Chapter 21: The Exorcism
Part 1
Lucifer lifted Meg from the ground and swung her to the other side of the room. He turned to Sam and Dean. "Why don't you two join her?" he suggested. He motioned his hand and Sam and Dean flew in the air and landed next to Meg.
Meg leaned towards Dean and whispered something in his ear. He glanced at Lucifer and nodded in understanding. He grabbed Sam's shoulder and pulled him up. "Run, Sammy" he said dark. They headed for the stairs, while Lucifer watch them go.
He wanted to follow them, when Meg blocked his way and threatened him with the demon knife. "I will drive it through your heart, if I have to"
"No, you won't" Lucifer calmly replied. "You wouldn't want to hurt dear Cassie, would you?"
Meg waved with the knife and cut Lucifer's hand. He didn't flinge, he just conjured that psychopathic smile of him and pushed her aside. He climbed upstairs, slowly, waiting a few seconds after each and every step. He listened carefully and found out their location with ease. He opened Cas and Meg's bedroom and entered. Either Sam nor Dean were anywhere to be found.
"Hey, guys, don't you think you're a little too old to play hide and seek?" he called manipulative as he walked further into the room. "Okay, if you don't want to come out, I know a few games myself. I'm sure Cassie wants to play"
As if on cue, the boys appeared from behind the closet. Lucifer had known they'd been hiding there all along; he just loved to torment them.
"Ah, there you are" Lucifer smiled malicious. "So, who wants to die first?"
"Why don't you start with me?" Meg snapped in the doorway.
"Very well" Lucifer smirked and he marched to her. Or at least he tried to, but an invisible force prevented him from moving forward. He looked up and recognized the Key of Solomon. He looked back at Meg. "Really? Can you say lame?"
"I drew that thing there weeks ago in case a demon ever came into our house" Meg explained self-satisfied. "And now Dean and Sam will send your sorry ass back to Hell"
"Really?" Lucifer said amused and he looked excited at Dean. "Show me what you got, boy"
Part 2
"Exorcizamus te, omnis immundus spiritus, omnis satanica potestas, omnis incursio infernalis adversarii, omnis legio, omnis congregatio et secta diabolica...
Ergo, draco maledicte et omnis legio diabolica, adjuramus te ... cessa decipere humanas creaturas, eisque æternæ perditionìs venenum propinare...
Vade, satana, inventor et magister omnis fallaciæ, hostis humanæ salutis...
Humiliare sub potenti manu Dei; contremisce et effuge, invocato a nobis sancto et terribili nomine... quem inferi tremunt...
Ab insidiis diaboli, libera nos, Domine.
Ut Ecclesiam tuam secura tibi facias libertate servire, te rogamus, audi nos"
Sam and Dean had used the exorcism spell so many times they knew it by heart. However, nothing happened when they said the incantation. Lucifer gazed at them with a superior glance.
"Houston, we've got a problem" he said mundane.
"Why isn't it working?" Meg asked mad. If that jackass of a devil was going to stay inside Cas much longer, she was going to lose it.
"Wait a second" Dean mumbled and he walked towards Lucifer. He ripped his shirt open and stepped back. "Sam, do these symbols ring any bell to you?"
It was Meg who replied. "I gave Sam one of those tats when I possessed him, so you wouldn't be able to send me back to the pit"
"Well, that explains it" Dean commented dark. He turned back to Lucifer. "We need something to burn them off"
Meg nodded. "I'll be right back"
An instant later she came back with a bottle of hydrochloric acid, a cotton cloth and tape. She tossed the tape at Sam while giving him the order of tying Lucifer's hands.
Lucifer, who had sat down on the chair that was just close enough for him to reach, lay his arms on the arm-rests willingly and simply smiled as Sam tied his hands.
"This looks familiar, doesn't it, Cas?" Lucifer said cheerful.
"Move" Meg ordered rude and Sam gave her some space. She opened the bottle and poured some of its content on the cloth.
"Meg, you do realize that Lucifer won't feel anything, but Cas will?" Sam reminded Meg.
