DEAR JACK,
Fighting for us isn't worth the pain.
All they do is look to us in disdain.
I can't fight for myself, but I can for you.
Leaving it to you is all I can do.

❂

THE ARCH ANGEL MICHAEL HAD FOUND HIMSELF IN PARADISE WITH NEWCOMERS. It hadn't been long before he had came across Jack and Rose attempting to free Mary Winchester from his grasp. He hadn't taken kindly to the two and was not too impressed with their arrival. Instantly, Jack had been radiating immense power that would be unmatched to his own. With Rose, he had felt something inside her he was uncertain of.

Michael had felt that the people from the other world were his key to finding a new land to rule over that wasn't at all as drab as the one he had lived in. Making his way around Rose, he flicked her hair over her shoulder.

She had sat tied in a chair, bruised and bloody as she had waited for what more Michael had to offer. He had begun to grow bored with the idea of plain old torture quite quickly. Rose had not been a talker which did not sit right with him.

Looking her over once more, he pressed a finger to her forehead, searching through her brain once more before he had pulled away. With a small sigh, he snapped his fingers and the ropes around her wrists had fallen to the floor.

Picking her up by her arm, he had dragged her alongside him, figuring it was enough for the evening. The other angels had been down his back with constant questions that were soon going to lead them towards bursting before his eyes.

Throwing open a door, he had dropped her off inside the prisoners room before slamming it shut. Both Jack and Mary had sat up in surprise, afraid that Michael had finally grown bored enough to kill her. Before they could check, Rose had lifted her head up.

"He say anything?" Mary questioned hopefully. On the other hand, Jack had fallen down on his knees before Rose and helping her into a sitting position. "Are you okay?"

"I'll be okay," she breathed.

"Michael wants me to open the door. Mary said Michael, he wants to bring his army back to our world. But I won't. He can't make me. I-I don't care how much he hurts me."

"He's not going to hurt you, Jack," Mary whispered. Turning her head towards the two, she gave a weak smile. "He's gonna hurt me. Hurt Rose. Why do you think he brought us all together? So that we would meet, so we would talk. And then when he comes back, if you don't do what he wants, he's going to kill us." Meeting Rose's eyes, Mary furrowed her brows together in curiosity. "What did he ask you?"

"Nothing. Just ask how we got here. I didn't say anything." Looking back and forth between the two, Rose had begun to feel uneasy. There had been more to Michael that they had wanted to fully understand. "He did say..." Pausing, she swallowed hard. "Well, it wasn't to me."

"What'd he say?"

"He knew me. Apparently this universe me... I don't live up to her standards. Doesn't mean he thinks I'm harmless. He seemed nervous." Shaking her head, Rose dismissed the idea of an arch angel being frightened of her. "Maybe he was scared if he hurt me, Jack would kill him."

"He's right then," Jack said softly. "I won't let him hurt you. Either of you."

Standing tall, Mary had let out a long sigh of frustration. "When Michael comes back, you let him kill me."

"Me too, Jack," Rose whispered regretfully.

Jack had kept his eyes locked on her in surprise. "What?"

The silence between the two had allowed for Mary to come over, get down on one knee before Jack. "Do not open that door."

"If you don't let us die, then Michael will torture us until you break. It'll be easier this way. You won't have to worry about us then," Rose added on. As she had begun to reach out to comfort him, Jack had shot up from his spot. "No, we're getting out of here."

Annoyed, Mary stood tall, "We can't."

"Yes, we can," Jack insisted. "I'm strong. I should be able to save us all, but every time I try and use my powers here, even things I know how to do, it's all wrong. It's just... my head, it... it doesn't stop pounding."

"Your head hurts? I've had migraines every since they locked me in here. I thought it was from the torture." Mary paused as she glanced around the room in wonder. "But maybe... maybe this place has warding so strong that humans can feel it."

"You think that's why my powers aren't working?" He questioned.

She moved towards the barred window suspiciously. "My headache... I gave it everywhere except right here. This is the only place it ever lets up."

"Because the warnings weaker," Jack spoke as he made his way over. Taking a chance, he had held his hand up against the bars as his eyes glowed gold. The metal underneath the palm of his hand had began to sizzle from the use of his powers until finally that had given in and burst under his touch.

Breathing heavily, a smile had broken out across his face. None had to say anything, already knowing what would be best for them. Mary was the first to jump out, more than eager to escape the place that had kept her prisoner for so long.

Turning to help Rose, Jack had seen she had still sat on the floor with her knees pressed to her chest. Making his way over, he crouched down and pulled her hands into his. "We can leave now."

The corners of her lips had twitched into a smile as she saw him so excited. Nodding her head, she had begun to stand with Jack. As he had looked down to her hand in his, his smile had been washed away and his heart sunk as he saw the bruises the ropes had caused on her wrists. His eyes had traveled up towards her face, seeing the bruises and scratches that littered it.

While he had helped her out of the window, he took one last glance back to the doorway, wishing he could stop Michael right then and there. If it were up to him, he would've been destroyed now just for the pain he had caused her. However, when he had heard Rose call out his name in a hushed tone, he climbed out the window, pushing the battle with Michael to a time when he knew he could win.

❂

MICHAEL HAD BEEN ITCHING FOR ANOTHER VISIT WITH JACK KLINE. The plans for the evening he believed would sway Jack enough to tell him how to open the gate to another world. There was a moment that Michael had felt he corners of his lips slip upwards as he unlocked the door that held his prisoners.

Swinging the door open with force, he had hoped to frighten those inside, only to be disappointed that no one had flinched at his arrival. A deep frown set across his face as he had taken a step into the empty room. His eyes darted towards the hole in the barred window and felt his rage spike.

As he had made his way over, an angel had followed closely behind, knowing new orders were going to be set in place.

"Find him and bring him back to me," Michael demanded as he looked over his shoulder.

"And the other two?"

"Kill the woman in front of the boy. Make her feel it." Michael had paused as he directed his attention back out towards the window, his mind racing as he considered plans for Rose. Letting out a heavy sigh, he gave a final instruction. "Bring the girl to me. Don't let her die. She'll be dangerous if she finds out how much power she holds inside her."

Giving a strict nod toward Michael, the angel had begun to leave, ready to fulfill his orders until he had been called back. Pausing in his tracks, he looked towards Michael curiously.

"Don't fail me again, Zachariah."

Swallowing hard, he had nodded his head. This time, he had felt more hesitant. To fail Michael once again was fearful enough to create goosebumps on an angel that was unable to create such a thing.