This chapter is short, late AND sad. So, yeah... Sorry about that! But I hope you enjoy it anyway. Please leave a review if you can! Thank you :)

Castiel doesn't know what to think right now. He's not sure whether to trust the image of Luke standing in the shadows before him, or to simply wave it off as a trick of the mind. His head is swimming with pain and sleepiness from the shocks, so God knows what's actually real anymore.

"Luke?" He says weakly, the word slurring from his lips. "Is that… I-Is that really you?"

Luke takes another step forward and smiles. It's softer than the usual cocky smirks he remembers so well, but still achingly familiar. He's here. He's reallyhere.

"Yeah, Cassy. Your big bro came to save you."

Lilith instantly tightens her grip on his wrist, yanking him back with a defensive growl in Luke's direction. Her eyes are blazing, but Castiel can see the fear dancing between the flames as well. She's clearly scared. Being caught off guard like this obviously wasn't part of her master plan to escape. You'd think the fear would make her less intimidating, but instead she seems wild and deranged. Castiel gets the feeling he's being held captive by a ticking time bomb, ready to explode at any moment.

"So you'rethe infamous Lucas, hm? It's so nice to put a name to a face."

"What are you talking about?"

"Oh, me and your uncle go way back. Well, Castiel'suncle, that is. You're not really part of the Milton family, are you?"

Luke snarls. "Gladly not. That family's nothing but a bunch of sour, old hypocrites blaming the bible for their fucked up views of the world."

"I take it you're not the religious type either?"

"You can say that again."

Lilith huffs a laugh, her eyes turning dark as she stares Luke down. Castiel can feel her bony fingers squeezing what little oxygen he has left out of his body. Her one hand is wrapped firmly around his chest, and the other is clinging to his wrist with vice-like strength. Even if Castiel wasn't high on pain right now, he's not sure what his chances of wiggling out of her hold would be like.

"There's no wonder Zachariah was so ashamed of you," She spits. "Your mother was a whore, your father was a cheat, and you'rejust a sad little boy inflated with adolescent rage. It's pathetic, really."

Luke grinds his teeth. "At least I'm not the one torturing kids for being who they are."

"These aren't children, you imbecile. Castiel is almost eighteen. He's old enough to make his own decisions, to know the difference between right and wrong!"

"Being gay isn't wrong."

"Well, it's certainly not natural, is it?"

"Why does it bother you so much anyway? You know what they say about homophobes: closet cases, the lot of them."

Lilith's eyebrows shoot up beneath her hair, jaw dropping in shock. "If you're insinuating that I… That I could even… That I would even wantto… Well, you're insane!"

"Tad defensive, aren't we?"

"I'm disgusted," Her nostrils flare like a wild ape's, eyes still scarily wide from Luke's accusation. "There's a reason I started this business, and that's to stopthe impurity leaching into our country! This world is being tarnished with the likes of you and your brother. Can't you see that?"

Luke shrugs. "So the guy likes penis. Don't knock it til you try it, right?"

"Don't you speak that filth to me -"

"Oh, I'm sorry! I didn't realize you will still stuck in the 19th century. I'll try and be a little more sensitive."

Lilith purses her lips. "I don't have time for this nonsense."

"How come? It's not like you're going anywhere."

"I'm taking Castiel to a secure location. He'll have a chance to heal properly there, without any distractions."

Luke balls his fists and snorts, lips twitching with barely concealed anger as he steps forward again. Castiel can see the tension in his shoulders to match the veins popping from his neck. As Dean would say, he looks like he's about to 'Hulk out'.

"Like hell you are."

"Don't worry, Lucas. Zachariah will be there too."

"Oh, that's really comforting."

"We're going to help your brother, no matter what it takes. We owehim that."

Luke frowns. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Zachariah had a chance to prevent this from happening a long time ago, but he failed. He's blamed himself for the way Castiel turned out from the very start."

"Prevent it how?"

"Homosexuality is a sickness of the mind. It can affect even the most God fearing people," Lilith shakes her head sadly. "Your father was one of them. Even after bearing two sons, he still had those sinful desires. Zachariah was convinced his disease would influence Castiel's upbringing, and he was right. I tried to reach out to him numerous times, but he refused. He didn't think a change was necessary."

Castiel is only slightly surprised. He knew Zachariah hated his father for more than just being poor. Now it makes sense why he never liked him; he always thought he'd end up like his dad.

