A/N: The journey is almost over, only one more chapter unless I come up with an idea and add another. Thank you for the support for this story and hope you are enjoying it. I do love reviews, if you can leave me one. NC

Chapter 4

Cas saw Dean waiting by the Impala and pulled in behind it and stopped. He looked at the man who was like a brother to him and then down at the seat beside him to the First Blade. It went against everything he knew and believed in to be giving the Blade to Dean knowing how dangerous a weapon it was, but they had to stop Abaddon and save Sam. He knew since his grace was gone and he was human, he wouldn't be much good in a battle, but maybe he could help rescue Sam. With a heavy heart, Cas picked up the Blade and got out of the car and walked slowly toward Dean. He sensed the tension wafting off Dean and stopped just out of his reach with the Blade hidden in the folds of his trench coat.

"I know you have it." Dean stated, staring hard at Cas for a moment and letting his eyes fall to the hand that held the Blade.

"Dean, you don't know what will happen to you if you take the Blade again. Are you sure about this, there could be no coming back from it." Cas told him, wanting to express his concerns.

"It's mine and a means to an end." Dean replied holding out his hand for the Blade. "I'll look for Abaddon and take out anyone in my way."

"What about Sam? If she has him he could be hurt." Cas complained.

"You can look for him, he's really not my concern, just stay out of my way." he said pulling the Blade from him and gripping it tightly letting its surge of power cascade through him. He felt the Mark throb almost with his heartbeat as he closed his eyes for a moment and drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly. He was complete now and totally in control. "Here, take this." Dean said holding out a sawed off shot gun.

"I'm not sure how to use that." Cas said looking at the gun in Dean's hand.

"Just point an' pull the trigger. With a shot gun you don't have to be accurate. Be careful it's loaded. Won't kill a demon, but it'll slow'em down."

Cas accepted the gun and extra shells from Dean feeling the weight in his hands and quickly followed after him as he headed to the building where he had seen the man. They made their way to the building and went around it looking for another way in. Dean found a door and quickly picked the lock allowing them to get inside. After being sure there were no guards, Dean led them deeper into the structure. He saw the man from outside standing at the end of the hall and silently snuck up behind him, clasping a hand over his mouth as he drove the Blade into him. Dean let the body drop at his feet and looked at the blood coated Blade feeling it call for more. He went down the hall and Cas went the other way to look for Sam. Dean glanced into each room he passed, pausing for a moment when he felt her nearby. Gripping the Blade tightly, he carefully made his way toward the last room pausing in the doorway to look in. The room looked lived in, not like the rest of the building.

"Are you going to come in or lurk out there?" a female voice called to him.

Dean stiffened for a moment and then stepped into the room looking to where the voice came from. He saw Abaddon leaning against a desk waiting on him.

"Dean Winchester in the flesh." she spoke boldly. "I can't believe you came to me and I didn't have to hunt you down. Do you really think a mere human is going to stop me?"

"I'm not as helpless as you think bitch." Dean sneered as he stepped into the room to confront her. They sized each other up, neither making a move on the other.

"What if I told you I have your brother and with a snap of my fingers I can end his life?" she questioned.

"Don't really care, I didn't come for him. I came for you." he replied not taking his eyes off her.

Abaddon frowned for a moment, surprised by his statement and pushed away from the desk to stand tall.

Dean began to move toward her when suddenly she threw out her hand sending him stumbling backwards to collide with the wall. He lost grip on the Blade and it skidded across the floor away from him. Before he could gain his footing, Dean felt his body being pulled up the wall. Abaddon laughed at him as she held it there and began to torture him. He grimaced in pain as it felt like his insides were being torn apart. Not holding the Blade weakened him and Dean fought hard giving himself over to the Mark and the power it gave him. He concentrated on the Blade willing it to come to him. He groaned in pain but didn't give up knowing the Mark would come through for him. The Blade wavered slightly and moved an inch toward him. He didn't see Abaddon frown and a look of fear cross her face as she saw the Blade move toward its master as she tried desperately to stop him.

spn

Neither of them saw or heard Sam and Cas come into the room. Sam saw his brother in danger and quickly raised his arms and balled his hands into fists as he threw his powers at Abaddon trying to latch onto the demon within her. He concentrated all his energy, feeling the pain building in his head but not letting up even as blood began to run from his nose. Abaddon cried out from the onslaught and glared to the side to see Sam attacking her. The distraction was enough for Dean to pull the Blade to him and into his hand. This gave him the extra energy he needed and pushed himself from the wall and began to walk slowly toward Abaddon fighting her powers that held him. It felt like he was trying to move through thick, heavy syrup as he forced each and every step. Abaddon threw her hand at Sam and sent him crashing into the wall behind him. She turned back to Dean and tried to stop his advances. Cas ran to Sam's side and knelt down beside him to see if he was injured.

Dean growled with primal rage as he drew nearer to Abaddon seeing her stare in shock at him as he seemed almost immune to her powers. As Cas and Sam gazed at the two, Dean forcefully drove the Blade deep into her stomach making her cry out in pain. She became alive with bolts of energy coursing through her body destroying her very being. He grabbed her arm and jerked the Blade out only to stab it into her again and again sending gouts of blood out around them. He let her dead body drop to the floor and knelt beside it to continue his slaughter. Dean was splattered in blood, but he couldn't seem to stop. The Mark was in complete control now and the more blood that coated the Blade the stronger it became and the more it wanted. He was lost in the kill and didn't acknowledge the others in the room.

