"Can you fix her?" Castiel looked down at the girl in the bed, she looked fragile, her usually sun kissed skin was now void of color, her hair was matted down by greasy residue from the hospitals negligence. He looked to Sam and Dean with a complex expression.
"I can…try. But there is no guarantee she'll be the same when she wakes up.
"Cass, please…just bring her back." They had made a promise to their dad that they'd keep her safe
"I will do my best, Dean." He softly put his hand to the girls forehead and in an instance he was gone, into her mind.
"Hello, Grace?" he got no response as he scanned the dark forested area, spotting a single path through the clutter of trees.
"Grace?" he called once more as he strolled along the past.
"Who are you?" a little girls voice rang out from behind him, he turned, looking perplexed.
"I could ask you the same thing."
"I'm Gracie" he tilted his head, this was clearly not the same Grace he had come to know and dare he say grown fond of, this child was small and weak looking, her skin was dull and her eyes were not as vibrant as the one he knew.
"Well…Gracie…I'm Castiel" he felt stupid using such a childish name to refer to her but the 'her' before him was not the 'her' he knew… 'wow…that was confusing.'
"Oh, you're big brothers guardian angel. Bigger me really likes you." She spoke so casually, but he grew even more confused at the easy confession, if her older self knew what this child had just told him he was sure she'd find a way to shut her up.
"Where is bigger you?" Little grace stared at him for a moment and pointed down the pathway, "She's at the river, the one with all the pretty flowers." She said nothing more so he assumed she was going to lead him, but when she took off down the path in the other direction he sighed.
"Great…" Castiel started walking down the pathway again.
"He's been in there a while."
"Maybe she's gone dean…" Dean turned and looked at Sam with a pissed of expression.
"DAMMIT SAMMY! You and I both promised dad we'd keep her safe!" Sam wore a defensive expression.
"You don't think I know that dean? I know we promised but we can't save everyone, right?" Dean whipped around and landed a punch right in Sam's jaw, knocking hm to the floor.
"How can you be okay with this, she's our sister, Sam! She counted on both of us after dad died, she looked up to us and we almost got her killed." Sam stood and took his seat next to graces bed, staring at his little sisters face.
"it's not that I'm giving up on her, I'm just trying to be realistic. What if Cass can't bring her back?"
"Then we'll find some other way."
"You better not be talking about making a deal with a demon."
"If this doesn't work, what other choice do we have Sam. We've lost mom and dad, I am not losing Gracie too!"
Sam smiled momentarily, Gracie is what everyone had called her when they were little and honestly it was a sign that dean really cared about this situation. "Fine dean, you're right. Whatever it takes."
"Grace?" he distantly heard the sound of rushing water, he must be close to the river. The closer her got though the more concerned he grew, the flowers little grace had mentioned were all wilting some were dead entirely.
"Grace!?" still no response to his calls but the water was getting closer.
"She's there but you won't get an response, Castiel." He turned to see another of Graces remnants, she looked to be about 13 or 14 tops.
"You must be teenage grace"
"Well, you are observant aren't you?" Great, she went from being cute and tiny to being a total smart ass.
"Why won't she respond?" Grace smiled "guess you'll have to find out, won't you, feathers?" he frowned. 'feathers?' he cast her another look and then she was gone, he turned and started back down the path.
"It's your fault!" Castiel stopped and looked around for the new voice but saw no one.
"My fault?!, no, it's your fault! She's your responsibility too, man, she's our sister!" this must be a bad memory.
"You think I don't know that, Dean?!" Ah, so it was Sam and Dean fighting, but what was their fault, that's when the memory started to materialize.
"This was when they'd let me go play with a few other kids from some motel, it had gotten dark and I'd wandered out too far, it had started to rain and they really couldn't have known." Castiel turned in surprise to see grace standing next to him now, but he couldn't be sure she was the right one.
"Hello Grace." She turned and looked at him momentarily but said nothing, she was definitely not hi—not the one he was looking for, though she looked to be close.
"Why am I seeing this, none of the others had memories to show me."
"That's because she is starting to slip. You need to find her, when memories start playing back it means someone is dying, at least that's what all the books told us."
"She's dying?"
"Yes Cass, we're dying and you need to hurry. The Grace you're looking for is just a little further up the path and watch out for rocks." Wat? Why would he need to watch out for rocks? She disappeared and he took off running, if memories were playing back now he had seven minutes or less until she was gone.
"Grace!" he finally saw the river they had all talked about, but was not prepared to see the girl he was looking for in a heap on the ground, running over he knelt down.
"Grace…Grace!" he shook her but no response another memory flashed but this one he knew, it was the day he'd met the Winchesters formally, why was this important to her?
