Chapter One Hundred and Eighty-Eight - Empty
Eden zapped back into the Bunker and was greeted with a book being thrown at her feet in the library.
"Be careful!" Cas huffed, walking over to pick it up.
"Crap, sorry. I didn't see you appear." An extremely stressed Sam sighed, resting his head in his hands at the table.
"We understand." Cas uttered, placing the book back down in front of him.
"Jack completed the final trial." Eden sniffed, wiping away a few stray tears. "He met my father."
"You mean Adam?" Sam frowned, turning around in his chair towards her.
"He and my... Stepmother – an Angel, they were there. That's why Dean called me. He completed the trial and in return, he got one of Papa's ribs. They said it would basically turn him into a Supernova and... Then he'll be a black hole for the omnipotent." Eden explained, entirely unable to make contact with either of the men in front of her.
Castiel took a minute to study Sam's lost expression.
"I feel it too." The Angel said. "It's hopelessness."
"Maybe Dean was right." The Winchester sighed.
"Yeah, maybe..." Cas uttered.
"It just... It feels wrong." Sam put his hands to his chest, feeling a painful ache. "You know, Billie's got Dean so convinced..."
"But you don't believe her." Cas observed.
"Can you blame us?" Eden frowned at a random spot on the floor. "Billie wants order. We know she doesn't care about the lives ruined in the process. This is the easiest way. I refuse to believe it's the only way."
"I just wish I could talk to her. Before it all goes down, you know? Just to make sure." Sam sighed again.
"There is no easy way to summon Death." Castiel seemed to growl, whether intentional or not. "And I will not let you end your own life."
"Jack could do it..." Eden muttered, not really thinking about her words until she said them out loud. That made her frown only deepen.
"What is it?" Sam asked, watching her.
"Jack could do it. If he can bring Pigeon back and wake up the Empty in the process, summoning Death should be easy for him." She looked to the two men, checking their expressions for any sign that they were following along.
"Baby, Jack's not here." The Winchester pointed out. "And I'm not sure we can wait for him and Dean to get back."
"Who said anything about Jack being the one to do it?" Eden cocked a brow, pointing a finger down to her belly.
"No. This is beyond our regular dose of stupidity." Cas shook his head.
"Wouldn't you rather know?" Eden asked, tilting her head. "Wouldn't you rather there be a way to find out that what's being done to all of us – to Jack, is really necessary? To make sure that this is the only and right way?"
Castiel released a heavy breath.
"Then at least let me go with you if it works."
"If we can do this, then I need you to stay here. If Dean and Jack get back before we do, you need to be here to buy us some time." Sam instructed, getting up from his chair to approach Eden, who placed a gentle hand on top of her belly.
She took a deep breath and lifted it again, pointing it to the nearest brick wall.
"Come on, Jorden. We've got this, Flower." She whispered.
Black smoke began to pour from the Dark Angel's fingertips, floating towards the wall. It accumulated to appear like a waterfall, flowing down the wall to disappear into nothing when it reached the floor. Slowly, the smoke at the top began to lower, revealing seams in the wall like a secret door.
Eden lowered her hand and offered Sam a weary, nervous look.
He nodded and moved towards the new door, pushing it open.
"Remember. Cover for us." Eden warned the Light Angel, who huffed and nodded.
Inside was, more or less, exactly what Eden had expected. The walls and shelves around them were a steel grey colour. The large hexagonal columns had 'W's down them, back-lit with white lights. The books on the shelves were laid horizontally and piled twelve at a time.
Sam and Eden quickly noticed that the door wouldn't open fully, prompting Sam to peer around it for the source of the problem; that being a dead Caucasian male Angel laying on the pristine, black mirrored floor.
The Winchester pushed the door as far as it would go to allow himself to enter, shortly followed by his love who had a protective hand on her belly.
The room never seemed to end, with the corridor to the left and right of them falling into blackness, a few more scattered Angel bodies on either side.
The door slammed closed behind them, making Sam jump. When he turned back towards it, the seams of the door had vanished.
"Nowhere to go but forwards, then..." Eden mumbled under her breath.
"I guess so." Sam replied, looking to his left. "Come on, let's try this way."
He made a few cautious steps in the chosen direction, pausing again when he heard a woman cry out.
"Please! Wait, wait! Please don't hurt me!" She wailed, shortly followed by a gruesome mixture of cracking bones and liquid splatter. "No, no!"
A man whimpered in the near distance. Eden tapped Sam's upper arm when she saw movement through one of the shelves.
