Title: Dirty Blonde, Ch. 11
Rating: R
Pairing: Dean/Castiel
Spoilers: None, really. If you're up to Season 5, you're fine.
Warnings: Language, nudity
Summary: Dean recuperates from being thrashed by Artemis.
A/N: Oi! This is the longest fanfic I've EVER written. I can't believe it. If you had told me years ago that I would write a genderbending fic that was this long, I would've been like, "HAH. Yeah right. I don't even care for genderbending." Amazing.

And it's still not done. Lmao…

Chapter 11!

"Sam," Castiel addressed their edgy driver who was weaving left and right to dodge animals that were possessed with the uncontrollable urge to destroy the Impala. "Dean needs to get somewhere safe as soon as possible. I can take him to the motel – "

"Do what you have to do, Cas," Sam urged, "Don't worry about me, I got this." He watched his sibling and the angel vanish in the rearview mirror when he glanced to them and then focused his eyes back on the road. Only one stag had been successful at hitting the car, but, thankfully, it had not caused serious damage. Its broad body had swiped back of the car, but its antlers and hooves had not scratched it. Sam was aware that he hadn't just been protecting their lives, but Dean's most precious object. His eyes narrowed at a particularly large animal up ahead that stood in the middle of the road staring at Sam. Unexpectedly, it calmly moved out of the road as Sam neared. The attacks stopped.

They just wanted Dean. He sighed and was grateful that Castiel had been able to zap Dean out of harm's way. The motel was still a fair distance away.

Castiel and Dean appeared in the bathroom of the room they had rented in case they needed to leave the forest in an emergency. To add to Dean's injury, she was now reeling from having been forced to teleport. The sound she made when they materialized in the bathroom indicated that she was just one wrong move away from becoming sick all over Castiel's coat. The angel settled her on shaking legs into the bathtub where she continued to sob quietly, but pitifully.

"I fucked up, Cas," She hiccupped through snotty sobs. Her face was tinted by a sickly pallor. "I fucked up real bad."

Hard as she tried, she couldn't stop the flow of misery that demanded to be let out of her body. The male that was somewhere inside of Dean noted that his female body was processing pain and emotion in ways that were subtly different from what was typical for Dean. That was just another piece of evidence of how wrong the state of affairs was. She couldn't even feel despair in the same way her male body did. She had no control over her body. Dean wrapped her hands around the lapels of Castiel's coat, unable to suppress the emotions of pain, resentment, and dread that were bubbling forth.

Castiel could not heal her despair, so he worked on her body. He lifted a hand to turn on the shower with his telekinetic abilities and then he gingerly peeled off Dean's shirt. Insects spilled into the tub and he threw the shirt to the side. Water splashed over Dean's head and body, washing grime, sweat, and blood down the drain. She stepped back on her bad leg and let out a wretched whimper.

Castiel's eyes trailed down her body to inspect the damage. From her twitching, her inability to set her foot down normally, and the amount of blood she had lost already, he assessed that the injury was a serious one that probably included some nerve damage. He moved his hand down with the aim of repairing Dean's body, "Let me heal your leg."

"What if I just take this one?" Dean muttered back in a darkened tone. She grabbed Castiel's arm to keep it in place, sniffling as she spoke. "You're gonna spoil me. I'll get weak and rusty if you keep helping me like this. You won't always be there."

"I'm not going to watch you bleed to death," Castiel growled back.

"But you might have to," Dean's misty eyes set on the angel's face feebly, "Someday."

With a single sentence she was able to deal him a devastating blow. Cas had trouble watching her tremble and bleed, but he couldn't tolerate what she was suggesting. It made him angry. He crushed his mouth to hers, hoping to kiss the stupid and the hopelessness out of her. Even though she was in pain, she clutched on to him and responded desperately. The angel's hand slipped to the inside of her thigh where he traced some of his power into her leg to discreetly heal the torn ribbons of flesh covering her tibia.

When they broke apart, he grabbed her face firmly. He addressed her with a stony voice, "Not today."

She would have liked to have argued with him, but she didn't have the energy and she didn't have the will to challenge the seriousness that he embodied. Dean cautiously set her newly mended leg down and curled her fingers around Castiel's coat more securely. She knew she shouldn't have said what she said, but she was wounded on more than one level. Dean drew Castiel close and left breathy, troubled kisses on his lips. She was clinging to him so forcefully, that he was dragged into the tub with her. Dean slipped down slowly, pulling Cas down with her until they were both lying underneath the spray of the water. Then, she crumbled into tears again and buried herself into Castiel's body. No matter how badly she needed it and how markedly every fiber in her being called for it, she would never ask to be held.

