Author's Note: Hey guys! I'm so proud of myself for pounding out this chapter so quick! :D It is a little on the short side, but this one is really important, and I didn't want it to be paired with any other chapters, so I just left it the way it is. I hope you enjoy! Not gonna lie, it gets pretty intense. O.O

The Rapture

Eve sat next to her brother, and watched the sky deepen to indigo, and the first stars wink to life. She knew they couldn't stay long, but this was one of her many favorite corners of heaven. The heaven of a small town southern man, who appreciated the simple joys and beauties of life, who'd only ever loved one woman his whole life, and whose perfect day was spent on his front porch holding hands with his wife as they watched the sunset over the land he'd lived and worked on his entire life. Eve and Castiel stood on that same land, and watched the moonrise; out of sight from the man and his wife.

"You've been keeping this from them." Castiel said. Eve closed her eyes, and let Dean's face fill her mind, then Sam's.

"Yes."

"Why?"

"I didn't want them to worry."

"Surely they've seen the signs. The scars, the fatigue…?" Eve shook her head.

"No. I couldn't let them see me that way."

"Glamours?" Castiel asked in surprise. Eve nodded. "Why?"

"Because the weight of the world already rests on their shoulders. They didn't need my burdens too." She said, too tired to even work any heat into her voice.

"We don't have a choice now." Castiel said. Eve sighed.

"I know. Not even Mother can protect us from what's coming for us now." She said. There was no fear in her voice. Only resignation.

"Perhaps we could persuade her to rebuild the wall." Castiel said, though he knew there was little to no hope of that.

"No. She's been without her children for too long. She missed her sons." Eve couldn't really fault her mother. She'd missed her brothers, or at least some of them. And no matter how they wronged her now, she still loved them. Sam and Dean had shown her unconditional love of siblings, and now no matter how she wished to cleanse herself of it, she knew she couldn't. "Besides, they've convinced her that this is the only way." She said, refocusing.

"This plan is folly." Castiel said. Eve smiled.

"Yes. But you know it's what right." She said. He was silent for a moment.

"Are you prepared for the consequences?" he asked. Eve winced.

"I… I think so." She whispered. Castiel touched her shoulder, and she looked at him in surprise. He wasn't normally one for affection.

"If anything happens to you, the boys will be very angry with me." He said. "So don't let anything happen." Eve smiled. She knew what he was trying to say.

"You be careful too, brother. I'd hate to have to find a new favorite." She said. There was a hint of a smile in his eyes, and then it was gone.

"We should go now." Eve took one last look at the moonlit sky, and then squared her shoulders.

"Yes. It's time." Then they were both gone.

Dean sat in a chair on the dock, his line tugging gently in his hands, though he knew it was just the movement of the water. He took a deep breath, breathing in the crisp autumn air. It completely and utterly peaceful. He hadn't felt this relaxed since… he laughed a little to himself. Since the last time he and Eve had made love. Even here he wished for her. She was the only thing that could give him total and complete solace. Even as he thought it, she appeared. His smile was brilliant, if a little wicked, which it almost always was. "I was just thinking about you." He said. Eve smiled, but her eyes were desperately sad.

"That's sweet, but I'm afraid I don't have much time." She said. Dean frowned, and reexamined the situation.

"I'm dreaming, aren't I?" he asked slowly. Eve nodded.

"Yes, but we can't talk here. We need somewhere more private." She said, glancing around nervously.

"More private? We're inside my head." Dean said.

"Exactly. Someone could be listening."

"Eve, what the hell is going on?" Eve bit her lip.

"There's something I haven't been telling you. Something I didn't want you to worry about, because I was handling it. But I'm afraid it's gotten a bit out of hand."

"What is it?" Dean asked, getting nervous.

"Not here. Go to this address." She said, handing him a piece of paper. "Castiel and I will meet you there." She said. Dean read the paper, and then put it in his pocket. "And Dean?" her tone got his attention, and he looked at her. Her face was a picture of sorrow, and it made his heart clutch. "I love you. More than anyone ever can or will. Nothing and no one can change that. Remember that for me, okay? No matter what happens, remember that." she said, her voice breaking, and her eyes shining. Dean stared at her in fear.

"Eve, you're scaring the hell out of me, what's going on?" Eve just shook her head, and then she was gone.

Dean jerked awake in a cold sweat, the fear from the dream making his heart pound and his hands shaky. He shot out of bed, and shook Sam roughly awake. "Sam, wake up." He struggled to keep from shouting. Sam woke abruptly, looking disoriented.

