His eyes stung from the previously shed tears and the ones that now gathered and blurred his vision. Sam wiped furiously at his swollen red eyes, lips pulled back as he gave a disgruntled snarl and struck the match, watching as the flame burst to life. Composing himself with deep steady breathes, he dropped the flaming piece into the bowl, ingredients almost immediately catching fire and he raised his head eagerly, eyes desperate as they sought out the black clad figure of the King of Hell.
The summoning ritual ended, Sam looked frantically around the dim, grey dungeon, heart pounding in panic and his stomach twisting in convulsive knots as the room remained empty of the former Crossroads King.
Yelling in aggravation he kicked the bowl, burnt ingredients fluttered through the air as a metallic ring vibrated around the walls. Pacing, he violently dragged his fingers through his messy hair, digits becoming entangled in the wild mess, as his feet carried him to and fro.
"Crowley, you son of a bitch," Sam snarled, lips trembling and eyes blood shot "You get your ass here, right now, and you fix my brother! I don't care how long you give me or whatever else you want, just fix your mess or I swear to God I will hunt you down myself." His speech came out slightly slurred, spittle flying as his cheeks turned red from anger and desperation as Crowley still remained elusive.
"Crowley!" Sam roared, body shaking as he realised the demon wasn't coming "Answer me." He choked out, tears beginning to stream down his ruddy cheeks "Please!" He begged, voice cracking.
Sam fell to his knees, body hunched over and arms bracketing his head as he sobbed uncontrollably, pleading and promising to give anything if only Crowley, someone, anyone would bring Dean back to him.
Pulling in ragged breathes, Sam raised his head to the ceiling. "Cas!" He called brokenly, "Castiel, I need your help. Dean-" he swallowed thickly, emotions threatening to chock him "Dean's been hurt really badly. I- I need you to heal him." Sam's hazel eyes, brimming with tears and pain, pleaded for help. "Please, Castiel. You're the only one who can save him."
A few seconds passed, then came the light sound of wings fluttering followed by the sound of Castiel's foot falls echoing in the too quiet bunker. Sam pushed himself to his knees, wiping his nose clean with the sleeve of his plaid shirt as his eyes took in the fixed expression upon the angel's face.
"Cas, you came." Sam breathed as the angel stopped before him, taking in the rumpled clothing, tangled hair, bloodshot red glassy eyes and tear stained cheeks.
"Yes, Sam. I heard your call. Tell me what happened." Castiel demanded, expression severe as he felt the stolen grace continue to slowly burn out inside his vessel, and worry for Dean's well being.
Sam cleared his throat, jaw muscle jumping as he clenched and unclenched his teeth. "Dean went after Metateon on his own. He knocked me out and when I came too, he had already taken off. I had just gotten into the building when he-" squeezing his fists, till his knuckles turned white, Sam continued "when, Metatron rammed an angel blade into Dean's heart."
Castiel's eyes closed and head hung low, for Sam had revealed his fear that Metatron spoke the truth. He didn't have the courage to tell Sam just yet that he didn't have the power to heal Dean.
"I tried to kill Metatron, but he vanished before I had a chance to. I then got Dean back here as quickly as I could. I tried to summon Crowley, but he didn't come, so I then called for you, Cas." Wet hazel begged with Castiel. "Please, Cas. Tell me you can fix my brother?"
Releasing a defeated sigh, Cas lifted his head and his tired blue eyes bore their sorrow and plead for forgiveness to Sam. "I am truly sorry, Sam, but I cannot heal your brother."
He felt another small part of his grace burnout with the crushed look that engulfed Sam's face. "The grace inside of me is burning out. I don't have enough power left in me to heal Dean sufficiently." Cas dropped his gaze, no longer being able to look at the stricken expression on Sam's face.
"No, no, no. C-Cas, you have to help him. H-he's my brother, he's your friend. You can't do this to him!" Sam yelled, desperation rolling off of him. "I am sorry, Sam, but I can't." Cas replied, not lifting his head.
