Written: 12 May

Soundtrack: Evil Angel by Breaking Benjamin

Word Count: 6700+

"If there is anything worth dying for, this is it."

Dean Winchester (1979-2008/2008-Present)

Chapter 10

Spenser, Tennessee, Two Weeks Later

There really was no legitimate reason for her to even care about this.

There really wasn't.

So then why was she currently hiding in the brush of a wooded area across the street, just outside of sight of Dean Winchester and the angel Castiel? The two of them were currently having a conversation by the lakefront, Dean sitting on one of the benches of the rest stop and Castiel next to him on his right, sitting on the tabletop.

Sam Winchester had remained in the car's front seat, sleeping.

From what she could hear Castiel was discussing the war and how their latest battle had been unusually easy, considering Raphael was not personally involved this time. Not that he was complaining.

"Well a victory's a victory. I'd take what you can get."

"Believe me Dean, I am. But it does make me wonder what Raphael could possibly be up to now that he is no longer taking charge of the battles." Castiel's tone held worry and Dean had but one conclusion of what it could possibly be. The same had been on his mind for almost the past six months.

"The Grace thing right," he asked slowly, taking note of the angels expression.

Castiel simply nodded his head, avoiding the hunters eyes and simply staring down at the grass. He had learned the ugly truth shortly after the fact and was disturbed greatly by the actions Raphael was willing to take to get what he wanted. It disgusted him.

"I don't know what his plan is or what purpose he could possibly have for it but…I just don't understand how he could do that." Castiel whispered. "It's unfathomable. The steps he's taken." He shakes his head as his mind wraps around everything that has happened in the past year with the war. Regrettable things were expected from both sides, that he knew, but he had never imagined that things would turn this desperate this quickly. "They were our brethren. Some of them who were even on his side, he killed. And for what?"

He looked over at Dean as if the young man would have the answer, but he didn't. He was just as worried as he was and tried to understand what could possibly be going through the angels mind right now. Even if he didn't have a clue he wanted him to know that it bothered him as well, simply because it bothered his friend, because it bothered the angel.

She continued observing their exchange, studying the hunters expressions carefully.

"I really don't know what to tell you Cas but if I did, you already know that I will do whatever it takes to help you. You know that."

Cas smiled softly as his head slowly dropped towards the folded hands in front of him, and a full blown grin came across his face. "I know Dean," he looked back at the hunter. "And I really do appreciate it."

"Hey, anytime," he smiled back. Chick flick moment or not, he meant it.

Dean always relished these short conversations between the two of them. They were usually always right before Cas had to disappear to deal with another mess occurring upstairs, but he didn't care. Dean would take what he could get. That 'what if' was always in the back of his mind, but he never wanted to believe that any of these small talks could be their last. So, he did what he always did. He savored them.

As if on cue, Castiel sighed and looked up at the sky.

Dean already knew what was coming.

"You have to go don't you?"

"Unfortunately, yes." He brought his head back down to look at Dean who simply smiled at him and patted him on the back.

"Well then, go kick em' in the ass."

Castiel chuckled at this. "But of course." And with those few words he disappeared, leaving Dean alone to replenish their conversation.

…

It didn't take long for Dean to have company again and before he knew it, the spot where Castiel sat just seconds before was once again replaced by a rush of flapping wings.

The hunter looked to his right and jerked, only to see his mystery angel sitting on the table next to him, her elbows resting on her knees and leg nearly touching his shoulder.

Funny how she wasn't putting off that creepy vibe this time.

"You know it's not necessary to worry about him all the time." She speaks calmly, not a trace of irritancy in her voice, Dean notes, and staring out at the lake.

"That's easy for you to say." He replied, not even flinching as he had done last time they met.

She looks over to him, the fierceness in her eyes that he has come to know absent at that moment. Dean couldn't help but think that maybe, the shadows from the trees around them just hid it well. But her stare was different this time, almost as if she were trying to study him through a microscope. "Why do you care so much about Castiel? He's nothing to you."

Her approaches are still as expressionless as ever. Dean merely stares back at her, as if trying to perceive what she expects to hear but sees that she truly wants to understand. He looks back at the lake, not even meeting her gaze. "That is something you angels will never get. You guys consider that the only thing of importance are orders and to be honest there are other things out there worth living for. Not everything needs an explanation or reason you know."

