girl in Dean's arms.
"Unpredictable?" Gabriel said with a cough. "I think that was actually quite the opposite! What did you think would happen when you stabbed one of the kid's parents? She did you no harm until you brought harm upon us first. She's not stupid, she has both angel blood and Winchester blood pumping through those tiny veins. You should give her more credit than that!"
"It would be wise for you to surrender now and leave us alone," Sam added. "Your forces are no longer strong enough in numbers to take us down."
Naomi stair was cold and unyielding. Dean thought that asking her and the few remaining members of her army to surrender was a hopeless dream. She seemed like the type of creature that wouldn't give up her stance until she gave her last breath. The air was thick with tension, all eyes, both human and angelic, were focused on Naomi. Everyone was waiting with bated breath for either a white flag of peace or a harsh cry of continued war.
In his arms, Lilly Grace was whimpering softly, slight sounds of distress causing Dean's heart to break. The child had to be scared and overwhelmed by everything that was going on around them. All Dean wanted to do was lay her down in bed, so she could rest and live the rest of her life as a normal happy child.
Dean tried to hush her cries, guessing that she was probably hungry on top of everything else. That would be something that had to wait too, she just had to hang in there a little longer. Thankfully, her distress was not enough to cause any destruction around them. She seemed exhausted and worn down, that blast of energy draining her tiny body. Hopefully, that meant there wouldn't be any more surprise blasts of power. Hopefully, they wouldn't need her power again today. Dean was pretty sure that they had worn out their last Deux ex Machina for the day or actually, probably their last one this century. They would just have to cross their fingers and pray for everything to work out in their favor.
After what felt like ages of thick, heavy silence, Naomi finally sighed, her form deflating as she huffed. She glanced around at her forces, lips pressed in a hard, tight line before saying, "Fine. You're right, we no longer have the numbers to stop you and I do not want more of my brothers and sisters to fall at your hands." Her voice echoed through the clearing as she spoke. "We surrender. We will not interfere with the life of that abomination."
Cas and Dean exchanged looks of hesitation. He hesitated, chewing at his bottom lip. This could be another trap or an attempt to deceit them again.
"You swear not to touch her or harm her in any way?" Castiel asked, voice gruff and wary. Clearly, Dean wasn't the only one with doubts in Naomi's voluntary surrender.
"I swear, we will not step in the way of your four as you raise that blemish to society so long as she remains non-threatening."
"Non-threatening?" Gabriel questioned. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"It means, that as long as she is not trying to bring about the destruction of your world or our, then we will not harm the girl." Naomi supplied.
"Or you could leave that to us to handle," Castiel rebuffed. "I already told you that I will do whatever is necessary, including the undesirable task of ending my daughter's life, if it proves that we were unable to lead her down the right path. There is no need for you to impede."
"But if it turns out that you are incapable of completing that task?" Naomi pressed.
"Gabriel is also prepared to do what is necessary to prevent the destruction of earth, heaven or hell." Castiel gestured toward the archangel, who nodded in agreement.
"But if neither of you is there to put a stop to her destruction, I highly doubt either Winchester boy would be willing to end the child's life if need be."
This was an actual surrender Dean realized. He felt sick to his stomach the weight of what they were negotiating hit him. The rest of Lilly Grace's life was being determined right here and now. Dean wanted to agree with Naomi's statement and tell her that he'd rather die than kill his daughter but figured it was best to bite his tongue. They were so close to getting out of this in one piece. No matter how sickening this discussion was, Dean was smart enough to know that now was not the time to fuck things up with his big mouth.
Castiel bowed his head, "They will do whatever is needed. I am sure that they would much rather have the child life taken by their own hands, then in the brutal manner that I'm sure you and my fellow siblings would dish out."
Dean ground his teeth at Castiel's words, hating that his partner was right. If he could save his daughter from a horrible fate, then he would do what was needed. Despite that, Dean would still rather let the world end before he'd kill his own child.
"You will never lay a finger or ounce of grace upon our daughter as long as she shall live." Castiel's voice was flat and unwavering as he spoke. Dean felt a shiver of both fear and pride shoot down his spine at the danger and authority that tone held. "We will deal with her as is necessary and you will stay out of our business," Castiel continued, "otherwise, we will continue to fight you off until there is no one left to resist. As you can see, we're clearly capable of taking you down."
The seemingly endless scattering of bodies and torched wing marks that littered the field reinforce Castiel's point. It was almost like the fallen were mocking the remaining angels and chanting 'look what happens when you mess with a Winchester'.
Naomi's tight lips were pursed tight enough to where they were almost disappearing, but Dean could see the resolve in her eyes. All the fight inside her had dissipated. It was clear that the price that they paid today was already far greater than anyone had anticipated. No one had expected that Lilly Grace would be brought along to the fight and used as a weapon. Dean hated to use his daughter like that, but she had been their secret weapon, their ultimate ticket to victory – or destruction.
"Fine Castiel, you win," Naomi relented, her head bowing in shame. "It's clear that if we continue to fight, our remaining angelic forces will only continue to be reduced. I will not lose another angel to this battle."
