Hello my dears. I would like to thank thefriendlyguy63 for the wonderful review. I would also like to thank those of you who have favoured and followed since my last update.
So here is the next chapter, it is set in season 2, episode 1 'In My Time of Dying'. I hope you like it.
Disclaimer: I don't own Supernatural.
Castiel and Crowley stood in the corridor of a nondescript hospital, invisible to all those around them.
"What are we doing here Castiel? I hate hospitals, they smell of old people." Crowley muttered to him giving a fake shudder at the thought.
"You do not have to be here Crowley." Castiel replied not taking his eyes from the doors to the outside world, he was waiting for the arrival of three people.
"Oh now he tells me, having dragged me back to 2006. Why now anyway?" Crowley asked, he was bored so he might as well get as much information as he could.
"A turning point happened here. I intend to stop it." Castiel responded not really paying any attention to the demon at his side. He had only needed him to get here, what happens next he could manage on his own, that and he didn't trust Crowley an inch.
"oh you 'intend' do you? What are we stopping then?" Came the demons question with a roll of his eyes at Castiel's language.
But before Castiel could answer he pressed back against the wall taking Crowley with him as three gurneys were rushed through the doors and past. Crowley looked down at the people on them, he couldn't help it, it's one of those things. Like looking at an accident on the freeway as you drive past. What he saw caused his eyes to widen and he turned to Castiel once more in disbelief. How many more times could this angel surprise him today?
"Was that-?" He started to ask only for Castiel to interrupt him.
"Yes." Came the angel's stoic reply.
"So this is-?" Crowley started to ask once more only to be interrupted yet again.
"Yes."
"And you're here to-?" He started, though why he bothered he didn't know when Castiel yet again answered before he had finished asking.
"Yes."
"Will you let me get the bloody questions out before you answer them?" Crowley finally snapped at the angel, because while yes he probably did know what he was going to say it was still bloody annoying behaviour.
"Was that Sam, Dean and John Winchester? Yes. Is this the time when John sells his soul to save his first born son? Yes. Am I here to stop John Winchester from doing that and to get him to let Dean die? Yes." And with that Castiel stormed off following the gurneys leaving Crowley standing behind him with his mouth open.
Castiel watched from down the corridor as Deans spirit got up off of his bed and separated from his body. He watched as he went walking around the hospital and realised what had happened. He watched as Sam came to visit him and the doctors told him there was a high chance that Dean would never wake up. And he heard Dean begging with Sam to find some way to save his life.
If only he could, he would do anything to save the Winchesters what he was about to put them through, though it was better than the alternative. But he couldn't. Even if he tried to save Dean right now it would not work. Like the book in his pocket says, some deaths aren't ordained by fate, but this one was. The only way to save Dean Winchester was to sell your soul, and that would not be happening this time round.
"I'm sorry Dean. But I promise I will bring you back." He murmured quietly to the body of his friend once the brothers had left to see their father.
"So that's the plan is it? Let Squirrel die and then pull him out of heaven and back into his body? Do you really think that either side of the apocalypse are just going to let that happen? This is centuries in the making here. They're not going to just go 'oh well, that's that plan out the window' now are they?" Crowley's voice came from behind him. Turning Castiel saw that the former king of hell was leaning against the wall with his arms cross and a look of his face that told him he thought he was completely insane.
"Crowley, if you're not going to help then leave." He said emotionlessly. He did not need this right now. And anyway the answer was yes, both sides would let it happen. The angels would still have Dean in play, and the demons would only be losing their back-up plan. No big deal for either side really. Or at least, not that they knew, which was why he had decided to change things from here, start small and work his way up. The aim of this was to keep John Winchester on the board. And make one less burden on Dean's shoulders when the time came.
"Look Cas we're in this together, for better or for worse, so tell me what it is you want me to do?" Crowley asked in a suspiciously serious voice. It almost sounded to Castiel as if he meant it.
"I don't know. Go take over hell." Castiel replied with a frown at the thought that Crowley wanted to help. There was just something wrong with that, unless you added a himself after the help part.
"Yeah I'm not that stupid. I'll wait until the hardy boys have thinned out the crowd at the top first." Crowley replied with a shrug looking around Cas at the meet suit of Dean Winchester. He was going to make some crack about it, but one look at Castiel's face told him that would not go down too well right now.
"Then you will be waiting some time." Castiel stated. Dean and Sam would not be fighting the demons at the top until much later.
"Oh well, I can keep you company until then, can't I?"
At that Castiel turned and growled at his demon companion, he was really starting to wish that he had found another to come with him. But he supposed while he was here, he might be able to help.
"I need to stop John Winchester from summoning Azazel. Do you have any ideas?" He asked begrudgingly.
"Take away his ingredients?" Crowley suggested with a shrug, I mean how would he know? Surely angel boy had a plan before he dragged there sorry asses back here. Didn't he?
"Any good ideas?" Castiel clarified.
"What? It would work. Or do you think you can manipulate his mind to stop him? Because I'm pretty sure that if he is anything like his son, which in some ways I think he is, that is not going to work and you know it." Crowley replied with a roll of his eyes. Because really, come on Castiel.
"Fine. You take the vital ingredients and I'll keep a watch over Dean so as soon as he agrees to move on I can follow him. When I'm away I want you to watch over Sam and John for me." Castiel stated clearly and concisely so there was no way that Crowley could mistake his instructions.
"You want me keeping an eye on Moose and Daddy Winchester? Are you mad?" Crowley asked, because there was no way in hell he was going to do that.
"You said it yourself Crowley, we are in this together." Castiel stated with an innocent look on his face which made Crowley glower at him.
"Fine, I'll keep watch. But I'm not going anywhere near daddy dearest, I value my life thank you very much." Crowley finally conceded.
"Just make sure neither of them do anything stupid to get Dean back." Castiel said as if speaking to a child.
"Their Winchesters, doing stupid things to bring back family is an inherent trait." Crowley pointed out.
"You would know." Castiel snapped back at him. He really was getting fed up with this.
"Oh yes I would. It's a weakness I have taken advantage of time and again with those two." Crowley replied smugly making Castiel growl once more. He had a feeling that the most stressful thing about this trip to the past would be putting up with Crowley for the next however long, hopefully he would soon get bored and leave them in peace.
"Just go and keep an eye on John Winchester and leave me in peace."
"No need to get your knickers in a twist Castiel. I'm gone." And with that Crowley disappeared from the room, reappearing outside the one currently inhabited by all the Winchesters. He had to keep himself hidden from Dean after all, he wasn't sure if he would be able to see him or not, but he would prefer not to take any chances right now. And so he settled into wait until he could fulfil that which Castiel asked him to do. Bloody angels and there bloody plans, it was there fault they were in this mess in first place.