Life for Dean Winchester wasn't always easy or normal...but he loved it. He loved being on the road with his brother Sam, in his beloved Chevy Impala, with the only distractions being his 80's rock cassettes…all the classics of course. Fighting evil is what he was brought up to do, his father raised him and Sam to be fighters, and although he wished Sam had a normal life, he was glad he wasn't left on his own to face the demons and other evils on his own.
They were currently heading to Missouri, the last address their dad had written into his journal. Sam's further research showed reports of suspicious deaths occurring in the area, so they decided to check it out.
It's been just over a year since Dean had any contact with his father... the reason they were on this hunting road trip in the first place. The only clue to where he was being their father's journal, which was left at the last motel they stayed at. This worried Dean even more as it was also his father's prized possession. It was something he would not go anywhere without. It contained information on all the demons, werewolves, vampires and other supernatural beings he had ever come into contact with since he began hunting. After his dad didn't return from a hunting trip for 3 days, he decided it was time to get Sam. Something he really didn't want to do.
After Sam left for college 3 years previous, promising never to return to a hunter's life again, that was the last time Dean thought he would see his brother again, let alone ask for his help. But yet here he was on a search for their father, hunting and actually getting on well...for a change.
Sam was busy looking through their father's journal searching for more clues.
"It says here that every 10 years a chain of deaths occur in the same 2 mile radius, which would be weird enough, but according to dad's journal, he found traces of sulphur, which can only mean one thing..."
"Demons", they said simultaneously.
"Bobby says that he should have The Colt in working order by tomorrow evening and that he will bring it to us when it's finished" Sam stated, "if it is demons we are hunting, then it could be really useful".
"Yeah, I still can't believe dad didn't tell us about something like that. I mean if it can really kill anything...maybe it can kill The Yellow Eyes demon..."
"Maybe that's the point Dean, maybe that's what he was saving it for, and he is meeting us to finally kill this thing".
"Maybe Sam, but surely he would have called or something... it just doesn't seem right. You never know, it could be just coincidence..." Dean said.
"When is anything we look into just a coincidence?"
"Jeez Sam, it was just a theory"
"I'm sorry Dean, I guess I'm just worried about dad..."
Dean looked over at his brother, he thought back to when they were kids and the countless times he was left to take care of Sam while their dad went to take care of another evil being, leaving strict instructions to "check the salt lines" and "keep armed and ready"... "shoot first, ask questions later" he remembered trying desperately to save Sam from the inevitable fate that was in store for him, to try and let him have a normal childhood.
That's why he didn't contact Sam while he was in college. He hoped he could let him live a life free from the hunt but he had no choice. His father was missing while on a hunt, and that's not like dad.
It wasn't the only time he has tried to protect his brother. Dean and Sam hadn't mentioned the incident in over 2 months, finding it easier to just try and forget about it and move on than have to, as Dean put it, have a "chick-flick moment" and talk about it.
Sam and Jess were in-separable - they met in his first year in college and were together since. It had killed Sam to have to leave her for a few days to go looking for his father, but Sam knew he had to do it. He left promising her to be back before the week was out.
After they found their dad's journal, Sam had planned on going back to Stanford to Jess and finish his law degree. He knew dean would be well able to find their dad on his own. Even though Dean would have preferred for Sam to have joined him on his search, he knew it was better for Sam to go back and at least have a chance of a normal life with Jess.
On arriving back to the apartment, Sam immediately felt relieved. It was good to be back to normality. All he wanted was to give Jess a hug, and tell her he loved her. The few days apart showed just how much he loved her and how he was sure he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her.
Sam unlocked the door and walked in. "Jess? It's me, I'm back!"
He placed his jacket on the nearest table and headed towards their bedroom where he could hear the noise of the shower.
He lay on the bed and closed his eyes. It had been a rough few days, but at least everything could go back to normal now.
"Jess, are you.." he was cut off as he felt something dripping onto his face.
He blinked rapidly before opening his eyes.
"OH MY GOD! NO!" A horrifyingly all too familiar sight faced him.
Jess was pinned to the ceiling, stomach cut open - a scared look on her lifeless face...just like his mother so many years before. At that moment the ceiling burst into flames.
"JESS! NO!"
"SAM! WHERE ARE YOU!" a familiar voice shouted.
