The werewolf incident had shaken all of them. They were more cautious on hunts and always at least went in pairs. With Faith to worry about, they were all more concerned about their safety than they ever had been before. Even with the nephilim being able to heal them, they didn't want her to use her powers more than necessary at this age.

Over the three weeks after Dean got back from the hospital they had worked a few small cases that never required more than two of them to leave. A call from a friend in South Carolina changed that.

"Okay, thanks. We'll be there as soon as we can." Sam closed his phone and looked at Dean and Cas. They were sitting on the floor with Faith. "Looks like there's a job in Charleston, South Carolina." Sam pulled his laptop over and opened it.

"What's going on?" Dean asked as he stood and moved over closer to Sam.

"Well," Sam was typing into the search bar, "Tom says that there is a local ghost story about one of the churches." He entered in his search and clicked on a few pages. When he found the right page, he read from it. "The Edisto Island Presbyterian Church."

Dean leaned over Sam's shoulder. "So, what's so bad about this church?"

"Uh," Sam scrolled down the page, "well, it's not the church exactly. It's the cemetery behind the church. I guess back in the mid-nineteenth century a local girl was presumed dead and laid in the family mausoleum. Around a decade later, the girl's brother died and when they opened the mausoleum they found her skeleton against the door and bloody scratches on the marble door."

Dean cringed. "Ew, buried alive? That would definitely breed some kind of haunting."

"Yeah, I guess after they locked the son's body in there, they found the sealed marble door open a few days later. After several attempts of sealing the door, it was found in pieces on the ground where it remains today."

"Okay, so what's going on that needs our attention?"

Sam turned away from the screen. "Tom said that over the past few weeks a couple people have been attacked out in the mausoleum. Some of the locals are starting to really freak out."

Dean nodded and glanced at Cas and Faith. "Who's going on this one?"

"I don't know, Dean." Dean turned back to face his brother. "I think we should have all hands on deck for this one."

"Why?"

Sam shrugged. "Because we don't know exactly what we'll be up against. It could be just a ghost or it could be something a lot worse. We should be ready for anything."

"What are we gonna do with Faith?" He looked back to his daughter. "We can't keep calling on Jody."

"We could leave her with Tom in Charleston."

Dean scoffed. "He couldn't handle it if something came for her."

"He's not a hunter, no, but he knows a lot. We can warn him and put sigils on his house. He'll be okay."

Dean really didn't like the way that sounded, but he didn't have a better idea. He nodded reluctantly. "Alright, fine."

They packed up and left that afternoon. A day and a half later they pulled up to Tom's house in Charleston.

"I still don't like this, Sam." Dean was carrying Faith as they walked up to the front door.

"I know, but we don't have a choice."

"She's due for some sleep anyway," Cas was behind Dean as they walked, "she could sleep for most of the time."

Dean doubted it, but he kept quiet. Sam knocked on the door. It opened to reveal a smiling middle aged man. Tom pushed the door open wide for them as he greeted them.

"Thanks for getting here so fast." He shut the door when they were all inside. He pointed to Faith. "Who's this?"

Dean shifted Faith a little to face Tom. "This is Faith," he cleared his throat, "uh, my daughter."

Tom raised his eyebrows. "Daughter?"

Dean could tell he had a lot of questions. "Yes, and that's all you need to know. She's gonna be staying with you while we work this out."

"Why couldn't her mom take her, and who is that by the way?"

Dean glanced at Cas briefly. "It's complicated. She needs to be watched and she'll be safest with you."

Tom still looked confused, but he nodded. "Okay. I raised a couple girls a while back I think I can handle it."

"Right, well," Dean set Faith on the floor and handed her her tiger when Cas held it out, "it won't be that simple. A lot of things would be after her if they knew she was here."

When Tom's eyes widened and he opened his mouth to talk, Sam cut in. "But, we're gonna make sure you're as safe as possible."

"How?"

The three of them painted the angel proofing and binding sigils on Tom's walls, along with devil's traps and hex bags. Nothing from Heaven or Hell could get in now. Tom still had a lot of questions but they were silenced with their warning that the less he knew the better.

Before they left, Tom filled them in on what he knew about the deaths. "The whole ghost story is a local legend. When I lived down there, everyone knew about it. Every Halloween, that was the big dare or challenge for the kids: to spend the night in that cemetery or worse in the mausoleum. I never did, but I had friends that tried." He shook his head. "The kid that died last week was found locked in the mausoleum, a bloody mess."

"Found by who?" Sam asked.

"The pastor of the church, Father Liam. He's who you'll want to talk to."

"How did the boy get locked in? I thought the door was left off in pieces."

He shook his head. "A couple years ago, they attached another one. It never stays closed, but it's still attached."

They had the information they needed, so they decided to head out. They all took their turns saying goodbye to Faith. Sam crouched to ruffle her hair and give her a short hug. Dean picked her up and squeezed her tight, whispering promises of a quick return. Cas took her from Dean and held her close. She seemed to then catch on that they were all leaving and she didn't like it.

Cas handed her to Tom. She held on tightly to his finger, whining in protest. "It's okay." Cas tried to pull away the strong hand, to no effect. "We'll be back soon." Faith let go reluctantly, a pout stuck on her face.

"We'll call you if something happens." Dean nodded to Tom.

Sam walked out to the car, with Dean close behind. Cas was following out the door when Faith's voice stopped him. She was reaching out towards them, tears in her eyes, and let out a small cry in Enochian.

