AN: Sorry for the slight delay but here it is, enjoy! Also, I've been loving your reviews, they keep me going so thanks!

Crowley tried to gather the group in a circle as they waited for the product to arrive despite the tension splitting them in half. He told them that the weed would be hidden inside something but even he didn't know what. There was still a ridiculous amount of tension between the two sides in the warehouse. Dean, who had stepped back next to Cas, and Benny were one side, backs to the front doors, and Alastair, Azazel, Jake, Gordon, Dick and Edgar were facing them. Crowley stood, seemingly neutrally, in between them with each group to one side of him.

They were in what resembled a clearing in a forest between old boxes and crates of stuff from when the warehouse was used. It was almost a maze, one Cas was all too eager to escape.

Cas knew that Crowley wouldn't hesitate to back the other side over their little group of three and the false neutral wouldn't last if a fight broke out. Plus, Cas assumed they all had guns which he did not. He didn't care for them and found them useless. Guns only brought death and pain.

"Well, isn't this a cute little group," came a voice from behind Dean, Cas and Benny who turned around. They weren't keen on having their backs turned to the guys who would as easily stab them as they would breathe but there wasn't a choice. The big, bad supplier was here and the focus had to be on him.

"Lucifer," Crowley said, extending a hand to the newest addition into the shady warehouse. Cas detected a little bit of wary hesitation, almost like Crowley was scared of the cool, almost bored looking blonde man. Dean and Benny tensed as they shook hands and Cas guessed the rest of the gang behind them did, too. This man exuded a power and confidence that instilled fear.

Lucifer's eyes scanned the group and stopped on Castiel.

"Oh, you must be new," he observed.

"You must have been top of your class, very smart," Cas retorted, sounding braver than he felt. Lucifer eyed him with new amusement which Cas figured was a bad thing. Castiel could tell Dean was trying hard not to laugh, Cas's witty rejoinders cracked him up.

"Aren't you peculiar? People don't normally talk to me like that," Lucifer said, even and calm but with an undertone of authority. He sauntered a few steps until he was standing directly in front of Cas. Cas could feel Dean on his right ready to jump in front of him and fight this guy which was comforting but unnecessary. Castiel could handle himself and Dean knew that but that went both ways. Cas wanted to protect Dean from Crowley and now this new douchebag even though Dean could handle himself just fine.

Cas just shrugged in response to Lucifer's comment. He could feel Crowley's eyes glaring a hole through his skull from his left side. Disrespect wasn't taken lightly by guys like Lucifer, especially in this line of work.

"Funny, I would have pegged you for the other group," Lucifer said, still looking at Cas with interest and curiosity, almost like he was solving a puzzle.

"What are you talking about?" Dean demanded to know as Cas tilted his head to the side and squinted in confusion. He also wanted to know what Lucifer meant. Did he mean the other gang?

"Winchester, right?" Lucifer commented, sliding his eyes over to meet Dean's, "Heard a lot about you from Crowley."

"Yeah, like what?" Dean snapped. He knew of Lucifer from Crowley but he didn't like that they had been swapping stories.

"For one, your lack of respect for those above you," Lucifer said. Dean set his mouth in a hard line. His teachers in school always told him he'd end up saying the wrong thing to the wrong person. This might have finally been what they were talking about.

"And how you make stupid decisions to protect those you love," Lucifer said, his eyes flicking to Cas briefly before returning to Dean with a small smile that terrified Castiel. Dean and Cas were both at a loss for words. Crowley must have mentioned Dean joining the gang to protect his brother but he hoped he didn't mention his theory about Dean and Cas dating. Despite being true, the two would have preferred that people like Lucifer didn't know. It was ammo in a very dangerous gun.

"Are we going to do this or what?" Crowley said, growing impatient.

"Not yet, we're waiting for something," Lucifer said. One look had Crowley standing up straighter and remembering his place.

"Waiting for what?" Crowley asked, curbing his attitude. For the one usually in power, he was clearly not sure how to handle being the subordinate.

"What the hell is this?" asked the guy who just walked in through the warehouse's doors leading his own gang.

It was Michael.

"For that," Lucifer said with a malicious smile before making a beeline into the maze that was this warehouse.

Before Cas could blink, he was being pulled down to the ground and to the side by Dean. They crawled on the dusty concrete floor behind stacks of cardboard boxes, old plastic crates and whatever else was piled up to avoid the gunfire that had started. Dean pulled his own gun from the back of his jeans and began to return fire in the direction of Michael's gang. It started so fast, Cas really only saw Michael and didn't know how many guys he had brought with him.

Someone was laughing, presumably Lucifer, as the gunfire rang and echoed. Cas couldn't think and was too shocked and petrified to move. Dean was trying to shield Cas who was staying low to the ground as best as he could while shooting. Benny must have rolled somewhere else because he wasn't with them. There was swearing and yelling from both sides that was making the noise level overwhelming.

To add to the cacophony of sound, police sirens started to wail. Cas had never heard a more beautiful sound.

Thank God they're here, Cas thought for once in his life about the cops.

"Dean, we're going to be okay," Cas said, so quiet he didn't even know if Dean heard him. But he needed to say it anyways, even if just for himself. "Dean?"

Cas got up into a kneeling position as they gunfire lessened and the sirens got louder. He could hear an abundance of footsteps as guys from both side headed to the nearest door.

"Fuck, Cas," Dean said. His eyes were closed.

"Dean, what's wrong?" Cas said, forgetting about the gang members, guns and police. Dean was holding his left shoulder and when he pulled it away, there was blood. A lot of blood. He'd been shot.

"DEAN!" Cas yelled. "Dean, stay with me, keep your eyes open, damn it!"

The cops had finally come in. Cas saw Henriksen first.

"Henriksen, call an ambulance, please," Cas begged. Despite their differences, Henriksen wasn't actually a bad person and immediately radioed for an ambulance. Mills rushed over to help apply pressure to Dean's shoulder. Dean's eyes fluttered open, meeting Cas's.

"Cas…"

"I'm here, you're going to be fine, Dean," Cas whispered. Dean had fallen back onto Cas's lap and his eyes closed again.