A/N: Hey everybody! So thanks go out to Kati, I see you're going to keep up with it still and since you don't have an account i'll just say it on here :p thanks for keeping up! i hope you guys are liking it so far and that if you do like it you'll review it :)
Dean and Serenity looked up when they heard the light rustling of the wind signaling the appearance of someone. Standing in the middle of the living room stood Glacia and Lolita. Glacia walked over and leaned against the doorjamb that led to the stairway to the second floor, and Lolita stood standing in front of the desk. Serenity stared at her and then at Glacia then sighed quietly and looked back down at the book. Lolita's eyes became downcast at this.
Dean looked between the guardians confused, and he frowned slightly at this.
"Well did you find anything or not?" he asked the two of them that had just appeared.
"No," answered Lolita.
Dean still seemed puzzled, "Well what does that mean exactly? Surely there are still other candidates that could be holding it."
Serenity sighed and got up from her position behind Bobby's desk and turned around to poke at the fire cracking merrily in the fireplace that she had started a little earlier.
"It's not a very good sign Dean," Serenity answered him.
Dean frowned at her in puzzlement, "What do you mean?"
"Lolita and Glacia had the most people to check out," said Serenity still not looking at the hunter lying on the couch still sick.
"And how many people is that exactly?" asked Dean still not seeing where this was going exactly.
Serenity turned to stare at him finally, the look in her eyes was grave, and "It means Dean that they checked out 6 people. Gabriel and Kiwana checked out 3 others together and Castiel found the other one, and that's that considering you and Sam aren't holding the crystal inside yourselves."
Dean's mouth dropped open at this, "So you're basically saying that there are only like 12 people on the planet that are powerful enough to hold an archangel in their bodies?" The look on Dean's face was incredulous.
Glacia lightly snorted from the doorway and Dean rounded on her, "I think I missed what was so funny all of a sudden." Serenity gave Glacia a warning look that she took into consideration but did not halt what she had to say.
"Dean did you think that archangel vessels are everywhere on this planet or something?" Glacia scoffed at him, "Of course not they only come around every once in a while considering their so powerful, and because of that there are only so many born at a time and what usually happens is they can be skipped for centuries at a time that's why there so rare."
"So that means that if the others don't come back with news then we have no idea where it is?" asked Dean looking to Serenity for confirmation. She nodded at him slowly and Dean shook his head.
"So if it's not in a person then where is it?" asked Dean completely baffled by this, "I mean how do you start to go about searching for a rock that has been missing for 2,000 years and that no one knows where it is exactly?"
"We'll think of something Dean," said Lolita soothingly placing one of her small hands on his arm.
Dean stared down at the small hand, then he shrugged it off muttered a quick "Whatever" and sat back down on the couch, covering himself again and shivering slightly on the couch. Serenity stared at Dean sadness reflecting in her eyes at the hunter. Suddenly another whooshing noise resounded through the room and they all turned to look in the kitchen. Castiel and Balthazar both stood side by side. Serenity stiffened slightly while staring at Balthazar and Lolita and Glacia stood in front of her baring their teeth at the other angel.
Castiel stepped in front of his brother and raised his hands up in a supposedly calming gesture that did nothing to soothe the two agitated guardians.
"He's a friend and he's not going to harm Serenity in any way," Castiel stated in an effort to placate the women. Serenity's frown smoothed above her brows and she nodded to Castiel.
"Glacia, Lolita it's alright you two can relax," said Serenity leaning against the fireplace.
Glacia and Lolita reluctantly backed off but didn't stray too far in case they had to step in the middle of anything. Balthazar walked around his brother and calmly strutted into the living room where they all stood. He smiled at Serenity and smirked at Dean on the couch covered in blankets glaring right back. While Balthazar would never admit it aloud, he kept one wary eye on the other two guardians in the room. No need to step on some extra sensitive toes tonight he conceded to himself.
"Ahh Serenity long time no see honey, still as beautiful as always," Balthazar said to the guardian smiling lightly.
Serenity raised her eyebrows at the angel's flattery, "Really Balthazar you always were a flatterer and I see time hasn't changed you in the slightest," Serenity smiled faintly at the angel.
"What can I say darling besides, there's no reason to change or make tune ups to something that is already perfect," Balthazar replied winking at the guardian.
