Characters: Castiel, Jimmy, Dean, Sam
Classification: h/c
Rating: T
Wordcount: 15k all parts
Warnings: Spoiler for Season 4 (AU from 4.10)
Disclaimer: I own nothing except a few sick!plotbunnys
Summary: After Anna had recovered her grace all were gone. The demons, the angels. Only Jimmy remained. When the brothers leared Alistair had injured Castiel and now he might be dying, Sam knew his brother would move heaven and earth to save him. Because Dean too was affected. Not by Alistair but by the angel, Sam noticed aghast.
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apieceofcake They were again all in the decayed cabin waiting for something to happen. Sam was frowning at his brother. Something was off. He walked a few steps and tried to burn his nervous energy that way. "I don't know, man. Where's Ruby?"
Without looking up, Dean answered: "Hey, she's your hell buddy." He pulled a hip flask out of his jacket and opened it to take a healthy gulp.
The younger Winchester eyed his brother disapprovingly but before he could say anything Anna got ahead of him: "Little early for that, isn't it?"
Dean answered with a pale copy of his trademark grin plasterer across his face although he avoided looking at the fallen Angel's face: "It's 2:00 a.m. somewhere."
But the ex-Angel was not distracted that easily: "You okay?"
So she too had noticed it, Sam thought. Something was off. Not only with Dean, but with Anna, too. Sam frowned at that realization while his brother answered with a less than convincing "Yeah, of course..." in a breathless and raw voice.
.
All three were startled when in the blink of an eye a severe wind was blowing hard inside the cabin and the doors were torn open by the sheer force of nature. Castiel and Uriel were back. Both Winchesters flanked Anna - Sam shielding her from the other man with his body - and were ready to protect her even if it meant their death. Castiel seemed not to notice them, only had eyes for the red haired woman who met his intensive glare afraid and boldly likewise.
"Hello, Anna. It's good to see you."
But Sam could not stay quiet for the life of him. Adrenaline rushed through his veins. He was ready to fight. Even heaven. "How? How did you find us?" Both Angels kept quiet. And looked at... "Dean?" As soon as the younger Winchester had said his brother's name Castiel dropped his gaze as if he was feeling sorry for the humans. But Sam was too astonished, too shaken to notice. His brother had betrayed an innocent? Dean looked not only regretful, his eyes were red like he was fighting hard not to cry. He confirmed Sam's worries with an hardly audible "I'm sorry...", not looking Sam or Anna in the eye. Sam really could not understand what made his brother do that. How come he had disobeyed one of his own prime directives.
"Why?"
But it was not Dean who answered. His brother stayed quiet. Anna cast a glance at the Angels and then turned here eyes again at Sam. "Because they gave him a choice." A choice? Sam was confused but Anna continued after a short pause. "They either kill me... or kill you." The fear seemed to vanish while the red haired woman talked. She turned her head to the Angels anew. Castiel had his eyes still averted, studying something very interesting on the floor. "I know how their minds work." The red haired woman brandied long looks with the Angels before she turned to Dean, who still looked like braking into tears any moment now, to give him what obviously was a goodbye kiss. Sam did not miss how Castiel's eyes seemed to absorb each and every little detail of the kiss. But the Angel's face still was unreadable. No disapproval, no acceptance. Only a piercing gaze.
.
Anna whispered "You did the best you could. I forgive you." while firmly looking Dean deep into his eyes. Then she turned. Determined. Unflinching. Daring. "Okay. No more tricks. No more running. I'm ready."
Sam was a bit taken aback by Castiel's "I'm sorry."
The red haired woman shook her head. The ghost of a smile on her lips. "No. you're not. Not really. You don't know the feeling." Somehow the younger Winchester had to agree. Even if he did not know whether Angel were able to feel actually sorry or not sorry. Castiel's voice still was totally emotionless. He neither sounded nor looked sorry.
Then he opened his mouth again and Sam was not so sure any more. There was something in the Angel's voice... "Still, we have a history." Even Castiel's eyes looked... sad? "It's just..."
"...orders are orders. I know. Just make it quick.", Anna interrupted him. She did not sound as fearless any longer.
.
"Don't you touch a hair on that poor girl's head." Alistair's voice made everyone turn around. He and two other demons who had Ruby in tow had entered the cabin unnoticed. The female demon's shirt was bloody and she swayed on her feet although one of the demons helt her arm.
Uriel took a step forward - while Dean, Sam and Anna hurried to get out of the Angel's and demon's way - pure pugnacity in his stance and his dark voice bellowed through the room: "How dare you come in this room... You pussing sore?"
Alistair nearly grinned when he answered: "Name-calling. That hurt my feelings... You sanctimonious, fanatical prick." Sam could not hold it against Alistair that he seemed to enjoy provoking the sturdy Angel.
But Castiel tried to intervene before the demon could burn Uriel up. "Turn around and walk away now." Although Castiel did not raise his voice even Sam felt the need to obey that order.
