A few days later.
I was on the phone with Cas"Nothing? You sure?"
Cas " Yes. I'd sequestered myself in the archives of the Basilica of Guadeloupe, chasing down a rumor of a spell so powerful it could, quote, wound God Himself. But it turns out it was just that-- a rumor. I just... I don't know what else to do."
i nodded " That's alright. We'll find a way. Just get home."
Then i hung up.
Dean showed up "That Cas? "
I ignored him.
Dean " So that's how it's gonna be? You give me the silent treatment?"
I didn't say anything.
Dean sighed "Elena"
Me " I'm not sure what you want me to say."
Dean " That you get it. Sam did"
Me "i am prettier than Sam"
Dean sighed "Like, I said, killing Amara, Jack dying... that's the only way."
I scoffed ""The only way." "Our one shot," "our last chance." You ever get tired of saying stuff like that?"
Dean shook his head "We don't have to like it, alright, but you and me, we gotta get it done."
There was a clattering noise coming from the kitchen.
Sam walked to us, confused.
In the kitchen.
We walked inside and saw Amara helping herself to a bottle of beer.
Amara "Elena, Sam, Dean. We should talk.
Control room.
Amara " My brother has returned."
Jack " That means it's time."
Sam "Did he contact you?"
Amara " He's made himself known. How do you intend to cage him? When God caged me, he had four archangels. Do you have four archangels?"
Dean shook his head "Nope. We got one Jack."
Amara hesitated and looked a bit sad as she realizes who Jack was to her " I wish we'd gotten to know one another. That's my fault. Maybe when all of this is over, we can?"
Jack smiled, nodding.
Dean " He's been juicing himself up, getting stronger."
Jack "But I need to complete a final ritual."
Amara " What do you need me to do?"
---
Jack "You're angry with me."
I shook my head " No, I'm not angry. I-"
Jack "You're disappointed?"
I sighed " Jack, look... I wish you'd have been up front with us. But sacrificing your life for a cause... takes a lot of courage. I still think it's wrong, though."
Dean and Sam walked in.
I looked at them.
Dean " Alright, we're all set. Jack, why don't you go get your stuff. I'm thinking we leave now, we'll make Santa Fe by tomorrow morning."
Jack walked up.
I shook my head "Yeah, um, I'm not coming."
Dean froze "What?"
Me "You and Jack got this covered."
Dean " Chuck is back. You wanna take a knee?"
I shook my head "That's not what I'm doing."
Dean " Wh... You don't even have any leads."
I asked irritated "What do you have, Dean? Honestly?! What, Billie's sending you to Santa Fe to... to meet up with her mystery guest that's gonna perform the "final ritual," or whatever that is, and turn Jack into a suicide bomb?"
Sam "Elena's right"
Dean "Sam, you and me, we have to do this, it's in the book!"
Sam "Oh, Chuck's "Death Book," right? Come on, man! Blindly following orders?! Lying to Amara, sending her to her death? Does any of this feel right to you?!"
Dean yelled " It doesn't matter how we feel! "
I scoffed.
Dean "You know what? Stay. Stay. But somebody's gotta be the grownup here."
I snapped back " Yeah, well, someone has to keep fighting for Jack, asshole."
Dean yelled " He knows what he signed up for!"
Me " Last I checked, we don't give up on family."
Dean " Jack's not family."
I froze and slapped Dean across the face.
Dean sighed and held his jaw " I know how you feel about the kid, okay. I care for him, too. I do. But he's not like you.but he's not like Sam. He's not like Cas. He's just not."
Suddenly Jack walked in" I'm... I'm ready."
He heard us. Great.
Dean nodded "Well, then, let's hit the road."
I looked at Sam.
----
I slammed the book on the table, frustrated.
Cas flinched a little.
I sighed "Sorry."
Cas " It's alright. I understand it. I-I... I feel it, too. It's hopelessness."
Sam "Maybe Dean was right."
I shook my head "no"
Cas " Yeah, maybe."
Sam " It just... It feels wrong. "
Me "You know, Billie's got Dean so convinced."
Cas "But you don't believe her?"
I shook my head "I don't know what I believe. I just wish I could talk to her, Billie, before it all goes down, you know, just to make sure."
Cas " There is no easy way to summon death, and I will not let you end your own life."
I shook my head "gosh, Cass, been there, done that. But that is not what i was saying"
Sam asked confused "Elena?"
Me "You guys remember when Sergei was here? Remember what he was looking for?"
