VIOLET'S POV

I was sitting at Bobby's desk, flipping through a large, leather bound book, when I came upon a lithograph of the Archangel Michael slaying the devil. He held a sword in one hand and a set of scales in the other. He wore an iron breast plate and he held the sword over his head, ready to strike the fatal blow. The devil cowered on the ground at Michael's feet. I ran a finger along one outstretched wing of the the angelic warrior wandering what it was like to be a soldier of God. Did he have to do terrible things in God's name? How many people had he killed because he was ordered to? A sudden rapping on the door frame pulled me out of my thoughts and made me jump.

"Sorry", Dean whispered. "I didn't mean to startle you. He smiled at me and I went all weak in the knees. It was a good thing I was sitting down. I wish I had the strength to tell him what that smile did to me, but I was afraid that if I did, I'd never see it again. "Vi? You OK?", Dean asked, waving a hand in front of my face.

"Huh?" I jerk out of my daydream of that smile. I blinked stupidly at Dean and then turned away when I realized I'd been staring at him.
"OH! SORRY! I guess I'm just... a little tired, that's all."

"Why didn't you sleep while Michael was gone?" He walked over, looked down at the book that was open in front of me, and ran his finger over the sword in Michael's hand. "Oh, I see. Researching some family history, huh?"

"I don't know what I'm doing, Dean", I grumbled. "I can't understand half of what this book says! The only thing I know about him is he's a killer! Am I supposed to be OK with that just because he's taking his orders from God? I don't know what to think!"

"Well, why don't you go talk to him?" He cocked a thumb over his shoulder. "He's waiting down stairs."

"WHAT?!", I shouted at him. "He's been here all this time and you didn't tell me?!" I ran passed him, flying through the house toward the basement. Dean was chasing after me groaning exasperatedly.

"Sorry Vi", Dean shrugged. "I seem to be very distracted lately." I flew down the basement steps, two at a time and when I rounded the corner, I froze. There he was, standing in the panic room with his back to me. He had his head down, but when he heard me breathing hard, he stiffened and raised his head. He turned around slowly and looked at me expectantly like he was waiting for me to make the first move. His eyes were red and his face was wet with tears. I smiled gently and moved toward the open doorway. As I got closer to him, I noticed that he was turning something small over in his hands nervously. When he saw me staring at his hands, he showed me what he was holding. It was a small piece of purple crystal about the size of a golf ball. My breath caught in my throat and I looked up at him in shock.

"Is that...?" The words seemed to get caught in my throat before they could get past my lips. He smiled at me and nodded. I reached up and ran my fingers over the jagged piece of crystal in the palm of his hand. I had to clear my throat before I could speak again.

"Sam's soul is really in there?" I looked up at Michael, puzzled. "The piece Crowley gave us was fake. And I..." My voice broke and he looked at me with pain in his eyes.

"Dean told me what happened with the demon. You'll never know how sorry I am that I wasn't here to stop it." His voice trembled and a tear rolled down his cheek. He raised a shaking hand and pressed it to my cheek. "Too much pain for someone so young", Michael whispered. His hand was so warm and comforting that I leaned into his touch. We were jerked out of our moment when heavy boots came clomping down the basement stairs. He dropped his hand and looked over my head. I turned to see Dean and Bobby standing just outside the door. He looked back down at me and his expression became more serious. "I went to the cage, but Sam's soul wasn't there. It seems that Crowley did get Sam's soul from the cage, but gave you a fake stone. He also didn't give you the incantation that you must recite, did he?"

"No, he didn't!", Bobby grumbled from the doorway. "He hornswoggled us!" Michael tilted his head at the old hunter with a puzzled look on his face. I snorted and Michael looked down at me even more confused.

"Bobby just means that Crowley tricked us", I chuckled.

"I see", Michael retorted, clearing his throat. His puzzled expression quickly changed back to his normal serious one. "Well, I am not going to... hornswoggle you." He looked up at Dean before he continued. "But I must warn you, this will be very painful for your brother. Not to mention dangerous."

"What do mean dangerous?", Dean growled. He walked into the room and up to Michael with his arms folded across his chest.

"I mean it could kill him!", Michael snapped back. "Once a soul has left the body, it is not meant to go back." Dean backed away, heaving a tired sigh.

"We don't have any other choice but to risk it", Dean finally whispered. My heart broke for him. Nobody should have to make these kinds of decisions for someone they love. But I was glad that Sam had someone that loved him enough to make them. Michael moved to the bed and leaned over Sam's unconscious body.

"Dean, you and your friend may want to hold his arms. He will thrash around when I do this." Dean and Bobby ran to either side of the bed and grabbed Sam's arms tightly. Micheal held the small stone against Sam's chest as he recited the incantation.

"Ego mando vobis, spiritum, reditu tuo eos.
Corporis compage sanari possunt in.
Dispersio ut spiritus salvus fieret.
Quod non potest occurrit passio animae in corpore."

The stone gave off a soft purple glow and the light seemed to seep into Sam's body. Sam screamed and arched his back, his middle rising up in the air. Dean and Bobby were having a Hell of a time keeping Sam still. Michael sat on his legs to help keep him down on the bed. Sam's screams were terrifying and I was afraid he was going to die. He shrieked and flailed like that for a good five minutes before finally flopping limply on the bed.

"Sam?" Dean waited a long moment, but when there was no response, he grabbed Sam's face in both hands. "SAM!", Dean bellowed in his face, shaking it frantically. Sam suddenly gasped and bolted upright in the bed. He rubbed his chest, wincing in pain.

"D-Dean?, Sam croaked. "What happened? How... how'd I get out of the cage?" He looked over and saw Michael standing at the foot of the bed and he looked at him wide-eyed. "How did HE get out of the cage?! Did Lucifer get loose too!"

"Relax Sammy", Dean soothed. "Everything's OK. Lucifer's still locked up tight! Calm down!" But instead of calming, Sam glared up at Michael with seething hate. A low growl started deep in his chest like a wild animal. He jumped up and threw himself at Michael, driving him backward. Michael stumbled, slamming into the wall behind him. Dean and Bobby grabbed Sam's arms and pulled him back down onto the bed on his backside.

"All that time I spent in the cage being tortured by Lucifer and you did NOTHING!", Sam snarled at Michael. Michael looked away.

I... I was angry", Michael stammered. "I was angry at y-you for keeping me from doing what I was commanded to do!" Michael pushed away from the wall and stalked toward the bed. "I was supposed to fight Lucifer and kill him. I was angry for a long time!" Michael's expression softened and he smiled. "But not anymore. I am sorry for what happened to you and that I was too much of an ass to stop it."

"I DON'T WANT YOUR PITY!, Sam bellowed. Dean placed a hand on Sam's shoulder as he panted. Sam tried to pull away and go after Michael again. LET ME GO, DEAN! HE DESERVES TO DIE!"

"Please, Sam! Don't!", I blurted out. "He saved you!" Sam froze and his angry glare fell on me and it soften slightly. His eyes narrowed and his head tilted slightly, searching my face for features that he recognized.

"Who... who is that?"

Incantation translated to English(Google translation):

"I command you, spirit, return to thy vessel.
May the body be healed with the joining.
May the shattering of the spirit be made whole.
The suffering of the soul not be met on the body."

Author's note: I believe that canon says that Lucifer and Michael tortured Sam in the cage, I'm not sure. I am going with just Lucifer torturing Sam and Michael not doing anything to stop it.