Sam thought about it for a second when Dean said he wasn't going to let Sam do it. Yeah, that was Dean, all right. It's funny, because he used to think that it was because Dean didn't want to lose him. Now, though he knew. Dean didn't believe in him anymore. No matter who else did. And it was funny, because Dean's belief in him was really what mattered most of all. It was, however, nice to hear that Bobby believed in him again. Nice, but not Dean.

"So, that's what's gonna happen, hm? I'm gonna, like..." he didn't need to say it. Claire knew now. There were many ways Sam could look at this. He could look at is as a crappy fate that wasn't fair, or he could look at it realistically. He'd fucked up. Let Lucifer out of his cage and let him roam the world. It was his redemption, in a way. He knew that it was right. That it was what he had to do.

He shrugged, trying to think pragmatically. "I guess there's no other way that it could have gone, though," he said softly. "I was 'the chosen one.' So..."

Part of him wished that, maybe, Dean hadn't traded his soul for Sam back then. Maybe then, he wouldn't have to do this. Maybe it would be Jake. But at the same time, Jake wouldn't have been able to handle it, he figured. So Michael would have to fight Lucifer and the world would be destroyed. Sam bit his lip. This really was how it had to be.

"At least I'll be doing the right thing for the first time in ages," he said simply.