Meg pressed the cloth against Cas' chest. "I know" She withdrew the cloth and saw the first tattoo had successfully burned off. She wanted to repeat the process when she heard a noise coming from Cas' mouth. She looked up and saw a pair of bright blue eyes staring at her, accusatory, begging. She swallowed and then pressed the cloth against the second tattoo, trying to ignore Cas' screams.
"What the hell are you doing?" Dean exclaimed as Meg continued burning the tattoo's off, despite Cas' appeals. "It's Cas. He's with us again"
Meg turned around. "You don't really believe Lucifer's gone, do you? He's trying to manipulate you" she replied furious. She turned back to her work.
Sam walked fierce to Meg and jacked the bottle. He walked behind Cas and stripped off his shirt, his suspicion confirmed that Cas' chest wasn't the only part of his body that needed to be taken care of. He unscrewed the bottle and poured the acid on Cas' naked back.
Meg stopped and looked horrified at Sam.
"Are you out of your mind?" she exclaimed.
"If we keep doing it your way, Cas will be possessed forever" Sam snapped in return. He walked back to the front and wanted to burn away the tattoo's on Cas' chest.
Cas averted his head to Meg. "Make him stop" he begged, tears rolling over his face.
"I can't do this" Dean mumbled and he left the room, after which Sam poured the acid on Cas' chest.
Part 3
Dean held his hands tightly against his ears, but Cas' screeching still found its way in. The door opened and Meg appeared.
"Sam needs you in there. He wants to try again" she said with heavy voice. She walked past him to the bathroom.
Dean entered the room and froze at the sight of Cas' mutilated body.
"Are you with me, Dean?" Sam asked sharp. Dean inhaled deeply through his nose.
"Let's just get it over with" he replied.
"Exorcizamus te, omnis immundus spiritus, omnis satanica potestas, omnis incursio infernalis adversarii, omnis legio, omnis congregatio et secta diabolica..."
"Cas is never going to forgive you. Do you know that?" Lucifer said manipulative. "You couldn't tell he was possessed, you let him kill dozens of people, you stuck your dick in his ass. Even if you can set him free, he's never going to want to see you again. Your friendship with him is over"
"Don't listen to him, Dean" Sam snarled. "Ergo, draco maledicte et omnis legio diabolica, adjuramus te ... cessa decipere humanas creaturas, eisque æternæ perditionìs venenum propinare..."
"Your mother's with me, Sammy. She has a message for you. She says she wishes you were never born. Then she would still be alive and her and John and Dean would've had a normal life. Dean would've had a normal youth and be married to Lisa" Lucifer continued.
"Vade, satana, inventor et magister omnis fallaciæ, hostis humanæ salutis..."
Lucifer leaned against the chair, deliberately pressing and shoving his back against it, knowing how much agony it would cause Cas.
"Humiliare sub potenti manu Dei; contremisce et effuge, invocato a nobis sancto et terribili nomine... quem inferi tremunt... Dean, I need your help. I can't do this alone!" Sam snapped angry. But Dean seemed unable to speak or move. All he could do was watch Lucifer torture his best friend.
"Ab insidiis diaboli, libera nos, Domine."
"He wanted to kill those people" Lucifer smiled. "He wanted to make them suffer. He just didn't have the balls to do it. So when I possessed him I could feel his anger and his humiliation and so I did the killing for him. He's powerful, because of me. If you exorcise me he'll be a shell of what he used to be"
"Ut Ecclesiam tuam secura tibi facias libertate servire, te rogamus, audi nos" Sam finished, but Lucifer still hadn't gone anywhere.
"You don't honestly think you'll get rid of me that easy"
Part 4
Meg opened the door and carried a basket and a bowl of water inside the room.
"What's that?" Sam asked, with a nod at the basket. Meg didn't answer, but walked straight to Cas. She took his chin and lifted up his head, so she could look in his eyes.
