We stood there in shock. None of us could believe what Cass was saying. It wasn't him. It couldn't have been.
Bobby cleared his throat, "Well… Alright then," He kneeled, "Is this good, or… You want the whole 'forehead to the carpet' thing?" He nodded at the rest of us, "Guys?"
The four of us started to kneel with Bobby.
"Stop," Cass interrupted us, "What's the point if you don't mean it? You fear me. Not love, not respect, just fear."
Sam sighed and shook his head, "Cass…"
Cass looked at him, "Sam, you have nothing to say to me. You stabbed me in the back," He looked at the rest of us and rolled his eyes, "Get up." We looked at each other, unsure of what to do, but slowly stood back up.
"Cass, come on, this isn't you," Dean said.
"The Castiel you knew is gone," Cass said.
"So, what, then? Kill us?" Dean asked.
Cass shook his head and glared at Dean, "What a brave little ant you are. You know you're powerless, you wouldn't dare move against me again. That would be pointless. So, I have no need to kill you. Not now. Besides… Once you were my favorite pets, before you turned and bit me."
"Who are you? Dean asked.
"I'm God. And if you stay in your place, you may live in my kingdom. If you rise up, I will strike you down," Cass turned to Sam, who was pale and wobbling slightly, "Not doing so well, are you Sam?"
"I'm fine…" Sam cleared his throat, "I'm… Fine."
"You said you would fix him… You promised!" Dean shouted.
"If… You stood down, which you hardly did," Cass nodded, "Be thankful for my mercy. I could have Cast you back into the pit," He looked at Sam.
"Cass, come on, this is nuts," Dean pleaded, "You can turn this around, please!"
"I hope for your sake, this is the last you see me," Cass said and then vanished.
Sam grunted lightly, and his nose started to bleed.
"Sam, you okay?" Dean asked.
Sam's eyes rolled back, and he fell to the ground on his hands and knees. Right into shards of glass on the floor. I felt my heart pounding through my chest, and I began to hyperventilate, but I didn't care, I immediately ran over to him.
"Sam?" I put my hand on his back and knelt next to him.
He rolled over to his side as Dean, and the others came running to us. His eyes were looking off in the distance, and his nose continued to bleed. He looked down at his hand in pain, he had a large piece of glass in his palm, and then he groaned as he started to convulse.
"Sammy!" Dean put his hand on his chest, trying to get him to stop moving around by the broken glass.
I took my knife out and cut a slit into the bottom of my shirt and then ripped a strip out of it. I grabbed Sam's hand and pulled the glass out and then wrapped his hand with the fabric. He continued to convulse, and I could feel myself drifting away into a panic, and my eyes filled with tears, but I shook it off as best as I could.
"Sam…?" I asked calmly and moved over, so my legs were around him, and his head was in my lap, so he wasn't hitting his head onto the floor anymore. I put my right hand on his cheek and stroked his hair with my left, "Sammy? Shh…" I said calmly, "You're going to be alright," Tears streamed down my cheeks as I tried to calm him down, "Come back to us, okay?" Finally, Sam slowly started to settle down, he looked up at me for a Moment and then closed his eyes, "Okay, let's get him out of here quickly," I grunted as I lifted his dead weight, so he was sitting up.
Dean gave me an astonished look before swinging Sam's left arm over his shoulder. Bobby came over to his other side, and they hoisted him up. Then Dean, Bobby, and Nate carried him out of the building to the Impala.
The next afternoon, I was just not feeling good. I was exhausted, I wasn't really eating, and I was starting to worry that how I was choosing to cope with my anxiety was taking its toll. Every time I would wake up from a nightmare or have random memories of what happened, I could feel the nerves building, and I would go into the bathroom, cut my hand and watch myself heal. The problem was, it wasn't working as well as before. Now, it took like ten minutes or so before my skin was completely fine. I was starting to worry that my desire to use my abilities wasn't just about that anymore. I was afraid it was because I wanted more blood, so I planned on cutting back, figuring out a healthier way to deal with everything because I did not want to start depending on anything.
I decided I would start with fresh air and sun. So, I sat at a picnic table, my chin resting on my arms as I watched Dean and Nate work on the Impala. Well, it was more Nate attempting to work on it and Dean taking over to "teach" him how to do things.
Nate sighed, looking at the Impala with his hand on his hip, "I think the best way to handle the roof—"
"I got that covered. I'm gonna climb in there and pop it out with my feet," Dean interrupted.
Nate nodded, looking disheartened, "Yeah, that's what I was going to suggest."
Dean smiled and pointed at his head, "I'm already ahead of you. You can wipe the grease off the wrenches if you want."
Nate sighed and walked over to the tools, but then stopped, "Look, man, all this stuff you've been 'teaching' me. I already know how to do. I mean, me and Bobby have been putting my car together for a while now. Now when we work on it, I work, and he sits and drinks beer. I know what I'm doing."
Dean gave Nate a look and then nodded, "I get it. It's just… It's Baby."
Nate nodded, "I know, all I'm saying is, I can be more helpful than standing there watching you work or holding a flashlight."
