Notes: OMFG! With this chapter we have reached 150,000 words for the series! Confetti for everyone, it's a parade! And Happy Monday to all! Well, not really. Nobody likes mondays. Anyhoo, second to last chapter folks! Hope it's pleasing and all that shiz. And I'm going to assume that none or most of you will not run away if I start pushing the destiel a little bit harder for the next two episodes after this...? Cause that's where we're headed. Nothing too intense yet, but ya know...gotta start somewhere.

Disclaimer: *gross sobbing*

CHAPTER 11

"Well, shit." Meg clearly wasn't pleased and Dean had to agree with her. This was all kinds of fucked.

"It's a carrion house. Scrap shop. Takes ships, pulls them apart, or fixes them up," informed Bobby, deciding to use some of his knowledge that no normal preacher should know, but Dean had bigger things to worry about than what Bobby read up on the network.

"That doesn't sound so scary," breathed Chuck, sounding hopeful now and not a second away from a coronary like before. Bobby laid a comforting hand on his shoulder, "Oh, don't worry. The ship will be just fine when it hits that net. Us on the other hand….once we fall into that net we're more than just helpless. It'll turn this ship into one big electrical conduit and burn us all from the inside out," he intoned, making it sound all the more ominous with his deep voice.

Sam, the nerd, actually perked up at the tid bits that Bobby was offering, "Oh yeah! I've heard of those. There are some newer ones that will just hold you, and then the scrappers will override the airlocks, pull out the O2 or just gas you."

Bobby nodded, as if Sam was talking about a new model transcar and not a machine of death, "I heard of those too. Very efficient for those not looking to deal with survivors." While they were having a random information-off, the rest of the crew gave them incredulous looks.

Raising a delicate eyebrow, Meg gave the preacher a searching up-down with her eyes, "So…one day you're gonna tell us how a Sheppard knows so damn much about crime, right? Perhaps as a bed time story?" She asked coyly. Bobby winked at her, earning an appreciative nod of respect from the brunette.

Dean had enough of wasting time here. He was literally looking at a portal to their deaths and they were focusing on all the wrong things. "Can we fix this thing in twenty minutes?" He asked, turning to Chuck and Gabriel. The helpless expressions on both of their faces told him that while they were amazing mechanics…they were only human. They would need a plan B.

"You two, keep on it. I figure that we have one shot at this. Give me a visual as soon as we're close," knowing Gabriel and Chuck would do just that, Dean started out of the control room with the rest of the crew hot on his heels. "Sam, go prep the suits. Balthazar, give him a hand with them. Anna, go check on Cas. He might be freaking out if he wakes up alone and…senses something bad approaching. Bobby, why don't you send up a little prayer and then go see if Chuck and Gabriel need anything."

Each of them nodded before dashing off to follow their respective orders, not willing to waste time by asking the plan. But Meg was still there, confused as to what she should be doing. She would be damned if she was stuck relying on the others to save her tiny ass.

"Hey, what do I do?" She demanded.

Dean turned to her, jaw tense and eyes intense, "You go get Jane."

After Meg had retrieved her beloved weapon, she and Dean raced down to the hold where Sam was already getting into his mylar suit, the other two suits laid out waiting for Meg and Dean.

Dean had never put on his suit that fast before, and it resulted in getting his shirt and some skin on his neck getting caught in the zipper, but he paid it little mind, only focusing on saving the rest of their skins for the time being. He knew it was impossible, but he swore he could feel the buzz of the electromagnetic net as they moved closer, like a wasp coming too close to his ear.

Meg was dutifully loading up Jane, checking all of her various switches and gauges, checking the sight, making sure everything was in working order. She thought that she knew what Dean was planning, but there was no way that could work.

"You do know that she needs oxygen around her to fire. And I don't have a case because you don't pay me enough," she growled out trying to act completely normal. Which for her was pissy, but worry was still hidden in her eyes so that no one could see.

Dean nodded in understanding as he adjusted one of the sleeves of his suit, "I gotcha. But we've already got that figured out. We're gonna use a spare suit." He gestured over to where Balthazar was dragging over the last empty suit and getting it ready like he saw Sam do before.

"Got it right here for her. Good old, bloody space condom for Jane," chirped Balthazar removing the helmet for Jane to be slipped in. The Captain was glad to see him partially come out of his funk, but maybe the good mood was simply the hysterics of impending doom.

Meg moved to put her prized weapon into the suit, catching on to Dean's plan, "Okay, so I'm going to be shooting at something…What am I aiming for? A window? Political bumper stickers?"

Everyone knew that Meg was the best shot there was on the ship. Even Dean begrudgingly had to admit to it. She had proven herself time after time with her guns, so Dean was confident in putting his and the crews lives in her hand for the moment. Even if he didn't trust her wholeheartedly, he trusted her to want to save herself, and as it was, she would go down with them all if she failed.

