Chapter One

Are You Ready?

A/N: This is started before the season 5 finale and really something I think would be rather cool. And could potentially give a HEA for the boys in season 6 and end it on a good note. :)

Of course I do not own Supernatural, or any characters from the show, that honor goes to Mr Kripke. I do however own the creative rights to Rachel, and any characters original to this fiction. This applies to this and all future chapters.

South Dakota

Bobby's home.

Sam and Dean look over a map of Ohio, black X marks surrounding a small town in the western portion of the state. Dean looks up to Bobby, sighing. "OK, so what is it this time?"

Bobby shrugs, and settles back into the chair he is occupying and crosses his legs, a small smile coming to his lips at the ability to do so again. "Not a clue, but with the storms, and a few confirmed cases of demonic possession, along with the deaths, and fires, gotta be worth looking into."

Sam clears his throat, shifting uneasily at the corner of Bobby's desk. "Lucifer?"

"Or just demons, either way, there's a lot going on around that town. Bad mojo all around."

"Didn't Lucifer say that I would say yes to him in Detroit?" Sam looks to his brother, worry evident in his eyes.

Dean shakes his head, and points to the map. "Not Detroit"

"No but it's close enough isn't it?" He sighs, and turns for the door, heading for the Impala.

"Sam?" Dean starts after him, then stops, and looks back to Bobby. "We'll figure it out, and update you."

"Hey!" Bobby stands, chasing after him. "Take the fallen angel with you would you? His moping is irritating the hell out of me!"

Dean stops, looking into the living room where Cas was slouched on the couch, looking less put together then he ever had. "Seriously? Bobby, he's a drink out of that bottle away from being drunk."

"I've had it with him drinking all my beer, and moping around here like he owns the place."

Dean wrestles with his conscience for a moment before clearing his throat, and making his voice sound upbeat and excited. "Hey Cas, you up for a road trip?"

Cas glares at him from the couch, and takes another swig from his beer bottle. "Screw you, Dean."

Dean raises an eyebrow, then tries another approach. "We could really use an extra pair of hands."

Cas looks up between Bobby and Dean, then groans as he gains his feet. "Don't know why you'd want me to go with them, Bobby. I won't be any help. But I get the hint. You want me out." He stumbles a bit as he moves toward them, then braces himself on the doorway. "Good God, why do you drink that stuff?"

"I normally don't drink as much as you have, Cas." Dean clasps him on the shoulder, and leads him to the front door, and out onto the porch. That was when Cas stopped, doubled over, then lurched toward the railing, throwing up into what used to be bushes on the other side. The older Winchester pats the angel on the back as he passes him. "Atta boy, Cas."

Sam frowns as he starts back to the house, and stops when Cas heaves again. "How much did he drink?"

Dean grimaces as Cas heaves a third time. "Enough, apparently. Bobby? Couple bottles of water?"

Bobby turns to go back into the house, disapproval of the angel written on his face, to get the water. When he comes back out, Castiel had finished his purging and was groaning on the stairs holding his head. He hands Dean the bottles and watches as he moves to the Impala, Sam and Cas not far behind.

Tiffin, Ohio

Dean pulls the Impala onto the one way street running in front of the Police Department. He and Sam get out of the car, dressed in suits and ties, Cas climbs out of the passenger door from the back seat still in the tan trench coat looking like a hungover PI. The three of them move into the lobby, flashing their FBI badges to the secretary.

"Special Agent Murdock," Dean says, then gestures to Sam. "This is my partner Agent Stiles." Then he nods back to Castiel. "And this is a friend of ours, Detective Cobain."

The secretary looks closely at the badges for a moment, then up to their faces as they pulled them away. "What can I do for you?"

"We're looking into the Johnson Family's case, as well as the local fires, and the gas station robbery." Sam says, tucking away his fake ID.

The secretary narrows her wrinkled blue gaze on him. "You think they're all related?"

Dean gives the older woman a half nod. "We think they're connected somehow, yes. Who can we talk to about the cases?"

"That would be Chief LaGrange. Just a moment and I'll let him know you're here. Go right up those stairs to your left, there, and I'll call up for you." The older woman reaches for the phone, and dials a four digit extension as the three of them move toward the stairs.