"We need your word Naomi," Gabriel said, his tone still full of distrust. "I want to hear you make the Sacred Promise. Until I hear you swear on the Sacred Promise of Heaven, we will not accept your surrender."
Naomi's face turned as red as a beet, starring Gabriel down, her face pinched liked she'd been sucking on a lemon. There was the hushed sound of nervous chattering between the remaining angels. It was clear to Dean that Gabriel had just mentioned something big and important in the angelic realm.
"What's a Sacred Promise?" Sam asked, feeling as out of the loop as Dean did.
"A Sacred Promise is one of the most treasured and indestructible bonds in all the land," Castiel explained. "When an angel makes a Sacred Promise, it's like they are swearing in a law that must be unwaveringly upheld. If this promise or its conditions are broken in any way, shape or form by any member of the promising party their life will end instantly."
"Damn, that sounds like some pretty serious shit," Dean swore with wide eyes.
"Indeed, the promise is very highly regarded and valued, but I assure you, that it is something that won't be necessary," Naomi huffed, clearly trying to avoid making the vow.
"I'm still waiting." Gabriel cupped his hand behind his ear and leaned forward a little. There was a smear of blood running from the top of his hairline and creeping toward the base of his jaw. "I need to hear you say that neither you nor any of your angelic forces will ever lay a finger on Lilly Grace Winchester or do anything that intends to bring her harm." Gabriel paused then, finger tapping at his chin before he added, "In fact, I expect you to help keep the forces of hell away from us to help ensure our safety and the safety of the universe."
Naomi looked like she wanted to bring all the wrath of heaven and hell down upon Gabriel blood-soaked, golden blond hair. Her upper lip twitched in disdain. Finally, she parted her lips and words of Enochian fell from her mouth.
Once again, the air was filled with screeching Enochian and a blurred jumble of intelligible words.
Dean could only catch snatches of Naomi's statement, but he got a relatively clear picture of what was being promised.
Naomi was basically swearing away heaven's ability to impede on the upbringing of Lilly Grace under any condition and would make sure to keep her safety in the forefront of their mind.
Once Naomi fell silent, Gabriel nodded in acceptance. "Okay, I'll take that. And just for the record, you cannot use any type of loophole to try and get around this. If she is harmed by any other being sent on your behalf, that will be a breach of the promise. You are not permitted to interfere be it by manipulations of the fates or through the persuasion of lifeforms outside of the angelic race."
The furrow of irritation in Naomi's brow had grown so deep that Dean wondered if it would become a permanent fixture on her once smooth, angelic features.
"Fine," she spat. "We agree to your ridiculous terms. Are we done here?"
"I believe so," Gabriel said with a nod. "What you guys think?" Gabriel looked around to everyone else for confirmation.
"I think that about wraps it up." Dean agreed. When both Sam and Castiel vocalized their confirmations, Gabriel looked back towards Naomi.
"Alright, great then, let's finish up this little promise here then and seal the deal," Gabriel said with a nod. The archangel then proceeded to whisper words in Enochian, his eyes shut, and palms facing towards the sky. Dean could feel a ripple in the air once Gabriel spoke the final word and fell silent.
Then, he stepped forward and said, "You know the final step."
Naomi looked like she wanted to blast a hole straight through Gabriel's head, but she stepped closer to Gabriel to close the gap between them.
Both Sam and Dean moved in unison, already drawing weapons in preparation for an attack. However, they were stopped by Castiel shaking his head and raising his arm. "This promise is so powerful, that in order for it to be finalized, the two who negotiate the terms of the contract must seal it with a kiss."
"What?" Sam spluttered, looked from Gabriel to Naomi with a look of disgust and betrayal on his lips.
"I'll make it up to you Sammich," Gabriel said with a wink. "Later on, you can punish me and clean out my dirty mouth as much as you'd like."
Sam flushed a deep shade of red and stayed silent, though there was a small, smug smile tugging at the corners of his lips.
Naomi rolled her eyes and huffed. Then she reached out, grabbed the front of Gabriel's shirt and pulled him close for a brief, cold kiss. The kiss was so quick that you would have missed it if you so much as blinked. Naomi was already backing away and wiping her mouth with the back of her hand before Gabriel even processed what had happened.
Gabriel wiped off his own mouth then straightened his dirtied shirt. As he stepped away from the other angels, Gabriel finally said, "Alright then, well, that settles it, we are done here. Take your forces home to lick their wounds to mourn your dead. I believe this will be the last time we will meet on opposing sides regarding the fate of Lilly Grace."
Naomi shot one final withering glance towards Dean and Lilly Grace before disappearing, the sound of large, invisible wings beating in the air around them.
The other angels weren't far behind, vanishing in less than the time it took to bat an eye. To his surprise, the bodies of the fallen angels been removed, leaving behind only their wing imprints and discarded bloodied angel blades.
As soon as they were gone, Dean felt his adrenaline spike wear off, leaving him weary and exhausted. His legs wobbled like jelly as he realized just how much that the fight had taken out of him. Before he had time to process what was going on, Dean's denim jeans were hitting wet, dew and blood-stained grass.
"Dean!" Castiel gasped, moving too slow to catch him before he fell.
