Discalimer: I do not own supernatural!

Hi!

Sorry for the delay. I've been slightly terrified of this chapter and a complete coward over it (which i know isn't a glowing recomendation for people to read it!). I kinda urge you to read it all the way through and get to the bottom of it before casting judgement as there is a point to what happens.

uh...and i think i told those who disliked slash to turn away a few chapters ago but...i would leave now if you haven't already gone...

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Zachariah had banned Castiel from communicating with the garrison. Evidently they didn't wish for him to enter the battlefield in his unpredictable state.

He was older than could possibly be imagined and yet he was being ignored like a naughty child. It was embarrassing and frustrating. It was made even more difficult by his attempt to keep his promise. But he would obey; he would leave Dean in peace. Give him time to recover and heal in an appropriate manner. He hadn't seen his charge in over a month, the longest time he had spent away from him ever. He felt oddly sad the more that he thought about it.

And then, in the middle of another fruitless search, it changed. He could hear Dean screaming. Castiel had never felt it as fierce or as desperate. Without hesitation he finally allowed himself to feel out where Dean was.

He stepped into the building and winced when he saw it was another large and deserted warehouse. The dust flew up around his feet and he could hear the sounds of things being knocked over above him.

He climbed the steps, listening. There didn't seem to be anyone else, all he could hear was Dean making sounds of pain and protest.

As he entered the room where Dean was he could see his charge was bent over a table, the various detachable things in the room had gone flying. Dean was breathing deep and his fingers were curled around the table edge as if to let go would mean to be damned forever.

He stepped a little closer and Dean whipped his head around.

Dean's eyes were darker and his throat muscles were tight. For a flicker of a second they darkened to pure black and then faded to green.

Dean was possessed.

Castiel steeled himself trying to think how it was that humans managed to do this without harming the person within.

But then Dean let out a scream and the demon smoke appeared by his mouth with great reluctance. Slowly it fought it's way back in until Dean's body let out a small shudder and the smoke flew into his mouth once more.

Castiel felt his vessel's mouth fall open. Shock. He, an Angel older then civilization, was experiencing shock.

It felt very strange.

Swallowing deeply and trying to right himself he slowly walked forward, not letting his eyes pull away from the man in front of him. "Dean?"

Dean drew in breath that was so ragged he sounded as if he were about to die. His body convulsed and the demon smoke appeared again. Dean looked desperately pale in comparison to the smoke and the fading bruises. Desperately pale and desperately tired.

Slowly Castiel stepped next to Dean and put his hand on his forehead.

Dean's head was thrown back and the demon screeched as it left his body. It was a terrible sound; the scream of anger and pain and range. It went on and on until Castiel felt sure that Dean's body could take no more.

And then just like that it was gone, the smoke disappearing through the ceiling.

Exhausted, Dean slumped down, his body giving up the battle to remain conscious. Castiel caught him as he went and ended up with Dean sagging in his arms in a rather undignified way. Ordinarily Castiel would feel the need to readjust the human but his mind was too busy trying to work out exactly what he had just witnessed.

How had this happened? How was it that Dean couldn't understand his true voice yet could throw a demon from his body? He looked up and around for symbols that would lessen a demons power, anything to explain how the hunter had thrown the demon out of him.

Without warning Dean's eyes flew open and he started to try and move in panic. Castiel tightened his grip fighting easily with the hunters weak attempts to move.

"Dude get the hell away from me," Dean's voice was terribly hoarse. He sounded as if his throat had been scratched raw.

"You need to rest Dean, what you just did--"

Dean wriggled and squirmed, "No....just...." He started to pant and close his eyes.

"Is the demon back?"

Dean shook his head. "Just leave Cas," he whispered, "It's...go!"

Castiel let the hunter fly out of his arms and stumble as he stubbornly tried to put as much distance between them as possible. It seemed that Dean was regaining his strength remarkably quickly.

Too quickly in Castiel's opinion.