"What? What's going on?" he mumbled.

"Eve's in trouble, we've got to go." Dean said. Sam was fully alert in an instant. He didn't need any more persuading, he just let Dean get their stuff together while he checked out of the hotel. He didn't even complain when Dean tore out of the parking lot like a bat out of hell. Sam listened as Dean explained the dream he had, and the nagging sense of… foreboding, and ominousness that he felt. Something was wrong… very wrong.

When they got to the address that Eve had given Dean, they found it to be an old abandoned warehouse. "So she wouldn't say what was wrong?" Sam asked as they cautiously walked through the play.

"No. She just said she needed a safe place to talk, and that she and Castiel would be here." Dean said, beginning to get frantic.

As they went further into the warehouse, they saw what appeared to be some sort of ground zero. There was debris everywhere – wiring, whole walls, support beams, and more were all heaped and scattered around as though a bomb had gone off. Both of the boys grew grim as they recognized it for what it was – an angel battle ground. Rage and grief fought to be at the forefront of Dean's mind. Rage was winning. His eyes scanned the debris, until finally they fell on Castiel. "Cas!" Dean ran forward, Sam hot on his heels. Castiel was lying in a pile of rubble, looking a little worse for wear. Dean shook him, and he awoke instantly. "Castiel?" Dean called. Cas jumped to his feet, and looked around blearily.

"What? No. I'm not Castiel. It's me." He said. The boys stared at him incredulously.

"Who's me?" Dean asked.

"Jimmy. My name's Jimmy." He said.

"Where the hell is Castiel?" Dean demanded. Jimmy shrugged.

"I don't know. Back in heaven, I guess."

"What happened? Where's Eve?" Dean said, his voice shaking. Jimmy looked around, and then stilled. He nodded over to a corner of the room. Dean followed his gaze, and his heart stopped. There she was, lying on the ground, a fallen angel. Dean rushed to her side, and fell to his knees, cradling her head in his lap. Her eyes were closed but… oh thank god. She was breathing. Dean's heart began to beat again. He shook her lightly. "Eve… Eve wake up." Dean called.

"She won't wake." Jimmy said. Dean looked at him.

"What do you mean she won't wake?" he snarled.

"If Castiel's gone, I can only assume Eve is too." He said.

"Then why isn't her vessel waking up?" Sam asked.

"Because that's not a vessel. That body belongs to Eve, even if it's not her true form. If her… essence, so to speak, is gone…"

"Then it's just an empty shell." Dean said.

"Yes. Like a coma patient. The lights are on, but nobody's home." Jimmy said. Dean struggled to keep a handle on his emotions. Eve wasn't in her body, but that didn't mean she was dead. Dean grit his teeth, and fought back the emotions, which felt sort of like holding back the tide with a shovel. He scooped up Eve's body, and faced Sam and Jimmy.

"Alright, let's get the hell out of here." He said. Jimmy and Sam decided not to question him.

Being as careful as he could manage, Dean laid Eve's body upright in the backseat, and then motioned Jimmy to slide in too. He drove them to the nearest hotel, and at Jimmy's request, stopped for some grub. Dean carried Eve's body inside the motel, and laid her gently on the bed. "Does she need anything?" Dean asked Jimmy, who was gleefully digging into his food. Apparently Castiel didn't keep him well fed.

"I don't know. I don't think so. As far as I recall that body's not fully human, so it probably doesn't need the same things humans do." Jimmy said.

"So what exactly do you remember about being an angel?" Sam asked.

"Not much. I mean, Castiel spent almost all his time with Eve, which is why I know so much about her. And when he wasn't with her, he was with you two, so I recognized you two right off the bat. But you gotta understand, being possessed by an angel is sort of like being chained to a comet." Jimmy said. The boys raised their brows.

"That doesn't sound fun." Dean said.

"Understatement." Jimmy said dryly.

"Eve said that there was something important that she and Cas had to tell us, do you remember that?" Dean asked.

"I'm afraid not." Jimmy said.

"What do you remember then?" Dean snapped.

"I remember I have a family. A wife, and daughter…" he said quietly. Dean sighed. Great – one more thing he had to deal with.

The boys excused themselves for a moment, so they could go outside to talk without having to worry about Jimmy listening in. "So… what do we do?" Sam asked.

"About what?" Sam stared at Dean.

