Title: Purgatory
Rated for: ? does it need a rating ?
Genre: General
Fandom/Universe: Supernatural / ?
Characters: Dean Winchester, Castiel, Balthazar, OC
Spoilers/Warning: None yet
Disclaimer: Supernatural and all related characters are copyright Eric Kripke, Kripke Enterprises & The CW Network. No infringement intended.
Status: In-Progress
3
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Balthazar ducks out to save his own ass. That hasn't changed especially not in Purgatory. He has a renewed sense of self preservation. If he could only get rid of those bouts of conscience. Maybe then Castiel's pitiful expressions wouldn't have any effect…. One can hope.
'Cas, brother…' he sighs but firmly stays out of the way. Hellhounds… a Winchester. And … Thòrnê.
"Aptly named." Still, she's been in purgatory a lot longer than he and has survived. She's made her own guard dog out of that hellhound. A scraggly mutt but sizeable. Balthazar could do without their stench.
'How can she stand it?' he makes a face and sits. High up in his perch, his weapons close at hand. It's going to be a long night.
"Let's see who's standing in the 'morning'."
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Dean keeps shoving Cas further back into the dark musty cave. He trips on the damn trench coat and smacks his knee hard.
"Sonof…gah!" Dean sucks in a breath and blinks at Cas. He's got that same soft glow of light in his hands that Balthazar had. "Took your sweet time." As in he would have appreciated some light before tripping all over the angel. He grumbles some more and hobbles further in hoping the hounds can't get in after them but it's getting to be a tight fit. It's not far before Cas stops where Thòrnê has obviously made her bed. It's nothing more than a slab of rock as flat as any can be but what marks it as hers are the small scratches she's gouged into the rock above. Dean sits, leans across and yes, it's low enough she can reach it comfortably. There's too many to count- one for each day? Dean can't see how she'd possibly know one from the next but then, Thòrnê has always had some sort of unfailing internal clock. It's not the only annoying trait he can list for her.
Cas moves off, the little bit of light goes with him and Dean's left in the semi-dark. Castiel's head tilts awkwardly to the right but then bends his knees in order to fit into the corner and comfortably study the 'painting'.
"What?" Dean shuffles closer but they both don't fit so he doesn't even try.
"Me." Cas turns a goofy grin on his face and points but Dean can barely make out anything let alone what the 'me' is. "And Bobby, Sam. Your Father… she's drawn us."
Dean frowns. Cas scoots back and holds up the light allowing Dean to get a clear look at what he's found. There's a pit in his stomach that makes Castiel uncomfortable. He'd promised Thòrnê-
"What the hell…" Dean squints and it's true. Creepy cave drawings aside, she's got them all up on the wall of the cave. There's John, expression serious and there's something about how she scratched the image in that lends his Father a slightly melancholy air. Off to the left is Bobby in his trademark truckers cap.
Dean sucks in a soft breath. They've lost so many friends in just the past three years, too many and now Bobby…
Below and to the side is Sam, a smiling goofy giant and Dean worries about him. There's just no one left to trust. All Sam has is that fucking demon Meg and Sam doesn't have the best track record being left on his own with a female demon.
Then there's the one of Cas, it's a full figure pose of the geeky angel in his trench coat and suit looking all wrathful. It's a wonder Cas didn't fidget over her depiction of him.
The one of Dean is a bit surprising. He doesn't expect to see his Baby right there in 3D and how the hell did she manage this on rock.
The light shifts and wavers drawing Dean's attention away from the images Thòrnê has kept herself company with. She's never forgotten her promise to John; she tried to help them and got royally screwed for her trouble.
'Just like everyone else.' Dean tries a gentle hand on Cas' shoulder but even he is having trouble staying calm with all the howling snarls and barks just outside the cave.
"Hey," Dean tugs on the trench coat and gets a flash of worried blue eyes. "She's gonna be fine. You know her, Cas. She's not a fragile girl when it comes to killing and she's been in purgatory a long time."
