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Sam pressed both hands to Castiel’s side, trying fruitlessly to stop the bleeding. Claire had gone after the hooded figure who had impaled Castiel with the spear, Dean and Kaia at her heels, leaving Sam to try to do what he could for Castiel. “Any idea what that was?” he asked Castiel, although he was afraid he knew the answer. He’d seen a wound like this before.
Castiel confirmed his fears. “I don’t know how, but that was the Lance of Michael. Sam, if they don’t catch her and destroy the weapon, I will die. There’s nothing we can do.”
Sam refused to accept that. If that was the Lance of Michael, they could use it to take down Lucifer once and for all. If they could get it, which… it had been aimed at Claire, so she was pissed, and it hit Cas, so Dean was pissed. He didn’t know about Kaia, but a pissed-off Dean Winchester and Claire Novak? There weren’t many things out there he’d bet against them on. If they couldn’t, though, there had to be another way to save Castiel. Sam refused to accept that Castiel was just going to die an agonizing death.
“Sam.” Castiel’s voice cut through his thoughts. “Sam, before I die, promise me that you’ll find Jack, and protect him. When I was gone before, you stepped into my place and took Jack in as your son. Even when Dean was the being he needed protecting from, you were there to do it. Promise me that you’ll do it again.”
Sam flinched, but he nodded. “I didn’t mean to have a kid, but when I met Jack in that cell, something about him just called to me. I was scared, but I could feel a connection there, too. When he said that his father was Castiel, it was over. I would never make any other choice than to take him in and treat him like a son. He’s your son, and we may not be married, but we’re bonded. He’s my son.” Sam paused, remembering those early days. Specifically, how Jack had been able to reach Castiel and pull him out of the Empty. “You know… the bond you and Jack have, it can’t hurt for you to try to reach him. Worst that happens is nothing.”
“What do you think will happen?” Castiel closed his eyes and laid his head back, which Sam had to hope was him focusing on Jack and not slipping away from life.
Sam reached out, stroking Castiel’s hair. “I think that at the very least, Jack will feel you, and find a way to get you back like he did last time. I’m hoping he won’t have to, that he’ll feel your need and find a way to follow it, to come back here and heal you. But if that doesn’t happen? It’s still better than watching you die without having tried.”
It wasn’t long before the air around them rippled and a portal opened. Jack stepped out, followed by several others – including Mary. Jack immediately dropped to his knees beside Castiel, putting a hand over his injury. “Castiel. I’m so sorry. Are you… will you be okay?”
Castiel looked down at his injured side, and then up at Jack in wonder. “That injury would have killed Michael. You healed it.”
“You told me I’m supposed to get more powerful than Lucifer,” Jack reminded him. “What happened?”
“Whoever threw it was aiming at Claire, but…” Castiel paused, eyes going wide in fear. “We need to get out of here. Now.”
Jack and Sam pulled Castiel to his feet, just in time, as another person came through the still-open portal. Jack turned. “I’ll hold him off. Sam, Mary, get everyone out of here!”
Mary started rounding everyone up to at least run in the same direction, but Castiel refused to move, and Sam refused to leave him. It didn’t hurt that he didn’t want to leave Jack, either. Jack couldn’t make them go – he had all he could handle with Michael.
Then the spear came flying in, and Michael looked down as it pierced his chest. His mouth fell open, and he fell to the ground in agony. Jack stared, then turned to look at Sam and Cas. “What just happened?”
Sam pointed to where… two Kaias? Weird. Two Kaias, Claire, and Dean were staring at Michael on the ground. “That’s Michael’s own weapon, created to kill Lucifer. That’s what hurt Cas.”
“So it’s over? Michael’s gone?” one of the people – Bobby? Nice – demanded. “We go back through that portal, we can kick the feathery bastards off our world?”
“Should be able to, yeah,” Dean said. “Good luck with that.”
Bobby led the rest of the people through the portal. Before closing it, Jack and Sam dragged Michael so that he was halfway through, leaving half of him in the Bad Place and half in the Apocalypse world. “Insurance,” Dean grumbled off Castiel’s look. He turned to the two Kaias. “Thanks for helping. Why’d you try to kill Claire in the first place?”
“Why’d you point a gun at her?” The Kaia with the hood jerked her thumb at the Kaia Sam knew. “You’re a dick, you deserve it, figured if I killed someone you cared about it’d make me feel better.”
Known Kaia crossed her arms. “If you were doing it because he was a jerk to me, then you need to get your sight checked. You nearly killed my girlfriend.”
“Glad I missed, then. Who’s the dude I did kill? No one seems to be mad about it.”
“His name’s Michael, and he’s a real jerk,” Jack said. “Thanks for killing him, but why?”
“Because. She likes you and you were fighting him.” Kaia glared at Dean. “Your Kaia promised I could go. I’m going. You try to stop me, I bet this thing can kill you, too.”
Dean started to argue, but Jack cut him off. “You can go. Dean, back off.”
Hooded Kaia headed off, and Jack held out a hand to Known Kaia. “Let’s go home, huh?”
Once through the portal, Mary hauled Dean off to calm him down, while Claire and Kaia disappeared to celebrate them both being alive despite Patience’s vision. Jack hugged Castiel. “Are you okay? I felt you and Sam calling me. Was it just that wound?”
“You felt me, too?” Sam asked. “Castiel was trying to get through to you, but…”
“I felt you both,” Jack confirmed. “Castiel?”
“We’re bonded,” Castiel said. “I don’t need to touch your soul directly to be able to draw power from it, and I was wounded. You and Jack have a strong bond, too, and I figured it would likely help if I used your power to boost my signal.”
“I’m glad you did,” Jack said. “It was faint. I barely felt it.” Jack let go of Castiel and turned to Sam. “I found your mom and brought her back with me. Do you think Dean will accept me now?”
“I sure hope so, but… I don’t know,” Sam said. “You’ll probably get the same treatment Castiel and I do, where you’re accepted as long as you’re doing what Dean wants but if you mess up or go against him, he’ll throw anything you’ve ever done wrong in your face. Bring up every flaw, every mistake, to convince you to go along with him.”
Jack nodded, head dropping a little. “I guess that’s about the best I can hope for, if that’s how he treats the two of you, too. I don’t get why he does that, though. It’s not like you guys don’t know about your flaws and mistakes. Or that he doesn’t have any of his own, too.”
“We tend to wear our flaws openly. Dean buries his, and lashes out when you try to say something about them.” Sam shrugged. “Another of his flaws, really. You learn to deal with it. He wouldn’t be him if he weren’t like that, you know?”
“I guess.” Jack looked between Sam and Castiel. “But you guys are proud of me, right? I got Mary back, and Michael’s gone, so that world’s gonna be a better place, and I saved Castiel?”
“We’re proud of you, Jack,” Sam said. “You did good today.”