Serenity smiled at him "As well as modest Balthazar."
"What the hell do you want?" Dean snapped at the angel from the couch.
Balthazar turned cool, amusing eyes down to the hunter on the couch. His gaze perused the hunter up and down and Dean stiffened at this blatant perusal of himself. Balthazar smirked down at Dean and in return, he frowned at him.
"Not like it's any of your business you ape but I'm hear to see this missing guardian for the last couple of centuries," he replied coolly.
"Dean and Sam are very much involved in all of this Balthazar I can assure you, they were the ones that let me out of the vase and therefore have a part to play, and they are my charges," said Serenity calmly turning the page on smaller book on the desk.
"Yes, yes well," Balthazar waved his hand dismissively at this piece of information, "So cutting straight to the chase what are your plans exactly to take care of the big bad cheese upstairs?" he asked her staring at Serenity deeply.
Castiel stared at Dean then walked over to the hunter and sat next to him, placing his hand hesitantly on his knee. Dean startled and looked to him. He gave a slight smile and placed his own hand over the angel's on his knee and they both turned back to what was going on in front of them.
Serenity rubbed her forehead and placed her drink down on the table that she had got some time ago. "Honestly Balthazar that's really none of your concern is it?" she asked him raising her eyebrows at him again.
"Your looking for the crystal aren't you?" Balthazar asked her cutting through all the evasive behavior and bullshit.
Glacia turned hard grey eyes onto the angel, "How do you know that?"
Balthazar snorted, "Oh please you girls are going to make me start drinking, and it's obvious isn't it? It's the only thing that can stand up to Plague," he replied smugly, "But in order to harness all that raw power safely you need God's chosen one don't you? And correct me if I'm wrong but you haven't found either have you?"
The guardians all just stared at Balthazar unblinkingly. Balthazar stared at all of them separately and coolly. Finally, after a couple of minutes he broke the silence with a quiet, "I thought not."
"Were working on it," Dean ground out between clenched teeth. Balthazar turned his cool gaze back on Dean and raised his eyebrows in amusement.
"Really? Well you could have fooled me darling," Balthazar replied smiling at Dean's look of outrage at the angel's term use. "Plague is going to eat you all alive if you don't find what your looking for and soon."
"You think we don't know that Balthazar?" asked Glacia her two grey eyes narrowing into twin slits like a cats eyes. "We know perfectly well what Plague will do to us if we don't succeed in this, now are you here to help us or just patronize us?"
Balthazar smirked at her, "I'm here to help you girls actually," the guardians opened their mouths to rebuke him except for Serenity who did not even look up from the book. Balthazar held up a hand to stop them, "No listen, you need someone else that can help you in this and that has eyes and ears and connections everywhere. With my help you girls may be able to find the crystal before Plague does."
"That still leaves the issue of God's chosen one though," said Lolita.
Balthazar sighed and rolled his shoulders his eyes rolling skywards at this, "It's my belief that this chosen one, or whatever the hell she is, will show herself when the crystal is returned."
"How can you be sure of that Balthazar?" asked Castiel from his perch on the couch next to Dean, "She hasn't shown herself at all since the guardians were first made, what makes you think that it will happen now?"
"Survival Cass, survival," stated Balthazar simply conjuring a wine glass in his hand with dark red wine as it's contents.
Glacia cocked her head to the side at the angel as she watched him sip the wine, "What do you mean?"
Balthazar lowered his glass slightly and gave her a long look, "Really now? Isn't it obvious?" he looked around the room at everyone, and they all stared at him with blank expressions on their faces, all except Serenity who still would not look up. Balthazar rolled his eyes again, "Where is your sister Kiwana when she is desperately needed, seriously she would have picked up on this as soon as I started."
Dean frowned at the angel and tried to stand but Castiel's hand kept him seated next to him. Dean glared at the angel and Castiel returned the cool look back to the hunter. Dean huffed then turned to Balthazar, "Enough crap Balthazar just cut to the chase because I'll bite! What do you mean?"
Balthazar smirked at Dean and continued, "Always trust the little monkeys down here to ask the most obvious questions," Dean rolled his eyes at this and Balthazar carried on, "It's my belief that whoever has the crystal knows that Plague is after it. I mean come on! A crystal of that immense power and capabilities would not have just vanished into thin air! Someone must be keeping its power in check to have hidden it for so long."