"About Jimmy."

"I don't know, and I don't care. Send him home on a bus, for all I care. Eve is my only concern right now. All I can think about right now, is getting her back in one piece." Dean said. Sam tried to be patient.

"Dean, I realize you're worried about Eve, but you have to think about the bigger picture here." He said. "Don't give me that look, you know it's what she'd want. Jimmy is an angel's vessel – even if he doesn't think he knows anything, he might. And that possibility is going to put him and his family at risk."

"What do you mean?" Dean asked.

"I mean, if we want answers out of him, you can bet your ass that the demons do too." Sam said. Dean sighed, and scrubbed his hands over his face.

"Alright fine. He stays with us until further notice." Dean said. Sam nodded.

Unfortunately that plan didn't go over so well with Jimmy. "What do you mean, I can't go home?!" he demanded.

"Look, we think you might have a target on your back." Sam said.

"From who?"

"Demons."

"Oh come on, what could demons possibly want with me?" Jimmy said exasperatedly.

"You were an angel's vessel, Jimmy.. Do you really think that the demons are going to take your word that you don't know anything?" Sa asked. Jimmy was quiet a moment.

"How long would I have to stay?" he asked. The boys were both quiet a moment.

"We'll cross that bridge when we get to it." Sam said. Jimmy tried shoving past them, but Dean griped him by his shirt, lifted him off his feet, and pinned him to the wall.

"You listen to me." he snarled. Jimmy's eyes widened, and Dean knew he had his full attention. "Normally, I'd be all for reuniting you with your family, that the whole reason I still do this job- to help people. But right now, I couldn't care less about you. All I care about is getting Eve back, so I don't have time to chase you down should you choose to be a complete moron and run away. So if you want you and your family to stay alive, I suggest you stay put." He finished savagely. Jimmy nodded, and Dean set him down. "Good. So long as we understand each other." He said.

Moving back over to the bed where Eve's body laid, Dean sat down beside it. He stared at her, and neither Sam nor Jimmy could begin to fathom his expression. He reached out, and took her hand gently in his, and though the others couldn't tell, he began to pray. He prayed to anyone and anything that was out there listening, for Eve to come back unharmed. He prayed longer and harder than he'd ever prayed in is entire existence, and could only hope that someone out there was feeling generous.

Dean must have fallen asleep, because next thing he knew he was jerking awake to find the hotel room empty. He swore viciously just as Sam came back inside. "Where the hell is Jimmy?" Dean demanded. Sam looked at the empty bed, and swore.

"He was just there, I swear." He said. Dean rolled his eyes.

"Well clearly he's not there now! Where did you go?" Sam looked down.

"I was just getting a coke." He said. Dean give him his best 'are you fucking kidding me' look.

"Was it a refreshing coke?" he asked sarcastically.

"Shut up. Come on, we have to go after him." Sam said.

"Actually, I distinctly recall saying that if he ran off I would not go after him. I gave him fair warning." Dean said, shrugging.

"Dean, you're not actually going to let this guy and his family die, are you? Can you imagine how pissed Eve will be at you when she finds out?"

"News flash – Eve's not here." Dean said. Sam walked forward, and put his hand on Dean's shoulder.

"She will be, Dean. She'll come back. She always comes back." He said. Dean took a deep breath, and gathered his strength.

"Alright fine. But we can't leave her alone, and we can't take her with us." Dean said.

"Dean…" Dean whipped around at the sound of the voice, hoping to god it was Eve. It wasn't, but it was the next best thing.

"Ana? Wow, what are you doing here?" Sam asked.

"I heard your prayers." She said, looking to Dean. Dean blinked.

"Oh… can you help her?" he asked, motioning to Eve. Ana sat on the bed beside her, and touched her fingertips lightly to Eve's temple.

"She's not in there. It must be true."

"What's true? What's going on?" Dean demanded.

"Eve and Castiel were sent back home. Well, dragged back." She said.

"And that's a bad thing?" Dean asked.

"Yes, a very bad… painfully, awfully bad thing." Ana said sadly. Dean grit his teeth. "Whatever Castiel and Eve did must have seriously pissed someone off."

"Eve said there was something she wanted to tell us."

"What?"

"I don't know. She didn't get the chance to say."

"Well does Jimmy know?"

"I don't think so."

"You don't think, or you don't know." She demanded.

"We don't know, that's why we're going after him." Sam said.