Cas's heart clenched at the baby's voice and he was frozen in the doorway. She repeated the word and Cas almost dropped everything right there and walked back in. Dean snapped him out of his trance with a heavy hand on his shoulder.

"Cas, what is it?" Faith repeated the word, louder this time, while looking at Dean. Dean looked up and then back to Cas. He didn't know what she had said, but by the look on Cas's face, the fallen angel did. "Come on, we need to go." He pulled Cas out and closed the door with a final wave to Tom and Faith.

Sam was waiting in the Impala as Dean and Cas made their way over at a slow pace. Dean kept a hand on Cas's arm as they walked. He had a feeling he would run if he didn't. "Cas, that was Enochian wasn't it?" Cas nodded. "What did she say?"

Watery eyes turned to Dean. "Poppa."

Emotion made Dean's chest tighten. He understood now. Cas had basically heard Faith begging for her poppas to stay. He put an arm around Cas's shoulders in an attempt to comfort him.

They were all quiet for the hour drive to Edisto Island. Dean parked the Impala in the small church's parking lot in the shade from the afternoon sun. There were no other cars in the lot and no houses within a mile. Dense forest stretched out behind the cemetery and across the street.

"You think this guy will even be here right now?" Dean closed the squeaking door of his car while he looked around.

"He's the pastor, right?" Sam walked around the front of the Impala. "He probably lives in or near the church." They started for the church doors. "What exactly are we gonna say to him?"

Dean shrugged. "We'll figure it out." The brothers ascended the front steps of the church. Dean looked back. Cas had been oddly quiet. He was standing at the bottom of the stairs with a strange look on his face. "Cas, what's wrong?"

Cas really didn't like this place. He had a bad feeling before he could even see the church. Now that he was standing in front of it, it was so much worse. There was something evil here, but he couldn't pinpoint it before Dean's voice brought him back. He looked at his husband. "Nothing, I'm fine." He hurried up the steps to follow them into the church.

Luckily, a priest was walking along the front row of pews. He looked to be in his early 30s with short light brown hair. He saw them walk in and turned to face them as they walked up the aisle. "Can I help you?"

"Yes," Sam said, "are you Father Liam?"

The man nodded slowly. "I am. What can I do for you?"

Dean stepped up beside Sam. "Well, we were thinking about moving here and we just wanted to check out the local church and neighborhood, you know?"

The younger man narrowed his eyes slightly. "No you're not. You're lying."

"What?"

"I've been a priest long enough, heard enough fake confessions and lies to know when someone is lying to me." He smiled at their surprised faces. "You want to try that again?"

Dean put his hands up in surrender. "Okay, truthfully, we want to ask you about the boy you found in the mausoleum."

Father Liam's face hardened quickly. "Get out." His voice was harsh and angry.

"Father…" Sam hoped to calm the suddenly upset man.

"No," he raised a finger to the three of them, "if you just want to hear a ghost story, go rent a movie."

"It's not like that."

"I've had dozens of people bothering me for my 'story' ever since that awful night and I'm done. Leave."

"Okay," Sam's voice softened, "we're sorry, but we need your help."

"For what?"

"If you tell us what happened, what you saw, we can stop this. That's why we're here."

He still looked skeptical, but he could tell they weren't lying. "You don't have any idea what you're facing."

"Why don't you tell us what we are facing then?" Dean could see the fear in the priest's eyes.

He shook his head. "I don't know what it…I've never seen something like that before."

Sam moved closer to Father Liam. "Why don't you just tell us everything that happened that night?"

He nodded and moved to sit in the pew beside him. They all followed suit, sitting in the row behind him. He took a deep breath. "I was born here, grew up here. I've known the story of the poor girl that was buried alive in that mausoleum my whole life." He looked out the window where the tomb was looming like a dark shadow. "I assume you know the story?" They nodded. "Well, people have heard and claimed to see lots of things, but nothing more violent than the door swinging open has ever happened. At least, not until just recently."

"How recent?" Sam asked.

"A few months."

"And how long has that new door been there?"

"Four months." He was silent a moment as he made that connection. "Anyway, I've had enough teenagers trespassing at night and try to get in the church or the mausoleum that I've been on constant watch to chase them off. Most nights I hear the screaming coming from the cemetery and I've gotten used to it, but that night…something was different.

"It was late, maybe two or three AM, and I heard the door slam. I was the only one here and I immediately got up to see what was going on. I expected a group of kids to be out there, but I didn't see anyone. I did notice the closed door though and I ran outside to check the grounds. Everything was normal and I was about to go back inside when a shout came from the mausoleum. I ran over and tried to open the door, but it's impossible to open alone. It takes a few fully grown men to move that door. I couldn't do anything to help. I heard a couple voices inside. One was the boy screaming and the other I believe to be the ghost of the girl."

When he stopped, Dean leaned forward. "Did they say anything or does anything stick out in your mind?"

Something flashed in his eyes for a brief moment before he looked down and shook his head. "Hearing a child dying isn't strange enough?"

"What did you do when you heard what was going on?"

"I ran to get help. By the time I came back, it was quiet. What I saw inside still wakes me up at night."

"Is there anything else you can tell us about it?"

He bit his lip and shook his head. "Only that, if I didn't know it was impossible, I would think an animal had ripped that boy apart. I can't imagine what did this."

"Father," Sam shifted in the pew, "you said earlier that more violent things had started happening recently. Has something this bad happened?"

He hesitated before looking up to Sam. "Nothing to this degree, but some tourists have come out of the crypt with scratches or feelings of being shoved. No one has ever been trapped or hurt like this though."