"Too long." Cas murmurs turning his attention back to the entrance.
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"Get up!" Thòrnê yells at her dog and he tries. He tries to get on his feet but that fucking hound tore him up and there's more coming. Dude has defended her against them one too many times and this is their opportunity to get a piece of both. "Move it! Get your ass in gear, Dude!"
He snarls but it's missing that … umph she's so used to hearing from him. She tells herself it can't be any worse than he looks and he certainly is a mess. She can see flesh, pinkish bits of bloody flesh where his fur has been torn off.
"Go! Go, Dude!" Thòrnê tries to find a spot where he isn't hurt and shoves him towards the cave where she hopes Dean and Cas are safely hidden away. "Damn it, go! You can't take them on. Go!" she pushes him again and moves beside him because stubborn ugly mutt that he is he still won't leave her to the hellhounds.
When she first arrived in purgatory, Thòrnê had nothing more than her Baby Eagle, two spare clips and a couple knives on herself. She wasn't easy prey for them either though the hellhounds had her on the run. She's killed more than enough of the beast they want her dead but she's not leaving her dog to pay the price.
"Damn you! Hobble your big ass, Dude. Come on!" Thòrnê smacks his haunches with the angel blade to get him moving as she steps around him to the hell hounds pacing them. "Don't you dare stop moving." She snaps at Dude when he turns to fight.
The hounds are wary of her, of the angelic sword she's more than capable of using to maximum lethality. Two of them have chunks of fur and meat gouged out for daring to get too close to her and Dude.
One of the smaller hounds darts towards her. Thòrnê ignores Dude's snarling stop and drives the tip of the blade straight through the hellhounds eye, twisting around to avoid the claws and yanks hard. She flings the partial skull at the other hounds and backs into Dude's ass forcing him to keep moving.
They are loud. Their howls and snarls vibrating through her small frame. It grates on her nerves but they finally slink into the cave enough the sounds mute just slightly.
"Thòrnê!"
Dude snarls yet again but he's too hurt to be a serious threat, then again Thòrnê has already claimed Dean and that means he's off limits. No eating or tearing apart the human and Dude flops onto the ground breathing hard.
"Gross." Dean covers his mouth and tentatively steps around the hound bleeding profusely.
"Help me with him." Thòrnê orders, moving around Dude quickly with an eye on the cave mouth and the baying hounds just outside.
"Help you what?" Dean stands back, away from Dude and he gets her 'You're a fuck dick' look he doesn't even know the reason for. "What?"
"Keep your eyes on the cave mouth." Thòrnê snaps. "Think you can manage that?"
Dean bites his tongue and lets her mutter under her breath as she tends to her hound. His hands feel clammy and the colt bites into his palm as his grip tightens. They don't shut up, the hellhounds and images of Hell just keep popping up to torment him.
Castiel slowly makes his way towards Thòrnê and Dude. He can see her sorrow, how carefully she touches around the wounds freely bleeding. There's a puddle already forming under Dude…
"Please…can't you help him?" Thòrnê whispers. She looks up at Castiel, this angel so different from the one she remembers, that image of the soldier she's held onto. "He's mine too, Cas."
It's the single tear rolling down her cheek that undoes Castiel's reservation about involving himself with any violence. He's let her down once already… he made a promise he couldn't keep. But this time, this…
"Thòrnê…" Dean calls back to them, his tone shaky but then there's a slobbering snout poking into the cave and more of the hound inching in slowly. "Thòrnê!" he hisses in a sort of soft shout and aims his colt. There's no way he can miss and its three bullets into the open jaws before the hound can back out where other hounds are pushing in behind it.
Castiel gently places the tips of his fingers on Dudes head just between his eyes and exhales softly. It doesn't take long to close up the wounds, a few seconds at most and then the fur is growing back in place. Dude snuffles, head rising off the ground where blood drips from his snout. His legs are shaky but he pushes up on all fours, red eyes locked with Castiel's blue. Beside them, Thòrnê stands as well, a small relieved smile on her lips.
