VIOLET'S POV

"SAMMY!", Dean ran at his brother, bellowing. He grabbed Sam's face in both hands, held it up, and slapped him lightly on the cheek. Sam moaned and his face scrunched up like his was in pain. "SAM? You OK, Buddy?" Sam opened his eyes, blinking rapidly. His eyes rolled around, trying to focus on something. When his eyes finally settled on Dean's face, Sam sighed heavily. "There he is!", Dean chuckled. "How do you feel?"

"I... I don't know", Sam panted. "Kinda weak. But I don't hurt anymore." He looked up at Dean and a tear trickled down his cheek. "I'm s-so sorry for everything I've done, Dean!", Sam whimpered. "So s-sorry!" Dean shushed him, still cradling his face in both hands. Dean reached down and started to untied the ropes keeping his wrists bound to the chair. Michael shoved Dean away, knocking him on his backside.

"WAIT!, Michael barked. "You don't know if the spell worked! He could still be dangerous!" Dean stood up slowly, obviously pissed, breathing hard through his nose.

"Touch me again, Angel!", Dean snarled. "Please!" Dean got up in Michael's face, their noses almost touching. Michael rolled his shoulders and his hands were balled into fists. I could tell this situation was deteriorating rapidly and it was gonna come to blows soon if I didn't do something.

"STOP IT!", I screamed, jumping to my feet. Everyone turned to stare at me with the same shocked expressions on their faces. I looked down at Sam and he was trembling like a lost little boy. I smiled and walked toward him. Michael grabbed my arm, trying to hold me back. The look of fear on his face was evident. "It's OK. I'll be alright." He slowly released my arm, but the fearful expression remained. I walked past Michael and stopped in front of Sam. He stared down at the floor, afraid to look at me. I crouched down and grabbed his chin, pulling his head up to look at me. He had his eyes shut tightly and it looked like he was holding his breath. "Open your eyes and breath, Sam!", I said firmly but not unkindly. He slowly opened his terrified eyes and looked at me, but refused to take a breath. "BREATHE, SAM!", I hissed, grabbing his face with both hands. He sucked in several deep breaths in through his nose and relaxed almost immediately. There was no desire in his eyes now. Only despair.

"Forgive me! Please!", Sam whispered, tears rolling down his face. He was suddenly overcome with grief and I couldn't help but feel sorry for all he'd been through. I grabbed him around the neck and hugged him tight.

"It's OK, Sam!", I breathed in his ear. "Of course I forgive you!" He couldn't hug me back because he was still tied to the chair, so he laid his forehead on my shoulder while he wept. I pulled away and looked him in his red, puffy eyes. "Everything's gonna be OK now." Sam nodded at me, sniffling and trying to wipe his eyes on his shoulders. I grabbed the rope on his wrist and untied it while Dean hurried to untie the other. Bobby walked behind him and unlocked the chain that was holding him to the back of the chair. Sam sighed in relief and rubbed his wrist. I stood up and held my hand out to Sam to help him from the chair. He grabbed my hand and wobbled to his feet. "Are you...?" He grabbed me before I could finish and pulled me into a big bear hug.

"Thank you, Violet. Thank you for not giving up on me." I started to wheeze and Sam immediately dropped me and stepped back.

"You're welcome", I croaked. I heard a loud snort come from behind me and I turned just in time to see Dean cover his mouth with his hand. "I heard that Winchester!", I snapped with a scowl that quickly changed to a wide grin. I punched him in the shoulder and he pouted at me.

"Hey! That hurt!", Dean grumbled, rubbing his shoulder. A loud bark of laughter made us all turn to look at the culprit. I had never heard a real joyful laugh come from Sam's lips before. He had laughed at me when he was being cruel, but that was different. This was a truly happy sound. I smiled up at him and he cleared his throat, trying to stifle the laughter.

"Glad to see that my pain still brings you such joy, Sammy!", Dean growled with a disingenuous frown. He was just as happy to see Sam laugh as I was. Sam grabbed Dean by the collar and jerked him into his chest for a tight hug. I could tell Dean was happy to have his brother back, no matter how hard he tried to hide it. "It's OK, Sammy. It's over now." They stood there for a long time just holding on to each other. I felt a stab in my heart for my mother and brother(even though they weren't). It was the first time I had really thought about them since this whole mess started. I missed them. But I hadn't even been thinking of them for 2 minutes before there was a roar of voices screaming in my head. It felt like knives stabbing me in the temples. I grabbed my head and doubled over.

"Wha... what's happening to me?!", I groaned. Michael grabbed my arm and helped me sit down in the chair Sam had been sitting in.

"It's angel radio", Cas said frantically. "Raphael's forces are attacking my garrison. They are out numbered. It's a massacre up there!" I stared up at Cas in horror as he explained what was happening. When I looked up at Michael he was staring at the floor, his jaw muscles twitching. "Michael, we could really use your help against Raphael! He wants to start the apocalypse!" Michael turned his back on Cas and stared at the wall.