Yet, while she struggled to regain composure, Castiel embraced her tightly. Cas had never cried before, but he thought that if Dean continued to fall into these fits of despair, sooner or later, he might. The angel was dry-eyed but furious and disheartened as he cradled Dean in his arms. He couldn't squeeze her tightly enough.

Dean couldn't string sentences together to explain everything she was afraid of and everything that made her feel fragile, worthless, and wrong, so she didn't say anything. Finally, Castiel moved his hands to the waistband of her pants to undo the button there. He helped her slip out of her bloody, shredded jeans and threw them over the side of the tub. After the water rushed over her legs, he turned the water off and gathered her into his arms again where she remained.

A door slammed, keys jangled and clanged, and heavy footfalls fell rapidly on the floor, announcing Sam's arrival. He hurried into the bathroom, heaving dismayed breaths with worry lined on his face. The angel and his brother were both wet and miserable, sitting in the tub together. Castiel turned to Sam, wearing a grim expression. Dean, nearly naked and pale, appeared to be calm but unresponsive. Sam wanted to shout or throw something because it wasn't fair for an immortal being who was at least several thousands of years old to pick on a human. Seeing his sibling torn down kindled a rage within him because Dean was the most remarkable person he knew and the person he loved most, above all others. Sam stood near the door, huffing furiously before speaking. "Is Dean okay?"

"She's not bleeding anymore. I healed the wound," Castiel replied. Dean was lethargic and glum. She couldn't look at Sam knowing that she had failed so miserably.

Not knowing what else to do, Sam left and returned will a full glass of water. He settled down by the tub and placed it in Dean's hands. The woman stirred and drank the liquid slowly with dark thoughts accumulating in her mind. She wouldn't cry in front of Sammy. The hands with which she clasped the glass were dangerously forceful. "We ought to kill her," Dean croaked out at last. "Find a way to kill her."

Sam took the glass from Dean before she snapped it in half and became covered in even more blood. Perhaps the worst enemies were those that were similar. Sam couldn't help but notice that Artemis and Dean both had immovable wills and that disagreement with them could be synonymous with death. They were lonely, violent hunters that desired loyal companions almost as much as they desired to hunt. Killing Artemis would make Dean feel better, but it probably would not solve her problem anymore than killing Dean would have solved Artemis'.

"We'll do what has to be done to get you back," Sam answered firmly. "Why don't you change and we'll talk about it, kay? Are you feeling all right? Do you need anything?"

"I'll live," Dean grunted back. Sam gave her some privacy. When he left, she turned around and set her hands on either side of Castiel. She was still feeling feeble, but at least she was whole. "Thanks for the leg."

Castiel couldn't decipher what she was thinking, but she was exuding sex and murder in her eyes and in the quirk of her lip. Cas was anxious and a little bit confused, so he decided it would probably be best for him to give her some space as Sam had done. When he started to move, she grabbed on to his tie.

"I'm serious," Dean said. The angel didn't know his own value to Dean, mostly because Dean didn't know how to express it.

"You're welcome," Castiel answered. After some consideration, he pressed his lips to the side of her face. His sweet and serious gesture was marred by his clumsy, slippery exit from the tub. His dress shoes sloshed as they carried him into the other room, leaving Dean with a contented smirk on her face.

Castiel found Sam pacing the room and thinking furiously to himself. When he noticed Cas, he gave him his heartfelt gratitude. "Thanks, man. Thank you for taking care of Dean's leg."

"You're welcome," The angel answered. He had saved Sam from making a long, frustrating trip to the ER. Sam was decent with stitches after having been exposed to wide gashes and gruesome injuries so regularly, but this injury had been one that mostly likely would have required a real doctor's hand. Sam's eyes darted to the bathroom as he heard the water turn on. When he fixed his gaze back on Castiel, he was startled by how the man had magically dried himself in a matter of seconds.

"Dean is not happy," Castiel stated the obvious and then frowned deeply, "I'm not sure what the best thing to do is."

"No kidding! Artemis is crazy! Batshit," Sam returned. "How does anyone negotiate with her?"

"I don't know," Castiel replied. "But she may be the only person that can turn Dean back. And I mean turn him back completely and fully, without any caveats."

"I don't want Dean to be a girl forever," Sam stressed and began pacing again. He tore at his hair. "I miss Dean. The old Dean. I want him back."

