2: Holy Water
Ruby and Sam sat in a booth at a closed diner, deep in conversation. A girl was lying on the floor just a few feet away, dead, the ground around her was scorched slightly. Sam had exorcised the demon just moments before but he'd been too late to save the girl.
Ruby had no problems sitting next to a dead girl but in the back of Sam's mind was that old paranoia of his, that he seemed to not be able to save anyone at the moment. Of course the amount of people who had lived through the possession after he'd exorcised the demon topped the amount of people who didn't, he still had doubts about his abilities, especially when Dean-
"Sam, are you listening to me?"
Sam was jerked back to reality to find Ruby staring at him exasperatedly.
"Yeah, I was just…"
"Sam, you can't save everyone," Ruby said softly. "No one can. All we can do is try. You know that."
"Yeah, I just, I don't know if we're doing the right thing here, you know?"
"We've been doing this for months and now you tell me you got doubts?"
"It's just that, Dean told me…" he trailed off. He wasn't sure he should tell Ruby.
"Dean told you what? That he didn't like it? I know I'm not in your brother's fan club but we're doing a good thing here, we're saving more people than my knife ever did."
"No, it wasn't that, it…"
"Sam, what is it?"
"I just don't think"-
"Sam, tell me now or I swear to God, I'll"-
"Ruby, Dean told me that an angel told him to stop me from doing this," Sam finally said.
Ruby was silent for a moment.
"What?"
"The angel that pulled him out, Castiel, told him to stop me. Or…or they will."
"What do you mean they'll stop you?"
"What do you think it means, Ruby."
"Sam, I don't get it, I mean, okay you're using the blood of a demon to help you do this, but you're not killing innocent"-
Ruby suddenly cut herself off.
"Ruby?"
Ruby looked scared, she scanned the empty diner and stood up, searching the street outside trying to spot something.
"Ruby what is it?"
"I don't know, something big just went down. I can feel it."
"I can't sense anything," Sam replied.
"Maybe it doesn't pose a threat to you, but it certainly does for me. Which way is your motel?"
Sam pointed left, down the highway.
"That's where its coming from. You should go back."
"But Ruby"-
"I'm out of here, Sam. You'll see me when this is over. If you really have to have me holding your hand then call, but not if it involves any goddamn angels."
"Ruby, I don't"-
Sam turned to where she'd been standing. She was gone.
"Damnit," he muttered. He pulled the keys out of his jacket pocket and jumped into the Impala.
* * * * *
"Damnit, Castiel, what the hell?" Dean said after he'd caught the angel who'd slumped forward.
Castiel seemed to be gasping for breath as Dean laid him on his bed. "Stay there," he said, even though the angel seemed to be hardly able to breathe let alone move. He pulled out his phone and dialled the number. Bobby answered on the second ring.
"Bobby, where are you?"
"I told you I was on my way, boy, don't get short with me."
"How far away are you?"
"I dunno 'bout thirty minutes."
"Make it ten minutes, Bobby."
"What, why? What's goin' on Dean?"
"Castiel's here. He's hurt."
"Is Sam there?"
"No," said Dean, his eyes scanning Sam's empty bed.
"Have you called him?"
"Uh, not yet, no."
"Right." Bobby decided not to comment on that. "Alright, I'll be there soon."
"Wait, what should I give him?"
"I dunno, holy water?"
Dean hung up and looked back towards the angel. Castiel was breathing but having trouble and his breaths were short and laboured.
"Damnit, Cas, what the hell happened?"
"I told you," Castiel said, his voice hoarse. "You have your knife…and the demons have…their's."
"They've got a knife powerful enough to hurt an angel?"
"So it seems." Castiel started coughing, his body jarring with each cough.
"Goddamn angels," Dean muttered. He pulled his duffle bag onto Sam's bed and dug through it before pulling out his silver flask. He brought it up to Castiel's cracked lips.
"God, I hope this works. Drink this."
Castiel managed a few sips and that seemed to stop the coughing. However in seconds Dean jumped back as steam started to rise from Castiel's chest.
"What the…" Dean looked from the steam to the angel's face which was now scrunched up in pain. He was relieved to hear the rumbling engine of Bobby's Charger pull up outside.
"Uh…God please forgive me for this, I think," Dean muttered as he moved the trench coat out of the way and the jacket and tie and began to unbutton Castiel's red shirt. Hang on, Dean looked at the shirt again. It was originally white. "Crap. Bobby!"