Unexpected Destinies Chapter 190
Title: Unexpected Destinies
Rating: PG-13
Spoilers: up to and including Exile on Main St., AU from the end of season 5
Warnings: AU, slash
Word Count: 2,959
Summary: Gwen and Bobby try to teach Dean how to achieve the necessary meditative state.
PRESENT
"Haven't you ever meditated before?" Gwen questioned, incredulous.
"Not helping," Dean retorted, opening one eye to glare at her.
"It's really not that hard."
Bobby snorted. "It is if you've got a perpetual inability to sit still."
"Hey, I'm not that bad," Dean protested.
"You're not far off either though."
"From what I've seen, you'd probably be one of those kids diagnosed with ADHD these days," Gwen commented.
"Kids are supposed to be hyper and active," Dean replied. "Nothing wrong with that. It's the doctors that have gone nuts."
"You're not a kid anymore, despite your mental age," Bobby stated.
"Hey, watch it, old man."
Though the banter was lighthearted and would otherwise have amused him greatly, Dean just wasn't able to fully get into it today. Given that his last attempt to meditate hadn't gone particularly well (though it had ended spectacularly, if he did say so himself), it had been decided to 'help' him with it this time. Not that he was having any more success with Gwen and Bobby around, rather the opposite in fact if truth be told.
"Maybe I need to turn on some soothing music after all," Gwen said. "You know, to help you relax."
"No," Dean responded firmly. "I've heard that crap you like to listen to and I'm telling you, you turn that on and I'm outta here."
"Be serious, Dean."
"Oh, trust me, I am."
"Bobby."
"I'm actually with Dean on this one, though not for his stated reasons," Bobby replied. "We can't have him reliant on any such things in order to be able to do this as he won't have them when he needs to do it for real."
"Yeah, but we can wean him off of the music once he knows how to get into the necessary state."
"Still in the room, guys," Dean scowled. "And I think this would work better if I was alone."
"You've already tried that and it didn't work, remember?" Bobby pointed out.
"It worked better than this."
"Okay, let's try something different," Gwen suggested just as Dean heard the soft flutter of wings. "Think about the last time that you really had to concentrate hard on learning something new. And I mean really hard."
Dean blanched at the first thing that immediately came to mind and therefore he missed the way that his cousin and friend jumped when his bond brother spoke, thereby alerting them to his presence.
"That will not be conducive to aiding Dean achieve a meditative state," Michael declared.
"You really need to take some lessons from Castiel on how to not startle humans into nearly having a heart attack!" Bobby growled, glaring at the first archangel.
"Clearly," Michael replied coolly.
It took Dean a moment to realize that his bond brother had done it on purpose in order to draw attention away from him. He was grateful for it but didn't really like the implication of how easily his friend had followed his train of thought to their natural conclusion. Had Michael been reliving some of his own worst memories? He really hoped not!
"Why wouldn't it help Dean?" Gwen inquired.
"That is not important, merely that it would not achieve the desired effect," Michael stated.
"Yes, well we need to try something new as this isn't working."
"That much is clear. Leave it to me."
"Are you sure?" Bobby frowned.
"Yes. Dean and I will need to achieve the proper state together, so it is best if we practice it together."
"Alright, if you're sure."
"Goodbye, Bobby, Gwen," Dean said pointedly, greatly relieved. "Thanks, Mike," he added as soon as they were alone together.
"You're far too tense," Michael stated, running a hand over his shoulders.
"Yeah, well, you try meditating with those two around."
"And the memories of Hell."
Dean looked up sharply at his bond brother and friend as Michael came to stand in front of him before the archangel lowered himself to the floor. "Have you seen any of that?"
"Just some glimpses from time to time, but I am well aware of what happens down there and what Alastair would have done to you."
The words made Dean flinch but he instantly relaxed when Michael's chocolate colored wings came up around him, cocooning them off from the rest of the world. It was amazing, really, just how quickly it calmed him but he realized that he really didn't have any bad memories associated with angel wings, just really really good ones. So of course he'd see them as a sign of protection and comfort. Well, no bad ones where he'd gotten hurt anyway, he amended, wincing as he recalled how multiple of both Castiel and Raphael's wings had been so severely injured.