Castiel was silent. He cast his eyes to the ground, thinking that it was right for Dean to return to the way he had always been even if that meant they would never have sex again. "We'll think of something."

Dean emerged, wearing a towel and nothing else. She looked like she had been frantically thinking every second she had been in the shower because she was bursting with ideas. She looked at the men and said, "Cut off the head or impale the heart. That takes care of almost everything."

"You want to catch Artemis?" Sam questioned, "And run through her heart?"

"And then cut off her head." She stated, "For good measure."

"But what if she's the only one that can change you back?"

"I don't give a fuck, Sammy!" Dean shouted. "I'm gonna borrow Cas' sword and ram it up her ass. She doesn't want to turn me back anyway."

Castiel and Sam regarded Dean. Neither had as much hatred for the goddess but they were sympathetic to Dean. Castiel had gladly killed for Dean before, but he wasn't sure if now was a time when murder would be in their best interests. Before he knew it, Dean was invading his space. "It can kill angels, yeah? That sword you've got? So it's the thing that's most likely gonna be able to kill Artemis. If not that, we've still got the knife."

She was picturing how she would ram the angel blade deep in her chest cavity before digging in the demon-slaying knife. One or the other had to work. With a pierced heart and no head, it was hard to imagine any goddess going about her business as scheduled. Dean was only capable of seeing blood and revenge.

"But, she did say she would turn you back," Sam offered quietly. "We could still be able to influence her. If you kill her, you might be stuck like this."

"How, Sammy? How the fuck do you think you can change her mind, huh?" Dean fumed. "What're you gonna give her some puppy eyes? Think that'll work? You want me to grovel to her? You want me to get on my knees and say, 'I'm sorry Artemis, I'll go ahead and be your fucking slave.'"

"You don't belong to anyone, Dean. You never will," Castiel interjected. "Not to her." The more the angel thought about it, the more he was relieved that Dean had rejected the goddess' offer. Cas retreated into himself for a moment and then offered a suggestion. "The goddess doesn't want anything except companions, as far as we can tell. I could serve her instead."

"What? No," Dean answered instinctively. "You're not gonna be anyone's bitch, okay?"

Reluctantly, the angel continued to support his proposition. "I'm used to service."

Both Winchesters marveled at Cas and the amount he was willing to sacrifice for them. Sam's lip trembled, "We could never let you do that, Cas."

"It's only a year," He said, as if a year was only minutes. "It wouldn't be a service to her if Dean benefitted."

"Shut up. Shut your freakin' mouth," Dean held up her hand. "No. You're not doing that."

She looked like she was prepared to smack him if he even dared to suggest such a thing again. Even so, Castiel tried to explain that a year would pass by quickly for him and that it would be worth it. "But, Dean – "

"I said no!" Dean snarled. "You're family. Family doesn't sell each other out. For fuck's sake, Cas. I'd rather keep my tits." She crowded around him and set her hands on his chest. She spoke slowly and sternly, "All I need is that angel sword, babe. A knife to the heart and we're done. Where do you keep it?"

She felt around the lining of his coat, mystified by the lack of a sword. Castiel didn't push her away because he welcomed her hands on his body at any time. Cas frowned, "After you kill her, what would you do?"

"I don't know. I don't have to know. I'll make somethin' up," Dean answered. She couldn't accept the goddess' proposal so she would find another way. Castiel glanced to Sam and found him pondering and unconcerned with their activity.

"Alright, guys. I've got an idea," Sam said and removed his thinking hand from his chin. "Hear me out."

"Yeah?" Dean quirked a brow and looked over to Sam, but kept her hands on Cas.

"What if we fight fire with fire?" Sam suggested. Excitedly, he explained, "Think about it. What's the only thing that could definitely best a goddess?"

Dean rolled her eyes, "Spit it out, Sammy."

"Another goddess!" Sam exclaimed. "Or god."

"This is a bad idea," Dean shook her head with her arms crossed over her chest. The very next day, Sam took to preparing to pray for another deity. Since a deity was the root of all their problems, Dean could not condone this activity.

"I know it's not perfect, but it's better than chopping off Artemis' head and letting you stay a woman forever," Sam replied.

"No, it isn't!" Dean responded. "Because my idea doesn't drag another supernatural piece of shit into our problems. Gods and goddesses are just another kind of Supe, and Supes are no fucking good."