It was quiet in Bobby's study for a bit the Lolita spoke, "So your basically implying that wherever the crystal is or whoever has it knows that Plague is after them and they've been purposely been shielding it's power…" Lolita stroked her chin gently in thought and frowned slightly muttering under her breath, "No then that means…"
Dean stared at the occupants in the room in confusion, "Lolita what does that mean then?"
Castiel sighed quietly on Dean's other side, "What Balthazar is implying Dean is that the only person that can keep the crystal hidden and under control is God's chosen one. This therefore means that the chosen one has the crystal and is hiding it from Plague."
"But so that means that the two pieces of this puzzle are together right?" asked Dean.
"It does and if Balthazar is correct then that makes this so much more dangerous," stated Serenity for the first time in a few minutes looking up at the room at large. Everyone turned their eyes on her and the guardians looked worried.
"What do you mean?" asked Dean, "Wouldn't that make things easier for us then?"
Glacia turned to Dean, "Think about it Dean, if the crystal and the chosen one are together that means that if Plague can find one, she has them both, it raises the stakes because they aren't separated anymore."
"Dammit, so if Plague finds the crystal or God's chosen that's it then we lose?" asked Dean.
No one bothered to answer this and Dean looked around the room in shock and disbelief. He brushed off Castiel's hand and stood. He stood a little to fast and wobbled on his feet. Castiel got up behind him and placed a placating arm on the center of his back to help steady him.
Dean turned his head and gave a grateful smile to the angel in thanks, which Castiel returned in kind. He turned back to everyone, walked over to stand in front of Serenity, and locked eyes with the guardian.
"Listen to me ok just listen," Dean, pleaded with the guardian, "Me and Sam and Bobby have fought against countless odds, and we have always come up on top. Nothing ever keeps us down, and if your going to let your sister potentially win this and just give up then you don't deserve the name of guardian. I am going to help you and I promise you that one way or another were going to find the crystal, find your chosen one, and stop Plague."
Serenity smiled gently at Dean's enthusiasm, leaned over, and touched his shoulder.
"Thank you Dean," she responded softly, "And I can assure you were not giving up we just have to work harder."
At that point, another soft swishing of the wind signaled another arrival. Dean turned around and saw Kiwana and Gabriel standing in the kitchen this time. Serenity lowered her hand and stared at the two newcomers.
"Well?" she asked hesitantly.
"Nothing, notta, zip," replied Gabriel walking into the living room, turning a chair around and sitting upon it backwards.
Serenity frowned at this and looked at Kiwana to confirm it. Kiwana sighed and walked closer, "I'm sorry Serenity but Gabriel is telling the truth, the ones we checked out to weren't carrying it."
Serenity sighed and nodded her head. Dean turned worried eyes on the guardian. He couldn't exactly describe it but he felt a connection to her that he had never felt before, not a romantic one more of a brotherly type of love towards her. This was absurd when he thought about it considering that he had only just met her and all but, it seemed to not change anything.
"It's not over till the fat lady sings and Sam hasn't yet Serena so were not done on this," Dean said confidently.
Serenity gave him a long look then threw her head back and a loud, melodious laughter peeled out of her throat.
"Thank you Dean," Serenity said after a while getting her voice back, even the others had to lightly chuckle at this except for Castiel who simply rolled his eyes. "Just don't let your brother hear that you called him that ok?"
Dean winked at her and replied with, "No promises."
"So now what?" asked Lolita turning to Serenity.
Serenity looked at everyone in the room, "For now we keep our eyes and ears open, but I think we should focus on something that we do know is happening right now, and that is Eve."
Dean frowned at this, "Well she hasn't been around since that one time," Dean said.
Serenity nodded, "Yes that's true Dean but it's only a matter of time before she makes a new appearance."
Just then, the back door opened and a pair of feet tromped into the kitchen putting down grocery bags. Bobby turned around and stared at everyone standing around his living room.
"What? Was I supposed to pick up party stuff for a huge jamboree or something?" he asked them all.
"Nah were just regrouping Bobby," explained Dean.
