Alex and Dean were still at the abandoned warehouse where just a few minutes ago the mission to rescue Lucifer from Amara's hands had taken place. And despite all the spectacle they had participated in, they would soon need to return to the bunker so as not to raise suspicions. Dean himself understood perfectly well that they would need to return soon to continue playing along in the spectacle that Chuck had arranged.
But Alex and Dean agreed on one thing: after Lucifer's appearance, being in the bunker would become even more unpleasant. And neither of them wanted to watch all that fake family drama that Chuck was planning to stage with his so-called beloved son Lucifer.
Finishing his cigarette, Alex stood up and stretched slightly, preparing to return. Noticing Alex's actions, Dean clicked his tongue irritably, showing just how much he did not want to return to the bunker.
"Alright, Dean. Time to head back. You understand how this is going to go, right?" Alex said, lightly bouncing in place.
"Maybe we can skip this. Let's just go back and that's it. No need for such extreme measures," Dean spoke quickly, not intending to follow Alex's plan.
"That's exactly what we need. Or do you think Amara would just let you go after such supposed deception? I'm right, aren't I?" Alex said with a smile, shifting his gaze to Amara, who was sitting next to Dean.
"He's right about something, Dean. If I didn't know the whole truth... I really would have gotten angry at such deception. Even if it was you," Amara said with a gentle smile, stroking Dean's cheek.
"Ugh, fine. Just let's make it quick... And I'll say it again, I don't like this at all," Dean spoke with a heavy sigh, standing up from the rusty pipe he had been sitting on.
Dean was right when he said he didn't like this idea at all. Remembering the essence of Alex's plan, which consisted of performing a large number of consecutive teleports to supposedly confuse Amara, Dean already felt what he had eaten earlier starting to come back up. He still believed it wasn't necessary and that they could get by with ordinary nonsense.
After finishing warming up, Alex looked at Dean's sour face and reminded him that Chuck might or might not check this, so it was better to be careful. At these words, Dean's face twisted even more. He wasn't used to acting so cautiously and preferred a more direct approach. Expressing his reluctance once more, Dean looked at Alex and nodded, showing he was ready.
"Alright, then let's start... Au revoir, Amara. And until we meet again," Alex said with a smile, leaning forward.
"Until we meet... And keep me in the loop if the plans suddenly change," Amara replied with a smile, nodding her head slightly.
"Enough with these goodbyes. And let's hurry before I change my mind about your crazy plan," Dean interjected in an irritated tone, interrupting the conversation between Alex and Amara.
Alex chuckled slightly at Dean and looked him in the eyes. Dean responded with an irritated look, spreading his arms to the sides. At the same moment, Alex ran toward Dean. Once next to him, Alex knocked him off his feet, and they disappeared at that very instant.
The last thing Amara heard before Alex and Dean disappeared was another comment from Dean that vividly described what he thought about all of it. Chuckling at this, Amara snapped her fingers, and the abandoned warehouse she had been using as her shelter began to transform.
Standing up from the rusty pipe she had been sitting on, Amara walked over to the tea table and sat down in a comfortable armchair. Taking out the book she had been reading, Amara snapped her fingers, and a calm melody began to play from an old gramophone. A teapot with freshly brewed tea appeared on the table. Opening the book, Amara poured herself some fresh tea with one hand, deciding to return to what she usually did in her free time.
At the same time, while Amara was calmly enjoying what she loved so much, Dean was once again experiencing the worst moment of his life. Dozens of consecutive teleports made Dean feel a strong wave of nausea. And it was all made worse by the fact that this entire teleportation was happening during free fall.
Feeling the sensation of free fall and the sound of wind in his ears, Dean endured this feeling with all his might. He couldn't even understand how many places around the world they had visited in that one short moment. But what he was sure of was that he had seen the summit of Everest, the Great Wall of China, and even the Eiffel Tower. When the moment of the final teleport came, Dean barely turned his head and saw that they were falling into a still-active volcano.
"Dude, this isn't cool. I'm not your precious, and you don't need to throw me into a volcano!" Dean shouted, watching the volcano's crater get closer and closer.