Dean and Meg moved up to the window in the hold on the airlock, now able to see the looming net without the aid of the radar. From here they could see mechanical ring, just big enough to nab most ships floating in the black. They could also see now that it was more of a hexagon shape, due to there being six origins of power that made up the contraption.

"Hitting a window might kill a few people, but probably not all of them. And it certainly won't short the net. So I'm thinking that we hit one of those breakers. They're the six points that are brightest on the ring. Just go for one of those, and the whole thing should short out." Dean directed, glad for his own mechanical knowledge.

Meg snorted beside him and rolled her eyes, "Ha! "Should" he says…" she muttered to herself as she moved into position along with the rest of them. Sam, Dean and Meg all stepped into the airlock after making sure to tie their lines tight to the ship and the magnets in their feet were turned on to cling to the floor. Once situated, Balthazar closed the airlock door behind them, closing them off from the rest of the ship. Then he triggered open the outer door.

They watched as the net was revealed as the door slid slowly open. Dean's eyes caught the electric blue sparks and snorted to himself when it reminded him of Cas' eyes when he got angry. Shaking his head, he got his mind back to the present, focused entirely on the job.

Turning on his suit radio, he called to Meg, "Do you see them?" He asked, referring to the six breakers that sparked just a tad brighter than the rest. He heard her happy voice cackle back over the head-set. Sounded like she was excited to be able to use her shiny gun tonight.

"Clear as a preacher's conscious. You see, Jane? Dress yourself up; you get taken out somewhere fun." She smiled cat-like, bearing all teeth as she peered into the scope, only slightly awkwardly due to the helmet in the way. But there was no way that she could miss this shot. That would just suck too hard to even consider.

The rest of the crew had all gathered in the control room as Gabriel and Chuck continued to work at breakneck speed trying to accomplish something…or to distract them from the impending doom.

Balthazar had moved up next to Bobby, watching the net as it appeared in the window.

Anna was standing with a still incredibly groggy Castiel, holding his hand in hers, neither sure who it was supposed to comfort. The sight of the death trap sent shivers through her whole body, "What do we do now?" She asked starting to sound desperate. "There must be something else we can do?"

Castiel shrugged tiredly next to her, "Well…we can either trust Dean….or I suggest that we all consume copious amounts of alcohol and wait for the inevitable shock-wave." He sounded very nonchalant about it all, like he was making tentative weekend plans, but he shifted slightly closer to Balthazar, who in turn shifted closer to Castiel, offering support with one hand as Cas swayed slightly.

"Little too late for getting drunk," grumbled Bobby, his eyes never leaving the window. Everyone in the room shivered.

She only paused a moment longer before firing the first shot, hitting the topmost breaker, finger clenching over the trigger with practiced ease. Her eyes followed the trajectory until it hit its mark straight on, immediately exploding into sparks. And then to show off to the Winchesters, she fired five more times before all of the oxygen leaked out of the suit where the bullet holes had ripped through. Each shot hit a different breaker, sending it into electric spasms that arched and sizzled violently.

The three of them tensed as the Impala got closer, still right on target for the net as it continued shorting out in a wild tantrum. But the blue sparks stopped shooting just in time for their ship to slip right on through, like a hot knife through butter. Not even a static tingle for the crew to feel.

Sam "whooped" into his headset, calling it into the other two as well as the crew back on the Impala, listening in on the radio chatter. Through the same channel they could hear the crew celebrating back in the control room. Gabriel's voice the loudest of them all, making Sam smile extra wide.

Dean smiled softly to himself when he thought he heard Cas' voice in the background grumbling, "This is all very exciting, but can I go back to bed now?" It reminded Dean of Sam on New years eve when they were still kids.

And Meg was cursing a blue streak of happy praises to herself, "Holy f***! Did you see that s***! I am so f******* awesome! I deserve a f****** raise, yeah mother f*****! Wooo! Hugs and puppies all around!"

The string of expletives continued on even after Balthazar came to open up the airlock to let the three back in. But Dean wouldn't say anything to stop her, even when the cursing got especially colorful around the time Bobby arrived to congratulate them. She had saved their lives after all. But in Dean's mind he would give the credit to Jane…for being awesome and shiny.

They had yet to get back their steering, so the initial trajectory that Bella had them on was still in effect, but at this point they were simply drifting aimlessly with no danger showing up on the radar. Dean had decided to go up to the control room to check on the progress a few hours after their victory over the chop shop. But as he walked down the corridor he stumbled upon Sam leaning against the ramp on the catwalk. It had been an incredibly stressful day, but Dean felt this was something he had to take care of, so he moved up next to his brother and leaned on the ramp as well, looking out over the hold like he and Sam had done for years before.