Dean ran into the room, horrified at what he saw. He grabbed Sam by the arm and dragged him out of the apartment.
"NO DEAN, I HAVE TO SAVE HER" Sam screamed.
"It's too late Sam, we have to leave, now!"
Dean could see the pain and torment on his younger brothers features, but he knew that the sooner they left, the better.
"Please Sammy, you have to listen to me".
Deep down, sam knew dean was right. they had to find their dad and kill this thing once and for all. he gave one last look back at the steadily burning apartment before facing his brother. he blinked away the tears threatening to spill over "ok dean, let's get this thing over with once and for all".
That's why it was so important for closure to this part of their lives. The demon who mercilessly took the lives of their mother and Jess had to be stopped.
Both were quiet for a moment until..."Woah!" Dean screeched the brakes.
A dark figure stood inches away from the hood of the car, dressed in a long beige trench coat, a black suit, white shirt and a crooked tie. He had an almost comical look about him. His head was tilted slightly to on side a confused look crossing his features.
"What the hell?"
Dean and Sam got out of the car and stared at the figure with disbelief.
"My name is Castiel, I am a messenger of god. He has sent me here to help you. I understand you are looking for your father."
Dean scoffed, "Yeah, and I'm Britney Spears"
Castiel just looked more confused, "I do not understand your reference".
" guess angels don't get sarcasm" Sam said.
"It's not an angel Sam...there's no such thing, it's just some whack job who has a suicide mission...hang on how did you know about our father?", he asked Castiel.
"As I have already told you, God sent me. He told me that you needed help and that you were looking for your father and that demon..".
Sam looked at Dean, "wait, you know where our father is"?
"No but I know what he is planning, and why he wants Aisel dead so badly".
Now it was Sam and Dean's turn to be confused.
"Who's Aisel?"
"Aisel is the name of the demon you and your father has been hunting, the one that killed your mother..." he looked at Sam "...and Jess"
Sam's expression darkened at the mention of his late girlfriend.
It was just over a year ago now and at the mention of Jess, it brought all the pain and hurt from that night back.
Dean could sense sam's unease and decided to change the subject. He turned to castiel, "how can you help us?"
castiel paused for a moment before answering. "I am a direct link to heaven, to higher powers, which could give us...you, an advantage to finding both your father and Aisel"
Sam and dean looked at Castiel other for a moment. "And how do we know that you're not some sort of demon or something"
Castiel thought for a moment. "You can throw holy water on me or salt me if you want, but i assure you i am an angel, a non-evil one at that"
Sam looked at castiel before turning to dean, "i think he is telling the truth"
Dean looked at castiel sceptically, "ok, you can help us, but pull any fast ones and your dead, you got that?"
Castiel nodded and the three of them all got into the impala.
after a long while, dean had to break the silence.
"so, castiel, know any good jokes"
Castiel just looked at dean blankly.
"no? ok i got one...knock knock?"
"yes dean?"
"no cas, you say "who's there?" "
"but i know who's there dean, asking who is there would be a pointless action.."
"ok, lets try another one.. its simple so you should understand it" dean sighed "..Where do polar bears keep their money?"
Castiel just looked more confused. "i was unaware that polar bears use currency.."
Dean decided to forget about jokes after that.
It was a long, silent and awkward journey, but eventually they arrived in missouri. They checked into the nearest motel and sam and dean decided to do some background research on the deaths, leaving castiel with strict instructions to not speak to anyone or do anything. Sam and dean grabbed 2 fake police I.D's and headed to the husband of the first victim to see what he had to say, leaving castiel to entertain himself with the only thing he had, the mobile phone.
After coming out of house number 4 with nothing in the way of a lead apart from some sulphur at the windows, sam and dean decided to call it a day.
When they arrived back at the motel, Dean noticed a familiar car parked in the spot beside his.
"hey sam, doesn't that car look familiar to you?"
sam looked at it, "yea, actually, it looks a bit like dads...but no, it cant be, can it?"
dean looked at the black truck again, "i guess there's only one way to find out"
they both stopped outside the apartment door. They paused for a moment before stepping inside. At the window stood a tall figure with their back to the door. Dean and Sam looked at each other, neither wanting to say what they saw. Their father turned and stared at them. "dad?" the brothers said simultaneously.
