Like To Stay In Heaven But The Rules Are Too Tough 19/? (FIC)
Title: Like To Stay In Heaven But The Rules Are Too Tough 19/?
Rating: PG-13 (just for a little bit of language)
Pairing and Characters: Dean/Cas, Sam
Spoilers: Everything through 7x18
Warnings: None- (check rating)
Word Count: ~3,800 (this chapter)
Summary: Dean doesn't let Cas go, but someone else has a big change planned for Castiel. Can he handle what God has planned for him?
This Chapter: The boys encounter a witch who hits Sam with a spell, making the hunt a little difficult for Dean and Cas.
Notes: This is a monster that will follow the whole season.
Previous
Their rest and relaxation didn’t last too long. Of course, two days was plenty of rest for them. A new case in Missouri caught their attention. They followed the strange deaths and bodies around the town until they met face to face with the witch responsible. After a short fight, in which Sam was hit with something, the witch got away and the boys were driving back to their motel to regroup.
“I told you, I’m fine.” Sam rubbed the sore spot on his chest where the witch’s spell had hit.
“No, you’re not. She hit you with something.” Dean felt the anger boiling inside at that bitch doing something to his brother.
“I feel fine, Dean.” Sam shrugged. “Maybe it didn’t work.”
Dean looked at Sam with a critical eye. It had been half an hour since the spell hit him and he didn’t look different. Dean shook his head. “Yeah, ‘cause we always get lucky.” Dean looked in the mirror back at Cas. “What did she say again?”
Cas had caught most of the Latin incantation she hit Sam with. But he was having a hard time remembering the translation exactly. “Something about remembering the past and the helplessness of younger years.” He looked down. “I’m not sure exactly what will happen to Sam.”
“I told you guys, I’m fine.”
“We’ll see.” Dean parked the Impala outside their room. “Come on.”
They spent the night looking for ways to find the witch again, Dean and Cas keeping an eye on Sam. At two o’ clock, they called it a night, and with no visible changes to Sam even Dean was beginning to think maybe they had gotten lucky for once.
When Dean woke up, he had hoped everything would still be normal, but one look over at Sam’s bed crushed all hope immediately. He didn’t see the form of his large brother. He sat up, knocking Cas over and waking him. “SAM?” Dean thought maybe he was just in the bathroom.
Cas opened his eyes and looked frustrated at the rude awakening. “Dean?”
Dean pushed the covers down and scrambled out of the bed. “SAMMY!” He opened the bathroom door, revealing an empty room. His stomach dropped. A small whine made him turn back to Sam’s bed. He saw the covers moving. “Sam?”
“What?” The covers flipped down as a small hand appeared.
Dean and Cas shared shocked looks. Dean moved closer to the bed, heart pounding. “Sam?”
“What, Dean?” He said in frustration. It was then that he seemed to notice how high his voice sounded. He raised his hands and felt his face while looking down at his body. “Oh my God.”
Dean hadn’t seen Sam’s form because the Sam in the bed was the five year old that Dean remembered babysitting so long ago. “I’m gonna kill that bitch.” Sam looked up and threw the covers off. She had been ‘nice’ enough to provide Sam with appropriate sized clothes, which he was wearing.
Sam moved to stand, his feet not even reaching the ground as they hung over the edge of the mattress. “Dean.” He looked up at his brother with wide eyes. “What are we gonna do?”
Cas stood beside Dean. “Sam, do you remember everything?”
“Yeah,” he nodded, “I don’t feel different, just,” he looked down at his small frame, “shorter.”
“Okay, so what,” Dean turned to Cas, “she made him a five year old with the same mind? Why would she do that?”
Cas thought for a moment. “Maybe that’s how someone can feel the most helpless, by knowing how to do something but being unable to physically.” He knew the feeling better than any of them.
“I can do enough.” Sam huffed. Dean let a smile show as he looked down at his brother, something he hadn’t been able to do for a long time. “What?”
