AN: So I have some neato ideas for this fic, probably pretty angsty so if you are game for that sort of thing look no further! Thanks to my awesome reviewers, doglady.1, Read-between-the-wines, Blue Jae, abzbee and AltoClef. Seriously you guys just friggin' rock.
And to the awesome followers! *high fives all around*
Language and Blood like whoa in this chapter
Disclaimer: Not making money. Kripke's playground not mine.
Cas and Sam watched with concern as Dean finally succumbed to sleep, sprawled on his bed with a hand still covering the mark that was wrapped in a cold cloth. Every once in a while a grimace would play on his features, interrupting his otherwise peaceful sleep.
"Whats going on with him Cas?" Sam whispered, his face dark with unmasked worry.
Cas's eyes never left Dean's unconscious figure, "I don't know. This is all new to me, but I can only assume his symptoms will continue to worsen."
"I don't understand, I thought the mark just a way to symbolize Cain's sin."
Cas shook his head, "Its more than that, the mark is a curse. And Cain was turned into a very high level class of Demon after he struck his bargain with Lucifer. Dean is still just a human."
"Then what do we do?" Sam asked, tearing his attention away from his sleeping brother.
The angel sighed, "I don't know if there is much we can do."
SPNSPNSPSPN
Sam opened another dusty volume on ancient biblical lore, the thick pages sticking together as he gently pried them apart. His eyes were starting to water from focusing so long on the small text, the words beginning to blur together. He startled as the clink of a dish was set next to him, the tired hunter looked to see Castiel's worried face pushing a plate of peanut butter and jelly towards him.
"You need to eat," he stated, pushing the volume away in favor of the food. Sam smiled.
"Thanks Cas," he pinched the bridge of his nose and blinked heavily, wishing away the cloud of sleep that hung over him. Sam took a large bit from the sandwich, washing it down with the stale beer he had gotten himself earlier.
"Have you found anything useful?" The angel asked, sitting down next to the younger Winchester.
Sam shook his head, his mouth still full of food. "I've read a few mentions of Cain and Abel, but its vague. I might as well just pick up a Kings James from the gas station."
The angel nodded in understanding. "Perhaps if we-" They both stopped and looked in the direction of Dean's room as a scream echoed down the hall.
"Dean!" Sam cried, his chair toppling over as he scrambled down the hall and towards his brother's room.
He heard the beat of Cas's wings behind him and when he reached the room, Dean's door was already open and Cas had picked Dean up from where he had been sleeping, his brother struggling to stand. His face was contorted in agony, the rag discarded on the bed as the welt on his arm was blazing a bright, angry red.
"Cas, what do we do!" Sam barked, his eyes wide and his heart pounding in his chest.
Cas looked just as anxious as Dean struggled against him, writhing and grabbing at the angels overcoat as he tried to anchor himself.
"Its fucking burning!" Cried Dean, clutching at the trench coat and leaning his weight into the angel who took it with ease.
"Showers now!" Castiel snapped, putting an arm under Dean's and holding him close. "I'll meet you there." A flap of wings left Sam to dart across the hall, opening the door to the large bathroom and walk in showers. Cas was already there, stripping Dean of his plaid shirt leaving his chest bare.
"Turn the showers to as cold as they will manage," Commanded Castiel, Dean almost delirious as the scar continued to pulse and burn.
"Whats. Happening?" Dean panted, sweat beading on his brow and upper lip as he ground his teeth together once again.
"Keep quiet," Cas growled, yanking Dean into the shower with him, holding the struggling man as he scrambled away from the stream of ice cold water. "Stay still!"
Sam grabbed a few towels, waiting next to the open shower and watched anxiously as the angel held his brother under the water.
"Cas! Stop!" Sputtered Dean, lips a tint of blue as he shivers uncontrollably under the stream.
"Your arm is burning Dean, stop struggling and let me help, you stubborn ass!"
Dean's eyes snapped to Cas's as the words came from his mouth and let himself fall back against the angel's still fully clothed body. Sam watched as the angel allowed his brother to lean back against him and even wrapped an arm around Dean's torso to steady him as he let the spray of freezing water pelt his arm. Cas kept a steady grip on Dean's arm even as it jerked ever so often, it remained red but the cool water finally began having the desired affect as the skin around the mark started to cool down.