She furrows her forehead as if wondering what that could be, as if begging him to elaborate more but not daring to ask. Still she pondered this as he stares back at her, as if to study her himself. It was time to get some answers.

"How did you get into Isabelle? I mean, last I saw she was dead."

"Same as everyone else." She replied simply. "I needed her consent, and she gave it to me."

"You brought her back?" Dean asked considering the confusion of her corpse last being in the morgue and supposedly in the ground afterwards, but she gave him no answers. She instead led the conversation elsewhere.

"Few people can perceive the true form of angels, even fewer with my own. As I am sure you are already aware we, have been known to…damage, humans who try to look. Sometimes even lower level angels such as cherubs can become…afflicted by my true form."

Dean's eyes nearly bulge in shock. Holy shit. "You can burn the eyes out of a cupid?"

She pauses and simply remains staring out at the lake. "Not intentionally."

Dean can only gape at himself and blink as the thought processes in his now spinning brain. "What about Cas? You can't hurt him right?"

She pauses again at the hearing of the angels nickname. "No," She finally says. "Castiel would not be affected by the sight of my true form. Powers, they are resilient to that and hence have no reason to fear looking at us."

"Powers?" Dean gave her an arched eyebrow as if to say that he didn't have a clue what she was talking about.

"That is Castiel's rank." She said flatly. "Just as a cupid is considered a cherub, Castiel is known as a Power." She looks back to him. "There are 9 different types of angels Dean Winchester, each with their own responsibility and specialties in which they excel at."

"So what are you?"

She simply stares at him and doesn't answer as she her gazes returns towards the lake. "Isabelle, was one of them. You can imagine my shock when I discovered that. I never, would have suspected that she was one of the very few who could perceive us." As if wanting to avoid the conversation getting too personal for her she quickly changed back to the previous subject. "She is my vessel now. My true vessel was supposed to be her mother, but…desperate times call for desperate measures I believe is what you say." Dean looks at her surprised that she is telling him all this, considering last time they met she looked like she wanted to shiv his ass. "I needed her. Again, she gave me a very big surprise but…life is full of surprises?"

She almost looks like she wants to smile at her use of references but Dean still finds it a bit spooky and decided to throw her a curveball back instead. "You scare the crap out of me by the way." Dean shoots his head back to her as she looks at him and tilts her head in confusion. "Just thought you ought to know that."

"Why do I bring fear to you? I have no intentions of harming you." Not unless I'm told to.

Dean grits his teeth. "You just do." He shrugs his shoulders and gives her his most innocent child look, as if he was acting like he didn't know something that could potentially get him in trouble. It wasn't me.

His gesture only confuses her and she goes back to stare at the water. "I apologize. It was never my intention to frighten you."

Dean had to admit to the shock now inside him, of all the things he was not expecting from her an apology was one of them. "Then why do you?" He asked in a somewhat serious tone, as if to keep his bearings.

She pondered this for a moment. "Perhaps it's the opposite." She takes her gaze off the lake and then back at him. "Maybe I make you feel safe and that's what scares you."

"Come again?" He gets no response from her and doesn't understand her answer. "You don't elaborate much do you?" He suspects that perhaps she may not understand either, if even just a little. "I don't know why," he lets out a sigh. "But I guess I could take that."

"Then why don't you?" She asked somewhat innocently.

"Look uh," He glances at her as if expecting a name but she gives him nothing. Maybe she doesn't get the hint. "You know, this is the part where you say your name." She continues to stare at him and says nothing. "Okay then. If you already know who I am then you should also already know that I don't trust anyone unless I know what the hell they're about." He stated simply. "I need to know what to expect from them. That way I can be prepared for whatever I have to face."

"And the purpose for that?"

"To cover my ass." He says bluntly. "It's not just me I gotta worry about. I gotta worry about Sam, I gotta worry about Cas, I gotta worry about Bobby, heck I gotta worry about 6 billion other lives and frankly, I'm allowed to know who the hell is on my side and who isn't."

She merely continues to stare at him, as if trying to unlock the box that is Dean Winchester. To say that the intention of this encounter was simply educational, only caused more questions to surface. "Even if it costs you your life?"

He simply stares at her, his own fierceness seeping from his soul. "If there is anything worth dying for," He stares out at the lake and points to the surrounding trees, the kids playing by the water's edge and laughing, the couples spending time together on the dock. "This is it. I don't need another reason."

