Chapter Fifty Four- A Dream Of You

A/N- Thank you so much for all the reviews, alerts and favourites!

"Oh fuck," i muttered the words seething frustration with every breath. Please tell me that didn't just happen, my thoughts pleaded.

Sorry sweetness. The cat's outta the bag!

I rolled my eyes a little at Gabriel's sudden self inclusion into my thoughts and ran a hand through my ragged hair before turning to Sam. He was sat on the chair with Bobby helping him with his nose bleed. I caught a whiff of the blood. It reeked. It smelt as bad as the demons looked. Normally, blood smelt more of iron than anything but not this. This was more of rotten eggs.

"You realise you stink of sulphur, right?"

Disgust was clear in my voice. I didn't attempt to hide it on my face either as both men looked at me. Bobby gave me a steely glare. This was good enough to shut me up for a little while. Sam was ashamed and feeling guilty.

Quite rightly too, I thought.

I sat down at the opposite end of the table. I couldn't help the way my face changed whenever I smelt the blood. Thankfully, Zachariah was staying the hell away from us. It would have been too tempting to attack him with all that had happened tonight. I watched slightly disturbed at how Bobby could just treat him like nothing had happened. He was helping him for Christ's sake!

My lip started to curl at it all. Eventually, I couldn't hold it in anymore. When Bobby had cleaned the younger man up I asked, "Aren't you bothered?"

The older man turned to me. His eyes were wide, "What you mean?"

"He's admitted to drinking Ruby's damn blood! Doesn't that make you feel sick inside? Doesn't it make you want to not be around him?"

Sam looked at me terrified. Tears were starting to bubble in his hazel eyes.

"He's still Sam. He's still our Sammy," he defended the Winchester.

"The thing is he's not," I answered simply. I was looking at Sam when I said those words, "I can smell it. He's not right anymore. I mean, hell, none of us were right to begin with but it's turning you, Sam. You won't be human much longer if you keep doing it."

He looked away from my eyes. He focused all his attention on the bloodied towel in his hand. It was matted with his own blood. I could almost see the cogs working in his head. Part of me wondered if he even knew what he was doing. Or worse, I was beginning to wonder if he liked it.

Bobby threw his eyes angrily to Sam. He watched him for a few seconds, "is she right? Are you turning?"

He ignored us for a few moments choosing to move the towel around in his hands. He stroked the bloodied parts. A few seconds later he threw his head back and started crying. He nodded, "When Azazal took us to that village I felt so strong because of my powers. I felt that I could actually do something. I wanted to avenge Dad. I'd always felt so useless around Dean. He had always been the good hunter. Those powers gave me an edge, I didn't see it until I was brought back."

I regarded him with my eyebrow partially raised. Bobby sat down with us and urged him to carry on.

"When Ruby told me that she could help me get stronger I refused. Dean had just died and it was just wrong. All I wanted to do then was get him back. Then I figured going after Lilith would be the best bet seeing as she was the one who owned his soul. She came to me again saying that if I got strong enough then I could take her down, that I could get Dean back or at least get his soul out of hell..."

He took a deep breath, "When Dean knocked on my motel door I decided that I wanted out there and then. She accepted that. Then we found out that it was Lilith behind the apocalypse and we weren't getting anywhere I changed my mind. I found Ruby and told her I wanted back in. That was a few months back. Since then, I'm strong again. I can exorcise demons. I can even kill them with just a flick of my hand!"

Bobby sat back in his chair. He sighed heavily, "can't you see that this aint right?"

"I know it's not but..."

"But what?" I asked him. I shook my head, "don't you get that this is wrong? You're drinking demon blood, Sam! Whatever plan Azazal had, you might be playing into it."

He looked up to me pitifully. There was a pain in his eyes but he nodded, "I never thought of it like that."

A faint smile broke out onto both mine and Bobby's faces.

"Please, just promise me that you're not gonna do it every again?"

He gave me a teary, hopeful smile. He almost laughed, "Yeah, I promise. I'm not gonna drink any blood. You're right, it's wrong."

"Good!" Bobby exclaimed.

After a few moments of pure relief a heaviness settled on us all again. There were no other sounds in the house. It reminded me of what Dean had done.

"Where's Dean?" Sam asked eerily.

I watched him peculiarly. I wondered whether all that demon blood had made him a little receptive to other people's thoughts. I gulped, "ugh. I heard the Impala start up. He's probably gone to drown himself in a keg of beer and a cheap whore."

"Shit," he placed his head in his hands and ran them through his hair. He stood up and the rest of us rose with him, "I've gotta go find him."

"Hell no!" Bobby roared angrily and stood in front of the young man.

"He's my brother, I have to explain everything!"

"Goin' to find him and explaining to him when he's in that mood isn't going to sort anything, kid. He needs to calm down and so do you."

"Stay here for the night," I suggested gesturing upstairs with my hand, "there're enough rooms and he's gotta come back at some point."

I didn't suggest why he'd have to come back. I knew he'd come back within the next couple of days because of me. It sounded big-headed but it was true. If Zachariah was right about how deep his feelings for me ran then he wouldn't be able to be gone for more than three days. He just had to cool off, that's all.

"You sure he'll come back?"

"Of course. You're his brother after all."

Luckily, he believed me and agreed to stay with us for a while. He stalked off upstairs after grabbing a beer. I heard the shower running and glanced warily at Bobby who had a cell phone pressed to his ear.

He hissed, "Dean, answer the damn phone! You idjit, get back 'ere!"

He threw his cell onto the sideboard and paced the side of the kitchen. Frustration was clear on his face but underneath that there was a deep worry for both of the boys that were almost his own.

