Chapter 29

Brooklyn

Lucifer and God sit in a room together... sounds like the start of a bad joke. Yet, that joke seemed to be our lives right now as Sam, Dean, and I walked into the Bunker to find them arguing.

"Listen, I know I've been gone for a while. I've missed a few... million... birthdays," Chuck shrugged.

"Yeah, and the second your apes send a distress flare, boom. Daddy's home," Lucifer said, waving his hands in the air.

"That's not what happened."

Dean, leading the way down the stairs and two the men, said, "Hey, these apes saved your ass."

Lucifer scowled at us before snapping his fingers. I can't help but jump and duck a little, a habit I've come to know. Nothing happened though, making me relax a little as Chuck rolled his eyes and looked at me. "He can't hurt you."

"Where were you all the other times?" I mumbled.

Turning to his father, Lucifer rose his voice, "Oh, so you're controlling me now!"

"It's just a safeguard."

Sam waved his hands a little in the air, grabbing their attention, "Hey guys? Uh, Chuck? Lucifer. Think we can try and focus here? Y'know, end of the world, common enemy, all that?"

Lucifer smirk, anger in his voice as he looked at us, "Enemy of my enemy is my friend." He walked over to Chuck, "Team Amara. Go Amara."

"You don't mean that," Chuck said, slightly hurt.

"You're really not gonna say it?" Lucifer asked?

My confusion sets in and I can't help but ask, "He's not gonna say what?"

Spitting slightly at Chuck, Lucifer says, "Screw you. Screw all of you," He yells, looking at us as well. Turning around, he storms out, causing Chuck to sigh and walk away into the hallway and towards the kitchen.

Dean, Sam, and I looked at each other before following Chuck, finding him in the kitchen, making pancakes. The three of us sat across from him at the island while he cooked.

"Talk to him," Sam said, almost pleading.

Chuck sighed and shook his head, "Won't do any good."

"Why not?"

"Because I can't give him what he wants."

"Which is?" I asked, raising a brow at him.

Chuck sighed and paid attention to us, "What everyone wants. My sister, my children, you humans, an apology. A big, wet "I'm sorry."'

Dean gestured quickly, "Well, so give it to him. It's not like he's askin' for a weapon, or for Hell, or for Heaven. He's askin' for words."

"I can't say I'm sorry if I'm not." Chuck reached over, grabbing some plates and piling pancakes on them, before setting them in front of us. "What he wants an apology for, I did it for humanity. For the world. Look, Lucifer wants what everybody wants: Amara gone. 'kay? Let's just give him a little time to cool off."

Rolling my eyes and picking up a fork, I start to dig into the pancakes, finding myself humming in response at the taste. Well, God may not be good with words, but he's sure as hell good with pancakes.

"Wow, these are delicious," I said, digging into them again.

Chuck smiled at me, nodding, "Thank you Brooklyn." He turned to Sam and Dean, "See, she appreciates the little things."

Dean rolled his eyes next to me, sighing loudly. "Look, we don't have a little time. The end is frickin' nigh."

"All things come to those who wait," Chuck said.

"Alright, I'm out on that note," I said, picking up my plate of pancakes and standing up.

Dean leaned back as I walked towards the kitchen door. "Can you try and talk to Lucifer?"

"No promises!" I yelled behind me as I made my way into the hallway.

I could hear faint music and followed it to the spare room where I guess Lucifer was camping at. My eyes looked at the door before looking at the pancakes. "Pancakes, give me strength," I mumbled before throwing my fork on the plate and opening the door.

Lucifer sat on the bed, quickly looking up in confusion that turned to anger. "I don't' want to talk to you, get out!"

"I know, that's why I didn't knock," I said, leaving the door open and walking over to the empty desk. I sat my plate down, pulled out the chair, before sitting myself down on it. "I'd offer you pancakes, but I'm not nice enough to give these babies up."

Sticking a fork full into my mouth, I leaned back in the chair, kicking my legs up on the desk as I looked at Lucifer. "So, you going to sit here and mope or are you going to try and get an apology?"

Lucifer scuffed, "What do you think that was back there?"

"Two men fighting with no real words said. I mean, I'm all for watching a good brawl but with you two? It's just sad. I mean, you want an apology and Chuck won't give you one. I get it, trust me. But sitting here, moping, and playing god official music isn't going to do anything but let him win."

