All legs and wings SN 5, part 2

by technicolour66

We pretty much start off where Low Man's Lyric left off. New Bad guys, new general topic, hence new story.

1. Chapter 1

2. All legs and wings

Episode 1 – She had the sightless eyes, telling me no lies

*Soundtrack*
AC/DC – You shook me all night long
Massive Attack – Unfinished sympathy
David Bowie – 5:15 The Angels Have Gone
Sex Pistols – Anarchy in the UK
R.E.M. – Losing my Religion
Placebo – I know
Robbie Williams - Angels
Jimmy eat world – Firestarter
Smiths – How soon is now?
T. Rex - Children Of The Revolution
Placebo – My Sweet Prince

Chapter 1

It had been a good Hunt.
Easy, clean, short. No nasty surprises, no last minute news that changed the whole situation.
They had gone to a bar to celebrate.
Easy, clean and short really wasn't something you could rely on during a hunt. Jobs tended to get complicated on their own accord, so if one went well, some celebration was definitely called for.
Catherine had walked up to the karaoke machine and had treated them to a song.
Dean had to smile, as she chose AC/DC's 'You shook me all night long', probably just to please him.
And boy, had she pleased him, both at the mike and later in their motel room.
Life was beyond good.
For the first time in his life, he really felt like he had something that just belonged to himself.
Catherine was his entirely. And he was hers.
Before, this sentence probably would have scared the crap out of him, but for better or for worse, he was no longer entirely the man he had been before - before hell, before trying to stop the apocalypse, before breaking, before being put back together again by the miracle that was Cat.
Their bond gave him strength and grounded him in a way he had never experienced before.
These days, Dean Winchester went to sleep with a smile, instead of dreading the coming night and its nightmares.
These days, he woke up with a smile, too.

"I know that I've been mad in love before
And how it could be with you
Really hurt me baby, really cut me baby
How can you have a day without a night
You're the book that I have opened
And now I've got to know much more"

At dusk, Dean woke with that warped Christmassy Joy-to-the-world kind of feeling that always heralded the arrival of Castiel.
He frowned and looked around for the angel.
And sure as hell, there he was, Dean's very own personal link to the PTB, the powers that be.
Outside the window of their dingy motel room, instead of too up close and personal this time for a change.
Dean suspected that this little tribute to privacy was due to the fact that Catherine was sleeping next to him.
He quietly put a shirt on and struggled into his jeans, then went outside buttoning his shirt.

"Hi Cas. Been a while."
"Dean. I need a favour."
Ah, Cas, master of small talk. And fashion icon as well – same old trench, same old suit, same out-of-bed hairdo.
"A favour? You mean you're actually asking me to do something for a change, instead of ordering me around?"
Castiel was silent and stared into space, head tilted in that… Cas way. He managed to convey worry without actually moving a facial muscle.
Dean sighed.
"Okay, Cas, shoot."
"Someone is killing Guardians."
"Guardians. Yeah, right… Cas, do I have to pull every word from your mouth with pliers?"
"Guardians are humans endowed with special powers. They are guarding secrets of vital importance."
"Importance to whom?"
"Heaven and earth. If these secrets fall into the wrong hands, we would again be facing the possibility of an apocalypse."
"And they are being killed. Any idea who's doing it?"
"No. That's what I would like you to find out."
"Okay, where do we start?"
"You will go to Jerico Springs, Cedar, Missouri."
"Missouri? Can't you ever send me some place beachy and holidayish?"
No reaction. Small wonder. Cas didn't comment on Dean being facetious. Ever.
"You will find the Guardian in the bookstore on Logan Street. You go alone, of course."
Now that was something Dean wouldn't accept, not this time. They were a team and they were a really good one, it would be stupid to lose that advantage.
"No, Cas, I won't go alone. This isn't a divine order this time, it's you asking and you asking leads to me telling you. And I am telling you, you only get me in the complete set. That means me, Cat and Sam. Take it or leave it."
Castiel looked a tad put out, thought Dean, at least, well, as much as the angel could look put out.
Dean thought he saw Cas give an infinitesimal shrug, but it could've been simply a trick of the light. Cas didn't do shrugs, really.
"Very well, Dean. Your rules."
And with that, the angel was gone.

"5:15
All of my life
Angels have gone
I'm changing trains
Angels like them
Thin on the ground
All of my life
All legs and wings
Strange sandy eyes"

Cat woke up to see Dean packing.
They had done the job, a simple haunting in Whatsitsname, Ohio, last night, so it figured they'd be off someplace else immediately.
Another day, another dollar – only, there were no dollars in this line of work.
Another day, another crappy motel room?
Usually, Dean would at least give them some time the next morning before heading out.
This hurry probably meant they already had a new job lined up.
"So, where are we going, hot shot?" Cat said, smiling.
"Jerico Springs, Missouri."
Dean tossed some balled-up t-shirts in his duffel bag. He looked tense.
"And what's in Jerico Springs, then?"
"A job."
"Really? Well, I'll be damned, a job, how unique!" Cat said sarcastically. Boy, h ad that man ever gotten up on the wrong side of the bed!
Dean turned to her with a half-apologetic grin. "Came up at the crack of dawn, sounds urgent, c'mon, giddy up, I'll tell you both in the car."
"So, Sam's already packing?"
"Yeah, wanted to give you a few more moments to rest."
"Sweet." Cat swung her legs out of the bed and went to take a shower.

