Chapter Ten

Samandriel leaned against the wall outside the room where Naomi was…fixing Castiel. Hearing the other angel's terrified screams made him sick. He had held out hope for a long time that Castiel would somehow be able to elude capture, but Jonah had found him easily enough and soon he would no longer be the rebel that the angels hated—or the fearless, defiant leader that some of them still loved. He would just be another soldier in Naomi's army; a drone with no mind of his own.

Samandriel slowly sank to sit against the wall, knees drawn to his chest. Every one of Castiel's screams made him recall in flashes what Naomi had done to him as well. It caused him to shudder uncontrollably, and he buried his face in his hands. While he may not have had anything to do with Castiel's capture directly, he still felt like he had betrayed the other angel who he had once fought for and it made him feel dirty and more corrupt than Castiel supposedly was by Naomi's standards. It was because of that that he knew this, what she was doing to them, couldn't be right.

"Samandriel, what are you doing?"

Samandriel snapped his head up quickly and scrambled to his feet as he saw Naomi standing in front of him. It was only then he realized Castiel's screams had stopped and he wasn't sure how long he had been sitting there with his thoughts in turmoil.

"I'm sorry, ma'am," he said. "Do you need me for something?"

She narrowed her piercing gaze at him, studying, and he felt a small surge of fear wash through him, but she shook her head. "No. But don't go far, I may have need of you later."

She then strode off further into the building.

Samandriel watched her go, and then flicked his eyes toward the door Castiel was behind. He shouldn't, he knew that, but he found himself unable to keep from pushing the door in and slipping inside.

Castiel slumped, shivering and restrained, in the chair. His eyes were closed, and blood was dripping from under his eyelids like garish tears. Samandriel swallowed hard, halting for a few seconds, before he forced himself to walk over to the other angel.

A small moan escaped Castiel's throat and Samandriel reached out and touched his hand, trying to offer a small amount of comfort, even though he knew there was no comfort for this; there was no forgiving this either.

Castiel's eyes flew open at his touch, bloodshot and dilated. Samandriel jerked back a step, but Castiel soon seemed to realize who it was. "Samandriel?" he whispered.

The younger angel nodded. "Yes."

Castiel's eyes squeezed shut again, pain clear in the lines on his face. Naomi hadn't finished with him yet, Samandriel could tell; he still seemed too lucid for that. "What is she doing to me?" Castiel demanded.

Samandriel swallowed hard. "She's trying to make you obedient. Take your will away."

Castiel shook his head. "No…no, you can't let her. I can't…she'll make me hurt them."

"Who?" Samandriel asked.

"Everyone I love," Castiel whispered brokenly.

Samandriel felt an ache in his chest at the sound. He could feel the turmoil in Castiel's grace, the pain emanated from the angel's true self. He bit his lip, so many options running through his head. He thought about what Castiel had said earlier. That they all had a choice. Maybe it was time he took his.

"Castiel," he said, leaning over and gripping his forearm. "I will do everything I can to try and get you out of here."

"Why should you?" Castiel asked bitterly, glaring coldly up at Samandriel. "You're already working with them."

Samandriel felt remorse stab him, but he knew it was well deserved. "Because you said we always have a choice, and I want to take mine." He took a deep breath. "I…I just want to do something good again. And you are good, Castiel. I want to help you."

Castiel looked at him for a long moment, before he seemed to sag. "And Meg," he whispered. "Make sure she is safe too."

Samandriel nodded in acceptance, watched as Castiel's face crumpled with pain again, and he squeezed his eyes shut. Samandriel looked over his shoulder. Naomi would probably be back soon to finish her work. Samandriel had to be gone before he was found here. But now he knew what he was doing, what his path was, and he was going to stick with it, for better or worse.

He slipped out of the room then, just barely missing one of Jonah's men as he crossed the hallway. But Samandriel went undetected as he headed toward a side door of the building. Once he was outside, he spread his wings and flew toward the Winchesters, hoping that they might still be at the motel so he could find them easily. He knew Castiel didn't have much time.

Perhaps, finally, he could do something good again.

Meg had been waiting anxiously for hours after they took Castiel away. She had a pit in her stomach, not knowing what they could be doing to him, and who that Naomi bitch was. What that angel in the Weiner Hut uniform had been talking about didn't sound good at all.

Meg also had to wonder why she was still alive. Angels didn't usually wait to ask questions when it came to demons unless they needed some specific information out of them. Since they hadn't played twenty questions with her yet, she figured they had to have an ulterior motive for keeping her alive, and that did not comfort her in the least.