Cas nodded "Yeah, it was the Key to Death."
I nodded "Yes."
Cas " Wait, he said it would open the doorway to-- to Death's Library."
Me " If it's in the bunker and if we can find it, m-maybe I can just... walk up to her, right?"
Cas nodded " Right."
---
We were looking through boxes of artifacts.
Cas "Elena? Sam?"
We walked over to him.
There was a chest labeled "Copper Creek Mining Company," Cas found a casket with the skull symbol from our research.
Cas opened it and there was a key in it.
Me " Cas, this has to be it."
Cas handed me the box " There's an inscription."
Me " It's in Latin. Viator mortalis, cave, quoniam scias Clavem Mortis pensare graviter. Il tamen desideres, ut introeas illum abyssum obscurissium artis, opus est tibi porta."
The key started to glow and a illuminated outline of a doorway appeared on the wall, with a glowing keyhole.
I raised an eyebrow "huh"
Cas "Elena, I should go with you."
Sam "He's right, Elena"
I shook my head "No, boys... Look, I don't know if this is crazy or... or what, but if Dean beats me back here... Buy me some time? please"
Cas "Elena, for what it's worth, I don't think you're crazy. I think your internal compass is functioning perfectly."
--
I walked through the door into Billie's library.
There was a dead reaper on the ground. i looked around. More dead reapers.
Suddenly i heard screaming.
i walked through the hallway.
A reaper was on the ground begging "Please! Wait, wait, don't hurt me! No! Please, please. She won't come!"
Meg was sitting there at the desk "Keep praying or whatever."
Meg?? oh hell no.
Reaper "It's hopeless! Please! O-Okay, okay, okay.I told you."
Meg twisted her hand and the reaper died.
Suddenly she snapped in her fingers and i was standing in frnot of her.
Meg "Elena Singer?"
I asked confused "Meg?"
Meg "Sorry, she's still dead. Just borrowing the Queen's pretty face 'cause really, I'm Empty."
My jaw dropped " You're the Empty?"
(A/N Just gonna keep calling her Meg)
Meg "That's what I said."
I asked confused " What are you doing here?"
Meg " Death and me need a word. Been trying her party-line, but she's ignoring me. I hate that."
Me " What do you want?"
Meg " The Empty was supposed to be mine. Not even God held sway. But lies, sweet little lies. Billie said when she takes over, she'd make it all better, but then your busted-ass friend in the trench coat came along and he gave me these trust issues."
I raised an eyebrow " Billie wants to take over?"
Meg "Become "New God." Classic narcissist, right? She's all tingly for the rules, the good-old days."
I asked confused "What is that supposed to mean?"
Meg " Everyone back to where they belong... realities, dimensions, graves. What should be dead dies, angels off Earth, demons back to Hell, and I go back to sleep. Or I'm supposed to. Except, again, trust issues. But you, you're Elena Singer . You're in God's book. "
She tapped the big book on the table.
Me " That's... That's Chuck's Death Book? Have you read it?"
Meg " Only Billie can read it, dummy. She always talked about how you should be so dead, except she needs you. So, maybe if I hurt you..."
She raised her hand and made a fist.
I groaned out in pain.
Meg " Hear that? Get your scythe down here, Billie, or your girl's toast."
I gasped out " Wait! Stop! Billie sent me."
Meg let go of me " She did what now?"
I coughed out " Billie... She sent me."
Meg " Really? 'Cause you're saying a lot of dumb stuff for, you know, an Emissary of Death."
Me "Yeah. We're all... We're trying to beat God. Not a whole lot of time for questions."
Meg "Go on."
Me "Billie... sent me... to get the book. She didn't say why."
Meg "Where is she?"
Me "Earth. You can't go there, can you?"
Meg " Only if I'm summoned. God's so protective of his little sand castles."
I shook my head "Well, Billie can't leave, either, something about the plan, so she sent me with a message. Billie will honor her promise. God, Amara-- they die. And you, you can go back to sleep."
Meg "And if you're lying?"
Me " I guess you have two choices. Give me the book-- maybe we all win. But you kill me, we lose... And you will never go back to sleep."
Meg raised an eyebrow.
At the bunker.
I walked back into the bunker with the book.
Sam breathed out "finally "
I asked confused "What? what happened?"
Cas "It's Amara. She's here with Chuck. It's time."
I shook my head " No, no, no. Cas, we can't let that happen. We have to stop it."