They tore down the freeway. Speeding, needless to say.
"Okay, Dean, spit it out."
"Castiel came to me last night."
Sam groaned and said: "Not AGAIN!"
Sam had thought they had left all that behind them for good. Nothing good could come of anything related to angels. They were all about half truths and obfuscation, not to mention that they tended to send his brother off on suicide missions. Okay, that was probably the main reason Sam had misgivings about angels, along with the fact that they didn't react too well to someone tainted by demon blood, not matter what Sam did.
"Angel business, Dean? That doesn't sound too good to me," said Cat.
She was instantly worried. The last angel business had left Dean in a mental hospital, all but gone beyond the point of no return.
"No, it's… not strictly speaking not angel business. Cas asked me to investigate this shit as a favour." Dean sounded terse. Small wonder, was he now in the position of defending a job he wasn't 100% behind in the first place.
"Okay. That sounds slightly better, but still doesn't sound anywhere near good." Cat wasn't mollified just yet.
"There are these dudes, called Guardians."
Cat winced. Guardians. That meant big time trouble, if there was something wrong with one of them.
"They guard some secret shit and they're being killed. If the wrong kind of people get their hands on these secrets, we'll be up shit creek without a paddle. So we find them and stop them."
"How?"
"Hell, do I have to do everything in this outfit?" Dean said with righteous indignation in his voice.

The drove into Jerico Springs at dusk.
Not much of a town, so finding the bookstore was real easy.
They walked in after a cursory check on the terrain.
There was a woman in the store, lithe, late 30ies, early 40ies, straight dark hair cut in a bob.
Dean was tired.
He had sat behind the wheel for hours and wasn't up to taking it slow.
"You the Guardian I'm supposed to protect?"
The woman looked startled.
"Who are you folks?"
"I'm Dean Winchester, this is my brother Sam and my partner Catherine. I was sent here to see to it you don't get killed."
Dean wished there was a secret handshake that he could use to cut through all this crap.
Why wasn't there a secret handshake?
Or a password?
Wasn't he even worthy of that?
Would it have been so hard on Castiel to make sure they had a secret password? It would make his life so much easier.
"Who sent you?"
"An angel." Dean said, groaning inwardly at the way it sounded. Could he sound more psycho new age, if he tried?
"Which one?"
"Castiel."
The woman nodded.
"I'm Maya Gallagher. I'm the Guardian."
The woman stood straighter, somehow, as she said it.
Her power filled the room.

Chapter 2

"I am an antichrist
I am an anarchist
Don't know what I want but
I know how to get it
I wanna destroy the passer by cos I
I wanna be anarchy!"

It had taken them almost 600 years to come to this.
They couldn't fail now. Finally, the time had come, the signs were saying it without the shadow of a doubt.
They were the coming power, they were the unstoppable tide that would rule night and day alike.
After all these years, their flag was flowing proudly from the roof of their headquarters again and the sign of the one they worshipped could be found on the entrances of many gathering points once more. Their numbers were swelling and their power was growing.
They were the Cult of Ouron.

The young man crept carefully along the dark small town street.
Their mission was of the essence and they must not be seen, nor stopped. He clutched his dagger tightly to his body. On the other side of the street, his lieutenant and two more men were gliding from one pool of darkness to the next. He turned his head to signal the two men behind him to follow him more closely now.
His instructions had been clear.
The woman was to be found in a bookstore and must be brought back to the cave alive for questioning. The secret that she guarded was needed to prepare for the ritual. The ritual would finally put the Cult of Ouron where it belonged – on the throne, ruling the earth.
He shuddered with anticipation.
He reached the bookstore.
Through the shop window, he could see that the woman had three customers, two men and a woman. Not good, but not something they needed to worry about, either.
His men were all trained fighters and they didn't mind collateral damage much.
Their mission was too important for that and besides, three dead humans did not matter much, anyway.

Dean was still thinking there should be a secret handshake or code word to identify the good guys in situations like this. Well, never mind, they found the Guardian and would take her to Bobby's - safest place in the whole goddamn world.
He was just starting to say something, when suddenly six masked figures, armed with wickedly curved daggers, burst into the room.
He immediately moved between them and the Guardian, drew his gun and aimed straight at the guy who seemed to be the ring leader.
From the corner of his eye, he could see Sam had done the same and Cat was apparently already mouthing a spell.
The attackers seemed dumbstruck.
They looked like they most definitely hadn't counted on resistance.
Dean pressed his advantage by pushing the Guardian further backwards, towards the store's back door. Sam followed suit.
Catherine said "OBFUSCATE" and a wall of fog formed between them and their attackers.
They moved out back and ran towards the Impala.

Dean could hear rapid footsteps following them.
He stood and turned, gun at the ready. He fired at their attackers. One of the figures crumpled to the ground.
One down, five to go.
He aimed at another, when his world suddenly went black.

