The Gwyllgi is Coming…

Author: Halfblood Alchemist

Rating: NC-17

Word Count: *this part* 3.762

Genre: Horror/Macabre, Dean/Castiel

Spoilers: none, but sort of parallel to pet sematary. Not exactly spoilerish but kinda… if you get what I mean…

Warnings: Character death, explicit depictions of blood and gore, strong language, violent and disturbing scenes. IF YOU DON'T LIKE, DON'T READ!

Summary: Dean and Castiel, juvenile-retired hunters, are adoptive parents to a young boy. But when tragedy strikes, the stakes are higher than they seem, and terror lies in the bonds of a single deal.

A/N: AU based off of Stephen King's "Pet Sematary", human!Castiel verse, in which Jimmy is his twin, and Castiel and Dean are married. Alex is based off of the character Gage from "PS". I claim nothing but the AU! DON'T EXPECT A HAPPY ENDING!

A/N the second: I only have a basic idea about how adoptions work. If I messed something up I apologize in advance! The gwyllgi is the Welsh mythological version of the hellhound, usually depicted as a savage mastiff with glowing eyes, and terrifying features. Like the Grim, it is a bearer of darkness and death. THIS IS SPLIT INTO THREE PARTS, PLEASE STAY TUNED FOR THE ENDING!

Castiel sat in the car, practically bouncing up and down with excitement. It had been long weeks of paperwork, preparation and waiting, but the day was finally theirs. He smiled over at his husband, a certain Dean Winchester, the two soon-to-be-parents sharing a joy-filled smile before kissing tenderly as they waited for the light to change. They were so caught up in their elation, they did not notice the green light, too wrapped up in their shared kiss to pay attention. They were alerted to this change by impatient honking from the car behind them, which Dean promptly flipped them off, the couple sharing a laugh as they drove off.

Dean and Castiel Winchester (/Novak) had been married for a year before the two decided it was time to really settle down and start a family. Settle down, in the sense of giving up their previous lives as hunters of the Supernatural. They remembered the exact day they had met, both hunt parties accidentally staking out the same haunt on-coincidentally- the same night. Dean remembered the first time he laid eyes on his current husband, and knew instantly that he was in love. To this day, it still confused his brother Sam as to how he had so easily fallen for Castiel… he had been hunting with his partner/identical twin Jimmy. Castiel and James Novak, the irrefutable black sheep of their highly religious family had taken up hunting right after college, giving up their disjointed bonds to family they did not relate to, touring the country for hunts in much the same way Sam and Dean did. Identical twins on an identical mission.

And identical they were. Both men were nearly indiscernible in every sense of the word: appearance, gait, intelligence, hell even their hair was the same messy, just-rolled-out-of-bed mussed only the Novaks could manage. However, there were two minute aspects that differentiated the twins according to Dean: hunting style, and mild personality differences.

Jimmy tended to be a bit more vocal, open, and sported a voice to go with it. He used wits and strategy to lure his prey into a trap. He was also straight (unlike his twin). Castiel, on the other hand, was much quieter and vocally gruffer. Castiel's hunting style had more physical attributes, using his incredible speed and strength to defend his hunt against the beasties of the night. Later, when asked about it, Jimmy explained that while he had been passable in college, Castiel was the athlete. Cross country, track, weights, the whole nine yards and despite his tougher exterior, he was brilliant as well. The two were an indomitable pair.

The hunt that brought Winchesters and Novaks together had been an unbelievable one at that. While both parties never relied on outside assistance in a hunt, both teams realized that their resources were best used pooled together and ended up defeating a nearly impossible enemy with relative ease, and since then had been one unit…. Love at first sight, aside.