"I'm not killing anymore, Castiel", Michael whispered. "I won't leave my daughter again to become a soldier." He turned back to Cas and the look of desperation on his face took me back. "I made that mistake once! I won't do it again!"

"So you'd let your brothers die so you can hold to your lofty ideals?", Cas growled angrily. Michael looked away again, but didn't answer. Cas sighed then was gone with a flutter of wings. I turned my head and glared at Michael's back.

"I can still hear them screaming", I whispered. Michael dropped his head and ran his hands through his hair. "They're dying up there to protect us down here!" I stood up, walked over to Michael, and put my hand on my shoulder. "Please don't abandon our family." He jerked his head up and turned to face me. He stared at me with his mouth hanging open and nodded at me. He grabbed me and hugged me, kissing the top of my head.

"I will go", Michael said. "I will send Castiel back to get you." And he was gone before I could respond. I sighed and slumped back down in the chair again. I clapped my hands over my ears trying to quiet the screaming, but the voices were inside my head and they only seemed to get louder the more I tried to silence them.

"SHUT UP!", I wailed. "Please shut up!" Suddenly Cas was there, kneeling in front of me. He pulled my hands off my ears and held them tightly in his.

"Look at me, Violet", Cas whispered. "Slow your breathing!" I looked in his eyes and breathed with him, trying to calm down. "Good. Now, push the voices away from yourself." I looked at him in confusion.

"I... I don't know how!", I whimpered. Cas sighed and looked up at the ceiling. "I'm sorry Cas. This angel stuff is all new to me."

"It's alright. Close your eyes." Cas closed his eyes and I copied him. "Now imagine that your standing outside the open door of a dark room. Do you see the room inside your mind, Violet?"

"Y-yes." The screaming inside my head was so loud that I was having trouble concentrating on his voice.

"Good. Next, imagine that the voices are coming from somewhere in the darkness inside that room." I could feel Cas' thumbs rubbing soothing circles on the backs of my hands.

"OK... Now what?", I asked skeptically. Was this really gonna work? The screaming reached a fever pitch and I flinched. I could feel Cas tense up like he could feel what I was feeling.

"Now close the door", Cas answered matter-of-factly. I imagined my hand closing around the door knob of the room where all those voices were screaming and crying out for help, and slammed it shut. The voices were cut off and everything was quiet. I opened my eyes to see Cas smiling at me and I sighed, smiling back.

"Thank you, Cas!", I croaked. He stood up and looked down at me, holding out his hand.

"Are you ready to go?", He asked. I sat there looking from his face down to his hand and back again.

"Go where?"

"I'm going to take you to a safe place to train you to use your powers. Michael fears that Raphael's followers may try to use you as a weapon against us. He can no longer hide you, so you must be taught to defend yourself properly." I nodded and took his hand. He tried to pull me close to him, but I stopped him.

"Please wait", I said softly. "I want to say goodbye." I stepped away from him and walked over to where Bobby was standing. I hugged him tight and remember how much I loved hugging my grandpa. "Thank you Poppie", I whispered in his ear. When I pulled away and he looked down at me, I could have sworn I saw a tear in his eye. But he looked away quickly and cleared his throat.

"Anytime Kid. Anytime", Bobby grumbled. I let him go and stopped in front of Sam. He was staring down at his feet, too afraid to look at me.

"Sam?" He hesitated for just a moment before he looked at me. "Thank you for saving my life." He stared at me in shock with his mouth hanging open. "It doesn't matter what you did after that. You saved my life. That's what I'll always remember about you." He looked back down at his feet, smiling and shaking his head.

"You are one strong woman, Violet", Sam chuckled. I held my arms out wide and he bent over to hug me. "Take care of yourself, OK?"

"I will." Then I turned to Dean. He was leaning up against the wall with his arms folded across his chest, smiling that smile that made my insides melt.

"Well, looks like you're movin' on, hey kiddo?", Dean murmured. I couldn't hold back the tears anymore and when he saw them, he pulled me into his arms. That's when I completely lost it and started sobbing all over his flannel shirt. "Aww, kid! Don't do that! You're gonna wrinkle my favorite shirt!" I chuckled through my tears. I wiped my eyes on the back of my hand while he held me.

"I'm really gonna miss you Dean", I sniffled. "And... I... I love you. I felt him tense up and I cringed. "I know you don't l-love me, but I couldn't leave without telling you that."

"I do love you Vi, just... not like that.", Dean whispered. I nodded without looking a him. I knew that, but it still hurt hearing it coming from him. I knew he cared about me like a little sister, I just wished that I could look at him as a big brother. Maybe someday I would. I leaned in quick and kissed him passionately on the lips before he could stop me. At least I would have that. Then I pulled away from him, just as he was about to push me away, and walked back over to Cas. When I turned around and looked at Dean again, he was staring at me with shock in his eyes. I smiled sheepishly at him and then turned to Cas. "OK. We can go now." I couldn't help taking one last peak at Dean before we disappeared. He had a knowing smirk on his face.

Yes, I would always have that kiss.

THE END