CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT: Angels, Demons, and Hunters

"Mom where are you going?" Sam asked, chasing after his mother out of the house. He let the swinging screen door bang shut behind him, his mom already getting into the Impala.

Mary didn't miss a beat as she kept walking towards the car. She gripped a hold of the handle and yanked it open only to have her son appear in the driver's seat. The blonde rolled her eyes and huffed in frustration before addressing her son. "I'm cashing in a favor." She said rather simply, hoping to appease the curious youngest Winchester.

Sam scoffed with a look of annoyance as he gazed up at his mother, arm resting on the worn steering wheel. "What the hell does that even mean?"

"Sam, please, just move." Mary begged with wide eyes. She watched her son's defiant gaze slightly lessen, but not enough to give her hope.

"Mom, we are done doing things alone in this family. I don't care if you are just going to the grocery store, we are all in this together." Sam proclaimed, his voice shaking almost imperceptibly at the end as thoughts of Dean bombarded his thoughts. He quickly swallowed the unshed emotions, taking a deep breath before continuing. "Now, where are you going?"

Mary sighed, realizing she wasn't going to win this battle. Instead of fighting it anymore, she gestured for Sam to scoot over. "I'll explain on the way but we're wasting time." With obvious reluctance, the youngest Winchester moved over to the passenger seat as his mother slid in, starting up the car.

….

"Get up." Crowley ordered gruffly, peering down at the new Mark of Cain Bearer with anticipation.

Dean tilted his head to where his furious gaze met the King's. "Bite me." He quipped, receiving a kick in the side from Alastair. He felt his already broken ribs jostle, pain shooting through his body. He fell on his side, gripping it to try and ease the pain.

Crowley crouched down, his patience dwindling. His voice was barely above a whisper as he spoke, low and dangerous. "I suggest you don't make me ask again."

With as much venom as he could, Dean forced himself into a sloppy sitting position and clenched his teeth to keep from crying out in pain as his sliced up arms rubbed against the graveled floor. "Make me." He spat, planning on not making this easy for them.

Crowley's lips twisted darkly before he gestured to Dean's broken body, motioning Alastair to do just that.

….

Sam waited patiently as they pulled out of the salvage yard. He watched his mother intently as she drove down the country road, her eyes trained forward before she finally spoke. "When you were about 6, I left you with Dean for a couple weeks because I was taking care of a demon problem." She said slowly. She worked the sentences out in her head, never having told this to anyone before.

Sam looked at her with bewilderment at the thought of his mom turning against their own kind. After considering it, even he had to admit some demons were just downright evil.

Mary's voice was steady as she told her story, never meeting her son's gaze. "It was a big job, I can't tell you how many demon's there were. They were involved in the sex trade of all things." She shook her head in disgust, remembering just what she had happened to stumble upon all those years ago. "Anyways, I took care of the problem but not before someone showed up. They charged in, sloppy and confused, almost got themselves knifed. I, being me, saved the poor bastard but not before I saw him take a blade to the chest." She shuddered almost imperceptibly as the memory resurfaced in her head.

Mary watched with satisfaction as yet another demon fell to the floor is a mound of flashing colors and sparks. She surveyed the room, trying to make sure she was alone right as the doors on the wall she was facing banged open, a trench-coated man barging in with a silver blade gripped in his hand.

The stranger glanced around the now deserted brothel, seeming extremely lost as his gaze landed on her. "You were not a part of this." His voice was deep and gruff as he spoke with utmost certainty, referring to the problem he was most likely there to take care of. He took in Mary's bloodied form from head to toe as if he was studying her before speaking up. "You are not like those other demons. Your soul…" He trailed off, not knowing how to proceed.

The blonde shook her head, putting her hands up in a calming motion, her right hand still gripping the demon killing knife she had not lost yet. She didn't know who, rather what, was in front of her, but she felt uncomfortable under his intense gaze. Her eyes flickered to a small movement in the corner, unable to warn the being before an unaccounted demon lunged at him, landing a small blade deep in the stranger's chest.

Mary's eyes widened as the man just simply pulled the knife out, letting it clatter to the floor. Not wasting any more time, the blonde rushed forward and shoved her blade up through the demon's jaw, yanking the blade out roughly and wiping the blood off on her jeans.

Mary turned to the stranger, ready to chew him out for his stupidity when he stepped forward, only a speck of blood on his white dress shirt. "What- what are you?" She stammered out, her eyes finally noticing the shadows of wings on the wall.

"My name is Castiel. I am an angel of the Lord." He said matter-of-fact. He stepped forward, placing a firm hand on her shoulder. Mary flinched, not sure what to expect. He's an angel right? He should be here to smite her. Instead, Castiel surprised her. "Thank you for killing that demon. You seem to be better than most demons I've encountered." He nodded as if agreeing with himself before stepping back, his hand dropping back down to his side. "You took care of this problem for us, on behalf of Heaven, I thank you. If you ever need anything, please don't hesitate to call me, Mary Winchester." A small smile tugged at his lips before he was gone, leaving Mary dumbfounded and her mind completely fucking blown.

