DEAR JACK,
I don't care for me,
And I'm not too sure I care for anyone.
Anyone besides you.
You make me be everything I've ever wanted to be.

❂

NOT TOO LONG AFTER THE WINCHESTER'S ARRIVAL, THEY HAD GOTTEN THE CAMP TOGETHER TO HEAD OUT ON A LONG JOURNEY. The plan had been to meet up with Bobby and all those that stayed with him, then straight to the rift to head back to the other world. Everyone was cautious on this journey to be certain that Michael and his angels would not interfere. The longer it would take them to get to the rift, the more likely it would be closed when they arrived.

Gabriel had not known Rose well enough, but he had been the one to convince her to scout up ahead with him and Castiel. He told the others it was his charm and good looks, yet Rose's newly stuffed pockets filled with candy had said otherwise.

She had been quiet as the angels were only a few steps ahead. Castiel had tried to keep his distance and allow Rose to come to him. She had always came to him whenever she had anything to open up about and there was a mutual trust between the two— this time was different and he could feel it. Stopping in his tracks, he told Gabriel quietly to scout ahead so he could talk with Rose on the way back.

Gabriel didn't bother fighting about it. He did what he had to do to get her to come along in the first place— the rest was up to Castiel.

Rose knew what was coming when Castiel had stopped and Gabriel had continued to move on, so she had stopped and looked to Cas. "Was this the plan? It's your way to talk to me alone, I'm guessing."

"You seem sheltered," Cas began to explain but Rose hadn't given him the reaction he had expected because she didn't give him one. She hadn't even attempted an excuse, she just waited for him to continue. He swallowed hard as he felt his eyes lingering off her. "Mary briefly explained what had happened but I'd like to hear it from you."

Rose had motioned for Cas to follow with her back towards the group. He had seen this as a step in the right direction with her. As long as she was willing to walk with him, then maybe she could give him some of the information he was looking for. "I don't need someone always watching me, you know."

"You never did. I've always trusted you to know how to watch yourself."

Rose had felt guilty for a moment, but decided against giving Cas what he was looking for which happened to be human emotions. "Then what is it, because I could have helped Gabriel if he came across any of Michael's angels. I can do something now. I'm finally able to help out."

"You've always helped out," he said softly in confusion. "No one is mad at you. We care for you is all. Dean may have a difficult way of showing it... After all he's been through..."

"Just because it's Dean, doesn't mean you have to make excuses for him. I know how he feels. He's not mad, he's angry. He's disappointed, and he hates that he feels this way towards me. The thing is, I really don't care if Dean likes me or not. I don't care if you like me either." She was hesitant as the group had came into view. They were approaching with caution, but the sight of Cas and Rose was enough to give the all clear for the time being.

Rose gently grabbed Castiel's arm as she brought them to a stop. "I don't care, because I don't even care much about myself." Rose turned to look at the group, catching Constance's eye before she dropped Castiel's arm back down. Clearing her throat, she placed her hands into her pockets and made her way towards the group with him trailing not too far behind.

Constance had walked closely beside Lucifer, which had given Rose the opportunity to follow beside Jack. Castiel had chosen to head to Sam and Dean as he raised his arms in defeat. "She won't talk much," he sighed as his arms fell back down to his sides. "I'm afraid she's losing a part of herself."

"Yeah, well, she made that choice," Dean sad harshly.

"Dean, this isn't something you can get angry about..."

"Oh, I'm passed that. I'm passed angry. I'm pissed," Dean said sharply to Cas. He knew there was no reason, but he wanted to be furious. It was something he deserved to feel about all he went through to get here. All he wanted was good news for once, and just as it had always been, it was one thing after another.

Sam didn't allow himself to hang his head at Dean's words, and instead offered up another solution. "Maybe I should talk to her. She could want someone different to talk too. No offense, Cas, but they've been dealing with angels since they got here— and not the good kind, and Mom can't even break through..."

"It's not Mom's fault. It's that lady that hangs on Rose like a lost dog."

All three men had looked over their shoulder as Constance linked her arm with Rose's. Rose had seemed more interested in talking with Jack— and for the first time since they've been here, they had seen her most relaxed speaking with him. When they had turned back, Dean couldn't help but scoff. "Anyone talk to that lady? Find out what her deal is?"