He just stares back at her in return and after a moment of simply looking at him she says nothing and presses two fingers to his forehead.

She disappears before he can even blink.

xxx

The next afternoon found the brothers back in South Dakota preparing for their next hunt. While the two brothers packed their things Bobby had already headed out on his own trip, tracking down a rogue vampire in a small city in Illinois which left the brothers with the house to themselves.

After learning about some demonic omens at a local town in Nebraska the hunters immediately grabbed their belongings and took the job. Demons had been strangely quiet lately, but monsters were running amuck which kept every hunter in the country quite busy.

Just as Sam and Dean were about to head out Castiel showed up, looking a little weary but otherwise okay.

"Hey Cas." Sam said first, noticing the angel dropping into Bobby's study.

"Hello Sam."

"Cas." Dean called out in greeting, turning his head and eventually all the way around as he finished stuffing his clothes into his bag. "Found anything yet on little Miss Rinky Dinky?"

Castiel simply tilted his head in confusion, clearly telling the hunter that he didn't understand.

"The chick Cas." Dean said somewhat obviously. Would the angel ever get just one? "You know, the angel who's been tailing us for the past couple months." He circled his hand in front of himself as if to point out himself and Sam.

"Oh, yes, of course." He answered quickly, his hands coming out of his coat pockets to fall to his sides and a slight frown appearing on his face. "Forgive me Dean. I haven't been able to find anything out. I'm sorry."

An uncomfortable silence fell upon them for only a moment.

Although Dean was slightly disappointed he didn't let it show, knowing that the angel was simply trying to do him a favor outside of everything else he had to deal with. "Don't worry about it. Sam and I haven't been getting any surprise visits from her anyways. I don't think she's been around."

"Well that's," Castiel tried to find the right words. "Insightful."

Dean just gave him a screwed face as the angel seemed to lose himself in his thoughts.

It was strange. He had been spending some time on the matter, a lot of time actually, and just when it seemed like he finally had something to go on it was like the issue had completely slipped his mind. He couldn't understand how but took it possibly as a simple distraction of the war.

"Anyways. Sam and I are headed out to Wakefield, Nebraska. Supposedly the place is crawling with demons and omens. Care to join us?" Dean asked, still studying the look on the angels face. "Or do you need to go take care of business upstairs?"

Castiel simply paused before answering him. "No. I can go with you."

"Great. Let's vamoose." Dean nearly chimed as he grabbed the keys from Sam's hand and headed for the door, his brother and angel trailing right behind him.

xxx

When they get there just a couple hours later it is already night time. Dean is the first to exit the car and quickly hands Castiel Ruby's knife, knowing that because the angel is disconnected that he is unable to smite demons.

"Dean I─"

Cas doesn't want to take it, knowing that is an embarrassment that he actually needs to use a weapon to smite a demon, but the look the hunter gives him is one between an 'order' and a 'plea' and he hesitantly accepts it.

This causes Dean to breathe a little easier, knowing that the angel will have something to defend himself with and the three of them slowly walk into the abandoned warehouse where it was suspected that the demons had been gathering.

…

The angel is still watching from far away but is suddenly called back into Heaven for an important matter.

"But I don't─" She stops as more whispers pass through her ears and she looks up. "I understand."

She actually doesn't understand why, considering she knows about the demons prepared to attack Castiel and the brothers but she immediately puts away her questioning and obeys, assuming that it is God who wishes to relay something to her. With that final thought she quickly disappears.

…

Even after staking out and seeing nothing, just a few moments after the Winchesters and their angel enter the pitch dark building they are attacked from behind, and all out chaos ensues.

(…All Hell breaks loose would be a more appropriate term, but considering they've been there and done that, they really don't want to take any chances of jinxing themselves. Long live Team Free Will…)

There are at least a dozen demons or so but more seem to crawl out from the shadows and Dean immediately begins to regret walking in to their trap, thinking that it was going to be a simple five demons at most here and there.

He is quickly disarmed from behind, losing the sawed off shot gun he had in his hands and is thrown across the room, landing with a less than graceful thud to the floor.

"Dean!" Sam calls out to him as he shoots a demon square in the face, the rock salt immediately putting him down.