The Grandmaster walked over the prone bodies of the three people who had tried to foil his plan. The bolt of magic he had hit them with had worked as intended; they were all unconscious and would remain so for a few more hours.
The Guardian was lying next to the unknown woman.
He told his men to pick her up.
"And the others?"
"Leave them, they are of no consequence. It is more important that we leave here undetected. "
"But Master…"
"Silence. We will discuss your punishment later."
The young man gasped, tried to say something, but the older man cut him short with a sharp gesture of his hand.
"They should have never left the shop, never have run out into the open, where civilians can see them."

Dean came too, tasting copper.
What the hell had hit him?
He looked around.
Dawn lined the narrow street with subtle pink velvet.
Cat and Sam were also stirring.
The Guardian was gone.
"What part of protecting the Guardian didn't you understand, Dean?"
Cas. Pissed off.
If his head weren't hurting so badly and if he weren't so goddamned pissed off himself at being outmaneuvered, Dean would actually enjoy the experience.
Cas, pissed off. Wow. Now that was a first.
"Well, we tried. And somehow I can't quite shake the feeling that maybe we wouldn't have done such a piss poor job of it if a certain know-it-all in a fucking trench coat had given us the necessary info." He snapped.
"I…" Cas looked at the rising sun, searching for words, looking lost.
"Do you know where they took her?" Cat said gently.
"Yes, to a cave some 60 miles from here."
"Okay, you can explain yourself to me in the car. Let's roll."
Dean was already behind the wheel of the Impala before he had finished the sentence.
He was fuming. He should have foreseen that the goons would have someone bringing up the rear. Hunting 101. DAMMIT.
They tore out of the town.

"Now, Cas, I believe you were trying to tell me why you once more sent me out on a shit detail half-cocked."
"They are called the Cult of Ouron. They… they must be stopped. Their foot soldiers are nothing more than fighters, but the higher ranks of the order have magic at their disposal."
Cas fell silent again.
"And?"
"Dean, don't push." Cat said softly. She looked at the angel and said: "You don't have to tell us everything. We understand if there are things you can't talk about."
There always were things angels couldn't talk about; it was part of their job description. Putting pressure on Castiel would only make the angel acutely uncomfortable, but would not yield any results. He would not lie, did not know how, so he would simply not say anything anymore. Much as Cat didn't want to be in on any angel business, now that she was in on it already, the least she could do was mediate between fire and water, as it were.

"Every whisper
Of every waking hour
I'm choosing my confessions
Trying to keep an eye on you
Like a hurt, lost and blinded old fool
Oh no, I've said too much
I've said it all"

Castiel shifted uncomfortably in his seat.
The witch was kind and her soul shone brightly. That was a surprise; he hadn't expected her to be a good person. She was nothing like Dean's usual women. Maybe she was good for him after all, as he had surmised from recent events. His superiors thought differently, but Castiel was no longer taking everything they said to be the gospel truth.
He wished he could tell Dean the whole truth, but that was impossible.
"The Cult must be stopped. That is all that counts."
"It's crap declarations like this that get you way off my good list." Dean snarled. "I already got that they are evil. I need information if I'm to stop them."
He never knew how to deal with the angel. On the one hand, he liked the guy. Really liked him. Couldn't help it, Cas simply was… well, Cas. Angel, duh, raised Dean from perdition yaddayadda. And that brought him straight to the other hand. On that hand, Cas was annoying the funk out of Dean with his silences, the comings and goings without notice and the whole mystery guy gig.

Cat put her hand on Dean's shoulder from the back seat. She gently caressed his neck with her thumb.
She could feel him calm down.
Dean took a deep breath.
It was strange, how she could bring him out of anything with just a simple touch or a smile.
"Okay, Cas," he said in a less aggressive voice, "just give me something to work with, can you?"
"They were gone for almost 600 years, now they are back. Times have changed. I can't say with any certainty if they still have the same goals as in the 15th century."
"What did they use to do, then? Taken with a grain of salt, promise."
"They worshipped the demon Ouron and tried to gain demonic powers themselves, by means of alchemistic processes."
Cat swallowed hard, remembering her father and his demon collection.
Sam had powered up his laptop and gone to full research mode.
He said: "Ouron is not listed and I got no search results on the Cult at all."
"They were thought to be completely extinct, their knowledge lost, their texts destroyed."
Castiel's face bore a strange expression as he said this. Catherine looked at him intently.
Could it be guilt?

Chapter 3

"I know, the past will catch you up as you run faster
I know, the last in line is always called a bastard
I know, the past will catch you up as you run faster
I know
I know"