Scuffing, Lucifer asked dramatically, "So what do you suggest I do, oh great Brooklyn?"

Leaning forward and lowering my legs, I said simple, "Fight, and win."

Standing up, I tossed the fork down on the mostly eaten pancakes and huffed. "The rest is yours I guess. Chuck may be a lousy dad, but he's a damn good cook." I made my way towards him, "In the library, ten minutes. Oh, and if anyone asked, I punched you until you said yes."

Lucifer looked at me confused, causing me to throw a hard right hook to his face. His lip busted open and a drop of blood dripped from it. He looked at me with daggers, causing me to shrug casually, "Had to make it believable. Ten minute!" I yelled as I walked out of his room.

My words worked, because ten minutes later Lucifer was walking into the room. Dean, Sam, and I stood by Chuck who was sitting in a chair with another chair across from him.

I patted the empty chair, "Alright, family meeting. Now, you both have things to say and things you want to hear so..." I gestured to the two of them to start talking as Lucifer sat down. As expected, neither one said a word, causing me to cross my arms, "Well don't fight over who goes first."

Sam, Dean, and I sat on the steps, all o waiting for a minute.

Chuck let out an aggravated sigh but said nothing.

"Okay, let's try 'I feel' statements," Dean gestured for them to speak. Another minute passed before Chuck sighed loudly.

"I am... sorry.... that you feel that I betrayed you. That I acted without cause. I'm sorry that you can't see you gave me no choice." He turned to the three of us, shrugging, "I'm good." He goes to stand but I quickly point to the chair, raising my voice, "Sit! Stay!"

Lucifer smirks at my words and points to me, reminding me why I hate him, "See, and that's why I like you."

Sam nodded to Chuck who hesitantly sat down, "We all know that you are God, but maybe could you be a little less 'Lordly'?"

"But I am the Lord."

"Wow. There he goes," Lucifer said, crossing his arms.

"I did what I had to do! To create the world, I had to lock Amara away. And when the Mark corrupted you, and I saw you posed a threat to humankind, I did the same with you."

Lucifer leaned forward, "No, you betrayed me. You gave me the Mark to lock her away, and when it changed me, when it did what the Mark inevitably does, you threw me away."

"No, son. The Mark..." Chuck's words ran off and he paused for a moment before finding the right words. "You always cast a jaundiced glance at humans."

Lucifer gestured over to me, "I just said I liked Brooklyn!"

"Yeah, but not for the right reasons!" I yelled.

Dean spoke up, getting angry, "Focus!"

There was another minute of silence before Chuck spoke up again. "The Mark didn't change you. It just made you more of what you already were."

"What I was, was your son. Your child."

"Why should I put you first above all others?"

Lucifer turned to Dean, Sam, and I, "You have any idea what it's like to argue with your father when your father is God?" He turned back to his father, "Everything is a tautology with you. Everything is, "Because I told you so." Everything's, "It had to be done."'

"Pretty sure that's all fathers," Dean says, causing Dean to clear his throat in a warning tone. Dean nodded, silencing his future words.

"Okay, fine," Lucifer straighten up, "Big picture, as God. You did what you had to do. But little picture? You sucked at being a dad."

"Okay, maybe I didn't handle everything perfectly. But tell me: could I have kept humankind safe with you on the board? I know about your little bid to replace me with the angels. Okay, 'New God,' what would you have done about you?"

Lucifer sighed in annoyance, "That is not the point."

Sam slowly raised his hand, grabbing everyone's attention, "I can't believe I'm actually about to say this, but Lucifer is right. All he wants is an apology, and you're too concerned about being right to give him one. But apologies aren't always about being right. Sometimes they're just about apologizing."

Dean nodded in agreement, smiling, "Yeah, and the great thing about apologies is you don't even have to mean 'em. You know, I lie and tell Sam I'm sorry all the time."

"Dean, no helping," I said.

"Sorry," His face brightened up as he gestured to me, "See!"

Chuck rolled his eyes, "Enough from the peanut gallery." With a wave of his hand, Dean, Sam, and I are transported to three chairs upstairs in a chess nook. We can see Lucifer and Chuck, but their words are mumbles.