"Cas?" she said softly. Cas blinked slowly and difficult. Why hadn't she been able to tell the difference? She turned her head to the brothers. "We need help. We need someone religious, like a priest"
"Okay" Sam replied. "Come on, Dean, let's go"
But Dean stared at Cas and Meg. He didn't want to leave them alone with each other. He didn't trust Meg. What if she thought killing Cas was the only option left?
"Dean, what are you waiting for?" Sam asked nervous.
"Maybe you should go alone" Dean suggested. "Or maybe Meg can go with you. Then I'll stay here"
Meg stood and walked towards Dean. She pulled out her knife and handed it to Dean. "Here. So you know I'm not going to kill him" she said. Dean accepted the knife and looked strange at Meg. "Cas doesn't have to die. Not if we can find a way to get Lucifer out of him. But we can't do it alone. We need help, so stop wasting Cas' time and go"
Dean hesitated for a few more seconds, but then joined Sam and they left together.
Meg turned back to Cas and reached for the basket. There was a towel which she dabbed in the water. She extorted the towel and pressed it gently against Cas' chest. She felt him shiver.
"Why are you hurting me so much?" Cas asked with a small voice.
"I don't have a choice" Meg replied as she continued nursing him. "We have to get Lucifer out of you"
"There's another way to kill Lucifer" Cas mumbled.
Meg knew what he was talking about and was glad she had given Dean her knife. "No. There isn't"
"Meg, please" Cas begged. "Make it stop"
"You can't ask me to kill you" Meg replied difficult.
"I'm asking you to put an end to my agony. You can't save me" Cas whispered begging.
"No" Meg said as she stood. "Sam and Dean are looking for a priest. He will help us. It'll all be over soon"
Part 5
Sam and Dean parked their car in front of the fifth church they found. The previous four had all been empty. They hoped luck would be on their side for a change.
Dean pushed the door of the church open and looked inside.
"Hello?" he called. When they didn't get a response he cursed. "Have all priests been abducted by aliens or something?"
"I don't know. Maybe Lucifer foresaw our plan and prevented it by killing all priests" Sam replied concerned.
They heard a noise somewhere at the back of the church. The door of the confessional opened and a man in robes came out.
"Father!" Sam exclaimed. The priest frowned and Sam and Dean walked towards him. "We're sorry for bothering you this time of night"
"That's no bother" the priest waved away Sam's apology. "God's doors are always open, regardless day or night"
"We need your help" Sam continued agitated. "Our friend…he's being possessed by the devil"
The candles in the church caught fire.
"Ssshh" the priest hissed. "You can't say things like that in a place like this" Then, in a whisper tone: "The devil, you say?"
"Yes, and we need you to exorcise him. We already tried, but apparently it takes a lot more than a Latin chant to get Lucifer out of someone" Dean replied, not caring if he pissed off God.
Cracks appeared in the ceiling and the walls.
"You have to be careful of what you say" the priest warned again. He took Dean and Sam's sleeves and walked them outside. "Now, we can speak freely. I know what you're going to ask of me. But I can't. I can't perform an exorcism. Even if I wanted to, I'd need permission from the Church. There hasn't been an exorcism in years"
Dean and Sam glanced at each other. They knew better.
"We don't have time for permission" Dean snapped. "Cas is being possessed now and as long as Lucifer's in there he's in pain. So, I don't care how you do it, but you're going to help him. Am I clear?"
The priest took a step back. "There's no place for the homosexuals in God's church"
Dean's mouth dropped open. "What? I'm not…!", but the priest cut him off.
"Alright, then. Your friend needs help. He shouldn't be punished for the immoral crimes of this young man"
"Seriously, I'm not gay!" Dean defended himself.
"Dean, shut up!" Sam snapped in return. "We're so close to saving Cas. Don't let your bruised ego ruin it now"
Part 6
"Is it better yet?" Meg asked careful, knowing better. Some cold water and cream weren't going to help. Cas needed medical attention.
Cas shook his head, trying really hard to keep it together. "No" he said difficult. "I need a doctor"
"We can't take you to a doctor, Cas. Everyone out there is looking for you" Meg explained remorseful.