"Right, thanks," Dean replied, looking at the wings. "But Bobby's right, I can't really use something like that in order to get into a meditative state."
"No, but you'll never learn how to do it at all if you don't relax first. Once you know what you need to achieve, then it'll be easier to get there without such guidance," Michael responded. "Now, close your eyes-"
"- and take a deep breath?"
"Dean."
"Sorry."
It never ceased to both amaze and amuse Dean how all of his archangels could pack so much meaning into the one syllable that was his name. It was almost miraculous really. And, yeah, he could admit that he was procrastinating now. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes, trying to clear his mind as most of the books that he'd read had said to do. There was a slight shift of wings and then he felt the reassuring weight of feathers against his back and shoulders. The rest of his tension just melted away and he huffed in feigned annoyance at how instantly and easily his body reacted.
"Hush, Little One," Michael said, bemused. "Now, this isn't some ordinary meditative state that we're attempting to achieve here, this is something far deeper."
"Great."
A small feminine finger covered his lips and Dean was tempted to bite it but he stilled the impulse. There was a faint fluttering of something hysterical deep within him that he recognized from previous times where he'd been about to do something that he really feared on some level but he quashed it. He really wasn't quite sure why he was feeling it now of all times as this was not at all something dangerous or even something that he'd ever feared, just looked down on and sneered at. Well, unless it was the next step that he was dreading on some level already, because if this worked (and it really had to!) then he'd have to do it while with Michael so that they could de-nuke Lucifer and that, of course, risked them growing even closer than they already were. While the thought of becoming closer to Michael in and of itself didn't bother him too much, the thought of losing himself utterly terrified him. On some level it was like saying yes all over again, only without the reassurances and comforts that his friend had promised back then because this time even his bond brother didn't know what was going to happen.
Well, Dean reasoned, it wasn't like it was the first time that he was going to risk himself. Besides, this time he had far more people working with him and, much as he still hated to admit it, people that he could trust far more than he ever could his brother.
"Good, now I want you to concentrate on our bond," Michael instructed softly.
"Our bond?"
"Yes."
"I thought I was supposed to clear my mind?"
"I am not entirely sure that is even possible for you."
Dean scowled as he felt the amused ripple through their bond, but he secretly had to admit that his friend was probably right. "Okay, the bond."
It was nearly shocking how easily that Dean could focus on the bond, blocking out almost everything else. Perhaps it was because the connection between them was almost alive in a way, constantly rippling and shifting, swelling and ebbing with the emotions that passed between them. It was seductive in a way, all of that power and emotion just right there, for him to touch and wrap himself in whenever he wanted to. It would be so easy to just lose himself in it all. Although not the same as his bond with Castiel, this bond was almost just as intense if not as all-encompassing. He had a brief thought for how amazing it was that Michael and Castiel had been able to accept each other's claims on him as they had because otherwise the disharmony from the two bonds would surely have been enough to drive him mad, but it was a fleeting thing, passing nearly as soon as it occurred to him.
"That's it, now open your hands," Michael's true voice whispered directly into his mind an indeterminate amount of time later.
Dean responded automatically, his hands having opened even before he'd really thought about it. Once that fact would have bothered him, but not anymore. Indeed, he wasn't even tempted to open his eyes and see what he'd been given when a cool weight was placed into his waiting palms. Any thought of figuring it out by touch was forestalled when Michael closed his hands over his own, clasping them around the object.
For a few seconds they simply sat there like that, their very essences gliding along each other along the bond, before Dean could suddenly feel something from between his closed palms. At first he couldn't quite make out what it was, but then it resolved itself into heat. It wasn't anything too bad, just a pleasant warmth caressing the inside of his hands, dancing along his fingers, but he could somehow tell that it wasn't natural heat. It was magic of some kind or another. He wasn't entirely sure just how he knew that, but he did. The knowledge didn't alarm him though as he was attuned to his bond brother enough to know that there was nothing to either be afraid of or worry about. Instead the magic seemed to seep into him, relaxing his muscles and expanding his awareness of their bond and Michael's Grace. Acting solely on instinct, he gave himself over to it, hardly even aware of his own meat suit anymore.