"Don't yell in my ear. If that bastard Chuck follows our trail, he'll end up right in the volcano. So get ready, it's about to get a little hot," Alex shouted back, holding Dean tightly as they fell into the volcano.
"You bitch!!!!" Dean shouted, starting to feel the heat coming from the volcano.
"You're the bitch!" Alex shouted back as they fell into the volcano's crater.
At that moment, there was only one desire inside Dean — to hit Alex in the face as hard as possible. But he didn't have time for any of that, because he saw how quickly they were approaching the molten lava. The smell of burning, sulfur, and volcanic ash immediately hit his nose. Seeing the lava getting closer, Dean started hitting Alex on the shoulder, hinting that it was time to teleport. And just before they fell into the lava, Alex and Dean teleported again.
In the next moment, Alex and Dean fell onto the map table in the bunker. As they crashed onto the table with a loud thud, strong steam and a strong smell of sulfur emanated from their bodies. As soon as Alex and Dean appeared, Sam saw their condition and wanted to help. Chuck, on the other hand, was slightly surprised that Alex and Dean had returned in such a state. He clearly hadn't expected anything like this in his script. But a moment later, he just shrugged, deciding that such a development in his plot wasn't bad either.
"Oh, look who's back. It's Dean Winchester and his buddy Death. Looks like Amara got even with you too. Heh," Lucifer said sarcastically, giving Alex and Dean an amused look as he walked past Chuck.
Finishing his speech, Lucifer simply left, not intending to talk to anyone, especially Chuck. Meanwhile, Sam was trying to help Alex and Dean, but as soon as he touched them, he pulled his hand back, feeling the heat. Sam was curious about what had happened to them and why they were in such a state. But Alex and Dean clearly weren't going to explain anything yet.
Dean struggled to roll over and slid off the table, crashing onto the floor. As soon as Dean hit the floor, he started vomiting heavily, and everything he had eaten earlier quickly ended up on the floor. Seeing this, Sam looked at Donatello and asked him to bring some water. Donatello nodded and quickly ran to the kitchen. Alex got up and lit a thin cigar, continuing to play out this spectacle so as not to raise any suspicions.
"That wasn't cool," Alex said, exhaling smoke through his nose.
"What the hell happened to you?" Sam asked, helping Dean up from the floor.
"What do you think happens when a guy deceives a girl? Especially if that girl is very powerful and vengeful?" Alex said, giving Sam a blank look.
"Amara threw Dean into a volcano... That's so like her. Want some cold beer?" Chuck said in a carefree tone, holding out a pack of beer toward Alex and Dean.
"Maybe later... I could really use a very cold shower... Right now I feel like a ring thrown into a volcano," Dean said slowly, feeling the aftereffects of the nausea and trying to get to his feet.
When Sam heard this, his eyes widened in shock. Seeing his brother's condition, Sam wanted to help him up, but Dean just waved him off, saying he was fine and that a shower would make him feel better. As Dean walked away, his body was still steaming from the scorched clothes.
Watching Dean leave, Sam thought about how hard it must be for him because of what Amara had done to him. Sam shifted his gaze to Alex to hear the details. Alex shook his head and said that he also urgently needed a shower and to change. Sam nodded and said he would stop by later to find out the details of what had happened to them.
As he left the main hall, Alex raised his thumb, indicating he would tell everything later. Once out of the main hall, Alex looked at Dean, who was no longer pretending to be tired and was walking calmly toward his room. After all, thanks to Amara's power, the volcano for Dean was no different from hot springs.
Catching up with Dean, Alex raised his hand and made a gesture with his fingers, showing that everything had gone perfectly. In response to this gesture, Dean sarcastically rolled his eyes as he went into his room. He hadn't been lying about needing a shower. The strong smell of sulfur coming from him was causing him another wave of nausea.
"Don't overdo it with the cold shower," Alex said with a chuckle, watching Dean walk away.
"Oh, fuck off. I'm a grown man and I know what I need to do," Dean said, entering his room and flipping Alex the middle finger.