Of course it hadn't taken long for Dean and Castiel to take an emotional and physical attraction to each other, the rest of the gang knowing it wasn't long before either of them would fall into the other's bed and straight into his heart. As predicted, Dean and Castiel had sealed their love in coital bonding, and was an inseparable couple since. Aside from the lack of flowers and grandeur, it had been a relatively lovely hunter's wedding, Bobby Singer acting as the minister for his friends. Dean had insisted they have Bobby over the service, being his pseudo-father and all. And if Sammy found himself at the end of the evening weeping happily into a bottle of whiskey for his big brother's happiness, no one said anything.

Now, a year later, both Dean and Castiel had decided it was time to expand their family, giving up the hunter's life to raise a child of their own. Once the news went about their small family, excitement spread like wildfire. Jimmy immediately began planning what goodies he'd spoil the child with, proclaiming to be the future favorite uncle, while Sam planned his way to being the sensible one. Dean had teased his little brother about being a bad influence on his kid with his weird diet and book-smarts. Besides, they all knew that it would be Bobby who'd be the child's mentor, aside from his/her fathers.

The process begun, Dean and Castiel went through the interviews before meeting the biological mother, Heather, who at the time was a mere six weeks along. They had immediately taken a liking to each other, and plans went smoothly. Heather had been confident that this loving couple, although unorthodox, would take good care of her child once she gave birth… then began the long months of waiting.

It became clear that Castiel would be the proverbial mother to the child, his excitement and anticipation mirroring that of an expectant wife. He had no qualms. Although Dean teased him about this, both knew that that was simply how it would be, and neither would have it any other way. But as the day drew near, nerves began to lay heavy on Cas. What if the child did not accept him as a parent? What if the child grew in hate for being separated from its mother? It had taken much calming from his husband to abandon these negative thoughts. The child would love him just as he would love it.

On one particular night, one moth prior to the birth of their soon-to-be-child, Cas found himself unable to sleep, rifling nervously through a book, much to Dean's dismay.

"Cas? Babe, what's wrong?" Dean asked sleepily, rubbing his eyes from the dim lighting of the side lamp.

Cas turned to Dean and heaved a suffering sigh. "I suppose I am just nervous, Dean. Soon, we'll be parents, and… and I just don't want to ruin the child's life. I want to be a good parent to him or her, but I'm just not sure I'll be accepted as a parental figure."

Before Castiel had even finished his sentence, he was pinned to the bed by his husband, staring up fondly into mossy eyes. "Cas…" Dean muttered, leaning down to his spouse's neck, nipping the skin gently. "Don't worry yourself about it. The baby's gonna love you, you know that. We'll be great parents, I promise. Now either hush up and go to bed or kiss me, dammit." It was no contest to see which option Castiel had chosen.

Two days before Heather's due date, she went into labor, delivering a healthy baby boy into the world. She decided not to name the baby, let alone see it shortly after birth. Although she was willingly giving up her child, she didn't want to risk any sort of attachment to the baby. It would hurt less that way. Besides, Castiel had seemed so eager to take the child under his wing; he and his husband were more than loving parents right from the start. She bid her child goodbye, and left without turning back. It was for the best.

That day, Dean got the call while he was at work at the local garage, his cell phone ringing merrily from the work bench. Recognizing the number immediately, he answered, listened to the news and immediately had to put the phone down. His reason? He began jumping up and down, screaming that his baby was born. He thanked the doctor and called in his sick day, running home immediately.

What joy they felt when the news was set! Castiel's heart flooded with love as he pulled his husband into a firm embrace, kissing passionately that they were now parents. Unfortunately for him, they would still have to wait several days before bringing the child home. It would be the longest week of their lives.

On the day they were to bring little Alex home, Castiel had risen early, taking his usual daily run much further than normal. He was out for over two hours, unable to bring himself to stop running and return home, until his cell phone rang. He answered to a rather stressed Dean, who verbally wondered if Cas had fallen off of a cliff during his jog. Blushing, Cas reassured him that he would return shortly, wiping the early morning sweat from his brow.

