Chapter 2

In the hall.

"Okay, here's what's going to happen." said Lucifer, in a businesslike manner, standing in the hall, "The two of you are going to stick with me. You do not move one step away unless I tell you do so. Remember, one toe out of line and every single one of my minions is going to slaughter your kid. And it's mother. And Bobby, try not to get in the way." he said looking around at the trio, "Now are we clear?"

"You are going to fight Michael." said Dean.

"Correct, after I take up Sam as a vessel." replied Lucifer.

"How do you expect to fight Michael unless he has a vessel?" said Dean, frowning.

"He already has a vessel, dumbass. You!"

"Yes, but if I 'stick with you', how is Michael going to find me?" snapped Dean.

"Oh, you don't have to worry about that. My brother will come to us. We don't have to go looking for him."

"And when exactly will Michael be coming?" asked Sam. He was nervous but was trying hard to not to show it.

"When the time is right.' said Lucifer smiling enigmatically.

"Which would be now." said a voice from behind, "Hello, dear brother. How are you?"

Lucifer spun around to face the a youngish-looking man wearing a checked shirt with rolled-up sleeves and jeans.

"Michael?" he said softly, then arched his brow, "What vessel is this?"

"A temporary one. Don't worry, we both know I can't take you on without using a Winchester sword."

Lucifer let out a short, bark-like laugh, "Yes, we both know that. That would be…uh…so very foolish."

"We wouldn't last two minutes." said Michael softly, smiling, pausing for a second, "It's so nice to see you Lucifer." he said, his expression softening.

"It's good to see you too, Michael." said Lucifer, unmoving.

Sam noticed him curl his fist around a knife by his side.

Michael took a few steps towards them. Lucifer narrowed his eyes.

"You and I are going to sit down and have a little talk, dear brother." said Michael patronizingly.

"Oh I don't think we are." smirked Lucifer, his eyes tracking Michael's progress as he made his way across the room.

"You were always such a difficult child, Lucifer." Michael sighed.

"Oh, yeah? You remember."

"Of course I remember!"

"You used to be the only one who could shut me up." said Lucifer.

"Yes, yes. I miss that. It gets so lonely without you. Raphael's just annoying . And what with Gabi and his disappearing act…" said Michael fondly.

"And what about the newbie? What's it's name?"

"Lysander. He's all right. But none of them can hold a candle to you, brother." He stopped in his tracks, his nose now inches from Lucifer's. "I miss you, Lucifer." He raised his hand, to touch his forehead.

"I…" before Lucifer had the chance to finish, Michael quickly swerved and planted his forefingers on Dean, Sam and Bobby making them disappear. Lucifer let out a howl of fury which the three humans did not hear.

…...

In the basement.

It took Dean half a minute to realise that he had been transported from the hallway by Michael to some place else. He cursed himself for not bringing along his torch as he squinted in the dark, his eyes trying to get used to it. He felt around his surroundings. It was pitch dark, and he was in a house full of demons. It was not a very comforting thought. Where the hell was he anyway? He didn't have a very vivid memory of this part of the house. This would probably be one of those rooms he never ventured into, like the attic or…

"The basement!" Dean hissed, making his way through the room, both arms curled tightly around his revolver. His knee made contact with some boxes and he almost howled in pain, before he put a fist in his mouth. Now was not the time to alert every supernatural creature of his whereabouts.

He fumbled up the steps till he finally found the door and braced himself as he threw his weight on it and pushed it open.

The scene that met his eyes nearly made him jump back into the basement again.

There was a war going on, in his child hood home. Trust Satan to have brought every evil under the sun, under one roof. They were killing each other. Blood, fire, guts, screams and echoes erupted from every corner. Dean put his hands over his ears and broke into a run. His best bet would be to find Lisa and Ben and get them out of here.

"Lisa!" he yelled as he lurched forward through the corridor, stopping to shoot a few creatures that lunged towards him. "Lisa!" he yelled again, "Ben! Can you hear me?"

Dean decided to check the bedrooms. Thankfully, there weren't that many on this floor.

Dean went about the monumental task, yelling Lisa and Ben's names as he opened one door after the other, occasionally shooting dark creatures. One bastard attacked him from behind, but Dean was able to delve into his jacket and slit his throat with his silver knife. From then on, he kept the colt in one hand the knife in the other, as he made his way from room to room.

He had one last room to check, before he made his way to the upper floors. Though, even as he began to turn the handle he knew that something was gravely wrong. This room was unlit, like the others. It had a strong supernatural presence, also like the others. It also had Lisa Braeden tied to the bed by a black mulch that was eating her alive.

"Lisa!" yelled Dean as he burst through the door.

"Dean." gasped Lisa. She was being sucked into the bed as if it were quicksand. "Dean, they took Ben. You have to find him."

Dean focused his revolver on the black mulch. "Try not to move, Lisa. I got to shoot this thing." he said his voice faltering.