"He not answering?" I enquired while knocking back a cool bottle of beer.

Bobby shook his head.

-M-

Hours later I was laid in my bed asleep. I tossed and turned as nightmares plagued me yet again. I never got a decent night's sleep anymore. But my need for sleep was being to disappear. I could run on less than four hours sleep for a couple of days. I had the occasional catnap during these times to stop myself getting irrational and snappy. I had begun to dread falling asleep now. Oddly, my nightmare changed. It became calm and I settled.

-M-

There was a table in front of me. I was resting on a red, leather seat. My eyes travelled around the room that I was in. I realised that I was sitting in a booth inside an empty dinner. The place was set up ready for opening time. A calm feeling suddenly washed over me when I saw the old style jukebox in the corner. I knew then where I was. I was at Jay's Dinner back in Charlestown. I was home.

A figure moved directly in front of me. My eyes darted to the sign of movement. There was a person sitting opposite me in the booth. I sat back and stared wide eyed at him. I couldn't believe it.

"Cas?" I asked awkwardly. It looked like him but he appeared stressed, worried and relieved all at the same time. His eyes were cast downwards. The rosary around my neck hummed happily. I wondered, "Is it really you?"

He nodded and met my gaze. He sighed and looked out of the window showing only a barren, dead street, "you are dreaming but it is me. I never told you that angels could access dreams."

"Huh," I glanced around again his nervousness rubbing off onto me, "so other angels could possibly see this?"

"Yes."

"What's wrong?"

"I was correct about Uriel. He had been killing my brothers and sisters in the garrison. I had no choice than to kill him."

I reached across the table and grabbed his hand. It was cold. He could only look at it as he continued his tale.

"I also believe that God is not in Heaven. The angels have something planned. Something that should never happen, do you understand me? I cannot discuss it in case anyone is listening but you must be on your guard. You must discover as much information about their plan from Zachariah as you can."

"It's coming, isn't it?" I asked. My mouth was starting to go dry, "is he going to rise?"

He looked at me pitifully with those blue eyes. I caught the light dancing underneath them. The essence was stronger than it had been before in him or it seemed that way at the very least.

"I pray that he does not."

My face fell, "oh God."

Tears pricked at his eyes and he placed his other hand on top of mine and squeezed hard.

"Can you find Dean? Please, tell him what you've told me. It'll make him come back."

His grip loosened by a margin and he couldn't look at me. He nodded nonetheless agreeing to do as I had asked him.

Suddenly, something prickled at my ears drums. There was a faint buzzing getting louder and louder.

He heard it too, "I have to go. Remember what I have said. Please, stay safe."

The dream faded around me going grey and dull.

-M-

I woke with a start. I took a deep breath feeling instantly awake when the air rushed in and filled my lungs to their full capacity. The air shuddered as it left my body. I was staring up at the white ceiling in my dark bedroom. The curtains were moving slightly by a breeze allowed in by the open window.

"Having nightmares again?"

I sat up perplexed and glanced at the corner in distaste. Zachariah was sat on the chair reading through another newspaper. He threw me a curious look and went back to reading a couple of articles. The room was so dark there weren't even any shadows. No light was creeping underneath the door from the corridor outside. Everyone was in bed.

"What time is it?" I asked him.

He rolled his eyes at this disruption, "4:04 am. Why?"

I ignored his question and countered it with my own, "how many seals are left?"

"Five although it's none of your concern."

"What happens when he rises?"

"You'll have to choose I suppose. Beyond that, I have no idea."

"I don't mean that," I shook my head to reaffirm it. I chewed my lip, "I mean, will everyone die? Will it be how it's said in the bible?"

"They'll be a war and a final battle. Then paradise on Earth."

"Do you want him to rise?" I asked lightly. He glared angrily at me so i tacked something on, "for the paradise at the end."

"It is none of your concern."

I kicked the covers off and got dressed.

-M-

Within an hour I had woken up the two men and we were waiting patiently in the kitchen. Bobby had decided to cook us breakfast at five in morning. The sun was starting to grace the horizon and it slowly began to light up the yard.

"So why are we up again?" Sam asked while rubbing his eyes.

I paced down one side of the kitchen, "because Dean's going to come back."

"He can let himself in. Why do we have to be awake?" Bobby threw over his shoulder.

"Trust me. It'll be soon."

"How do you know?"

"I just do. Accept it." I growled at them and made myself a cup of strong, black coffee.

Bobby began to dish the eggs, sausages and bacon out onto plates. I turned away from the counter and felt odd. Black spots started dancing in front of my eyes. I couldn't focus on anything. I blinked to try and clear them. I felt like I was having an out of body experience. I couldn't seem to control or move my own body anymore.

The next moment it felt like someone was ramming a red hot poked right through the centre of my body and through my heart. The rosary was burning my skin. I screamed in agony and fell to the floor in a heap. I wretched forward as it felt as if I was being pulled out of my own body. Whatever it was took the red hot pain with it.

I felt burning hot hands on my bare skin and distant, echoing voices asking what was going on. I gasped for air and my eyes snapped open. I felt so cold. All the heat was taken away from me. There was a painful burn on my chest where the rosary had been in contact with my skin. I realised with a pang that the rosary was almost dead. There was barely a faint sliver of life coming from it.

I choked on my own tears and sobs, "Cas!"

"Rox, what's happened?" Bobby and Sam asked me at once.

A figure appeared in the door way and ran towards me. Dean cupped my face with his hands. His own face was only showing fear and worry as he glanced at his brother and father figure.

"What happened?"

"It's Cas! He's gone!" I cried.