"boys, im glad to see you are both safe"
Dean and sam stood their in absolute shock. a flood of emotions washed over both boys/brothers/men?; shock, relief, happiness, anger..
"where the hell have you been?" dean couldnt help but ask. "we have been worried sick"
"ive been busy dean, tracking down the demon..
"aisel" a voice in the corner stated
all three men turned to look at castiel.
"what?" john said.
"aisel, its the name of demon you are seeking"
john looked at the figure in the corner, "and who would you be?"
"Thats castiel, he's an angel, he is helping us with the demon" sam answered
"yea, he is a little socially awkward but other than that he seems pretty normal" dean looked at castiel "...for an angel"
John gave dean a confused look, "socially awkward..?"
Dean thought of the joke incident. "its a long story... anyway, dad, why did you decide to turn up here?"
"ive been tracking the demon for months now, and all signs point to here. i knew you would follow the instructions in my journal, so i also knew that you would be here also" john sighed, "i want to end this once and for all, it started as a family, and now it ends, right here as a family. so are you ready?"
Dean and sam were thinking the same thing, "we have to get the colt off bobby first"
"theres no need, i met him on the way up here and collected it off him, so if you boys are ready, i know where this thing is"
dean and sam looked at each other, "lets do this"
they drove out to an abandoned warehouse where was surrounded by sulphur... a sure sign of demon activity.
"i guess this is the place" sam looked at both dean and his father. it had been a long time coming, and now that the moment was finally here, he couldnt quite beleive it.
they slowly walked into the building, john in front, colt at the ready.
"looking for me?" they all turned to see aisel leering at them, his eyes a glowing amber.
With a flick of his hand john was sent flying into the nearest wall.
"DAD!" sam ran at the demon, only to be sent into a stack of wooden boxes.
aisel eyed dean with an evil grin on his face. "make a move, and i kill daddy dearest.."
dean didnt move an inch, and within seconds, aisel had him pinned to the wall next to his father, who lay in a heap on the ground.
"ive waited a long time to finally finish you three off, mary and jess were easily..disposed of, but, i must say, you guys are hard to kill"
Dean just stared at him with disgust.
"what, its not like you to be without a smart comment dean, whats wrong? are you upset that you ruined the one last chance you had of ending me?"
"no", aisel turned round in shock to be faced by an angry sam, colt pointed at the demons head, "he is just dissappointed that i'm the one that gets to do this.." sam pulled the trigger, killing aisel, electrical shocks pulsating throughout his body. It was finally over.
Dean, now that the demon was dead, was released from his invisible bonds and immediately ran to john's side.
"dad? are you ok? we did it, aisel is dead" dean asked anxiously.
john opened his eyes weakly and attempted to turn over, only to be stopped by a jolt of pain down his spine. when being thrown into the wall, a broken chair leg was speared into his back. john knew sam and dean couldnt do anything.
"dean sam, its too late for me, but you have to go on. please dont let this stop you. you have to save people from evil, its what you were meant to be" john looked earnestly at his sons.
" i am so proud of you, and if she could see you now, so would your mother be. i love you two.. stay safe"
Dean and sam could feel the life drain from their fathers body, his eyes closing...
Loading the weaponry back into the hood of the impala, dean looked at sam "you know what we have to do now right?" dean looked at sam
"yea, i do" sam said quietly
"we have to carry on dad's legacy. he started it, and we have to end it. aisel may be dead, but there are lots more where he came from. and its up to us to stop them"
sam looked at his brother. he was so much like their father.
"yeah dean, we do." sam stared at dean, "promise me something though.."
"sure thing" dean turned to face sam, "anything..."
"if i'm gonna be in this with you for the long haul, please get better music" sam smiled.
Dean laughed. "no can do sammy boy, two things in my life you cant take from me, the impala, and my rock classics.. so you better just get used to it.."
Sam laughed, " i guess i do then"
They closed the trunk and sat into the impala.
"so, where to now?" sam asked
"i heard there's been some suspicious 'animal attacks' happening in michigan, you interested?"
"sure, lets go" sam sat up and slipped on his safety belt.
dean started the engine and slipped in a cassette.
..Carry on my wayward son... There'll be peace when you are done. Lay you're weary head to rest.. don't you cry no more...