"Do you ever get nervous living here, so close to something like that?"

He shook his head and spoke with more conviction than he had yet, "No, I always feel safe in God's house."

Cas snorted lightly, making all eyes turn to him. "Hallowed ground might protect you from some low-level evil, Father, but it is hardly the safest place."

Father Liam sat up straighter. "God will protect me. Do not insult this place."

"Believe me, Father," Cas looked up with a bitter expression, "God hardly cares about one priest in a small church like this. You need to protect yourself if you want to truly feel safe. He won't be the one to save you."

Before anyone could respond, Cas stood and left the building. Father Liam looked sympathetically to Dean. "I take it he's not much of a believer?"

Dean laughed softly. "He knows too much, that's all. Excuse me." He patted Sam's shoulder as he stood. He knew Sam would smooth things over with the priest and help him take proper precautions against whatever it was that was hurting people.

The humid air greeted him as he descended the front steps. He looked around for Cas. It didn't take long to locate him near the mausoleum with a dark frown on his face. His steps crunched under the dry ground as he walked closer. He stopped a few feet away from him. "What was that all about?"

Cas shook his head quickly, his face souring. "Nothing. I was just telling him the truth."

"Yeah," Dean leaned against the stone structure and faced Cas, "but you didn't have to be so blunt about it."

Cas closed his eyes. "I'm sorry. It's this place. I just feel sick. I have since we pulled onto this street." He turned to Dean. "Dean, what did your note say?"

"What?"

"The notes we got when we got Faith. What did yours say? Sam and I didn't read it. What made you run like you did?"

Dean had almost forgotten about that. He shrugged. "Don't worry about it, Cas. I'm more concerned about you." He reached a hand out and brushed Cas's cheek. He looked a little pale. "You said you feel sick?"

Cas nodded. "I don't know if it's this place or whatever is here, but I can feel the evil."

"That happen a lot?"

"No, just with some of the really bad stuff. Whatever is here is very evil, Dean." He looked back to the church. "And I know that man is hiding something."

"What? Why would you say that?"

"I don't know if it's some kind of leftovers from being an angel or what, but I can usually judge others easily and if they're lying or hiding something. Much like he claims to be able to do."

Sam appeared out of the door and headed towards them. "So, Father Liam said that he would help us with whatever we needed and that we could look around for a while."

"Awesome." Dean pushed off the mausoleum. "Why not start here?" He pointed inside.

"You two go ahead," Cas stepped away, "I'm gonna talk to him again real quick."

"Cas," Dean stopped him as he turned away, "be nice."

Cas nodded and continued back into the church. Father Liam was straightening the books in the front pews as Cas made his way up the aisle. "Father," the man took a defensive stance as Cas got closer, "I'm sorry about how I spoke to you earlier. I haven't been feeling the best." The priest relaxed slightly and nodded. "But, I know that you're hiding something, something important."

"I don't know what you're talking about." The man turned away from Cas. "I told you what happened."

Cas walked around to look him in the eye. "Not everything. See, just like you, I know when someone is lying to me."

"Look, I told your friend that I would help you and I have."

"You don't trust us, is that it?"

"I don't know you, but that's not it." He turned away again and let out a sigh. "Your friend, Sam, said that you hunt monsters."

"Yes."

"Have you ever seen something or heard something that shakes you to the core or your soul? Something so awful that it haunts you?"

Cas smiled sadly. "We hunt monsters, Father. What do you think?" He moved a little closer to the other man. "What happened that you didn't tell us? It could be helpful."

He let out a shaky breath. His voice was quiet when he spoke, "That night, I didn't just hear the boy's screams. There was something else."

"The girl who died there, you said."

"Yes, but not just that. That was horrible enough. She was screaming with the boy, as if she felt his pain, or sympathized with him. What I didn't tell you was: I heard another voice that night." He ran a hand over his face. "The boy was screaming, begging for his life, but then it stopped and he laughed."

"Laughed?"

"Like I'd never heard before. That's when the girl really cried. This laughter was twisted, evil, like it was celebrating the pain it was causing."

"You think it came from the boy?"

"It was his voice, for the most part, and the screaming stopped when the laughter started. That's the reason I couldn't save him. I could have gotten help a lot sooner but I couldn't move. I was frozen in fear at the sound of this horrible laughter." He was shaking and close to tears. "I've never heard anything like that and I never want to again."

Cas nodded. He had a better idea of what they could be dealing with now. "Is that everything?"

He shook his head. "The boy's funeral has already happened, but I visited the morgue beforehand. The coroner told me that," he turned to look at Cas, "they found pieces of his fingernails embedded inside him, his bones, organs, and brain. The only DNA under his nails was his own."

"He did it to himself? I thought you said there was no way a human could have injured him the way he was found."

"I didn't think it was. They said he must have gone insane temporarily, or been so terrified that he lost control."

"What do you think?"

"I don't know. All I know is that it was physically impossible for another human to be in that room with him and not been seen when we opened the door."

Cas nodded and smiled. "Thank you. That helps. If you think of anything else, please tell us."

"I will." Cas turned to walk back outside. "Wait, do you have a guess of what this is? A ghost or something else?"

Cas faced the holy man and shrugged. "A spirit possibly. More likely a demon."

Father Liam started shaking. "A demon?"

"Yes."

"Am I safe here?" He looked around quickly.

