50. Lawrence, Kansas

When I woke up the next morning, I was planted under covers in a motel bed. Dean must've carried me in, because I couldn't remember him leading me into the room. I looked to the neighboring bed to see it empty. He got an early start.

I sat up in the bed, smoothing out my hair, which didn't turn out so bad. I looked beside me and felt a pang of loneliness. The trio wasn't the same when one was possessed by Satan.

I slipped out of bed and knocked on the bathroom door. No answer. I found the bathroom unoccupied. I pressed my lips together. All right, either Dean ran out to get something, or he decided to leave me here.

I hopped into the shower. I yelped in surprise when the water was cold instead of mild or even hot. I cursed. Either he got a shower before me or someone needed to be notified of this issue. Needless to say that was the shortest shower I took in my life. I never understood how Monica loved taking them.

After rubbing myself down and dressing, I wrapped what hair I had in a towel and kept it neatly atop my head. I left the door open, and at the same time, the room door opened, and Dean came in with a few bags.

"Morning, Dak." Somehow, I heard genuine happiness in his tone.

"Morning," I said strangely.

"What? You thought I'd leave you here?"

"It had crossed my mind."

"Like you said last night, we need all the firepower we can scrape up."

I gestured to the bags. "You bought breakfast?"

"If it were up to me, I'd make it, but this place doesn't exactly have a kitchen."

"What'd you get me?"

"Take your pick, I'm not choosy about what goes in."

All of them were breakfast sandwiches. I was so hungry that I wolfed down two, much to my surprise, and Dean's. He ate whatever I didn't touch. After a while, I took the towel off my head, refolded it, and sat it back in the bathroom.

I looked into the small mirror. Though there wasn't a significant difference, I could see the changes. The bags under my eyes were a little darker. The twinkle in my eyes—not that I had much of one to begin with—was now entirely gone. I was sure whenever Sam was around he'd bring it back.

Sam...

I swallowed. I exhaled loudly, running my hands through my damp hair.

"You okay, Dak?" From the corner of my eye, Dean leaned against the bathroom's door frame.

I nodded into the mirror, having my hands on the sink. "I'll survive. Time to go?"

"Time to go."

* * *

I cracked my window a bit so I could get some fresh air. As Stull Cemetery grew closer and closer, I began to feel ill inside. I knew it was just nerves, an extreme case of them. The air was helping, but very little. But it was enough to keep me from puking in the Impala. Besides, it was either this or have Dean chew me out because I got sick in his car.

The cemetery was how you would expect one to look like: grave markers in a field of dead grass, with dirt roads. I thought back to the cemetery in Maryland, where my family was buried. This wasn't really a homecoming, to be back in a cemetery. Is this where we may end up? I didn't think we'd be buried. We were going against two angels, I doubt they'd leave others much to bury. Maybe by the end of this, Dean and I would be ash.

Dean drove us to two figures. Both noticed us, and the sight broke my heart. Two men, taken by forces they didn't want to have inside of them. Adam, the half-brother of Sam and Dean Winchester, the boy who wasn't saved. And then there was Sam Winchester, the younger brother of Dean, my friend from high school turned boyfriend. Someone who, like his older brother, had the strongest fighting spirit I had ever seen in anyone ever in my life.

Now, here they were, in a cemetery in Lawrence, Kansas, both possessed by the two duelers, Michael and Lucifer.

Dean and I looked to each other.

"Whatever happens, stick close to me, okay?" he murmured.

"Don't worry, I won't leave your side for anything," I assured him before stepping out of the Impala.

"Howdy, boys," Dean greeted them. We came around to stand in front of the car.

"Sorry," I said sweetly. "Are we interrupting something?"

"We need to talk."

"Dean. Dakota," said Lucifer. I bristled just hearing how different he made Sam's voice sound. "Even for you, this is a whole new mountain of stupid."

"He's not talking to you. He's talking to Sam," I stated boldly.

"He's no longer the vessel," Adam—sorry, Michael—told me. "You got no right to be here, neither of you."

"Sorry to have never made your acquaintance, Michael. Dakota Bailey," I said curtly.

"Adam, if you're in there," Dean said, "I am so sorry."

"Adam isn't home right now," Michael said bluntly.

