The blood running down Dean's arm was slowly draining his system of the life he no longer wanted to live. His job was done, Lilith was dead and so was the demon's chosen son. He'd even managed to get the demon who'd come between him and his brother out of the way. He swallowed hard as he eyed the pool of blood he was kneeling in, it was a mix of Heaven, Hell and Winchester legacy. "You said I wouldn't survive this Cass..." He started quietly, holding Sam's lifeless body tight as the tears started to fall. "You promised me..." Though his voice was barely above a whisper, he knew it would be heard.
"You're not going to..." Castiel replied, stepping out of the shadows. "I gave you my word." His footsteps echoed in the large room as the angel carefully made his way towards the men on the floor, the sight was one he knew would stay with him forever. He knelt down next to them, and as he caught the anguish in the other man's eyes, he could have swore he'd felt his heart hit the bottom of his stomach. "Dean, you did what you had to, and the story of what took place here tonight, will live on." He started, knowing his words could never be enough to comfort the man in front of him.
"Cass, I don't care anymore..." Dean choked, struggling with his words as he held onto his little brother. He sucked in a breath, letting the pain in his abdomen take over as blood continued to stream out of the gash in his palm. "I just want this to be over."
"It will be soon enough." Castiel quietly replied, knowing that the only thing keeping the other man alive was the one thing they now had in common, the blood in their veins. What Dean didn't know and what Castiel didn't have the heart to tell him, was that the angel blood had a supernatural property, the ability to heal and immortalize the soul. By drinking his blood, Dean had temporarily consumed the energy and strength needed to overcome the physical aspect of his human nature. But by mixing the angel's blood with his own, Dean had permanently altered what made him human in the first place. The blood trickling out of the gash in his palm was quickly being replaced by the angel blood that was slowly taking over his system. Castiel swallowed hard, knowing that for him to keep his promise, he would have to take the other man's life, before Dean's system was as pure as his own. He reached down to the floor and his hand grasped the handle of the silver blade.
Dean couldn't help but close his eyes, choosing to ignore the fact that he had just seen Castiel grab the blood drenched knife from the floor at his side. "I don't want to feel this way..." He whispered holding Sam tight as he waited for the sharp blade to pierce his skin. Living through his brother's death had been harder the second time around, because the second time, he had been the one responsible. After all of the times he had been there for his little brother, after everything he had sacrificed for the younger man, he had still failed him. "I'm ready Cass..." He whispered.
Castiel's grip on the knife tightened as his eyes focused on angel's chosen son, a man who was choosing death over immortality. He took a deep breath as he kept his end of their bargain, thrusting his silver blade into Dean's back. He closed his eyes as he pulled the knife free and put a hand on the other man's shoulder. "Just relax..." He said softly, hating himself for keeping his word.
The sharp pain that ripped through his back quickly spread, making every breath unbearable as he struggled to hold onto his brother. "I don't want to feel this way Cass..." Dean whispered.
"Then let it go." Castiel replied simply, wiping the blood from his knife as he got to his feet and put a hand down to help the other man up. "You did what you had to, now you need to let it go." He said calmly.
Dean looked up at the angel's hand but couldn't bring himself to let go of Sam. "I can't, Cass.."
"Yes you can." Castiel continued, tucking his knife away. "Just take my hand, I'll help you up." When Dean reached up to take his hand, the angel took his soul.
Dean paused for a moment when he noticed the blood was no longer streaming down his arm. The gash in his palm was gone and as he got to his feet, so was all the angst, guilt and pain. When he took a step back, his eyes fell to the two men on the floor and the pool of blood he had just stepped out of. It was all too surreal, a scene from a nightmare that was playing out right before his eyes. There he was lying on the floor, slumped over in a pool of blood as he still held onto his little brother. Blood was dripping from a long cut in his leather jacket, streaking down to the floor from a large gash in his back. Dean swallowed hard, the thought striking him like the lightning that tore the sky apart outside. "Am I..." His words trailed off as he turned to face the angel who'd pulled him from Hell. Standing at Castiel's left, was Sam and at his right, stood a reaper he'd met twice before.
"Dead?" Castiel said, completing the question as he watched Dean take a second look at his body on the floor. "Yes Dean, you are." He continued. "A promise is a promise."
There was a moment of silence as Dean gave the angel a nod. "Thanks Cass." He said quietly, knowing that taking his life was bittersweet for the angel who'd pulled him from Hell. When he caught his brother's eyes, Dean couldn't help but make his way towards him, the other man doing his part to meet him in a tight hug. "Sammy I'm so sorry." He whispered.