"You are being foolish. I will take you to Sam--"

"God no!" Dean turned instantly his eyes terrified and hooded. "Please just..."A loud whining noise came out of Dean's throat and his human seemed to wince at it. Dean whirled back and continued to put distance between them, grabbing at anything for support as he went.

"Dean you just exorcised a demon out of you. Sit down."

"NO" Dean growled out, his voice so harsh that it must have hurt him to get to the tone. "Cas go, for Christ's sakes."

Castiel stood awkwardly "The demon may come back. We cannot risk--"

Dean shook his head, "The bitch ain't getting back in."

Castiel stared at the human, "Did you know it?"

Dean nodded, seemingly better when he had something to focus on. "We'd met before."

"Who was it?"

Dean's tilted his head back to stare at the ceiling with an odd groan. "If I tell you will you just go away?"

"Your safety is my priority Dean."

"Well will you leave cause I'm pretty damn sure if you stay I'm gonna be struck down by some wrathful dick."

"Dean--"

"It was the fucking demon of lust Cas. Now go and if you take me to Sam I will hunt you down and kill you."

Castiel blinked in surprise. "If you are infected by a demon's power I need to stay."

Dean started to laugh in a way that almost sounded as if he'd lost his sanity.

"Dude, go." Dean ground out in between hysterical laughter.

"You need help, I cannot leave you."

"Do you actually know what she's done?" Dean asked, "I mean do you even know what lust is?"

Castiel hovered uncertainly, feeling as if he was missing something.

"Right," Dean said with some triumph his smile flashed and then caught on something and disappeared with a strangled groan.

Castiel took an experimental step forward and Dean immediately took one back. He wasn't even looking at Castiel any more, instead his eyes where scrunched up shut as if there was something in front of him that he desperately didn't want to see.

"Do not come closer." Dean said, his voice sounding fierce and demanding. Desperate to be clear in his message.

"This demon's spell could have done anything to you, I need to know what it is to find out how long it will last and if there is a cure." Castiel replied, feeling slightly more on balance. Dean was his to protect and cure. The human was simply being stubborn and difficult, the two qualities that defined him.

"Are you really that....Cas I'm in a lust...thing. For gods sake just leave me alone."

"I'm aware that lust makes humans do embarrassing and reckless things."

Dean huffed out a laugh and then a groan and muttered something about naivety shouldn't be cute. It seemed to take him a while to get his breath and in that time his entire body was utterly rigid as if in deep fear.

"If you are aware of the cure then tell me and I will help."

At that Dean slid down the wall, his body becoming even tighter if it was possible and shook his head wordlessly.

Castiel made his way over to Dean now that it seemed to hunter was no longer moving. It looked as if Dean was in deep pain but he wasn't screaming or crying or anything like that.

Simply breathless.

Dean seemed almost unaware of him as he knelt down on his level. The strain that Dean seemed to be putting on himself had to hurt. Slowly he reached out and placed a hand on Dean's shoulder.

"I need to know--" Castiel begun urgently.

And then all of a sudden the hunter had moved with such speed it was almost as fast as an angel. And it was only pure confusion and shock that kept Castiel rooted to the spot while the human jammed their mouths together and tried to worm his tongue in.

Ah.

If Dean had simply mentioned that lust was to do with sex then he would have understood Dean's reluctance and he certainly wouldn't have made it quite so--

He flinched as Dean seemed to attach himself to his vessel and his tongue did...interesting things. The vessel's body was certainly responding...

The vessel.

He pushed Dean back trying not to allow his eagerness for haste make his movements too strong. Still Dean was slammed back against the wall with some force.

"Dean."

His human's eyes were heavy and the pupils looked almost fully blown, but not as bad as they had when he was possessed. He was panting and Castiel could tell the instant that realisation flew into the hunter.

"I'm going back to hell." Dean breathed out banging his head back against the wall. "Just throw me back now."

Castiel continued to keep Dean pinned. "I assume the spell requires another body for you to...indulge in."

Dean winced and then shook as a wave of something seemed to go through him. "You gonna go get me a hooker?" he asked with some amusement and horror.

"The demon is not doing this for fun Dean, letting you fulfill the spell cannot possibly end well. You simply need to ride it out."