The fission of foreboding came out of nowhere and made Dean flinch, but lazily as he was so thoroughly relaxed.
"Mike?" Dean questioned, knowing it hadn't come from his friend but mystified as to where else it could have come from. "What was that?"
"I don't know, Little One," Michael admitted, a frown nearly tangible in his voice. "But I have felt it before."
"At the Vatican."
"Yes."
"Is everything okay?" Gwen demanded, rushing back into the room.
"What the hell just happened?" Bobby demanded, swift on her heels.
The unexpected interruption caught Dean completely off-guard, making him react automatically and so he had already turned his head and opened his eyes before he'd even really thought about it. For a moment all he saw were Michael's wings but then they shifted and he could see both Gwen and Bobby. The looks on their faces were one of disbelief and shock, both tinged with what he strongly suspected was awe. That confused him for a moment and so it took him a few seconds to realize that the quality of light in the room was different from what it had been before. He followed Gwen and Bobby's gazes back down to his hands which he could now see held the focusing crystal that they'd gotten from his extended family in England. Only now the crystal was ablaze with an inner light and he suddenly got what the big deal was about it being flawless as any flaws, no matter how small or slight, would be instantly visible just now.
"Dean?" Gwen questioned, sounding worried.
Dean blinked, turning his head back to look at her. It was as he was doing so that he realized how slowly that everything seemed to be moving. Or was it him that was moving slowly? Despite the surrealness of the experience and the sudden detachedness he could now feel from his surroundings and even his cousin and Bobby, he didn't panic as his bond brother was still perfectly calm.
"What's wrong with him?" Bobby demanded, stepping forwards.
"As you can see from the crystal, he's in a deep meditative state," Michael explained, not taking his eyes from him and their gazes locked when Dean looked back at his friend.
"Already?" Gwen questioned in disbelief.
"It turns out that Dean's a natural at it once he realizes how to do it."
Bobby snorted. "Sam's not gonna let him live that one down anytime soon once he hears about this."
"Forget Sam, I'm not gonna let him live this down!" Gwen stated. "Not after all of the crap that he's given me about my meditations and my candles."
Dean rolled his eyes but he knew that he really had no defense against that particular accusation. The amusement he felt from his bond brother returned his attention to Michael and the moment that their eyes locked once more he felt another wave of foreboding. Then, before he could say anything, there was a flash of something else. He wasn't sure what it was but he just knew that it was important and he focused on it, letting everything else fall away. At first there was nothing but then something wavered before him like a flickering old film, between himself and his bond brother. It shimmered there for a few seconds before bursting into life; vivid, colorful and with complete surround sound.
It was the kitchen at Lisa's and Dean felt his heart plummet as he instantly recognized it. Then it was racing in his chest at the sound of a scream that he would know anywhere.
Ben!
Dean could then hear Lisa crying out for her son and then the scene shifted slightly, just enough so that he could actually see what was going on. He almost wished that it hadn't. There was blood sprayed across the far wall and Lisa's shirt was soaked with it as well. Beside her, clutching at his stomach was Milton. The guy's color didn't look great and he knew that if the man didn't get medical attention and soon that Milton would die. Instead of fussing over her boyfriend, though, or the demon that was crouched down over her and holding her down, Lisa's attention was focused elsewhere. He followed her line of sight to see a demon holding Ben up against the wall, the boy's legs kicking out frantically where they dangled uselessly, several feet above the floor.
"Ben!" Dean called out desperately.
He tried to rush forwards to help, but Dean found that he couldn't. All that he could do was watch helplessly as the boy he'd gladly have called his own struggled to breathe around the hand at his throat. Despite his desperate situation, Ben was still fighting, trying frantically to claw at the demon and Dean felt a swell of pride but it was quickly swamped by realization that it wasn't going to be enough. Ben simply wasn't strong enough or trained enough to be able to get out of the hold that the demon had over him.