Castiel showed them the way to the cave, then did his patented vanishing act again.
Dean was livid.
They still didn't have the first idea about what they were letting themselves in for and their only lead had popped off to Neverland again.
The cave entrance loomed darkly ahead of them. It was suspiciously quiet and there weren't even any guards to be seen.
"How do we work this, team?" Dean asked, running his hand through his hair, trying to figure out what the hell to do.
"Easy. I go in alone." Cat said.
"No effing way, kitten. Next bright idea?"
Figured. He just had to get difficult about this.
"Dean, listen to me, please. I can make myself virtually invisible. I can go in, take a look at what's going on and then we can make a proper plan. Based on facts, not wild guesses."
"Makes a lot of sense to me, Dean," said Sam quietly, knowing that his brother was going to explode in five, four, three, two, one…
"Have you all gone mental?" Dean hissed. Good thing they had to keep it quiet, otherwise they'd now be treated to an out and out shouting fit.
"You are SO not going into that cave alone. I absolutely forbid it!"
"You what?" Cat said in a whisper that had claws attached to it.
"Well, I, errm, I don't… uh." Dean faltered under the steady and not particularly loving gaze of his woman. "I won't risk you getting hurt."
"I won't get hurt. For crying out loud, Dean, listen to reason for once, will ya?" Cat still sounded angry. "I can go in there and come out again undetected. What is your problem?"
"What if…"
"No. No what ifs in sight. I can do this. I HAVE done this many times, running errands for the Council wasn't exactly fun and games, you know."
She glared at him.
Dean gave in, not gracefully, but he did.
"You go in there, take a look around and come back here, stat. Understood?"
Cat sighed and nodded in a non-committal way. What Dean would read into the nod was his own business, she thought.
What would really happen in there would depend on the kind of situation she would find. And she would make her own decision, based on that.

Cat crept along the dark tunnel.
Small wonder there were no guards at the cave's mouth.
The entry had been secured with a spell, but Cat had been able to disarm it.
She came to a large hall, filled with people in red and black robes.
Predictable much? The bad guys wore the black hat…. Cat had to smile. She stood in a small alcove to the side and took check of the situation.
Cat did a rough count. There were about 50 people in the room.
So no full frontal assault by the Incredible Earp brothers.
"Bully for you, Dean," she thought, "this is going to be my kind of gig."
The robed figures were in the middle of some ritual, but it was not a magical one. Sort of social, probably. They were, however, all concentrating on it, which made Cat's job so much easier.

Cat walked quietly around the room, to another tunnel leading deeper into the cave.
After a while, she reached a couple of iron doors.
She looked through the slits.
Empty, empty, empty.
Dammit, empty again.
Finally, behind the last door, Cat saw the Guardian.
She magically unlocked the door and walked inside.
Maya was chained to the wall. They had beaten her up badly, but at least she was still alive. She was looking slightly panicked at the sight of an open door, but apparently no one entering the room.
"Maya, hush, it's me, Catherine. I'll get you out of here."
Maya looked relieved and simply nodded.
Cat unchained her and extended her camouflage spell over the older woman. It would take some concentration and effort to keep them both cloaked, but it was doable.
They walked out of the cell and made the long way back to the cave's mouth without any incident. Thankfully, the robe guys were still very much vested in their ritual and didn't pay any close attention to something that might look like a faint, moving shadow on the wall.

Cat and Maya reached Dean and Sam.
Dean was pacing like a caged tiger. His hands were balled into tight fists, at least when he wasn't running them compulsive-obsessively through his hair.
Cat lifted the spell.
"Cat! Wow, you're amazing! Look at that, Dean! She's got Maya."
Meaning she had not paid any attention to what Dean had said to her previously.
Dean just pulled her close and kissed her hard on the mouth.
He SO didn't want to let go.
"Okay, let's get to Bobby's." he said a little breathlessly. "Can you walk, Maya?"
"Yes, I think so."

The Impala hummed down the road.
Cat was busy on the backseat, dressing Maya's injuries. There were a lot of bruises and some ribs might be cracked, but thankfully nothing worse than that.
"They kept asking about the secret I guard." Maya said. "I didn't tell them anything. They were called to that ceremony and chained me up, saying they'd continue later and then they'd be using knives on me."
Maya shuddered.
"I don't think I was ever more glad to see someone than when you came in the door, Catherine. Only… I didn't see you, did I now!" Maya laughed, then winced and put a hand on her injured ribs.
Sam was talking to Bobby, putting him up to speed with the latest developments.
"Listen, Bobby, Castiel said that this Cult of Ouron was wiped out in the 15th century. Can you access any sources older than that? They seem to have kept their new rising under a pretty tight lid, so there's nothing recent to be found anywhere. Yeah. Right. See you in a couple of hours."

Dean didn't want to drive the fucking car.
Now that was a first.
Dean actually wanted to be on the backseat with Cat, making a point.
Namely that he was still not okie dokie with her going in the cave alone. Going in alone and then searching for Maya when she had promised that she would only take a look around and come right back out.
He had very distinct ideas on just how he would make that particular point.
Most of them would actually necessitate a non-see-through window between front and back seats, so he could make sure she understood how much not okay it was with him when she put herself in danger.
He had hope now, maybe even faith. He couldn't afford to lose her and with it lose this little bit of hope and faith and go back to the dark place.

"I sit and wait
does an angel contemplate my fate
and do they know
the places where we go
when we're grey and old
'cos I've been told
that salvation lets their wings unfold
so when I'm lying in my bed
thoughts running through my head
and I feel that love is dead
I'm loving angels instead"

Once more, they drove into Bobby's lot.
Sam had relieved Dean at the wheel and predictably enough, he again hit the same goddamned pothole he always hit.
And, as always, Dean lost it.
As always, Bobby walked outside to greet them.
"Boys, Cat, ma'am." Bobby nodded at them.
"Did you find anything yet?" Sam asked. As always.
"Nope, big pile o' nothin'."
"Okay, let's get inside and get prepared. I'm sure they will find us sooner or later." Dean said, rubbing his eyes.
He felt like shit.
But then again, that was normal, kind of came with the territory. Up all night, fighting, worrying, always on the fucking road, the whole shebang.
Life of a Hunter, baby, life of a Hunter.