Chuckling at Dean, Alex entered his own room to take a relaxing shower and rest a bit, even if he wasn't tired. Once inside his room, Alex snapped his fingers, and his clothes were whole again and not soaked in the smell of sulfur and ash. Whistling a tune, Alex entered the bathroom with one simple thought — to pamper himself a little in a hot bath alone.
Turning on the water, Alex quickly undressed and climbed into the tub. Settling comfortably, Alex let out a sigh of relief, stretching his legs forward. Despite who he really was, Alex still loved to lie in a hot bath for a bit to relax.
Just as he was about to close his eyes, Alex heard a notification sound on his phone. Sighing, Alex reached for the phone. Taking it in his hands, he saw a message from Integra and her usual comment that he was overdoing it again. Reading the message, Alex pursed his lips and wrote back to his wife that everything had been perfect. Not receiving a reply, Alex put the phone back on the chair next to the tub and then closed his eyes, continuing to relax in silence.
After lying in the hot water for a while and relaxing a bit, Alex got out of the tub, drying his hair with a towel. Approaching the bed, Alex had barely sat down when there was a knock at the door. Sighing tiredly, Alex said it was open. A moment later, Sam entered with a tired expression on his face. In such a short time, so much had fallen on him that he himself could have used a long rest.
Entering Alex's room, Sam wanted to find out what had happened during the meeting with Amara. At first, he had wanted to stop by Dean's to check on his brother's well-being. But he decided to stop by Alex's first to clarify some questions. Sam sat down on the free chair next to Alex's workbench and sighed again.
"So Amara got really angry?" Sam asked, leaning back against the chair.
"That's putting it mildly. I barely managed to catch Dean before he fell into the volcano," Alex said, shaking his head and recounting the previously agreed-upon version of events.
"And what now? Amara got even angrier. And tricks like that won't work anymore," Sam said in a serious tone, rubbing his forehead and trying to come up with another plan.
"At least we achieved what all this was for. That idiot Lucifer is saved. Now we just need to somehow reconcile them. Or at least make those two pretend they get along," Alex said thoughtfully, stroking his chin.
"It's going to be difficult. From the very beginning, Lucifer showed how much he dislikes Chuck... And we still need to reconcile them somehow. You don't happen to have anything that could do that, do you?" Sam said, rubbing his forehead, feeling a headache coming on.
"Don't even ask. I'm not going to play family therapist for Chuck and his beloved son. I only tolerated your family dramas because you're like family to me. As for those two, they can go to hell. I'd rather spend that time talking to the girls and my daughter," Alex said in an irritated tone, making it clear he wasn't going to be part of this family drama.
"Ugh, I was just asking... I hope this time you won't beat up Lucifer... The last thing we need right now is for you to do that again. I'm not against it, of course, but let's skip it for now," Sam said with a smile, reminding Alex of what was better not to do.
"Don't worry about that. As long as he doesn't barge into my room, I don't care... And where is that idiot? Did he already take off somewhere?" Alex said in a lazy tone, waving off Sam's words.
"He's locked himself in my room. And won't come out," Sam replied with irritation in his voice, giving Alex a blank look.
Hearing Sam's answer, Alex raised an eyebrow in surprise, asking if that was really the case. Sam nodded tiredly and began explaining that he had wanted to go to his room to get some things, but the doors were locked. And when he tried to open the door, Lucifer's voice came from the other side, saying that it was his room now and he wasn't coming out.
Hearing all this, Alex suggested a plan to Sam for forcibly evicting him. Sam, of course, wasn't against something like that, but still refused. Hearing Sam's answer, Alex just shrugged and suggested sleeping on the floor in his room or in Dean's room.
Sam laughed at such a suggestion and immediately refused to sleep in the same room as Dean, reminding him of how loudly Dean sometimes snores. Not denying it, Alex also laughed. After finishing laughing, Alex and Sam began discussing sending Donatello back home so as not to expose him to any more danger.
Even though Donatello was a prophet, he still shouldn't get involved in such a mess between Chuck and Amara. And Sam fully agreed with this, suggesting sending Donatello home after Dean finished taking his cold shower to cool down.