Dean's teeth was started to chatter and his hair plastered to his face, sending droplets of water careening down his into his eyes and open mouth.
"Cas, I'm freezing," He chattered, unconsciously moving back towards the angel and his body heat.
Sam cleared his throat, "I think we can take him out now."
Castiel nodded, pulling his charge out stumbling of the walk in shower. With a blink Cas's clothing was dry and neat and Dean's jeans were free from the chilled water, though he remained cold to the touch. Sam took over, wrapping a large towel around his brother and leading him back into his bedroom. The man was shivering and exhausted after the pain and only three hours of sleep after such a long drive to get to the bunker.
"Thanks Sammy," Dean mumbled, seeking refuge underneath the mound of covers of covers and the towel he had wrapped around him still.
"Yea, no problem Dean."
Sam stood there for a moment, watching Dean sleep for just a moment before he shut the door.
SPNSPNSPNSPN
It was a few hours later when Dean awoke, walking into the kitchen with more ease than he had the whole day.
"Hey Sam want to toss me a beer?" He asked, plopping down on the nearest chair.
Sam scoffed but grabbed another cold bottle from the fridge anyway and pushed it to his older brother.
"Sleep well?"
Dean took a long swig and shrugged, "After the unplanned cold shower, yeah I did. No motel can compare to my own bed thats for damn sure."
Sam sat across from his older brother, "Dean, about earlier..."
"Lets not ok?" Dean cut him off, setting down the condensation soaked bottle onto the table. "I know, I rushed into this without reading the fine print. I get that, but I'm not stopping until that evil bitch is a black smudge on the floor."
Sighing, Sam picked up his text and muttered, "Well so glad we had that talk."
The older Winchester grunted and took the other half of the peanut butter and jelly sandwich that Sam had left abandoned earlier.
Taking a large bit, he leaned back, sighing and taking a look at the un bandaged Mark.
They sat in silence for awhile, it was heavy around them choking the air with all their unspoken words.
"Cain gave me the Mark because he said I was worthy," Dean stated finally, emptying his bottle and picking at the label.
"Good for you," Sam snapped, turning another page savagely.
Dean rolled his eyes, "He gave it to me because the Mark can only be transferred to the worthy. Because I'm a killer, Sammy. Thats why I got this damn thing."
The younger Winchester finally raised his eyes to see his brother and it made his heart sink. He finally looked at Dean, saw the dark circles that had taken up residence under his eyes, he looked gaunt and exhausted. His hair had not been combed since the shower incident and stuck every which way. Sam didn't miss the fact that he was wearing a hoodie even though the bunker was always a perfect 71 degrees per Dean's specifications.
He was scared and he was ashamed.
"You're not a killer Dean," Sam replied softly.
"Yea," Dean scoffed, his tired eyes still stuck to the empty beer bottle instead of meeting his brothers. "Thats why the Father of Murder took a liking to me. Thats a real confidence booster right there."
"We're going to find a way out of this," Sam reasoned, getting desperate.
"I already told you Sam, I'm going to let my murderous reputation finally do some good," He let his hand linger over his right arm, before pulling the sleeve of the dark grey hoodie down to his wrist. "This stays until she's dead. Can't believe I'm saying this but I'd rather have Crowley down there."
"Did he say what the Mark could do to you? Any clues?" Sam asked, ignoring Dean's remarks for the time being.
Dean shrugged, "Naw, just said there would be consequences."
A whoosh of wings behind Dean nearly caused the man to jump out of his chair, rolling his eyes and slamming his hands on the table.
"Dammit Cas! Say something will ya!" He cried, obviously startled. "I swear to fuck I'll get a goddamn bell."
Castiel tilted his head and squinted angrily, "I'd like to see you try."
Dean looked taken aback, "Dude, joke. Calm the fuck down."
Castiel turned his attention to Sam, who noticed immediately how much that bothered his older brother by the clenching of his fists.
