~Written by Noah~
Castiel stood over a large metal bowl, carelessly chopping and tossing various ingredients of the spell he prepared into the bowl. Pippin walked onto the room holding a large leather bound book in her hands, researching.
"Hey Cassi." she said sweetly, standing on her tip toes in order to stand tall enough to kiss his cheek coyly.
"Oh hello." he said flirtatiously, "Why stop there?" he said slyly, taking Pippin by surprise. Normally when Pip was inclined to sudden fluff, Castiel smiled widely and bashfully and turned the slightest shade of pink before either returning the guester or saying something adorable (usually he would thank her, which both delighted and amused her). He had never taken a move like that and made a suggestive remark afterward, but maybe he was feeling especially happy that day. That hadn't been the first odd thing he had done during the past couple days, lately everytime she interacted with him he'd become bold and flirtatious. Every thing seemed to be going to hell faster than Hitler's soul, so maybe he was just really that pleased by a quick kiss on the cheek? Either way, he put a hand around her waist before pulling her into a deeper kiss. Sam walked into the room and jumped, ready to walk back out until he saw the bowl.
"Cas, besides the obvious, what are you doing?" Sam said, looking into the metal bowl. Pip realized that there was a (human?) brain on the cutting board before her, wiggling like jello every time someone walked on the creaky floors.
"You're assembling that spell, aren't you? Cas, you're not strong enough!" Sam said, anxiety in his voice.
"I think my strength will surprise you." he said, shooting a wink at a bewildered Pippin.
"Cas this spell will destroy you of you don't have the strength!" Pip said alarmed, "You can't!"
"We don't have a choice." Cas said, but something was off. It almost felt like Cas was egging them on, there was a presence about him growing stronger that she didn't like nor trust.
"Wait... Bobby said that once when you didn't have enough power you used his soul as like a jumpstart?"
"Yes, but the procedure is life threatening..." Cas lead him on, Pip watched him do it in confusion as she realized he was... manipulating him?
"Sam..."
"Use my soul, Cas!" Sam said, Cas prepared to accept the offer.
"Sammy stop offering you soul to everyone for one moment okay?!" Pip snapped, "Somethings wrong here."
Then sudden Castiel closed his eyes for a long time,
"Pippin?"
"Cas?"
"There's not much time, that wasn't me. It was Lucifer," he winced.
"You let him possess you?!" Pippin yelled.
"We need him, please understand." Cas wheezed, "I... I wanted to be of use in the fight."
"Cast him out now Cas!" Sam said.
"CAS NOW!" Pip echoed.
"I can't, its taking all of my strength just to keep him from killing and hurting you both." he said, "And we need him."
"Cas, we'll find another way! We-"
"You can't time travel like this Cas." Sam said.
"No, but Lucifer can." he stood shakily, Lucifer taking over the main controls again, before disappearing. Moments later he returned with the lost hunters.
"Dean! That's not Cas!" Sam spit out, Dean and Emmy slolwy glanced to Cas in confusion. It was Cas, but the expression and attitude were not Cas.
"Ooooh, Cat's out." he said.
"Lucifer! Release Cas!" Pip yelled.
"Lucifer-? What-?!" Dean tossed the hand off his shoulder before turning to face him.
"Release him? Naw, I don't think so Pippi Longstockings." Pippin balled up her hands into fists at the old nick name.
"I'm quite comfortable here, so if you want me out so bad... you will have to come and find me." he grinned. "Ta ta kitties, I'll be home for dinner." he disappeared, leaving rhe confused hunters to try to piece everything together.
"Okay..." Pip said, voice shaky, "First we catch up everyone, then we need a plan to get Cas back." The other hunters nodded, giving Pip a moment to hold on to her emotions before they needed to make a plan.
The holy oil circle went up in flames around Castiel... or his vessel anyway.
"Now, this isn't very nice. Your prayer implied I'd be one of the team, there's the weapon. Right there, hand it over and we can have Amara dead and then return to this 'Wrong side of Heaven, Righteous Side of Hell' complex you're all so found of. Go on, break the circle."