Just then, she detected footsteps outside the door and it was opened a few seconds later, emitting an angel who hadn't been part of the original party, but…she did still look familiar. Pantsuit and bun…

"I know you," Meg said suddenly in recognition. "You're the one who showed up to take Kevin Tran away."

The angel cocked her head to one side. "Yes, and you're the demon who was there with Sam Winchester. I would like to know where the prophet is."

Meg smirked. "And I'd like a to get out of these chains, but we can't always get what we want."

The angel straightened up, walking over to the edge of the demon trap. "I'm Naomi, by the way."

So this was Naomi. That made sense. Meg looked her up and down. "Really? I was thinking more Nurse Ratched than pantsuit businesswoman type."

Naomi cocked her head to one side, crossing her arms over her chest. "You are very bold for a demon who has no chance of escape and no leverage."

Meg shrugged as far as the chains would allow, smirking. "I'm sure that's what you want me to think."

Naomi narrowed her eyes. "If you think you will survive this, you're mistaken. You are nothing but an abomination and we have no reason to keep you alive."

Meg leaned forward as far as she could. "Then why don't you just kill me?"

Naomi shook her head. "No, you still have a purpose. You will be the test to see if Castiel's training holds."

Meg felt unease wash over her, but she did her best to hide it. "What training?"

Naomi started pacing around Meg. "Castiel is being relieved of his defiance and the emotions that always cause him to do the wrong things." She shook her head as she came back around. "The Winchesters were bad enough, but finding him fraternizing with the likes of you, defiling himself with unholy filth…" Meg felt rage and indignation surge through her. "Even I couldn't have predicted him falling this far. I suppose I should have worked harder to put a stop to those thoughts, those urges, long ago. Perhaps then, I could have prevented his mistakes. Could have saved our brothers and sisters who lost their lives because of him."

Meg had had just about enough of this bitch. "Okay, you know what? Castiel and the Winchesters saved the world during the apocalypse, and then Castiel did it again when Raphael tried to take over. You think any fewer angels would have died under that bastard's reign? Yeah, Cas made mistakes, but he tried to do good too."

"Exactly," Naomi snapped. "He tried. But Castiel has always been misguided by his own thoughts and feelings. He thinks he's doing right, but he's really doing more harm than good. He was always an effective soldier when he was obeying orders, he and his garrison laid siege to Hell to save Dean Winchester, after all. But his defiance did not start with the Winchesters, it just culminated there. I have always had to work harder on him than any of the others. He has always been… wrong."

Meg felt a surge of pride knowing that Castiel had always fought the 'system'. She could definitely see that being the case. Just another reason why she loved him. "Then why don't you just let him go?"

"Because it's not done like that," Naomi said. "Angels are meant to follow the rules and when they don't, catastrophic consequences arise. Just like with Lucifer."

Meg laughed out loud. "Castiel is no Lucifer. Lucifer never wanted anything to be better, he just wanted to defy God and the other angels and everything they stood for. He was a petulant child." She actually surprised herself with that outburst, especially since she truly believed it to be the truth. Sure, she'd been a Lucifer loyalist back in the day, but since then, she'd kind of become disenchanted. Especially since Lucifer hadn't exactly made good on any of his promises. "Cas genuinely wanted to help people. He may even be the last damn angel who just wants to do that; watch over humanity like you're supposed to."

Naomi slapped her across the face, and Meg tasted blood, as she turned back to look into the furious face of the angel. "How dare you?" Naomi snarled.

"Because I know the truth, and so do you," Meg said. "You just don't want to believe it because you're a controlling bitch who gets off on having people under your thumb. I followed Lucifer, and maybe once I believed in what he was selling. But Castiel? What he and the Winchesters do? That is good. I found a new cause in Cas, something that I could actually believe in again."

"You corrupted him," Naomi snarled. "A demon temptress whispering lies in his ear."

Meg laughed out loud. "Corrupted him?" she demanded. "He corrupted me! I was totally Team Hell, until he came along. He made me better, I didn't make him bad. If he's a fallen angel, then I am a risen demon. His love is what made me give a crap for anything worth while—you should give him a medal!" She thought of being with Cas, the way he touched her, kissed her; their souls, hers darkness and his full of light, should never have been compatible, but yet she felt so right when she was with him, like she had finally found where she truly belonged. Where she fit. The way he cared for her like no one else ever had, made her genuinely want to reciprocate that care…how could she not be changed for the better because of that?

