**I went through this several times checking for spelling and grammatical errors, if there are any left, I apologize. I don't have Microsoft Word so I use WordPad. A little about this piece: I was listening to my music one day and A Thousand Years by Christina Perri (yes the one from the Twilight movies) came on. Then a touching scene with a woman helping to turn Dean human came to my mind. I tried writing it out one day at work but can't listen to music properly there so it just sucked and the scene and the ones that came along after kept haunting me. So, finally, last night as I was about to go to go to sleep, I put some headphones in, put the song on repeat, and lat there with my eyes closed imaginging everything. I wanted to portray a bit of familiarity between the woman and Sam because in my mind they'd been romping around together for several months. I also wanted to convey something else in this piece, probably the most important part of this piece, but I won't say what it is because if I didn't do it right I want to be told. If you see it, then yay! I hope you like this and I highly suggest putting A Thousand Years on repeat while reading this. It will come out so much better. And it's most fun if you end up timing it just right and getting the last two or three paragraphs in on the last few seconds of the song ^_^ Also, I know the way they save Dean in this is highly unlikely because it's just too obvious but I am rather lacking imagination as of late and I don't have the brain power to come up with something else. I get the feeling that in order to save Dean, if it's at all possible, it would be a long and difficult process.**
She stood before the door, taking slow, deep breaths, preparing herself. Sam stood next to her, staring down at her. Out of the corner of her eye she could see the muscle in his jaw working. He had told her no, that he didn't want her to do it, but she had insisted. She wasn't going to allow these men to hurt themselves anymore. She was going to take their pain this time.
With one last breath she turned to Sam and held up her uncovered arm. "You're still sure about this, Serena?" he asked once again as he slowly bound her arm above her elbow.
"I am. Let's get it over with," she replied and stared at her arm where, reluctantly, Sam put the hypodermic needle to. She barely winced as the needle was inserted into her arm. Serena watched, mesmerised, as the blood spilled into the container as Sam pulled the plunger back. When it was full he handed it to her then turned and opened the door.
Inside the next room sat Dean, bound nearly imobile to a chair in the middle of an incredibly complex devil's trap. It had taken months to figure out the necessary bindings for Dean's particular kind of demon. He laughed when he saw her. A mocking laugh.
"So, Sammy, you have to get a girl to fight your battles for you, huh?" Dean sneered.
Serena placed her hand on Sam's arm to calm him. She felt the muscles bunching there underneath his skin. "Don't give him anything," she said quietly to Sam. Then she took the first step, then another, and another until she was standing a foot in front of Dean, the syringe clenched in her hand at her side. Dean's eyes flicked to it then back up to her blue eyes.
"Thinking to turn me human?"
"It's worth a try."
"Well good luck to yuh," he scoffed.
Without another word, she leaned in and delicately stuck the needle into Dean's neck. He didn't make a single sound, just stared intensely at her. When she was done she turned around, stony-faced, and began walking from the room, Sam following her after one last look at what he hoped would once again be his brother very soon.
The next hour came and much the same happened as in the first. Serena walked in, exchnaged a few words with Dean then stuck the needle in his neck, injected him with her blood, and backed away. She knew it was useless to try and converse with him at this point. That would come later.
By the fifth hour there was a slight change in Dean's demenor. Serena noticed something in his eyes as he stared at her as he'd been doing each time she was so close. His nostrils flared and his jaw muscle ticked. Something in the way his breathing came as if he was trying to fight something. When she had finished giving him her blood she pulled back only enough to look him in the eyes. His green-hazel eyes wavered in front of her. A slight sheen had come over them, a sign of tears to come.
"You're almost here, Dean," she said only loud enough for him to hear. Then she stood and walked away.
As the sixth hour drew near, Sam readied the needle and they stood to go back to the room. In front of the door once again she took a deep breath and held up her arm. Sam took hold of the back side of her wrist to steady her and placed the needle to her skin.
A hand suddenly touched her shoulder. "What are you doing?" a deep voice asked, evidently shocked.
The woman turned to him. "Castiel," she acknoledged with a wide smile that wavered upon seeing his intense features. She had known he would not like this.
"Why are you going through with this?" he asked forcefully.
"I wanted to."
"I tried to talk her out of it," Sam intoned.
"Well you obviously didn't do a good enough job." Castiel took her by the shoulders and guided her to a spot a few yards from Sam. Knowing the angel wanted a little privacy Sam turned away.
"Casitel, it's okay," urged Serena
"No, it's not okay. You can't be doing things like this. Your condition- this could kill you." He looked her over, worry clear on his face. His hands still gripping her shoulders.
"I know," she said as she averted her eyes. "But what else has my life amounted to? I'm going to die anyway. At least with this I can help them."
"I am helping them."
"You are and you always have been. But this is the only thing we could think of and I wasn't about to let Sam do this again. He needs his brother and his brother needs him. This is my gift to them."
"But-"
"Shh," she said and placed the tips of her fingers over Catiel's lips. He looked at her awkwardly a moment and then looked down, his shoulders drooping slightly. "It's not as if you'll never see me again. I know where I am going after I die. Whether this kills me or the illness takes over again, in a few months or years, I will die before my time. I want to at least go out knowing I was a hero to someone. I'm too weak to do anything else." Now it was her turn to look down.