"You sure you did the ritual right?" Bobby stared back at dean in mild contempt "Sorry, touchy touchy, huh?" The building they were in had begun to rattle.
"Wishful thinking but maybe it's just the wind." Dean was stood with his weapon, the lights began to blow out, no possible way this was 'just the wind'
"Grace, stay back" the blonde frowned. "I'm an adult dean I can take care of myself." In that moment the door flew open and all three turned to see some guy walking in" he had walked clean past the devils trap and that's when they'd opened fire.
Castiel had forgotten she was there, but he vaguely smiled at the memory as it played.
"Who are you?" dean looked directly at Castiel who stood in front of him
"I'm the one who gripped you tight and raised you from perdition"
"Yeah, thanks for that."
He now understood dean had been being sarcastic at the time, but he had smiled, because he had not understood. This was also when dean had tried to stab him with a demon blade.
"Stop!" he had just put bobby to sleep at this point when someone had tackled him to the ground, a disadvantage to having a vessel.
"What did you do?!" she was screaming at him as she sat on his chest, pinning his arms on either side of his head.
"You are quite heavy…" Grace looked at him in fury and slapped him, effectively turning his head sharply to the side.
"Hey, get out of here, I've got this." She climbed off his chest but flashed him a nasty look s she grabbed her bag and headed for the door.
Right…he had insulted her, why was this a good memory again? The memory changed again, he didn't have much time left.
"Grace wake up!" nothing, he gently put two finger to her forehead, not wanting to do use his powers but it seemed he had no choice.
"Alright grace. Come on." She finally sat up, the memories stopping their cycle.
"Cass? Cass why—How are you here?"
"there isn't time, you need to wake up." She looked confused.
"I don't understand, what do you mean I need to wake up, Cass?" he sighed "I mean, you're dying, Grace. Sam and Dean are doing what they can to keep the hospital from pulling the plug." Grace stopped him for a second.
"I'm dying?"
"Afraid so." She stared at him, full of uncertainty.
"What do I do, Cass?"
"We have to find the door"
"Door? What door?"
"The door out of your mind, it's usually your worst memory." Grace shook her head,
"Cass…I can't…I can't relive that." He didn't seem to understand,
"Why not?" that's when their location changed, it was a cabin, snow on the ground signaling it was winter.
"I'm afraid I don't under—"
"HELP ME!" Castiel looked startled for a second, that was Grace's voice, but she was standing right next to him, so there was no way.
"You can go in if you want…but I can't do it, I'm sorry." He looked back at the cabin and put a comforting hand on her shoulder.
"I'll be here, I won't let anything hurt you. Sam and dean are out there, waiting for you to wake up, Grace." She looked at him, then at the cabin and sighed.
"…fine, but please, stay close." He nodded and followed her into the cabin.
"Come on Cass, times running out." Dean stared at the heart rate monitor when a sudden gasp caused his eyes to trail back to his sister, who was now awake.
"Sam!" The taller brother ran in a few minutes after he was called, to see both Cass and Grace staring at him.
"Hi Sammy…" he looked between Grace and Dean for a moment, almost in disbelief.
"Hey Gracie." Dean ruffled her hair, much to her dismay and she frowned at him.
"I'll go get the doctor." Sam shot Cass a thankful look as he left the room.
"Thank god, don't you ever scare us like that again, Grace." She rolled her eyes, she'd been awake a whole two minutes and he was already giving her a 'dad' talk.
"I save your ass, don't you forget that." She spat back.
"I wouldn't have needed saving if you hadn't gone and gotten yourself kidnapped"
"Oh sure, blame me. It's always my fault…I was safe and out of harm's way until you guys pissed off that demon and he came looking for leverage."
Same came back with the doctor and the fighting stopped, for a moment anyways.
"Well, Miss Moon. Your vitals seem to be normal, nothing wrong physically, just a few minor contusion and a broken arm, and considering what your brothers told me happened to you, this is nothing short of a miracle. I'll have your nurse write up the discharge papers and you'll be free to go."
"Thank you Doctor." She smiled casually as he left.
"Cass?"
"Yeah?"
"Thanks for helping me." She was certainly surprised when he actually smiled, "Of course." Dean looked between the two as they seemed to share another silent message, he shrugged and took a seat.
"So, I say after we get out of here, we get some real food, hospital food sucks." Grace nodded, "Yeah, I'm down for that. Sammy?" he nodded, smiling at his little sister.
"Sure." She beamed. "Cass?"
"I don't eat…" he replied simply.
"Yeah, but it's more fun when you're with good company."
"Come on Cass, come with us." He stared at her for a good long while before finally giving in.
"Fine." The only reason he had given in was because he couldn't seem to resist her smile, a feeling that deeply confused him.