"Well, then you're next on my list, buttercup. But right now, we need five minutes with him."

"You little maggot. You are no longer a part of this story!"

"Hey, ass-butt!"

All eyes went to Cas, who was accompanied by Bobby. Where in the hell...? Cas held a bottle with a burning flame inside of it. We all watched as the bottle was chucked at Michael, who screamed bloody murder as the flames consumed him.

"'Ass-butt'?" Dean questioned Cas.

"He'll be back—and upset—but you got your five minutes."

"Castiel," said Lucifer. "Did you just Molotov my brother with holy fire?"

Well, that explained him disappearing.

"Uh...no."

"No one dicks with Michael but me."

I screamed as Cas was taken out by Lucifer with a snap of his fingers. Like a bomb, Cas had exploded into a shower of chunks and blood. Some of the blood caught Bobby in the face. I wasn't sure who was stunned more: Bobby or me.

"Sammy, can you hear me?" Dean tried.

"You know...I tried to be nice...for Sammy's sake. But you..."—I stumbled away as Lucifer grabbed Dean—"are such a pain..."—Dean got thrown into the Impala's windshield—"in my ass."

I ran to Dean as Bobby fired a few bullets at Lucifer. I watched in terror as Lucifer turned to Bobby. I covered my ears when I heard the sickening crack and almost vomited at the sight of Bobby's neck snapping. His body collapsed to the ground.

"No!" I cried, feeling my body tremble. From fear or a violent rage, I wasn't sure.

"Yes," Lucifer said before advancing on Dean. It only took a shove to get me out of the picture, I fell back-first as Lucifer grabbed Dean off the Impala by his legs. I cringed as the first punch got delivered. I got to my feet as Dean fell against his car, spitting blood.

"Sammy?" he croaked. "Are you in there?"

"Oh, he's in here, all right." Another strike to Dean's face. "And he's gonna feel the snap of your bones." Another strike as Dean tried to get up. I ran to him and got pulled away. I ducked under Lucifer's swinging arm and socked him in the gut. I stumbled back when I felt a fist connect with my mouth. I felt the blood gush out. "And yours, princess. Every single one." Dean was hauled up to his feet by Lucifer. "We're gonna take our time."

I intervened after Lucifer's fourth punch on Dean. I stepped in the way, getting a solid hook on my face. The blow made my vision shake. My pulse pounded.

Everything was coming apart. Cas exploded, Bobby was gone, and now Sam didn't look as though he was going to reappear to save our asses. Dean would get beaten to a bloody, bruised pulp before Lucifer would finish him off. Or maybe he'd take me out first and let Dean watch in his broken body.

"Sam, you can fight this," I panted. I intervened again, seeing the severity of Dean's injuries to the face. Cuts were profusely bleeding, his face was swelling at an alarming rate. This time, I raised my arm to block Lucifer's. Already, I felt the weight of the one arm start to make me go down to my knees. I gritted my teeth. "Fight him, damn it!"

I cried out as I got a solid hit in my gut. I made a choking noise, as Lucifer had knocked all the wind out of me. He kept hitting there until my other arm caved. I held my ground, hearing Dean cough behind me.

"You're gonna lose, you bastard," I hissed after a fourth punch to my stomach. "He's gonna beat you. You'll be sent—" I grunted as he grabbed my arm that was blocking his attack. "—back to where you came from."

"Then I hope I take you down with me, princess."

I screamed just as loudly as Michael had when dowsed with holy fire. My arm felt like it was set ablaze. I cradled my intensely throbbing arm to my chest, only to receive an upper cut that nearly rendered me unconscious. I let the tears fall as Lucifer went back to wailing on Dean.

I let out a strangled gasp as Dean grabbed ahold of Lucifer's jacket. I closed my eyes, feeling the pain. My arm, my stomach, my head. Oh God, was this what Hell felt like?

"Sam, it's okay," Dean whispered. I didn't know how his mouth wasn't swelled shut. Opening my eyes, it looked as though he got even worse. "It's okay. I'm here. We're here." Dean's green eyes found me. "I'm not gonna leave you." I let out a sob as Lucifer punched Dean two more times. "We're not gonna leave you."

I got to my feet, leaning heavily against the Impala, as Lucifer drew his fist back for another blow. Using my good arm, I braced myself against the Impala's hood. I was waiting to go out a broken mess.