"As safe as you would be anywhere." Cas pulled an amulet out of his pocket. "Here," he handed it to the other man, "this will prevent possession." The priest slipped the necklace on. "If you really want to feel safe, put a line of salt at the doors and windows." He furrowed his brows. "I know how it sounds, but trust me. They can't cross salt lines."

Cas nodded and made to leave again. "One more thing." Cas stopped. "Why do you speak so bitterly about God?"

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you. You have faith and believe, Father. I'm afraid I lost those things a while back. Now I know, which is a lot different. Believe what you must, if it helps you."

Dean and Sam were looking through the mausoleum outside and coming up with little. EMF readings were a little high, but they expected that with the girl's spirit known for haunting the place.

"So what, you think the girl is a part of this?" Sam asked as he brushed webs off the wall in front of him.

Dean shook his head. "No, if the violent stuff is just starting now, it's probably not her. I mean, why be mostly quiet for 150 years then suddenly start ripping people up?"

"I guess." Sam caught sight of Cas coming back and stepped out of the stone building. "Hey, find out anything?"

Cas nodded and stood at the doorway. "I think the boy was possessed. The priest heard it laughing and all of his injuries were self-inflicted."

"Wow." Dean glanced along the wall and felt his heart drop at a familiar sight. "Guys." He swiped a finger in the yellow substance and showed them. "Sulfur. I'd say the demon theory is right on."

They spent a little more time scoping out the cemetery before stopping at a local restaurant for lunch. They knew what they were after now, but none of them knew what to do now.

"If it was possessing the kid, where is it now? Why is it doing this here?"

Sam looked at Dean. "I don't know. Maybe it thought the girl's ghost would take the blame and it could keep killing."

"You think it's possessing somebody in town?"

"Maybe, want to stay close or something?"

"What are we going to do while we figure everything out? Someone else could be killed while we sit around." Cas doubted the demon would stop at one dead kid.

"Yeah," Dean looked around the small diner, "even though it's a small town, knocking on every door and saying 'Christo' hardly seems practical."

"Maybe we should just wait by the mausoleum tonight and see if it shows." Sam hated using others as bait, even when it wasn't intentional, but he didn't see another option.

After some arguing, Cas was left on watch at the church while Sam and Dean went to talk to the dead boy's family for any clues about who the demon could be possessing. Cas had told Father Liam about what he was doing in case something were to happen. He was also ready to call Sam and Dean if anything happened.

Cas was sitting on the church steps as the sun set. He had seen only a couple cars drive past in the last hour. When the sky was black in night, Cas got a text from Dean telling him that they may have a lead and they were going to check it out. Cas sighed and put his phone back in his jacket.

The night so far had been uneventful and boring. A small noise to his left made him sit up straighter. It sounded like a light footstep. He stood and squinted toward the trees in the distance. Nothing caught his eye but another crunching sound behind him startled him into flipping around, shotgun raised. There was nothing.

He saw a glimpse of a shadow near the mausoleum that sent a cold chill down his spine. He raised his shotgun again and walked over while holding his breath. A little voice in his head told him to call Dean, but it could've been nothing right?

As he neared the open door, Cas felt his heart racing. He quickly rounded the door, finding the tomb dark and empty. He relaxed and lowered his gun. It must have just been his eyes playing tricks.

With a relieved sigh, he turned back to the church and suddenly felt himself being pushed back off his feet. His shotgun fell out of his hands and he landed on the concrete floor of the mausoleum with a hard thud. Before the pain could fully register, the large marble door swung shut with a ground shaking slam.

Cas's vision was plunged into complete darkness as the locked creaked shut outside. Terror shot through Cas and he scrambled up to push against the door. He knew it was futile, but he had to try. He pushed with everything he had, running at the door and smacking it in frustration.

He fished blindly in his pockets for his phone. When he finally found it, he could feel the cracks in the screen and all his hope fading as it refused to turn on. He pressed close to the door and screamed with all he had, "FATHER LIAM! HELP! ANYBODY!"

He screamed in vain for at least half an hour before giving up and sitting on the floor. His eyes had adjusted a little to the pitch black surroundings, which didn't help the fear pounding in his chest. Father Liam would check on his status soon anyway and then he could get help. It would be fine.

Cas truly believed that until the screaming began and the small form materialized out of one of the graves. She screamed and cried with the same intense horror that was beginning to pulse through him again. He squeezed his eyes tight, refusing to add a terrorizing sight to the heart-wrenching sounds echoing off the concrete walls. He curled into himself and prayed that Dean would get here before the demon joined the girl in making his night a living Hell.

He knew this would happen when the door was locked shut, but he had hoped he would have been removed before. The ghost of the small girl was shuffling across the cold stone floor a few feet away from Cas. He kept his eyes shut, not needing to see what he was trapped with.

A shrill cry made Cas jump. He didn't have his shotgun anymore, he didn't have salt or a lighter on him, his phone was broken, and he had no desire to turn on the flashlight in his pocket. He was trapped and helpless.

When the scratching started on the door, Cas felt a change in the air. He was suddenly overwhelmed with the despair and hopelessness of his situation. The girl's cries and sobs sent a fresh wave of sadness through him. She was making him feel her pain and death.

Since becoming human, Cas had been faced with his own mortality more than once but he never thought he had to worry about being trapped or buried alive. He was experiencing a phobia he never knew he had, until now as he felt every agonizing second of this girl's death. This girl who must have felt abandoned and forgotten by her family.

Thinking of the girl's parents opening the tomb to find their daughter that way made him feel sicker. The guilt and horror they had to have gone through. He couldn't imagine if something like that happened to him.

