"Five days, Bobby," Ellen said as she peeked out the window. "Five days we've been under house arrest and unable to get a hold of Sam or Jo." She noticed the not-so-inconspicuous demons that surrounded the salvage yard.
"Quit worryin' and git to workin'. I can't find anything in these old books alone."
Ellen sighed and made her way over to where Bobby was reading a book on demon possession. They had read and read, and were getting nowhere fast. Bobby only had so many books, and none of them really had anything to do with saving a ghost from the Devil. They were driving themselves mad trying to be useful. She dragged a yellowed book off the top of a pile and began to skim the pages with her eyes.
Woosh!
"BALLS!"
Ellen felt a small gust of wind and turned around to see a frantic looking Castiel. He seemed to be looking around the room, until his eyes settled on Bobby.
"Sam. Where's Sam? I need to find Sam." He rushed over to the old hunter and got into his face. Bobby pushed him back and wheeled backwards to avoid being pulled back into the angel's grip. "Who knows? Lost any connection with Sam or Jo five days ago. Place is surrounded by demons, and we got the warning from Jo not to leave just in time."
Castiel's expression showed that he cared little, if at all, for the misfortunes of Ellen and Bobby.
"Sam. I must get to him. He needs to be warned." This time, Bobby yanked on Castiel's arm, which seemed to shake him out of his daze.
"Quit mumblin', you idjit! Now, you wanna tell me what'so important you gotta find Sam?"
"A friend, is going to try to stop this at the source. I cannot let her." He looked over at Ellen. "Is it possible Sam is with Joanna?"
"I-I mean, I guess, but I don't-"
Ellen was cut off by the sound of wind rushing by her ears.
"All I'm saying, is that the iron fence? Totally racist." Jo rolled her eyes as she held the gate open for Dean to get through as looked at his hand carefully. "Just get in the freakin' cabin, Dean-o."
Dean paused for a moment at hearing the nickname, something that he once found annoying that had, in his mind, become an endearing term.
"What?" Jo asked when she noticed his silence. He smirked at her. "Nothin', sweetheart."
"Don't make me regret letting you through that gate, Winchester." Now it was his turn to roll his eyes.
Jo walked through the door of the cabin and made her way over to the couch, where she removed her boots. Sam was already raiding the kitchen, which Rufus and other passing hunters kept well-stocked. Jael was sitting at the small table, looking around at everything. Dean just wandered around.
"Sam! Gimme some food. I'm starved," Jo called over. He nodded his head, considering his mouth was full and he was too polite to talk. Arms full of all kinds of goodies, Sam made his way to the couch. He placed all of it on the side table. One bag of Chips Ahoy fell onto the ground, and Sam jumped about six feet in the air when a pair of arms reached out from nowhere and handed him the bag.
"Cas! What the hell?! You gave me a heart attack!" Castiel cocked his head. "Your heart is fine, albeit in slight tachycardia. It should resume to normal soon." The expression on his face changed from one of confusion to that of desperation. "Sam, I am here because I need to talk to you about something."
"Castiel?" Jael spoke softly as she made her way quietly from the table to the couch. Castiel looked at her. "Jael?" he inquired, turning his attention to her. "What are you doing here? I thought... I thought-"
She cut him off as she hugged him violently. "Castiel, it's Zachariah. He's Lucifer's spy," she felt sobs wrack her vessel. "Nathanael..."
Castiel patted her head awkwardly. "I know about Nathanael. And Zachariah? Are you sure?"
"He killed him. In front of me and Sam."
As if suddenly remembering the purpose of his presence, Castiel turned back to Sam. "There isn't much time. Anael, she- she thinks she can go back in time and prevent the apocalypse."
"That's great! But how?"
"It's not great Sam. She's going to go back and kill your parents."
"So I have to go back and stop her? Why can't you?"
"Because she will not know you're there. You are still warded by the Enochian I engraved on your ribs."
"I'm going too," Jo piped up after sitting in silence for far too long. "If this bitch wants to hurt Sam, she'll have to get through me."
"Anna?" Dean asked, appearing out of nowhere. Jo noticed his facial expression change for a moment. "A-are you sure she's going to try and kill our parents?"
"Yes, I am afraid that she sees it as the only solution to preventing the apocalypse and world destruction."
"She isn't wrong," Sam murmured.
"Shut up, Sam," Jo snapped. "I'll go back. Save Mary and John. Be back in time to eat dinner."
"I'm going too," Dean said.
Castiel laughed a hurried, unamused laugh. "I cannot send ghosts back, Dean. In fact, if Johanna does go, I cannot allow her to take the amulet. The transition of time could quite possibly terminate your existence altogether."
"I am perfectly able to go," Sam said. "Jo, you can leave the amulet here with Jael."
"No. I don't trust her. She might fly away with it."
"Jael is a perfectly trustworthy angel," Castiel said. "She is one of the youngest angels in the garrison."
"Whatever. I'm not leaving Dean."
"Leaving me?"
"You know what I meant."
They all kept talking. Jael tried to speak, but was cut off. She spoke louder this time.
"I can accompany Sam."
Everyone went quiet and looked at her.
"I will go with you. Protect your parents. If I can prove myself this way, I will be more than happy to help."
Sam shrugged and looked at Jo. She huffed. "C'n giver'a shot," she mumbled. Castiel nodded his head.
"Good, because we need to leave. Now."
"Are you sure that he's in that cabin?"
"Yeah. Floatin' around like a regular Casper."
"Good. Is anyone with him?"
"Just that blond girl. Bill Harvelle's daughter."
"What a shame, I was really starting to like her."
Lucifer smiled as he put the phone down. Now that head had finally tracked Dean Winchester down, he was not letting him out of his sight until he was readily prepared.