"I couldn't care less who my dad liked to fuck," Luke says bitterly. "He left me when I was just a baby. I'm overhim, okay? All I give a damn about right now is saving my brother. The world needs more people like him. There aren't enough good guys to spare anymore."

Even with the pain pulsing in his head, Castiel still manages a smile. That's probably the nicest thing Luke has ever said to him. He just wishes it were under different circumstances.

"It runs in the family," Lilith suddenly snaps. "We need to break the chain at somepoint!"

"He's not some link in a chain! He's a person, you evil bitch!"

Lilith sucks in a gasp, her grip going slack for just a second. Castiel can probably guess how many people have had the nerve to speak to her like that before. It's strangely satisfying seeing the usual glitter of triumph melting off her face, the cruel purse of her lips replaced with an 'O' of shock horror. It's a picture worthy moment really, something he'd proudly hang above his bed to help him sleep at night.

"How -"

"How dare I? How dare you?" Luke takes another step forward, now only a few feet away from them. "You snatch kids out of their homes and cage them like animals. Do you really think you have the right to lecture me on my manners?"

Lilith flinches when Luke keeps walking. "Don't come any closer. I'm warning you!"

"What are you going to do about it?"

Before he knows what's even happening, there's a cold blade being pressed against his throat. Lilith's arm is shaking where it's slung around his shoulder, the other hand clutching the back of his shirt. The scratchy material aggravates the cuts on his back, and the chill of the knife sets his jaw trembling. If possible, his head suddenly feels even lighter than before. The sting of fresh blood beading from the shallow gash beneath the blade seems far away, but the fear inside his chest is suffocating.

"I'll kill him," Lilith croaks. "If you try and stop us, I will killhim."

Luke takes a step back, holding his hands up in surrender. Castiel's never seen him look so frightened before, with no clue what to do next. He can feel the hope slipping through his fingers all over again.

"Alright, okay. Let's just calm down," Luke says in a wavering tone of composure. "You're just making this worse than it has to be."

"I think you're overestimating how much I care about this abomination," Lilith curls her lip in disgust. "If you don't let me go, I'll have no reason to keep him alive."

"She won't do it," Castiel suddenly interrupts. "She doesn't want another murder charge added to her sentence."

Luke furrows his brow. "Anothermurder charge?"

"Oh, yeah. She killed my friend. Beat her to death actually," Castiel forces himself to keep talking, despite the pain slowly lulling him to sleep. "She beats us, strips us, starves us, electrocutes us, makes us sleep in cages, forces us to touch each other inappropriately… She's a monster, and she deserves to spend the rest of her life in prison."

Lilith yanks him back again. "You better stop talking before I cut your throat!"

"But Luke needs to hear this, so he can tell the police. So you get what you really deserve."

"Youcan tell the police," Luke says. "You're not going anywhere, Cassy."

"But just in case -"

"I don't want to hear it, okay?"

"Well, tough," He whimpers through the agony twisting his senses. "I had to live through it, so you can damn well listento it! If I don't make it out, I want to make sure the police know exactly what goes on in this place."

Lilith grabs his left hand with a growl, squeezing the old wounds beneath the muddied bandages. The pain washes over him, darkening his vision as he sinks to the ground. Fresh blood trickles down his wrist, and his hands shake with the aching discomfort throbbing in his palms. He has to blink a few times to get rid of the black spots in the corner of his eye, but he's soon getting back onto his feet with a groan.

"You can't hurt me anymore," He says in a whisper, fixing Lilith with the coldest stare he can manage right now. "I've felt it all before."

Again, she takes his hands and squeezes.

"You think you're strong? Well, that's just pathetic," Her voice is trembling now, but there's still flames dancing in her eyes. "I've got a knife to your throat, you stupid boy. Don't try and play games with me, because I think we bothknow who's going to win."

Luke watches on, completely helpless as Lilith digs her nails deeper into Castiel's wounds. His fists are clenching and unclenching by his sides, thirsty to pummel Lilith where she stands. But to think they actually have a chance against the crazy woman with a knife would just be senseless. Castiel doesn't resent his brother for not stepping in, even when the pain squeezes a broken cry out of him, forcing him back to the ground. He knows it's better than being stabbed to death. The last thing he wants to do is scar Luke for life by bleeding out in front of him, especially when there's the chance Dean could walk in at any moment. Right now, he needs to fight as hard as he can - if not for himself, then for his family.

Lilith turns back to Luke with a glare. "If you try and stop us, I'll do much worse than hold his hand."