"Then get Anna here" Cas panted. "She can heal people"
Now that Cas had said it Meg could slap herself. Why hadn't she thought of that herself? She looked at the ceiling and called for the angel.
"Why are you calling me?" Anna asked when she appeared in the room. Meg moved so Anna could see Cas' violated body. "Oh my God" Anna gasped and she ran towards Cas. She kneeled and carefully touch his chest. "What happened?"
"Lucifer" Meg answered.
"Lucifer? How?" Anna asked surprised.
"He's possessing Cas" Meg explained. "We had to take extreme measures to get him out, but all of them failed. Sam and Dean are looking for a priest. Anna, you have to heal him"
"I'll try" Anna replied hesitant.
"What do you mean, you'll try?" Meg snapped.
"I can heal people" Anna started, "But if Cas is possessed, he's not really human. I might need the help from the other angels"
"Then get them" Meg commented obvious.
"I don't think they will" Anna answered sad. "They haven't forgotten what Cas has done. Some of them might think this is justice"
"Well, screw their justice!" Meg cried emotionally. "Cas needs help now, so you get up there and tell them to get the fuck over themselves!"
"You truly love him, don't you?" Anna said, trying to hide the bitterness in her voice, but she could've saved herself the trouble. Meg wasn't listening anymore. "I'll see what I can do" she made an empty promise. She had already decided she wasn't coming back.
Part 7
Dean parked the Impala on the driveway and walked to Cas and Meg's house. Sam helped the priest get out and they followed Dean to the house.
They walked upstairs to Cas and Meg's room. Dean walked in first and swallowed when he saw Cas had gotten even weaker. They were barely on time.
The priest held his steps when he recognized Cas' face.
"What's the problem?" Sam wondered behind the priest.
"That's Castiel Novak" the priest started.
"Yeah" Dean said obvious.
"Though when I first met him, on his wedding day, he went by Emmanuel. He pretended not to know who he was. It all makes perfect sense now. He couldn't reveal his cover" the priest continued. He turned to Sam. "I can't help him"
"What? Why not?" Dean grumbled.
"I'll say it different. I won't help him" the priest clarified, cautiously avoiding the Devil's stare. Lucifer had jerked his head up as soon as he'd sensed the priest' presence. "Zoey and Daphne were good people, until he came in their lives"
"Zoey tried to kill Cas, because she was obsessed with him" Dean hissed furious.
"Zoey was happily married to Gerard and they had a little girl. Why would she give that up? No, Emmanuel or Castiel or whatever his name is, probably tried to abuse and kill her and Zoey defended herself. But it didn't make any difference, because soon after she was killed anyway"
"You're lying" Dean replied cold.
"Am I now?" the priest said and he turned at Lucifer.
Lucifer's eyes grew and he conjured a big smile. "He's telling the truth. When you were dead, poor little Cassie was so upset that he went straight to Zoey. He broke her hand, drove his hand through her stomach and then snapped her neck. Let's face it, she had it coming" He leaned backwards again, knowing how much pain it would cause Cas.
"If your friend is being possessed by the Devil, then it's a punishment from God and I can't interfere" the priest continued.
"By all means" Lucifer threw in. "I don't mind staying in here, until Cassie breaks"
Meg stood and headed to the priest. "If Cas dies, his blood will be on your hands"
For some reason that sentence put some sense into the priest. He pressed his lips and turned to Dean. "I'm going to need a copy of the Bible. And I need all of you to leave the room"
Without a word, Meg ran out the room to get a Bible. She had seen a copy on the closet when she first came here, the night when she had sex for money. She walked to the closet and opened it. She threw out the books until she found a small, thick book. She clenched it as if it was her most valuable possession and speeded back to their bedroom. She handed the book to the priest and signaled for the brothers to follow her outside.
Sam went willingly. The sooner they were out, the sooner the priest could start the exorcism. Dean, however, was a lot more reluctant. The priest had changed his mind a little too sudden. What if instead of killing Lucifer, he was going to kill Cas? Like, two flies in one hit.
