"THE HELL YOU MEAN HE'S NOT HUMAN?"

Dean bolted up from the bed, "We did all the tests. Holy water, salt, the whole shebang."

Cas raised an eyebrow at Dean's outburst, "I don't know how he hid from you, but he's definitely not human." Cas frowned, "The aura of Death around him is suffocating."

Dean sighed before settling back on the bed. As much as he wanted to go charging into the kid's room to find out what the hell was going on, he couldn't. The first rule of being a hunter is don't fight something you don't understand; it's the quickest way to get killed. Danny hadn't tried to harm them yet, but that might change if he knew that Dean knew his secret. It was better to keep quiet and investigate from afar.

"If he's not human, then what is he?"

"I don't know." Cas' frown deepened, obviously liking the answer as much as Dean. "He reeks of Death. It's almost painful. He's like a ghost, but..." Cas paused momentarily, struggling to find the right word, "stronger, purer, more potent? I don't know."

Dean grimaced but fought back the urge to curse. Cas already looked so fucking disappointed in himself, as if not knowing every monster that goes bump in the night was his fault, that Dean didn't want to risk adding to any self-imposed guilt the angel was feeling.

Dean pushed up from the bed, walking over to his bag. He bent down to get out some rock salt bullets, "We tested him with salt on the road, and nothing happened, but I would still feel better with these on hand." Cas nodded in understanding before Dean continued, "Have you actually gone up to him yet? Maybe getting a closer look would help?"

Cas froze for a moment, mulling the idea over in his head, "Maybe."

Dean nodded, taking his gun, with rock salt bullets, of course, before opening the door and heading out into the hallway. He crept down the hallway, Cas following closely behind, before arriving at Danny's room. Dean slowly opened the door, holding back a curse when it creaked, and poked his head into the room.

Danny was out. The kid was sprawled on the bed and snoring softly, looking, for all intents and purposes, like an innocent kid. Dean would be lying if he said he wasn't worried; this thing had gotten into his home and fooled them all. If Danny was really dangerous, all their lives might be in jeopardy.

Cas slipped into the room behind him before moving to the end of Danny's bed. He had gone slightly pale and seemed to be trying to get the best look he could without actually getting close to the kid. Cas looked up at Dean and shook his head. Nothing. He couldn't tell anything at all.

Dean couldn't hide his disappointment, but the next moment Cas looked at him again and mouthed, "Let me try something."

It took a few tries for Dean to get what the angel was saying, but once he did, he quickly nodded.

Cas closed his eyes and held his hand out in front of him while muttering quietly under his breath. Dean watched closely as the angel's brow furrowed before his eyes snapped open.

For a moment, nothing happened.

Then a transparent light showed over the kid before rising slightly off the bed. The apparition was indistinct and blurry around the edges, but Dean could still see the trails of light connecting it back to Danny.

Suddenly, like a rubber band snapping, the ghost flew back into Danny. Cas doubled over, gasping and pale, as he finally lost his grip on the spirit. Dean rushed to Cas, supporting him and leading the angel out of the room.

He had no idea what Cas just did, but he knew he didn't want to be in this room anymore. Before leaving, he peeked back over his shoulder, the kid was still sound asleep, but now he was frowning slightly like he had a bad dream.

Dean pulled Cas into his bedroom and softly closed the door. The angel was still pale, but he seemed steadier than before. Dean still pulled him over to the bed, forcing him to sit.

Dean looked at Cas, "Dude, was that?"

"A ghost." Cas sighed and rubbed his face, a human habit he must have picked up from Dean. "I sensed a...separation...within him. I tried to pull it out, but I couldn't. That thing is bound to him so tightly that I-." Cas raised his hands, frustrated with his lack of power."

"So he's possessed?"

Cas nodded, "It's the only explanation. It must have happened when the portal exploded; a ghost escaped and bound itself to him. But it's unlike any possession I've ever seen. I'm an angel of the lord, I can smite demons, but I could barely touch this thing."

Dean leaned against the wall, "So...super strong ghost...possessing a kid."

Dean felt the solid mass in his stomach for the second time that night. The kid looked innocent because he was innocent, but because of his parent's experiments, he was now attached to a super-powered spook and suffering the consequences.

Dean had never met Danny's parents, but if he ever did, he'd need Sam to stop him from putting those fuckers in the ground.