Dean chuckled, "Alright," He nodded, "Hop in there and pop the roof then," He patted Nate on the shoulder and walked over to me.
Nate smiled proudly and hopped into the Impala.
"How you doin', kid?" Dean asked as he sat down across from me.
I shrugged and sat up, "Just worried about Sam."
Dean nodded, "You sure that's all?"
"Yup," I lied.
"Really? 'Cause you got bags under your eyes that say otherwise," Dean said.
"Gee, thanks for pointing that out," I sighed and set my chin on my arms.
Dean put his hand on my arm, "I just worry about you. Are you still having nightmares?"
"When I can actually sleep? Yeah," I said.
"Is there anything I can do?" He asked.
I shook my head, "There's not really anything you can do."
Nate grunted from within the Impala, "Come on," He groaned again, pressing his feet against the roof as hard as he could, "Come on."
Bobby walked up, "So, you fixin' her or primal screamin'?
Nate sighed and climbed out of the Impala, and Dean stood up and walked over to them. Bobby handed each of them a beer.
"Thanks. How's Sam?" Dean asked.
Bobby sighed, "He's still under. But alive."
"Yeah?" Dean asked, "What about God part Deux?"
"I got all kinds of feelers out, so far, diddly," Bobby said.
"And what exactly are you looking for?" Dean asked.
Bobby nodded, "Exactly. What? Miracles, mass visions, trench coat on a tortilla? I don't know what I'm lookin' for."
Nate shrugged, "I'm sure he'll surface."
Bobby nodded, "So, say we do suss out where 'new and improved' flew off to…"
"Yeah?" Dean asked.
"The hell we plan to do about it?" Bobby asked.
Dean shook his head, "I don't know, Bobby, I got no more clue than you do."
"I don't even know what books to hit for this, Dean," Bobby said.
"Well, figure it out!" Dean shouted, and Bobby looked at him with surprise. Dean looked away and sighed, "I'm sorry," He shook his head, "This ain't in no book. If you stick your neck out, Cass steps on it. So, you know what I'm gonna do?"
"What?" Bobby asked.
"I'm gonna fix this car. Because that's what I can do. I can work on her 'til she's mint. And when Sam wakes up, no matter what shape he's in, we'll glue him back together too. We owe him that," Dean said as he picked up a mallet.
Bobby nodded, "I'm with you."
Dean climbed into the Impala and started pounding on the roof.
I opened my eyes to the same scene I had since I escaped Crowley's. I was back in the chair, just waiting to relive something.
"What do you think will happen if I pour boiling hot water on your skin?" The demon asked.
"Well, you've already burned me with an open flame and a hot poker," I said.
"Oh, true. So, this won't be that different then?" He asked and then poured hot water out of a kettle all over my chest.
I screamed out in pain and looked down at myself, my skin was now bright red and bubbling.
"Oh, look at the bubbles," The demon smiled happily, then he pinched my skin and pulled, causing me to scream again, "It peels nicely."
"Maddi?" Nate's voice echoed through the room.
The demon smiled at me, "Aw, looks like it's time to wake up, don't keep me waiting too long," Then he winked at me.
I immediately sat up, and Nate was sitting on the bed next to me.
"You okay?" He asked, looking concerned.
I nodded, "Yeah. Can you stop asking me that?" I sat on the edge of the bed.
"I'm sorry. You were talking in your sleep, you sounded scared," Nate said.
I stood up, "Yeah, I was having a nightmare. Nothing new about that," Then I walked through the door.
"Maddi, Maddi, wait," Nate said and grabbed my arm.
"What?" I asked.
"I'm not the enemy here. I just want to help you," Nate said.
"I don't want your help," I said and turned away from him, continuing down the hall.
Nate sighed, "Maddison…"
We walked into the kitchen and saw Sam and Dean talking. I couldn't be happier to see Sam on his feet. I wanted to talk to him so badly about what happened to me because he was the only other person who could really understand what I was going through. I just didn't know when to talk to him about it. I didn't want to add to everything he was dealing with.
"Sam!" I ran to him and hugged him.
"Hey," He chuckled and hugged me back.
I pulled away, "Are you okay?"
"Yeah. My head hurts a little, but…" He shrugged, "Basically."
"Seriously?" Dean asked.
Sam shrugged, "Look, man, I'm as surprised as you are, but, yeah, I swear."
"Good! No reason putting a gift horse under a microscope, right?" Dean smiled.
Sam nodded, "Yeah. So, what happened with Cass?"
"Why don't you come help me with the car, I'll fill you in?" Dean asked and grabbed a beer out of the fridge.
Sam nodded, "Okay."
Dean turned and put his hand on Nate's shoulder, "You wanna help?"
Nate smiled, "Sure."
Dean clicked his tongue, "Get going then."
Then he and Nate walked out of the back door.
"You want a drink or something?" I asked as I walked to the fridge, but he didn't answer as I pulled a sprite out. I turned to see him looking toward Bobby's study, "Sam? Everything okay?"
He turned around, "Uh, yeah," He walked up and put his hand on my back, "Let's go."
We were watching the news in Bobby's living room, and we thought that they were talking about Cass. Bobby ran downstairs and grabbed Sam. Breaking News - CBA News, flashed across the screen.