Naomi slapped her again, harder this time. "You speak blasphemy, you abomination! It is against the rules for angels to have… carnal feelings for anyone, but a demon…that is unspeakable; you should both be put to death by rights. But I am willing to give Castiel another chance. If he sees that justice is properly carried out."

Meg felt her emotions roiling inside of her, ready to explode. "What do you mean justice?" she demanded.

Naomi stepped back, a small thin smile on her lips that made her look very much smug and pleased with herself. "His first job once I get him back in order, will be to do what is right. To renounce you completely and then see this thing finished with a blade in your heart."

Meg's breath caught in her throat. In the back of her mind she had known this was what Naomi was planning, but hearing her say it still pierced her heart, blade not needed. "He won't, you know. You know how defiant Castiel is. If you think he'll do this…"

"He will," Naomi said certainly, sending another shudder through Meg. "When I've finished with him, he will do anything I order him to do."

"He's not your puppet," Meg snarled. "Besides, Sam and Dean—"

"The Winchesters will be the next ones on the list," Naomi said. "They have outlived their usefulness. They will only distract Castiel from his duties. It will do him good to be rid of them too. Such human weaknesses are unseemly."

Meg yanked at her chains, snarling angrily at the angel. "You bitch!"

Naomi slapped her again for good measure. "Silence, demon. I'll see you again later. Right now I still have work to do."

Meg watched her leave, so much anger boiling up in her that she couldn't force any words out. As soon as the door slammed shut, Meg slumped in her chains. She refused to be defeated, refused to believe that Cas could actually be manipulated by that pantsuit, but she would be lying if she said she wasn't terrified that Naomi might be right after all.

Demons might not pray, but that didn't mean that she wasn't really hoping for a miracle right about now. Preferably covered in flannel and borne on the swift tires of a '67 Impala.

"I'm not finding crap," Dean snarled, fist clenching on the tabletop as he scrolled through dozens of pointless nationwide news reports online for odd weather or other anomalies that might mean angels were nearby but it was getting them nowhere. Cas and Meg had been taken hours ago, it was already light outside, and they still had nothing to go on and nowhere to even start looking.

Sam sighed, sitting back in his chair and running his hands over his face tiredly. "Me either, but there's gotta be something at some point."

"Yeah, like reports of nameless bodies being found," Dean replied bitterly, slamming his laptop shut.

"Dean, come on, we'll find them before that," Sam said, though his reassurance seemed half-hearted.

Dean looked at him balefully. "You sure? Because these are the angels we're talking about and they've been looking for Cas since the debacle with Raphael. He's already on their hit list, and finding him bunking with a demon isn't gonna do him any favors. Or Meg for that matter." He ran a hand through his hair. "Seriously, man, even if they don't kill Cas right away, you think they'll have any qualms for Meg? And if they kill her because of him…he's already messed up, he doesn't need this on his head too."

Sam closed his laptop as well, looking up at Dean. "Dean, Cas and Meg are both resourceful. Even in the worst case scenario, they'll know how to handle themselves."

Dean just shook his head. Sam may not have seen the look in Cas' eyes whenever he mentioned heaven's punishments, but Dean had. And the thought of Cas losing what little self confidence he had just barely started to gain back…he wasn't in a good place right now as it was, and this could be the thing that finally broke him for good. Dean wasn't going to let that happen. He needed to find his friend now.

A knock came on the door, startling them both. Dean shared a look with Sam and they both reached for their guns, Sam also grabbing the demon knife, while Dean snatched his angel blade from off the table. He nodded to Sam to stand ready behind the door, as he reached out and opened it a few inches.

"What the hell?" he asked, genuinely surprised. There was a kid standing there dressed in a Weiner Hut uniform that said "Alfie" on the nametag.

"Dean Winchester," the kid said, sounding hopeful.

Sam was instantly standing in the doorway next to Dean, also taking in the strange sight. Dean finally cleared his throat. "Who the hell are you and how do you know my name?" he asked.

The young man looked relieved. "I'm Samandriel. I'm an angel."

Dean started to raise his angel blade but Sam caught his arm. "An angel, huh?" Dean said flatly. "Well, then maybe you know where our friend Cas is?"

The angel, Samandriel—what a mouthful—nodded. "That's why I'm here."

"So what is it, a ransom?" Dean demanded.

Samandriel shook his head. "No, I came alone. The others don't know I'm here and I can't stay long, but Castiel is in trouble. Naomi is trying to break him. And…I couldn't let that happen. He doesn't deserve that."

Dean could see the sincerity in the kid's eyes and his anger lessened slightly. "Look, Saman—I'm gonna call you Alfie—where are they keeping him?"