Continuing to discuss further plans, Alex shooed Sam off his chair and sat down at the workbench himself to continue working on the double trap. Sam rolled his eyes but still moved, so that Alex could finish working on the trap as soon as possible.
Sam only knew that Alex was assembling a new cage for Amara. In reality, it was a trap for Chuck to easily take the second half of Amara's power from him. And to do it just as spectacularly as Chuck liked to do, stabbing others in the back.
"Are you sure this trap will work against Amara?" Sam asked, standing behind Alex and watching his work.
"You're asking the same thing for the hundredth time. And I'll tell you for the hundredth time — yes, it will work. The last component is a bit of power from Chuck to charge the batteries. And when Amara ends up inside, she herself will power this cage," Alex replied, turning on his chair and looking at Sam.
Alex didn't blame Sam for constantly asking the same question. After all, he didn't know the whole truth and sincerely believed that Amara was bad and Chuck was good and would save everyone. And after the lie about Amara throwing Dean into a volcano for deception, it only strengthened Sam's opinion that Amara was truly bad.
Asking Alex a few more questions, Sam wanted to check on Dean and find out if he had managed to cool down. Just then, Dean entered Alex's room, drying his head with a towel. After relaxing in the bath, Dean felt just great, and he was especially glad that he had managed to get rid of the strong smell of sulfur on his body.
"Oh, you're all here. Perfect. No need to look for anyone. Time to send our prophet home and move on," Dean said, seeing that Sam was also in Alex's room.
"Dean, are you feeling better?" Sam asked, inquiring about his brother's condition.
"As always, a cold shower works wonders. Only these wonders, unfortunately, don't extend to my sulfur-smelling clothes," Dean replied with a slight chuckle, returning to his usual behavior.
"Well, if you're joking again, then you're really fine. Then I'll go tell Donatello to get ready," Sam said with a smile, preparing to go look for Donatello.
"Yeah. We'll finish with the prophet and then think about how to reconcile Chuck and Lucifer... How I don't want to get involved in this. And where are those two now?" Dean said, rubbing his forehead from the oncoming headache.
"Chuck seems to be drinking beer in his usual spot. And Lucifer has locked himself in my room," Sam replied in a dry tone, indicating what the actual situation was.
As soon as Sam said that, Dean immediately suggested the same option as Alex — to forcibly evict Lucifer from the room. Sam's eyelid began to twitch from the fact that Alex and Dean really thought alike and even behaved like younger and older brothers. Shaking his head, Sam repeated again that it was better not to do that and immediately left Alex's room.
When Sam left to talk to Donatello about the fact that he would soon be returning home, Alex and Dean exchanged glances and shrugged simultaneously. Sam returned a couple of minutes later accompanied by Donatello, who looked relieved after learning that he could return home.
"Since you're here, it's time to go," Alex said, standing up from the chair.
"I completely agree with that. I'm not against your company, of course, and you're all very nice and friendly... But... Perhaps this is all not for me. God, God's sister, Lucifer. I'd better go back to my work as a professor," Donatello said with a strained smile, expressing his sincere desire not to be part of all this.
"Yeah, yeah. We know, you're a chemistry professor and a staunch atheist. And now you'd better hold your breath, Donatello. This isn't going to be the most pleasant ride," Dean said, standing next to Donatello.
"I don't like how that sounds," Donatello said in a nervous tone, hearing Dean's words.
"And for good reason. Trust me," Sam said, placing a hand on Donatello's shoulder.
At these words, Donatello began to get even more nervous, not understanding what kind of ride they were talking about and why everyone around him was speaking in such a strange tone. Alex approached Donatello and smiled slightly. And this smile caused even more alarming sensations in Donatello. Before Donatello could say that he wouldn't mind taking a five-hour car ride, Alex snapped his fingers, and they all disappeared.