"The sudden deaths of some 200 religious leaders are currently under investigation. The Vatican has yet to issue a statement, but some are already calling this an act of God," The news reporter said and turned to a woman outside of the church.
"We all saw him. No beard, no robe. He was young… And— And sexy," The woman said.
I scoffed, "Yeah, if you're into the Ted Bundy type."
"Uh, he had a raincoat," The woman said.
Dean switched off the TV, "It's gotta be him."
"You think?" Bobby asked sarCastically.
Dean sighed and shook his head before walking out, and Nate turned and walked off to his room.
I felt terrible about how I had been acting toward him. I knew that he really did want to help. I just wasn't sure what was going on with me, I hadn't been sleeping well, and I just didn't know how to cope with all the messed-up memories in my head.
I walked down the hall toward his room, and he was holding his guitar while he sat on his bed. I knocked on the door frame, "Hey, watcha doing?"
He looked up at me, "Uh, I was just gonna play a little," He laughed, "Actually, they just said on the radio that, the FBI believes white supremacy groups are Cass's next targets, the Ku Klux Klan has been forced to disband."
I shrugged, "Well, can't really argue with that one," I stepped into his room, "But can I talk to you for a minute?"
"Yeah," He said and set his guitar down, leaning it against the bed frame, "What's up?"
I closed the door and walked toward him, "Do you care if I sit?"
He shook his head, "No, of course not."
I sat down next to him and sighed, "I've been a jerk lately, and I just want you to know it's not your fault. I just have a lot going through my head right now."
He nodded, "I know, I just want you to be able to talk to me about whatever is bothering you."
I nodded, "I really don't know when that is gonna be, though."
"That's okay," He said, "Can we just be us again, though? I miss you."
I smiled at him, "Yeah," I paused for a second, "Hey, I've got an idea."
"And what's that?" He asked curiously.
I smiled and then stood up and straddled him and started kissing him.
"Maddi…" He said, but I continued to kiss him, "Maddi…" He said, but I kissed him again, "Hey, Maddison, stop," He said and gently pushed me off of him onto the bed and stood up.
"What?" I asked him, confused, and a little hurt.
"I don't want to do this right now," He said with his hands on his hips, barely looking at me.
I shook my head, "What?" I furrowed my brow, "I don't understand. I thought that's what you wanted."
Nate looked at me, concerned, "Why would you think that?"
I raised my eyebrows at him, "Oh, sorry that I would think you would be interested," I snapped.
He furrowed his brow at me, "What?" No, stop, that isn't what I meant. Of course, I would want to. Look at you. I would be stupid not to."
I nodded, "So, stop being stupid."
He sighed and shook his head, "I can't. Not right now. I don't think you are… Ready."
I glared at him, "Don't tell me what I am and am not ready for. You don't own me," I stood up.
He put his hands up, trying to say that he comes in peace, "Hey, that's not what I meant at all. It's just since you've gotten back… You've barely talked to me, barely looked at me, and pull away every time I try to comfort you."
"I don't get it. You want to go back to how we used to be, but now that I'm trying to. You don't want that either," I said.
He furrowed his brow, "I want to go back to what we were. Does that only mean sex to you? 'Cause I thought it was more than that."
I shook my head, "No, of course not, but I thought maybe it would help me feel normal again," I started to tear up, "I just want to be in control of how I feel again and what I do with my own body."
He nodded, "I understand, I honestly do, and I want to help you. But I would feel like a complete dick if I got into that bed with you right now."
I nodded and stared at him, feeling the well of tears start to slip down my cheeks, "That's it then, huh, I really am tainted?" I pushed past him to the door.
"What? Maddi, no, stop," He grabbed my arm, "That's not—"
I ripped myself away from him, "Don't touch me!" Then I opened the door and stormed out.
The next day, I hung out with Sam and Dean while they worked on the Impala and listened to the radio.
"A freak lightning strike on the heels of the fire that burned down the Center for Vibrational Enlightenment earlier today," The news reporter announced, "Said a spokesman, 'this tragedy represents the largest loss in New Age motivational speaker history.'"
Sam furrowed his brow, "Motivational speakers?"
Dean nodded, "Yeah, I'm not sure new Cass gets irony any better than old Cass. Of course, old Cass wouldn't smite Madison Square Garden just to prove a point. He is off the deep end of the deep end. And there's no slowing down."
"So, what?" Sam asked, "Try to talk to him again?"
Dean sighed, "Sam…"
I shrugged, "Dean, what else can we do. Maybe he's still got some Cass in him."
Dean shook his head, "He's not Cass. He's God. And he's pissed. And when God gets righteous, you get the hell out of the way; haven't either of you read the Bible?"
Sam scoffed, "I guess…"
"Cass is never coming back. He's lied to us. He used us," Dean looked at me, "He left you behind with Crowley," He looked at Sam, "He cracked your gourd, like it was nothing," He shook his head, "No more talk. We have spent enough on him."
Sam sighed and nodded, "Okay."
Dean nodded at me and pointed to the tools sitting next to me on the table, "Hand me that socket wrench."