True to his word, he returned soon, and bathed quickly, the new parents setting off to bring their child home. Castiel had immediately fallen in love with little Alex, taking the baby boy into his arms and cradling him lovingly to his chest. His face just radiated with joy and love, and he barely contained a gleeful laugh when Alex giggled to his new daddy and grabbed his pinky in a surprisingly firm grip. The nurse in charge had actually teared up, calling Dean and Castiel the most beautiful parents she had ever seen of such a gift. And it truly was.

Once Alex had been brought home, he was welcomed by a small party, his new family surrounding him, taking turns to hold and play with the infant. While Jimmy took his turn with his new nephew, Sam had approached Dean happily, giving him a playful punch to the shoulder. "If you mess this kid up, I swear I'll kick your ass, man." Sam had said lovingly. What a lovely sentiment between brothers.

Things seemed to fall into place for the Winchesters, Alex being the shining jewel of their loving family. If only happy endings were real…

Four years later

The move had tired the young family tremendously, but it had been successful. In truth, they did not move far from their previous residence, but looked to find a larger home to raise their young son Alex in. The apartment had proven to be too small for a toddler of his energetic nature, so without hesitation, Dean and Cas began looking for a new house. They dared not move far from Sioux Falls, if only to keep close contact with the boy's uncles. Secretly Jimmy, Sam, and Bobby had been grateful for this consideration.

It did not take long for Dean and Cas to find the perfect place, a small yet comfortable place off the main streets of town. A crystal blue lake sat amongst the adjacent forest, offering a beautiful haven to raise their beloved son. And what joy filled the toddler's heart, to have such a place to run and play in! Daddy and papa were too good to him. The Winchesters had fallen immediately in love with the home, moving in shortly after the paperwork had been completed.

On the day of the move, Jimmy and Sam both came over to help their brothers settle in, the aging Bobby keeping little Alex occupied. They had nearly managed to move the entirety of their furniture in when it came time for an early dinner and a bit of exploration. Upon finishing their meal, the family took their own tour of the property, enjoying the sunny day, nary a sound in the sky.

This blissful silence was broken violently, however, by the sounds of a truck barreling down the main road at breakneck speeds, the driver clearly inattentive to his surroundings. This immediately set Castiel on nervous edge, scooping his toddler into his arms as he stared warily at the road. They were not aware that that road was a main thoroughfare for semi trucks.

"Don't worry, Cas!" Jimmy reassured his twin, clapping a hand on his shoulder. "We'll get a fence built. Alex won't go by the road, he's got Novak spirit in him. He's a smart kid." This didn't seem to comfort Cas at all.

It took coercion from his husband to calm him down, as he agreed to look into hardware to build a yard fence. After he was convinced, Castiel relaxed somewhat and the group returned to the house to finish unpacking for the night.

Little yawns signaled Alex's bedtime, as the toddler rubbed his eyes sleepily. Cas smiled at his baby, picking him up and propping him on his hip. "Alex, are you sleepy? It's past your bedtime, baby." He said lovingly, smiling when Alex wrapped his arms around his neck and snuggled into his daddy's embrace.

Dean smiled and ruffled Alex's blonde hair gently. "I'll be in, in a minute kiddo to give you a goodnight kiss, ok? Gonna say goodbye to Sammy and Jimmy."

Alex nodded, his cheek pressed into Cas' shoulder. "Ok, papa…" he murmured, already beginning to drift off.

Jimmy smiled, watching his twin take Alex to bed, before nodding to the others. "Alright, I'm gonna head off now. I'll be by tomorrow at nine to help you guys finish unpacking, ok?" at their bidding, Jimmy left, waving over his shoulder as he set off into the night for his car.

Dean waved, and turned to his own brother, wondering why he and Bobby were hanging around. He didn't voice his curiosity however, for at that moment Cas came in and nodded to Dean, letting him know Alex was in bed. "Alright, I'll be right back…" he said, exiting the room.

Cas smiled to his in-laws, resting his hip against the couch. "Thank you so much for helping us move in. We really appreciate it." he said meaningfully.