The three moved single file up the stairs to the second floor of the department, to see the police chief exiting his office to shake hands with them. "What can I do for you gentlemen?"

Dean spoke up as Chief LaGrange reached for Castiel's hand, of whom just looked at the man for a moment before realizing what proper protocol was to be followed to keep up their charade. "We're looking into the recent crime wave that's struck your town. There's been a few cases like this in surrounding areas and states. What we're most interested in is the Johnson murders."

LaGrange shook his head as he led them into his office, his facial features saddened by the mention of the family. "Such a tragedy. Matt doesn't even remember doing it either. His lawyer is claiming amnesia, and a temporary insanity plea." He moves to a silver filing cabinet pulling out a file and slapping it wearily on the desk in front of Sam. There's not much you're gonna find in there that is any new information. The kid murdered four people in cold blood. They get younger and younger."

Sam frowns for a moment, then opens the file. His eyes scan over the mug shot, the boy looked young; 16 maybe 17 years old. He was bulky, and his short cropped blonde hair just barely reached the 6'2" mark on the measurement behind him. His blue eyes stare up at him, frightened from the photo. His eyes move over the case quickly, taking in as much as he could before they left the office. "It says there's a witness willing to testify in Matt's defense?"

LaGrange nods sadly. "Rachel Varden. Though she's not all that credible since her family died two years ago. She's reclused herself, even disappeared for weeks at a time before popping back in out of nowhere."

"She pop back in recently?" Castiel asks from his place by the door.

The brothers lookup at him in shock for a moment, then back to the police chief waiting for the answer.

"Matter of fact, yes. She lives just outside of town, north on route 53. She's been home for two weeks, so we're expecting her to take off again soon. Matt's trial is in a month so she'll be back then if you miss her while you're here."

Dean nods, and asks the chief to write down her address before continuing with his questioning. "What about the robberies and fires?"

LaGrange sighs and settled back into his chair. "it's the strangest thing, all of them are claiming they have no clue what happened, or even know they did it. But every single one of them say that Rachel can vouch for them. And she does."

Sam watches the chief closely noticing the tell tale sign that the officer was keeping something from them, something that was left out from every case file as well. "But?"

"Off the record?" The brothers nod, and the chief sighs before answering. "They all claim demonic possession. But that's ridiculous, and no way in hell it would stand up in court. Besides, you need a priest to exercise demons, and Rachel is no priest."

Motel 8

Tiffin, Ohio

Sam looks up from his laptop, triumph in his eyes as he turns his gaze to Dean and Cas. "So Rachel Varden is a hell of a lot more in depth then we could have thought."

Dean narrows his eyes as he settles back against the twin bed's headboard. "How so?"

"Well, two years ago, her family is killed. Right in front of her, husband went off the deep end, killed the daughter, and then cut his own throat." Sam lets that register, and Dean's eyebrow raises as he finishes that bit of information. "But I did some more digging on her. Her maiden name was Warren, Rachel Warren. September of '83 there was a fire in her house. Father lived, mother didn't make it out. Give you three guesses on where the fire originated."

Deans eyes narrowed on his brother. "Wait, another of the yellow eyed demon's soldier babies?"

"September 17th of '83. Her birth, March 17th of that year. Exactly 6 months old." Sam replies, sitting back in his chair. "Now somehow she escaped the round up with the rest of us, probably because she was protecting her daughter. Maybe it was because she was protecting her daughter, using her abilities who knows? But exactly 6 months later, her family is killed. Six months after the Hell Gate was opened."

Dean shakes his head, slightly confused. "O.K. So she loses her mother to the Yellow eyed demon, and then her husband and daughter are killed, more then likely by demons. She hunts? Performs exorcisms in her free time?"

Sam shrugs slightly, and gestures to the computer. "I say we go talk to her."

Dean grunts, and grabs his jacket off the post of the bed frame. "Lets hope she's not the type to shoot first, and ask questions later."

Rachel Varden's home.

3 miles north of Tiffin.

