Hellmouths are for Lovers

Alt Ending#1: Damned If You Do

His mind raced— there was a loophole, he convinced himself. There was always a fucking loophole—an amulet, a spell, a weapon of legend... he just had to find it and exploit the hell out it... he just had too...

...he just had to stop thinking like this. This- the endless reeling of his mind from trying to conceive every possibility and how to avoid the bad ones—that was what was really exhausting. He just wanted it to be done. Was this world really worth all this torture? She was safe, and she was done. Why didn't he deserve the same? The world could figure out its own shit for once.

"Okay, you need my meat... but, what happens to me," Dean pointed to his temple to indicate he meant his subconscious or his soul or whatever he believed was the essence of made him uniquely Dean, "What happens to my busted ass when Michael's done with his grudge match?"

"All you have to do is say yes, and you get an immediate first class, one way trip up to own personal paradise," Zach tilted his head, "No hanging around for all that tedious emotional trauma."

"Yeah, and what about Sam?" Dean snorted, "I'm not the only variable in this fucked up equation. You need him to say yes to Lucifer just as much as you need me, so what about him?"

"Man, you drive a hard bargain, Dean, "Zach rolled his eyes, sighing heavily, "Tell ya what—say yes, and the minute little brother makes good on his end of the bargain, he's movin' on up."

Zachariah was right. They could all be done, and into happy sunsets walk. Everybody wins. Everyone, except the poor, unfortunate saps left on Earth who would either end up as the collateral damage, or worse, the unlucky ones who would survive and have to clean up the mess, trying to build another world out of the ashes of the previous. The selfish part of him that just wanted to jump on this opportunity for self-preservation kept telling him to ignore them, forget them. He had spent his entire life protecting them, and so had Sam. None of them more so than Buffy. So, that had to justify it.

The urge to deny Zach was building inside again, and this entire thought process was fighting against his better judgment. Then, a dark thought struck him that he had yet to realize. If Zach could keep Buffy out, he could keep him out too as punishment for his willfulness. If they could not find a way to get Buffy out, he would never see her again. That moment of weakness was all it took, and when he saw her in his mind's eye it was already too late.

"Yes."

The image of Buffy's smile in his head forced the words to come crashing out before he could come to his senses. It was soft, under his breath, but he had clearly said it. The second it registered he immediately lamented it.

You stupid, selfish son of a bitch, Bobby would curse.

Typical, his father would scoff.

Sam would say nothing, and the look of betrayal on his face would say everything.

Rubbing his hands together, wearing his toad-like grin that Dean wanted to sucker punch off his face, Zach took slow strides toward Dean.

"Come again Dean?" Zach smiled, holding his ear like he was straining to hear him.

"You heard me," Dean snarled.

"Once more, just for the record."

"I. Said. Yes... you flying dick."

"That," Zach swooned melodramatically, "is the sweetest sound I've ever heard."

"The sound of your own voice?"

"The sound of a Winchester's breaking resolve," raising his hand, Zach's index and middle finger hovered over the bridge of Dean's nose, "Pleasure doing business with you, Deano. Give my love to the slayer."