"Well, this is rather amateurish, not to mention suicidal."
Even though Dean didn't get the chance to turn around and see the newcomer, he didn't have to in order to identify him. The voice alone was more than distinctive enough.
Crowley.
Just as suddenly as the vision had come, it was gone and Dean was left staring into Michael's shocked and horrified eyes.
"Dean, Michael, what the hell just happened?" Bobby demanded.
The horror and shock paralyzed Dean for a few precious moments but then, before he could react, Michael was already reach out towards his forehead with two fingers and his hand went for the demon killing knife that he'd shoved into his boot that morning, knowing his Desert Eagle would be useless in this particular case. Not that he wouldn't gladly pump any one of the demonic bastards full of lead if Michael managed to contain them for him.
"Mich-" Gwen began.
The world shifted around them as his bond brother took to flight and Dean could feel Michael's own determination even though he wasn't sure whether his friend even knew who Lisa and Ben were and what they meant to him. Although, actually, his archangel was probably aware of the latter if not the former, given how closely connected they'd been when the vision had sprung to life before their very eyes.
Dean didn't have the first clue as to how the vision had come to them, but if it was true then he didn't care, he was just glad that it had. God, if anything were to happen to Ben because of the boy's connection with him... he would never forgive himself. Sure, he'd not been the one to first expose either Lisa or Ben to the supernatural, but demons were a long way from changelings and there was no doubt whatsoever in his mind as to exactly why they'd been targeted now and it was all his fault. He should never have simply assumed that they'd be safe after he'd lived with him, however briefly it had been.
He'd brought this on them.
The landing was rougher than normal, but Dean hardly noticed, his attention tracking straight to where he'd last seen Ben in the vision even as he heard Lisa scream in pain.
A.N.:Okay, the online course I've been taking that been eating my free time lately is done now, so hopefully I can get back to a better updating schedule. Sorry about the past few months!
Chapter 191
Rating: PG-13
Spoilers: up to and including Exile on Main St., AU from the end of season 5
Warnings: AU, slash
Word Count: 2,959
Summary: Gwen and Bobby try to teach Dean how to achieve the necessary meditative state.
PRESENT
"Haven't you ever meditated before?" Gwen questioned, incredulous.
"Not helping," Dean retorted, opening one eye to glare at her.
"It's really not that hard."
Bobby snorted. "It is if you've got a perpetual inability to sit still."
"Hey, I'm not that bad," Dean protested.
"You're not far off either though."
"From what I've seen, you'd probably be one of those kids diagnosed with ADHD these days," Gwen commented.
"Kids are supposed to be hyper and active," Dean replied. "Nothing wrong with that. It's the doctors that have gone nuts."
"You're not a kid anymore, despite your mental age," Bobby stated.
"Hey, watch it, old man."
Though the banter was lighthearted and would otherwise have amused him greatly, Dean just wasn't able to fully get into it today. Given that his last attempt to meditate hadn't gone particularly well (though it had ended spectacularly, if he did say so himself), it had been decided to 'help' him with it this time. Not that he was having any more success with Gwen and Bobby around, rather the opposite in fact if truth be told.
"Maybe I need to turn on some soothing music after all," Gwen said. "You know, to help you relax."
"No," Dean responded firmly. "I've heard that crap you like to listen to and I'm telling you, you turn that on and I'm outta here."
"Be serious, Dean."
"Oh, trust me, I am."
"Bobby."
"I'm actually with Dean on this one, though not for his stated reasons," Bobby replied. "We can't have him reliant on any such things in order to be able to do this as he won't have them when he needs to do it for real."
"Yeah, but we can wean him off of the music once he knows how to get into the necessary state."
"Still in the room, guys," Dean scowled. "And I think this would work better if I was alone."
"You've already tried that and it didn't work, remember?" Bobby pointed out.
"It worked better than this."