Castiel put his hand under her chin and tipped her face up to his. "You are not weak."
She chuckled. "You know what I mean. Now, please, let me have this." She grabbed his lapel on either side with her hands and gently shook him. "Let me save this man."
"You dont' even know him," Castiel said, a begging tone entering his voice.
"Neither did you, once." She didn't allow the angel to say anything more. Letting go of his coat she turned and went back to Sam with a nod. He drew the blood and opened the door for her. Castiel waited outside the room and before long the two came back out. A small smiled playing on her lips. Then she swayed, her face going pale. Sam caught her.
"Whoa," he said as he steadied her. "Are you alright?"
"Yeah," she gasped. "I'm fine. A little orange juice would be great though. Maybe some cookies?" She made Sam laugh and he helped her to the kitchen, Castiel waiting behind momentarily, his face unreadable as he watched them go.
At the seventh hour her hand shook as she held the needle to Dean's neck. He gulped right before she stuck him.
"You don't look so good," he said her, trying to retain his mocking tone but failing halfway.
"Neither do you," she said with a small chuckle. She looked at him again and noted the sweat on his brow and the slight tremble in his chin. She could also see the tracks of dried tears along his cheeks. "Once more, now. Then everything will be alright."
As she took a step back, her knees gave out on her and Castiel caught her this time, beating Sam to it. She clung to him. "I'm alright, Cas. I'm fine."
"No, you're not." He guided her from the room and to a soft chair and sat her down. "I'll get you some tea with sugar.
"Thank you." As Castiel left her, she closed her eyes and leaned her head back on the chair, soaking in the light from the lamp on the table next to her. She felt like a limp noodle someone was shaking. Soggy yet slightly alive. It was an odd feeling but one she'd felt before.
Sam watched as Cas came back minutes later with the steaming tea and held it to her lips, helping her drink. A secret smile quirked at the corners of his mouth and he pretended not to notice the private scene.
When the last hour approached, Castiel walked her to the door and held her as Sam took the last vial of blood. The two men looked down at her, worried but amazed at the strength of someone so small. Then Sam opened the door and put the syringe in her hand and closed her fingers over it, giving her hand a slight shake of thanks. She smiled at Sam, tears welling up in her eyes.
Castiel took her to Dean and she motioned for him to step back. She lifted the needle to Dean's neck and looked at him. Tears sprang to his eyes and his chin openly quivered.
"Why?" he asked, his voice breaking.
"Because I love you, Dean," she replied quietly, cupping his cheek tenderly in her free hand. "Because your brother loves you, I love you also. Because Castiel loves you, I love you also."
"I've done so much wrong."
"I forgive you."
"You're family- I-" he choked.
"I still forgive you, Dean. To my last breath I will always forgive you. That is why I am doing this. This is my forgiveness to you, Dean. To a man who longed only for a family. Who wanted only to protect those he loved and those who had loved ones. I forgive you."
They both wept openly as she put the needle into his neck one last time. As the final drop of blood entered him, his eyes widened as he stared at her and she smiled warmly down at him. Then a light flared, knocking her back with a surprised scream and Dean gasped painfully. Castiel caught her, his knees buckling from the impact.
When the light faded, she was unconscious and Dean was looking at them then at Sam.
"Dean?" Sam asked hesitantly.
"Sammy?" Dean answered, his voice wavering. Sam began to cry and he fell to unbinding his brother. The two embraced hard for several long moments. "Everything I've done. All I did to you, Sammy-"
"Hush, Dean. It's alright. Evrything's going to be okay now."
Dean was in the passenger seat up front with Sam who was driving. In the back Castiel sat with Serena next to him, her head resting on his shoulder as she was still unconscious. Sam looked at them in the rearview mirror. Castiel peered out the window at the dark, passing scenery, his face pensive, then he turned to look down at her, his eyes suddenly warm but a slight worry crease between his eyebrows. Castiel's hand that was around her shoulders squeezed then as he hugged her close to him. Sam looked quickly back at the road.
They monitored her for days but she never regained consciousness. Her skin turned paler every day and the rosey hue of her cheeks faded. Then, one day, she was gone. No one mourned her more than Dean, who never truly knew her.
Castiel stayed with them in the days to come as they gave her a hunter's burial but spread her ashes around the base of a newly planted tree, something Castiel said she had wanted. "Her life to give others life," he'd told them. When the deed was done, the brothers turned and Castiel was gone.
The foliage was thick and painted golden by the rays of a setting sun in the last days of summer. The air was crisp with a touch of warmth. He took a deep breath and could smell the approach of fall. Then he looked around and saw her, standing there, her back to him, in a long white skirt and olive green top. The outfit she wore when they had first met in this very spot on earth months before.
He took a step forward as the wind whipped her glowing-ember colored hair about and she turned suddenly, a bright smile spreading across her face. "Castiel!"
And a small smile formed on Castiel's face in response.
**I hope you enjoyed this. I don't really have plans to give back story between Castiel and Serena. There may be possible oneshots with different scenes of their time together but for the moment that's all I've got. I hate trying to put together a story when I constantly let down my readers because I can't follow through. And yes, I have written the scene where Castiel first meets Serena. It's rather cute and I have daydreamed a day at the beach for them that I find incredibly adorable. XD Hopefully y'all will too when I get it written out and put up.**