A sob escaped his lips as he turned away from the door and stood, running his hand along the dusty wall for guidance. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." He dared to open his eyes now, finding only darkness when he did. "If I could help you, I would."

The temperature had dropped already with the ghost's appearance but it suddenly dropped lower. Cas knew he would see his breath if he could see in the dark. The demon was in the mausoleum, not physically but in some form. It couldn't possess Cas, but it didn't let that stop him from tormenting the man.

Cas's head collided with the stone wall to his right as the demon knocked him over. Taunting words and laughs filled his head while the girl screamed at the door.

'Useless, worthless, trapped little human.'

Cas's hands came up to cover his ears. The voice only laughed.

'You're going to die. You hope and pray for your friends to save you, but the truth is: they never will.'

Cas growled in frustration. "SHUT UP!"

'You said it yourself. You need to save yourself. Can you, angel? Because, no one is coming for you.'

The girl screamed again, scratches intensifying at the door. Cas closed his eyes tight, tears falling down his cheeks.

'You've failed, again. Just like you always do. They'll find you a lifeless pile and trust me, they won't care.'

He fell to his knees, hands gripping his head tightly. It was just like the time he had been possessed, but now he couldn't fight him for control because he was outside him. With every laugh and word, an overwhelming feeling to throw his head into the wall to stop the words grew.

'You really think anyone will find you?'

"Stop." Cas dropped his head, tears falling freely now.

'You're gonna die, and I won't even have to force you to kill yourself. Will I?'

"Stop." Cas fell forward, touching his head to the floor, crying silently as the demon laughed and the ghost sobbed and screamed. He was beginning to believe what the demon said. He didn't know how long he had been trapped here, but somebody should have noticed his absence or heard the shouts from the multiple sources in the cemetery.

Loud banging on the door made Cas curl into himself more, thinking it was the demon. When he heard Dean's voice, hope flared up inside him again.

"CAS!" Dean shouted frantically and the lock rattled violently.

"Dean?" Cas sat up. He finally saw the girl clearly. She was kneeling similar to him against the door, hands raised up over the door. Her pink dress glowed in the darkness and her shoulders shook as she cried, head resting against the door in defeat.

Cas stood and pressed against the door, keeping his distance from the mourning girl. Dean's voice carried through the thick walls. "Cas, hold on! Sam, Liam, and I are here. We're gonna try and open the door."

"Dean," Cas heard them fighting the lock before Dean just fired off his gun, "the demon's here."

"What?"

The lock fell away with a rattle. "It's in here." His voice was shaking. The urge to scream and claw at the walls like the girl beside him was growing stronger every second. "I can't do anything, Dean. I can't." His voice rose in panic.

"Hold on, Cas. We'll get him." It was quiet a moment until the door creaked softly. Cas thought maybe it would really be that simple, but hope was crushed again as the door fell back the small distance they had managed to move it. "DAMMIT!"

The demon laughed cruelly. Cas pushed his hands on the door and rested his forehead against the hard surface. "Dean, I don't care what you have to do. You get me out of here." He was surprised at how calm the words sounded in contrast to the wild panic coursing through him.

"We will." He heard faint muffles as the three men talked amongst themselves.

A piercing grip on his shoulder made Cas cry out in pain before he was thrown across the small room, hitting the far wall hard. The demon laughed as Cas cried out again.

"Cas?!" Dean sounded as panicked as Cas felt. "What's going on?"

"The demon!" He shouted again as he suddenly felt like claws were tearing apart his insides. "He doesn't need to possess anyone, Dean! He's trying to kill me!"

"The exorcism, Cas. You know tons of them, come on!" He heard the soft thud of Dean's fist on the door.

He wanted to slap himself for not thinking of it sooner. He started the Enochian exorcism he had known for his whole existence. The demon fled before he could finish it. The relief was immediate.

Shouting from outside made him rush back to the door. "What's going on?"

The black cloud seeped out of the cracks of the marble door. Dean grabbed Sam's sleeve and pointed up. "Follow it."

"What?"

"Follow it!" He shoved his brother for emphasis. "When it lands to possess someone, kill it!"

Sam wanted to tell his brother how ridiculous it was to chase a demon on foot, but the look in his eyes silenced any argument. All he could do was nod and run after the dark cloud.

"Will that really work? How do you kill a demon?" Father Liam was still reeling from all the new information and experiences he had had tonight.

"Yes, it'll work." He didn't bother answering the other question. He was more worried about Cas, who had gone quiet. "Cas, you okay?"

After a short silence, a clearly shaken Cas answered, "I've been better."

"If that thing comes back, just keep up with the exorcisms. I'll get this damn door open if it kills me." He had gotten the lock off, but the door was going to be much harder.

"Dean, even if we somehow kill the demon, how will we get the door open? If the three of us couldn't do it?"

"The demon was holding it shut like that. When it's gone, we can get the door open." Dean's phone started ringing in his pocket. "Yeah?"

"Dean," Sam was out of breath, "it's just circling. It's coming right back to you."

"Keep on it, Sam." Dean put the phone back in his jacket. "Cas, it's coming back. Get ready."

Sam came running back a brief moment before the cloud engulfed the mausoleum, knocking the three of them back. A couple moments later, it came rushing back out. Sam took off after it again as it drifted through the sky.

Dean shook his head. "This isn't gonna work for much longer. It's gonna get pissed."

"What should we do?" The priest wasn't used to dealing with anything this intense. He wished he could just go back to bed.