Later that night, Dean, Bobby, Nate, and I were hanging out in the garage as Bobby got Baby ready to get painted. I was doing my best to keep my distance and not make eye contact with Nate.
"She's looking good… Considering," Bobby said and handed Dean a beer from the mini-fridge.
Dean furrowed his brow, "Considering? I should do this professionally."
"So… Seen Sam lately?" Bobby asked.
Dean nodded, "Yeah, why?"
Bobby hesitated to answer.
"What?" I asked.
Bobby sighed.
"Well, spit it out," Dean chimed in.
"How is that kid even vertical?" Bobby asked, "I mean, Cass broke his damn pinata."
Dean nodded, "I know," He turned back to the Impala.
"I mean, I get how he came to help us back at the lab," Bobby shrugged, "Adrenaline. Sure, but now?"
"Well… He says he's okay. Dean said as he taped the Impala's antenna.
"How?" Bobby asked.
Dean shrugged, "I don't know. I just pray to God it's true."
Bobby scoffed, "We need to come up with a new saying for that."
"Seriously, though, Bobby. Look at our lives. How many more hits can we take?" Dean asked, "So if Sam says he's good… Good."
Bobby furrowed his brow, "You believe that?"
"Yeah," Dean hesitated and sighed, "No. You wanna know why? Because we never catch a break. So, why would we this time?" He took a deep breath, "I just— just this one thing. You know?" He shook his head, "But I'm not dumb. I'm not going to get my hopes up just to get kicked in the Daddy-pills again."
Sam came around the corner, "Hey."
I smiled at Sam, "Hey."
"How are you feeling, sport?" Bobby asked.
Sam shrugged, "Can't complain."
Dean nodded, "Great. What's the word?"
Sam sighed, "Well, a publishing house literally exploded about an hour ago. The guy has a body count that's really getting up there. We gotta do something."
"What we've got to do is hunt the son of a bitch. Unfortunately, I lost my God guns," Bobby said.
"Well, I mean, is there some kind of heavenly weapon?" Sam asked, "Maybe something out of that angel arsenal that Balthazar stole? There has to be something that can hurt him."
"He's God, Sam," Dean shook his head, "There's nothing…" He hesitated, "But there might be someone."
"You sure you want to stick around for this?" Dean asked me after we finished setting up a devils trap and summoning spell.
"Yeah, I'll be fine," I said.
Dean nodded at Bobby, who then lit a match and threw it into a bowl where it immediately erupted into a huge flame.
Crowley appeared inside the devil's trap a Moment later, with a bottle of whiskey in one hand and a glass in the other, "No. No! No! Come on!"
"Don't act so surprised," Bobby said.
Crowley looked at me with a smile, "Well, hello there, poodle. I didn't say it the last time we saw each other, but I want to commend you on what you did to my men," He smirked, "It was pretty gruesome."
I looked away nervously.
"Tell me, did you have a taste before you left?" Crowley said, tauntingly.
My eyes started to well with tears.
Dean stepped in between Crowley and me, "Alright, that's enough!"
Crowley sighed, "My new boss is going to kill me for even talking to you lot."
Dean scoffed, "Well, you're lucky we're not stabbing you in your scuzzy face, you little piece—"
"Whoa, wait!" Sam interrupted, "What new boss?"
"Castiel, you giraffe," Crowley said.
"Is your boss?" Nate asked.
"Is everybody's boss. What do you think he's going to do if he finds out we've been conspiring?" Crowley asked, "You do want to conspire, don't you?"
Bobby shook his head, "No. We want you to just stand there and look pretty."
Crowley rolled his eyes, "Listening."
"We need a spell to bind Death," Dean said.
Crowley raised his eyebrows, "Bind? Enslave Death? You having a laugh?"
Dean shrugged, "Lucifer did it."
Crowley nodded, "That's Lucifer."
"A spell's a spell," Sam said.
"You really believe you can handle that kind of horsepower?" Crowley shook his head, "You're delusional!"
"Death is the only player on the board left that has the kind of juice to take Cass," Dean said.
"They'll both mash us like peas. Why should I help with a suicide mission?" Crowley asked.
"Look!" Bobby snapped, "Do you really want Cass running the universe?"
Crowley sighed and poured himself a drink.
The next morning, Bobby walked into his study with an old piece of paper in hand and handed it to Dean, "It's from Crowley."
Dean read the paper and nodded, "Well, who feels like hog-tying Death tonight?"
"Old age is over-rated anyhow," Bobby said, "Let's start collecting everything."
Dean and Nate followed Bobby out of the study. As I was about to follow, Sam put his hand on my shoulder.
"Can I have a sec.?" He asked.
I furrowed my brow, "Yeah, what's up?"
Sam hesitated for a second and then cleared his throat, "Dean told me about everything that happened with Lisa. How she was hurt…" He furrowed his brow, "You healed her and absorbed the wound," He shook his head, "I mean, it's not that hard to follow along, but now with Crowley's comment…"
"Sam, is there a question here?" I asked, knowing the answer already.
Sam took a deep breath, "What exactly did Crowley do to you?"