Chapter 4

"I'm the bitch you hated, filth infatuated.
Yeah, I'm the pain you tasted, fell intoxicated
I'm a firestarter, twisted firestarter,
you're the firestarter, twisted firestarter."

"So, how many people were in that cave, Catherine?" Bobby asked, war room meeting in full swing.
The table was filled with papers, Sam was peering intently at his laptop, in short, business as usual at Bobby Singer's house.
"Round abouts fifty, I would say. Eighty percent in black robes, 20 in red. My guess would be the upper rungs wear the red."
"No way of telling if that's all there are, might be more somewhere else."
"Yeah, best be prepared for a larger number than that.
"What is the secret you are guarding," Sam asked Maya.
"If I told you, it would no longer be a secret, would it now?" replied Maya with a smile.
"It's not such a stupid question at all," said Dean calmly." It would be a good thing if we could at least get a rough idea of what they are after. It would help us find out what they are trying to achieve."
"I am only permitted to tell the secret to someone who has Grace. Last time I looked, none of you here were angels." Maya said sternly and got up to leave the room.
"Boy, is she touchy or what?" said Sam. "And how are we supposed to come up with a plan now?"
Dean shook his head. This was such a crap deal, he couldn't even come up with a snappy comeback or a sarcastic comment.
Catherine got up and walked out after Maya.
Thank God. Cat would know what to do, how to persuade the Guardian. Women knew how to talk to other women.
"Let Cat handle it. Maybe she can get her to at least give us a hint." Dean said.

Maya stood outside.
Catherine walked up to her.
"That statement was final, Catherine. Grateful as I am to you for saving my life, there is no way around that rule."
"I'm not asking for an exception to the rule, I'm telling you to tell me," said Catherine and for the first time in a long while uncloaked completely.
The Guardian gasped.
"But this is impossible."

Cat sat at Sam's laptop late at night.
Dean had been asleep as she sneaked out of the bedroom. He had looked so peaceful and cuddlesome that she really had to push herself to get up and go downstairs.
But since they were once more deep in the country of "I can't tell you shit", there was no other way to do the needful than to sneak out in the dead of night.
"Good evening, Ms. Catherine," came Cedric's voice. The ghostly keeper of the Council's archives smiled serenely at Cat.
"Good evening, Cedric. I am not entirely certain if it is appropriate to enquire how you are doing?"
"I am doing very well indeed, Ms. Catherine, so thoughtful of you to ask. We have acquired many new tomes to be sighted and archived and that is always a pleasure. As far as I can feel pleasure, of course." said the ghost gravely. "What can I do for you tonight?"
"I would need information on the Chalice of St. Dunstan, please."
"Ms. Catherine, I regret very much, but that information is highly classified and I am not at liberty to divulge it to anyone who isn't a member of the Council or has… Oh."
Catherine had once more fully uncloaked. Not a good thing, far too dangerous, but she needed the information, there was no way around it.
"Shall I download the information to the laptop you are using?"
"Can you encipher it so that only I can access it?"
"Most certainly, Ms. Catherine. Will that be all for now?"
"Yes, thank you very much indeed, Cedric. I wish you much pleasure with the new books."
"Thank you kindly, Ms. Catherine. Good luck with whatever you need the information for."

"When you say it's gonna happen "now"
well, when exactly do you mean?
see I've already waited too long
and all my hope is gone"

Cat stayed up until the small hours, picking her way through the texts.
They didn't make for happy reading and once more, it looked like they would have a monumental task of keeping the world at large safe and sound.
The Chalice of St. Dunstan could be used to summon angels. Real summoning, as in can't stay away, can't do a thing to protect themselves summoning.
As always, the intent of its makers had been pure, but in the wrong hands, this could be a terrible weapon against the Heavenly Hosts.
How to transform this knowledge into a handy pointer for the boys without giving her game away was yet another challenge.
With a sigh, she closed the documents, powered down the computer and went back upstairs to Dean.

Dean woke up with a start. Day was dawning and the bed next to him was empty.
Just as he was starting to get out of bed to look for her, Cat came into the room.
"Mornin' baby," she said in a lazy drawl and walked towards him.
"Morning, kitten." Dean said, voice husky. Damn, but she looked fine in boxers and a tight top.
She kneeled over him and kissed him hard.
Dean ignited like lighter fluid. He moaned into her mouth and pulled her closer. She was moving subtly, rubbing pelvis against pelvis and he almost came from the sweet friction alone.
Suddenly, they were stark naked.

Dean broke the kiss to gasp: "Wh… how?"
Cat laughed huskily and said: "Magic, baby, magic."
"Halleluiah." Dean said reverently, closed his eyes for a moment and let her run the show.
Magic alright.