Dean pulls the Impala up a gravel driveway, turning his radio down as he hears loud rock blaring from a radio outside the home. Movement from the left catches his attention as a woman pushes herself out from under a '78 Matador cursing. "Oh nice car."

The woman pushes herself off the cart she had been laying on oil covering the towel that drops from her chest, and she throws the cloth at the car before kicking the bumper. "Stupid piece of crap!" She grabs the hood and slams it down, then turns, hearing the Impala's engine, and narrows her eyes on the group inside. Her movement, seemingly nonchalant, to the passenger door isn't unnoticed by the brothers. They recognized the ram rod posture, alert eyes, and of course the reach inside the window possibly to grip hold of a gun inside the car.

Sam clears his throat as Dean cuts the engine, and starts to get out. "Take it easy would you?"

He leans back down into the car, and frowns at Sam. "What?"

"Which are you more impressed with, the car or the woman?"

Dean grins. "You know me too well, Sammy." He wasn't about to deny the fact that even though she clearly wasn't his normal type, that she didn't hold some sort of appeal. She is a foot shorter then he, long brown hair pulled back into a braid that stopped almost to the wait band of her blue jeans that rested on hips that made it obvious she had been a mother. The feminine T-shirt she wore clung to a slim waist line, and accentuated her breasts, which is what Dean's eyes were lingering on as he approached her. "Rachel Varden?"

Her chin comes up a bit, her eyes harden, a warning to him unspoken to stop right where he was. "Yeah. Who's asking?"

He takes his FBI badge out of his pocket, keeping up the charade for the moment. "Agent Murdock, my partner Agent Stiles, and close friend Detective Cobain."

She eyes them for a long moment before she bursts into laughter, pulling her hand from the window of the car. "As in Kurt? Let me guess, he was given that name after a bad round of drugs or a hang over?"

Dean stops and looks back over his shoulder at Sam and Castiel, his eyes widen in shock before he looks back at her. "What?"

She shakes her head, and crosses her arms under her breasts, smirking. "You Winchester brothers really need to stop naming yourself after rock legends."

"You know who we are?" He takes a cautious step toward her.

She shrugs, and moves to the trunk pulling out a bag holding four quarts of oil, then travels around the driver's side of the car to pull the hood latch, and then to the hood to prop it up once more. "Took me a minute, but yeah."

Sam moves up beside his brother. "How?"

She smirks up at him as she breaks the seal on the first quart. "I'm a hunter. Any hunter worth anything knows about the Winchesters." She tilts her head as she pours the oil into the car. "Your father was a freaking legend." She stops halfway through the quart, and looks up to the brothers. "I'm sorry by the way. It's hard losing a parent."

Dean, not wanting to get sentimental turns the subject to that of her car. "This is nice, what is it, a Matador? '77, '78?"

Rachel nods, and finishes off the quart, and cracks open the second. '78 Matador Barcelona. Rare car. It was my husband's, he fixed 'er up, and now she's my piece of crap."

Dean frowns. "Piece of crap? It looks like it's in perfect condition."

Rachel nods her head to the towel on the ground. "It hates me." She sets the quart upright in the proper position, and lets it drain out into the tank as she pushes herself away from the engine, and brushes her hands off. "So, what are you two out here for?"

"The Johnson murders. The crime rate is getting pretty high here."

She nods, and crosses her arms again. "Yeah it is. Demonic activity is sky rocketing too."

"Do you know why?" Sam asks.

She nods slightly. "Yeah." She waits a moment before she sighs and answered their unspoken question. "Me."

Both of the brothers frown, but it's Sam who speaks up. "Why you?"

Before she can respond, Cas steps forward, putting a cautionary hand on Sam's shoulder. "She's a vessel."

The brothers look back at him before turning their gaze back to the woman in front of them. "For who?" Dean asks.

She looks away from then, and sighs again. Just as she's about to answer them, she doubles over, holding her head in pain. "Oh GOD! Damn it all. Turn away!" A familiar tone rings out over the yard, the sun light seems to intensify as the tone become more insistent, and the light moves around Rachel.

Dean starts for her, but stops as he's thrown to the ground by Castiel. "Don't look!"