"That's why you shouldn't have let him go in the first place." Ana said. She shook her head. "I'll stay here and look after Eve's body. You go after Jimmy." Dean relaxed a little. He knew Ana would protect Eve's vessel, probably even better than he himself could. With that settled, he had no problem going after Jimmy.

By the time they caught up to Jimmy, he was already at his house. And he wasn't alone. The demons had already found them. The boys came through the door, and found one demon on top of Jimmy, and another holding a knife to Jimmy's daughter. Dean slit it's throat with the knife, killing it instantly. Sam held his hand up, and froze the second demon, though even Dean could see Sam was struggling. "It's fine, go!" Sam shouted. Dean grabbed Jimmy and his family, and rushed them out to the Impala, then went back in for Sam.

"Can't get it up, can you Sam?" the demon taunted.

"No, but I can." Dean snarled. Just before he could plunge the knife into, it bailed out in a funnel of black smoke.

The boys went back outside, got everyone in the car, and high tailed it out of there. When they were satisfied that they were far enough away, they stopped in an empty parking garage, so Jimmy could make his goodbyes. They explained to him that there was no going back to his family, that the demons would never stop hunting him, and that even if he didn't know anything useful to the demons, that they would always want to get their hands on a vessel, empty and clueless or not. And so Jimmy did what he had to do. He said his final goodbyes to his wife and daughter, knowing he'd never see them again. Or at least, that was what he thought he knew.

Not thirty minutes after they'd left them, Jimmy's wife called him on Sam's phone. Only, it wasn't really his wife. In the split second that Dean had left her alone to help Sam, Jimmy's wife had gotten possessed by a demon. She told Jimmy if he didn't come back and surrender himself to her, that she'd kill his daughter. So, naturally, they turned the Impala around and went right back towards them.

When they arrived at the warehouse that the demon told them to go to, Jimmy requested a moment alone. And he began to shout. He ranted and raved to the heavens, cursing Castiel to the hell and back, saying he'd broken all his promises to keep his family safe, that he'd give all to Castiel and gotten nothing in return. When there was no response, Jimmy finally gave in, and went inside to face whatever hell was waiting for him.

His wife was there, although it hard to remember it was her, the way the thing inside her spoke. While Jimmy spoke to it, Sam and Dean executed their plan, which unfolded sort of good and sort of bad. They allowed themselves to be captured by the demon henchmen, and then once everyone was in the same place at the same time, they laid into the demons. Sam and Dean each picked a demon, and went at it. In the skirmish and confusion, Jimmy got shot, and his daughter got free. It wasn't until she killed a demon using an angels powers that they realized it was Castiel, not his daughter.

Dean looked for Sam to make sure he was okay, and instead saw his brother with his mouth fixed to a demon's throat like a vampire. Sam gave Dean a panicked look, then killed the demon, and pulled the other one out of Jimmy's wife. Dean looked away from Sam and to Castiel/Jimmy's daughter, mostly because he couldn't look at him without wanting to vomit. Castiel kneeled beside Jimmy. "Of course we keep our promises; of course you have our gratitude. You've served us well. It's time for you to go home now, your real home. Rest forever in the fields of the lord." She said.

"Claire?" Jimmy asked weakly.

"She's with me now." Castiel said. "She's chosen. It's in her blood, as it was in yours."

"No." he said.

"Rest now, Jimmy."

"No! You take me!" Jimmy gasped. Castiel looked at him pityingly.

"Understand, you will never die, or age. If you think this last year was painful for you, imagine a hundred, a thousand more." He said.

"It doesn't matter. You take me, and leave Claire." He said. Castiel sighed.

"As you wish." He said resignedly. Claire placed her hands on either side of Jimmy's face, and a brilliant white/gold light surrounded them.

When the light faded, Claire slumped back, gasping, and confused. Jimmy stood, now Castiel again, completely healed, and walked away. "Cas, wait! Where's Eve?" Dean demanded. Castiel looked back at him, his face utterly devoid of emotion, and Dean's heart filled with dread. "Cas… where is she?" Castiel's gaze shifted, and Dean followed it. There she stood, whole once more, and more stunning than ever. Every muscle in Dean's body relaxed. "Eve! Oh thank god you're alright." Dean said, moving toward her. When she didn't respond, or make a move to touch him, Dean paused, and looked at her again.

