AN: Yay, an update!

Again, big thanks to both Lotrspnfangirl and Jdl71 for all the help!
Hope you guys like it!

Chapter 9

November 16th, 2005

Castiel heard the door close behind Uriel but he didn't dare look away from Zachariah.

"Oh Castiel, what am I supposed to do with you? I gave you clear orders and you couldn't follow them," Zachariah said as he got up from his chair and walked behind Castiel.

"I'm sorry broth—" said Castiel as he stood up and turned to face Zachariah.

"Sit back down! You're gonna be sorry, mark my words! I can't let you continue like this any more Castiel. From now on you are banned from Earth and all humans, understood?" Without waiting for an answer Zachariah continued, "You will spend the next few years in a cell I have picked out for you. The only time you will be allowed outside is for your rehabilitation, if you can call it that. I have asked Naomi to supervise your training. When she is done with you, you won't care about your precious human, I don't even think you will remember him."

"NO!" yelled Castiel, forgetting for a moment who he was talking to. Zachariah did not like it when others disagreed with him or tried to tell him what to do; the only ones that could order him around were Michael or Raphael. "I'm sorry, it won't happen again. I promise I'll never go near Dean again, just don't make me forget him. I spent years studying the Winchesters, I have a lot of useful information that could come in handy later if the prophecies come to pass."

"If? Castiel, this is what I'm talking about! The Winchesters have changed you. They are called prophecies for a reason. They will happen, no if about it. It's things like this that are going to drag you down a dangerous road. Lucifer was just like this, questioning everything father said. Trust me, forgetting Dean Winchester is what is best for you." Zachariah shook his head, disappointment clear in his eyes, before placing two fingers on Castiel's forehead and everything went dark.

July 17th, 2006

"A vision?" asked John from where he was sitting on one of the hotel's bed.

"Yes," answered Sam, who was sitting at the table next to the bed. His head was still hurting from having a vision earlier that day. "I saw the demon burning a woman on the ceiling."

"And you think this is going to happen to this woman you met because…" John trailed off, waiting for his youngest to explain. He knew that Sam was special, but visions and of people dying on top of that? Those parenting books Mary had made him read when they found out she was pregnant with Dean did not cover what to do when your kids start having visions.

"Because these things happen exactly the way I see them," answered Sam, slightly irritated. They had been going over this for way too long in his opinion and the headache did not help his mood.

Since Dean knew those two like the back of his hand, he could see that this could easily end in an another argument. Both his father and his little brother did not like wasting time on providing information they didn't deem necessary. It was on a need to know basis as far as the Winchesters were concerned. However, they also hated not having all the information and not understand something fully.

Trying to avoid a full out argument, Dean quickly added, "It started out as nightmares. Then it started happening while he was awake," before getting off the bed and walking to the counter behind Sam to get more coffee. What he wouldn't give to just lie down to sleep and when he woke, this would all be over.

"Yeah. It's like the closer I get to anything to do with the demon, the stronger the visions get," added Sam.

With a quick look at Sam, Dean knew that his brother was still hurting and wished he could do something to help him. The aspirin he gave him earlier was clearly not doing enough. He was so focused on filling his cup and worrying about Sam that it took him a moment to register it when his Dad asked him, "All right, when were you going to tell me about this?"

To Dean, the silence that followed felt like forever. His dad couldn't be serious, could he? How was Dean supposed to tell him what was going on? Because that question, was meant for him, not Sam. Dean had hardly wrapped his own head around what was going on, so he just told his dad the truth.

"We didn't know what it meant."

"Something like this starts happening to your brother, you pick up the phone and you call me!"

With that, Dean had enough. Putting his coffee cup down with a slam, he walked towards his dad and hoped his voice wouldn't shake like his hands. For the second time in just a few days, he stood up to his dad.

"Call you? Are you kidding me? Dad, I called you from Lawrence, all right? Sam called you when I was dying. I mean, getting you on the phone? I've got a better chance of winning the lottery."

There was a beat of silence where all Dean could hear was the rapid thrum of his own pulse. He was half sure John was going to haul off and clock him. And then...

"You're right," said John while looking at the floor, before looking back at Dean. "Although I'm not too crazy about this new tone of yours, you're right. I'm sorry."

Dean stared. He was pretty sure he could count the times his dad had ever said sorry on one hand, this time included.

"Now, is there anything else you boys are not telling me?"

"No, Dad. That's all," answered Sam.

"Actually…" said Dean uncertainly and he now had his brother's and father's undivided attention. "I might need to tell you guys something." He had been agonizing for weeks now over whether or not he should tell his family about his little secret. He knew he hadn't been fair to his brother about him not keeping secrets when Dean had been keeping one from him for his entire life. He glanced over at Sam looking back at him so hopeful and knew if he didn't do it now he never would. Still, having them stare at him while he did it was not helping. "I kind of, have this… thing that I can do too."

