The End | {BOOK 5}

28| Returning Home

When we got to the rift with the bus full of the survivors, it was dim and flickering.

"It's closing," Sam observed. "We're running out of time! Come on!"

Just then, the rift that was fading resurged and stabilized itself.

"Oh, hell, yeah," Dean grinned.

"How's that possible?" I asked.

"Lucifer! Let's go!" Dean yelled in the direction of the bus.

Everybody started unloading from the bus and my mom jumped off the back.

"Let's go. Come on," she encouraged.

Sam, Dean and I stood on either side of the rift, shepherding and protecting everyone as they went through.

"Hey, come on! Cass, Ketch, show 'em how it's done," I nodded.

"Follow me," Ketch waved the group forward.

As people started to stream past us, going through the rift, Lucifer tried to slip past as well. Before he could, though, Sam put a gun to his chest to stop him.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa," he shook his head. "Hold up."

"What?" Lucifer asked in disbelief. "I- I want to be with my son."

"We need you and Gabriel here, in case something goes wrong. Wasn't that the whole point of you being on the team?"

Reluctantly, Lucifer went over to where Gabriel was standing, then stopped as there was a loud boom. Sam, Dean and I joined them, looking up at the sky. A flaming fireball flew out of the sky and hit the ground in a violent explosion. With the exception of the two archangels, we raised our weapons and tried to peer through the dust of the explosion. I gasped as the tell-tale sight of an Apocalypse World angel appeared through the dust. Based on the fact his wings in the blue light were white instead of black, I assumed he must be Michael.

"Gentlemen. Ecclesia," he smirked.

Lucifer took a step forward.

"Lu," Michael greeted him arrogantly. "You don't really want to try this again, do ya?"

"Um... yeah," Lucifer nodded confidently.

The two began to fight, but Lucifer's power seemed to have very little effect on Michael. Michael, however, managed to knock Lucifer to the ground. He smiled down at him, then looked up and noticed Gabriel.

"Can it be? Gabriel?"

"Go. I can buy some time," Gabe addressed us.

"Gabriel, don't," Sam protested.

"All I did on earth was run. I'm not running any more."

He took a few steps forward, yelling back at us over his shoulder.

"Go!"

I turned, hurrying back toward the rift as Dean dragged Sam along behind me. We paused right before we went through, looking back at the fight between Gabriel and Michael. They both drew their archangel blades, sparring against each other. Michael eventually managed to disarm Gabriel and stabbed him through the chest. I started to charge forward, back toward the fight, but Dean grabbed me to hold me back.

"Gabe! No!" I yelled.

"No!" Sam yelled as well.

Michael watched with glee as Gabriel died, his body falling forward. Sam pushed Dean and I through the rift ahead of him, and we landed back in the Bunker where everyone was waiting. After a moment, Sam joined us, the rift closing behind him.