Carry That Weight Part 2

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Ketch hyperventilates as he places his hands on the cold rock wall outside of the cave.
"Dear God—what do I do? For God's sake, pull yourself together—" he mumbles frantically to himself. Dean exits the cave with Allison's corpse slung over his back; his clothes are now soaked in his sister's blood. The rest of the team exits and Ketch sighs heartily as he tries to pull himself together. Yet, the second he sees the bloody, limp body of the beautiful blonde girl he hardly knew, Ketch falls to his knees and sobs. Dean switches to carrying his sister bridal style and then continues walking, barely batting an eye at Ketch. Sam follows after his older brother, his head hung low. Gabriel sadly looks to Ketch and shakes his head at the pathetic sobs, then continues walking.
"Allison Winchester is dead. It's not your fault, Arthur, so don't make it about you." Castiel says, not even glancing at the man. Castiel walks past Ketch, following the team. Ketch looks up at them, picks himself up and follows his comrades back to camp.

*******************************************

The several hour walk back to camp was met with no laughter, no tears, not even polite conversation; not a peep. The closest it got to some excitement was when a vampire pounced on the team, but without hesitation, Dean shot the creature in the head with perfect aim. He barely stopped walking. Sam looked over to his brother with concern, but still, no words were spoken.
Now, as the lights of the civilized camp start to show in the twilight, Dean tenses up when he sees his mother hauling wood and Jack giving orders to a mother with her sick child.
"I can't do it, Sammy. I can't tell them." Dean whispers and Sam puts a hand on his shoulder.
"We'll do it together." Sam says. Mary looks up to see the five men standing, staring at her. She smiles and starts to walk over. As she approaches them, the picture gets clearer and clearer. Mary drops the wood and falls to her knees, uttering a scream. Jack looks up and runs over. He suddenly slows his pace as he too sees the corpse Dean holds.
"No! No!" He runs to Allison and holds her face in his hands. "It's impossible. Tell me this isn't real!" Jack yells. Sam goes to Mary but she gets up on her own and walks over to her daughter. She caresses Allison's face and looks up at Dean.
"Oh, Dean." She touches his face as his tears quickly fall.
"I'm sorry, mama." He whispers, his voice breaking.
"Honey, it's not your fault." She says as tears glide down her cheeks. Sam takes Allison from his brother and Dean embraces his mother, weeping.
"It happened so fast—I couldn't stop it." Dean says as Mary rocks her son back and forth. Sam carries Allison to her bed as Ketch, Castiel, and Gabriel follow closely behind. Jack looks at Dean, the strongest guy he knows, sob into his mother's embrace. Jack suddenly tears off into the forest, trying to leave his bad feelings behind. Castiel follows Jack into the dark forest, knowing he needs a friend.

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"How does God let things like this happen?" Jack yells, knowing Castiel is there with him.
"I don't know." Castiel says.
"If he really cared he—he would've saved her." Jack says, looking at Castiel. "We needed his help in order to save the world, but then he went missing and now he lets this happen." Jack says.
"Jack, I don't know what to say." Castiel says.
"I loved her, Castiel." Jack whimpers.
"I know. We all did." Castiel hugs the boy and starts leading him back to camp.