"There is a vampire nest near by," He informed, "The area needs to be cleared."
"Why don't you do it, won't it just take you blinking or some shit now a days?" Dean snapped, even though Cas wouldn't look at him.
"They have the barn warded against angels," Castiel admitted begrudgingly.
"Vampires have a place warded against angels?" Sam asked incredulously.
The angel nodded, "I found it strange as well, I figured you two could take a look. I can assist when you are inside."
Sam looked at Dean, who shrugged and stood up.
"Got nothing better to do," Dean walked past Cas, shouldering him as he did so. Castiel barely moved his jaw clenched and his eyes followed Dean out of the room.
"You know," Sam said, observing the interaction. "You guys need to talk."
"I'll meet you at the barn." Replied Castiel and with a few beats of his wings that scattered Sam's book pages, he was gone.
SPNSPNSPNSPN
The sun was barely up when they pulled up to the abandoned barn only thirty miles from the Bunker, sat in the middle of a field too far away from the tree line to provide any cover as they walked apprehensively towards the structure. Dean switched the machete he had grabbed from the trunk and Sam's hand was already gripping the demon blade, a few vials of dead mans blood already loaded into a tranquilizer gun swung over his shoulder.
Dean didn't want to admit it but his trigger finger was itching, his blood was pumping fast and the adrenaline coursed through him. He needed this, fuck he needed this.
He didn't hesitate to walk to up to the barn and grip the old iron handles.
"Dean!" Sam breathed loudly as Dean swung open the creaking barn door without so much as signaling.
Dean didn't even look at him, the blood swirling and pumping too loud in his ears for Sam to reach him.
The hunter stepped into the barn, a few stray birds escaping the dark confines of the structure as he heard Sam follow him in, though he could tell his brother was pissed.
There was four; five vamps tops. This would be a piece of cake.
Dean strode over to the first slumbering vamp and smiled as he cut through the spine with ease, severing the head before the creature could even open his eyes.
"Dean!" Sam shouted as the three others awoke at the disturbance. He saw his younger brother swing his blade as a large lumbering male launched himself at him.
Dean couldn't pulse was pounding in his ears as another came from behind, he barely needed to look as he spun to dismembering the angry vamp without a second beat.
"Dean the wards!" Cried Sam, holding his own but a deep crimson stain had bled on his tee shirt near his ribs.
The hunter glanced at the walls around them, seeing no carvings, paint or markers that would ward off the angelic host.
He heard a thud as Sam's body hit the floor hard, the last two vampires on top of him gnashing their teeth and trying to rip at his throat.
"Sam!" He cried, rushing to the aid of his brother and grabbing the fallen demon blade before plunging into the back of the vampire at Sam's feet.
"Dean the floor!"
Looking down at the hay littered floor, he moved his foot to scatter a few piece to find the red markings sprayed on to the floor.
Dean hurriedly took the knife and slammed it into the rotting wood beneath his feet. He felt the atmosphere in the barn change drastically, the air pulsing with electric energy as Cas appeared behind him, his wings spread wide and casting a shadow show on the wall behind him.
Castiel's appearance shocked the last vampire enough for Sam to kick him off and send him careening into the large wooden beam behind him. Dean was on him before Sam even had a chance to get up from the dusty floor, the angel blade pressed to the vulnerable underside of the red headed vamps neck.
"Dean stop!" Roared Cas as he pushed the blade just deep enough to cause a small trickle to flow down to the hilt.
The older Winchester felt a heavy hand grasp his shoulder and spin him around, he didn't even have a moment to say anything because when he looked at Cas his breathing stopped. Lighting from Castiel's anger flickered again in the building and instead of shadows plastered on the wall he glimpsed real feathers, heavy bone and dark black plumage dusted with deep blues near the tips.
He was so distracted he didn't see Castiel's fist before it crashed into his face.
AN: Ugh I SUCK at fight scenes. But I get an A for effort right? Hope you all like this and appreciate that I have been studying the lore behind the Mark of Cain for this fic haha
Also I am a sucker for brotherly bonding and the whole Sam/Cas friendship arc. Cuz they are friends too and I love how they have developed more this season.