Castiel has already taken down two of his own but is momentarily distracted when he notices that Dean has yet to move. Just as he is about to rush over to his charge a demon wraps a hand around the angels neck and Castiel immediately drives the knife into his chest, expecting him to fall.

To his shocking surprise however, he doesn't, and the demon simply laughs as he pulls Ruby's knife out with ease, tossing it to concrete floor.

"Hello Castiel."

The demon smiles as his disguise smolders away, and reveals an angel underneath instead.

Before Castiel can even grab for his sword the angel has him pinned against the metal wall and swiftly thrusts his hand into Cas' chest, pinning him off the floor and paralyzing him in white-hot pain as he digs into his chest cavity.

Castiel struggles and grunts but cannot manage to find his voice to scream or even breathe, his throat immediately collapsing on him.

xxx

Meanwhile back in Heaven, the female angel finds herself patiently waiting in the garden.

As she does she is left watching drops of water slide down large banana leaves, listening to birds chirping nearby, seeing vines slowly wrapping themselves around tree limbs. It is all her Fathers creation and she finds simple fascinations in them, even if she never took the time to actually appreciate it.

She passes a gentle finger under one of the ferns leafs and smiles softly at the sensations she receives. It's as if the plants themselves have life and are speaking to her through this simple tingling touch.

Her thoughts are quickly interrupted however when she is soon met by Joshua.

"Child." She turns around as he addresses her. "What are you doing here?"

She immediately drops her hand and looks at him confused, as if asking why he was not expecting her. "I was told that He had a message for me."

"I never called you," he stated simply as he shook his head.

"You didn't?" She looks straight at him and can tell by the expression in his eyes that he is not lying. "But then, who─"

The next look he gives is one of slight fear and she immediately shares one of her own, quickly disappearing before another word can be said.

xxx

Castiel continued to struggle against the angel, clasping his hands around his assailants forearms as he clenches around his Grace, the angel quickly squeezing it around his fisted hand.

As the Grace slowly starts to seep out and into the other angel Dean finally regains his composure and wipes away the blood dripping from his lip. He looks over at Sam who has taken down another half dozen demons and shoots another as it heads for the older hunter. Dean looks back at him in gratitude and quickly takes out his .45, getting up and looking around for Cas.

What he sees almost blinds him in a fit of rage, as he notices that Castiel is pinned helplessly against a wall on the opposite end of the room, the demon thrusting his arm into his chest.

"Cas."

Dean immediately runs over to him, taking out three demons on the way and collecting his sawed off and its then that he realizes that the one Castiel is fighting is in fact not one of them. He quickly drops his angel sword from the holster he has in his jacket sleeve.

The angel continues to clasp his hand around Castiel's Grace as he feel's himself beginning to lose consciousness. His mind is now a numbing whirl around the freezing pain in his now glowing chest and the will to fight it off is quickly dying.

The angel whispers to him in a menacing tone, taunting him. "Don't worry little brother. It's almost over."

Castiel can simply look at him through half lidded eyes as his grasp around his arms quickly loosens. Before the angel can finish the job however he feels a piercing jolt run through his throat, as Dean rams his angel sword deep within him, killing him instantly.

Castiel falls to the floor as the angels hand slides from his chest, and he explodes in a burst of light in front of him, the remnants of charred wings now the only thing left behind beneath his now unoccupied vessel.

Castiel struggles to catch his breath as Dean immediately goes to him and carefully sits him up, asking him if he's alright.

"I'm fine." He whispers, despite the small trail of blood now dripping down his chin.

"Come on, I'm getting you out of here." Dean says firmly as he carefully hoists him up and the angel continues regulating his breathing, the pain from the extraction quickly dying down as he struggles to get his footing on his shaking legs.

"Sam!" Deans calls to him as he slides one of Castiel's arms over his shoulder.

He slides the knife over to his brother and he quickly picks it up as he shoots down another demon.

"We might have angels!"

Sam quickly takes his brothers warning as he takes out his own angel sword and begins to attack with both the knife and the sword. At this point some of the demons are choosing to flee at the sound of a possible celestial in their midst, but Sam takes out as many as he can before they even get the chance to think about it.

Dean puts a firm grip on the angels arm and another around his waist, and quickly gets him out as Sam takes out the few remaining demons that are left.

After getting him to the car and finding no physical wounds on Cas to suggest that anything else has gone wrong, the three of them quickly leave, hoping to avoid any other visits from another angel or demons for that matter.