Castiel can barely grasp what's going on as Lilith starts dragging him down the tunnel again, slowly inching past Luke with the knife still held to his throat. The blade is digging in a little deeper now, painting a thin red line across his Adam's apple. But it's the fear clawing at his chest that really hurts, blocking out any other sensation with it's thick, foreboding stench of what's to come. Either he gets stabbed, or he lives the rest of his short life in an abandoned warehouse under the care of Lilith and his uncle. No matter what way he looks at it, they've lost, and this is it. He's never going to see Dean or Anna, or any of his friends ever again. The only consolation is that they managed to save everyone else in this godforsaken place before it was too late.

"Find Gilda," He begs Luke as he's dragged away. "She knew my friend, Dorothy! The one who was killed. Find her and tell her what happened, please!"

Luke keeps walking backwards, arms outstretched in an effort to block their path as planned. But Castiel can see the desperation in his expression, his usual confidence whittled away to nothing but fear. If he tries and stops them, God knows what Lilith will do. At this point, it wouldn't surprise him if she kept good to her word and actually slit his throat as promised. People will do crazy things for freedom.

"Just hold on for a second," Luke hisses, still trying to save the day. "I'll let you go. Just… Just leave him behind. You don't needhim!"

Lilith scoffs. "You honestly think I'm that stupid, that I don't know you won't just chase after me once I'm gone?"

"You're the one with the knife, lady. You're calling the shots."

For just a second, Castiel could swear she's this close to giving in. Her grip on his arms loosens slightly, and her stony expression flickers with a hint of surrender, but it doesn't last long. Before Luke gets the chance to push the offer further, the scuffling of more footsteps approaching the tunnels makes them both jump.

"Cas! Cas, it's me!" The sound of Dean's voice is like a rush of adrenaline. He tries turning towards him, but Lilith is already spinning them both around, her body freezing at the sudden invasion. They turn in unison, with Lilith still holding him close to her chest, just as the knife falls away from his throat. Her arm jerks in surprise at the sight of all these people standing before them: Dean, Bobby, Mary - even Balthazar. They've all come to save him.

But he only gets a second to appreciate the view before he feels the blade plunging into his stomach, white hot pain crumpling his body as he falls to his knees.

"NO!" Dean roars.

All around him, chaos ensues. He can hear Lilith gasping behind him, the clink of the knife hitting the ground as she sucks in a breath. She doesn't get the chance to process what she's done before Luke is shoving her against the wall though. His whole body is shaking with anger as he holds an arm against her throat and keeps her in place, eyes literally black with pure rage. He hopes Lilith can finally understand what it feels like to see genuine hatred reflected in someone's expression as they hold you down like a bug.

The next thing he knows, there's someone crouching down beside him, large hands pressing against the wound in his stomach. Blood gushes between the thick fingers curling around his waist, and hot breath flutters against his nose as his head is carefully laid onto the person's lap.

"Cas. Cas, baby, open your eyes."

He recognises the warm roughness of that voice immediately. It takes every ounce of strength he has to force his eyes open, if only to catch one last glimpse of Dean before he dies.

"You… You came for me."

Dean cups his face - stubbled from days without shaving - and catches a stray tear rolling down his cheek. His jaw is trembling with the effort not to cry as he brings his face closer, planting a soft kiss against his forehead. Castiel leans into the touch as much as he can. He's missed these lips so much; he'd almost forgotten how soft they are, leaving a warm patch of tingling skin as he pulls away.

"Of course I came, you idiot. I'm frickin' whipped."

A watery laugh bubbles in his chest. Even Dean manages a small, pained little smile, and it's the best thing he's seen since arriving in this place.

"Dean," He coughs at the feeling of something sticky in his throat. "I don't… I-I don't think I'm going to…"

"Shut the hell up," Dean sniffs back the tears, but they still come streaming down his face. Castiel's never seen his eyes so green before. They're like two beacons in the darkness, keeping his gaze fixed firmly on the boy hovering over his body. He wants nothing more than to take his hand and kiss his knuckles, to tell him everything's going to be okay, but he doesn't even have the strength to lift his arms right now. "You're gonna be fine, okay? It's not even that bad, alright? It's just a flesh wound."

Castiel forces a smile. "Okay."

He can feel the blood leaving his body in a steady stream. Even with Dean's hand pressing down on the wound, it's not enough pressure to stop the bleeding. His energy is trickling away with each haggard breath. Every swallow feels like a rock lodged in his throat, and every blink makes it harder to keep his eyes open.

