The Blood in your Veins Part 2

The silence that filled the tiny room, was deafening. The time to repay his debt had come and Dean knew there was nothing more he could do, to save his brother from the dark side he had given into. As he eyed the long, sharp knife in the angel's hand, his father's bleak warning circled in his head. *If you can't save him, you might have to kill him.* Though the words had haunted him for years, never before had they hit so hard. "Dad knew it would come to this, didn't he?" He asked.

"Your father did everything he could not to put this on your shoulders, Dean." Castiel replied quietly, watching as the man in front of him tried to keep himself together.

Dean gave the angel a solemn nod, his heart sinking like a stone as another haunting voice rose from his memories. "Mom knew it would eventually come down to this too, didn't she?" He asked, his voice now barely above a whisper.

"The angels are watching over you..." Castiel replied softly, echoing his mother's words from the past. "Here I am, Dean."

"Not really what I had in mind..." Dean replied, his mother's words bittersweet coming from the angel in front of him.

"Not what she had in mind for you either..." Castiel answered. Standing only a few feet apart, he could sense the overwhelming pain and hurt Dean was harboring deep inside. Though unable to feel any of it himself, Castiel knew it was likely eating the young man alive.

"Dean swallowed the lump caught in his throat as he used the back of his hand to wipe away the tears that were threatening to fall. "I will do this for you, for mankind if you promise me one thing." He started, breaking the silence as he watched the angel's piercing eyes study him carefully. "I will kill one to save millions, only if I don't survive the finale battle."

"Dean, you were chosen to live on, you are the savio..."

"I won't be able to live with myself." Dean cut in, silencing the angel with a desperate tone of voice. "And I can't live without him, Cass..."

There was a moment of silence and as their eyes locked, Castiel reluctantly gave him a nod. "Very well." He replied simply.

"Promise me..." Dean pushed, waiting for the angel to give him his word. "Promise me that I wont make it out of this alive..."

"This I promise you." Castiel replied, setting the knife down on the small vanity as he pulled off his overcoat and draped it over the edge of the bathtub.

Dean watched intently as the angel rolled up his sleeve and grabbed the knife. Without hesitation, Castiel cut a slit into his own flesh, instantly drawing blood from his forearm. Dean watched the dark red liquid roll in streaks down the angel's arm as he offered it to him. He couldn't believe what he was about to do, but knew it was a last, desperate attempt to save mankind. He took a deep breath as he grasped Castiel's arm, pausing for a moment before bringing it towards him and leaning in to drink the warm, rich liquid.

Though his mind and morals screamed at him, his gut reassured him that what he was doing, truly was for the best. He reluctantly swallowed the blood that was pumping through the angel's veins, closing his eyes as he felt the warm liquid run down the inside of his throat. The taste of his own blood had often lingered in his mouth, but by comparison, Castiel's was much sweeter.

"With my blood is in your system, you will have my strength." Castiel started, watching as Dean finally let himself enjoy the lifeline he was given. "Sam will try to stop you, but you shouldn't listen to him. As long as he is influenced by the evil running through him, he is not your brother." Castiel paused as Dean pulled away, wiping the blood from his lip with the back of his hand. "As the angel's chosen son, you will have the power and strength to kill both Lilith and the one set to break the finale seal."

"Sammy..." Dean said quietly, watching as the angel in front of him once again simply gave him a nod.

"Killing both will guarantee that Lucifer stays bound in Hell." Castiel replied. He passed a hand over the cut he had made in his arm and in the blink of an eye, the wound had closed without leaving a mark. "There will always be evil, but as long as we are here to fight it, we will keep it at bay." He said, reaching into the back of his belt to pull out the Colt.

When he reached over to place it on the vanity at his side, Dean's eyes widened. "Where did you get that?" He asked, amazed to see the gun he thought had been lost forever.

"I have my ways." Castiel replied. "There is only a single bullet left, you will use it to kill Lilith, and no one else." Dean gave him a nod. "Now, give me your arm." The angel demanded, putting a hand out towards the younger man.

Dean did as he was told, cringing when Castiel held his arm with one hand and carefully cut a slit into his flesh. He swore under his breath as blood started seeping from the gash the moment the large silver blade broke his skin. He then watched as the angel sliced his own palm and quickly pressed the open wound to the one in his arm.

"When you drive this knife into your brother's heart." Castiel started, his firm grip on Dean's arm ensuring their blood would mix. "You will open your own wound and press it to his, like so. Your mixed blood will cleanse his body and soul of the evil in his system. This will not save his life, only guarantee that his true nature will be restored."

Dean gave him a nod as he closed his eyes for a moment. Through Castiel's tight grip, he could feel the angel's strong pulse resonating deep inside his soul... His righteous heart was literally pumping blood directly into his veins, giving him a new kind of strength. In a matter of only seconds, the guilt that had trailed him throughout his life, was gone. His mind was at peace and his conscious was suddenly clear. He knew what needed to be done and understood that the fate of mankind, was resting on his shoulders. When Castiel released his grip, Dean opened his eyes with a new sense of purpose. He watched in amazement as the angel passed a hand over the gash in his arm, healing it right before his eyes. When Castiel passed him the knife, he knew the time had come.

"I'll bring you to him, but I cannot do this for you." Castiel started, catching the other man's eyes. "I watched you tear yourself apart for years... unable to show you the way until my orders were given... I was there all along, I know what Sam means to you, and I'm sorry you have to do this."

There was a moment of silence and Dean reached for a hug, catching the angel by surprise. "Thank you for your help..." He whispered, holding him near for a moment. "I may not have known that you were always there with me... but I know that you are here now, and that you'll see me through this."

Castiel returned the hug, wondering how such a simple gesture could comfort and reassure a mortal soul. "I have faith in you Dean." He said quietly. "I always have."

When Dean finally released his grip, he was no longer in the tiny motel washroom. He was standing alone by his car in an empty dirt lot, the stone ruins of a large church littered the landscape in front of him. Aside from the cold rain and the fast approaching storm, there was no sound at all. He took a quick glance around, and when his eyes caught the back end of Ruby's orange Mustang tucked away in the shadows, he knew he was right where he was supposed to be. "Here we go Cass..." He said out loud as he quietly made his way towards the church.