"And what about the demon who was taken with him?" Sam added.

Samandriel narrowed his eyes. "The demon's still alive. Naomi has plans for her, I think."

Sam and Dean looked at each other before Dean turned back to the angel. "Who is Naomi?"

Samandriel looked at them with a deep pain in his eyes. "She's the one who's been in all of our heads."

Something about that chilled Dean to his core. He wasn't even sure what it meant, but he did not like the sound of it. "Where are they?" he asked again.

"They're not far," Samandriel said. "About two hours down the highway in an abandoned warehouse."

Dean was already in the room, throwing their stuff haphazardly into bags as Sam got the exact directions from the angel. Dean stopped as he reached for Cas' angel blade, then swiftly tucked it into his jacket. Cas was gonna need it on their way out. Dean didn't think it would be an easy trip.

Sam thanked Samandriel and the angel disappeared, obviously needing to get back before he was discovered. Sam glanced toward Dean as he took a couple bags from his brother and they headed out to the Impala.

"You ready?" he asked.

Dean threw the bags into the trunk and slammed it shut, stepping around the car to the driver's seat.

"Let's go launch another rescue mission," he said as he turned the key in the ignition and sped out of the parking lot as fast as he could.

Samandriel came back to the warehouse and opened the same side door he had gone out of, slipping inside as quietly as possible.

And ran right into Jonah.

The other angel grabbed his arm instantly, squeezing it tightly enough to hurt. Samandriel winced as he was shoved back against the wall by the bigger angel.

"Samandriel, where have you been?" Jonah growled warningly.

Samandriel fought for words. "I was just outside checking to make sure no one was around, I…"

Jonah pressed his forearm against the other angel's throat and Samandriel stopped talking, knowing instantly it wouldn't do any good when he saw the look in Jonah's eyes. "You lie. I saw you go talk to Castiel. I bet you went to tell his precious human pets where we are."

"N-No!" Samandriel tried to protest, but Jonah slammed him against the wall again, harder this time.

"Do yourself a favor and stop lying. It matters little, anyway. We should have brought them with us to begin with. It will just make it easier, now we won't have to track the Winchesters down later."

Samandriel swallowed hard, feeling utterly defeated. He had failed Castiel and now he had only succeeded in leading his human friends into a trap. Samandriel knew exactly what Naomi would want done now. She would have Castiel kill the Winchesters just like she planned to make him kill the demon.

"As for you," Jonah said, shaking his head as he grabbed Samandriel by the shoulder and pulled him away from the wall. "I have my own plans for you."

It didn't take them long. Dean tore off the highway toward the abandoned factory Samandriel had told them about in just under two hours. He parked the Impala a little bit away so they weren't instantly detected, and turned her off, scanning the area.

"No guards," Sam observed. "They probably wouldn't think they needed any."

"One good thing about angels is that they never expect anyone to be smarter than them," Dean added as he got out of the car, checking his coat for his weapons. Sam grabbed a spare angel blade from the duffle bag, and they nodded to each other. They didn't really have an idea of what they were walking into, but Cas was in there, and Meg too, and that was all the incentive they needed.

"Our friend Alfie say anything about how many were in there?" Dean asked.

Sam shook his head. "He didn't say much before he flew off again."

Dean grunted, keeping an eye on the door. "That thing he said about this Naomi chick, that she'd been in all their heads—what the hell do you think that meant?"

Sam pressed his lips together, shaking his head. "Nothing good. Dean, if Cas has been…you know…brainwashed or whatever it is they do to them, we may have a problem."

"I know," Dean bit out, not wanting to be reminded of that thought. He thought back to when they'd first met Cas, how distant he had been before he'd begun to have 'doubts' and started to help Sam and Dean in their fight. And then how he had been dragged back to heaven, the way he had come back a total dick again…Dean wondered if it would be like that, if Cas would go back to 'factory settings' or if this was something worse. If it was, he didn't want to have to find out and he really didn't want Cas to have to go through that.

They had reached the door by then, and he glanced over at Sam, seeing his brother gripping his angel blade in preparation. Sam nodded and Dean moved to open the door. It creaked terribly and Sam darted inside, blade held ready, Dean right behind him, at his shoulder.

It took them only a fraction of a second to realize they were surrounded.

Five angels stood around them, though one was being held at sword point—Samandriel. The kid had a look of utter defeat and remorse in his eyes.

"Sam and Dean Winchester, so good of you to join us," said one of the angels with a nasty smile as he stepped forward, blade held at the ready. "I think you'll be wanting to drop those blades now."