"Dean!" Sam called to him as he let Cas help him to his brother. "Dean!"

"Dean stop!" Cas yelled at him, trying to break the Mark's hold on him. "She's dead..." Cas told him as he started to reach out, barely getting a grip of his arm.

Without warning, Dean's rage continued as he growled out and swung the Blade at Castiel slicing deep into his arm, but he wasn't able to complete his swing because a strong hand latched onto his arm just below his elbow and firmly over the Mark, stopping his forward motion that would have almost cut Cas in to and more than likely ended his life. The blood lust was still pounding in his ears as the Mark called for more, that it wasn't appeased yet, it needed him to paint the world red with the blood of his victims.

"Stop! Stop now!" Sam demanded in a harsh tone as he used his powers to stop Dean. Sam could feel the heat of the Mark under his hand, even through Dean's clothes. It seemed to throb against his fingers as if it had a life of its own. He stared deep into eyes he didn't know anymore as his tightened his grip and held Dean in place and tried to use his powers to pull the power of the Mark out of Dean. He didn't know if it would work, but anything was worth a shot even if it meant he would have to absorb the powers from the Mark himself. He felt a strange sensation and he thought it might be working, maybe he could take it on or at least lesson Dean's burden. "Enough Dean! Enough..." Sam begged trying to bring his brother back from the edge before he lost him forever.

"Let!...Go!..." Dean hissed through clenched teeth as he fought against Sam, glancing down at Sam's hand on his arm. It seemed to make him angrier that Sam dared stop him from what he needed to do. Suddenly, he felt a tugging within him and looked up with a frown at Sam.

"Drop the blade Dean." Sam said sternly, not taking his eyes from Dean's face. "Please Dean, I can't lose you again. Don't let it take you from me." he said softer and pleadingly. He looked for some sign of recognition in Dean's eyes in hopes that he could break through to him. He knew if the Mark gained complete control over him, then he was lost to him and he couldn't let that happen.

With a sudden surge of power and an animal like yell, Dean broke his brother's grip, making Sam stumble back slightly and stepped back from him the Blade raised ready to strike out at him. Dean was breathing hard as he looked at his brother's frightened face and it was all he could do to not attack him too, even though the Mark called for it. A tiny voice inside his head stopped him from striking Sam. He kept a firm grasp on the Blade as he looked at his brother long and hard. "Don't ever try that again or I won't be as forgiving." he stated in a voice Sam didn't recognize, before walking around him and leaving them alone in the room. Their safety or wellbeing was of no concern to him, he didn't need to worry about them any longer and if they wanted to live...They had better stay the hell out of his way, especially his brother. The next time he wouldn't stop.

spn

Sam's shoulders slumped forward from stress and exhaustion, but he turned to Castiel to see how badly he was hurt. He was clutching his wounded arm tightly to his chest as he watched the interaction between the brothers. Sam wiped a sleeve across his mouth trying to clean what blood he could from his face. Blood still trickled from his nose, but it was slowing down. He tried not to think of the pounding in his head that made it feel like it was about to explode. Years had passed since he had used his powers and he had forgotten the after effects he had to endure.

"Let me see Cas." he said quietly moving closer so he could see his bloodied arm.

"I don't think it's too bad. I'm not sure, but it does hurt." Cas said not knowing how the brothers dealt so easily with their injures without complaints. Being human was extremely hard when you were used to being an angel and able to heal yourself.

"You need some stitches to close it up and yeah it's bad. C'mon let's get back to the bunker and take care of it." he said using his bandana to tie tightly around Cas's arm until he could treat him. The Blade had cut deep into the lower part of his arm and would of been much worse had Sam not intervened.

"What about Dean?" Cas asked seeing a deep sadness pass over Sam's face before he hid it from world.

"I don't know." Sam mumbled sadly steering Cas from the room, but glancing back at the mutilated body lying on the floor not believing what his brother did to it. Yes, she was evil and their mortal enemy, but Dean went well beyond killing her; he didn't stop there, he continued to batter her, coating himself in her blood. He knew it was what the Mark needed and wanted. It wanted pain, chaos, blood, and total control over the wearer. It wanted the wearer to give in completely to it and let go of who they were and transform into the monster the Mark needed them to be.

"Are you alright?" Cas asked knowing when he found him in the hallway with blood smeared across his face what he had done. He could tell all the blood was not from the split lip Sam had but didn't question him then since they needed to find Dean and help him.

"I'm fine." Sam said bluntly.

"Thank you for stopping Dean."

"It had to be done. That wasn't Dean; it was the power of the Mark controlling him. You know he wouldn't hurt you if he was in his right mind."

"I know that Sam, I hold no ill feelings toward Dean."

They made their way back outside to find the Impala gone. Cas gave Sam his keys so he could drive them back to the bunker. Sam opened the driver's door and spotted a half bottle of water lying on the seat. He picked it up and uncapped it to take a gulp and swishing it around in his mouth to try and get rid of the foul taste that coated his mouth and throat. He repeated the process spitting the reddish tinted water to the side. After a couple of sips of the remaining water, Sam dropped into the seat and started the car. Cas could tell the Sam was worried about his brother but didn't think he wanted to talk about it right now. Sam got his bearings before heading to the bunker hoping his brother would be there, but not sure what they would find if he he felt when he tried to pull some of the Mark's influence from him was barely Dean now. He could feel him slipping farther away from him and this scared the crap out of him. If the Mark took full control, he would have to stop Dean from hurting others, even if it meant killing him.