But it seemed like he was frozen in that position: about ready to strike Dean again. Like something's holding him back. Sam? Is he fighting back? I watched with sputtering breaths as Lucifer had Dean practically at his mercy. Dean, who looked like he was going to need some serious surgery if he lived to tell this tale.

After what seemed like minutes, a miracle happened. The fist, which was faintly covered in Dean's blood, unclenched. My mouth parted as Lucifer—no, it had to be Sam now—let go of Dean, who fell against the Impala.

"It's okay, Dean." My ears were relieved to hear his natural tone again. "It's gonna be okay. I've got him."

"Sam?" I whispered, wincing as I moved.

"I'm here, Kota."

My lips trembled as I held him with one arm. I looked up, eyes searching his. "Hey you." I felt the somber smile cross my face.

Sam removed the rings from his pocket, from when Lucifer had taken possession of them. I exhaled shakily, feeling Sam touch my face gingerly. Fresh tears fell down my face.

"I'm so sorry."

"I chose to do this, Sammy." I bit my lip. "Don't guilt-trip yourself, you don't have that kind of time. We'll be okay." I kept his hand against my face. I stretched on my toes to kiss him. There was no way in Hell that my last kiss from Sam Winchester was going to be from Satan. I put myself back on level ground. "G-go."

Time was ticking. If Sam didn't do this now, and Michael came back, it would all end bloody.

Sam moved away from me, tossing the rings into a patch of grass. The patch caved in, exposing a giant hole. Wind howled as it was being sucked into the hole.

"Sam!" I turned my head to see Michael, in Adam's body, made a reappearance. Shit. "It's not gonna end this way! Step back!"

"You're gonna have to make me!"

"I have to fight my brother, Sam! Here and now! It's my destiny!"

When Sam's eyes met mine, I only shook my head. His eyes closed, and he spread his arms, the wind tousling everything. He was a bird about to take flight.

But the victorious moment got interrupted by a son-of-a-bitch named Michael.

Michael lunged, grabbing a hold of Sam's jacket. As though time slowed down, Dean and I witnessed the fall of Michael and Sam as they got dropped into the hole. I covered my mouth with my hand. I couldn't move.

Time sped up again, because the hole sealed itself in a blinding flash of light. I blinked away the spots in my vision. I looked down at Dean, who was against the Impala, with his eyes closed.

I dropped down to my knees. It's over. It's finally over. On top of the physical pain, the emotional started to set in. Dean and I lost Sam. Lucifer was defeated, the apocalypse was adverted, but we lost Sam.

My eyes fell to the ground before me. I kept my crying to a minimum due to how much pain it inflicted. I doubled over, my head pressed into my legs. It's done. He's gone. We lost him. We lost him.

I sniffled, closing my eyes. Now is the part I have to face: the aftermath. The pain that it brings. The pain of never seeing Sam again. He doesn't want to come back. I'll respect his wishes, no matter how much it hurts.

"Cas, you're alive?" I heard Dean say.

I picked my head up, looking to my right to see, in fact, Cas was alive. Put back together seamlessly, like Lucifer just hadn't made him explode like a bomb moments before.

"I'm better than that," Cas said. I watched in awe as, with a touch to Dean's forehead, Cas healed him. All the blood, all the swelling, it disappeared. Like it never existed. He can heal again.

Dean got to his feet. "Cas, are you God?"

"That's a nice compliment. But no. Although, I do believe he brought me back. New and improved." Cas's blue eyes met mine. He came to me next. Tingling spread throughout my body, and I almost felt my injuries heal themselves. All the throbbing, my broken arm, it was all restored to its glory.

"Thanks, Cas," I said warmly, grabbing his hand.

I watched as our angel went to Bobby next to resurrect him. I didn't get up, I remained in the grass. Although Cas healed my injuries, the one thing he couldn't fix was the emotional pain, the heaviness in my heart.

I wished we'd had more time. I'd wanted just a few more minutes. Damn Michael and his shitty timing. I'd told him Dean and I would be fine, but would we really?

And the worst part? Inever got to tell him the most important thing, the important thing that I wassure I heard that night we spent together before this finale happened. 

**You're doing great, guys. Power through the feels. Power through them.**