Chapter 17

Finishing her whiskey, Cheyenne didn't say anything for a minute, letting his words mull over in her head. Would Addison stay behind with Sam and let her go off to hunt alone? Would Sam let Dean do the same thing? Everything had changed for Addison and Sam now that they were back and it wasn't fair to them to have to choose. "Then I'll respect her wishes and leave without her. The last thing I wanna do is make her choose between me and Sam. He's a good guy and he understands the nature of the business, which is hard to find." Hell, maybe she'd just leave quietly without talking to Addison about it. Addison would be pissed, but it was better than watching her sister torn in half over her and the man she loved. "You gonna get in the way of their happiness if Sam chooses to stay with her, Deano?"

Why people thought calling him 'Dean-O' was original was beyond him, it was stupid and sounded stupid when people said it, but… he had learned to let it slide because it was them looking like an asshole and not him. "Usually, I'd tell him his life and the women wouldn't ever mix, that she would be in danger," And that was all true. "But Addison isn't a normal woman, now is she?" If he would've known that Cheyenne was thinking about just slipping off, he probably would have said something against it, that was just shitty to do to someone, especially after they had literally just gotten you back. Well, wasn't he self-righteous tonight, that was something he might've done to Sam… just not right out the gate. "I don't know what's going to happen, Sam's only known I've been back for a day. We already got heaping's of shit on our plates without me adding anymore straight off the bat." And this Castiel thing was going to be icing on that shit cake, without adding personal drama to the mix.

Calling him Dean wasn't an option because that would show she had respect for him. How could she respect the man who was in every one of her nightmares, when she slept? "Sounds like you're in the same boat as me, hard as that is to believe. Addy found something with Sam while I was gone and she's pissed off at me because I kept my deal from her…until the day the Hellhound came. She had no idea what I'd done." While Cheyenne spoke, she slowly twisted the beer bottle around, staring at it almost contemplatively. "She'd probably be better off without me…and I can't worry about that right now, not with this angel shit breathing down my neck." Pulling out some bills, she tossed them on the table and stood up, abruptly ending the conversation. "I'll be in the car when you're ready to go and don't worry, I won't steal it." Not waiting for a response, Cheyenne walked outside and breathed in the fresh, Dean-free air, not stopping until she was leaning against the Impala with clenched fists. It took everything inside of her to endure that little bit of conversation without reaching across the table to slice his throat. Remnants of Hell was a bitch to deal with.

If she had been in his shoes, she might've done what he may or may not have. The Winchester's were very well-known when it came to Hell and it's demonic bitches, they were not popular by any means and there had been some special torments waiting for him. He had always considered it a badge of pride, badge of honor, that he was so despised and targeted by demons and the like. He had been a total fool. If he would have known what was waiting for him…

Dean ordered another whiskey, the keys of the car in his pocket and it was locked. So unless Cheyenne hotwired it… and he wouldn't put it past her, she was going to be waiting out there for a bit longer. Groaning, he let his forehead drop onto the table, blowing out a breath.

By the time they arrived back at Bobby's, it was in the early morning hours and Cheyenne was dead on her feet. She bid the old man goodnight on her way up the stairs, seeing Sam and Addison curled up in the living room on the couch, and was out like a light as soon as her body hit the bed with a soft thud. She didn't see or feel Dean walk into the room or feel him straighten her out on the bed since her legs were dangling off it. He removed her shoes and even covered her up before leaving to go to his own room, the doors remaining cracked open.

Another storm was brewing outside as lightning flashed through the window into the room. Castiel stood there, hovering over the bed, watching Cheyenne sleep deeply. He wasn't the least bit surprised to find her bolt upright in the bed moments later, his hand immediately raising to silence her, walking over to the door to close it shut completely.

Cheyenne didn't move an inch, staring at the angel and tried getting her breathing under control, along with her racing heart. "What are you doing here, Castiel?" She asked in a low voice, not wanting the others in the house to know he was here…yet.

More lightning flashed as Castiel walked over to the window, staring out of it for a minute. "I know your past with Dean. I know what he did to you in Hell. For you see, he is the reason you were rescued alongside him." His cool blue eyes turned to stare back at her again, waiting for her to register what he just said.

"I don't…" Cheyenne felt sick to her stomach suddenly and backed up on the bed as Castiel came towards her, tears flooding her eyes. "Understand…"

Castiel seated himself beside her, watching her knees draw up to her chest and placed his hand on top of hers, feeling all the hatred, animosity, confusion, terror, fear, anguish, and pain coursing through her veins. It was all directed towards Dean. He pulled back abruptly after gauging her and knew what he was about to say would not be easy for her to hear, but it was necessary.

"You must swallow your pride and help Dean with what God has commanded." Castiel ordered, making it clear she would not be leaving or going anywhere anytime soon without Dean. They were a team, a formidable force and just didn't realize it yet.

"What are you talking about? I don't understand, Castiel…" She rose her voice a little, though the volume didn't go high enough to wake Dean, who was across the way in his own room, snoring up a storm. "I can't…"

"You can, and you will. All will be revealed in due time, Cheyenne. Your task is simple – help Dean Winchester in any way you can. I'll be in touch."

Then, he was gone.

Snapping her eyes open, Cheyenne stared at the ceiling and brought a hand up to her forehead, her lips chapped from being so dry and her body caked in a cold sweat. Did Castiel just visit her in a dream? How the hell was she supposed to help Dean Winchester and to what end? How could Castiel – no, how could GOD – want her to help the same man that tortured, brutalized, and ripped her apart in Hell?! Shower, I need a shower… Shakily rising to her feet, Cheyenne made her way out of the bedroom and found the vacant bathroom, locking the door behind her before starting the sprays.