"Cas, do you have anything you could fight with in there?"

"All I have is a flashlight. My shotgun flew out of my hands when it tossed me in here."

Dean nodded. "Okay, hold on." He ran back to the car and pulled out The Colt. He came back as the demon flooded the mausoleum again. "Sam," his brother was just in sight as he caught his breath, "you got the knife?" He got a nod. "We're done with the games. See if you can force it to possess someone."

Before Sam could protest, the demon rushed out and down the street. Dean checked the gun and then heard a pained noise from Cas. "Cas? You okay?"

"It's angry, Dean." He sounded bad. "It's throwing stones and anything loose in here at me."

"I'm sorry. Just hold on."

"Dean?" Liam was starting to doubt the man beside him. "You said for Sam to try and force possession and to kill the demon. How would he do that?"

"This gun." Dean held up The Colt. "And the knife Sam has can kill demons, but only if they're in a human body."

"Won't that kill the person too?"

"I'm done messing around. This bastard dies tonight."

"You're going to kill an innocent person?!"

"You're fucking right I will!" Dean turned to the other man, shouting into his face. "If they threaten that man," he pointed to the door, "I have no problem killing to protect him."

"You care a lot for your friends don't you?"

"He's not just a friend. He's my family, my husband." Dean tired to calm his voice, not wanting to lose the priest's help. "There aren't many people aside from him that I care about at all."

"You would really kill others for him?"

"Yes, and I would die for him." Dean touched the door, knowing Cas had to be just on the other side, probably hearing everything he said.

Father Liam looked at the man beside him in a new light. He had seen a lot of different people in his life, good and bad, but he had never once seen someone that truly devoted to another person. In all the marriages he had performed, no one seemed so willing to sacrifice everything for their spouse like this man. He stepped back and made a decision he would never regret.

"DEAN!" Sam yelled up the road as the cloud returned. It filled the small stone room. A few moments later, the cloud once again escaped. But this time it stopped above them. Dean raised his gun and backed up, not knowing what to expect. Pained cries from Cas and the girl's ghost echoed through the door.

Then suddenly, the cloud snapped to the left and rushed toward Father Liam. Dean looked in time to see the priest drop the amulet Cas had given him to the grass. "NO!" Sam pulled out the knife and moved to stand next to Dean.

The demon filled the holy man quickly, laughing in sheer pleasure. Cas knocked on the door from inside. "Dean, what's happening?"

The demon laughed loudly. "You still want to kill me, Dean?"

Sam started an exorcism, but Dean fired before the demon could flee again. The shocked face of Father Liam as he crumpled to the ground was one that Dean would see in his dreams for months.

The pounding on the door quickened. "Dean!"

Dean crouched beside the still body in the grass. He was still alive. "What the hell were you thinking?"

The priest laughed softly. "I would rather it was me than some kid in town."

"Liam…"

"No, Dean, it's okay. I'm not afraid of death. I'm happy to have done what I could for you and that man you care about so much." He choked as blood filled his mouth. "It's okay. Thank you for letting me see something so beautiful before I…" His voice faded as his life slipped away.

Dean closed the man's eyes before standing. The frantic pounding from the door next to him jostled him awake. Cas was still trapped in there. He and Sam pulled the door and told Cas to push. Eventually, they got it open.

Cas stumbled out of the place that had been a prison for a good hour and a half, although to him it felt like days. He fell to his knees in the grass. He saw the dead priest and the gun in Dean's hand. He could guess what had happened. Dean was saying something, touching him, but Cas could barely register anything. He felt his body being lifted and embraced, but he still felt numb from what had happened.

Cas didn't hear the tortured cries of the young girl anymore, but the feeling she had given him would never fade. His arms wrapped around Dean half-heartedly, warmth slowly spreading though him again. He buried his face in Dean's neck and squeezed, wanting more of that warmth.

"Guys." Sam spoke quietly. "Should we put her to rest too?" He pointed inside the mausoleum.

Cas pulled away from Dean. "Yes. She deserves to. She's hardly more than a death echo, forever reliving her death."

Sam nodded knowingly and entered the tomb. The bones were burned and the Winchesters left Edisto Island, hopefully never to return. They made an anonymous call to 911 about Father Liam when they got close to Charleston. Dean called Tom as they drove.

Tom was waiting at the door as they pulled into the driveway. He waved to them, "That didn't take too long." He frowned at the blood and bruises forming on Cas's face. "You guys okay?"

"Everything's taken care of, yeah." Dean gave Cas's shoulder a pat as he passed him quickly. "You have any problems?"

Tom stepped aside to let Cas through the door. "No. Faith fussed a little when you first left, but she's been sleeping most of the day."

"Good." Dean peaked in the door to see Cas scoop up the baby and hold her tight to his chest. Dean looked back to Tom. "Thank you for watching her."

"No problem. It's the least I could do after what you did."

"Well, could we squeeze another favor out of you then?" Tom nodded. "None of us have slept since you called and I think we could all do with a few hours before heading back."

"Of course. You can stay here."

"Dean," Sam grabbed his arm, "do you think that's a good idea, considering what happened?" He was referring to Father Liam, who was probably being carted off to the morgue by now. It wouldn't be long before the police starting searching for the shooter.

"We'll be fine, Sam. I'm only talking about four or so hours to sleep." Sam's face spoke of his disapproval. "Relax, Sam. It'll be fine."