I shrugged, not wanting to lay everything on him right now, "I mean, you said it yourself, it's not that hard to follow along. He made my powers come early."
"Yeah, but how?" Sam asked.
I sighed, "Look, can we just talk about this some other time? We've gotta get this spell together," Then I quickly walked off before he could say anything else.
"Well, we've got most of this stuff, but we're going to have to make a run for a few things," Bobby said after we reconvened in his study.
"Like?" Dean asked.
"Like an 'act of God crystallized forever,'" Bobby said.
"What's that mean?" Nate asked.
"I think it means an actual crystal," Bobby explained, "See, lightning strikes sand at the right angle, it crystallizes into the perfect shape of itself."
Sam nodded, impressed, "Lightning. Act of God."
Bobby nodded, "Jinga. You got yourself a fulgurate, and we're gonna need a biggie."
"And let me guess… Rare," Dean said.
"I found records of an auction. Winning bidder lives about nine hours from here," Bobby said.
By the time we got to the house, it was night, and the owners were home, so we had to be extra careful. Dean and Nate took watch out front, and Sam, Bobby, and I snuck around back and waited while Bobby turned off the security system.
"Hey!" A security guard shouted from behind us, pointing a gun.
Dean popped out behind him, "Excuse me." The guard turned around. "You got any Grey Poupon?" Dean asked and then used the butt of his gun to knock him out.
"Grey Poupon? Seriously?" Sam asked.
Dean shrugged, "It's what popped in my head."
We split up, Dean and I taking one half of the house and Bobby, Sam, and Nate taking the other half. Dean and I found ourselves in a giant library, with artwork and display Cases everywhere. I shined my flashlight around the room and landed on a display Case. Inside was a sparkly, long rock-like structure.
"Dean, I think this is it," I whispered.
He turned around and walked over to me, but a Moment later, we heard a gun cock behind us. We slowly turned around with our hands up. The owner, Dr. Weiss, was holding a shotgun at us, and his wife was standing behind him.
Dean chuckled, "Hi. Uh… I don't want to hurt you. Really."
Dr. Weiss chuckled, "I'm the one with the firearm, son."
Dean nodded, "I get that."
About ten minutes later, we had Dr. and Mrs. Weiss gagged and bound to chairs.
Dean walked around and checked their ties, "Okay. Yeah. Good."
Sam, Nate, and Bobby came around the corner, looking surprised at the sight.
"Hey, guys," Dean smiled awkwardly, "Uh, so this is Dr. and Mrs. Weiss."
Sam nodded, "Hi," He gave us a look and then sighed at the couple, "Sorry."
"We found the God thingy," Dean said.
Bobby nodded, "Well, let's light this candle."
We got to work, setting up the room, and getting the spell together. As a finishing touch, Dean set up a bag of fast food and a soda on a side table next to a comfortable seat.
"Alright, who's up?" Bobby asked, holding up a knife.
Dean rolled up his sleeve, "I've got it."
"No, wait, I can do it," I said and stepped in front of Dean before he reached Bobby.
"No," Dean said.
"We only need one person," Bobby said.
I nodded, "Yeah, I'll do it."
Dean shook his head, looking concerned, "I don't think that's a good idea."
I rolled my eyes, "It's fine. I'll do it."
Bobby looked at Dean, unsure what to do, so I grabbed the knife from him and cut my arm myself, letting the blood drip into the spell bowl. Once I was finished, Bobby handed me a cloth, and I quickly wrapped it around my arm, so no one could see me start to heal. I felt a rush run over me as I could feel my arm slowly beginning to heal itself. Sam helped me tie the cloth down as I stepped back away from the table.
"Te nunc invoco, mortem," Bobby recited, "Te in mea potestate defixi," The room began to rumble and shake, books fell off shelves and glasses shattered, "Nunc et in aeternum!"
The room stopped shaking, and nothing happened. We looked around, wondering if it had even worked.
"Um… Hello?" Dean asked, "Death?"
"You're joking," Death appeared behind the desk.
"I'm sorry, Death. This isn't what it seems," Dean said.
"Seems like you bound me," Death raised his hands, and a pair of invisible shackles flashed for a Moment.
Dean nodded, "For good reason, okay? Just, uh, hear us out. Um…" He gestured to the fast-food bag, "Fried pickle chip? They're the best in the state."
"That easy to soothe me, you think?" Death asked, "This about Sam's hallucinations, I presume."
"What?" Dean and I asked in unison, looking at Sam, who shuffled around uneasy, neither of us realized he was even having hallucinations.
Death looked at Sam, "Sorry, Sam. One wall per customer," Then he turned his attention on me, "I must say I am surprised to see you looking so well, missy. Do you remember visiting me, oh, a few hundred times?"
I furrowed my brow, "What?"
"I'm going to take that as a no," Death looked at me with curiosity in his eyes, "I've never experienced anything like it, your soul was crying out for me to take you, but I couldn't reap you. There was so much pain in your eyes. I almost felt pity."
Everyone looked at me with worry, which made my heart race.
"It is quite a Winchester thing to do, though, isn't it?" Death asked, "Having an innate ability to evade me? Even I'm impressed."