In the next moment, Alex, Dean, Sam, and Donatello found themselves right on the porch of Donatello's house. At that very moment, Donatello jumped from his spot, ran to the railing, and started vomiting right into the bushes by the porch. While Donatello was throwing up everything he had eaten earlier, Sam approached him and began rubbing his back, helping the professor-prophet come to his senses. A few moments later, Donatello came to, pulling a shaking hand into his pocket to get a handkerchief and wipe his mouth.
"I think... Thank you. And fortunately, this is the last time I'll experience this," Donatello said, wiping the remnants of vomit from his lips.
"That's true. You've had a few tough days. And in just one day you met God, the Darkness, and Lucifer. You should treat yourself to a spa day right now. Or maybe a couple of hookers," Dean said in a cheerful tone, patting Donatello on the shoulder.
"That sounds quite tempting... But plain silence will be enough for me. I need to think about so many things. And see what's next. I might even think about whether I should stay a professor. And it's hard to call myself an atheist anymore," Donatello said, shaking his head, pondering what to do next.
"I perfectly understand your feelings," Sam said, supporting Donatello's decision.
"And if you save the world, we'll still have a future. I might think about a good vacation like that. Somewhere in Hawaii... I've wanted to go there for a long time. So save this world. I believe in you," Donatello said with a smile, looking at Alex, Dean, and Sam with a sincere gaze.
"You don't have to worry about that. So feel free to book tickets to Hawaii. We might even meet there. After all, we're also planning a vacation after all this," Alex said with a chuckle, raising his thumb up.
Hearing this, Donatello was momentarily confused, and then laughed. After finishing laughing, Donatello said that if the world was still intact by then, he would treat them to drinks. After standing on the porch with Donatello for a little longer, they finally said goodbye. Entering his house, Donatello wished them luck one last time and then closed the door behind him.
When Donatello left, Alex, Dean, and Sam descended from the porch, not intending to return to the bunker right away. Not wanting to deal with Chuck and Lucifer at the moment, the three of them simply decided to take a walk, clear their heads, and talk without extra ears. Sam also didn't want to return, but they still had to return anyway and become mediators in this family drama between Chuck and Lucifer.
"So what are we going to do next? Go back and try to reconcile this father-son pair?" Sam asked, walking next to Alex and Dean.
"Right now I definitely don't want to go back. And that idiot has locked himself in your room, in case you forgot, Sammy," Dean said in an irritated tone, shoving his hands into his jacket pockets.
"I think he'll come out after some time. To throw a tantrum with screams about why you abandoned me, Daddy. Don't you love me anymore?" Alex said in a mocking tone, imitating Lucifer's voice.
"That's for sure... And I definitely don't want to watch that right now... No one wants to watch something like that at all," Dean agreed, expressing his reluctance to return.
"But we'll still have to go back. And watch all of it," Sam reminded, although he himself didn't want to watch any of it.
"Oh, Sam. Stop ruining everything. Let's just wander the streets for a couple of hours, and then we'll go back. In any case, even if we go back, nothing will change," Dean said, lightly pushing his brother.
Sam thought for a moment about Dean's words and quickly agreed. He understood that even if they returned to the bunker now, Lucifer would still be sitting in his room, refusing to come out and acting like a capricious child. And the only way to make Lucifer come out was to drag him out by force, which would only worsen the situation.
Seeing that Sam agreed, Dean suggested going to grab a bite, justifying it by the fact that all the food that had been in his stomach had come back up, and he was hungry now. Alex and Sam didn't mind grabbing a bite, and it would also allow them to talk in a normal setting.
Finding a family restaurant nearby, Alex, Dean, and Sam went inside. Taking a table and placing their order, they began discussing how to reconcile Chuck and Lucifer. But it all came down to the fact that it would be very difficult to do.
"Maybe you'll also suggest arranging a family dinner where they air all their grievances?" Dean asked, hearing several options that Sam had suggested.
"Dean, I'm serious... Wait... That might actually work. Theoretically, it really could work," Sam said, rolling his eyes, but then immediately thinking over Dean's words.
"Yeah, or just sit them down at a negotiation table... Which is an even more difficult task. Oh, it feels like we don't have enough problems as it is. And Cas definitely won't get into this shit. So it all falls on us," Alex said, reaching for his slice of pizza.