"Can you hear what their saying?" Dean asked, trying to stretch his neck out.

"Not a word," I said, fumbling with the chess set in front of me. It then occurred to me that I had never played chess before. No one in my family had ever taught me, and this chess set up here is more of a decoration piece then a game piece. "I just realized I don't know how to play chess."

Both Sam and Dean looked at me surprised, asking, "Really?"

I shrugged, "Yeah, never learned."

Sam's brows pulled together in concern, "What about Checkers?"

A scuff left my lips as I stood, responding, "I'm not stupid, Sam." I then grabbed the railing, hanging onto it as I peered over the edge. I felt a hand on my back, rubbing it softly as Dean stepped next to me.

There was a moment of silence before Dean broke it, looking over at me. "I love you."

I turned to Dean, "I love you too. Everything okay?"

Dean nodded, looking off into the Bunker, "Yeah, just feel like I needed to say it."

Smiling, I leaned up and gave him a small peck before our attention was pulled from each other and to Lucifer and Chuck. They emerged into the main room, where the stairs led too, grinning.

"Hey!" Sam yelled, grabbing their attention.

"We good?" Dean asked? Lucifer and Chuck looked at each other before looking at us and nodding. "Okay! Great!" Dean said, happy as he headed down the stairs with us to follow.

Once we all gathered around, I asked the main question at hand. "So now what?"

"We trap Amara. Put her back in the box," Chuck said.

Dean looked at him confused, "Wait, what?"

"Yeah. Well, you were right. She needs to be destroyed. But I won't kill her."

"Why not?" I asked, like he was crazy.

"Amara's been caged for billions of years, but you know, she was always there. She had to be there. You know, yin and yang. Dark and light."

My mind put together his words, "So if you kill the darkness then...?"

"It wouldn't be a good thing," Lucifer finished, making me nervous.

Chuck scuffed at Lucifer's simple wording, "It'd be really not a good thing. Like 'end of reality' not good."

Sam shrugged, "Okay, so we gift-wrap Amara. I mean, we got the team back together, so-"

"Not quite," Chuck interrupted, stopping Sam. "We're still a few members short of the original line-up."

Lucifer nodded, "Yeah, first time it took the combined strength of me and my brothers to weaken Amara before Daddy-O finished her off."

"Even then it was close. Now with just the two of us, we'll lose."

Dean nodded, stretching his arms out, "Okay, so what? We need more group therapy between you and the archangels if we wanna have a shot?"

I crossed my arms, side commenting, "We should start recording this. It would make a great reality show." Dean nodded in agreement.

Chuck shook his head, "Well, Michael's in no condition to fight, and it's outside of my power to bring Gabriel and Raphael back."

"But you restored Castiel," Sam said.

"Archangels are different. They're the stuff of primordial creation. Rebuilding them... It's time we don't have."

"So what do you need to win?"

"Whaddaya got?"

Dean spoke up, having an idea, "What about Crowley? Big demon power, former king of Hell. He was a player in his day."

Chuck pointed to Dean, "Good, you can get him."

Lucifer spoke up next, "And we have the angels. No guarantee's they'll listen to me, but hey."

"Rowena," Sam pointed out. "I mean, she's a snake, but she's a powerful witch. And she's got the Book of the Damned."

"Looks like we got a team after all," I said.

Sam sighed, "Getting these groups to enlist and then work together, it's not gonna be easy."

Dean turned to Chuck, "Couldn't you just compel them?"

"I invented free will for a reason."

"So we're tying our hands on principle?" Dean asked, throwing his arms outward.

"No, you can't make an effective soldier by force. They have to choose this fight."

I shook my head, "They're gonna want to know they're backing a winner."

Lucifer pointed to Chuck, "So... play the God card."

Dean clasped his hands together, "Okay, so we have a team, now what's the plan?"

"We assemble our band of brothers, hit Amara with everything we've got. Then when she's weak..." Sam said and looked at Chuck.

"I finish her off."

Sam nodded, "So, a page from the original playbook. This time with witches and demons subbing for archangels."

"Just like old times," I stated, making them all nod.

And just like old times, we all separated in hopes of winning our party over. Of course, I somehow got guard point, waiting for everyone to join us and keeping them inline.