Dean came whistling down the stairs.
Castiel was standing in the kitchen. Oh, what a beautiful fucking morning.
"Good morning, Cas." Dean said politely, since the angel looked a bit the worse for wear.
Cas looked at Dean strangely.
"Good morning."
"We got the Guardian safely here. What do we do next?"
"Just keep her safe. … Please." Again, Cas had a weird look on his face. "I… uh… I must apologize for leaving you so suddenly. I had no choice in the matter, I was called back. With some urgency."
Cas shifted his body awkwardly.
"Cas, what's wrong?"
"Nothing, Dean. It's… alright." Cas was swaying slightly now.

Dean barely caught him before he hit the ground hard.
Perfect. An unconscious angel. What now?
Footsteps sounded on the stairs. Thank God, Cat. She'd know what to do.
Dean bit down the urge to yell "I didn't do a thing!".
"Dean, what the hell happened?"
"I don't know, we were talking and suddenly, he just collapsed."
Catherine rushed over and knelt next to Dean. She started unbuttoning the angel's shirt.
"Whoa, Cat, I don't think that that's approp…"
"Shut up, Dean. Go get a glass of water."
As soon as his back was turned, Cat slid her hand inside Cas' shirt.
Sure enough, over his heart there was a palm print scar, much like the one Dean had on his shoulder. Only this one wasn't from anything as benevolent as being raised from perdition, this one meant punishment.
Severe, excruciatingly painful punishment.

Dean turned around to a sight that made his stomach churn. Underneath Castiel's goddamned tax accountant's shirt, his woman was running her hand over the angel's breast.
"What the fuck are you doing there, Catherine?" he said in a low, growly voice.
"Checking what's wrong with him."
"And that involves petting exactly HOW?"
"Jesus, Dean, could you be more ludicrous, if you tried?" Cat turned to him with a look that was both exasperated and hurt at the same time.
"He needs to rest. Come on, Dean, give me a hand, let's carry him to our room. The others don't need to see him like this."
Dean reluctantly took the angel by the shoulders and together they carried him up the narrow stairway to their room.
Dean marveled at how little Castiel seemed to weigh. They could carry him with ease.
They settled him on the bed.

Cat sat down next to the angel and said to Dean: "I know you won't like it, but I need to be alone with him for a moment."
"Damn right I don't like it." said Dean flatly.
Cat sighed deeply, got up and walked over to him.
She took his face in her hands and looked him hard in the eye.
"Have we conveniently forgotten again that we have a lifelong deal, you and me? A contract that can not be broken and only ends when we die? Where do this anxiety and jealousy come from?"
"He… he's a goddamned angel, Cat. Goodness incarnate. And a hunk, for crying out loud. He's perfect."
Catherine laughed out loud.
"Not to me he isn't. But this green-eyed jerk right in front of me is."
Dean looked at her intently, then dipped his head to kiss her.
Cat moved closer, a perfect fit of his angles to her curves.
It was a sweet kiss, soft and gentle, reassuring and absolutely wonderful.
"Can you now leave me alone with this angel who means nothing to me for a moment, or not?" Cat whispered into Dean's ear.
"You gonna touch him again?"
"Yes."
"Can't I stay?"
"No. The angel has a right to keep his secrets."
"'Kay."
With that, he left the room.

Cat resumed her place at the angel's side. Time to do what only she could do.
She placed her hand on the palm print on his chest once more and closed her eyes.

Chapter 5

Cat walked down the stairs to the sound of frying things and clattering dishes. Breakfast preparations were in full swing.
Dean was leaning in the kitchen doorway. She walked behind him, put her arms around his waist and buried her head in his neck.
"He okay?" whispered Dean.
"Stable. He needs rest."
"Good."
"I love you, Dean. Please try to stop doubting me."
"I don't doubt you. I doubt myself."
"Well, cut that crap, then."
Dean chuckled. "I love you to, by the way."
"Glad to hear it, bonehead." Cat bit his neck lightly.
"Ouch!"Dean twirled around and grabbed Cat tightly.
"Minx."
He kissed her.
"Come on, you two, get your embarrassing asses upstairs for the hoochie coochie, or cut it out and have breakfast." growled Bobby, a large frying pan full of beacon in his hand.
"Would love to do that," thought Dean, "but there's a fucking angel in my bed."

"Yeah
Well you can bump and grind
It is good for your mind
Well you can twist and shout let it all hang out
But you won't fool the children of the revolution
No you won't fool the children of the revolution, no no no"

Sam, Dean and Bobby were outside in the lot, building something like a defense wall out of assorted scrapped cars and metal parts, adding some choice devil's traps and assorted other bits of goodness to the mix.
It was hot outside already and it was slow going.