Her face was different. There was no emotion there, no warmth, no recognition, no love. It was cold, impassive, immortal, and stunning as a diamond. It was the same expression she had when just before she'd gone in to torture Alistair – the face of a merciless angel, an avenging angel. "Eve…" Dean asked, his whole body going cold.

"We learned our lesson while we were away, Dean Winchester. We serve heaven, not man. And we certainly don't serve you." She said coldly. Her words dropped heavy as stones, and seemed to settle with sickening weight in his gut.

"Cas, Sam… give me and Eve a moment, please." Dean said, struggling to keep his voice steady. Castiel simply disappeared, and everyone else cleared out of the room. Eve continued to watch him impassively, as his body began to tremble. "Did you disobey?" he asked through clenched teeth. Eve tilted her head at him.

"Disobey? No. I'm not strong enough to do that." She said.

"Then what the hell happened to you!"

"I was taught a lesson. I'm a fast learner." She replied easily.

"So that's it, then? You go to heaven for a day, and I go out of my mind with worry, and you come back with 'I've learned my lesson'." Eve didn't respond. "In my dream you said that you loved me, and that nothing and no one would ever change that." Something flickered briefly in her eyes, and then it was gone.

"I lied." She said smoothly. "Angels cannot love. We are impassive and unbiased as warriors are meant to be. Whatever I thought I felt for you was merely wishful thinking. I have been cleansed of such… wasteful thoughts." She said.

"So is this it then? The end." He asked angrily. Eve took a moment to respond.

"Yes. This is the end." She said. There were the smallest of halts in between her words. Someone who didn't know Eve's voice as well as Dean did, would have sworn there weren't there. But Dean knew better. He waited, staring her down, and eventually her gaze lowered. "I'm sorry, Dean…" She said it in the only way that ever mattered between them – mind to mind. And then she was gone.

Dean went back outside, and got into the Impala where Sam was waiting for him. They dropped off Jimmy's family, and then hit the road again. Dean couldn't help but feel hopeful. To an outsider it would have looked like she was completely lost to him. But he knew her better than he knew himself most days. She was still in there. She'd locked herself away in defense of whatever it was that happened to her up in heaven, but she was still there. Lost, not gone. He'd promised her that if she should ever lose herself, he would always be there to help her find her way back. He intended to keep that promise.

On the drive, Sam finally couldn't take the silence. "Alright, let it out." Sam said.

"Let what out?" Dean asked wearily.

"You saw what I did. And I don't know what happened between you and Eve, but I'm sure it wasn't good. So drop the bomb, man. Pull the car over, take a swing at me, let it out."

"I'm not gonna take a swing at you." Dean said.

"Then scream, chew me out."

"I'm not mad, Sam."

"You're not mad." Sam repeated, unconvinced.

"No."

"How is that possible?"

"What do you want to say, Sammy? That I'm disappointed? Of course I am, but mostly I'm just… tired. I'm tired and I'm just done." He said. Sam shook his head, but was saved from having to reply by the ringing of his phone.

"Yeah?"

"Hey, you boys better shag ass down to my place." Bobby's voice said gruffly.

"Why, what's going on?"

"The apocalypse, genius. Move it." The line went dead. Sam rolled his eyes, and relayed the message to Dean, who changed direction accordingly.

When they got to Bobby's, he took the down to the panic room. "Alright, we're here." Sam said, walking into the room. "So what's the big demon problem?" he asked.

"You are." Bobby said grimly. Dean and Bobby shut the heavy metal door before Sam could get out.

"Dean! Dean, what are you doing?!" Sam asked, pounding on the door.

"I'm sorry, Sammy, this for your own good." Dean said. "I've lost Eve, I'm not going to lose you, too." Dean and Bobby walked away, no matter how hard it was to ignore the impassioned pleas that Sam called out behind them.

Dean was determined. He would save what was his – that meant both Eve and Sam. Whatever it took, he would save them.

Ending Note: So yeah. Pretty intense stuff going on here. I'm kind of surprised at myself that this chapter went the way it did. But don't worry too much, okay? That's all I'm saying. ;D Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and thanks again to everyone whose been reading, faving, and reviewing! You guys keep me going. 3

P.S I'm going to try and include songs that I listen to when writing, so that you can get the mood a little more. And honestly, music is a big part of my writing process and inspiration, so I thought it'd be neat to include. :) Hope you think so too.

Dean's Dream: Run - Leona Lewis

Cold Eve: Leave My Body - Florence + The Machine

Saving Eve: Hazy - rosi golan ft. william fitzsimmons