Dean winced and let out a half snort that told Castiel he'd said something strange or wrong again. Then he huffed and groaned. "Can't," he muttered shaking his head.

"You can." Castiel looked him in the eyes, "Dean I know you can I just watched--"

And Dean was fighting to lean forward again. Castiel broke off and frowned at the struggling hunter as he wriggled ineffectively against Castiel's hands. It took a few minutes for Dean to seem to become aware of something besides the spell again. Dean turned his head to the side and his quick breathing lessened a little.

"Could you not have picked some ugly ass, old dude to walk around in?" Dean complained staring intently at a shelf to his side.

Castiel glanced down momentarily. He had barely even seen what this vessel looked like to others. "It was the closest willing one at hand."

"You couldn't just pop out of it for a moment if he was that willing?"

"Do not be crude Dean." Castiel replied almost instantly fighting down a small smile in relief that Dean seemed to be a little more like his normal self.

Dean shook his head and his body gave a small thrust. "Dude's dead anyway right. Be a bit gross." he muttered seemingly desperate for anything else to focus on.

Castiel released his hold a little in surprise, "What gave you that impression?"

Dean whimpered and his eyes were crushed shut again as the spell crashed through him. "What d'you mean?" he asked teeth clenched.

"The vessel is not dead. We need permission."

"Fine, dying then." Dean shook his head and bit his lip.

"The vessel is alive and well Dean. I keep him from harm."

Dean's eyes flew open in shock, "That poor bastard is still in there?"

"He is...muted. Almost asleep. I imagine that he catches flashes and is occasionally aware but we do not tend to bother each other."

Dean huffed out a sharp laugh. "Don't tend to bother...Wow that makes it easier you son of a bitch." he spat out angrily.

Castiel remained silent for a moment. "Trading one sin for another is not going to help end the spell Dean."

"Fuck you." came the ragged response.

Castiel remained silent as Dean seemed to be unwilling to continue any conversation to make this easier for him. He glanced over at the table.

How had Dean thrown the demon out? It had to have been Dean, there was nothing else about. The demon had clearly used this as some last resort and he could feel something close, waiting and hovering.

He had not felt the demon while it had been in Dean...

He frowned looking back again. One hand was clasped around Dean's throat now gently restraining him and the other held his hands motionless by the wrists. The hand around Dean was pale and looked nowhere near as strong as Dean's, nor as weathered and used. Holy Tax accountant. Maybe it would have been better to have found a willing hunter. Should he ever be constrained to this body...

The righteous man who started it shall be the one to end it.

And all of a sudden there became one blindingly obvious reason why Dean was able to fight off a possession.

It took a special person to be able to hold and truly contain the power of an arch angel, such as a person who could not be possessed.

His grip loosened in shock, unfortunately just as another wave hit Dean who forced himself forwards. The tongue was back and Dean's hands were everywhere.

And as his mind raced in stunned horror that the man he had been protecting was destined to become a mindless meat suit as Dean had once called it, his power suddenly started to fade.

He had no idea what it was, Dean's emotions, the spell, his own reluctance with God's plan but his strength started to leave him.

And his previous academic musings became far more practical than he would have liked to imagine. Because in truth this body was not as strong as Dean.

His back hit the far wall and Dean's hands were frantically tearing at the trench coat he had grown rather fond of. And it hit him crystal clear that Dean tasted interesting. Not bad as he would have expected. And while he had no idea what the feeling was that drove Dean it felt almost nice to have the human that he cared for so much this close.

But it wasn't his body that Dean was pressing against, running his hands over and stroking with his tongue. The body reacted but all Castiel could feel was that it was pleasant, that Dean was grabbing in a nice possessive way and that having Dean in his arms was partly a relief because it meant that his human was safe.

The demon.

Dean pulled away from the kiss and started to work his way down the throat in a way that was a little ticklish and odd. When pushing against Dean's chest didn't work he tried talking to him.

"Dean."

