Chapter Fourteen – The Price Of Love
At a risk of sounding like a broken record, thank you so so much for everyone who reviewed the last chapter, I cannot thank you enough for taking the time to comment. Yes, I was mean leaving the last on a cliffhanger (I hate them too), but here I am with the ending in a day, and I promise it's a nice one. Hope everyone is still reading and loving, cause this story is so damn fun to write, and knowing you are all enjoying it is the best feeling in the world. Once again, I would love any reviews, as I love hearing your input, it brightens my very tense countdown to the 24th August, results day :S. Anyway, hope you enjoy chapter fourteen and I look forward to hearing from you all :).
"You must know where she is!" Dean cried, gripping his brother's arms in panic.
"I haven't seen her!" Sam retaliated, placing a hand on his forehead as Dean released his hold. "I...I don't know where she is," Sam mumbled, pacing back and forth as his mind made impact with grief.
"Oh God, anything could have her by now, angels, demons...Jesus Christ! How did we miss her!" Dean barked, punching a wall out of anger as tears fell from his troubled eyes. She could be dead by now, he thought.
"I'm sure she's okay," said Anna reassuringly, placing a delicate hand on Dean's rigid shoulder.
"I beg to freaking differ! Can I just have one normal week!" Dean shouted, pulling at his hair with strained fingers. Dean heard the sound of rushing wind echo through the stable, the corrugated iron roof rattling as the intensity escalated. He looked up to see the stable doors swing open effortlessly, revealing the figures of the two troublesome angels, Uriel leading with his intimidation. Dean immediately jumped from his seat as he recognised the figures that entered the barn, throwing himself at Uriel out of desperation.
"What did you do to her you bastard! What did you do!" Dean cried, grabbing hold of the collar of his suit jacket in fury. Castiel recognised the gesture, it reminded him of Kate's uncontrollable anger at the Impala.
"Dean!" called Sam, beckoning his brother backwards, anxious that Dean's frequent outbursts towards the angel would land him into trouble.
"I know he has her Sammy! I know he does!" Dean continued as the angel sneered back at him, pushing Dean away from him carelessly, as if he was brushing dust from his suit.
"What are you talking about!" Uriel snapped, straightening his jacket with tense hands.
"Where is she!" Dean barked hopelessly, frightened for his sister's safety.
"Where's who?" asked Castiel, forming a bridge between the angels and the hostile Winchester with his diplomatic tone.
"Why are we wasting our time with..." growled Uriel, irritated by Dean's reaction to him.
"Where's who?" Castiel interrupted. He had seen Dean's desperation before, but he had never seen his eyes restrain so much anger and misery.
"Kate," Sam replied, answering for his brother as he broke into tears.
"She's...she's missing?" Castiel stuttered, fear overcoming his mind and his ability to speak. The worst had happened. His stupidity had gotten her hurt.
"Yeah, we don't know where she is, she was in the stable and the next thing..." explained Sam as a furious Castiel stormed towards him, his once absent eyes drowning in anxiety.
"You just let her...disappear?" he growled to Uriel's surprise. Everything he had been fighting against the Winchesters for didn't seem to matter, they were trivial. What mattered to the angel now was Kate's safety.
"Castiel! Compose yourself!" snapped Uriel, trying to keep the seemingly rebellious angel in check.
"You just let her disappear!" he bellowed with the full intensity of his deep, celestial voice, casting Dean's chair to the shadows of the stable effortlessly. The emotions he had fought to control had possessed his mind, leaving him unstable. He had tried so hard to fight them but the thought that she was gone, dead, caused his buried anger to erupt.
"Calm down boys," spat a malicious tone from behind the Winchesters, a wicked grin following his interruption.
"How dare you come in this room," Uriel retaliated, ready to confront Alistair.
"Why the hostility? I came bearing gifts," said Alistair, stepping aside to reveal the body of Kate, resting lifelessly in the hands of a demon, her clothes drenched in her blood. Tears started to roll from Sam's eyes, choking on nerves as he observed the body of his sister. Dean was lost for words, stunned that she had been there, right next to him, and now she had been reduced to a bloodied mess and Alistair's new toy. Castiel was fixated, grief had swept over him with the full force of a tidal wave. "Oh, don't worry, she's not dead, she's just...in pieces," he continued with malice, determined to provoke a reaction from the motionless trio.
"Why...why did you do this to her," Dean wept, examining his sister's broken body. Castiel was still rendered immobile, paralysed by the thought that he could have protected her, but didn't, and now she was paying the price. If she came out of this alive, he would swear never to leave her alone again.