"Yeah, a capricious child and a runaway daddy. Just perfect. And an angry sister looming on the horizon. You couldn't come up with a better situation," Dean said, gesturing with the pizza in his hand.
"Guys, let's stay on topic. Reconciling Chuck and Lucifer," Sam intervened, not letting the conversation go in the wrong direction.
"Fine. If we're on topic. The plan is simple. Make those two talk to each other. Difficult. Yes. But possible. The main thing is that this capricious archangel doesn't start making even more scenes," Alex said, wiping his hands with a napkin.
Sam thought about this simple direct plan and voiced a couple of his suggestions on how to do it. But Alex reminded him that Lucifer was still a capricious child with great power, and that if they continued to pressure him, he would only act more capricious.
Despite how Alex continued to call Lucifer, Sam understood that even if time was pressing, they shouldn't rush this matter. Taking a sip of coffee, Sam sighed heavily. Putting the cup back on the table, Sam rubbed his forehead with one simple hope that the situation in the bunker wouldn't get even worse while they were here.
Dean and Alex looked at Sam, who was once again trying to carry everything on his shoulders. And they understood that no matter how much time passed, Sam still blamed himself for Amara being free.
Sam didn't just blame himself; he felt responsible for the fact that his decision to save Dean from the Mark of Cain had literally pushed the whole world into the abyss. And that was why he was so eagerly trying to reconcile Chuck and Lucifer so that together they could defeat Amara and send her back to the cage.
Seeing how Sam was blaming himself once again, Dean looked at Alex and with a glance asked if they should perhaps tell Sam everything. Alex thought for a moment about telling everything. But he quickly shook his head, mentally reminding Dean that it was better to play it safe. Dean sighed and nodded, hearing Alex's voice in his head. Rubbing his eyebrow, Dean turned to Sam and lightly patted his brother on the shoulder.
"Listen, Sammy. Remember what Elsa said," Dean said with a serious face.
"Let it go and forget..." Alex sang softly, helping Dean distract Sam from his internal lamentations.
"Elsa? Let it go and forget? What are you two doing in the recreation room?" Sam asked in embarrassment, genuinely puzzled by what he heard.
"Watching cartoons, what's with the questions. And that's why, Sam. Stop carrying everything on yourself. We'll figure something out. For now, relax your brain, or steam is already coming out of your head. No matter how much you think, you still won't get an answer and won't change anything. So eat your pizza and drink your coffee. We'll think about everything else when we get home," Alex said with a slight smile, reminding Sam that he should take a short break.
"Fine. Just no more quotes from cartoons. That really sounds weird coming from you two. Or at least don't do it in crowded places," Sam said with a tired smile, still deciding to listen to Alex and Dean's words.
After Alex and Dean's words, Sam felt a little calmer, which allowed him to distract himself from all those thoughts that continued to wash over him in waves. Stopping thinking about all of it, Sam took a slice of pizza and decided to fill his stomach with food after all.
Seeing that Sam had switched to something else, Alex and Dean ordered another pizza because they had almost finished this one. Despite what was happening in the bunker, Alex and Dean weren't going to deny themselves pizza even in moments like these. Sam also ordered himself another salad, not intending to fill his stomach with just pizza.
Very quickly, the topic of conversation shifted to everyday matters when Alex told Sam that he had received a new book from Alan Wake. And at that moment, all of Sam's attention was drawn to the new book.
Despite everything, Sam was still a fan of Alan Wake's books, and Alex now had four books that were one-of-a-kind. Sam literally snatched the book from Alex's hands to see what Alan Wake had written.
To be continued...
(For heaven's sake, the weather in my town has changed again. Yesterday it was scorching hot, and today it's cool. And it's giving me a massive headache, this sudden change in temperature. As for the plot, well, we're already at the end. All that's left is to assemble the dream team against Amara, and then stab Chuck in the back. And then beat Chuck up, with a stick, a rock, a flip-flop, and basically anything else that comes to hand. In the meantime, I'm going to go get something to eat. Peace, love, and grilled cheese. Mmmm, delicious.)
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