The light surrounds the woman, and pours into her as she screams once. The light dies away from her and she takes a deep breath in, straightening.

Dean frowns as he looks up at her. "Rachel?"

"Try again." Rachel looks down at them, her posture straighter, her voice held a more regal tone then before. "You've seen Gods before. And now... you're looking at the Goddess."

Dean gains his feet, and stares at the woman that was Rachel in disbelief. "The goddess?"

"The Wiccan Goddess. I had a hand in creating this world, and I will not see it go to hell because one fallen angel is throwing a two year old's temper tantrum." Her hands settled on her hips as she stares up at Dean.

"And what are you going to do about it?" Sam asks, gaining his feet.

"I'm going to make sure first off, that neither one of you can say 'yes' to Michael or Lucifer by changing your blood. Your blood is what keeps you as their vessels. Then I get back to my work in finding your half brother, and getting him to say yes to Michael, so Michael can defeat Lucifer while he's still trapped in the rotting body he's currently occupying."

"Wait, how are you going to change our blood?" Dean asks, his face showing his disgust thinking they would have to drink blood to change it.

The Goddess rolls her eyes. "Don't be gross. I'm talking a transfusion. My blood for yours. I can get eight pints out, four for each of you, as long as you both do the same. Four a piece. It will change your blood just enough for neither of the arch angels to be able to inhabit you."

"Wait, wait. What about Rachel?" Dean asks, moving closer to her.

"What about her?" The Goddess asks, tilting her head. Rachel's long braid spills over her shoulder.

"Does she know what's going on? What you're planning?" Dean's green eyes met the Goddess' though he realized they were still Rachel's multi colored irises.

She smiles softly, and looks away from him. "Yes. She wants to help." Her head tilts the other direction, as if she were listening to something. "She says 'anything to help put the son of a bitch back into his cage.' She's very much awake inside here."

Sam shakes his head in confusion. "How is that possible?"

"I don't wish to harm her. I don't want to take over her permanently the way Castiel has done to poor Jimmy. I'm merely here to pass along my message to the both of you, and to give you the blood you need. Rachel will be able to help with the powers that accompany the blood surging through you. And trust me, you'll need them for when you face Lucifer. She knows everything I know, which is... pretty much everything you two have done your entire lives."

Dean takes a step back, frowning. "How do you know all of that?"

She smiles. "I had a hand in creating this world with the Christian God. He and I were partners in this creation. He and I were the first despite the other religion's thoughts that they are older then He is. I keep an eye on all of creation. You two especially in the last couple of years. Dean I do apologize for not getting to you sooner."

The look of pure regret in her eyes takes him back. His brow furrows with his confusion. "Sooner?"

"In Hell. I could not locate you in time. I knew Alistair's plans for you. I knew he planned to make you break the first seal. Hell is very large. I searched for thirty three years for you. By then it was too late. I told God about your situation, and pleaded with him to order Castiel to pull you out for five years. Here on earth it was a few days. Then they moved you, it took two more years for him to find you and pull you out."

Over the course of her speech the three men standing before her are shocked into silence. Dean finally speaks up, sputtering slightly. "You? You were responsible for pulling me out?"

She nods slowly. "Yes."

"Why would you care about me being in Hell?"

She sighs, and leans back against the car, more of her vessel coming through. "I knew of their plan to make you the beginner of the freeing of Lucifer. I tried desperately to stop it. I love this place, and the people on it as much as God does." Castiel scoffs and folds his arms over his chest. The Goddess narrows her eyes on him. "Do not think for one moment, Castiel, that God has abandoned the Earth. He is working on his own way to fix the problem at hand. Just as I have been." She turns her attention back to Dean then. "I don't want to see it destroyed. But I also do not want to see you surrendering yourself to Michael," Then she looks back to Sam. "Nor you give yourself to Lucifer. So, here is what I am asking of the three of you; talk over my proposal. Weigh the pros and and cons, and then come to see Rachel. I'll know when you come, and I'll be here waiting when you decide. Do not wait long."

The light surrounds her again, brilliantly, too much for the brothers to keep looking, causing them to turn away. When they look back, Rachel is left leaning against her car, two tears escaping her eyes.