Dean turns towards the rest of them with a cry. "Where the hell is the ambulance?!"

"They're on their way, son. Don't worry."

"Don't worry? Fuck, Bobby, how the hell d'you expect me to do that?!"

"Calm down, sweetie."

Dean flits his eyes over the group of ashen faces watching the scene play out. Castiel can feel the broken sob racking his body as he pulls him close to his chest, burrowing his nose in the top of his hair. An arm snakes beneath his legs, and then Dean's picking him up with a grunt. His face is pinched with anger as he shoves past the rest of them and out of the tunnels.

"You all think he's gonna die!" He spits. "That's why you're not tryin' to help, right? You've given up on him! Well, I can't do that. I'm not gonna let him go again."

Mary reaches out for him, her eyes red with tears. "Dean, wait! You shouldn't move him."

"He needs to get to a damn hospital."

"The doctors are coming-"

"I'm not gonna sit here and watch him bleed out!"

Bobby scrubs a hand over his face as Mary takes a step back, bowing her head as she lets them pass. Even Balthazar is struggling; Castiel can see the sheen of unshed tears in his eyes. But each and every one of them shares the same look of despair. They dothink he's going to die, and that's why they don't want Dean to make a fuss and carry him out. They want to spare him the pain of watching the doctors pointlessly try to save him, despite knowing he's too far gone already. And maybe, if he wasn't so selfish, Castiel would want him to stop as well. But he's happy in Dean's arms. They're warm and strong and safe, and there's no place he'd rather die. Here, with Dean holding him close and kissing his cheek, he can finally be at peace.

Everything seems to move in slow motion as Dean carries him back through the building. There are kids standing outside their cages, not sure what to do with themselves, and guards knocked out here and there. It's all so surreal, and his brain is too tired to try and process it all. He recognises the large man standing at the end of the corridor though; his thickset shoulders and surly expression are pretty hard to forget.

"The police just arrived," John says gruffly, eyes skimming over his limp body before snapping back to Dean. "You okay, boy?"

Dean swallows thickly and clears his throat. "Cas, uh… He needs a doctor."

"Okay. You want me to take him?"

"No."

"Dean, I don't think -"

"Don't touchhim, okay?!"

John's lips press into a thin line, eyes empty as he nods his head. He doesn't think he's going to make it either, Castiel can tell. He's got that same sympathetic look on his face, but he's trying to act normal for Dean's sake. No one wants to be the one who breaks the bad news to him.

"Okay. You go on up. I'll find your mom."

Dean doesn't even reply this time, just keeps walking towards the sound of the officers storming the building. They rush past them without much thought. Castiel can just see a streak of dark grey, paired with the muffled voices of strangers from every direction. He thinks he maybe sees Aaron stuffed amongst the crowd of trembling kids in one of the rooms they pass, but he can't be sure. He just hopes he's okay like the rest of them, especially after what he did to him. What Lilithdid to him.

Sunlight breaks over them like shards of glass as Dean pushes the doors open. It's getting late, but the sky is still a brilliant shade of blue, and Castiel can feel the mild warmth of a winter's day coming to a close. He breathes in deeply, letting all the various smells of grass and dirt and sunshine melt the pain away. The blood seeping from his wound is turning tacky against his shirt, but the gentle touch of Dean's fingers holding him tight is the only thing he tries to focus on. He closes his eyes as Dean carefully lays him onto the cool grass, simultaneously scanning the sea of people and cars in search of an ambulance.

"Shit," Dean curses. "Just… Just hold on a little longer, okay?"

Castiel groans. "They're not here yet?"

"They're coming, Cas. Don't worry. They're gonna fix you up. You're gonna be fine," Dean turns to a couple of police officers stepping out of their car. "Can we get some help over here?!"

"No," Castiel grabs his arm. "Don't, Dean... I just want to be with you."

"But, Cas -"

"Please, Dean. Just do this for me."

Dean hesitates for a moment, but then the lines in his face even out, and he goes back to pressing down on the wound. "Okay, Cas."

"How did you find me?"

"We, uh… We tried looking for your aunt first, but… I dunno, she's good at hiding. So we found your mom in hospital, asked if she knew any Lilith White. She recognised the name."

Castiel licks his lips, tastes blood, and tries to sit up. The pain that rips through his wound is enough to bring tears springing to his eyes.