Bobby, in his usual gruff manner, waved off the thanks. "Don't sweat it, boy. I rather enjoyed myself playing with Alex… but if you tell Dean, I'll have to kill you myself."

"Too late, old man." Dean laughed, walking in as Bobby finished speaking. Laughing, the group settled in for a final beer, Bobby swatting his baseball cap at his oldest pseudo-son, before taking a hearty swig.

The room fell into silence, the four of them just enjoying their company, before Sam finally cleared his throat, looking to Bobby. "We actually hung around to let you guys know… we found a, eh… road nearby."

This immediately piqued the couple's attention, as Cas and Dean both looked to each other worriedly. "What kind of road?" Dean voiced their question, looking to his brother.

Sam swallowed, not saying anything at first. Instead, he looked to Bobby for help.

"Son, we found a crossroads not too far off from here. Could be nothin'… just thought we'd let you know." Bobby said finally, clapping a hand on Dean and Cas' knees. He looked dead serious, which caused the young couple to fidget slightly in their seats. Any hunter knew what a crossroads meant.

Cas took Dean's hand into his, squeezing it nervously as Dean pulled him over next to him, wrapping an arm around his shoulders. "Hey, Cas. It's ok, babe. The road's useless unless someone actually tries to summon a demon. It's fine." Dean reassured him, kissing the top of his head gently. He wouldn't admit he was trying to comfort himself just as much.

The silence evading the room was nearly deafening. Growing nervous, Sam clapped his hands suddenly, standing up. "Everything's cool! Trust me. Alright, Bobby let's head out, give these guys a chance to relax before their first night in the new home."

Bobby nodded, standing up and cracking his back slightly. "Sounds like a plan to me. We'll be by tomorrow morning, kiddos. And don't worry." He added, headed towards the front door with Sam.

None of them were convinced.

It had been several months since their move, and the Winchester family was well acclimated to their new home. Every morning, Cas took his daily run, coming back in time to wake Alex for breakfast, which Dean would prepare while Cas was out. Dean kept his job at the garage, while Cas stayed at the house to take care of Alex, until he was old enough for preschool. The fateful day lay at the end of August, a mere six weeks away.

The heat of summer spurred the family on long walks in the woods, swims at the lake, and daily visits from the uncles, who spoiled little Alex rotten. Life was damn near perfect.

Then Dean began his nightmares.

In the beginning, they were nothing but shapeless images, dark and haunting his emotions, his thoughts. He'd wake in the middle of the night with a cold sweat, and a feeling of dread in the pit of his stomach. However, he never woke Cas, finding his blissful sleeping too wonderful to disturb for such an insignificant thing as a bad dream.

When they began to take form, though, he wasn't so sure they were nothing to be concerned of. He began to dream of death… darkness, and images of hideous yellow eyes.

One particular night, Dean found himself trapped in a nightmare he couldn't seem to shake. Most of the images were darkened blurs, flashed of light, and much to his dismay, blood. Screams of horror, monstrous and horrifying filled his ears, as dread coursed through his veins. It was like watching the bowels of hell coalesce in front of him, warping his sanity, his emotions as a boiling ocean of bodies, blood, and bile stretched before his line of vision, bubbling globs of pus and tissue, burning into new bodies as each helpless victim fell to his doom in the pits of a sea of acid. Rooted to the spot, he watched the blurry image of a damned soul crawl from the banks of the blood lake, his lower half melted and trailing rotting flesh in his wake.

Dean nearly gagged, backing up from the torn soul as he crawled his way towards him. He looked up at Dean through gouged and protruding eyes, flesh being eaten away by the very air that surrounded it. "Beware…" he hissed, grabbing at Dean's boots with torn fingers, bone protruding from half-eaten limbs. "Beware of the Gwyllgi…"

Dean tried desperately to free himself from the corpse's grasp, but he soon found that he was surrounded by similar beings, all clawing at his form with decaying hands, maggot infested eyes and rotten blood. The mantra rose up, roaring over the very fires of hell, "Beware of the Gwyllgi! Beware of the Gwyllgi!" the haunted voices rose to such a crescendo, Dean screamed in pain, backing away until he fell into black oblivion, floating in between his own world and the twisted hell he found himself in.