Cat left Maya sitting in the kitchen. The Guardian had found an old, worn edition of Shelley's verse and was reading avidly.
Cat walked into the bedroom.
Castiel was still unconscious, but there was a slight bit of colour in his cheeks. She sat on the edge of the bed and felt his forehead. It was cool to the touch. That was good – at least it meant that he was healed enough not to allow his vessel to be damaged further.
She put her hand on the mark again. He was definitely doing better. As she took her hand away, she saw he was awake and looking at her intently.
"You're awake, that's good." Cat said lightly.
"How did I get here?"
"If you mean in this bed, Dean and I carried you. How you got HERE in the first place, I have no idea. You were badly hurt."
"I know. Why am I better now?"
Catherine laughed and hope he wouldn't catch on to the lie in her voice as she said: "Honey, you're the angel, if you don't know, how the hell should I?"
He seemed to ponder that statement for a long time, head tilted in that funny way she had noticed the last time she had seen him. Sort of his puzzle stance.
"You touched my skin."
"Yeah, wanted to make sure your heart was beating alright." Again hoping he wouldn't notice the lie.
"Oh." Again with the puzzle stance. It didn't look like he remembered. Good. Let's hope it stays that way.
"The Guardian, is she safe?"
"Yes, Maya's downstairs in the kitchen, reading a book. So let's not worry about her for a moment, let's worry about you."
"But I am fine now." Castiel said and proceeded to get up. His shirt and tie, Cat noticed, had returned to full order.

They walked down the stairs to the kitchen.
Maya looked up from her book and smiled in greeting.
"Castiel! How good to see you!"
"It is good to see you as well, Maya. Is it safe?"
"Yes." Maya couldn't look into Castiel's eyes as she said it. That woman Catherine was too much of an unknown factor.

"Why, would you pay
Why, would you pay
To see me in a cage
Just a hole across the stage

And know
When the night has gone
You might say
I was not the only the one who would've died
What was wrong in the eyes of the cruel and unwise
And they killed a man for his giro today"

Sam, Dean and Bobby were exhausted and dying for a cold beer. They walked wearily back into the house.
Maya, Cat and Castiel were sitting around the kitchen table, playing cards. There was a heap of small change piled up in front of the angel and the women were looking way less than happy.
"Castiel, you can't have ANOTHER full house! That's the fourth since we started! You got to be cheating!" Maya sounded incensed.
"You guys are playing poker with an angel?" asked Dean incredulously.
"Texas Hold'em, to be precise," snapped Cat, "and the bastard is winning like nothing I've ever seen."
"Well, baby, he does have a natural poker face, you know. It kind of comes with the territory." Dean said with a wicked smile.
"You know, that damned freaky luck he has wouldn't even piss me off so badly, if it weren't for the fact that he doesn't even GET the damned game in the least!"
Castiel looked at her and did the puzzle stance again.
"I don't understand." he said midly. "What have I done wrong?"
"You're winning, buddy, that's all." Dean was laughing outright now. What a sight!
"Well, Dean Winchester, you can take my place at the table. Let's see how you like it."
Dean knew he was up shit creek when Cat said his full name. He had no choice but to sit down and take her place. Maya shoved her cards into Sam's hand and motioned for Bobby to take the empty chair next to the angel.
"Now WE will cook dinner and YOU can try your luck against the angelic version of Brett Maverick." Cat snarled and nodded to Maya to come along to the fridge.
Castiel gathered up his latest winnings, then collected the cards and started shuffling them. Real fast. With a LOT of dexterity. Dean winced. This would be painful.

An hour later, they were literally saved by the dinner bell.
Sam had lost all his money, Bobby about the same amount.
Dean wasn't doing half bad, but not doing half bad against a first time player was the penultimate insult to someone as experienced at relieving unsuspecting small-town folk off their hard earned cash as Dean was.
Castiel was looking at the pile of money in front of him with a frown on his face.
"What am I supposed to do with the money now?" he asked.
"Well, being an angel and all, I would guess you donate it to a charity of your choice." said Bobby, wincing as he counted his losses.
Maya and Catherine were putting a steaming hot pot of some delicious-smelling stew on the table.
They put a plate in front of Castiel as well.
"I don't eat." he said.
"Well, you might not need food, strictly speaking, but eating together with your friends is giving a kind of sustenance that has nothing to do with the food itself, you know." said Maya softly.
Puzzle stance. Then Castiel slowly dipped his spoon into the stew and started eating.

It had been a wonderful meal. They had laughed a lot, told outrageous stories and had shared the odd secret or two.
Castiel had been an avid listener, apparently soaking up the atmosphere and the spirit of camaraderie between them.
Dean went to the fridge for another round of beer.
As he passed Castiel, he whispered into his ear: "How far off our trail are they still?"
Castiel looked up at him. He understood that Dean didn't want to kill the good mood, so he said quietly: "Far enough."
"Thanks, Cas."
The others hadn't even noticed their quick exchange.
It was very late when they all finally went to bed.
Castiel remained sitting in the kitchen. He had much to contemplate.
It had been a very interesting day for an angel.

Chapter 6

Dean opened his eyes.
A pair of startlingly blue ones was peering down at him intently.
Dean started.
"Cas… dammit, you can give a man a heart attack that way, you know!" he said, voice still husky with sleep. Then he remembered he was completely naked – and so was Cat.
"You gotta wait outside and lemme get decent."
"I need to speak to you now."
"Yeah, I guessed as much, but hell, we're naked. Go. Wait outside."
Castiel shrugged his infinitesimal shrug and walked out of the room.
Dean heard Cat giggle.
"I think you minded being naked slightly more than Castiel did."
"Yeah, well, so?"
"So nothing. Go, put something on and talk to him, he sounded urgent."
Dean pulled on his jeans and almost toppled over, because he was trying to put both his legs into one pant leg in his haste.

