A/N: Thank you for the review and the four follows! They're all very much appreciated. I hope that those of you who are reading are enjoying. Feedback, comments and queries are welcome; both the positive and the negative. On to the show! x

Part 2 – Knife

Time: Mid-season five

Includes: Dean, Sam, Castiel, demons, hurt!Sam, hurt!Cas

Length: 992 words

[TWO]

The fight wasn't going as Dean had expected it to. Sam was out cold across the room, as a result of having been thrown around by the demon he was currently trying to gank. This one had cleverly evaded all their devil's traps around the old building whilst the others hadn't been so lucky. Sam had been in the middle of exorcising the trapped third when the fourth, this one, had come in and put a stop to it.

There had been a total of four demons, two of which had been exorcised, one trapped in the doorway behind Dean and the other currently in front of him, brandishing Ruby's knife, which Sam had dropped when he'd been knocked out.

Dean was armed with a shotgun which he continued to fire at the demon, but the salt rounds weren't slowing it down very much. It was a stalemate. Eventually Dean went for the melee, diving for the demon's legs and tackling it to the ground.

They both wrestled on the ground until Dean got hold of Ruby's knife, pushing it through the demon's throat. The demon's meat suit sparked in a sickly orange before laying still.

Dean pulled himself off the ground, aching from the wrestle, and then went to check on his brother. Sam was coming around as Dean reached him. He had a trail of blood running from the side of his head, along with a dislocated shoulder from the impact on the wall.

Dean popped that back in whilst his brother was half-conscious, but he still expressed his pain regardless.

When Dean was satisfied his brother would be fine for the time being, he turned to finish the exorcism on the final living demon, only to discover it wasn't there. He furrowed his brow, looking around the hall they were currently in, and then approached the devil's trap.

The red spray paint they'd used to draw it had been scrubbed off; someone had let the demon out. Dean growled in the back of his throat. It appeared there were more demons than they'd originally thought, or the hell-bent creatures had coaxed humans into working for them.

He got his answer when there was the sickly sound of a knife piercing skin and a grunt of pain, though it wasn't emitted from him. Dean turned around to see Castiel standing behind him, a knife protruding from his shoulder.

He crumpled, surprising Dean, but also revealing two demons standing behind him. Dean altered his grip on Ruby's knife and then rushed at them both. One he stabbed in the stomach and the other he stabbed in the arm, startling it, and then slit its throat with one fluent movement. Both meat suits collapsed to the floor, sparking orange, dead.

Dean then moved down to Cas, who had managed to pull himself to a sitting position. He was clearly in pain.

"Cas?" The hunter prompted in concern, crouching down in front of the injured angel.

"I will be fine... just –" He gasped in pain as he shifted his injured shoulder, squeezing his eyes shut. "Just give me a moment," he got out.

Dean swallowed. "Why can't you heal yourself?" he asked, recalling when they had first properly met; he'd stabbed the angel and he hadn't even blinked.

"Being cut off from heaven... it... it has weakened me greatly." he responded.

Sam appeared as Cas finished. He had his shotgun in hand and was looking around the hallway, apparently searching for demons. He must have heard Dean kill the other two. He sighted Dean and Cas in his examination and then the two dead meat suits not far from them.

He stepped over them and approached, looking concerned. "What happened?" he asked, now looking at Cas.

The angel had his eyes shut. His face wasn't twisted in pain anymore; he appeared to be concentrating.

"Demon got him." Dean explained.

"I believe... I believe I am fine now." Cas voiced then, opening his eyes. He moved his shoulder experimentally and appeared to be satisfied. "The injury has healed." he informed both the Winchesters.

"So you're okay?" Dean inquired, straightening up from a crouch. He offered his hand to Cas, who took it to pull himself to his feet.

"Yes." The angel confirmed.

"Let me see." Sam butted in, putting a hand on Cas's shoulder. The angel seemed irritated by this but he allowed the younger Winchester to touch him anyway. His beige coat was torn from where the knife had entered, allowing Sam to see the skin beneath. "It's scabbed over." he said, looking up at Dean. "Not fully healed." he added.

"I will be fine." Cas repeated, pulling away from Sam. "I stopped the bleeding. It doesn't bother me anymore." he said, rotating his shoulder to demonstrate.

"He's cool, Sam." Dean backed up Cas.

Sam looked doubtful but said regardless, "Okay."

The three made to leave the building, Cas still with them. Dean knew the angel didn't do injured very well. At this notion, he saddled up to him. "You took the knife for me." he observed. "Why?" he inquired.

"It was unintentional." Cas claimed, looking slightly uncomfortable. "I sensed demonic activity in the area and went to investigate. You happened to be there and so did the demons." he claimed. "And the knife." he added, moving his shoulder as he finished.

Dean noticed this. "You can come back to the motel, if you want." he suggested. "Sleep works wonders, believe me." he said.

"Angels don't need to sleep." Cas reminded Dean, but the hunter gave him an almost pleading look. "I will be fine, Dean." he said. "I have other matters to tend to." he then claimed as he reached the car, so Sam could hear.

He was gone in a rustle of feathers before either of them could object. Sam and Dean looked at each other, sharing a sigh.

"Damn angels." Dean muttered as he got into the Impala.