I didn't realize there was a whole other layer of what was happening to me, and honestly, I was terrified.
"I would suggest being mindful of the irreversible damage it may have on your soul, though," Death warned, "On the surface, it may look like you are saving yourself or someone else from me, but your soul still holds those scars."
I gulped in fear and stared at him in complete shock.
"The universe has a way of balancing itself out," He smiled at me and then turned his attention to Dean, "Now unbind me."
Sam cleared his throat and shook his head, "We can't… Yet."
"This isn't going to end well," Death said.
"We need you to kill God," Dean said.
Death raised his eyebrows, "Pardon?"
"Kill God. You heard, right," Bobby hesitated, "Your… Honor."
"What makes you think I can do that?" Death asked.
"You told me," Dean said.
Death looked at him for a Moment, "Why should I?"
"Because… We said so, and we're the boss of you," Dean said.
"Dean…" I warned.
Dean chuckled nervously, "I mean… Respectfully."
"Amazing," Cass said as he appeared in the room, his face was covered in bright red sores.
We all looked around nervously.
"Cass…" Sam said anxiously.
Cass shook his head, "I didn't want to kill you, but now…"
"You can't kill us," Dean said.
"You've erased any nostalgia I had for you, Dean," Cass raised his fingers to snap us out of existence.
Dean interrupted, "Death is our bitch. We ain't gonna die, even if God pulls the trigger."
Cass lowered his hand and looked at Death.
"Annoying little protozoa, aren't they?" Death asked, "'God'?" He questioned, looking Cass up and down, "You look awfully like a mutated angel to me. Your vessel's melting. You're going to explode."
Cass shook his head, "No, I'm not. When I've finished my work, I'll repair myself."
"You think you can because you think you're simply under the weight of all those souls, yes?" Death asked, "But that's not the worst problem. There are things much older than souls in Purgatory, and you gulped those in, too."
"Irrelevant. I control them," Cass said.
"For the Moment," Death warned.
"Wait… Uh, what older things?" Dean asked.
"Long before God created Angel and man, he made the first beasts…" Death explained, "The Leviathans."
"Leviathans?" I asked.
Death nodded, "I personally found them entertaining, but he was concerned they'd chomp the entire petri dish, so he locked them away. Why do you think he created Purgatory? To keep those clever, poisonous things out. Now Castiel has swallowed them. He's the one thin membrane between the old ones and your home."
"Enough," Cass snapped.
Death turned his attention back to Cass, "Stupid little soldier, you are."
"Why? Because I dared open a door that he shut? Where is he?" Cass asked, "I did a service, taking his place."
Death shook his head, "Service? Settling petty vendettas?"
"No. I'm cleaning up one mess after another… Selflessly," Cass said.
"Quite the humanitarian," Death said sarCastically.
Cass walked up to him, "And how would you know? What are you, really? A flyswatter?"
"Destined to swat you, I think," Death said.
"Unless I take you first," Cass threatened him.
"Really bought his own press, this one," Death turned away, shaking his head and then looked back at Cass, "Please, Cass. I know God, and you, sir, are no God."
Dean nodded, "Alright, put your junk away, both of you. Look, call him what you want. Just kill him now!"
Death sighed, "Alright. Fine."
Cass looked at Dean as Death raised his hand to Cass's forehead, but Cass snapped his fingers, and Death's chains sparked away as they broke.
Death looked at his hand and lowered it, "Thank you. Shall we kickbox now?"
Cass turned and stared at Death.
Death walked over to the chair Dean had set up for him and grab the bag of food as he sat, "I had a tingle I'd be reaping someone very, very soon," He looked at the Weiss's who had been sitting in their chairs, terrified the whole time, "Don't worry… Not you," He reached into the bag and popped a pickle chip into his mouth as Cass disappeared, "Well, he was in a hurry." He slurped down some soda and sighed happily.
Dean cleared his throat, "Um—"
"Shut up, Dean," Death interrupted, "I'm not here to tie your shoes every time you trip. I warned you about those souls how long ago? Long enough to stop that fool. And here we are again, with your little planet on the edge of immolation."
"Well, I'm sorry. Alright?" Dean asked, "I've been trying to save this planet, so maybe you should find somebody better to tip-off."
"Maybe I should spend my effort on a better planet," Death stood up, "Well, it's been amusing."
"Wait, hold on, hold on," Sam stopped him before he left, "Just… Can you give us something? You— You have to care a little bit about what happens to us."
"You know, I really don't," Death said, "But I do find that little angel arrogant."
Dean smiled, "Great. Let's go with that."
"Your only hope is to have him return it all to Purgatory. Quickly," Death said.
Sam nodded, "We need a door."
"You have everything you need at that lab," Death said, "Get him to return there and compel him to give up the power."
"Compel?" Dean asked.
Death shrugged, "Figure it out."
"But that door only opens in the eclipse, and that's over," Bobby said.
Death nodded, "I'll make another. 3:59 Sunday morning, just before dawn. Be punctual," He pointed at Dean, "Don't thank me. Clean up your mess," Then he turned to walk away, but hesitated, "Try to bind me again, you'll die before you start," He looked at Dean with a smile, "Nice pickle chips, by the way."