"They will be here by nightfall and I have to leave. Now." Castiel said gravely.
"Okay. Before you leave: Anything you can tell me that will help?"
Castiel hung his head and was silent for a while.
"I think your woman will be able to find a spell that will help. Other than that, I am at a loss."
"Destroying whatever Maya is guarding is not an option, I take?"
"The object holds great powers which, in the right hands, will be beneficial to the world. The danger it poses now is something that needs to be overcome by those who protect the object."
A quintessential Cas reply. Very weighty and yet so completely devoid of tangible meaning.
"Who did that to you, Cas? The state you were in?"
"I was punished. And rightly so."

"You know it was Cat who helped you, right?"
Castiel looked very pensive indeed at that. Catherine had helped him? That was impossible, plain and simple.
Still now was not the time to contemplate the impossible.
"I must go, Dean. Thank you. I appreciate what you are doing."
With that, the angel was gone.

Dean went back to Cat.
She was gorgeous in the soft morning light. Okay, she was gorgeous in just about any old light, but this… It was sweet and it was special.
It threw soft shadows over her cheek and dipped her lips in a peachy hue.

If Dean had seen anything like this on a silver screen, he'd have run from the cinema, screaming, because it would mean he had wandered into a chick flick by mistake.
Why then could the mere sight of her send him reeling?
He went to her, shuddering in anticipation.
Her smile was enough to send him rocketing skywards.

"Never thought you'd make me perspire.
Never thought I'd do you the same.
Never thought I'd fill with desire.
Never thought I'd feel so ashamed.

Me and the dragon can chase all the pain away.
So before I end my day, remember..
My sweet prince, you are the one
My sweet prince
You are the one"

After breakfast, Dean told them that they had until the nightfall to prepare for the onslaught.
He also told them that Cas had said that Catherine might be able to help, but hadn't said how.
Sam resignedly powered up his laptop again. He would do the research thing. Again. And again, until he found anything.
Bobby was walking around, shoving his cap back and fro on his head in an agitated manner. There just had to be something they could do.
Maya looked anxious.
Dean was watching Cat.

Cat was pacing the kitchen now, chewing her lip.
What could the angel possibly have meant?
Spells erecting a protective barrier needed to be extremely specific regarding whom they were supposed to bar from entry.
They tended to be literally minded bastards, so to speak, demanding names, descriptions, you name it. Saying "worshippers of Ouron" by itself was not enough.
She had learned that the hard way years ago.
Even saying "let nobody enter" was a total washout, since there were dozens of ways someone could qualify as a somebody.
Hiding Maya would not do much good, either. That would just mean she would hand herself, Dean, Sam and Bobby over on a platter to be tortured until they spilled the beans.
She reached out and touched the nearest leyline.
It was strong, calm and sure.
She had discovered leylines differed greatly, almost like they had personalities.
This one she could work with, she was sure._
But in what way?
She sighed and rubbed her eyes.

Sam, Dean and Bobby were taking stock of the perimeter fence and the slightly haphazard protective wall they had erected behind it.
How much good it would do against mere humans, however misguided they might be, remained to be seen, but at least it would serve to keep the supernatural element outside.
Dean put the finishing touches on the huge devil's trap securing the entrance from the road.
Sam was painting some more on the rear of the lot and Bobby was walking the perimeter, looking for things they might have missed.

Dean leaned against an old, battered, tireless truck to get out of the sun for a while.
He was worried. No, actually, he was beyond worried.
Cat seemed to have no clue what Cas might have meant. She kept rattling off spells that wouldn't work and why they wouldn't.
Needless to say, she would try to save them, no matter if she had figured out what would work or not. And then she would be taken from him and that just wasn't acceptable. It even wasn't something he could think about without wanting to puke his guts up. Or wanting to kill something.
So it was his job to prevent that from happening.
Only how?

It was the calm before the storm.
They were sitting in the shade outside Bobby's house, waiting, sipping ice tea.
Catherine was wearing a veiled look, grey eyes unreadable. Needless to say, that did nothing to ease Dean's worries.
Maya seemed calm enough.
"If all else fails, I can destroy the secret I am guarding."
"And how will that help? They'll kill us then, for sure."
"Maybe, but our lives…"
"Maya, I don't hit women as a rule, but if you say that our lives don't matter, I will slap you three ways from Sunday," growled Bobby.
Which was good, because it meant Dean could close his mouth again and use his energy to think about their conundrum some more. Conundrum, strange word. Sammy had used it and he had liked the sound of it. Conundrum….

Catherine was sure now she had found the way. If only she could be sure he wouldn't hate her for it.

They panned out to take up strategic positions.
Only, how do you position yourself strategically around a vast lot, if there's only five of you?
Dean tried to remember movies he had seen, where a small force of men held off a large number of attackers.
He could recall a few, only none where the small force of men had lived to walk away in their original small numbers. Not reassuring much.
Cat still had that unreadable expression on her face.
He had tried to move her into a private corner to talk, but she had evaded him.
Not a good sign, at least not in his book.
After all, he was Mr. Avoidance of Things Uncomfortable and her behavior didn't say "I know what to do", even by a long stretch of imagination.
From his vantage point on the wall, he could see them coming.
More than fifty, surely.
Much more.
At least, they would go down fighting.