"No." Sam gritted out, steeping forward and roughly clasping Castiel's upper arms. "You're going to bring him back, ok? You're going to bring, Dean back!" Sam shouted in Castiel's face.
Eyes drooping in sadness Cas replied "If he's already dead, Sam, it's too late. There's no possible way for me to save, Dean."
"If you two lovebirds are quite finished pecking at each other, I would like to make my presence known." Crowley spoke, standing casually a few yards from the entrance to dungeon, hands in his coat pockets.
"Crowley." Sam growled, releasing Castiel and making his way towards the demon. "Where were you? I summoned you, I shouted and pleaded for you to come but you never did." Sam's body now shook with barely contained rage.
"Easy, Moose. You'll burst a blood vessel or two if you're not careful. As for my whereabouts, I was already here." A smug look washed over Crowley's face. "I actually arrived here before you started to summon me." Crowley stated.
"Well then if you were here, why didn't you tell me? Dean needs you're help and yo-" the smug expression on Crowley's face fell and he cut Sam off with a scathing tone.
"And if I had shown up to you immediately after you summoned me, what would have happened? You make a deal with me? Your soul for Dean's life? And our lives go back to what they originally were, you two morons trying to kill me. But if I had made a deal, Sam" Crowley's brow pulls down in contemplation "What do you think Dean would be like? Would he be the old Dean that can't live without an unhealthy addiction to fast-food or would he still be this Dean, the one with a craving to kill and never stop?" Crowley waited for a response, but all he got was Sam's continuous jaw muscle flexing.
"Besides, I wouldn't have made a deal with you anyway. You Winchester's are notorious for making them much more complicated than they need to be."
"Crowley, where were you while Sam was attempting to summon you?" Castiel asked, gaze pensive.
Crowley's shoulders dropped fractionally, eyes dropping to a point behind the Hunter and angel. "Something important." He answered vaguely.
"Define what you mean by 'something important'". Sam ordered.
Crowley let out an exasperated sigh. "Seeing Dean. Ap-apologising for not telling the full truth.
Sam's face paled. "Crowley, what have you done?" He whispered.
"Come and take a look." Crowley replied then vanished.
"Crowley! CROWLEY!" Sam bellowed as he ran from the dungeon through the bunker to Dean's room. Stopping in the doorway, he gripped the frame as his legs threatened to give out. Dean's bed lay empty, the impression of his body left behind on the rumpled duvet.
"Dean!" Sam called out, a new found sense of hope pulsing through his body. "Dean!"
"Sam, Sam." Castiel shouted, bringing the hunter's attention back to the angel. "We need to get out of here there's-" Before Cas could finish his warning Sam overtook him, his babbling nearly incoherent.
"Cas, Dean's alive! We need to find him. Come on!" Sam pushed past the angel running back to the main area of the bunker, Castiel's call of "Sam wait! Wait!" falling on deaf ears.
Reaching the main area, Sam shouted for his brother again, turning in circles to try and find him. "Sam, we need to leave. There's another de-" but Cas never finished his sentence, for Dean walked out of the corridor leading to the bathrooms, towel in hand as he patted his face dry of water and blood seeping from the cuts on his face.
"Dean." Sam said, a slightly pained smile tugging at his lips as he stepped towards his older brother. An iron grip upon his bicep prevented him from taking more than one step.
Turning his head he saw Castiel held him back, jaw tense and eyes wide. "Cas, what's wrong?" He asked.
"Mmh. You might want to show your Moose sooner rather than later, Dean." Crowley spoke up, leaning against a column on the other side of the room.
"Show me what? What is going on!" Sam asked, becoming aggravated at not knowing what was wrong.
"Sammy..." Dean spoke quietly, gaze fixed on a point near Cas's shoe.
"Dean, what's going on?" Sam asked, his voice silently pleading.
Dean took a deep breath, squared his shoulders, lifted his head and blinked.
His eyes were pitch black.