"If anyone would have any idea, it would be Rowena and Crowley. From what little I've heard... she's not the greatest," Sam said.

Dean shook his head in response. "That's putting it in the nicest way possible. Someone's gotta talk to her. Mom won't— she already hates her." Giving a nod to Cas, Dean looked to him for some answers. "What'd Jack have to say about her?"

"Nothing good," he admitted. "He doesn't seem to like her. He tried telling me more, but Lucifer had interrupted and I wasn't going to ask with him around."

"Good. See if you can find out more from him. Sammy, you want to give it a shot with her, you go for it but don't come crying to me when you start seeing what I'm seeing."

"And what exactly are you seeing, Dean?" Sam questioned in annoyance. He knew the answer, but he was desperate to hear him actually admit it.

"She's not Rose. She's a demon, Sam. Here I thought we were passed the whole demon thing."

"That's because it's not a demon thing, it's Rose we're talking about. Nothings changed. She needs us, just like we've needed her." Sam shook his head as he saw Dean allow his words to pass on by. He didn't seem to care for what Sam had to say— he made up his mind and there was nothing that could change that. "I'm going to talk to her because I care and I want to help her."

Castiel swallowed hard as he had felt the guilt weighing on his shoulders. Sam's confidence in Rose was all he wanted to hear, but her confidence in them and herself was gone. "She doesn't believe we care for her. Rose doesn't care for herself."

"Maybe she should've thought of that before she did any of this," Dean stated. He had seen himself as destructive and beyond repair, but he had also seen a lot of himself in Rose and his blame on himself had changed his views on her. It was because he had never wanted to see Rose as destructive, it was because he wanted to save her because he felt he couldn't save himself.

Dean had glanced back towards Rose with a deep frown. She had turned over to a Lucifer as he had once again began to find a way to get under her skin. "Listen, Titanic. I'm Team You. I was just telling your mom here one snap, and you could kill any angel you want. They just gotta have a little more faith in you. Sort of like I have a lot of faith in Jack."

"Your faith in Jack is completely screwed up," she said with a small, sarcastic laugh. "I get why you're playing dad now, but if you hurt him then you'll be one of those angels I kill."

"Ouch," he chuckled, giving a small nudge to Constance. "You raised a feisty one."

"She didn't raise her," Jack clarified. "She had a father and a grandmother. And she has Sam, Dean, Cas and Mary. They raised her."

"I'm her mother," Constance stated with a dangerous smile. Her need to remove Jack had grown, but her love for Lucifer had fought that urge. If she had wanted Lucifer all to herself, she needed Jack, and even so, if she wanted Rose, then she needed Jack even more. She couldn't lose all the power she gave to herself just because of a nephilim.

Racing down the trail, Gabriel had wide eyes and a fearful look, "Angels!" As he had called it, the angels he had raced away from were not too far behind and had been lead straight towards the group. 

"Kill on my command," an angel had instructed to his men. The group had all huddled in close, some closing their eyes as they had prepared for the oncoming death. All around the angels eyes had begun to glow a bright blue as they readied their strike.

A single snap had been heard of the silence and the angels had all burst into a cloud of smoke. Several had ducked as they had anticipated the blow to be the end of their lives, but when the smoke had fell around them and had not been them, eyes had traveled all over in search of the savior.

Eventually, all eyes turned to Rose as they had all suspected. However, Rose had slowly tore her eyes away from the candy she had been opening and looked out at the group. Giving a small shrug and pout, she said, "It wasn't me."

Eyes quickly shifted over to Lucifer as he sheepishly raised his cuffed hands in the air. They had melted off him as he failed to hide his smile. "Oh, yeah. About the cuffs, I knew they wouldn't hold me in this world. Long story short, I didn't want your impotence to get awkward, so I went along." His hands fell down to his side as the silence hung in the air. Letting out a laugh, he raised his arms out towards the group. He had at least expected someone to thank him for saving them when all he had to do was allow the angels to kill all of them. "You're welcome! Don't thank me all at once."

Constance had raised her hand out as she unlinked her arm from Rose's. Gently laying her hand on top of his, she had gently wrapped her fingers over his as she stared, lost in his eyes. "Thank you," she whispered softly. Lucifer laid a hand over hers in response because he got even more than he wanted. He knew he'd get Jack, but along the way, he had found a supporter.