“Sam, there’s no way I’m letting you even leave the room.”
“What?” He shrieked. “Why not?”
“Look at yourself. I can’t worry about having to watch you if the witch attacks us.”
Sam’s face set in a glare. “I’m not actually a kid, Dean. I know how to protect myself.”
“Oh, sure.” Dean pulled his gun out from under his pillow and held it out to Sam. “Here, show me.”
Sam grabbed the gun with determination, but almost dropped it from the weight. His eyes widened and he used both hands to lift it up. It shook in his hold. “See?”
“Yes, very terrifying. Now think of the kick back if you fire it. It would knock you on your ass.” He took the gun back before Sam decided to show Dean he could do that too. “You can’t hunt like this.”
Sam let out a huff and crossed his arms. “Fine.” He pushed past Dean and Cas, moving to the bathroom.
When the door shut, Dean laughed lightly. “This sucks. I’m gonna kill her.”
“She could have done much worse, Dean.”
“Oh yeah, turning Sam into a useless child is wonderful.”
“He could be suffering in pain or dead. Be thankful that he’s alive and still Sam.”
He did have a point. He’s seen witch handiwork before. He knew how bad it could have been. “How do we reverse it?”
Cas shook his head. “Kill the witch or make her fix it. She didn’t use a hex bag so we have nothing to burn.”
Dean nodded. “So, we need to find her soon. I remember Sam at this age. I can’t take too much of it.”
“He won’t act the same.”
“If he can’t leave the room, he just might.” Dean looked over as the bathroom door opened. Sam stepped out with a sour face. “What is it?”
“I can’t reach the damn sink.”
Dean laughed shortly. “That sounds so weird coming from that voice. Let me help you.” Dean walked over and was about to lift Sam when Sam ran away from his grip.
“NO!” Sam kept a good distance from Dean. “I’m not a baby. Just let me get it.” Sam looked around the room.
“Sammy.”
“Sam.” He glared at Dean as he walked to the small table his laptop was on. He started dragging the chair across the carpet.
Dean bit his lip, trying not to laugh as his little brother struggled across the room. When he made a move to help him, Cas put a hand on his arm. “Let him go. He needs to not feel so useless.” Cas understood. Sam didn’t want to be babied when he wasn’t one. Dean crossed his arms and watched Sam pull the chair through the doorway.
When Sam finally got the chair against the sink, he crawled to stand on it and wash his hands. He gave Dean a smug look. “Congratulations, Sam. I think we all just aged a year.”
“Shut up. I got it, didn’t I?”
“I’m glad personal hygiene is so important to you, Sammy.”
Sam ignored the last comment and dried his hands before hopping of the chair. He started dragging it back to it’s place. Dean wanted to let him do it, but they needed to start worrying about other things. He walked over and gently pushed Sam aside. He lifted the chair and set it back by the table.
“We know the witch is setting up shop in town right? We need to figure out where exactly so we can kill her and end this.”
“How are we gonna do that, Dean?” Cas asked as Sam sat in the chair and opened his computer.
“She was cursing people that had somehow personally offended her. Is there anyone else on that list?”
“Not that we know of.”
“Well,” Sam spoke as he typed, “she does have a business partner.”
“Business partner?” Dean leaned over Sam to see the screen.
“Yeah, they own a small shop in town.” Sam pointed to a picture of the flower shop he pulled up. “It’s been open for seven years.”
“So, they know each other well. She could probably tell us where to find her.”
“What if she’s a witch too?” Cas looked at the picture. They did tend to stay in groups or covens.
“Then we’ll deal with it.” He stood and grabbed some clothes. “Get ready, Cas.” Cas nodded and moved to get his clothes. Sam pushed back from the table. “No, no.” Dean lifted a finger. “I told you, you’re not coming on a hunt right now.”
“Dean.”
“No, Sam. You’re staying here.” Sam opened his mouth to argue. “No.”
“What am I supposed to do?”