As Dean hops into the front seat he looks back at Castiel and asks again if he's okay. Sam shares his concern and looks back as well.

"I'm fine Dean," he whispers somewhat roughly.

"Are you sure?"

The hunter wants to believe him as the younger hunter beside him notices the shaking of the angels hands. Castiel quickly tries to control them and nods his head.

Dean isn't sure if the angel is lying but simply accepts it as he quickly starts the car and heads out. Sam remains staring at him but eventually goes back to staring at the dashboard in front of him and lets it go.

Castiel does not admit it, but he does feel significantly weaker. Even though he knows that he won't be able to hide it long, he chooses to ignore it and assumes that his Grace will replenish with a little time.

xxx

Whatever little hope he had to convince himself of that quickly fades away as they stop at a nearby motel. Even though Sioux Falls is only a couple of hours away Dean has noticed that the angel is trying to play off the seriousness of his condition and wants him to rest. He'll be less than comfortable in the back of the car and he knows that Castiel thinks the same.

Sam can feel the tension between the two and doesn't hesitate when Dean asks him to get the room. He quickly grabs the credit card from his brother and heads out, quickly making it to the office.

As soon as he's far enough away Dean gets out of the car and walks over to the back right passenger door, carefully opening it. Castiel is sitting in the middle, his head ducked down towards his chest and hands still clutched on his knees.

Dean knows that something is wrong when the angel can barely manage to even lift his head.

His body feels entirely too weak but he does not wish to say anything to the hunter. Whether it's from pride or panic he isn't sure.

"Cas. Are you okay?"

Castiel attempts to hide his gaze but the piercing looks he knows he is getting from the hunter makes him shudder.

"Cas? Will you look at me?" Dean says a bit more forceful but is still careful to keep his tone light.

The voice that he gets in return immediately causes all his calm walls to fall apart. "I can't." Castiel can barely make any words, much less echo them, which makes them sound so incredibly small and labored. He's struggling, as his next barely comes out at all. "My body feels numb."

Even though he barely caught it, Dean feels a surge of panic swirl in his chest but quickly buries it and tries assures the angel that he'd be fine. "It's okay man, I gotcha. Everything's gonna be okay."

All he gets in return is Castiel shakily exhaling.

He carefully reaches in and takes Castiel's hand in his, wrapping his free arm around his torso and helping maneuver the angel to the edge of the door. Even the simplest movements are too great an effort for him to do, and Dean carefully drops his feet to the ground.

Knowing that he most likely can't walk, or even stand for that matter, Dean turns around, his back now facing the angel and kneeling down on one leg. "Just drop all your weight on me Cas and I'll carry you inside."

Even though it is uncomfortable for him, Castiel uses all the strength he can muster to slowly stand up but finds himself falling on the hunter less than gracefully, as trickles of pain shoot through his limbs. He immediately hisses and feels his vision fading from the head rush, and because of it is left panting.

He quietly apologizes but Dean assures him that it's okay as he pulls the man's arms farther over his shoulders and clutches his arms together, circling them around his neck. He then repositions his arms under the angels knees in piggyback fashion, letting his trench coat drape behind him and slowly stands up. The man is deceptively heavy for a little guy but at least he's not as light as he felt during his rescue in Georgia, (which Dean can only be happy about) and readjusts his back a little to help better support him.

Castiel felt incredibly embarrassed at his weakness and Dean can feel the flush slowly creeping over the sweat sleeked skin of his face, which is currently pressed against his own. Dean sighs and tells him not to worry about it as he kicks the door closed and Cas sluggishly tightens his grip around Dean's neck so that he doesn't slip off.

Even though it takes a lot of strength out of him Castiel manages to whisper a thank you as he shuts his eyes.

Sam quickly comes back from the office with the keys and sees Dean walking across the lot towards him with Cas on his back, realizing that the angels condition is worse than the two of them anticipated earlier.

"Is he okay?" The worry is obvious in his tone that Sam doesn't even bother to mask it.

Even though he knows that his brother can tell when he's lying, Dean just plays it off that Cas is just a little tired and there's nothing to worry about.

Even though Sam cannot see much from under the metal shades that surrounded the motel, he knows better and scoffs. Even if the angel was a little tired he still managed to stand on his own and that was clearly not the case here.