"What about Cas?" Sam cocked his head to the side. Dean made gestures of her frustration. Of course Castiel didn't count. Cas was an angel, not just literally, which didn't mean much, but figuratively. Castiel was a sweetheart and a member of the family as far as Dean was concerned.

"Don't compare Cas to these low-lives!" Dean huffed, but had nothing else to say.

"It'll be alright," Sam said, even though he was doubtful. He had scoured the available mythology to find the deity most likely to lend them a helping hand. If Artemis had been keeping an eye on them, maybe others had as well. If the Winchesters had become the stuff of legend, maybe some god would take pity on them. "The goddess of love and beauty. If we can't trust her, who else could we trust? We need help, Dean."

"If I get another pig in the leg for this, Sammy, so help me God…"

Sam ignored Dean to prepare the ritual. He had placed apples and roses on the table beside a bottle of wine and a glass. He didn't have to fake humility or piousness because he had an inner faith that remained steadily burning despite everything they had been through. "For Aphrodite…" He said as he poured some wine into the glass. "Aphrodite Anadyomene, beautiful, golden goddess. Ever radiant Morning Star. Venus Caelestis, please hear my prayer…"

He's laying it on thick. Dean shifted uncomfortably as she watched Sam woo the goddess with charming words. She had to admit, Sam had done a fairly good job of creating a romantic vibe in the motel room. The scent of roses filled the air and the lit candles on the table produced a warm, welcoming atmosphere.

"Goddess of Love, lend me your luminous powers," Sam prayed reverently. He was praying for Dean and for a peaceful resolution to this situation. He believed that sometimes love deserved to win. "Aphrodite Ourania, please help. Please come."

The room was getting misty, but it wasn't due to anything Sam had done. A dewy cloud emerged and the silhouette of a woman formed within it. When the dew dispersed, the goddess was standing before them, completely naked.

Dean's jaw dropped and even Castiel stared at her in wonder. She had the longest, dark auburn hair Sam had ever seen. Her shining locks spilled over her body, as the only covering for her smooth, pearly skin. "Winchesters…" Aphrodite sighed, truly pleased to be in the room with them.

She regarded Sam with eyes the color of the deep ocean. "Did you do all of this for me?" She waved a hand to the table and then picked up the bouquet of roses. She inhaled their perfume, letting the beautiful red petals rest on her face. Sam had never painted before, but he got the urge to immortalize her holding those roses when he saw how pleased they made her. Sam couldn't say that this woman was as beautiful as the flowers in her hands. Rather, it was the flowers that attempted to mimic her, but could not quite achieve the task. Aphrodite lifted the glass of wine and appreciated the way the sparkling liquid swirled within the glass before lifting it to her nose. She sniffed it and then took a dainty sip.

The cogs in Dean's brain made an abrupt one hundred and eighty degree turn, which Castiel observed with some displeasure. After Dean remembered she was capable of walking, she wandered near Aphrodite and stared. The goddess was unreal and Dean thought, in passing, that she needed to touch her just to make sure she wasn't a brilliant hallucination. After looking at her, Dean didn't think she could desire any other woman.

"You must be Sam Winchester. The tall one." The goddess gave Sam a winning smile. Aphrodite had been purposefully making eye contact with him in between enjoying her gifts. "And then you're…Oh. Oh, Dean. What happened?"

"You know who I am?" Dean smirked like a fool, and was very proud of herself. She knows who I am.

"Dean got turned into a woman by, um…" Sam began and was unable to remember the name of that other girl. Sam had not seen a naked woman in quite some time, and he had never come across one that was so comfortable in the nude. "Uh…"

"Artemis," Castiel offered helpfully. He couldn't let himself be taken in by Aphrodite's spell if he was going to help Dean. The angel got the goddess' full attention. With resolution, he entreated her, "Can you help us return Dean to his true body?"

Now this was something of interest. Aphrodite drank as she contemplated the situation, but she quickly got distracted by imagining three handsome men in the room with her instead of only two. She set down her offerings in favor of studying the female Dean. The goddess became the slightest bit unnerved that the other woman happened to be particularly attractive. If Dean had not been staring at her with such admiration, Aphrodite might have been offended. But Dean was adoring, just as the deity believed all humans should be. Aphrodite approached Dean and placed her hands on Dean's soft face. She caressed Dean's hair, which made the eldest Winchester purr, "That feels good."

"Are you as handsome as your brother as a man?" Aphrodite asked.

"Yes," Dean answered and then, with the cock of her brow, she added, "At least as handsome, but probably more."