They took the row next to where she'd seen it, desperately trying to keep their footsteps silent.
"Please! Please... She won't come..." A man's voice quivered.
"Keep praying or whatever..." An unamused, yet strangely familiar voice said.
"It's hopeless. Please!" The man begged. Though, something soon changed his tune. "O-okay! Okay, okay..."
He began to pray in Latin, his muttered words shaking through his lips.
Sam peered around the shelf he'd made his hiding spot, seeing none other than a very blonde Meg, sat behind a desk with one leg draped across her other, a book placed directly in front of her.
"I told you." The man eventually said.
'Meg' lifted a hand and twisted it, her powers breaking his neck and killing him instantly.
Sam turned, motioning for Eden to do the same and make their escape.
Just as they took their first step, they felt a breeze and realised they were now in the next row of shelves.
"Crap..." Eden breathed, closing her eyes briefly.
They turned around, jumping when they saw 'Meg' give them a grimaced smirk.
"Sam Winchester, Eden and their beautiful little love child?"
"Meg?" Sam replied.
"Sorry, she's still dead." 'Meg' scoffed. "Just borrowing the Queen's pretty face because really, I'm Empty."
"You're the Empty." The Winchester nodded.
"That's what I said." The entity sang.
"Oh, good. I've got a bone to pick with you." Eden glared.
"Do you now? Well, damn. I can't wait." The Empty winked.
"What are you doing here?" Sam demanded, his tone hushed as to try not to push the entity too far too soon.
"Death and me need a word." She replied. "Been trying her party-line, but she's ignoring me. I hate that."
"Yeah, we saw your chain of dead ends." Eden said monotonously.
The Empty chuckled.
"I like you. You're funny." She wagged a finger in the Dark Angel's direction.
"What do you want?" Sam asked.
"The Empty was supposed to be mine. Not even God held sway. But, lies! Sweet little lies. Billie said when she takes over she'd make it all better, but then your busted-ass friend in a trench coat came along and he gave me these trust issues..." 'Meg' explained, frowning.
"Billie wants to take over?" Sam's brows raised.
"But that's stupid. She has no real power. The ability to kill anything? Well, anyone can do that. Thanks for the demonstration." Eden rolled her eyes.
"Yeah. She wants to become 'New God'. Classic narcissist, right?" The entity smirked, shaking her head. "She's all tingly for the rules – the good old days."
"What is that supposed to mean?" Sam pressed breathily.
"Everyone back to where they belong – realities, dimensions, graves. What should be dead dies, Angels off Earth, Demons back to Hell and I go back to sleep. Or I'm supposed to." The Empty shrugged. "Except again, trust issues. But you... You're Sam Winchester and the Eden from 'the' Garden. You're in God's book." She leaned forward, tapping the ornately decorated book in front of her with her index fingernail.
"That's- that's Chuck's death book?" Sam stuttered.
"It's a lot thicker than I imagined..." Eden frowned.
The Empty chuckled again, nodding her head.
"Have you read it?" The Winchester uttered.
"Only Billie can read it, dummy." 'Meg' scowled. "She always talked about how you should be so dead. Except she needs you. So, maybe if I hurt you..." She raised her hand and curled her fingers into a fist. A second later, Sam keeled over, falling to a knee as he gasped for breath.
"Sam!" Eden's eyes widened, auto pilot taking control to dive towards him, placing a hand on his back. "Stop it. Stop this right now!"
"You hear that? Get your scythe down here, Billie, or your boy's toast!" The Empty demanded at thin air.
"Wait. Stop!" Sam choked. "Billie sent us."
'Meg' frowned, stopping her power after a few moments.
"She did what now?"
Sam gasped for air, wiping his face before he answered.
"Billie... She sent us."
"Really?" The Empty's frown deepened, contrasting the high pitch her voice took. "'Cause you're saying a lot of dumb stuff for, you know, an emissary of Death."
"Yeah, well... We're all trying to beat God." The Winchester panted, accepting Eden's help to his feet. "Not a whole lotta time for questions."
"Go on..."
"Billie... Sent me... To get the book." He replied through heavy breaths, pointing a finger to the object on the desk. "She didn't say why."
"Where is she?" The Empty asked.
"Earth." He said simply. "You can't go there, can you?"
"Only if I'm summoned." The entity pressed her lips together in annoyance. "God's so protective of his little sand castles."
"Well, Billie can't leave, either, something about the plan. So, she sent us with a message." Sam motioned between himself and Eden, who's expression remained unreadable as not to let 'Meg' catch on to the Winchester's story. "Billie will honour her promise. God, Amara – they die. And you? You can go back to sleep."