"Speak for yourselves, can I go raid a candy store now?" asked Gabriel from the couch, "I've helped enough for right now and you guys know how to get a hold of me so with that see ya later kids."
With that, Gabriel disappeared in a great flap of wings. Balthazar finished off the last of his wine in his glass and smacked his lips lightly together.
"I believe that's my cue to hightail it as well darlings," said Balthazar grinning at them all. "Don't worry though I'll keep my ears and eyes out to and contact some people and see if we can get this show on the road."
Balthazar disappeared and only Castiel remained of the angels. Dean turned to stare at his angel in slight concern. Castiel looked as if he was thinking deeply about something or something was eating away at him. Just when Dean was going to answer another rustle of wind sounded throughout the room and a stumble and cursing followed it. Dean turned and there standing in the kitchen were Sam and Sasha. Sasha was soaked through though and Sam looked like he had gone for a couple of rounds with a blender and lost spectacularly. Sasha bent double and gasped while Sam grabbed a piece of his shirt and attempted to stem the blood flow from some of his cuts.
"What the hell happened to you two?" asked Bobby. Serenity stared at the two with her eyebrows raised and Kiwana looked as if she was trying not to laugh aloud at Sasha.
Sasha glared at the room, "Stupid fucking witches, and their bloody fucking spells."
At this Kiwana couldn't control herself anymore and burst out laughing practically falling on the ground from the force of her laughter. Sasha turned and sent her a hard glare. Suddenly, before any of them could react, Kiwana's hair caught on fire. She stopped laughing and shrieked running around patting her head trying to get the fire out.
"Lolita," Serenity said and Lolita raised her hand a bucket of water seemed to dump out of nowhere and drench Kiwana head to foot. The fire disappeared and Kiwana stood there looking moody, her hair drooping from its own wet weight now. The two guardians glared at one another.
"Girls enough please we already have enough problems then you two tearing at each other again," Serenity pleaded with them, "So how did the umm witch hunt go?"
Sasha turned her gaze back to Serenity, "Blood fantastic, she got pissed at me and my fire power so she drenched me," Sasha explained, "Don't you just love witches."
Sam got up from the floor grabbed a dish towel and put some pressure on one of his more nastier cuts, "Point is we stopped her," he said.
"Well that's good to hear at least," answered Serenity, "Sam don't worry about the cuts the girls can help you with those."
Sam nodded his head and Sasha asked, "Did you guys find anything at all?"
Serenity sighed, "Unfortunately no, but we may have a theory thanks to Balthazar."
Sasha snorted and muttered, "Oh perfect a theory from Balthazar."
Kiwana glared darkly at Sasha, "Like you're any better?"
Sasha turned around to round on the other guardian and Serenity snapped out, "Enough!"
The two stopped and pretended as if they weren't going to do anything in the first place to each other.
"As I was saying before you two got here we should focus on Eve now for the time being and try to figure out what she wants with Dean," stated Serenity pulling another book from the shelves.
"What did Balthazar say about his theory on the crystal?" asked Sam.
"He said that the crystal and the chosen one may be together right now so that we need to find either of them and quickly, long story short," answered Lolita.
Sam nodded his head and Sasha muttered angrily, "That's fantastic."
Bobby looked around the room, "Well I hope you all aren't going to have a slumber party here for the night and if you are some of you are going to have to make do with the floor."
"Don't worry about that Bobby we don't plan on staying," answered Glacia.
"We don't?" asked Sasha turning to look at Glacia puzzled.
"No you girls are going to go around and try to gather as much info as we can get on Eve, which means any books and try to talk to the alphas as much as possible, but be polite to them please we don't need another feud going on," Serenity explained.
Sasha huffed out in irritation but otherwise nodded with the rest of them and in one great wave of power; they all disappeared from the room.
"I think I'm gonna lie down then," Dean said, "For some reason I'm exhausted."
"Your sick Dean that's why," answered Serenity, "Try to get some rest and the rest of us will keep searching."
Dean nodded and grabbed onto Cass's hand and dragged him towards the couch. Cass sat on a chair next to Dean and helped him get comfortable on the small makeshift bed. Within minutes Dean had drifted off and Castiel stayed by his bedside all night lightly gripping his hand in a strong comforting embrace, as he stared at Dean with a sad look in his eyes.