Dean is freaking out, but doesn't push the subject as he quickly opens the door to their room, moves to the side and Dean carries Castiel in.

Dean asks him if he can lock the car, the keys still in the ignition. While Sam goes to get the bags from the trunk and lock the doors, Dean carefully sits Cas down on the closest bed, detangling his trembling arms from around his neck and turning around to lay them on his side, the angel weakly gripping onto the edge of the mattress.

Castiel's eyes are drooping again and his breathing is slowing down, and Dean suspects that he may be knocking out any second now.

He doesn't even bother to help him out of his coat or shoes and gently lays him down on his left side instead, an arm supporting the angels neck and shoulders, the urge to sleep quickly filling the angel's numbing mind as his head hits the pillow. Dean then repositions his legs in front of him until he is fully on the bed.

Before the hunter can even ask, Cas whispers through now closed lids that he's fine and that all he needs to do is just rest a while.

Dean hesitantly takes his word at that. "It's okay Cas, I understand."

Castiel carefully opens his eyes just a bit to look at him, the blue orbs almost blank but glassy.

"I didn't have an angel's arm clawing at my chest trying to rip out my Grace so, yeah, I get it." He smiles. "I don't blame you."

Castiel simply huffs as if to want to laugh and Dean cuts him off, telling him to go to sleep and putting a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

He expects the angel to correct him about his lack of sleeping habits but the only thing he hears next is the angels breathing evening out.

After checking the angel's pulse he finds it slow, but steady. He then moves his hand over his right cheek to check for possible fever but finds the skin to only be slightly cold.

He sighs. The angel is now fast asleep, asleep Dean reminds himself, not unconscious.

As Sam walks in with the bags he asks Dean if Castiel is okay and Dean replies that he's fine as he grabs a quilt from the closet and drapes it over the angel.

"Are you sure?" Not that he would ever think of questioning his brother but from where he was standing, the angel looked less that fine.

"He's alright Sam. Guy just needs to take it easy for a while. He deserves a break." Even though he tries to control his tone Sam has been around him long enough to know when he's worried. He really didn't need to keep hiding it.

Sam nods his head but knows what's really going on through his head. He's worried. Especially since the angel is dealing with a freakin' war and now it seems, with Raphael's minions trying to disarm him any way they can, but Sam still doesn't push it as he places their bags on the floor.

xxx

The angel returns to the scene of the fight and finds the dead angel still lying on the floor amongst the bodies of now dead demons.

She kneels next to him and places a careful hand on his chest, trying to read any remnants of possible Grace. She finds none within this angel, Barakiel she reads, the vessel being a Frenchman named Fabien.

What disturbs her even more is that she doesn't find the piece of Castiel that he attempted to steal either. This worries her.

She reads him a final prayer and as she turns around to leave is suddenly struck in the face by a demon.

Obviously not a very smart one.

With a look of rage she simply turns her head back around and with one finger pressed to his forehead, his eyes and mouth fill with gold light as he is smited.

His screaming body engulfs in flames soon after and is then reduced to ash in a matter of seconds, leaving nothing but a heap on the floor.

She looks down and watches as the demon is literally reduced to nothing but empty particles and realizes that she maybe should have asked him what his purpose here was first.

She sighs in frustration at her stupidity. "Damn it."

Already realizing her mistake of 'smite first and ask questions later' she simply leaves it as a done deal that cannot be taken back and quietly disappears.

xxx

After a quick shower Sam starts heading for bed, when he notices Dean on the small dining table reading through some of their case notes and stealing glances at Castiel, who hasn't moved.

"Hey." Dean looks up and over to his brother who is now folding his towel and tossing it to the floor. "Where are you gonna sleep?"

Dean simply looks back down at their notes and replies somewhat sternly that he isn't tired, not even bothering to look up again.

Sam shrugs an okay, knowing the real reason why Dean refuses to do so, and is soon asleep as well after taking a last glance at the angel beside him.

Dean stays up for a couple more hours and eventually closes the research, replaying the entire thing in his mind as to why there was an angel hiding amongst the horde of demons. It had obviously been a trap, a set up, Dean's instincts were telling him this since the moment he saw the dick clawing into Cas like a piece of meat. Whatever he hoped to accomplish he had obviously not but still, Dean couldn't help but feel that something else was off.