The hunters stood still and silent. Pippin was transfixed by the movements of this thing they'd caught in the circle, the face was Cas', but the expression that had defined Cas was gone. The voice was his, but spoke words that Cas would never say. The animated expressions, the dramatic hand guesters, the voice so laden with sarcasm it was nearly venomous, none of these traits belonged to Cas.
"Oooor no then?" The devil said, rolling his eyes. Sam sliced his hand before pressing the blood to the sigil next to him. The sigil burned and Cas and Lucifer reacted with it, the shared body shaming and struggling before an expression that she knew was Cas' came though.
"Cassi!" she cried in relief.
"Pip? Dean? What's happening, where am I?" he said slowly and with great effort.
"Cas, you need to listen to me. There's no much time-" the shared vessel snapped bsck again and Dean was cut off by the dark gleam in his eyes that meant Cas was gone again. In despair Pip become transfixed dialogue had begun to flow again, Lucifer mocked Dean's tone calling for Cas. The mock threw them all off, Dean stared at the thing in the circle with hurt horror, Pippin saw Emmy cautiously take a light hold on his sleeve before pulling him back away from the flames. He complied with her, staring at what should be Cas.
"Bloody hell." Crowley said exasperated before collapsing in a chair behind him. A red cloud that they recognized to be Crowley himself swarmed into the air and took hold of Castiel's war torn vessel.
"Not without me, asshat!" Pippin yelled, raising her hand to channel her grace to grab onto Crowly as he disappeared, Pippin along with him. Crowley and Pippin's bodies collapsed where they were as Emmy tried to catch Pip to soften her fall.
"Pip!" she yelped in surprise, "Damn it Pip, always so dramatic." she stood and looked at the others, stunned into silence. Helpless to do anything more than to glance between the empty vessels of Pip and Crowley and gape at Cas at max. capacity still standing in the circle.
Castiel bent the bunny eared wires of the television, not even glancing away from the nameless show broadcasted as Pip and Crowley stalked into the kitchen.
"Cassi!" Pip cried, running to him and seizing him by the shoulders causing him to jump aware.
"...Pippin? What are you doing here?" he said in a comatose tone of confusion.
"This is the Winchester's kitchen!" Crowley exclaimed, partly in confusion but mostly in disappointment.
"Well... sort of. I often come here in my mind, it has surprisingly good reception."
"So you're in here hiding from Lucifer?" Crowley asked sarcastically.
"Not really hiding, he mostly leaves me alone. I'm just waiting for the day of the battle." Cas said, attention already sucked back intothe sreen as he mumled something about the Darkness. He looked up for a moment, "I saw you a moment ago, and Dean..."
"Yeah, and-" Crowley began.
"Focus, Crowley. We're here looking for you, Cas. The Guys are trying to toss Luci into the Cage, you need to cast him out before it's too late." Pip said, voice bordering on frantic.
"They are? That sounds like a bad idea." Cas said blankly, resting his chin on his hand as he turned back to the tv. Crowley could see the wheels of rage begin to click in Pippin's head, he stepped back, biting back his own comment to Cas' empty headed remark... whatever was about to come forth from her would probably be more effective anyway. Even in his comatose state, Pip still had a hold on him, he could see that clearly.
"Well what other ideas do you got, watch fucking television until Satan just get bored and goes away?!" Pip yelled, making Castiel jump.
"I-"
"No, you don't get to talk unless it's to cast out Luci, got it?! All of us are out there, risking our asses to throw Luci back into the cage, and you sit here and watch tv?! Completely uninterested that everyone who cares about you is completely in the hands of that bastard waiting for him to get bored and just seize the weapon?! What the hell Cas? We are in DANGER! You let me kiss the Devil! Everything is falling to pieces out there! Is that damned tv really more fascinating then that? Or this mind palace kitchen?! Or whatever else you've got hiding in here?! Toss him out, now! Before it's too late!" Pip yelled on, Castiel looking at her in surprise, slowly rising above his comatose state, he opened his mouth to respond, but-
"It's already too late." Speak of the Devil, he stood in the doorframe. "Hello Pippin, and Crowley, didn't expect both of you. Pip I knew would come, but even I didn't know you could hitch a ride like that." he grinned, "But down to business..."