"Dean." a second voice called weakly. Dean traced it back and looked up.

"Meg?" he breathed, his voice choking. His hand holding the revolver fell limply by his side. Meg was plastered against the ceiling, her limbs askew.

"Meg!" This time Dean yelled with great urgency in his voice, as he rushed to the side of the bed. "What happened, Meg? How did you...? Hold on! I'll get you out of there."

"No, Dean." Meg said weakly, "It's too late. You have to leave us."

"No." said Dean resolutely.

"Listen, Dean." said Meg urgently, "I tried saving Lisa, I'm sorry." Dean could see the tears forming in her eyes, "This thing's too powerful. You can't shoot it. You can't stab it. You have it to burn it alive. With us."

"No." repeated Dean, his voice faltering.

"Please, Dean." Meg closed her eyes and screwed up her nose as if she were in great pain. "You have to leave, now!"

"Dean? Please try and find Ben. Promise me, promise that you'll find Ben. Promise me that you'll try and save him." gasped Lisa, struggling to breathe.

"Nothing is going to happen to Ben, I swear. Now be still so I can figure out how to get you and Meg out of this mess."

…...

In the attic.

"Michael!" yelled Sam as he fell through space and hit the floor. He groaned before he managed to prop himself up. His surroundings were dark and unfamiliar.

"What an ass!" he muttered to himself as he squinted around. He had to figure out where he was if he had any hopes of escaping. And then all he needed to do was to find Lisa and Ben and then grab Dean and Bobby and leave the house full of demons and one pissed-off overlord. Not bad.

Sam walked a few steps ahead, his eyes slowly growing accustomed to the dark. He felt for the knife in his jacket and after reassuring himself that it was there, he took a few more steps in front. His eyes found the source of dim light and he traced it to the ceiling. He could see the faint glimmer of stars from a crack through the skylight. He must be in the attic, he concluded. He would have to find the ladder and climb down it.

Several more minutes of thrashing around and the younger Winchester brother had found what he was looking for. Guiding his feet down one step at a time, Sam was relieved to be greeted by the light of the store room. He was less relieved however to be greeted by the figure in a beige trench coat entering the room, dragging what looked like a corpse with him.

"Hello Sam." said the figure matter-of-factly.

"Castiel? Oh my God! What are you doing here?" asked Sam.

"Improvising." replied Castiel, shrugging. "Look, I need you to do me a favour. Take this guy," he said pointing to the body on the floor with his foot, "and bring him outside to the front lawn. Oh you might find some trouble on your way, so I trust you are armed?"

"Yes, but…"

"Good. Just make sure nothing happens to that. I have to go. I have work to do." Castiel said curtly.

"Woah, woah,woah, just hang on a sec." said Sam kneeling by the figure on the floor, "Castiel, this is Michael's vessel! Is he alive?"

"Of course." said Castiel, with a hint of impatience in his voice.

"Then where's Michael? Oh God, is Dean okay?" cried Sam, putting two and two together.

"He should be. Look, Sam. We don't have time for this. I need to get going and you need to leave this house immediately."

"But Castiel…"

"No, Sam! Don't do anything stupid. Don't go looking for Dean. The others should take care of him. Just leave. And try not to get yourself or the vessel killed."

"Others? What others? You mean other angels? Castiel!" Sam yelled frustrated, but to no avail. The angel had long disappeared.

…...

In the kitchen.

"Come out and play you lily-livered munchkins!" Bobby Singer yelled as he loaded his shotgun. He waited for a fresh hoard of spirits to descend before he started firing away.

"Bobby." said Castiel appearing out of nowhere. He made his way to the a flour sack in the corner.

"Castiel?" said Bobby hoarsely, "What the hell are you doing here?"

"Why does everybody keep asking me that, I wonder." said Castiel, now undoing the rope tied at the mouth of the sack.

"Where are the boys? Dean? Sam?" asked Bobby concernedly, pausing to shoot another creature in the mouth before turning to face Castiel again.

"I don't know. I met with Sam. He's on his way out. You have to leave too. But after you help me with this." he said matter-of-factly, stepping aside to show what appeared to Bobby was pounds of rock salt.

"There's more." said Castiel, "And we have to get some in each room. Oh and we'll be needing this," he said effortlessly lifting two cans of kerosene.

"What's happening Castiel?" said Bobby.

"I don't know. But I do know that this might help." said Castiel. Bobby looked at the angel, he looked desolate, defeated and almost sorry. His blue tie, his ill-fitted black suit, his trench coat hung loosely around his frame. His shoulders sagged limply and his downcast eyes did not meet Bobby's.

"Well then. Let's crack on!"

…...

In the bedroom.

"Time is running out, Dean." warned Meg.

"If you would just shut up and let me think!" yelled Dean, the panic in him rising with every passing second.