The Empty stared him down for a few seconds, her lips pursed.
"And if you're lying?"
"I guess you have two choices." Sam gave a small smirk as he leaned down to place his hands on the desk between them. "Give me the book – maybe we all win. But if you kill us, we lose... And you will never go back to sleep."
The entity ran her tongue along her bottom row of teeth.
"If you lose, I'll make sure neither of you ever see that baby outside of the womb." She eventually replied, leaning forward to pick up the book and hand it to the Winchester. She then waved that hand towards the wall opposite her, opening up a door. "Go. Before I decide you're lying and I take that child right now."
Sam looked back to Eden, who gave a barely-there nod.
"Sam, Eden. Finally." Cas sighed as they both came through the door.
"Oh, wow." Eden's eyes widened as she keeled over slightly, clutching her belly.
"What?" Sam frowned, placing a hand on her shoulder.
"It's Amara. She's here with Chuck. She'll be feeling their power." Cas explained. "It's time."
"No, no, Cas, we can't let that happen." Sam panted. "We have to stop it."
The second Eden felt alright again, the three made their way to the library, passing through the War room in time for Dean and Jack to get back.
"Oh my God!" The Dark Angel shrieked as soon as she laid eyes on her boy, she rushed over to him to help. "What happened?"
Dean had Jack's arm around his shoulders, carrying the hunched over Nephilim through the room as Eden grabbed the arm Jack had clutching his stomach, throwing it over her own shoulders to help.
"He said it was time. He absorbed your dad's rib." Dean explained through panted breaths.
"Chuck and Amara cannot die." Sam announced, leading the way through the Bunker.
"Wait, I don'tunderstand-"
"Are they ready?" Dean shouted across to his brother, cutting Castiel off in the process. "We need to get this kid in the room right now."
"Wait, wait! Dean, no! Listen! Billie is playing us!" The younger brother told him, pacing along behind him, Jack and Eden just to keep up with them.
"So, what, her plan's not gunna work?"
"No, it will work!"
"Then great." Dean growled.
"But listen! If Jack takes out God and Amara, it'll create a power vacuum that Billie will fill." Sam explained. "This was all her power grab!"
"Wait, Death wants to become God?" Cas frowned from the back of the group.
"She'll create a universe with her version of order. Sam, Dean, you, me – we'll all die because that's what Billie thinks is supposed to happen. What has died should be dead." Eden groaned as a her back became tight, the sensation quickly moving round to the front of her belly in a wave-like motion.
She fell back, being forced to release Jack as she clutched her rock hard abdomen in time for Sam to catch her.
The sound of water splashing and pooling at their feet echoed throughout the corridor.
"Oh, no..." Sam's eyes widened. "Is this what I think it is?"
"Trustthis to be the time she wants to make an appearance." Eden scrunched up her face as another wave came. "I told you; not until your sister's back, damn it!"
"There's no arguing with that kid. Get yourself to the infirmary, we'll be there when this is all over." Dean called back to her, still leading the charge towards Chuck and Amara.
"Go. I need to stop this. I'll be there as soon as I can." Sam promised, kissing her hair and jogging to catch up with Jack and his brother.
"I'm not leaving him!" Eden yelled.
"Come on, I've got you. I'll protect him. Just like you did." Castiel told her, putting an arm around her waist to take her to the infirmary, himself.
"Dean, stop!" Sam raised his voice, jumping in the way of his brother and Jack. "I'm trying to make you listen!"
"We don't have time! Jack already lit the fuse! We gotta go!" Dean bellowed, taking out his gun to aim at his younger brother. "Move. Go and help your damn kid be born!"
"Dean!" Eden shrieked, her eyes wide.
"Dean, don't do this..." Sam begged, holding out a hand.
"I don't wanna do this. But this is everything!" Dean snapped.
"No, it's not!"
"Get out of my way." The older brother growled, pulling the hammer down on his weapon.
Sam looked to Jack, then to Eden.
The Dark Angel threw her hand out, using all of the magic she could muster to throw the gun from Dean's grasp. Sam took the opportunity to shove him, earning a punch in the face in return.
"Mom?" Willow appeared from round the corner, having heard the commotion when she came in.
"Willow! Where the bloody hell have you been?" Eden demanded with her wide eyes, quickly recoiling as another contraction ripped through her.
"Take your mother. Go to the infirmary. I've got this." Castiel ordered, earning an instant nod from the young Vampire.