I texted the address of an abandoned power plant to everyone, and sat with Lucifer in wait. No words were said thankfully, and it wasn't long before Crowley appeared suddenly with Dean, making me jump.

"Jesus Crowley!"

"Nice to know you missed me Myers, or should I say, Winchester."

My eyes glared at him as Dean walked over to me. "Anyone else?"

"I sent out a text to everyone on were to meat. The rest is a wait," I said, looking down at the ground slightly.

Dean pushed a piece of hair out of my face, staring at me for a minute. "You ready for this?"

"No, but I'm here, with you, and that's good enough for me," I said, taking Dean's hand. I leaned up, giving him a kiss that he returned before the doors to the building opened, revealing Rowena and Sam.

Lucifer smirked at the women that joined the group, "Hey, Red. Looking gorgeous as ever. Hey, I think a little apology is in order."

"You think you're the first man to try and kill me?" Rowena said with a smirk. Her smirk dropped as she glared at her son, "Hello, Fergus."

"Mother."

Chuck suddenly appears in a blaze of light, waiting for it to fade before me smiled at us, "Hello, my children."

"Well, that couldn't have been a bigger introduction," I mumbled to Dean who hummed in agreement.

Crowley was quick to point to Chuck, "Him? Really?"

"Rowena. Crowley. It's good to finally meet you in person."

Rowena, almost flirtingly, spoke to Chuck with a cheeky smile. "Sorry about, well, everything I've ever done in my life. Really, you can't have been a fan."

"Oh, yeah, I've been quietly rooting against you both for some time now. Although, I can't deny you're one of my guilty pleasures."

Rowena gilled, "Oh, God."

"Oh, God," Crowley scuffed and rolled his eyes.

I clasped my hands together loudly, "All right, no flirting."

"And no fighting," Dean added.

"The faster we get through this fight and work together, the faster we can all go our separate ways again."

Chuck nodded, "Amara's looking for me. But I'm warded against her, for now. The second I drop the warding, she'll show. She'll be expecting a fight, and we'll give it to her. Shock and awe. You have your troops in position?"

Rowena quietly raises her hand, causing Chuck to nod to her. "Fabulous plan, God, but doesn't this strategy strike anyone as a wee bit un-strategic? Shouldn't we at least try to catch her off guard?"

Crowley spoke up next, seeming to agree with his mother, "Is that sequence set in stone? Demon, angel, witch power? Seems to me that the first response should come from the most disposable force."

Lucifer pointed to Crowley, "Right! Good argument, Doggie. Demons first, it is."

"The weakest should go first. Naturally, that means the witches," Crowley stated.

"Enough!" I yelled, causing everyone to go silent.

Chuck pointed to Lucifer, "After that, it's Lucifer's turn. Physical attack. One-on-one."

"What about Cas?" Sam asked?

"Oh, don't worry. Your pet's safety is my highest concern," Lucifer smirked. The words made Dean and I shoot glares at him, causing him to roll his eyes. "Trust me, he's on board."

Chuck continued, "Once she's been weakened, I will take the Mark back from Amara and use it to seal her away. You ready?" He turned to Sam, making Dean and I confused.

"Wait, what?"

"God and I talked about this. Someone needs to bear the Mark," Sam said.

Dean pointed to himself, "Well, that should be me. I've had it before. I'm damaged goods."

Chuck nodded, "Exactly. You've already been tainted. I can't transfer it to you. Sam volunteered."

I shook my head looking between Sam and Chuck, "Wait, no way! What about me?"

Shaking his head, Chuck declined, "Can't. With you and Dean connected, it won't stick."

Quickly, I turn to Sam, anger in my tone, "Okay, what the Hell, Sam?"

Dean gestures off, equally, if not more, mad, "First Cas is making kamikaze side plans, and now you? You couldn't have talked to me?"

"We did talk."

"And what happens when the Mark turns you psycho, then what?"

"You lock me up where I can't hurt anyone and you throw away the key."

I shook my head, lowering my tone, "Sam, we're not doing that."

Sam looked between his brother and me, "Dean, Brooke, you both know you can't beat Amara, that it would have to be me. Well, this is it."

Dean shrugged, "So, what are we supposed to do, just sit by and watch?"

"No. We're all in this fight. You're leading this army."