"No, don't worry, I'm fine Cas," he said, waving off his partners concerns. "I'm just worn the fuck out. Using my grace took more out of me than I anticipated."
"You weren't supposed to push yourself that far, you amazing, stupid, beautiful dumbass," Castiel fell to his knees beside Dean and pulled both him and Lilly Grace closer. He wrapped his hands around Dean's head and pulled him into a strange kind of hug. Castiel pressed his lips to the side of Dean's hair, leaving them there for longer than necessary, not that Dean was complaining.
Dean turned his face towards Castiel after a minute, pressing their foreheads together as Cas continued to hold the sides of his face. "I think some of those words might be contradictory, Cas," Dean said with a worn chuckle.
Cas just shook his head, rolling his eyes and crushed their lips together, effectively shutting down Dean's snarky comments. All he could taste was blood and sweat mixing on his tongue, which Dean knew he should find gross as hell, but right now, he couldn't bring himself to care. They had somehow made it out alive, which was something Dean had doubts about from the start. Despite the odds, everything had turned out better than any of them had been expecting.
"Not to interrupt this precious, cherished moment," Gabriel interjected. "But maybe we should get out of here. I don't want to tempt fate twice in one day."
"Yeah you're right," Dean agreed.
Castiel stood first then helped Dean to his feet, Lilly Grace still snuggled close to his chest in her sling. When Dean turned to face the other two he found them standing side by side, Gabriel tucked close under Sam's long, protective arms.
Dean's eyes met his brother's and they exchanged a soft, smiles of happiness and relief. Neither of them had been expecting this outcome.
"Ready?" Castiel murmured quietly as he reached out to take Dean's hand.
"Yep, let's go Cas," Dean replied, squeezing Castiel's large, calloused hand gently.
Dean bent his knees a little as he felt the twisting, suffocating feeling of angelic transportation surround him while the world went black.
~~~
A week after Naomi and her forces surrendered, Dean still had a hard time believing that this fight was over. They had gone through so much to get to this point, Dean still had a hard time believing it was real and that they were finally free. Lilly Grace would be able to live a full and happy life thanks to the battle that they had won. So far, no one had tried to come after them or attempted to hurt Lilly Grace. The angels must have been keeping good on their word. Not even the demons were able to get close to them now, thanks to the Sacred Promise that had been made.
Dean found himself staring at his reflection in the mirror, not really seeing himself, more lost in his thoughts than anything else. He hadn't really had much time to appreciate what it felt like to have things go back to being somewhat normal again. He was still getting used to caring for and watching after his baby girl, but thankfully, the others were more than willing to help out with her.
Dean lifted a hand to his jaw, stubble was already making an appearance again even though he just shaved the previous day. He sighed and closed his eyes. Before all this happened, Dean would have found his stubble slightly frustrating to manage, which is why he often times let it grow out a little before shaving. Now, however, after being trapped in a female version of his body, and having no facial hair at all, Dean appreciated it a little more (though he still found it kind of annoying to shave).
There was a lot about having his normal body back that Dean still wasn't completely used to. He was still a little clumsy and off balance, due to the change. Dean also kept hitting his head on low hanging objects such as light fixtures or signs now that he had returned to his normal height. Now that he had firsthand experience of what it was like being a woman, he had a newfound respect for it. He wouldn't miss the periods though, that had been a thing of nightmares for him.
With a sigh, Dean turned away from the mirror and stepped into the bedroom that he, Cas, and Lilly Grace now shared. They were in the same little shack that they had been hiding out in right before the attack. The place was a little cleaner and homier now, though it was still only temporary. For now, this is what they were calling home.
He stepped over to the crib where his daughter lay sleeping, peacefully curled beneath blankets and dreaming the night away. Dean knew in just a few hours times she would wake up hungry and ready to be fed. Thankfully, instead of crying as a normal baby would, she would use little pieces of her grace to nudge at his or Castiel's thoughts to let them know she needed something. Cas and Gabriel had been working with her a lot to prevent her from having episodes that would cause destruction. Thankfully, Lilly Grace seemed to learn quickly and had a basic understanding of what she should and shouldn't do.
Dean felt a smile curling at the corners of his lips as he thought about it. She truly was an amazing child, and he was thankful to have her in his life, despite what he had to go through to get to this point. Dean could see himself settling down with Cas and raising her right, far away from monsters, demons, and hunting. She deserved to have a proper childhood in a stable, consistent environment.
One day, she would have that life, Dean silently promised her that. He would find a way to get out of the life and provide a proper home environment for the little miracle he and Cas created.
Behind him, Dean heard soft footsteps padding across the floor. Dean glanced behind him to see Cas walking into the room.
"She still asleep?" Cas whispered as he stepped beside Dean.
"Yeah, for the moment," Dean whispered back, wrapping an arm around Castiel's waist and leaning against him.
Cas threw an arm over Dean's shoulder, moving their bodies even closer.
"We've finally made it, haven't we Cas?" Dean murmured, sighing in content and breathing in the warm, honey-sweet smell of his partner.
"I think so Dean," Cas hummed. "I think after all this time, we have finally made it."