"Hey, Sam. How are you doing?" He asked, gesturing with his chin to Sam's head.

Absently Sam fingered his head where a few hours ago there was a gaping, bloody wound. There was no evidence of the injury now, except for a little blood stain on his shirt collar, but Dean always felt it necessary to make sure that Sam was okay. It had been a habit since childhood.

"I'm fine, Dean. Gabe fixed me up." He said shortly, not looking at his brother. Yeah, he's still miffed at me, thought Dean.

"Listen Sammy…I'm sorry about…earlier. This whole mess really. I just…she seemed so…" He trailed off, not sure how to explain to his little brother how she had just seemed so vulnerable and innocent at the time, and how it made him think of Cas. He had just wanted to save them, give them a new chance at life. Just like they had done for the Novaks, for Bobby, Anna, Chuck, and even Meg, but blessed Sammy didn't need to hear because he already knew.

"Dean. I know. I get it. We all get it really. You were just trying to save her. There is nothing wrong with that, I mean, even I believed her at first. I wasn't so mad at you, just confused that you were ignoring all the warning signs. And you have never brushed off Cas like that before. It was…alarming."

Dean nodded and looked down at his hands. He had brushed off Cas, like he was just some nut-job that new nothing when really…the poor guy knew way too much. Maybe their vacuum was possessed then…..he should probably check that out, he mused.

A bump from Sam's shoulder into his brought him out of his musings, "What about you and Cas now? You guys okay?" Sam had his puppy eyes out, oozing concern and worry.

Dean leaned back, hands still gripping the railing to keep from falling backwards and tilted his head back to the ceiling, "I dunno Sam. I owe him big time for this screw up."

"You could always start by making him dinner," Sam suggested with a sappy grin. Dean smiled back reluctantly and slapped his brother's arm.

"I don't think he'd take it as a kindness for me to go giving him food poisoning. I'll leave the cooking up to Bobby and Anna."

They both chuckled and the tension between the two evaporated. A moment passed in silence before Dean reluctantly pushed off from the railing, "I've got to go check on the two tinkerers. I'll catch up with you later." And he left Sam to his own thoughts and finished his trek to the control room.

The control room was a mess. There were pieces of old and new wiring strewn about the floor. The air smelled of burnt rubber and singed metal from the welding. And the toolbox seemed to have exploded, sending all of its tools to random corners and surfaces around the room. He saw two pairs of legs poking out from under the main panel that he quickly identified as Chuck and Gabriel. What he was really surprised about was Cas perched on one of the many messy panels, swinging his feet back and forth under the surface, watching the pair work. The initial shock ebbed when he remembered that it had been a few hours, and Cas had probably worked the drugs out of his system by now.

He looked up as Dean entered the room and offered a hesitant smile that Dean returned just as shyly. Along with the guilt he had been feeling, now he was also a little ashamed at the whole mess with Bela since Cas knew everything that had happened. But he wasn't about to have one of their "heart to heart" talks here with two very nosy crew members a few feet away, so instead he chose to just move over to stand closely to Cas, just close enough for his hip to make contact with one of the other man's swinging legs. Immediately the leg stopped swinging and his face turned up to meet Deans. And he smiled again, but it wasn't his dreamy smile, it wasn't his shy smile, and it wasn't even his I-have-no -idea-why-I'm-smiling smile. It was the one he had first had given when he told Dean that he was a good man, and then again when Dean had pulled him from the fire. There were no words to describe it besides…honest.

That one glance between them was enough to convey an hour long conversation of apologies and forgiveness. They would be fine, but forgiveness was one thing. Redemption was another.

"Wahoo! We got it!"

The triumphant shout from Gabriel drew both Cas' and Dean's attention to the two mechanics as they scooted out from their work place, grease covering their features. The Captain nodded to them, looking hopeful.

Chuck smiled contently, "It's not pretty, but we can steer enough to turn around," he reported with a relieved smile. The whole day had been a true work up on his nerves.

Dean let out a happy cheer and drew Cas in with a one arm hug and a sloppy kiss into his wild hair, "That is great guys! Let's get back on track then, huh?" Cas' whole face flushed, but he didn't pull away.

Gabriel was smiling warmly at the display of affection as he cleaned some of the grease off of his hands, "Careful there Captain. Don't you know that kissin' makes you sleepy?" He joked, trademark smirk on his face.

Dean returned the smirk, "Well sometimes I just can't help myself. Now…I say it's time to go visiting."

D'awwwww! Little kissy for Cas XD The next chapter will be the last one for this story and then it's off to the re-write of Jaynestown! I'll tell you guys now, I am extremely excited and extremely nervous about the next episode. I went a route that most of you would not be expecting, but don't fret! It's nothing too drastic, I promise.