“I don’t care. Just don’t leave this room. We shouldn’t be gone too long.”
Sam sighed. They left a few minutes later. He tried to watch TV and do something on the computer, but he got bored quickly. He was worried and had no way to relax. This was too much like when he was little. Dean and his dad would leave him alone with no real entertainment. He used to sneak away and find fun, but at the age his body was in that would be stupid. Someone would think he was a lost child and call the police.
It was an hour before Dean and Cas came back. They were both a little beat up and angry. He could hear Dean yelling before he opened the door. “Fucking, bitch!” He slammed the door. “I had her.”
“Dean, just be glad she didn’t hit us with something like Sam.”
“Yeah, I’m fucking celebrating!” Dean pulled off his jacket and tossed it onto his bed. He looked at Sam. “The partner was a witch. When we started asking questions, she attacked us.”
Sam jumped off the bed where he was watching TV and ran to him. “Are you okay?”
“We’re fine.” Dean touched his bruising cheek. “We had to make sure she didn’t follow us before we came back.” He sat on the edge of the bed, Cas joined him.
Sam ran into the bathroom, bringing two washcloths out before going to the cooler of beer they brought with them. He filled both rags with ice and ran back to them. He handed one to Cas for his bloody knuckles before jumping up beside Dean. He pressed the ice pack to Dean’s face. Dean hissed at the cold but didn’t move away. “We’ll find them, Dean.”
Dean looked at his brother. This was too familiar. Sam would do the same thing when they were younger. He was always the one to patch Dean up or reassure him. Their dad would toss a bandage at them and tell them to clean up. Sam was the one who would give him the ice or the last of the gauze while he bled and winced in his own pain. Then it would be his turn to take care of Sam.
He covered Sam’s small hand with his, taking the pack from him. “Thanks, Sammy.” Sam sat down next to him and nodded.
Cas smiled at the brothers. He had a relationship like that with some of his brothers, they were gone now. Now he had to protect these two and make sure no more families were destroyed. “We can’t wait too long, Dean.” Dean turned to look at him. “They’re gonna run.”
“I know.” Cas stood and pulled a small book out of his pocket. “What’s that?”
He handed it to Dean. “I took it off of her when I had her pinned.”
Dean dropped the ice pack and opened the small book. It was an address book with the victims names and addresses listed. The dead ones were crossed off. “You think they want to kill everyone in here?”
Cas shrugged. “Maybe. They could be helpful in finding them if nothing else.”
“They could just be more witches.”
“Don’t we want to kill them all anyway?”
“True.” He tossed the book back to Cas. “Alright, let’s look these people up.”
Dean took his laptop out and he and Cas did some research on the names in the book. Sam was working Dean’s last nerve as he tried to keep looking over his shoulder. He kept pushing him back. “Dean.” Sam stomped his foot. “This is the one thing I can still do. Let me.”
“No.” Sam growled in frustration. “This will be faster. Just go watch TV.”
“Stop babying me, Dean.”
Dean turned to face a pouting Sam. “I will not be responsible for anything that happens to you.” They glared at each other for a minute before Sam turned and climbed onto his bed, turning away from them. Dean looked back at the computer with a sigh.
After a couple minutes, Cas whispered, “He could help, Dean.”
Dean glared over the screen. “No, leave it alone.”
Half an hour later, Sam had walked back over to the table silently and started dragging the free chair across the room. Dean ignored him, and Cas watched as Sam pulled the chair toward the counter. He stopped a moment before he got there, looking tired. He glanced at Dean like he might ask for help, but pursed his lips and turned to the counter.
Sam could reach over, but not the top cabinets where the food was. He was too stubborn to ask Dean to help. He tried to jump, but that wasn’t gonna work. He pulled out the bottom shelf and stepped on it. It creaked and he jumped off. Turning back to the chair, Sam dragged it further. He had hit the wood floor, causing loud scrapes and squeaks as the chair moved.