---
I shook my head "Chuck and Amara cannot die."
Cas "Wait, I don't understand."
Dean entered, supporting Jack who was doubling over and clutching his stomach " Are they ready? We need to get this kid in the room right now."
Me "Wait, wait... Dean... Dean, no. Listen!"
--
Dean helped Jack through the halls as we followed them.
Me " Billie is playing us."
Dean " So, what, her plan's not gonna work?"
I shook my head " No, it will work."
Dean nodded "Then great."
Me "But listen, if Jack takes out God and Amara, it'll create a power vacuum that Billie will fill. This was all her power grab."
Cas "Wait, Death wants to become God?"
Dean nodded "As long as Chuck dies, I'm good."
I stepped into his way "Okay, listen, just stop. "
Dena "Get outta the way, Elena. What are you doing?!"
Me "I'm trying to make you listen."
Dean yelled "We don't have time! Jack already lit the fuse! We gotta go!"
Cas "You did what?"
Dena "Elena, I'm not gonna ask you again."
I pleaded "Dean, please."
Dean aimed a gun at me "Move."
I raised an eyebrow.
Cas " Dean, don't.""
Sam "Dean"
Dean yelled " Move, Elena. Move!"
I shook my head "Dean, don't do this."
Dean "I don't want to do this, but this is everything!"
I shook my head " No, it's not!"
Dean cocked the gun "Get outta my way."
Me "then shoot me"
Dean "Cas, you heal her"
I looked at him confused.
Suddenly Dean shot me in the leg and punched Sam.
I cried out and fell to the ground.
Dean and Jack hurried down the hallway.
I yelled after him "son of a bitch"
Cas healed me and i ran after them.
Sam was still knocked out.
I jumped on Dean's back and Jack fell to the ground" Dean. No, Dean. Wait. Stop! You gotta listen."
Dean shoved me off and turned to Cas and Jack " You guys go, go!"
I shook my head " Jack, don't!"
Cas "Elena, why not?"
Me "Because if Billie takes over, then everyone goes back to where they belong. That means everybody from apocalypse world, Dad, Charlie, they get sent back to a place that doesn't exist anymore. And everyone we saved. Eileen, she... she just dies again. And that's just the beginning."
Dean "Elena, we don't have a choice. Jack's about to blow!"
I stood up " We always have a choice."
Dean shook his head "There's nothing else we can do, okay?! We just gotta get out of the way."
I shook my head "No, we can't get out of the way, Dean, not this time."
Dean "I don't care if Billie gets what she wants! I don't, babe! I'd trade it all-- I'd trade 'em all for Chuck in a heartbeat!"
i stepped closer to him, with tears in my eyes " What about me? Would you trade me?""
Dean "Chuck has to die. He has to! Otherwise he'll keep us tap dancing forever, and I can't live like that, man! I can't live like that! I won't!"
I nodded "I know you feel like that right now, okay. I know you do. But you gotta trust me. Since i was a child, you've protected me-- from everything. I didn't always like it, you know, but... it's the one thing in the whole world that I could always count on. It's the only thing I've ever known that was true. So please... put the gun away. Just put it away, and we'll figure it out, Dean, we'll find another way, you and me and Sam. We always do."
Dean uncocked the gun and put it away.
I breathed out relieved.
Suddenly a door exploded and Chuck walked out.
Dean pushed me behind him.
Chuck " Are you kidding me?! After everything, all that, you... you did it again!"
Cas "Where's Amara?"
Chuck " Amara. Amara. She's in her somewhere."
Cas asked confused "What, you consumed your sister?"
Chuck "We came to an understanding, so spare me your contempt, Castiel, the self-hating angel of Thursday. You know what every other version of you did after "gripping him tight and raising him from perdition?" They did what they were told. But not you. Not the "one off the line with a crack in his chassis." All of you. You know, I tried and I tried and I tried, but you're all just too stupid, too stubborn. Too broken. You know what? I'm over it. I'm over you."
Sam showed up "Yeah? Good."
Dean "Screw you, Chuck."
Chuck "No, screw you. You know what you do with broken toys? You throw them out. So, kill each other, don't kill each other... I don't care."
Cas asked confused " What do you mean?"
Chuck "I mean... have fun watching him die."
He pointed at Jack who doubled in pain.
Cas " Jack."
Jack coughed out " Help me!"
I bent down to him "Jack, Jack"
Jack's eyes glowed gold, and golden light broke through cracks in his skin.
Dean "Jack!"