His brother's reaction was completely typical of Sam. He seemed to have no idea what Dean was on about and was trying his hardest to hold back from asking questions. Sam was one of the smartest people Dean had ever known, but he could be painfully oblivious about some things. There had been times where Dean thought he had blown his cover but Sam always found some reason to dismiss it. Maybe it was the fact that Sam had been used to Dean's odd behavior his entire life, they weren't exactly normal after all.

His dad, on the other hand, did not seem surprised. Curious maybe, from the way he had moved to the edge of the bed and how his eyes were focused on Dean and nothing else. But not surprised.

"I see dead people, alright?" And even before his brother could open his mouth, Dean pointed a finger at Sam and added, "If you make one 'Sixth Sense' reference, I will hit you."

God, it felt good getting that finally out in the open. At least it did until he noticed his father looking down, deep in thought and his brother getting worked up.

Not amused by his older brother right now, Sam said, "Dean, this is not the time to be joking aro-"

"After the fire, did you really see your mom?" John asked quietly, almost a whisper before looking back up at Dean with wet eyes.

Dean took a deep breath before answering. "Uhh, yeah, you still remember that?"

"How could I forget? I had no idea what to do. I always chalked it up to grief. It wasn't until years later that I started questioning it, but by then you always had some excuse."

"Wait! Are you serious? All this time? Why haven't you said anything! I have been feeling like a freak in this family for months. Months! And all this time you were just as much of a freak as I am?" Sam exploded, upset over this new information just like Dean had anticipated.

"Well, when you put it like that, I should have told you years ago," said Dean sarcastically. "Look, I'm sorry I didn't tell you. I've been hiding it ever since Dad became a hunter. I couldn't just suddenly stop. When we were little, I was terrified of some hunter finding out and coming after us, so Mom taught me how to hide it, and I did."

"But why not tell me?" asked Sam, hurt. "…or us?" he added looking quickly over at their father like he suddenly remembered he was there.

"You don't remember what it was like back then, Sam. Dad was— we, were grieving Mom and having me talking about her being there all the time wasn't helping. It was destroying him, Sammy. I just couldn't do it anymore. So I told him for months that I couldn't see her, even though she was right there, and it kind of stuck after that."

At this point, John had his face buried in his hands and Dean could see the slight shaking of his shoulders. "I'm so sorry, Dean. You should never have had to do that," came John's more than normal raspy voice.

"Wait, have you been seeing Mom all those years? Is she here?" asked Sam and that was enough to have John look up right away. It surprised the boys to see the tear tracks down their father's face. They boys hadn't seen their dad cry often growing up, though Dean had seen it more often than Sam. Dean didn't know why it surprised him though, like all the other times he had seen his dad cry, it had something to do with his mom.

"No!" The look on their faces was a clear indicator that they didn't quite believe him. "I swear, I haven't. She just disappeared one day, about a year after she died. I hadn't seen her since then until we saw her at the house in Lawrence."

Silence filled the room as everyone tried to process everything they had just learned. It wasn't broken until Sam asked, "Can you see everyone after the die?"

"Not everyone, I can see most ghosts if they have just passed away and I can still see some ghosts that have been here for years and just haven't moved on."

"Did you- did you see Jessica?"

Dean took a deep breath before looking his brother straight in the eyes. "She didn't blame you."

"Why didn't you tell me? I could have-"

"There was nothing you could have done. You were grieving and I didn't want to get your hopes up if I couldn't see her, so I went alone. I was going to bring you back with me later and give you at least some sort of good-bye if I saw her, but she was in the middle of telling me what happened when suddenly she wasn't there anymore. After that, I didn't want to burden you with what I found out. You were already blaming yourself for what happened."

"What did you find out, Dean?" asked John, who seemed to snap back into hunter's mode, a place he was confident and comfortable.

"She was getting ready for bed when the demon showed up," said Dean glancing at Sam before meeting his dad's eyes, giving information as if it were a case. Hunter-mode was safe. " He said she was getting in the way. That's all I know."

"In the way of what, Dean?" asked Sam.

"I don't know, okay! She disappeared before I could ask her about it. But Sammy, this is not your fault, alright?" Dean turned to look at Sam again and his chest hurt at the expression on his brother's face.

"Yeah, right," came Sam's answer and Dean didn't believe it for a moment.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you, but she really did love you, Sammy."

All the anger seemed to leave Sam after that and after awhile he said, "I forgive you." He leaned forward and wrapped Dean into a quick hug.

Clearing his throat, Dean sat back. "Okay, now that this chick flick moment is over. What now?" asked Dean.

"Look, abilities or no abilities, visions or not, the fact is, we know the demon is coming tonight. And this family's gonna go through the same hell we went through," said Sam looking from his brother to his father.

"No, they're not. No one is, ever again." John's voice was full of conviction and Dean nodded in agreement and couldn't bite back the small smile at their family finally being all on the same page.