But his charge was far too lost in the spell and seemed oblivious. Rolling his eyes Castiel looked heavenwards and wondered if he would have to swallow his pride and ask for some help. Zachariah could probably remove whatever was affecting Dean but it would mean calling him down and into the room.

Things weren't quite that bad yet.

He tried to close his eyes and regain whatever it was that he'd lost. But the realisation that Dean might be simply be destined to become a vessel threw him out of any centre that he managed to create. He couldn't imagine that after all he had done, after rescuing this human from hell, saving him, getting to know and care for him that destiny expected Castiel to just allow Dean to become a mindless piece of flesh.

Not to mention that he started to feel some concern and a faint trace of panic for both Dean and his vessel as the hunters fingers started to pull at his belt.

Suddenly Dean ripped himself away and stared at him with huge shocked eyes. "What the..." he shook his head, "Push me away you dick!"

Castiel stared back and moved, bruises starting to flower. He waited hopefully for his powers to heal the body but nothing happened.

"Christ, are you infected?" Dean looked a little fearful as he sat his back against the wall opposite.

Castiel shook his head and was slowly becoming aware that his vessel's lips were aching. Slowly he put a hand to them in curiosity to see if they were bleeding. His hand came away clean.

Dean was panting again, a clear sign that it wasn't yet over. He was shooting disbelieving and wary looks up at him.

"It seems that you are having an unusual affect on me."

Castiel watched the green eyes widen with stunned amazement and then...? Confused at Dean's reaction he felt that it was only prudent to elaborate. "My strength has faded."

A muscle in Dean's face twitched a little and his face was carefully expressionless. "How much longer do you reckon?"

"I am unsure."

Dean nodded and wouldn't look at him. "Bring Sam here."

"Do you believe that is wise?"

Dean stared at the floor. "Dude, I'm not gonna tongue my brother. If I can resist...Just get him here."

"It would be easier for me to take you."

Dean stiffened, "No it wouldn't." He leaned back. "Besides the car's here," he added clenching his fists and staring at something past Castiel's shoulder.

Castiel nodded but it was clear that he had missed something again. "I apologise."

Dean gave a brief and sharp nod but said nothing.

"I will go downstairs and attempt to refocus. If anything attacks you--"

"What? Call for you so that you can use your vessel tax filing powers?" Dean's voice was heavy with scorn. "Just bring Sam when you can."

Castiel turned and walked out of the door and down the steps, only to freeze when he saw Zachariah waiting outside. He shot a glance back at the room where Dean had been unsure as to what his superior would make of the...incident.

But Zachariah had an amused triumphant expression on his face. "That was certainly informative."

Castiel blinked and refocused, "You mean the possession."

"What else would I mean?" There was a slightly lewd smile on the angel's face. "It certainly clears up some things."

Castiel nodded looking down at the floor. "Dean is a vessel," he said quietly.

"The vessel." Zachariah's voice was triumphant. "It certainly explains how he is meant to end it."

"We will simply have to ensure that it doesn't become an option." Castiel said, a little surprised at the fierceness in his voice.

Zachariah's musing look vanished as his beady eyes snapped to his. Castiel could feel his superiors power roll over him, looking for something that he didn't quite understand.

"It would be better if Dean did not remember this. If word was to get round that he could resist possession it would become obvious."

"The demon of lust--"

"She has been suitably dealt with while you were...busy."

Castiel ignored the not so subtle dig. "If you remove Dean's memory of this he will know that something is missing."

The smile that formed wasn't all that comforting. "I believe it is time to reinvigorate the boys. After all they are our strongest weapons in the coming time. All they need is a little push."

"Dean has asked me to fetch his brother." Castiel began uncertainly.

Zachariah smirked. "I will return them soon."

And when he left Castiel knew he had taken Dean with him. An hour later he discovered that Sam was gone too. It made little sense to Castiel for Sam to have gone with his brother but then the boys did seem stronger when they were a team.

Whatever cruel game Zachariah played with them worked. They returned a week later, both with fire in their eyes and determination in their souls and Dean with absolutely no memory of what had happened in that warehouse.

He never asked.