Suddenly, Dean hit solid ground, wincing in pain. He looked about to find himself in the forest, by the dreaded crossroads. As the dream progressed, a face came into sight, wrenching his heart ice cold. It was Cas… and he looked terrified. "Cas!" his dream self called to his lover, running to him. He wasn't sure but there was something infinitely wrong with this scene that played before his mind's eye… something ungodly terrifying, and all too real. Cas' face was a mask of sheer terror, and just as Dean reached him, he turned and fled. "CAS!"

As he gave chase to his lover, the dream morphed into something so clear and so frightening he froze, unable to tear his eyes away.

Cas fell to the ground, masses of blood and gory entrails being ripped violently from his flailing body. An inhuman scream filled the air, blood gurgling up into his raw throat, choking off the sounds. Dean found himself unable to move as he watched his lover, his husband being ripped apart by an unseen force, savage growls filling the night air and shaking his very bones.

He watched in terror as his husband died before him, blood spanning the dirty ground around him in dark red splatters that seemed to glow in the foggy moonlight, the monster chewing his way through the body. And then, just as suddenly as the onslaught began, it fell silent, a wolfish howl filling the chill night air as the disemboweled body lay still at last.

Dean finally found the strength to move as he dropped to his dead lover's side, bloodshot eyes filling with tears of despair. "No… Cas…" he gasped mournfully, reaching a shaking hand out to his lover's body.

He never made it. Suddenly the body bolted upright, snagging his wrist and ripping his arm from the socket, blood spouting in jets of deep red crimson as Dean screamed. "THE GWYLLGI IS COMING!" the undead corpse of his husband shrieked, crystal blue eyes flooding a obsidian jet black as a bloody grin spread obscenely wide across his ripped face. "THE GWYLLGI IS COMING!"

Dean bolted upright in his bed, screaming himself hoarse. Another cry filled the air, this one of surprise and alarm as Cas flailed from the bed, hitting the floor next to them. A few agonizing seconds later and light flooded the room, Cas scrambling onto the bed to throw his arms around the terrified Dean.

"DEAN! DEAN FOR GOD'S SAKE STOP SCREAMING!" he yelled over Dean's shrieks, shaking his husband slightly.

Dean fell silent finally, slumping into Cas' arms as shivers wracked his body. He felt Cas' arms wrap protectively around him, cradling him close to his warm, fully intact chest, and rock him back and forth. "Calm down… calm down, I'm right here…" Cas cooed to him, kissing the top of his head.

It took several long, agonizing minutes for Dean to finally calm down. Tremors wracked his body as he clung desperately to Cas, feeling and praying that he was whole, that this ordeal had simply been a nightmare.

"It's ok, Dean… I'm here… I'm here…" Cas whispered, running his fingers through his hair gently. He felt wetness on his lover's cheeks and looked down, shocked to see his precious Dean, his hunter, sobbing. "Dean! What the hell did you dream about?" he asked, looking at him worriedly.

Gulping breaths desperately, Dean sat up, rubbing his eyes with his knuckles to scrape the tears away. "… it was nothing…" he croaked finally. Offering a weak smile, he shook his head, "it was only a nightmare…"

Castiel didn't look convinced, but he sighed, taking it for what it was worth and pulled his husband back to his side, cradling him as they both lay back down to sleep.

Dean felt Castiel slip easily back into slumber, but he knew it would be hours before he finally fell asleep again. Running his fingertips over Cas' chest gently, he felt for any indents, any wetness that would betray this false sense of security; for that's what it was to Dean. There was no way in hell that what he had dreamed was only tethered to the world of his visions and hallucinations. It just couldn't…