"I will not kill him" the priest declared fierce. "It's not in my hands to decide who lives or dies. I will see if I can…postpone this man's inevitable fate any longer"
Sam grabbed Dean's sleeve and dragged him out of the room. As soon as the door shut the priest heard a ripping sound.
"You know what I think is funny?" Lucifer said, while he jerked his hands. "How two losers who claim to be such good hunters, can be so foolish to believe that they can hold me back with some duck tape", he removed the tape off his hands and dropped it on the floor, "and some silly drawing" He stood and walked from under the Key of Solomon.
The priest opened his book and read some verses aloud, while aiming the cross around his neck at Lucifer.
"Maybe that's enough to capture demons or even Crowley, but not me. I'm the fucking Devil, for Satan's sake! I don't get caught so easily" Lucifer continued his words and his steps. When he came face to face with the priest he scoffed at the cross and ripped it off his neck.
He tossed it in a corner, where it broke. He grabbed the priest's hands and pinched them until he dropped the book. Lucifer bowed forward and whispered in his ear: "Do you know what Cas is saying right now? He says thank you. He's thanking me for torturing a body that's not his for a change"
The priest screamed as Lucifer broke both his hands.
Alarmed, Sam and Dean tried to get inside, but the door was stuck.
When they finally got in, both the priest and Cas were lying on the floor, in a puddle of blood.
Part 8
Dean hurried to the seemingly unconscious Cas and turned him over.
"Cas, hey, wake up" he softly said, with a desperate undertone. He wasn't dead. He couldn't be. To Dean's relief Cas opened his eyes with effort.
"Dean?" he whispered hoarse. "Is it over?" he asked, looking at the other two. Dean nodded, grabbed Cas' hand and pulled him up. He embraced Cas as if he was never letting go. Then he felt a sharp pain in his side. He looked shocked at Cas who cast him a big smile.
"Gotcha" he said and he threw Dean against the wall.
"Dean!" Sam exclaimed and ran towards his brother, but Meg only had eyes for Cas, who had jacked the demon knife.
"It's not over" she said defeated.
Lucifer walked towards the mirror and examined his face. "Don't you think Cas' pretty face is in disharmony with the rest of his body?" He turned to Meg. "I think it is. I think some facial decorations are in order"
He placed the knife right under Cas' left eye and drew a thin red line. Meg growled and ran towards him, but with a swing of his hand Lucifer threw her in the air and she landed next to Dean. Lucifer kept carving in Cas' as if he was a rock that had to be worked.
Despite the burning pain in his side, Dean stood.
"Hey!" he yelled and Lucifer rotated his head to him. "You want to torture someone so badly? Take me"
"What?" Lucifer laughed.
"You heard me. Take me" Dean repeated provocative.
"You're willing to sacrifice yourself to eternal agony? Wow, now that's what I call love" Lucifer smirked and he turned to Meg. "You can learn a thing or two from this one, Meg"
"That's not love. That's guilt" Meg scoffed. "Dean has a lot to feel guilty for when it comes to Cas. Don't you, Dean?"
Dean wanted to defend himself, but Lucifer stopped him.
"You know what? It doesn't matter. I'm having way too much fun being a pain in the ass for my little brother. And you know something about being a pain in the ass, don't you, Dean?" he tormented the older Winchester. "You know what? I'll be nice. I'll leave you lot alone for an hour. Then I'll come back to play again. I believe Cas won't make it much longer, so make it count"
A bright white light radiated out of Cas and Cas dropped on the floor.
Part 9
Sam and Dean hurried to Cas and picked him up from the floor. They each threw an arm around their shoulders and carried him to the bed.
"Ehm" Meg started nervous. "Ehm…why don't you guys stay here for half an hour? I'll just wait outside" Without waiting for a reply, Meg walked to the door and left the room, leaving Sam and Dean alone with Cas.