Cas removes his hand, never looks away from Dude and the big hound lowers his head to the angels level and bumps his chest. Just a little hard. Castiel stumbles back but he's got a wobbly smile on his face.
"You're welcome."
Thòrnê covers her mouth but it's too late to stop the burst of laughter at seeing her mutt on his feet and playful. Dude turns around in the cramped space and purposely smacks into Dean shoving him into the cave wall on his way to his post. The ear splitting howl has all of them slapping palms to their ears in an attempt to block it out.
Dean stumbles back and forcibly shoves Thòrnê further back in to the cave. He knows it has to be twice as painful for her what with the enhanced hearing. Just one more creepy weird thing to add on to the list of things that make her different.
Cas sits drawing her beside him since he's got his hands over hers trying to help. Dean shakes off the oddness of that and carefully uncovers his ears.
"That thing has an attitude." Dean points out with a glare at the hounds ass. It's all he can see from where they are.
"His name is Dude." Thòrnê lowers her hands, a smile of thanks leveled at Castiel and the angel feels warm and fuzzy. He's made her happy and that fills him with a childish joy.
"You named it?" Dean is incredulous.
"Start with how you're even here." Thòrnê snaps. "What the hell has happened?" she jumps to her feet, careful not to smack her head on the rock above. "You boys said 'yes'… you-."
"NO." Dean is quick to deny that but then there's that undertone of 'uhhh' that he's never been able to get past her.
"Don't lie to me!" she grabs at his shirt, one hand fisting into the jean material.
"I'm not! We didn't- I mean- you don't understand!" because it's not that simple and she wasn't there, she doesn't know what's led up to their choices.
"Oh, I don't." Thòrnê tugs on his shirt and makes him stumble. "I don't understand how you say 'Yes' to them when you know what's going to happen. I don't understand, Dean. Because I've been in Purgatory! I'm here because I got in the way of that fucking 'Yes' you idiots where so quick to give them-."
"We didn't. It's not…" Dean breathes out, both hands on her wrists and forcibly pulls her off. "I'm sorry for this." He's surprised this simple apology shuts her up. She doesn't say a word in response but she doesn't have to when her expression cuts him better than any words can. "Thòrnê-." She pulls out of his grasp and moves to the corner she's carved their faces in, her arms crossed defensively across her chest.
"Sam said 'Yes'." Cas speaks up into the silence between them. His eyes shifting between the ground and them, uncomfortable with the anger they both emanate.
"He had to." Dean quickly jumps in to explain. Green eyes narrowing to a scowl for Cas. "The last seal broke and the Devil was top side. It was the only way to get Lucy and put him back in his cage."
"You're telling me that Sam sacrificed himself and you just let him… Right." Thòrnê clearly doesn't believe him and why should she when she's seen their relationship close up first hand. They are so co-dependent it's amazing they allow each other out of their sights long enough to take a shit in privacy.
"Cas, tell her." Dean orders, jaw twitching. Right outside they have hellhounds trying to tear them to pieces and Thòrnê wants explanations.
"It's true." Cas has her attention and he stands up looking uncomfortable. "They had no other options. We retrieved the Horsemen's rings and Sam opened the cage. The final battle did not take place. They saved a lot of people…" he can't hold her gaze. Her eyes seeing more of him than he'd like so he turns away from her, from them both.
"Cas…?" Thòrnê drops her crossed arms. She knows there's more to this than either of them is telling her but she's more concerned with Castiel and this… well, what's happened to him. She draws out a soft breath, her eyes narrowing on Dean. "You… you boys…broke… an angel. You broke Castiel." And she really can't believe those words hold any truth but then what is wrong with Cas?
"Automatically it's our fault." Dean throws his hands up, eyes rolling because this is typical. Anytime something went wrong Thòrnê lay the blame with him, sometimes she includes Sam but it's like she prefers to pick on him and him alone.