"No, Dean." cried Lisa, her voice barely audible.

"Meg, just tell me what this thing is called and I'll figure out a way to kill it!"

The door burst open with a bang and blue light and a slender figure appeared framed in the doorway. Her thin face was framed by flaming red locks. She strode in, surveying the room, stopping when her eyes found Dean.

"Anna?" he mumbled. He had thought this day could not get any weirder. Clearly, he was wrong.

"Hello Dean." She walked over to him, placed both her hands on his shoulders and looked upwards, "Uriel! Clear!" she yelled before disappearing with him.

…...

In the hallway.

"That's it Castiel. I think we got all the salt." said Bobby huffing as he poured kerosene in a corner for what felt like the hundredth time.

"And just in time." a third voice behind them popped up.

"Thank you for coming, Joshua." Castiel said without so much as turning, He poured the last of the salt and wiped his hands on the trench coat.

"Oh, that's nothing. Glad to help." said Joshua, "Everything has gone according to plan, then?" he muttered in Enochian.

"So far so good." replied Castiel breathlessly.

"Bobby, thank you for your help. I have to go now. Joshua will show you out." said Castiel nodding in his direction.

"Wait…" began Bobby, but Castiel was already gone.

"Bobby Singer, are you ready?" asked Joshua, smiling pleasantly.

"Ready for what?" said Bobby, as the angel extended his arms, resting them on Bobby's shoulders, "Hey! What do you think you're doing?" he yelled.

Joshua didn't reply. His gaze extended heavenward as he cried out, "Uriel! Clear!" and vanished with Bobby.

…...

The lawn in front of the house.

Sam was the first to stumble across the porch, still lugging the vessel.

Anna arrived moments later, clutching a howling Dean. Joshua and Bobby followed soon afterward.

"Anna! What did you do? Let me go!" yelled Dean, fighting and kicking, but to no avail. The angel had him in a viselike death grip.

A bright beam of blinding, blue light flashed upward from the house to the sky, illuminating the clouds, forcing the brothers and Bobby to look away. Moments later everything was silent. Everyone on the lawn turned their eyes on the hovering figure above the house. It was Uriel, his charcoal grey wings outspread, muttering chants in Enochian.

There was a blast and the entire house erupted in flames. The windows shattered and the walls peeled off. Sam looked on in horror and Dean let out a scream.

The whole thing could have not taken more than five minutes but even as the flames subsided and Uriel flapped his giant wings away, all that was left of the Winchester house was burnt, black, smoky remains.

"No!" yelled Dean again, "Lisa's still in there! Let me go!"

Joshua shot an enquiring look at Anna who still had Dean in her firm grip. She replied, "It was too late, we couldn't save her."

"Let me go, Anna. I'm warning you. I have to save Lisa and Ben. And Meg." said Dean through gritted teeth, his heels digging into the dirt, throwing his weight against the angel.

"Meg?" asked Sam, surprised, "Meg was there too?"

"Yeah, couldn't save her either. Sorry." said Anna.

"I have to at least try and find Ben, please!" yelled Dean, still struggling.

"And Castiel? Did he make it out of there?" said Sam, realising he was still propping up the vessel. He set the body down.

Dean's entire frame went rigid. He stopped struggling and turned around to face his brother, "Cas was there?" he said in a deathly whisper.

"You didn't see him?" asked Bobby.

Dean broke free from Anna's grip. She stumbled back from the impact as she let him go. Dean hurtled across the lawn into the burnt remains of the house, knocking down the remains of the front door with ease.

He put a sleeve against his nose, sucking in his breath so as to not breathe in the poisonous fumes. Making his way through the house, stumbling across bodies of demons that had been killed in the fire, he checked each and every room till he finally came to the last. He stood outside the room that had once been Sammy's nursery, his body shaking with trepidation and fear. He turned the door handle, his body tense and pulsating with a negative sense of foreboding. He squinted through the smoke and his eyes widened and his jaw went slack from what he saw.

Years later he would describe it eloquently as the most amazing sight in his life, but right then Dean Winchester fumbled for words. Castiel was kneeling on the floor, his trench coat and clothes blackened by the explosion. He looked miraculously unharmed, not a hair on his body looked out of place. His big, bright, cerulean wings were propped up, encasing his body in cocoon-like shield.

Dean found his voice and cried out, "Cas! Are you okay?"

"Yes." said Castiel. He sounded hoarse. He coughed and cleared his throat a few times.

"Cas. Did you…have you seen Ben?"

Castiel didn't reply. His wings began to unfold, moving away from their previous position where they were hugging his body to the back of his shoulders where they belonged. The smoke cleared and the dust settled down and Dean blinked twice to make sure he wasn't seeing things. Beneath the wings, sheltered by Cas's arms that hugged him tight, his tiny fists curled around Cas's trench coat lapels, was Ben Winchester.