"Okay, let's try something different," Gwen suggested just as Dean heard the soft flutter of wings. "Think about the last time that you really had to concentrate hard on learning something new. And I mean really hard."
Dean blanched at the first thing that immediately came to mind and therefore he missed the way that his cousin and friend jumped when his bond brother spoke, thereby alerting them to his presence.
"That will not be conducive to aiding Dean achieve a meditative state," Michael declared.
"You really need to take some lessons from Castiel on how to not startle humans into nearly having a heart attack!" Bobby growled, glaring at the first archangel.
"Clearly," Michael replied coolly.
It took Dean a moment to realize that his bond brother had done it on purpose in order to draw attention away from him. He was grateful for it but didn't really like the implication of how easily his friend had followed his train of thought to their natural conclusion. Had Michael been reliving some of his own worst memories? He really hoped not!
"Why wouldn't it help Dean?" Gwen inquired.
"That is not important, merely that it would not achieve the desired effect," Michael stated.
"Yes, well we need to try something new as this isn't working."
"That much is clear. Leave it to me."
"Are you sure?" Bobby frowned.
"Yes. Dean and I will need to achieve the proper state together, so it is best if we practice it together."
"Alright, if you're sure."
"Goodbye, Bobby, Gwen," Dean said pointedly, greatly relieved. "Thanks, Mike," he added as soon as they were alone together.
"You're far too tense," Michael stated, running a hand over his shoulders.
"Yeah, well, you try meditating with those two around."
"And the memories of Hell."
Dean looked up sharply at his bond brother and friend as Michael came to stand in front of him before the archangel lowered himself to the floor. "Have you seen any of that?"
"Just some glimpses from time to time, but I am well aware of what happens down there and what Alastair would have done to you."
The words made Dean flinch but he instantly relaxed when Michael's chocolate colored wings came up around him, cocooning them off from the rest of the world. It was amazing, really, just how quickly it calmed him but he realized that he really didn't have any bad memories associated with angel wings, just really really good ones. So of course he'd see them as a sign of protection and comfort. Well, no bad ones where he'd gotten hurt anyway, he amended, wincing as he recalled how multiple of both Castiel and Raphael's wings had been so severely injured.
"Right, thanks," Dean replied, looking at the wings. "But Bobby's right, I can't really use something like that in order to get into a meditative state."
"No, but you'll never learn how to do it at all if you don't relax first. Once you know what you need to achieve, then it'll be easier to get there without such guidance," Michael responded. "Now, close your eyes-"
"- and take a deep breath?"
"Dean."
"Sorry."
It never ceased to both amaze and amuse Dean how all of his archangels could pack so much meaning into the one syllable that was his name. It was almost miraculous really. And, yeah, he could admit that he was procrastinating now. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes, trying to clear his mind as most of the books that he'd read had said to do. There was a slight shift of wings and then he felt the reassuring weight of feathers against his back and shoulders. The rest of his tension just melted away and he huffed in feigned annoyance at how instantly and easily his body reacted.
"Hush, Little One," Michael said, bemused. "Now, this isn't some ordinary meditative state that we're attempting to achieve here, this is something far deeper."
"Great."
A small feminine finger covered his lips and Dean was tempted to bite it but he stilled the impulse. There was a faint fluttering of something hysterical deep within him that he recognized from previous times where he'd been about to do something that he really feared on some level but he quashed it. He really wasn't quite sure why he was feeling it now of all times as this was not at all something dangerous or even something that he'd ever feared, just looked down on and sneered at. Well, unless it was the next step that he was dreading on some level already, because if this worked (and it really had to!) then he'd have to do it while with Michael so that they could de-nuke Lucifer and that, of course, risked them growing even closer than they already were. While the thought of becoming closer to Michael in and of itself didn't bother him too much, the thought of losing himself utterly terrified him. On some level it was like saying yes all over again, only without the reassurances and comforts that his friend had promised back then because this time even his bond brother didn't know what was going to happen.
Well, Dean reasoned, it wasn't like it was the first time that he was going to risk himself. Besides, this time he had far more people working with him and, much as he still hated to admit it, people that he could trust far more than he ever could his brother.