“Good God, Sam.” Dean looked up finally. “What the Hell do you need?”
“Nothing!” Sam kept pulling the chair. “I got it.” He climbed on the chair like he had in the bathroom and moved up to the counter. Dean watched for a moment before looking back to the screen. Sam opened the cabinets, looking for something to eat. The cabinets held a couple boxes of cereal and canned foods. He sighed and grabbed a box of cereal. The good food would require some kind of cooking or microwave and he couldn’t reach those easily either.
Sam grabbed a bowl from a different cabinet and walked back to the chair with his arms full. He put a shaky foot out and felt himself sway. Righting himself, he looked back. Dean and Cas weren’t paying attention. He tried again and almost fell. He overcompensated and hit the cabinets with his back. Dean looked up then.
“What are you doing?” Sam kept his face neutral and shook his head. Dean looked at the box and bowl. He knew the look on Sam’s face. He was scared. “Just jump down, Sam. It’s not that far.”
Sam looked over the edge of the counter. To him now, it looked pretty far. He shook his head again. A small smile tugged at Dean’s mouth. He stood up and walked to his trapped brother. He took the food from him, setting it on the counter. He was going to leave and let Sam climb down, but Sam reached out for him. Without thinking, Dean held Sam under his arms and placed him on the floor. He handed the food back to him.
“Thanks.” Sam mumbled. Dean ruffled his hair, getting a slap on the wrist for it.
When they had a list of live friends, Dean and Cas packed up to visit them. Sam was still trying to convince them to let him come. “No, Sam. You can’t even hop off a counter without help. How can I let you go hunting. Witches no less.” They argued for a minute, but even Cas agreed that Sam would be better off there.
Dean started the Impala as Cas sat down. He drove to the first girl’s house. She was alive and told them where the first witch lived. She didn’t know them very well. They then drove to the witch’s house, hoping to find both of them inside. “Let’s do this so we can get Sam back.” He opened the trunk, Cas beside him and nearly had a heart attack when someone jumped out. “Dammit, Sam!”
Sam stood with a knife in hand. “I’m helping you, Dean.”
“The Hell you are.” Dean tried to grab the knife but Sam moved away. “How did you even get in there?”
“I can help.”
“NO!”
“Well, I’m here and you can’t keep me in the car. I’m coming whether you like it or not.”
Dean knew this was a bad idea. He crouched and looked at Sam. “You stay in my sight at all times.” Sam nodded. “If I can’t see you for even a second…”
“I get it.”
“Good.” He stood and picked out a few weapons.
“Dean,” Cas leaned in close, “we can’t take him.”
“We don’t have a choice.” He faced him. “Watch him. Don’t worry about me. If he gets hurt, you grab him and you run. You understand?”
Cas nodded. “I won’t leave you either, Dean.”
“You take Sam and you run.” Cas nodded again.
“Understood.”
The three of them snuck in the back of the house. Someone was home, judging by the music and clanking of dishes. Dean and Sam split off in one direction while Cas went the other way. Dean kept a hand on Sam’s shoulder in front of him, ready to pull him back if needed. Voices from the kitchen carried to their current position.
“They came in looking for you. What was I supposed to do?”
“Well, they got the book from you. It won’t take them long to find us.”
“Please, we can take them.”
“Maybe, but what if we can’t.”
The voices lowered now. Dean glanced around the doorframe. The two women were close, too close to be just friends. “Why don’t we just leave then?” The woman from the shop pulled the other close. “Go somewhere new. Maybe by the ocean like you always wanted.”
She pushed her away. “We have to deal with these hunters first, and the few people here that still have something coming to them.”
Dean and Sam entered the kitchen. Dean with his gun pointed at them, Sam with a raised knife. “Sorry to break up the love fest, but I got a bone to pick with you.”
The women turned to face them. The one that cursed Sam laughed. “Oh, isn’t he adorable?”
“Shut up.” Dean pointed the gun at her. “Change him back.”
“Or what?”