In the morning, Sam and I got packed to head out and walked into the kitchen. Where we found Dean sitting at the table with his leg's kicked up, drinking a glass of whiskey.
"You want some coffee with that?" Sam asked.
Dean shrugged, "It's 6:00 p.m. somewhere."
"We got to hit the road," Sam shook his head, "I mean, how are we supposed to get Cass to that lab by friggin' 3:59 AM?"
"We don't," Dean said.
I furrowed my brow, "'We don't'? What does that even mean?"
Dean sipped some of his whiskey, "I mean, we can't bring the horse to water, and we can't make it drink. Why fool ourselves?"
Sam sighed, "Dean, look, I know you think that Cass is gone—"
Dean nodded, "It's 'cause he is."
"He's not!" Sam shouted, "He's in there somewhere, Dean. I know it."
Dean shook his head, "No, you don't."
Sam hesitated and sighed with a nod, "No, I don't. But, look, I was pretty far gone sometimes myself, and you never gave up on me."
Dean nodded and took another sip, "Yeah, and it turns out that you're about the same open book as you've always been. Hallucinations? Really? I got to find out from Death?"
"What was I supposed to do?" Sam asked.
Dean shrugged, "How about not lie? How about tell me that you've got crazy crap climbing those walls?"
Rage started to boil inside of me, I was so tired of hearing people say they were willing to talk and help, but when it actually came down to it, it never seemed true.
"Why?" Sam asked, "You can't help. You got a lot of pretty severe crap swinging your way lately. We all do and— and I thought…" He sighed and shook his head, "I thought why burst the one good bubble you had left? It's under control."
"What? What, exactly, is under control?" Dean snapped.
"I know what's real and what's not," Sam said.
Dean shook his head, "Sam—"
"Oh my God!" I shouted, "Stop. Just stop. Dean."
He furrowed his brow at me, "What?"
"You cannot be mad at people for not talking about their crap. You of all people, definitely not. If Sam doesn't want to talk about what's going on with him yet, or ever. Then that's what he wants," I said.
He nodded, "Oh, really? You sure you're defending Sam, or are you defending yourself?"
I shook my head, "What are you talking about?"
Dean gave me a look and sat forward, "Were you ever gonna tell us what actually happens to you when you use your powers or whatever the hell they are?" He gestured to my now unbandaged and healed arm, "What happened to your cut by the way? I thought after the hospital, you couldn't do it anymore."
I glared at him, "Well, first of all, I never said I couldn't. Second, I had no idea any of that happened to me. I don't remember it," I shook my head, "The way you just said that, is the exact reason I didn't want to tell you anything."
He shook his head, "What are you talking about?"
"You say it like— like you're disgusted or something," I shook my head, and tears formed in my eyes, "I can't help it, I didn't do this to myself, to begin with, and I sure as hell would have rather they had stayed buried for as long as possible."
"Well, they aren't anymore, Maddison," Dean shook his head, "Both of you have too much crap going on to deal with it by yourselves. Any nightmares, any hallucinations, I want to know."
"You are crazy if you think either of us is going to report to you," I glared at him, "And you and everybody else in this house can keep asking, 'are you okay,' 'is there anything I can do for you.' But the truth is, you're never going to get the whole truth, and you can't do anything to help."
Dean's jaw tightened in anger, "What the—"
Sam sighed, "Dean, look, we can debate this once we deal with Cass."
Dean shook his head and settled back in his chair, "Yeah, you know how I'm gonna deal? I'm gonna stuff my piehole, I'm gonna drink, and I'm gonna watch some Asian cartoon porn and act like the world's about to explode because it is," He clicked a few buttons on the laptop in front of him, "Hey," He shook his head, "You got to be kidding me. 'Massacre at the campaign office of an incumbent Senator by a trench-coated man.'" He read, "There's security footage,"
Sam and I walked over to watch the video. Cass was standing there in a room full of people. He turned with a creepy smile and stared directly at the screen until it cut out and went black.
Dean sighed, "Well, I think reaching Cass is, uh… Out of the cards."
I set my bag down and walked out of the front door for some fresh air. I had so many mixed emotions. I was both angry and sad about Cass. I obviously was pissed that he didn't help me escape Crowley. Still, on the other hand, he was also our friend, he was basically family.
"Hey, come with me," Sam said as he pat me on the back and walked by.
I wiped my tears away and quickly followed after him, "Where're we going?"
"I'm gonna pray to Cass," Sam said as he led me into the junkyard.
"What?" I asked.
"Dean won't talk to him, but we have to do something. It's Cass," Sam said, then he stopped walking and looked up at the sky, "Hey, Castiel. Um… Maybe this is pointless. Look… I don't know if any part of you even cares, but, um, I still think you're one of us, deep down. I mean, way… way… way off the reservation, but…" He sighed, "Look, we still have 'til dawn to stop this. Let us help. Please."
We looked around and waited, but after a few minutes, still, nothing happened.
I sighed, "Well, it was worth a try, right?"
Sam sighed, "Yeah."