Sam shook his head and headed into Tom's house, waving at Faith as he passed Cas. Dean followed Sam in with Tom right behind and walked up to Cas. He put a hand on his husband's shoulder. "We're gonna get some sleep here and leave right before dawn. You should go rest." He touched Cas's hair lightly.

"No." Cas shook his head. "There's no way I'll sleep tonight, Dean. You go." He was still holding Faith, keeping her as close to him as possible. "I can just stay up with Faith."

"Cas…"

"Go." Cas didn't want Dean to leave, but he didn't want his to ask questions either. All he wanted right now was to hold his daughter and know she was safe.

Dean could see the wall coming up in Cas's eyes and he knew he wouldn't get anywhere with him with words. He leaned forward and kissed Faith's cheek before heading down the hall to the spare room he would sleep in.

After an hour of not falling asleep, Dean got up to check on Cas. He found him in the living room with Faith on his lap. He had cleaned the cuts on his face and hands, but the bruises were darker.

"Can't sleep?" Dean moved to stand behind the couch they were sitting on.

"No." Cas brushed his fingers through Faith's hair.

"Yeah, me neither." He picked Faith up from Cas and set her on the floor by her tiger. "Come here." He took Cas's hand and pulled him to a standing position. He went willingly as Dean tugged on his hand. They met in a kiss.

The leftover emptiness and grief he had swimming inside him was buried slightly as Dean wrapped his arms around him, deepening the kiss quickly. Cas responded eagerly, bringing his hands up to pull Dean's head closer and licking his way into his mouth. When the warmth kept spreading pleasantly through him, Cas moved until Dean's back hit the wall.

Dean moaned as Cas pressed into him harder. They broke apart for air, resting their foreheads together. "Cas." Dean ran a thumb over the dark bruise on his cheek.

Cas leaned forward and kissed Dean hard enough to press his head into the wall. His hips thrusted against Dean slowly, making the other man moan softly.

"Cas," Dean pulled his head back a little, "Faith." He looked down at the smiling girl on the floor. They both laughed lightly. "How about we drop her off with Sam?"

They stepped apart and away from the wall. "Grab your keys while you're at it." Dean gave him a confused look. Cas smiled and looked out the window to the Impala then back to Dean.

"Oh," Dean felt his heart beating faster, "really?" Cas nodded. Dean smiled and picked up Faith. He left her in Sam's room with quiet instructions to let her uncle sleep. He grabbed his keys as he practically ran back to the living room. Cas was waiting by the door. Dean rushed to him and pushed him to the door with another hard kiss.

Cas let out a surprised groan and curled his arms around Dean's back. They stayed there for a minute, just enjoying the feeling before Cas pushed Dean back gently. "Let's go."

Dean frowned and pushed forward to nip at Cas's neck. "What if I wanted you right here against this door?"

"Dean," Cas huffed out a laugh, "we really don't need to wake everyone up."

"I could be quiet." His lips moved up to Cas's jaw.

"It's not you I'm worried about."

Dean smiled and whispered close to Cas's ear, "Is that so?"

Cas hummed a yes and grabbed Dean's arms to push him back. "Let's go now before I decide not to care about waking them up."

He didn't need to be asked again. Dean took Cas's wrist and dragged him out the door and to the car. Since Tom lived outside of town, it didn't take long for Dean to find a side road into some trees. He drove off the road and parked her. Cas exited the car as soon as he turned the key.

Dean barely closed his door before the other man had him pressed into the vehicle, hands tugging insistently on his jacket and lips crushing into his. Cas pulled the clothing down Dean's arms with a couple rough tugs and laid it on top of the car. He wasted no time in pushing Dean's shirt up to his armpits, dragging nails over the sensitive skin.

"Cas." Dean moaned and threw his head back as the other man sucked bruises on his neck and ran his hands over his exposed chest. He relaxed back against his car and let Cas do whatever he wanted. He held Cas's belt loosely and closed his eyes in pleasure as Cas circled his nipples with his thumbs.

Cas kissed Dean as his fingers worked. He smiled as Dean arched into him and sighed. Snaking a hand down farther, Cas palmed the front of Dean's jeans, getting a surprised yelp and thrust from Dean.

"God, Cas." Dean couldn't stop his hips pushing forward into that warm hand if he had wanted to. Cas was not messing around tonight. His hands weaved through Cas's messy hair and pulled his face up sharply for a hard kiss. Cas squeezed his hand, making Dean's knees give slightly, thankfully he was pressed too hard into the Impala to fall.

"Get in the car." Cas all but growled at Dean. He reached behind him and opened the back door.

Dean's brain was taking too long to respond to the words so Cas shoved him hard enough to knock him into a sitting position in the backseat. Cas was hardly ever this forward and eager and Dean could feel his pants getting tighter at the treatment from his husband. He put his hands on the seat and inched back slowly, Cas's nod and look of approval making him smile.

When Dean was just far enough back to allow Cas in, Cas ducked and crawled over the other man quickly. The door remained open as he pressed down and kissed Dean again, arms coming up to curl around his head, fingers grabbing chunks of hair and tugging.

Dean slipped his hands under Cas's shirt to feel the tight muscles of his back rolling as he moved over Dean. He curled his fingers to scrape the nails between Cas's shoulder blades in a way that always made the other man arch forward and moan loudly. "Dean."

Lips met and hips grinded together while both men explored each other. Dean wrapped his legs around Cas's waist, wanting even more contact, and lifted his hips to brush Cas harder.

