Hellmouths are for Lovers

Chapter Eleven

A sinking feeling in Bobby's gut said that his suspicions about Lilith's designs for the amulet were worth following. Agreeing with Bobby's assessment, Willow dug deep into Giles' Watcher Journal collection to comb through the notes of Amelia's Watcher. There was bound to be something in there that might explain why Lilith had not made her move earlier, or any ulterior motive she might have, such as an ability of the amulet that none of them had known. The hours passed, day darkening into night as they delved into the history of the first record breaking Slayer and her infamous amulet... and still, Buffy slept.

While he assisted in a digital capacity as much as possible, Sam's thoughts were still lingering on the conversation he and Willow had earlier. Normally, Sam and Dean had a burn at the stake first, ask questions later approach with witches. Despite losing control, letting her darkness and angst consume her, she still found a way back from the ragged edge. She could manage her condition, and her abilities played a vital role in the Slayer's work. Knowing this made him reconsider harnessing his own darkness for the greater good—if he could only get Dean on his side. Sam had lost track of time, only noticing the time after his stomach growled from neglect... and still, Buffy slept.

Darkness waned, and night relented to the early glow of morning. A pounding on the door erupted sometime after 5:30 a.m., and in a flurry of greetings and luggage and hugs, Dawn and Xander swept in. Immediately, Xander joined those around the table with books, and Dawn insisted on sitting with Buffy until she woke up, or at least showed some sign of life... but still, Buffy slept.

The only ones in the apartment who had not found some form of useful employment were Dean and Spike. Unless, you count their posturing towards each other and rotating between sitting and pacing. Occasionally, Spike would disappear, and then reappear some time later smelling of smoke. But, after seventeen hours of waiting, Buffy had not so much as stirred. Dean needed two things: to get out of the apartment, and a trench-coated ass to chew.

Taking walks were not exactly Dean Winchester's preferred method of venting stress, as it lacked violence and bloodshed of monsters. He left wallowing in his emotions and deep thoughts to chicks, and Sam. But, the pace his mind was racing was exhausting, and regardless of the cold, he needed fresh air. Against all reason that he could surmise, just being near Buffy in distress felt like a boot on his throat. The more he tried to rationalize his discomfort concerning Buffy, or on the even stranger other hand, his unexpected comfort he found so easily with her, the more he came up with questions without answers. And, the only person who might have answers did not have his voicemail set up for incoming prayers. After several laps around the adjacent blocks, he ended up on a bench at a nearby playground just as the warm burn of dawn was singeing the sky.

"Don't be too hard on Cas. He was summoned," a female voice spoke from over his shoulder, "That's why he bailed."

"Anna?" Dean asked rather astonished, pivoting in his seat to confirm he was not imagining her voice, "You know where Cas is?"

"Yes, and it's not with the angels..." She approached, taking a seat next to him on the bench, "Something feels wrong to you, doesn't it? Like a piece is missing from your life, and you can't quite place it. Well, you're absolutely right. This is not your fate, Dean... or Buffy's. They royally messed everything up, and now it's spiraling out of their control."

"Alright, not that I'm not happy somebody came when I called, but you seriously need to uncryptic your bullshit."

"Don't you think if Zachariah and the angels wanted to stop the Apocalypse they could find a way to manage that without the help of a couple of humans? Zachariah doesn't want to stop the Apocalypse Dean—he's the man behind the curtain! They're tired of waiting around for God to get his act together, of watching humans exercise their free will, of the demon menace running rampant... So, what are some senior ranking angels to do but derail enough fates until they find the right path to jump starting Armageddeon?"

"Whoa, okay, I'm gonna stop you right there," Dean held up his hand for emphasis, "Because, I just want to make sure my crazy translator is working right, and go back to the part where you basically said I'm living in an alternate universe."

"Oh, it's the right universe, you're just walking the wrong path—you, and your entire family," Anna could read his face, and see his patience was wearing thin, "You're not meant to be the sword of Michael and Buffy is not meant to be the ninth seal. You and Buffy weren't meant to stop the Apocalypse, Dean."

"All this destiny crap Zachariah has been shoving down my throat, you're saying it's just an elaborate lie? I wasn't supposed to start the Apocalypse? I'm not the only person who can end it?"

"There was never supposed to have been an Apocalypse," She stated boldly, "The cheat code to the end times had one lynch pin—you could never meet Buffy Summers. By not meeting Buffy at the predestined time, it set both your lives, and the lives of all your past and present family members onto counter paths. A dozen fates disrupted because they denied you one of the most important moments of what should have been your life."

"And, why was it so important that I met the Vampire Slayer?"

"Because, it was destined that together Buffy Summers and Dean Winchester would rid the world of all demons and seal them in hell forever."

"Anna, you're losing me now," Dean stepped away from the bench in frustration, "because I don't know which is more ridiculous—that you're saying ridding the world of demons is even possible, or that I was supposed to do it withmy soulmate."

"If calling her that makes it easier to understand, then fine, call it what you want," Anna's voice was stern and solid, "But that connection, you're trying like hell to ignore—the one that's unnerved you since you met her, makes you tell her things you wouldn't tell you brother, pains you at the thought she won't wake up— that's a ripple. It's a side effect of an altered past. You can push it away all you like, but it won't change the fact the two of you are tethered."

"Tethered..." Dean scoffed sarcastically, as if their term for his predicament made it sound better, "... a hunter and a vampire slayer. Why me? What makes me such a god damned important hunter that the slayer would need my help?"

"You were never meant to be a hunter, Dean. There is so much you've been denied because of one missed moment..."

Anger was boiling up inside him to the point he just wanted to hit something. Nothing made any kind of damn sense. Whatever Anna was rambling about had to be nonsense. How could his life not really be his life?

"Then how much did Dickariah jack up just to be king of the hill?"

"I honestly can't tell you, because we may never really know, but I can tell you that it at least goes back to your grandparents, on both sides."

"That's impossible!" he argued, "How can it effect the past that happened before I was even born? This is completely insane, Anna."

"Why don't I just show you?" Castiel's deep voice echoed through the playground.

Turning towards the sound of his voice, Dean barely had time to focus his eyes before Castiel was touching his forehead, and the entire world faded into another reality. Castiel caught Dean as he fell, laying him on the ground as Anna stepped towards them.

"It was not your place... it was too much too fast. You left me no choice but to show him what should have been... and, what good will that do, Anna? If the Moirae can't repair the altered destinies, knowing will just make it worse," Castiel sighed, affronted by her audacity.

"He deserves to know. Both Buffy and Dean have sacrificed so much on this path... to never know that they were each others reward for a life spent in the cause of fighting evil, that's just cruel."

"No Anna, to give them a taste of happiness neither may never achieve is the truly cruel act."