The tunnel
"What is it?" Dean was afraid to even talk. He barely let go of Sam. The boy was shivering and so he kept his arms around his waist even as he took a step back. Dean had a feeling he'd be clinging to him in the girliest fashion for months now. It was hard to look past the horror and give him room to breathe.
"I don't...Dean, I don't know what to do. They are gaining on us and they_They have wings. Six more than I do." Cas shook his head. His face bled its ashes and became chalk.
"Give me back to them." Sam's voice broke even as he spoke. Dean turned to look him in the eyes, feeling like his heart just burst through his ears.
"What are you nuts? No way in Hell!" Dean shook Sam. How dare he?
Oh, that's right, he hadn't asked permission when he'd thrown his own soul back down the rabbit hole to save him the last time, either. God help Dean Winchester_he couldn't take this. Sacrificing himself was easy, but his Sammy...
"Sam! No! They_They are ruthless...Even Lucifer was terrified of them. God sealed them away so long ago...What are you thinking?" Cas turned to Sam outraged and then, his jaw went slack. Sam was so incredibly, eerily calm.
"I know…"He smiled a shaky smile. He wasn't afraid, but his eyes showed fathomless pain and sorrow. The icy calm made Cas hold up a hand.
"Please no, Sam. There is another way. There will be. You...Don't...Don't ask us to let you sacrifice yourself again. We simply cannot bear that." Cas looked like he would vomit. Dean took Sam's shoulders.
"We're leaving here together or we're not leaving. Capisce?!" Dean gave Sam a shake. One that clicked the kid's teeth together. His eyes trailed to his feet like he was ashamed. Then, Dean realized the boy didn't realize this was just the fiery compassion of brothers who had come to save him. He legitimately thought he was being scolded for some wrongdoing. Oddly, at 26-years-old, he looked like a 5-year-old tot through the eyes just now.
"Listen...We...can never thank you. Not enough. Not enough to express...What it means. What you did. What you're still doing, if they catch you and we can't…"Dean gulped. Sam looked up, amazed by the tonal shift. He looked like he might cry. Dean nodded.
"But we...We are not going to leave you, either. We just won't. No matter what kind of scarier than the friggin Devil thing is gunning for you. Now, if you know anything, anything that can help us come up with plan B now's the time to spill." Dean's hands shook as Sam's eyes filled with tears. It was indiscernible where they came from. The boy nodded. Dean reached up and thumbed them off as Cas pressed closer.
"Sam, please don't cry. Tell us the way out, if you know." Cas wrapped his wings around Sam as his knees threatened to give out.
"I_I'm sorry...It's...I haven't…"Sam started to panic a bit, looking around, lost, so so lost. Dean felt like he was melting for a moment when realization dawned through the veil of tears.
"Narrow is the way….That leads to life. That's what...Michael was always saying. An escape tunnel. One that Crowley had made should the Shadeem ever invade Hell. I think...If we could find it_" Sam looked sadly over his shoulder as one of those cursed things howled.
"Great, okay, that's...That's something. Got a stabbing guess where to start?" Dean tilted his head. Sam shivered and looked fervently at Dean.
"It's in the Leviathan neck of the woods. The good news is even they are afraid of the Shadeem so they'll try to get scarce if they think they're coming…"Sam swallowed. Dean nodded.
"And the bad news? They're pretty nasty things too, eh?" Dean smiled. Sam looked at Cas, too tired to explain it himself. Cas swallowed.
"God locked them up too. I guess...Some of his first creatures were...um… a little whacky." Cas looked back as a shriek rattled the stones and trees.
"Right, okay, whacky is better than being whacked by whatever's coming from that way. Let's get." Dean took Sam's hand like he was a little boy. Sam was chewing the fingernails off his other hand.
"Stop that. It's gonna be okay." Dean swatted Sam's hand wondering just how traumatized his little brother actually was now. There would be time, he told himself. Time to put him back together, piece by piece. Just not right now.