Aphrodite appeared wounded. She mourned the handsomeness that was kept from her eyes by Artemis. How could she admire the face of the legendary hunter Dean if he was wearing the wrong skin?

"Oh, absolutely," Aphrodite cried, "I will help." The situation was a trifle to her, like changing a light bulb or going to get the mail. What seemed impossible to Dean, Sam, and Cas was just another simple task for the goddess of love and beauty. Or, at least, that was the way she made it appear. She certainly did not rush at the task. She settled her bare bottom into the chair and continued to savor the wine that had been provided to her. She lifted a shiny apple in her hand and was pleased by its prettiness, "Oh, how lovely. I adore apples."

"It's organic," Sam replied. Dean immediately smacked him on the shoulder.

"Here is my proposition. We can all go have a chat with my darling Artemis. I will dissolve all of your worries and set the world back as it should be," Aphrodite announced.

"Yes, thank you," Dean gushed. She was unusually liberal with her words. "You're so beautiful. Inside and out. Thank you, ma'am. It means everything to me."

Aphrodite settled the fruit in Dean's hands, offering it to the Winchester because her sweet, honest words had affected the goddess. Meanwhile, Castiel's jealousy rose steadily, but he masked it with his familiar stoic expression. Every god and goddess had a motive, and Castiel was observing her closely to find out what it might be. This woman of myths had been responsible for multiple deaths, but always indirectly. Castiel wasn't certain that she could accomplish what she said she could, but he had never felt his judgment more clouded. The sight of Dean fawning over the great, beautiful woman tainted every one of his conclusions.

Aphrodite suggested that they leave the motel in favor of a more natural setting. She did not remark on how the bed sheets and large television set were tasteless eyesores, but those objects were her main motivation for leaving their current location. She could not even bear to look at the curtains, so she kept her back to them.

"Is that what you've been wearing as a woman?" Aphrodite indicated to Dean, "Out in public?"

Dean looked down at her attire that was similar to what she wore as a man. She favored layers and plaid, but today her boots were dirty, torn, and bloody. "Well, the boots – that was Artemis. I got an arrow in one and a pig in the other. They've seen better days."

The naked goddess waved her hand and Dean received brand new footwear. Dean's feet fit snugly into a pair of glossy black boots that were far more luxurious than the ones she had originally purchased. "Oh, wow. Thanks. These are nice."

They would be easier to walk in than the boots that had been shredded, but Dean also suspected that they would get scuffed the instant she did anything outside. Aphrodite turned to Sam and, with horror, she noted his pants that had been torn by canine fangs. "Oh, no! Dearest Sam, you couldn't possibly clothe your magnificent body in the rags of a common vagabond."

"C-Common vagabond?" Sam's face filled with a hint of pink. Hand-me-downs and thrift store purchases stocked his entire wardrobe. Wait, did she say 'magnificent body'? In the next second, he was standing before the others in the clothing of a modern day prince. He wore a three-piece charcoal suit with a dark tie, polished shoes, and a watch that he would have to hide after this ordeal was over because it was an object that would either get destroyed or stolen in a matter of weeks of their typical living. "Thanks, you didn't have to."

Aphrodite only smirked back in reply and headed to the door, forgetting, or unconcerned, with the fact that she was totally lacking in clothing. Dean cleared his throat. "Aphrodite, with all due respect, you think maybe you should put on some clothes before we go out?"

She frowned at Dean.

"It'd be a real shame to cover you up, but if you go out like that, we could get arrested."

"Oh," She nodded and worked her magic on herself. Dramatic swirls of color began to wind around her body until she was clad in a blue and green ensemble that was as unique and creative as it was beautiful. "Is this good?"

"Yeah, definitely," The siblings responded in synch.

"It's very beautiful," Castiel joined in, knowing that his place was to praise the woman if they wanted her help. He could play this role with honesty because he saw a being that perfectly captured the majesty of the sea when he looked at her. Aphrodite reached out to touch the angel and his face became smooth from being freshly shaved. His attire became crisp and clean, and his hair became groomed into a neater array of thick brown.

"And you have your own kind of radiance," Aphrodite said, looking beyond his vessel. When she acknowledged the winged creature, emotion swam in her large eyes.

Even after they were out the door, their progress was slow. Aphrodite had needed time to admire the Impala that she identified as a 'beautiful chariot.' Dean agreed wholeheartedly and was not at all surprised that the authority on beauty loved the Impala. Dean had never been so proud of her baby. "Sammy, goddess gets shotgun."

"Can I drive?"

"No."