CH. 25

"Bobby!" Dean yelled, running top speed back into the beaten down house, "Bobby where the hell are you?" he pounded up the steps and back into the old man's room.

Bobby shot to his feet, "What? What's the matter Dean?" he had his gun ready.

Dean doubled over, trying to catch his breath, "It's…. It's Lex," he panted, "She's gone."

Bobby's face twisted sickeningly, "Gone? What the hell do you mean she's gone? Where did she go?"

Dean finally caught his breath, "Cas, he took her. One second she was standing fifty feet from me and the next she's gone. If I blinked I would have missed him. Dammit, Bobby! What the hell is going on?"

Bobby frowned, "I don't know. But we gotta find her."

"Dammit, Bobby! He's been lying to us! Again! We never should have trusted him."

"Calm down, boy. You don't know that," Bobby hurried down the steps, "You know what we gotta do, right?"

Dean followed closely behind him, "What? No… What are you talking about, Bobby?"

"Son, you got the king of hell in your circle. We gotta summon him," he rummaged around in some of the drawers getting out ingredients and supplies, "and we gotta get him to track down Cas, okay?"

Dean frowned, "Bobby, I don't-"

A glare that was sharp enough to cut glass stopped Dean in his tracks, "Dean, what other option do we have? Think Cas is gonna come if you call him? Because I don't. And whatever is going on, he obviously didn't want us to know about it. So unless you want your sister dead I suggest you put on your big boy panties and you get to bargaining with Crowley, okay?"

Dean sighed and nodded slowly, watching Bobby as he performed the summoning ritual and Crowley appeared in the demon trap in the middle of the room.

The king sighed, naked except for a towel wrapped around his waist, "Really boys?" he took a sip from his glass, "You have my cell number, is summoning really necessary now-a-days? I was in the middle of a spectacular massage."

Dean frowned, "Crowley, I need you to find Cas for me. He took off with my sister-"

Crowley cut him off, "Your sister? When in the hell did you boys acquire another sibling?"

"We don't have time for this, dammit! Can you locate him or not?"

Crowley put his hands up defensively, "Of course I can. What kind of king do you think I am?"

Dean frowned, "Don't be cute with me."

Crowley narrowed his eyes, "You're going to have to let me out of the devil's trap if you want me to get anything done."

Dean glanced at Bobby who nodded in agreement. Dean pulled out the demon knife and bent down, scratching away at a little bit of paint and opening up the devils trap. Crowley strolled easily out of it and snapped, clothes appearing on his body.

"Now that's better," he smirked and went over to Bobby's desk rummaging through it and removing a large map and some other ingredients, "I need a feather of the angel we are looking for."

Dean nodded, "Yeah, I got one in the car. I'll be right back," Dean rushed out to the Impala and rummaged through the trunk, desperately looking for the box with Castiel's feathers. It was dark and he was just about ready to give up when his hand was pierced by splintered wood. "No, no. no!" he barked, picking up the pieces of the broken box and carrying them inside, "The winged dick broke in." he barked, defeated.

Crowley frowned and took the box, noticing little fibers of feathers stuck to the splintered wood, "Let's hope the ritual still works" he took the box and put it in with the other ingredients, struck a match, and dropped it into the bowl. As the objects caught on fire they began to glow and liquefy into molten fire. "So far so good" he looked up at Bobby and Dean, "Final step," he sighed as he poured the concoction onto the map and watched as all but one area on the map turned into ash, "Looks like they are in El Paso."

Dean's eyes narrowed, "Texas? What the hell is in Texas?"

Crowley frowned, "I don't know. But that's where they are. I think a thank you is in order."

Dean shot Crowley a glare, then turned back to Bobby, "That's like a day and a half drive from here. Who the hell knows if we are even gonna make it."

Bobby sighed, "Dean, we gotta try. Come on."

"Err hum," Crowley cleared his throat, and got their attention.

"What Crowley?" Dean barked.

"Excuse me, but being the king of hell has some advantages." Crowley smirked.

"What are you talking about, douche bag?" Dean barked.

"Tsk-tsk. Is that really the way to talk to the man who is trying to help save your sister?"

Dean groaned, "Okay, Crowley… What do you want?"

"Nothing, not a thing," he smiled and chuckled, "Okay, maybe something, but I'll take a rain check. You need to get to El Paso now, you can owe me later." Crowley snapped his fingers and the next thing Bobby and Dean knew they were standing outside of an old factory.

"Think she's in there?" Bobby pointed to the ramshackled building.

Dean sighed loudly, "Yeah, if the past repeats himself, everything always happens in a rundown scary looking place."

Bobby nodded, "Don't I know it." He sighed and pulled out the angel blade, "Let's go get your sister." He ushered him towards the building.

They stood at the threshold together and Dean slowly pushed the door open, holding his gun ready, "Cas!" he called out, "Where the hell are you?" he skimmed through the building before coming to a locked door, "Dammit!" he barked, "Bobby, help me break the door down."

Bobby nodded and the two men threw themselves against the door, easily breaking it down and falling into the room.

Castiel turned to them, "Dean," he sighed, "You can't stop it… It's done," he told him, turning back to the spell.

Dean grabbed the angel blade and popped up off the ground in a blink of an eye, slamming Castiel against the wall and holding the angel blade to his throat, "What the hell did you do?" he snarled.

Bobby ran to Alexis's side, her head hung limply and her skin was cold and pale. Bobby unstrapped her and lay her gently on the ground, "Alex," he barked, slapping her face lightly, "No, no, no…" he felt for a pulse, "Dean, she's not breathing!" he began CPR.

Dean pressed the blade harder against his throat, "What did you do?" he yelled.

Castiel swallowed hard, "Dean, I'm sorry. I had no other choice."

Dean's eyes widened, "What the hell did you do?!" he screamed

"It-It was a spell. To bring my father back," the angel stuttered, "I needed legacy blood."

"Then you ask me," he spat, "Ask Sam! You don't kidnap my sister."

"The blood, it needed to be pure. Not tainted by heaven or hell… Pure… Your sister, she's never died… She was pure."

The fire burned in Dean's eyes, "Fix her!" he demanded.

Castiel frowned, "I can't Dean…. Please, just let me finish the spell. God will come, he will put everything right," he paused, looking Dean directly in the eyes, "Please, Dean… You have to understand."

Dean shook his head slowly, "No, Cas," he felt bile rise in his throat as he pulled back the angel blade and shoved it deep inside of Castiel's chest and watched the light in the angel's eyes shine brightly, and then slowly die away for the last time. He jerked the blade out and pushed the body to the ground before running over to Bobby.