“I thought it was obvious.”
She looked at his gun. “You think I’m afraid of you and your gun?”
“You should be.”
She laughed again. “Please.” With the flick of her wrist, Dean’s gun flew out of his hand and across the room.
He grabbed Sam and pulled him to stand behind him. “Like I need that to kill you bitches.” They both smiled. Dean saw Cas make his way quietly into the room. “No, I could kill you both with just my hands.” Cas raised his gun. “Or maybe less.”
A shot rang out and the witch from the shop screamed and fell to the ground. The other woman turned as Cas lined a shot for her. Before he could fire, she tossed him through the wall. Dean dove for his gun and fired, just missing her. She kicked the gun out of his hands.
Sam threw his knife, but without the power of his adult arms it wouldn’t have hurt much if it had hit her. She deflected it and pushed Sam back to the hallway with a wave. Dean scrambled to his hands and knees only to be kicked in the ribs by the witch. She pulled him up and pinned him to the wall with her powers.
Cas stumbled back into the room. The witch he shot was bleeding on the floor, dead. He took out his own knife and charged the remaining witch. She was surprised enough to be taken down. Cas brought his knife down, but she held his wrist. She was stronger than him. He pressed forward, baring his teeth.
Sam ran back in and picked up his knife. Dean was struggling against her hold and Cas was an inch away from stabbing her. Sam knelt beside her head and placed his knife against her throat. “Let them go.”
She loosened up on Cas. He didn’t stand though. He kept the knife against her chest, over her heart. Dean fell loose from the wall, immediately getting his gun and pointing it at her. “Get him out of here, Cas.”
“Dean.” He looked up.
“Do it.”
Cas stood up and beckoned Sam. “Come on.”
“No, I’m not leaving.”
Dean gave Cas a look. “Sam.” He shook his head.
“Cas, take him and go.” Without another word, Cas scooped Sam up and took him outside. Sam protested and pushed Cas the whole way. “Reverse the spell.”
“Why? You’ll just kill me anyway.” She looked at her fallen partner. “Just do it. I don’t have anything left anyway.”
Dean thought maybe it was a trick of some kind, but he didn’t question it long. He aimed and fired. He checked both of them before he left. They were dead. The sound of heavy footsteps made him look up. A full grown Sam came busting into the room calling his name. He saw the dead women and stopped. “Good to see you, Sam.”
Sam nodded and looked down at himself. “Yeah, we good here?”
“Yeah, let’s go.”
They drove back to the motel after taking care of the bodies. Sam made something from the food they had left from Dean’s run a few days before and the three of them sat to eat. “Well,” Dean sat back in his chair, “I never thought I would have to babysit again. Now I know for sure that I never want to.”
“I wasn’t that bad. I was only a kid for a day.”
“And I still wanted to strangle you.”
Sam rolled his eyes. “You’re such a drama queen.”
“You’re saying you don’t want a family at some point?” Cas looked at him.
“I have a family, Cas. You and Sam are my family.”
“Yes, but did you ever want more?”
Dean looked at Sam briefly. They had had this conversation a couple times. “Not really. I had that with Lisa and Ben and look how that turned out.” He shook his head. “Look at today. Even with Sam having his adult mind, his small body made him weak. Kids require constant watching and protection. We can’t really provide that and if something were to happen,” he looked down at his plate, “it’s just better to not drag an innocent kid into this.”
Cas could understand but his eyes looked a little let down. “I guess that makes sense.”
“Even if I did want that, we can’t have kids, Cas.” He smiled. “They don’t have the technology for that.”
Cas’ smile looked forced. He knew of ways, only possible with some help from Heaven or Hell. It wasn’t something he had given much thought to before becoming human. Now, he had strange feelings when he saw kids with their parents. He knew what it was now: envy. He knew it wasn’t possible for him and Dean to have a biological child, but he wanted that. He wanted a family. But, he knows he won’t have it. Dean and Sam are enough though.
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