"No. It's not automatically that I blame you for this screw up or every other one, Dean. You're a Winchester and that means Heaven pulls your strings. You're Mother was a Campbell and in case you didn't know, that side of your family is solely made up of Hunters." Thòrnê shakes her head and really she's not being fair, taking out her anger and frustration on Dean.
"Oh, sweetheart. You're a little late on that piece of news." Dean snorts derisively. "And so you know, Samuel Campbell was a douche."
Castiel tentatively breaks in. "I sent him back to 1973."
"Why?" Thòrnê frowns but then shakes her head and raises both hands because that's really not important. "Just, how are you both here? What's going on?" she gets silence from them both and something churns up in the pit of her stomach because this just can't be good.
"Cas, uh… sorta opened Purgatory and uh, let out the Leviathans." Dean hedges uncomfortably. He just doesn't want Castiel to get all emotional and disappear on them. It's bad enough he'd got to deal with an angel who no longer believes in smiting and would rather get his finger pulled.
"Leviathans." Thòrnê echoes. She hasn't seen one in a while and now she knows why. "Cas opened… and then…" she sits down on her slab of rock and stares at the ground. Her boots are caked in dirt, blood, remnants of dead hellhounds-. So, Castiel opened a door to Purgatory and let out the Leviathans but she knows it's not that simple. Why would Cas do that if there was no longer the threat of Armageddon if Sam had caged Lucifer? The angel admitted to not having anyway to find her so he couldn't have known she was in Purgatory so the door wasn't for her… "Souls." Her eyes look up at Castiel but he can't meet hers and that says more than words. "In Catholic doctrine…this is where souls remain until they've expiated their sins…"
Dean isn't surprised she's worked it out. "They were fighting up there. No God to put them in their corners or tell them what to do. Michael wanted to claim the throne and jump start the Apocalypse all over again. Cas was trying to stop him."
"But Castiel isn't of the same order as Michael." Thòrnê stands once again. "He couldn't hope to win, so what changed? Why are you two still lying to me? You realize, where we are, it can't possibly be any worse than what's been done."
"Crowley offered to help me." Cas spoke quietly, blue eyes peeking at her from under his downcast face.
"And Crowley would be …."
"Demon." Dean snaps with a glare at her answering snort of laughter.
"Of course." She turns away from them and why should it surprise her. "It's contagious." She mutters with a shake of her head. Thòrnê just didn't think an angel of God would be caught in that kind of stupid reckless cycle. "Let's see, John makes a deal to save you. Then Dean makes his own dumb ass deal to get Sam back from the dead. Cas! Demon deals are all sorts of stupid in every way possible. I mean…God! Hah, right, He's not listening. Perfect."
"If you're done bitching about our stupidity-."
"Not really, no but that can wait until you tell me how you both got here." Thòrnê's smirk is sure to piss him off but that's the point.
"Dean killed Dick."
For just a second Thòrnê wonders if she's heard right but then it's so ridiculous and something inside her finally breaks and she's laughing. Dean looks at her as though she's lost her mind and maybe he's right. Hell, for all Thòrnê knows it's all a hallucination and the Leviathans really did catch her. It's been a while since she's heard those screams. The souls caught and slowly munched on…
"Thòrnê…" Dean grabs her shoulder but she sits on her slab, both hands over her mouth muffling her laughter. He looks up at Castiel but the angel just stares at them, of no use. "Hey," he grabs the hands covering her mouth and pulls them away.
"Oh, this… it's not real. You're not really here." Thòrnê draws in a breath and chuckles again. "I'm hallucinating- I've gone bat-shit, certifiable, straightjacket and blue pills fucking nuts."
"Shit," Dean sighs, his hands drop from her face to rest on her knees where he's kneeling in front of her. "We fucking broke her." He glowers at Castiel and Thòrnê lays back with a new fit of laughter at their expressions.
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