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Dean, Sam and Mary haven't left Allison's side since they laid her down in her bed.
"I remember when your Dad and I brought her home from the hospital. You boys were so excited, especially you, Dean." Mary smiles, rubbing his hand. "She was wonderful then and she's wonderful now. My boys did a good job." She smiles at them. Dean takes delight in the compliment.
"She'd be mad at us for letting her take priority." Sam says with a small smile.
"And stinking up the place." Dean laughs sadly. "She'd say 'at least light some candles, jackass.'" Dean says and they chuckle. Jack enters the room with Castiel and stares.
"Could I have a moment with her...alone?" Jack asks. Mary and Sam nod but Dean doesn't let go of Allison's hand.
"Dean?" Mary asks.
"Yes. Sorry." He says with a sniffle as he gets up. Jack sits down beside the corpse as the Winchesters and Castiel leave.
"Allison, I'm so sorry this happened to you. I'm supposed to protect you, but I couldn't. I don't think I'll ever forgive myself." Jack whispers and touches her hair.
"It really is a pity, bud." A voice says from behind Jack.
"Father." Jack says.
"I can help you. I can bring her back to life. Just for you, pal." Lucifer says, putting a hand on Jack's shoulder.
"You can?" He asks.
"Of course, I'd need a favor in return." Lucifer says.
"Anything." Jack says impulsively.
"I need a ride back home, kid. Just get me back to Earth—our Earth—and your sweetheart will be back in no time." Lucifer says. Jack thinks and then cringes.
"I need to talk to them..." Jack says, looking towards the door.
"What for? It's your Pa and your girl. What else matters?" Lucifer asks.
"I just need to." Jack says looking back at Allison. "I don't think she'd want me to do this."
"I'm thinking she'd want to be alive." Lucifer says sassily. "What do ya say, kid?"
"No." Jack says.
"What?!" Lucifer says.
"I said no and that's final. Leave." He says coldly. Lucifer opens his mouth to speak but closes it after a pause. Wings flutter as he leaves. "I'm sorry, Allison. I just couldn't do it." Jack suddenly feels a light squeeze from her hand. He jumps up as Allison's eyes flutter open.
"Jack?" She asks, her voice raspy. He collects the girl in a hug.
"You're back! But how...why?" He trails off as he admires his beautiful girl. Allison, still laying down, feels for her fatal wounds but only finds slightly bumpy scars.
"Where is Dean? Did he like jump off a cliff or something?" Allison asks, sitting up. Jack smiles and calls out to the others. Sam enters first, thinking there is a problem.
"Oh, my—Allison!" He runs and hugs her warmly. Mary comes in and gasps as she sees her breathing, smiling daughter.
"Thank God!" She exclaims and showers Allison in kisses.
"How is this possible?" Castiel asks with both excitement and worry.
"I'm not exactly sure. Where's Dean?" Allison asks.
"He should be back any minute. He needed some air." Sam says, still hugging his sister. "I missed you, Al. So much." He chokes out.
"I know, Sammy." She says with a smile and looks up to see Dean standing in the doorway, tears welling up in his eyes.
"I never thought I'd see your smile again." Dean says and runs to her. He picks her up off the bed, hugging her tight. "Oh, Al. Baby, baby, baby." He says as Ketch and Gabriel walk in.
"Holy shit! Am I dreaming?" Gabriel yells and Allison giggles. Gabriel kisses her cheeks, French style, and grins.
"Good to have you back." Ketch says and gives her a long, meaningful hug. "H-how did this happen?" He asks as he pulls away.
"Lucifer." Jack says and sits down. Allison approaches him and sits down beside him.
"What do you mean?" She asks. Jack takes her hand and explains the interaction between him and his father.
"I guess that explains it." Sam says.
"Daddy trying to buy his son's love." Gabriel says spitefully.
"No, it wasn't him...but I can't really say why. I guess it didn't really feel like he was there." Allison shakes her head.
"Where?" Ketch asks.
"I don't really remember clearly..." Allison mumbles and holds her head.
"Don't worry about it. You're here, right? That's all that matters." Dean says, rubbing her back. "You wanna eat?"
"Hell yeah." She laughs. They all start to file out of the stuffy room except Castiel stops Allison before she leaves.
"Why are you lying?" He asks. "You remember it all, don't you?" Allison looks at him and sighs.
"I don't want to make this more complicated than it already is, Cas." She says succinctly.
"Tell me, Allison." Castiel says sincerely and Allison sighs.
"It started off terrible, Cas. Hot and horrible and painful and it seemed like it lasted for an eternity but then I was surrounded by a calm white light; the pain and torture was gone. At first I didn't know what to think; my mind was blank, but I saw or heard or felt this energy say 'They need you.' And this energy wasn't evil or good, it was just kinda there...and now I'm here." She smiles slightly at the angel.
"Well, It is right. We do need you." He hugs her and she exits the room.
They all think that God doesn't care about humanity or the fate of the world but Castiel knows better. By saving Allison, God saved Team Free Will, thus saving the world.
Castiel looks up and smiles.
"Thank you."

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