"Don't be." Sam replied. "This is my fault." When he pulled away from the hug, he couldn't help but take his brother's hand, turning it over to examen the large scar in his palm. "That must have hurt..." He remarked with somewhat of a smile.
Dean returned the slight smile as he slapped the younger man in the chest. "Not as much as that one did I bet." He replied. Curious, he pulled up the bottom of his own shirt to take a look at the stab wound in his abdomen. To his surprise, the gash was gone and in it's place was a three inch scar.
"Dean, I knew what I was doing but I couldn't stop myself..." Sam blurted, his eyes focusing on the scar he had left.
"Demon blood is a powerful toxin." Castiel replied, getting their attention. "The concentration you had was so high, that you were one of them. The only one who could kill you, was the angel's chosen son; a man who devoted his life for the well being of those walking the streets along side him."
"He was so important to you that you had to pull him from Hell?" Sam asked with a smile, proud to hear his brother's hard life had not all been in vain.
Castiel gave him a nod. "He is one of a kind, you both are and because of it, you now have a choice to make." The angel paused for a moment as the men in front of him caught his eyes. "You can either both move on to the promised land, join your family and loved ones to spent eternity in peace..."
There was a moment of silence as the brothers glanced at each other, the grumbling thunder echoing in the room. The thought of seeing their parents again; for Dean to get to know Jessica and for Sam to get to know his mother... it was almost too good to be true. "Or what?" Dean asked for both of them.
"Or you can stay here at my side and fight." Castiel replied. "The two of you are the best I've seen and it would be an honor to have you fight alongside the angels."
Sam and Dean glanced at each other, the angel and reaper waiting patiently for an answer as the pair struggled with the decision. Move on to the other side and spend eternity in paradise or stay among the shadows of earth and fight for the peace both had been forced to live without. "Are Mom, Dad and Jess happy?" Sam asked, breaking the silence.
Castiel gave him a nod. "Yes, they are." He replied simply.
"Then I'm going to stay here and fight." Sam declared. "So that no one else has to grow up like we did."
Castiel gave the younger man a nod. "Dean?" The angel asked, getting the older man's attention. "What about you?"
There was a moment of silence as Dean's eyes drifted down to the scar in his palm, his thoughts going back to the moment he had taken the blood drenched knife from his brother's chest to cut open his very own flesh. Looking past his hand, his eyes fell to the two bodies on the floor. Everything was so vivid, he could still feel the warm liquid pulse through his fingers and he could still taste the iron in Castiel's blood. He swallowed hard, a shiver crawling down his spine as the crash of thunder made him jump.
"Dean?" Sam asked, getting his brother's attention.
When he caught his younger brother's eyes, he couldn't help but smile. "I'll stay here and fight." He answered, turning to face the angel who'd taken his life. "This is all I know and what I'm good at."
Castiel gave him a nod. "It truly is an honor to have you under my wing."
"Do we get wings?" Dean asked, amused to see Castiel crack a smile for the very first time. "Hey, it's a legitimate question."
"You'll have to earn your wings... but the way you two hunt, you'll have them in no time." Castiel replied. "Together, you do better than either one of you does alone."
"That's reassuring." Dean replied as he fished the keys to the Impala out of his pocket. "What about my baby?"
"You won't be needing her anymore..."
"I was afraid you were going to say that." Dean replied sadly. "Can we take her out for one last spin?"
"I see no harm in that." Castiel replied.
"What about the mess?" Sam asked, pointing to the bodies and the blood on the floor.
"I'll take care of it, you boys enjoy the drive... I'll find you when it's time to go."
"Thanks Cass." Dean said as he gave his brother a smile and the pair headed down the hall.
****************
Dean slid in behind the wheel, closing the door before putting the key into the ignition. As Sam slid into the passenger seat, he took a moment to enjoy the feel of the steering wheel between his hands. The idling engine purred, drowning out the storm outside as the headlights lit up the darkness of night in front of them. "So what do you think, Sammy? Are we in over our heads this time?" Dean asked, glancing over to catch his younger brother's eyes.
"Does it matter?" Sam replied with a slight smile.
"Not as long as you're with me." Dean replied, turning his attention back to the road ahead as he put his foot to the floor. The engine roared to life in response, sinking both men into their well worn leather seats as mud flew up from the empty lot and the Impala tore out onto the road for one last spin.