The End | {BOOK 5}

6| Gate to Hell

I found Jack in the alley beside the motel, sitting in a corner.

"Jack? Hey. Hey, bud. We, uh, we've been looking for ya," I told him.

"I'm sorry," he apologized. "I... Everyone was so angry."

"Yeah, and, um... I suppose you wanted to get away from it."

"And suddenly, I was," Jack nodded.

I glanced at the grey wings on his back, which looked more fluffy and usable than they did when I first saw him.

"I'll tell you what. You got some special skills, Jack. That's for sure."

I sat down next to him, crossing my legs and looking over at him.

"We just need to make sure we get a grip on 'em, so... so you don't hurt anybody."

"Is that why Dean hates me?"

"Dean doesn't hate you," I assured him. "It... Look, sometimes the wires in Dean's head get crossed and- and he gets frustrated, and then he mixes frustration with anger, and- and fear."

"Why would he be afraid?" Jack asked curiously.

"Because Dean feels like it's his job to protect everyone. And right now, we need to protect you. But we may also need to protect people from you."

"Maybe I'm not worth all this."

"Your mom thought you were. So did Cass," I said, the name getting stuck in my throat a little. "So do Sam and I."

⁘

The next morning, Jack ended up going missing. Luckily, Donatello could sense where he had gone, but we did end up fighting a couple of demons before we left, which made us believe that a demon was the one who took Jack. In the car, Donatello and I were both braced on the back of the front bench and Sam had braced himself against the dashboard while he read from John's journal and Dean drove like a madman, following Donatello's directions.

"Uh, turn!" Donatello ordered. "Th- this is worrisome. I'm sensing a power emanation alongside Jack's. It gets stronger the closer we get to it."

We looked out the window as a sign for 'Jasper, 3 miles' zipped by almost to quick to read.

"Jasper, Wyoming?" Donatello voiced.

"Maybe it's an angel," Dean suggested.

"No. Something dark."

"Do you ever have any good news? Alright, well, see if there's anything in Jasper that's demon-y."

"Yeah, there is," Sam confirmed. "According to Dad's journal, Jasper is home to its very own Gate to Hell."

Dean and I both gave him a 'seriously' look.

"It gets better," he continued.

"Fantastic," I grumbled, rolling my eyes.

"According to legend, this particular gate leads to, quote, 'A place where unimaginable evil emanates from creatures too wicked for the Pit to hold.'"

"What the hell does that mean?" Dean demanded.

"They're really bad," Donatello replied. "Ah! Turn!"

He and I both gripped the back of the bench harder as Dean took the turn sharply. When we arrived at the location Donatello was directing us to, Jack was standing next to the demon disguised as Donatello and had begun to open the Gate to Hell.

"Jack! Hey! Stop," I called as we got out of the car.

"Don't listen to them, Jack," Demon Donatello ordered.

"Holy crap," Dean breathed, staring at the hole Jack had opened up in the ground.

"Focus!" Demon Donatello continued.

"That's not Donatello!" Real Donatello pointed at the demon.

"No, that's not not Donatello!" Demon Donatello pointed back.

"Ah, screw this," Dean rolled his eyes.

Pulling his gun, he shot Demon Donatello, who morphed into the demon's true meat suit. His white suit reminded me of the outfit Sam wore in the future world Dean and I had been sent to while his gray hair and beard reminded me of a cleaned up version of Cain. He had two curved scars across his face and his eyes glowed yellow as he glared at us- another Prince of Hell.

"Jack, he's a demon," Sam informed the Nephilim.

"Howdy, boys. Eleanor."

The demon raised a hand, choking Sam, Dean, Donatello and I using his powers.

"No!" Jack cried, losing focus on opening the Gate to Hell.

The creatures that had been crawling out of the hole disappeared and the crack in the soil began to regenerate.

"Jack... They wanna stop you," the Prince of Hell told him. "Contain you. I can give you the world."

"You're hurting my friends!"

Jack's eyes glowed gold like they had back in the holding cell, but before he could do anything else, the demon vanished. The boys and I all stopped choking, Dean helping me as we all got to our feet. Jack, Donatello and I squeezed in the back of the Impala while Sam and Dean took their respective spots in front and we headed home, dropping Donatello off on the way.

"These yellow-eyed things just keep on comin', huh?" Sam scoffed as he pored over lore books in the kitchen later that night.

"Mm hm," Dean nodded. "And hopefully this fourth Prince of Hell is the last Kardashian in the family."

"According to this, if that was Asmodeus, it's the end of the line," Sam nodded to the book in front of him.

Dean just nodded again, making to leave the room.

"Dean, wait a second," I stopped him. "The kid came through for us today. Jack saved us."

"No," my husband shook his head. "No, whatever that was, that was a reflex. It was a sneeze. Maybe next time he sneezes, he kills us. Good night."

I sighed, dropping my forehead to the table in front of me as Dean made his exit.

"He'll come around," Sam said.

I raised my head, running a hand over my face as I stared across at him.

"Yeah, I don't know... I mean, I get that this is just who he is, but sometimes I wish he'd just be less..."

"Him?" Sam smirked.

"Yeah," I shrugged. "It's stupid, I know."

"Not stupid at all. I understand the feeling."

I just nodded, chewing on my lip as I twisted my wedding ring around my finger.

"How you holding up?" Sam asked me gently.

I inhaled, holding the breath with my mouth open, trying to find the words. However, as my mind drew a blank, I just let the breath back out and closed my mouth again with a shrug.

"Ellie, we're going to get your mom back," he said.

"You don't know that," I whispered, voice thick with emotion.

"Yes, I do. We just need to help Jack get a handle on his powers, and then he can open another rift. We can get back over there."

"Maybe..." I sighed again. "Try not to stay up too late doing research."

"Yeah, yeah," Sam smirked. "Night, Ellie."

"Night, Sam."