~x~
1 Week Later
~x~
So far nothing, they had searched countless books, the girls, the other two angels constantly came in to make reports, and still there was nothing that seemed to point them in the right direction. Or for that matter how to get rid of Eve.
Dean still lay on the couch. He was still being violently sick and it was getting to the point where he couldn't even move anymore. His body wouldn't keep down any kind of food and he was becoming badly dehydrated from this. His throat constantly hurt and it felt as if his body couldn't make up its mind whether it wanted to be hot or cold anymore. His stomach kept on twisting painfully and sometimes Castiel needed to knock Dean out since his pain was so great that he couldn't fall asleep naturally.
Castiel stared down at Dean, his eyes reflecting his great sorrow. Once vibrant blue eyes were now clouded with worry and sadness at seeing his strong hunter this way. He was wasting away right in front of him and no matter what Castiel tried; he couldn't seem to help Dean.
As for Dean, the nightmares still plagued him. It had gotten to the point where the assailant would grab him and in the dreams would rape him violently. At one point, he thought he recognized the voice and the eyes but at the next second the image and recognition was scattered and he was lost again to the dreams until he could wake.
Dean didn't know anymore what was worse. Being awake or being asleep. Awake his body was plagued with physical pain beyond imagining but asleep he was emotionally ripped apart from the dreams. Either way he couldn't win and he still felt afraid of Cass at times.
He would often reflect on the dreams that he had to try to make the ends meet but he still couldn't understand. Every time he tried to grasp at a stray thought it was as if it floated away from him and the harder he tried the faster it would go. He had a feeling that those dreams held the answer to what was wrong with him now but for the life of him, he couldn't recall what was going on. His mind was cloudy on the details and at the same time Dean didn't want to admit it aloud or remember because that would be conceding that it had really happened.
Dean could tell when Sam and Bobby looked at him the worry and fear in their gazes. Dean knew that it was killing them to see him like this but for the life of him he didn't understand where it was coming from anymore than they did.
Cass gently rubbed Dean's back keeping him steady as he held the bucket below him so that he could rid his stomach of any contents that he had managed to keep down. After he was finished, Castiel lightly wiped his face and placed the bucket away. He lightly propped Dean back on all the pillows and pulled the blankets around him again.
Dean looked to Cass with eyes that used to sparkle brilliantly with life now dull from the never-ending pain and sickness.
"Thanks Cass," Dean managed to voice out even though it killed his throat to say just those two word and his voice was raspy.
"Shh Dean conserve your strength, there's no need to thank me for this," answered Castiel back.
"Am I gonna die Cass?" Dean asked the angel staring at him with blank eyes.
Castiel stared back at the hunter, sadness, and despair clouding his gaze.
"No Dean you're not going to die I won't let you, not like this, not right now," Castiel answered his voice sounding choked. Bobby and Sam sat in the kitchen and tried to give the two as much privacy as they could.
Dean smiled faintly at the angel, "Alright Cass because me and you have only just begun and it would be a shame to split us up."
Castiel gave a faint smile back to Dean, "Agreed."
At that moment, the sound of heels walked into the room and Serenity was standing in the doorway that led to the front door.
"Dean we need to talk, Cass you can stay here," Serenity replied softly. She gazed at the two sadly, from where she stood. As the week had gone by Serenity came to call Castiel, Cass just as Dean did. She looked towards the kitchen at Bobby and Sam, "You two better come here as well I think this is something that you all need to hear."
Sam and Bobby exchanged puzzled looks and got up to go into the living room.
"What's wrong girl?" asked Bobby, "If it's about Dean then-"
"It is but it's probably not what you're expecting," answered Serenity staring back to Dean.
Dean looked at her the best he could, "What's going on?"
Serenity sighed, "I should have probably said this a week ago Dean when this all first started to happen but I thought that maybe their was a slight chance that I was wrong and it was just the flu but now I don't think so and that my original idea was right all along."
Dean frowned at the guardian, "Spit it out Serena I can't take this kind of suspense right now."
"Dean I don't know how to tell you this but," started Serenity, "I think you're pregnant."
A/N: Yeah i know one of you guys already called it ;) sorry couldnt resist lol so a longer chapter again that i hope you guys enjoyed!