We walked back into the house, and Dean was still sitting there, drinking, but now he was watching something that was making sounds, I never wanted to hear in the same room as my brothers. Dean shut the laptop immediately and slid whiskey across the table toward Sam. Sam sat down, and they clicked their cups together.
"Sam?" Cass appeared out of breath, covered in blood and sores.
Sam gasped, "Cass."
"I heard your call," Cass grunted and leaned into the wall, "I need help."
We grabbed Cass and took off to the lab that started this whole mess. We hurried up and got him inside, leaning him up against the wall as we began to set up the room for the spell.
"We need the right blood," Cass said, out of breath on the floor, "There's a small jar… End of the hall, su— supply closet."
Sam nodded, "Got it," Then he walked out of the room.
"Dean? Maddison?" Cass asked.
"Yeah?" I stopped what I was doing and walked over to him.
"You need something else?" Dean asked and walked over to us.
Cass shook his head, "No. I feel regret… About what I did to both of you… And what I did to Sam."
Dean nodded, "Yeah, well, you should."
"If there was time, if I was strong enough, I'd— I'd fix him now. I just wanted to make amends before I die," Cass said.
Dean nodded, "Okay."
"Is it working?" Cass asked.
"Does it make you feel better?" Dean asked.
Cass shook his head, "No. You?"
I shook my head, "No."
Dean shrugged, "Not a bit."
Cass sighed in pain.
"Hang in there. Just a couple of minutes," Bobby said, "Where's Sam?" He asked the rest of us and looked at his watch, "It's go time."
Dean walked out of the room to look for Sam and returned a few minutes later with a jar of blood, but no Sam. Then he handed the jar to Nate, who got started on the symbol immediately.
"Where's Sam?" I asked Dean as he walked back to stand by me.
He shook his head, "I— I don't know."
"What do you mean, you don't know?" I asked.
"I mean, I don't know," He nodded at the symbol, "Let's just deal with Cass and worry about Sam next."
"That's good enough," Bobby said to Nate and then hoisted Cass up, "Okay, step right up, Cass," He set him in front of the symbol and stepped away, "Ianua magna purgatorii, clausa est ob nos lumine eius ab oculis nostris retento sed nunc stamus ad limen huius ianuae magnae et demisse fideliter perhonorifice paramus aperire eam."
Cass turned to look at Dean, "I'm sorry."
"Creaturae terrificae quarum ungulae et dentes nunquam tetigerunt carnem eius ad mundum nostrum nunc ianua magna, aperta tandem!" Bobby shouted.
The wall opened up, then wind started to whip through the room, and light burst through Cass's chest into the wall. A Moment later, the light finally stopped, and Cass collapsed on the ground.
"Cass?" Dean asked, and we all ran to him.
Bobby touched his skin, "He's cold."
"Is he breathing?" Dean asked.
Bobby shook his head, "No."
"Maybe angels don't need to breathe," Dean said.
Bobby shook his head, "He's gone, Dean."
Dean stood up and rubbed his face, "Damn it. Cass, you child. Why didn't you listen to me?"
Suddenly, the sores on Cass's face healed, his eyes snapped open, and he gasped.
"Cass?! Hey! Hey!" Dean squatted down and helped him sit up, "Okay. Alright."
Cass sighed, "That was unpleasant."
"Let's get him up," Dean said, and he and Nate helped pull Cass to his feet, "Easy, there."
"I'm alive," Cass said, almost in shock.
Bobby nodded, "Looks like."
"I'm astonished. Thank you… All of you," Cass said, looking around the room at each of us.
Bobby shrugged, "We were mostly… Just trying to save the world."
Cass nodded and looked down, "I'm ashamed. I really overreached."
"You think?" Dean asked.
"I'm gonna find some way to redeem myself to you… To all of you," Cass said heartfully.
Dean nodded, "Alright, well, one thing at a time. Come on. Let's get you out of here. Come on," He grabbed Cass's arm and pulled him to the door.
"I mean it, Dean," Cass said.
Dean nodded, "Okay. Alright. But let's go find Sam, okay?"
Cass stopped and pushed Nate and Dean away from him, "You need to run now!" He strained, "I— I can't hold them back!"
"Hold who back?" I asked in confusion.
Cass hunched over in pain, "They held on inside me," He grunted, "They're so strong."
Dean shook his head, "Who the hell…?"
"Leviathan!" Cass yelled at us as the veins in his forehead popped out, "I can't fight them. Run!" He started convulsing, trying to fight back.
Dean turned to Nate and me, "Go! Go get Sam! Go get Sam!"
I immediately ran for the door.
"Too late!" Cass yelled.
I turned and looked as Cass grabbed Dean's jacket.
"Cass?" Dean asked.
"Cass is… He's gone. He's dead," Cass threw Dean across the room, and then grabbed Bobby, flung him into a table and knocked him out, "We run the show now."
Nate pushed me toward the door, "Maddi, go! Go now!"
"Oh, this is going to be so much fun," Cass said as he grabbed Nate by his throat and lifted him into the air.
"Maddison! Run!" Nate yelled as he choked.
I immediately ran out of the room and slammed the door shut behind me as Cass tossed Nate away, "Sam?!"