"Don't move," Dean guides him back down, hand firm on his shoulder. "You've gotta keep still, so the blood won't… I mean, so you don't strain yourself. It'll feel better lying down, I promise."

"Okay," Castiel squeezes his eyes shut, willing the fire in his stomach to cool down for a moment. "What did you say to my mother?"

"We just told her you were missing."

"Does she… Does she know?"

Dean cups one side of his face, grimacing at the cool sweat clinging to his skin, and shrugs. "I told her I was your boyfriend, so… I'm guessin' she's caught on. Is that okay?"

"Was she mad?"

"She was worried, Cas. She couldn't give a fuck about us."

Something flutters deep down in his chest. He always assumed that his mom would be like the rest of them, that she'd shun him for being gay if she ever found out. Sometimes he thought maybe she didknow, and that was the reason she tried to kill herself. But finally hearing the truth - that she's worried about him, that she doesn't care who he's dating - makes him happier than he ever expected to be right now. Practically everybody knows the truth, and most of them still love him regardless. Knowing that his mom supports him makes the urge to live even stronger, forcing him back into a sitting position.

"Cas, you need to stay down."

"Where's Anna?"

Dean's throat ripples. "We… We're doin' everything we can to find her. The police have been searching for days. I'm sure she's fine, Cas."

He tries not to picture his sister locked away in some shed in the middle of nowhere, crying out for help, but the thought of her being in danger still makes him shudder. New tears roll down his face, mixing with the blood and sweat staining his flesh. If he could trade places with her (minus the stab wound of course) he'd do it in a heartbeat. All he's ever wanted was to protect his little sister from the horrors he's had to endure for the vast majority of his life. But he couldn't even do that one job right.

"My… My uncle… Lilith said he was coming. Where is he -"

"Shh, don't worry. He's not here, I swear."

"But -"

"I'm not gonna let him take you away," Dean kisses the end of his nose, eyelashes stuck together with tears. "Never again, I promise. He's not gonna lay a fuckin' hand on you ever again."

Castiel smiles up at him, reaching out to touch his face.

"I love you so much," He whispers. "And I… I trust you. You'll find Anna, I know you will. And you'll look after her for me, won't you?"

Dean bites back a sob, shaking his head as Castiel gently holds his chin in place.

"I can't… I can't lose you," Dean whimpers. "Fuck, Cas, I can't lose you! I'll be a mess. I won't -"

"You'll be fine."

"No, I won't. You knowI won't."

"You're stronger than you give yourself credit for," He smiles again, this one drooping with the effort not to wince at the pain eating away at his stomach. "You're the most beautiful thing I've ever seen."

Dean sniffs. "Quit it with sappy, goodbye crap, will ya? You're not goin' anywhere. Not on my watch."

"You can't control this."

"But… But I loveyou. Isn't that enough?!"

Castiel moans through another wave of pain, desperately clutching at Dean's hand. He never wants to let go. He wants to hold onto this boy forever. He wants to grow old with him. He wants to get married, have children, buy a house, argue over stupid little things, eat breakfast in bed, have sex whenever the kids are out, watch bad television at three o'clock in the morning, cook dinner together, build a sun house, go on holidays they can't afford, buy stupid gifts for each other without needing a reason, renew their vows when they get older, watch their kids grow into wonderful people with families of their own, retire at a ripe old age, spend the weekdays planting flowers and taking walks through the forest, spend their last days by each other's side, promise to love and protect each other for as long as they both may live… We wants it more than anything, but that chance to spend his life with Dean is quickly fading away, along with his own breath.

"Stay with me," Dean holds his head against his shoulder, peppering kisses all over his face as another pain-wrangled cry escapes his lips. "Just hold on, baby. I've got you. You're okay. I'm here."

Castiel muffles a groan in the warmth of Dean's jacket. "No more blood… Please, Dean. No more…"

"Okay. No more blood. No more blood, I promise."

"Will you stay me, please?"

Dean closes his eyes for a moment, takes a shaky breath, and kisses the corner of his mouth. It's so gentle, Castiel can barely feel it, but the warmth unfurling in his chest is enough to make him smile.

"I'll never leave you."

The last thing he remembers is the distant flashing of red and blue lights heading their way. There are people shouting, doors being slammed, the sound of wheels bumping over the gravel. But all he cares about is the smoky scent of woodchips and gasoline clinging to Dean's jacket, tickling his nostrils as the darkness finally comes, and everything turns to black.