Something about the angels smirk.

He was definitely up to something but could not for the life of him figure it out. It obviously had to do with the Grace, that much he knew, and his thoughts immediately trail back to Blue Ridge.

Dean starts to wonder if maybe he should have asked him what the hell was going on but pushed away that stupid thought, remembering that if he had stopped to chat with the guy that he could have very well killed Cas.

Dean simply lets out a frustrated sigh and gets up from the chair.

He walks over to Castiel to check up on him again and sees that he appears to be doing better, his skin no longer pale and sweating and face serene, his breathing steady and even.

Dean gives a sigh of relief and pulls the covers just a little higher around his neck. He goes over to the other bed and does the same for Sam, the younger hunter sleeping on his side away from him and turns the lamp off, returning back to his chair. After sitting down and placing his arms on the table he continues to let his thoughts flood over the events of the past few hours and still can't get out the feeling that there is something else behind it all.

He sighs and looks over at the wall beside him.

The moon illuminates the wood paneling and it's at that moment that he notices an obstruction in the middle of the window.

Dean quickly looks back but sees nothing there, the obstruction suddenly disappearing.

He quickly gets up, picks up his sawed off and opens the door and walks outside. He looks in every direction but sees nothing but the motel's lot and the trees that surrounded it.

There is no one outside.

The adrenaline rush in his chest is winding down but only slightly, mentally trying to convince himself that it was nothing and makes his way back to the room.

After quietly shutting the door and placing the gun on the table he immediately starts to ward off the place just in case.

After placing a few extra wards around the room Dean finds himself satisfied enough and sits back at the table. As wired up as he is Dean decides to try and rest and pillows his head over his arms and closes his eyes, eventually falling asleep.

The angel is outside, standing on a small hill under a tall pine tree, gazing at the lone standing motel in the distance. She is starting to realize, that even from afar that the hunter may feel her there. She doesn't know how but brushes it off as simple 'human instinct'. As a hunter these senses are heightened, she assumes.

He is still physically unaware of her presence but for some reason she knows what he knows. Even with their latest conversation he recalls none of it thanks to her, but still, it's as if something about him mentally tells him otherwise. That he knows what's out there.

Whatever the cause, she realizes that she will need to be more careful from now on and conceal herself better.

xxx

When Dean wakes up the next morning he finds a blanket wrapped over him, the same that he had draped over Cas the night before and looks over to see the angel standing by the window looking outside.

Well he's standing at least.

Dean takes in the steadiness of his posture however and notices that the angel is looking much better compared to last night. The nerdy little dude always managed to bounce back somehow and that was enough to bring a small smile out of him.

"Mornin' Cas," he yawns as he gets up from the table, leaving the blanket on the chair.

"Good morning Dean." Castiel looks back.

Dean slowly walks over to him and asks him about his Grace, tapping a finger to his chest. He didn't have to say it, but the angel knew that the hunter wanted an honest answer and not a bullshit one.

"I was able to replenish it." The angel states simply.

Dean nods after a moment and mentally gives thanks, to no one in particular of course. He notices Sam still sleeping behind him and offers to go get breakfast for the pair.

"Dean you know I don't require sustenance."

"I know, I know but it might help you." Dean insisted. "You may be standing on your own right now but no offense, you still look like someone can just push you over."

Castiel frowns at this but Dean simply continues.

"Who was that douche anyway? The angel from last night I mean." He looks over at his face as Castiel ponders this and eventually gets blue eyes to face him again.

"His name was Barakiel. He's one of Raphael's lower minions in the war. He's the angel of lightning." He states simply, wondering why of all angels, he was sent to carry out the job of disarming him.

Talk about a douche bag name. "Lovely. So what, he was trying to steal your Grace by ripping it out of you?"

"That's generally how an angel's Grace is removed Dean." Castiel's tone is flat and obvious, as if it really wasn't necessary for him to have to explain the matter.

"Right," Dean nods as he slaps a hand on his shoulder and grabs for the keys. "I'm gonna head out. You stay here with Sam and take a break alright."

Castiel simply nods in return as the hunter starts to head out the door.

"Oh by the way," Dean turns around as the angel looks at him curiously. "You like pancakes right?"

Castiel isn't sure whether to throw him a glare or a frown and simply nods his head, at the same time to trying to remember what a pancake actually is.

To Be Continued…