"Firstly, I'm a demon. Secondly, I wanted Anna," said Alistair casually, like he had done a good thing by tearing the young girl to pieces. "You see, if you don't give us the girl, then I'm going to finish the job, you know, tie up all the loose ends," Alistair growled, throwing Kate's lifeless body to the ground, the shock of the impact causing her to stray towards consciousness. She flashed a weak smile as she recognised the petrified faces of Sam, Dean and Castiel, reaching towards them with a withered, bloodied arm, her porcelain skin bruised a colour of plum and crimson. Dean was moved to tears by her faint smile, she had been broken, ripped to pieces by Alistair and she still had the courage to smile at him. "So, what's it gonna be boys!" barked Alistair, kicking Kate in her heavily lacerated stomach, opening up old wounds with a shiny dress shoe before Dean could reach for her.
Castiel closed his eyes as he watched her double up in pain, blood running over her fingers like a deep crimson river as she clutched her stomach, he couldn't watch her in pain anymore. Her screams echoed in his mind as he fought the emotions that were taking hold of his body.
"You're not having the girl, you disgusting stain. Do you really think we care about...that," said Uriel maliciously as he gestured towards Kate, who was writhing on the floor as blood started to engulf her.
"Well... I think they do," Alistair retorted, glancing at the Winchesters and the conflicted angel, knowing that with Kate's battered body he had the upper hand.
"Castiel?" asked Uriel, with a tone that seemed to question his loyalty. "Castiel!" he snapped angrily as he received no reply.
"I..." the angel stammered, he was torn, unsure whether to let his past walk into the fire, or sacrifice his future. He looked over at the petrified Anna, watching the memories of their long existence play out in his head. She had been there, holding his hand through every stage of uncertainty in his life, comforting him, until she fell. When he looked into her eyes he felt strangely reassured, the memories of their past flooding into his mind. Then the angel glanced towards Kate, her terrified, loving eyes warming his frozen heart. When he looked at her, her body submerged in her own blood, he still saw the image of her at the field, strong, intelligent, caring. She was the epiphany of his father's creations, what he had been roaming the Earth for for a dreary, tedious 2,000 years. She was everything. Without realising it, Kate had captivated the angel, her smile and gentle warmth breaking him free of control, guiding him to make his own decisions for the first time. Her eyes flitted towards him from beneath bruised eyelids as he became engulfed in memories, making his heart wrench in fear. If he didn't choose now, she could be lost forever.
"Cas," she breathed, coughing as blood rose in her throat. "I forgive you," she cried, sensing that her end was nigh. Her vision was fading, her pulse disappearing as blood poured from her open wounds. She had to forgive him now, she didn't want to die knowing she was on bad terms with the angel. Dean turned to face Castiel with an unreadable expression, speculation causing him to raise an eyebrow. Castiel swallowed his grief as he admired her piercing eyes, frightened it would be the last time and approached Alistair, Kate's forgiveness giving him the courage and confidence to rise above anything.
"Turn around and walk away now," Castiel growled, furious for what Alistair had done to the girl lying helplessly on the ground beside him. Every fibre of his celestial form cried out for revenge, but he had to remain composed, Uriel would suspect something if he continued to flaunt his uncontrollable anger. Uriel smiled wickedly to himself, believing that his taunts had reigned Castiel in, and shaped him into the form of a battle-hardened servant, who never questioned orders.
"Sure, give us the girl, we'll make sure she gets punished good and proper," Alistair snapped, gesturing towards the rigid Anna who was seeking reassurance in an equally tense Dean. Castiel would have handed Anna to the demons for the guarantee of Kate's safety, but he had to remain the tactician, he didn't want to flag himself up as a renegade angel, especially as Uriel was watching him like a hawk after his outburst. For now, Kate was safe, and he stood in front of her protectively, shielding her from any more torments or torture from Alistair.
"You know who we are and what we will do," he continued, stepping towards Alistair with nothing but hatred and disgust. The last thing Kate saw was Castiel's polished shoes as he stood in front of her. His intervention had reassured her, and she fell unconscious, numbing the pain in her aching body.
"I won't say it again," said Castiel to the brothers' surprise. Interference in human matters were rare for his kind, and there was Castiel shielding their sister from a demonic onslaught. Dean had to blink twice to check he wasn't dreaming. "Leave, now, or we lay you to waste," he continued, the fury he had buried spurring him on, encouraging him to fight, fight for what he deemed was right and fight for her.
"Think I'll take my chances," Alistair replied arrogantly. There was a mutual, unspoken discussion between Uriel and Castiel, meeting the eyes of the demons with disgust as the agreed on their next move. As Uriel rushed for the shorter henchman with a ponytail, Sam ran between them, gathering his sister's body in his arms and carrying her to safety. Uriel rammed the demon into a support, wood splintering under the force as his head bounced with the impact. The angel sensed a second attacker approaching, and turned to knock the taller, more heavily built demon to the ground.
Castiel concentrated his efforts on Alistair, satisfying his thirst for revenge. Rage consumed his mind as he struck the demon repeatedly with tightly gathered fists, feeling relieved as he watched Sam rescue Kate from the battlefield. The reassurance that she was safe with her brother allowed the angel to unleash his anger, and concentrate on tearing Alistair apart. He knocked Alistair's head back with a charged fist, placing his hand on his forehead and attempting to separate demon from host.