I scuffed, crossing my arms, "Oh, you mean babysitting the bad guys?" Sam huffs out a small laugh, trying to lighten the moment, but I won't have it. "What about after?"

"Afterwards..." Sam paused and shrugged, "You two go on your honeymoon."

"Yeah, if only it was that simple," Dean scuffed.

"It can be, if we make it," Sam said, making Dean and I sigh before turning back to the group. I hated this. Why can't we just win and fight and lose no one? I mean, I know that's asking a lot, but we've all already lost so much.

As we were talking, Rowena was connecting with Amara, taunting her and bringing her here. She quickly headed outside to wait while we all waited inside.

Some time passed before the building began to shake and the lights blew out with loud crashes. That was Crowley's cue to join his mother in the battle. The shaking continued though, making us nervous, and making me take Dean's hand in hopes of quieting my nerves.

Suddenly, the shaking stopped and the place got quiet. We watch the door as it swings open and Amara staggers in, cut up, bruised, and breathing heavily. My instincts kick in, as does Dean's, and we start to take a step towards her. Luckily, Sam stops us.

Amara looks at Chuck, "Hello, brother. You cheated. Again. But-" before she can finish, a yelling Lucifer charged up from behind her and spears her through with a pole. Amara cries out in pain and falls to the ground as Lucifer pulls it out. He goes to do it again, but Chuck speaking stops him.

"Son!" Chuck makes his way to Amara slowly, "I'm sorry. For this, for everything."

"An apology at last," Amara said, breathing heavily. "What's sorry to me? I spent millions of years crammed into that cage alone and afraid, wishing, begging for death because of you! And what was my crime, brother?"

Chuck fought against his sitter's words, "The world needed to be born! And you wouldn't let me! Amara, you give me no choice."

"That's your story. Not mine. The real reason you banished me, why I couldn't be allowed to exist you couldn't stand it. Yeah, we're equals. We weren't great or powerful because we stood only in relation to each other. You think you made the archangels to bring light? No. You made them to create lesser beings, to make you large."

Amara struggles to rise to her feet and face her brother. "To make you Lord. It was ego! You wanted to be big!"

"That's true," Chuck nodded. "But it isn't the whole truth. There's a value, a glory in creation that's greater and truer than my pride or my ego. Call it grace, call it being! Whatever it is, it didn't come from my hands. It was there waiting to be born. It just is, as you and I just were. Since you've been freed, I know that you've seen it."

Chuck turns and nods towards Dean and I, seeming to use us as he spoke. "You've watched these two, friended them from day one because you wanted to feel that. Feel what they felt."

Amara looks at Dean and me, causing Dean to look away while all I can do is look at her with sadness. She then turns to Chuck, sadness in her voice. "It didn't have to be like this. I loved you, brother." She lets out a bitter laugh, "Well, you've won again. Finish it. Kill me."

"I'm sorry, sister."

Amara looks down, waiting for the impact of whatever is to come. Instead, the Mark on her chest starts to burn away and transfer to Sam's arm, causing her to panic. "No! No! Not again!" She lunges forward, grabbing Chuck by the throat and hoisting him into the air. "Not ever again!" She yells and with her powers, she chokes him midair.

Lucifer tries to run in to attack but Amara uses her powers to fling him hard against a pillar. With a thrust of her arm, Lucifer is banished from Cas' body and Cas slumps unconsciously onto the floor.

"Amara! Amara stop!" I yell, grabbing her attention. With a swing of her hand, I'm thrown against the fall with Dean soon to follow the same fate.

The Mark on Sam's arm fades back to Amara's, causing panic in us.

Black tentacles jump out of Amara and attack Chuck, seeming to cut off his light with each hit. "Sorry, brother," She says as Chuck shines brighter and brighter until we have to look away. When we look back, Chuck's body thuds to the floor, motionlessly.

Dean, Sam, and I stand and look at Chuck and Amara in shock. "Amara," I breathe out.

"What have you done?" Dean added.

Sam walks over to Chuck, "He's dead. God's dead."

Amara shakes her head, "No. He's dying. My brother will dim and fade away into nothing. But not until he sees what comes next. Not until he watches this world, everything he created, everything he loves turn to ash. Welcome to the end." With that, she disappears from our sights.

One more chapter before the end! So excited for you guys to see the final scene!