Sam pulled a chair and Dean sank down on the bed. He caressed Cas' cheek and Cas opened his eyes. Dean cast him an affectionate smile, but Cas widened his eyes and sat up, keeping away from Dean.
"Get out" he said shaking.
"What?" Dean asked confused and hurt.
"Leave me alone" Cas continued sharp. He enclosed the knife and held it against his chest, the point aimed at Dean.
"Cas, what are you doing?" Dean hissed confused. Cas looked at him with an expression he only preserved for Lucifer. Fright. "Cas, I didn't mean to do…that, it was the spell. You know I would never hurt you like that"
But Cas closed his eyes and folded his hands. He mumbled a prayer as if then Dean would magically disappear.
"Dean" Sam started careful. "Maybe you should wait outside"
"No" Dean snarled. "I've been given thirty minutes, I'm not leaving any sooner" He grabbed Cas' shoulders, causing the latter to scream. "I'm sorry" Dean startled and he let go of Cas. "Listen to me, Cas, please. In less than an hour Lucifer will wake up and start tormenting you again. I know you're hurting and fighting Lucifer is hard, but you have to try. You have to try to banish him out of your body. Withdraw your permission. Anything. I promise I'll help you through it"
Cas stared ahead of him, trying to release his hand from Dean's grip, but it was too tight.
Part 10
Half an hour passed by where Cas stared at the ceiling and Dean tried to talk to him. The door opened and Meg entered.
"It's my turn" she said difficult. Dean pretended not to hear her and stayed where he was. But Cas had heard Meg's voice and lifted up his head. He cast Dean a begging look and tried to free his hand again. But it was as if their hands were glued on to each other's. Sam grabbed Dean's wrist and separated the two.
"Come on, we'll wait outside" he said and he dragged Dean out of the room.
Meg walked towards the bed and crawled next to Cas. Cas searched for her hand and squeezed it.
"Don't do that again" he said sad.
"I'm sorry. I didn't want to hurt you so bad" Meg thought he was talking about the acid.
"I mean leaving me with Dean" Cas clarified.
"Dean's your best friend, Cas" Meg said slowly. "He cares for you"
Cas shook his head. "No. Keep him away from me" he begged terrified.
"Ssshh" Meg hushed as if she was talking to a baby. She pulled Cas' head against her breasts and caressed his hair. "You won't ever have to see him again. I promise" she whispered. She lay her hands on his scarred back and Cas cringed.
"I'm sorry" Meg gasped as Cas looked up. She reached for his face and gently touched his scars. She kissed each one of them, while her finger slid over his chest. "I can make you forget about the pain. If you want me to"
Cas lay back down as Meg's fingers slid further down. She opened his belt and started stroking his cock. Cas grabbed the mattress as he moaned from pleasure. Meg leaned forward and pressed her lips against his to mute the sound. Her movements accelerated as did Cas' breathing, until Meg felt something wet and sticky on her hand. She removed her hand and wiped it at the sheets. Then she lay her head on Cas' chest.
"Meg" Cas said, sounding scared to death. Meg lifted her head and saw the terrified gleam in Cas' eyes. "He's waking up. Lucifer's waking up" Meg sat up and stared at Cas, frozen. "Meg, please, he'll just continue torturing me. Don't let it start over" Cas begged. Meg turned around, so Cas wouldn't see her face. Lucifer had promised them an hour. She'd gotten scarcely ten minutes.
"Make it stop, Meg. I don't want to hurt anymore" Cas cried in panic.
Meg stood and walked to the chair where her jacket lay. She conjured the angel sword Anna had given her while she had been waiting outside. She clenched her fingers around the knife and walked hesitantly back toward Cas. She stopped a few inches away from the bed. Cas stood and closed the space between them. He took her armed hand with both hands and moved it upward until it reached his chest.
"Do it" he said afraid, but determined.
Meg swallowed and threw her free arm around his neck. Cas felt tears dripping on his sore skin and Meg bowed to his hear.
"I love you" she whispered, before stabbing Cas' heart. As a white light escaped Cas, he fell on his knees. Meg, holding onto him, fell with him.