"You've got some serious explaining to do, young lady." Eden groaned as Willow sat her down on one of the infirmary beds.
"Yeah, I get it. And we'll do that as soon as I've met my sister." Willow huffed, running around the place to get a bowl of water and towels. "Talk me through this. I have no idea what I'm doing."
"Dampen one of the towels." The Dark Angel instructed, putting her feet up on the bed. "Place it under my legs. It's going to get messy and sticky. The wet towel will make it easier to clean her off and-"
"I don't care about the why, just the how!" Willow shouted, putting her mother's feet up and lifting her dress out of the way.
"Oh no..." Eden stopped all movements, her eyes like saucers at the power she felt from the other side of the Bunker. "Amara... She's in trouble. Chuck, he's-"
"Screw Amara! Focus on me. On the baby." The Vampire instructed, holding the Dark Angel's ankles.
As Chuck absorbed his sister, the tidal wave of power that came hit Eden like a tonne of the building blocks of the universe.
"I need to push!" She seethed through the particularly large and agonising contraction that followed. "Willow. We have no idea how this will happen. If I turn out like Kelly... You need to know that I love you. I love Jack and I love Sam and Dean and-"
"If you finish that sentence, I swear I'll disappear again." The girl glared. "Now push."
"Make sure Jorden doesn't choke on her umbilical chord. When she's out, cut the chord about two inches from where her belly button will be." Eden panted.
"Jorden's an awesome name. Alright?" Willow nodded. "Now push."
The scream that was released was unmatched by anything on Earth...
Every light in the infirmary exploded in a dangerous mixture of electricity and shattered glass.
Across the Bunker, one of the most important brotherly moments was interrupted by the door at the end of the corridor exploding, disintegrating into thousands of tiny splinters.
Chuck walked out alone.
"Are you kidding me?" He yelled, addressing the remaining four with fury in his gaze. "After everything, all that, you- you did it again!"
"Where's Amara?" Castiel asked, holding Jack against the corridor wall.
"Amara... Amara. She's in here somewhere." The deity strolled towards them, motioning to his velvet suited body.
"What, you consumed your sister?" The Angel frowned.
"We came to an understanding." Chuck retorted. "So spare me your contempt, Castiel; the self-hating Angel of Thursday. You know what every other version of you did after 'gripping him tight and raising him from perdition?' They did what they were told. But not you. Not the one off the line with a crack in his chassis. All of you! You know, I tried and I tried and I tried. But you're all just too stupid, too stubborn. Too broken. You know what? I'm over it. I'm over you."
"Yeah?" Sam scowled. "Good."
"Screw you, Chuck." Dean growled, pointing to him with his gun in hand.
"No..." Chuck breathed. "Screw you. You know what you do with broken toys? You throw them out. So, kill each other, don't kill each other – I don't care." He shrugged.
"What do you mean?" Cas glared.
"I mean, have fun watching him die." He outstretched a finger pointed directly at a very pale looking Jack, who was still clutching his chest and hunched over.
Within a second and half, the Nephilim fell to his knees, groaning out in pain.
Cas fell with him, holding him with one hand on his forearm and the other grasping the back of his neck.
"Jack!" Dean lurched forward, placing his own hands on the boy.
"Help me." He panted.
"Jack, hey!" The older brother pressed, heavy concern dripping from his words.
Jack looked up at Chuck, his eyes burning gold. Veins began to fan out from his sockets, golden light leaking out from the cracks.
"No!" A child's scream tore everyone's attention from the boy.
"Oh, crap..." Chuck gulped. But before anyone could look back at him, he disappeared.
"Who the..." Dean trailed off in his shock.
"Hello." The little girl raised a hand in a motionless wave, just like Jack always did.
She looked around four or five. Copper locks flowed from her head to just below her shoulders, her eyes were an unusual mixture of hazel and blue and a light dusting of freckles decorated her light complexion. She wore nothing but what appeared to be one of Sam's t-shirts.
Sam rose from his crouched position next to a tormented Jack, frowning as he slowly approached the child.
"Jorden? Is that you?"
"Silly daddy. Of course it's me." She giggled, one hand holding her index finger just below her stomach as she bounced on the balls of her tiny bare feet.
Sam gave a breathy chuckle of disbelief, kneeling down a few feet away from her as he outstretched his arms.
Jorden's face lit up in a wide grin, running to throw herself at him in a hug.
He picked her up, holding her at his side when he turned back to Dean, Castiel and Jack.
"We've gotta get him somewhere that isn't here." The older brother said, lifting the boy's arm over his shoulders as Castiel did.
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