"Dean," Cas pushed back against him a couple times. Dean captured his lips again and dragged his nails over Cas's back. Cas used his hands to put some distance between them. "Dean," he was trying to tell him something, "I heard you."

"What?" Dean's mind was buzzing as arousal coursed through him. What had Cas just said?

"I heard what you said to Father Liam." He caught Dean's eye, wanting him to know how serious he was. "Everything."

"Oh." Dean didn't know if this would be a good or bad thing. "Was any of it really that, uh," Dean had to stop when a hand tore open his belt and disappeared into his jeans, wrapping around his dick, "surprising, Cas?" He moaned out the last two words.

"No," there noses were touching, breath playing over Dean's lips, "I knew it already," his hand moved in slow strokes, "but hearing it is always nice." He gave Dean a short kiss before pulling back. "Especially at that moment, when I needed to hear it the most." Dean groaned and arched up when Cas circled the leaking head of his now hard dick. "I love you, Dean."

"Cas," he moaned again when his hand sped up, "ugh, you too." Dean locked an arm around Cas's neck and pulled him down for a heated, passionate kiss. He wanted Cas to be wearing a lot less clothing. "Cas," he grabbed his hair, pulling him close, "come on," the hand in his pants quickened again, "fuck me."

He laughed shortly and kissed Dean gently. "Relax, Dean." Cas pulled Dean's jeans down just below his butt and slid back and out of the car. Dean was about to sit up when Cas pulled his legs, sliding him across the seat.

His feet were on the ground outside, Cas hovering over him, and Dean's eyes were wide in shock. He didn't know what to expect. He practically screamed when Cas knelt between his legs and took his cock down quickly.

"Fuck!" Dean's hands immediately found Cas's head, holding on for dear life as his head bobbed quickly. "Dammit, Cas." He wasn't complaining. Dean loved how Cas was still surprising him with things like this. His toes were curling in his shoes as Cas sucked and licked him right up to the edge before pulling back off.

Cas kept stroking Dean as he kissed his stomach and occasionally licked a stripe up to where his shirt was askew on his chest. Dean was panting and practically vibrating under him. He moved back down to take Dean down again, going slower this time. The erection pressing his zipper was beginning to get uncomfortable, but Cas could wait a minute to get Dean fully worked up.

"Cas, please." Dean was starting to thrust his hips up into Cas's mouth. "I'm so…ugh," his hands pulled Cas's hair.

He took pity on Dean and let his dick fall from his lips. Cas moved Dean back so they were in the same position as earlier. With sounds that sounded muted next to the pounding in his ears, Cas unzipped his pants finally releasing his erection. He sighed at the feeling and stroked himself a few times.

Dean leaned up and kissed him, pushing his hand away and taking Cas in hand. Cas's moan was muffled as they kissed. They thrusted against each other, frantically chasing release. Their skin slid together perfectly, feeding the fire in their bodies.

When Cas took them both in his hand, the cry they both let out would have definitely woken someone up if they were still in the house. Their cocks moved against each other as they thrusted and stroked while kissing and moaning each other's names.

Dean had been so close from Cas's mouth he wasn't surprised when he felt his orgasm right there. All it took was a few more thrusts and whispered encouragement from Cas to throw his head back and moan Cas's name, spilling over his hand.

His whole body was shaking as the aftershocks pulsed through him. Cas stroked him through it, kissing his neck affectionately. Dean reached down to make sure Cas had the same finish.

Having just watched Dean come, it didn't take much to send Cas reeling into his own release. He bit down on Dean's shoulder and moaned as he came over Dean's chest.

They both enjoyed the warmth of the summer night and each other's arms. Neither one of them wanted to move, to drive back to their responsibilities, but they had to.

After a few minutes of laying together, they returned to the house and barely made it to the couch together before falling asleep. Sam woke them up, with Faith in his arms, a few hours later. They all left Tom's house as the sky began to lighten in dawn.

A day and a half later, they were back in Montana. After a proper night's sleep, Dean approached Cas and held out a small folded piece of paper. Cas furrowed his brows and looked at Dean.

"You wanted to know what it said, right?" Dean opened the page and held it out again. "Read it."

Cas hesitated. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah, go ahead."

He took the page and read:

Dean,

I know how you'll react when you see your baby. You'll be suspicious, you'll doubt me, once again. That's okay. Because I also know that you'll come back and you'll love and protect this child as fiercely as you did Sam. She will need that, Dean. When she fully understands what she is, she will need all of you to keep her the right balance of human and angel.

None of this will be easy, Dean. It will be hard and painful and you will have to sacrifice a lot of things in the years to come. I know how cruel it is for me to ask this of you after how much you've already sacrificed for your family, but this girl is very important. She has a future that will surpass what you and Sam had destined for you. I could have kept her and guaranteed her fulfilled destiny, but I thought it would be preferable to be left in your care. You and your brother have almost single handedly changed everything that was meant to be, and I don't know if I can say it wasn't for the better, even better than I had imagined.

I look forward to seeing how she turns out. I know she will be a force to be reckoned with, but what Winchester never lived up to that claim?

P.S. I know you wanted this, Dean. Stop lying about it to everyone else.

Cas handed the note back to Dean. "What do you think he meant by her destiny?"

Dean shook his head. "I don't know." He folded the letter up and put it in his pocket. "But, if it's bigger than me and Sam being the vessels for the apocalypse showdown, I don't want to think about it yet."

Cas nodded and thought about it himself. He didn't know what kind of plan his father had for his daughter, but now he was even more terrified for her future. But he believed that together they could handle it.