That was going to take some getting used to. In all his time coming here to Bobby's, Dean had never ever dealt with a lady in residence, let alone two of them. So, the shower being occupied but scented waves of steam eventually creeping out from the bottom of the old door was weird… men were in and out, they had to be, Bobby tended to grump about them using up the hot water and being prissy if they didn't. "Morning." He grunted as he plod his slow, yawning ass into the kitchen, heading right for the coffee pot. "Upstairs smells like vanilla…"

"You forget how a woman smells down in the pit, son?"

Dean smiled humorlessly, pouring his mugful. Brimstone and sulfur, that's how everyone smelled in the pit.

Cheyenne took exactly 10 minutes and hopped out, dressed, brushed her hair and teeth and joined everyone downstairs, pouring herself a cup of coffee. "Dean," She spoke directly to him, ignoring everyone else in the house for the moment and knew she had to talk to him about her dream – about Castiel's visit. "Will you join me outside? I need to talk to you about something." It was hard not calling him Deano like she'd been doing, but this was important.

"Wait, what about?" Addison intervened, seeing the reluctance on her sister's face. "Chey, what happened?"

"Yeah, considering you guys took off without us last night, it's not good to keep us in the dark, Dean." Sam narrowed his eyes at his big brother, folding his arms in front of his chest.

"For Pete's sake, we were summonin' Castiel to get some answers!" Bobby growled, not in the mood to deal with drama this early in the morning.

"WHAT?!" Both Sam and Addison shouted at the same time, their eyes widening.

"No offense, you two, but this doesn't involve either of you. This is something Dean and I have to deal with. We were rescued from Hell by Castiel and…"

"What the fuck is a Castiel anyway?" Addison couldn't believe the words coming out of Cheyenne's mouth and felt her jaw drop at the answer she received.

"An angel of the Lord. An angel rescued us because God commanded it and he has work for me and Dean to do. There, now you know everything we do." She turned to face Dean again, doing her best to be kind to him. "I'll be outside when you're ready for that talk, Dean." Cheyenne's bluntness had reared again and she walked out of the house with her coffee warming her hands, leaving both her sister and Sam standing there dumbfounded.

Well, not wanting to deal with the drama this early had not been averted the way he had been planning. Bobby shook his head when Sam and Addison both looked at him like he was going to moderate. "Don't lookit me, she's not my sister."

"Well, it IS our business, regardless of what she thinks."

Dean shrugged, leaning against the counter because he was still drinking coffee and it was way too early to deal with the abrasive Cheyenne. He thought his people skills were terrible, they were definitely going to have to work on those with her. Their parents had died early, right? Wasn't that what she had said…, she could be forgiven for lacking even the basics of likeability. She'd learn if she hung around them enough… Well, no, because she wanted to bail.

Not anymore, not after that visit from Castiel in her dream. Or was it a dream? Cheyenne really didn't know and sipped her coffee while slowly walking around the junkyard. Bailing wasn't an option. Castiel made it clear to her she had to work with Dean to do whatever God wanted. They were rescued from Hell for a reason, not just out of kindness. If they didn't abide by what the angel wanted them to do, what God wanted them to do, they would more than likely be sent back to the pit and that wasn't an option either. As far as her abrasive ways, Cheyenne knew when to reign it in and when to unleash it, and she didn't think she sounded THAT bad. Blunt, yes, but that was her nature and she'd always been like that, even growing up. Addison was the calmer, soothing sister while Cheyenne enjoyed getting her hands dirty and had a sailor mouth on her. What if Dean won't cooperate? What if he's the reason we're sent back to Hell? He has to work with me, even if he doesn't want to. We have to work together, even if I hate him for what he did to me. Nothing else matters and I have to convince him of that somehow, someway. But how?

A good way would be reigning in her attitude. Cheyenne was a walking cliché. Badass bitch with the mouth, her way was probably for the best since she had her reasons, other people didn't need to know, etc. Instantly not likeable in a person and Dean didn't need ANOTHER reminder that HE was not likeable as a person unless he was purposefully turning on the charm. Basically, nobody wanted to be reminded that they were an asshole thanks to the presence of another asshole, it just sucked. He knew it was all HIM too because Sam didn't seem to have a problem with it, Sam actually seemed to handle Cheyenne's presence the same way he did with Dean, by rolling his eyes and snorting a lot.

"Well goddamn it, I'm an asshole." And a cliché himself. Macho man with the bravado and mouth on him as well.

Sam, Bobby and Addison all just looked at him.

Grunting, he took his coffee and headed outside.

Snapping out of her thoughts, Cheyenne heard the front screen door slam shut and saw Dean walk outside with a mug of coffee in his hand. It was a crisp summer morning, but fall was upon them. It was September, Indian summer, but for some reason, it was chillier than usual. Pushing away from the broken down car she'd been leaning against, Cheyenne approached Dean by the Impala, both sipping their coffee. "Castiel reached out to me last night. Or maybe this morning, I don't know, but it was in my dream. I think. Anyway, he said we had to work together to make it through whatever is coming our way." She took another sip of coffee, letting him digest what she said. "Look, it's obvious we have trust issues and rightfully so. We're hunters, that's just part of the job. I don't know about you, but I don't want to be thrown back in the pit anytime soon…and something tells me, if we don't comply with what Castiel and God want us to do, they'll send us back." She looked up at him, into his deep green eyes, and had to steel herself because it wasn't the same acidic pools she saw down in the pit. No, they were a different shade, a softer shade, and it made her heart skip a beat or two. "What do you think, Dean?"