Sam, Mrs. Tran, Kevin, and Garth watched the morning news together. They had woken up hopeful that morning, but now those hopes were dashed. Last night a small town in Illinois was massacred by a single man wielding a blade of bone. There were images of the people murdered and it definitely wasn't something possible of a normal killer. These people were chopped at until there was only blood left. Men, women, and children had all fallen prey to the serial killer. People have started calling this man the Ripper, or the Blood Knight, but everyone knew that it was the Mark of Cain. Cas was still asleep. Kevin had offered to go wake the fallen angel to watch the news, but Sam had stopped him. The angel had been through enough.
"That's enough of that," Crowley stated, popping out of nowhere and shutting off the TV. In his hand was a newspaper, but it had nothing about the massacre in Illinois. This time the headline read: Blood Knight Bathes Wisconsin Rapids in Blood. "He's moving and he's moving fast. We need to think of a plan and now." Crowley tossed the paper at Sam and the hunter caught it, reading it quickly. The town had been massacred only this time the mark had left some on the brink of death. "They've got some pictures too," Crowley added, nodding at the paper. Sam's eyes fell to the pictures on the cover of the paper. They had been taken from security cameras. The man in the picture didn't even look like Dean anymore. His eyes were so dark it looked like the pupil had swallowed all the color. The mark was back on his arm, glowing hot, and…
"Is that…" Sam stopped, eyes falling to what was hanging on a cord from Dean's neck.
"My grace," Castiel gasped as he walked into the room and stared at the horrid pictures. "He has my grace." Sam flipped the paper over, hiding it from the ex-angel's gaze and stepped in front of Cas, holding his hands out to his pale friend. Cas still looked like death warmed over. He was pale, dull eyed, but at least he wasn't cold anymore.
"Cas, go get some rest. We…" Cas shoved him away weakly and stared at the television, watching as video images of Dean slashing through innocent victims. The angel closed his eyes, swallowing thickly.
"Wonder what the point on wearing that glittering piece of jewelry is?" Crowley stated, frowning at vile of grace as he flipped the newspaper back over. Cas swallowed, chancing a glance at the image. Sam shared Cas' silence until Kevin suddenly clapped his hands together.
"That's it!" the prophet shouted.
"It? What's it?" Cas questioned the prophet, finally forcing his gaze from the haunting images. Kevin thrust a finger into Cas' chest.
"Your grace! Angels are supposed to heal right? If we find Dean and you take back your grace…"
"Then you could heal you're Romeo and kick the Ripper to the curb," Crowley finished for the prophet. All eyes turned to Cas and Sam wished the angel would have at least put on a fake smile of agreement to give them at least some hope. Instead Cas was leaning on the table, face in his hands. Mrs. Tran gently squeezed the angel's shoulder, but Cas refused to look up.
"Where do you think it will turn after that?" Cas questioned. Everyone frowned, not understanding. "Dean has killed people; innocent people. No matter how much grace I have I will never be able to heel him of the pain he has witnessed." Sam clenched his teeth and grabbed the angel by the shirt color. Cas didn't even blink when Sam shoved the new human into the wall with enough force to crack a mirror.
"Sam! Violence isn't the answer here!" Garth tried to shout, but he was ignored by the other hunter. Cas continued to stare at Sam, eyes no longer emotionless. They held enough emotion to drown any human with depression and grief, but Sam didn't care.
"You listen to me, Cas. We're going to save Dean no matter what and your grace will save him. He gave his life because of you even after I begged him not to so you're going to make it better!"
"Sam!" Garth grabbed the Winchester and pulled him away from the fallen angel. Cas pushed himself from the wall of the room and started walking back towards his bedroom.
"I will try, Sam. Let me know when you find him," Cas stated before disappearing down the hallway, emotions hidden under his well-made mask. When the angel was completely gone Kevin used his ghost mojo to fling a book at the Sam's head. Sam cussed and Kevin zapped himself in front of the hunter.
"Would you stop with the finger pointing, Sam? It wasn't Cas' fault."
"I know that," Sam muttered, hanging his head low. God knows he knew that. Sam let out a deep breath, walking after Cas.
"What, you're leaving? He's a big boy, Moose. He can take care of himself. We've got work to do," Crowley argued as Sam made his way towards the hall leading to the spare bedrooms. Sam didn't answer the king of hell. He knew they had work to do, but he had already left one relationship with one of his brothers badly. He wasn't going to make that mistake a second time. Sam turned down the hall, getting out of earshot of the others and made his way towards one of the spare bedrooms. When he finally made it to the one Cas was currently staying in he knocked gently on the door. There was a muffled moan on the other side and the twist of blankets before Castiel's rough voice called from the other end,
"Come in." Sam pushed the door open to see Cas sitting up in his bed, barrowed pajamas rumpled and hair in a disarray. The hunter smirked. Cas sure could fall asleep fast. Cas ran a hand through his hair in attempt to tame it, but it only stuck up oddly to the left. A yawn escaped the angel's lips and Cas blushed slightly. "Sorry, I know I've been human before, but it is quite a change to go through when you are used to never sleeping," Cas sighed, throwing himself backwards and letting his head crush into the soft pillows bellow him. Sam sat down on the end of the bed, noting how the angel refused to look at him.
"Cas," Sam began. There was no time like the present, right? "I'm sorry for what I said before." Cas still didn't look at him. The angel only continued to stare up at the ceiling. "You're right about Dean. What the mark has made him do will destroy him in more ways than possible." Cas turned his gaze to Sam's, face solemn. "I'm not going to give up on him though. We've got to free him. You're the only one we've got strong enough to help him, Cas." Castiel sat up and placed a hand on his chest.
"I can feel it," Cas murmured softly, shutting his eyes momentarily before opening them again. Sam rose a brow and Cas smirked at him. "Dean's soul," the angel clarified. "Remember when I said Dean and I had a more profound bond?" Sam nodded, recalling the numerous times Sam had heard it uttered out of the angel's lips. "With my grace so close to him I can feel his soul and it…it's not good, Sam." Sam stared at the angel. Cas had lowered his head to the ground again and the hunter could hear the strain in Castiel's next words. "I hadn't felt a soul so broken since I pulled you out of hell, Sam." Sam's face instantly paled and his heart shattered to pieces.
"I can free Dean, Sam, but I don't think I can heal him," Cas admitted, meeting the hunter's eyes. They sat there for what felt like hours before Sam finally let out a shaky voice.
"We can still try though, right?"