"Good, now I want you to concentrate on our bond," Michael instructed softly.
"Our bond?"
"Yes."
"I thought I was supposed to clear my mind?"
"I am not entirely sure that is even possible for you."
Dean scowled as he felt the amused ripple through their bond, but he secretly had to admit that his friend was probably right. "Okay, the bond."
It was nearly shocking how easily that Dean could focus on the bond, blocking out almost everything else. Perhaps it was because the connection between them was almost alive in a way, constantly rippling and shifting, swelling and ebbing with the emotions that passed between them. It was seductive in a way, all of that power and emotion just right there, for him to touch and wrap himself in whenever he wanted to. It would be so easy to just lose himself in it all. Although not the same as his bond with Castiel, this bond was almost just as intense if not as all-encompassing. He had a brief thought for how amazing it was that Michael and Castiel had been able to accept each other's claims on him as they had because otherwise the disharmony from the two bonds would surely have been enough to drive him mad, but it was a fleeting thing, passing nearly as soon as it occurred to him.
"That's it, now open your hands," Michael's true voice whispered directly into his mind an indeterminate amount of time later.
Dean responded automatically, his hands having opened even before he'd really thought about it. Once that fact would have bothered him, but not anymore. Indeed, he wasn't even tempted to open his eyes and see what he'd been given when a cool weight was placed into his waiting palms. Any thought of figuring it out by touch was forestalled when Michael closed his hands over his own, clasping them around the object.
For a few seconds they simply sat there like that, their very essences gliding along each other along the bond, before Dean could suddenly feel something from between his closed palms. At first he couldn't quite make out what it was, but then it resolved itself into heat. It wasn't anything too bad, just a pleasant warmth caressing the inside of his hands, dancing along his fingers, but he could somehow tell that it wasn't natural heat. It was magic of some kind or another. He wasn't entirely sure just how he knew that, but he did. The knowledge didn't alarm him though as he was attuned to his bond brother enough to know that there was nothing to either be afraid of or worry about. Instead the magic seemed to seep into him, relaxing his muscles and expanding his awareness of their bond and Michael's Grace. Acting solely on instinct, he gave himself over to it, hardly even aware of his own meat suit anymore.
The fission of foreboding came out of nowhere and made Dean flinch, but lazily as he was so thoroughly relaxed.
"Mike?" Dean questioned, knowing it hadn't come from his friend but mystified as to where else it could have come from. "What was that?"
"I don't know, Little One," Michael admitted, a frown nearly tangible in his voice. "But I have felt it before."
"At the Vatican."
"Yes."
"Is everything okay?" Gwen demanded, rushing back into the room.
"What the hell just happened?" Bobby demanded, swift on her heels.
The unexpected interruption caught Dean completely off-guard, making him react automatically and so he had already turned his head and opened his eyes before he'd even really thought about it. For a moment all he saw were Michael's wings but then they shifted and he could see both Gwen and Bobby. The looks on their faces were one of disbelief and shock, both tinged with what he strongly suspected was awe. That confused him for a moment and so it took him a few seconds to realize that the quality of light in the room was different from what it had been before. He followed Gwen and Bobby's gazes back down to his hands which he could now see held the focusing crystal that they'd gotten from his extended family in England. Only now the crystal was ablaze with an inner light and he suddenly got what the big deal was about it being flawless as any flaws, no matter how small or slight, would be instantly visible just now.
"Dean?" Gwen questioned, sounding worried.
Dean blinked, turning his head back to look at her. It was as he was doing so that he realized how slowly that everything seemed to be moving. Or was it him that was moving slowly? Despite the surrealness of the experience and the sudden detachedness he could now feel from his surroundings and even his cousin and Bobby, he didn't panic as his bond brother was still perfectly calm.
"What's wrong with him?" Bobby demanded, stepping forwards.
"As you can see from the crystal, he's in a deep meditative state," Michael explained, not taking his eyes from him and their gazes locked when Dean looked back at his friend.