"Sorry kiddo," spat Alistair to Castiel's widened eyes. "Why don't you go run to daddy!" he cried, knocking Castiel on his back with his palm. Alistair followed his strike by grabbing the overwhelmed angel by the collar, growling Latin as he constricted his neck, rendering him motionless. Uriel watched enthusiastically as the demon with the ponytail squirmed under his hand, the once black, empty eyes erupting into glowing balls of white-hot light as he collapsed to the floor. "Potestas inferna, me confirma," growled Alistair, strangling Castiel with his grip as he tried to exorcise the angel. Castiel struggled and writhed in the demon's hands, attempting to break free, but the words left him paralysed. "Potestas inferna, me confirma!" Alistair bellowed as Dean struck him around the head with a crowbar, pushing him backwards and allowing Castiel to breathe a sigh of relief as he lay on the straw that littered the stable.
"Dean, Dean, Dean. I'm so disappointed," said Alistair, focusing his attention on the elder Winchester as he recovered from the attack. "You had so much promise!" he continued, crushing Dean's throat with his open palm. Sam was about to retaliate, lunging for the demon, but Alistair caught him, bringing him to his knees. Uriel exorcised the other demon effortlessly as he pinned him to the floor, looking up in horror as he watched Anna tear the chain from his neck that contained her grace.
For Castiel, time seemed to slow. He lay on the straw, staring at Kate, who was still unconscious. He heard Uriel's cries and looked up to see Anna running from the expert in intimidation with a glowing crystal in her hand, intent on smashing it on the floor. Then he realised. The energy released from Anna's grace outside her body would tear Kate apart, what was left of her.
"Kate!" he cried, attempting to shock her into consciousness. "Kate!" he continued, but he was met by no reply, not even a stir from her heavily lacerated body. Her arm was outstretched, revealing the extent of her injuries through numerous deep slices in her pale skin. He watched Anna, predicting her movements and separating himself from the memories. It was time to let go. He couldn't let Kate die, she meant to much to him. He pushed himself from the ground with his hands and ran over to her, scooping her body in his arms. He raised her from the stable floor, supporting her neck with his left arm as he legs hung lifelessly over his right. Sam and Dean stared hopelessly from behind the magnitude of Alistair's attack, frightened of what the seemingly hostile and cold angel was about to do with their sister. Then he disappeared, leaving only a trail of dust that had been stirred by his presence as Anna's grace echoed through the stable.
Kate regained consciousness a few hours later, feeling the soft comfort of material brush against her broken skin as she opened her eyes cautiously. She observed her surroundings, recognising the lilac walls and crushed purple carpet. She was in her bedroom in South Dakota. She tried to sit up, but her weak arms struggled to support her dainty frame and she fell against the feathery pillows behind her head.
"Don't try to do too much, your body has been...under a lot of stress," murmured a voice in the corner. Castiel. Her eyes widened and her breath hitched in her throat as she saw the familiar tense expression of the angel emerge from the shadows.
"I..." she said, her voice cracking with grief and as the memories of her torture were recollected.
"Nothing can get to you here," said Castiel, his words reassuring himself as well as Kate. His tormented mind could finally rest now he knew she was safe.
"I was so scared," said Kate quietly, her voice breaking as she unleashed her fears.
"You don't have to be now," said Castiel.
"You saved me," Kate mumbled, her broken lips stinging as tears fell from her tortured eyes.
"Yes," Castiel replied, struggling to speak as he witnessed her pain, her tears awakening emotions he tried to hard to bury in the bottom of his heart.
"I'm sorry," said Kate, remembering the cruel remarks she had screamed at the angel and feeling guilty.
"I should be the one to apologize," answered Castiel, worrying what would have happened if he had hurt her to get to Anna.
"Let's just call it even, we'll be here for days," said Kate smiling softly at the angel, choking as she managed a muted laugh. Castiel just stared at her, puzzled. "I mean, let's go back to where we were, before all the fighting," she continued nervously, her fear of rejection returning.
"Yes," said Castiel to Kate's surprise, she had never expected him to talk to her again, never mind become her friend. After his answer, the angel rose, and stepped towards the door, feeling that Uriel would notice his absence.
"Please, don't go," said Kate, gripping the end of the angel's coat weakly with her fingers. Castiel turned to face her, absorbed by her caring yet petrified eyes. The angel pulled a chair towards her bedside, and sat down, his expression absent. Kate smiled widely and rolled over to face him, pulling the woven blanket under her chin. "Thank you," she whispered, her eyes closing with exhaustion. Castiel watched her as she slept, comforted by the fact that she was far away from anything that could hurt her, she was safe. His heart was gripped by an unknown force as he watched her eyelids stir as she dreamed, grateful that she had entered his life. Heaven could wait.