But Alistair just riposted: "Sure. Just give us the girl. We'll make sure she gets punished good and proper."
Castiel appeared unimpressed but Sam could see something dangerous glistering in the Angel's eyes when he replied: "You know who we are and what we will do." Slowly but determined Castiel walked up to where Uriel was still standing. Joining him. Despite his voice was quiet and calm. "I won't say it again. Leave. Now. Or we lay you to waste."
The demons did not move. Alistair answered self-opinionatedly, presumptuously, mockingly, sneering: "Think I'll take my chances.
.
Calm before the storm. Sam had the feeling this situation was what the creator of that idiom had in mind. Both Angels and demons eyed each other guardedly, estimatingly and disdainfully. They all waited for the other side to make the first move. Like in the old westerns. When the good and the bad guy met each other at high noon for a duel. On tv such showdowns always looked great and thrilling but right now, smack in the middle of a trial of strength between heaven and hell Sam just wanted to be somewhere else. No matter where. Just not here.
.
Of course it was Uriel who started the fight. He jumped one of the demons, crushed him hard against a pillar with brute force so the old wood splintered immediately and send another demon flying with a quick motion. Somehow Sam had figured Uriel would fight with his hands not with his Angel-mojo, but Castiel too was dealing blows that would have broken a mere human's neck. However the target of his efforts, Alistair, was hardly affected.
.
Castiel put his left hand on the demon's forehead and concentrated, but Alistair simply said: "Sorry, kiddo. Why don't you go run to daddy?" Then he send the Angel flying. Castiel connected hard with the floor and the impact seemed to dazzle him. Only a second later Alistair was nearly sitting on his torso and grabbed the Angel's throat with his left hand. While somewhere in the back of the cabin light flashed and Uriel undoubtedly had exorcised another demon, Alistair stared to chant in latin: "Potestas inferna, me confirma."
Sam was puzzled. Latin? What was the demon doing?
"Potestas inferna, me confirma."
He was evoking the might of hell to strengthen him... He was trying to exorcise - or kill Castiel! Sam met Dean's gaze.
"Potestas inferma, me confirma!"
.
Suddenly there was a crowbar in Deans hands and he smacked Alistair right in the face interrupting whatever the demon was trying here. Castiel fell back the few centimeters he had been lifted and was gasping for breath while Alistair swayed just a bit and then addressed the older Winchester: "Dean, Dean, Dean... I am so disappointed. You had such promise." He shook his head in disgust and chagrin before extending his right hand and sending both Sam and Dean down on their knees struggling for breath. An invisible force held Sam on the spot and was rapidly draining all his energy and strength. He fought with all he had but the demon was way too strong. He could not do a damn thing.
.
Only moments before Sam was sure he would lose consciousness he heard Anna's voice. She was shouting but she sounded distant and thin. It took Sam a few moments before he understood her words.
“Shut your eyes!"
Sam watched in astonishment as light was coming from Anna. It was growing stronger and stronger and suddenly Sam knew what had happened. Someway Anna had managed to get the vial with her grace Uriel had kept away and somehow freed its contents. Now she was getting back her grace. And if this process involved showing her real form... He accomplished shielding his eyes at the last second, bright flares of light blinding him nevertheless. In the blink of an eye a heave gale got up and vanished in the same manner only seconds later. Then there was silence.
.
Long after the blinding white light was gone again Sam dared to open his eyes and take a glimpse at his surroundings. Anna had vanished. So had Uriel, Alistair and his fellow demons. The cabin was quiet again. A few meters to his left Dean came to his feet with a guttural grunt and swayed a bit. A Jack-breakfast without anything more substantial usually does that, Dean. Sam thought and walked to Ruby to help her up. Who knew how they had tortured her and the demon's stomach was still a bloody mess. He had just put an arm around Ruby to steady her as Sam heard Dean's sharp intake of breath. Great. Had his idiotic drunken brother managed to insure himself while raising?
"Dean?"
"Cas 'still here, Sam."
What?
.
The younger Winchester hurried to get a stumbling Ruby to the barrels Dean was standing behind. The Angel was still here? Why? If he'd wanted to kill one of them he would have already done it. So perhaps he just wanted to talk to them? Alone? After all that had happened in the last two days Sam rather not wanted to chat with an Angel. Not without any one holding him back and preventing him from beating a fucking Angel of the Lord to a bloody pulp.
When Sam and Ruby rounded the barrels and got a glimpse of what lay behind for the first time, both tensed and exchanged puzzled looks. Dean was kneeing on the floor next to an unconscious Castiel. The younger Winchester was still wondering what had happened as Dean raised his head and asked in a forlorn and clueless voice: "What the fuck 're we s'posed to do now, Sammy?"
And Sam really had no answer to that one.
AN: this will update slowly and I have NO idea where the story will lead me. Right now it is not planned as slash, but as Sam has already noticed, something is up with Dean and Cas and I have no clue what...
Chapter 2