"Already?" Gwen questioned in disbelief.
"It turns out that Dean's a natural at it once he realizes how to do it."
Bobby snorted. "Sam's not gonna let him live that one down anytime soon once he hears about this."
"Forget Sam, I'm not gonna let him live this down!" Gwen stated. "Not after all of the crap that he's given me about my meditations and my candles."
Dean rolled his eyes but he knew that he really had no defense against that particular accusation. The amusement he felt from his bond brother returned his attention to Michael and the moment that their eyes locked once more he felt another wave of foreboding. Then, before he could say anything, there was a flash of something else. He wasn't sure what it was but he just knew that it was important and he focused on it, letting everything else fall away. At first there was nothing but then something wavered before him like a flickering old film, between himself and his bond brother. It shimmered there for a few seconds before bursting into life; vivid, colorful and with complete surround sound.
It was the kitchen at Lisa's and Dean felt his heart plummet as he instantly recognized it. Then it was racing in his chest at the sound of a scream that he would know anywhere.
Ben!
Dean could then hear Lisa crying out for her son and then the scene shifted slightly, just enough so that he could actually see what was going on. He almost wished that it hadn't. There was blood sprayed across the far wall and Lisa's shirt was soaked with it as well. Beside her, clutching at his stomach was Milton. The guy's color didn't look great and he knew that if the man didn't get medical attention and soon that Milton would die. Instead of fussing over her boyfriend, though, or the demon that was crouched down over her and holding her down, Lisa's attention was focused elsewhere. He followed her line of sight to see a demon holding Ben up against the wall, the boy's legs kicking out frantically where they dangled uselessly, several feet above the floor.
"Ben!" Dean called out desperately.
He tried to rush forwards to help, but Dean found that he couldn't. All that he could do was watch helplessly as the boy he'd gladly have called his own struggled to breathe around the hand at his throat. Despite his desperate situation, Ben was still fighting, trying frantically to claw at the demon and Dean felt a swell of pride but it was quickly swamped by realization that it wasn't going to be enough. Ben simply wasn't strong enough or trained enough to be able to get out of the hold that the demon had over him.
"Well, this is rather amateurish, not to mention suicidal."
Even though Dean didn't get the chance to turn around and see the newcomer, he didn't have to in order to identify him. The voice alone was more than distinctive enough.
Crowley.
Just as suddenly as the vision had come, it was gone and Dean was left staring into Michael's shocked and horrified eyes.
"Dean, Michael, what the hell just happened?" Bobby demanded.
The horror and shock paralyzed Dean for a few precious moments but then, before he could react, Michael was already reach out towards his forehead with two fingers and his hand went for the demon killing knife that he'd shoved into his boot that morning, knowing his Desert Eagle would be useless in this particular case. Not that he wouldn't gladly pump any one of the demonic bastards full of lead if Michael managed to contain them for him.
"Mich-" Gwen began.
The world shifted around them as his bond brother took to flight and Dean could feel Michael's own determination even though he wasn't sure whether his friend even knew who Lisa and Ben were and what they meant to him. Although, actually, his archangel was probably aware of the latter if not the former, given how closely connected they'd been when the vision had sprung to life before their very eyes.
Dean didn't have the first clue as to how the vision had come to them, but if it was true then he didn't care, he was just glad that it had. God, if anything were to happen to Ben because of the boy's connection with him... he would never forgive himself. Sure, he'd not been the one to first expose either Lisa or Ben to the supernatural, but demons were a long way from changelings and there was no doubt whatsoever in his mind as to exactly why they'd been targeted now and it was all his fault. He should never have simply assumed that they'd be safe after he'd lived with him, however briefly it had been.
He'd brought this on them.
The landing was rougher than normal, but Dean hardly noticed, his attention tracking straight to where he'd last seen Ben in the vision even as he heard Lisa scream in pain.
A.N.:Okay, the online course I've been taking that been eating my free time lately is done now, so hopefully I can get back to a better updating schedule. Sorry about the past few months!
Chapter 191