Sam shook his head incredulously. "You're not serious. I thought they never left Heaven?" The youngest Winchester questioned, everything he had ever been told about angels coming back to him.

Mary smirked, finally glancing over at her son. "Yeah, well. Dean's dealt with two of them before, not Castiel, but they come down occasionally." She said plainly, focusing on the road as she pulled off down a back road, a blue barn barely visible in the distance.

"What? When?" Sam asked, suddenly irritated he hadn't been told about this before.

The mother, wishing she had never mentioned it, started slowing down as the barn became closer. "I'll let Dean tell you about it." She turned left down a gravel road that wounded to the falling apart building, putting the car in park right in front of it.

Sam followed his mother out of the car, glancing up at the barn with judgmental eyes. "So why are we here?"

"I need to give him a call." Mary answered as she walked into the barn, throwing the doors open dramatically.

The young demon looked at the blonde as if she was losing it. "Perfect, I've got a phone in the car." He said, backing towards the door.

"It's not that kind of call." She said patiently, throwing a smug grin over her shoulder before closing her eyes. "Castiel, I need your help." She started, peaking one eye open and looking around the barn hopefully. She sighed with frustration, not in the mood to mess around. "Castiel, I swear if you don't get your feathery ass down here, I will march up to Heaven and drag your winged behind down here myself." She said a little more forcefully, shocked when the roof started to rattle and shake, the siding coming off as a massive wind picked up.

"What the hell is happening?" Sam said, panic in his voice as he watched chaos unfold. They both backed away from the door, watching it wearily as the storm picked up, rain beginning to pound on the metal panes.

"He's coming." Mary whispered, seeming worried as the doors flew open and an agitated angel walked in.

…

"We have a problem." Naomi said the moment Castiel had walked through the glass doors, his brows knitted in confusion.

He approached the desk, not feeling the need to sit as he trained his questioning eyes on her. "What kind of problem?"

Naomi shook her head, a sense of hopelessness radiating off of her. "Dean has already acquired the Mark. Crowley's working much faster than we originally imagined he would."

"Is the mission jeopardized? Is there still a need to rescue him?" The dark-haired angel asked, not clear on what he had to do.

"No, fortunately for us, our informants have told us that he is refusing to corporate with what Crowley wants. He has not given in to the Mark's powers, yet." Naomi stood up, bracing her palms on the desk as she spoke with urgency. "We still have time to fix this before it gets out of hand, but we need to act now-"

All of a sudden, Castiel was glaring angrily at the ceiling, a prayer he never thought he would hear ringing through his head. Feeling Naomi's sharp gaze on him, he returned his attention to her. "I understand, I will set out for Hell as soon as I handle a situation." He answered vaguely, disappearing in a gust before Naomi had time to respond.

….

Castiel looked distraught, clearly not pleased about being called upon. He glanced between the pair, his eyes resting on Sam for a moment longer before focusing on the blonde. "Mary, now is not a good time-"

The mother cut him off, not in the mood. "Castiel, I need your help." She insisted, taking a step forward.

"I understand, I know this is regarding Dean but," He paused, his eyes calculating how much he can say. "This is one thing I cannot do."

"Like hell you can't!" She snapped, now inches away from the angel. Sam looked taken aback, not sure how he felt about the fact that this all-powerful being was standing before him being told off by his mom.

Castiel's eyes begged Mary to realize what he was saying. "I already have orders to raise Dean from Hell." He began, watching as Mary's eyes lit up before he held up a hand. "But, it's to bring him to Heaven so he can be dealt with." He finished, a hint of regret in his tone.

Mary shook her head, running frantic hands through her hair. "Why? What does Dean have anything to do with you?" She demanded, a pit forming in her stomach.

Castiel's brows furrowed, suddenly angry. "In case you don't remember, this is not the first time Dean Winchester has been a problem for my kind. Now with the Mark of Cain he is an even bigger threat." He finished in a rush before his voice softened tremendously. "I know he's your son, but if you could try to see it from our point of view you would know why we must do this."

Mary's eyes down casted. She had thought that Castiel would've been compassionate, willing to help her. "I know my son better than anyone, he's not going to let Crowley break him. Please just," She paused, her pleading gaze locking with the angel's as she stepped forward and took his warm hands in hers. "Rescue him and bring him to me, Sam and I will keep him grounded, I swear." She promised, sounding so damn confidant Castiel actually considered it.

"Demons, even the soccer mom's can be manipulative bitches." A voice rang out from behind Castiel, the three all turning to face the newcomer. Sam had to admit, he definitely wasn't a looker. The youngest Winchester could see the new angel's wings projecting on the side of the wall, the image large and majestic. His vessel was a tall, African American bald man with broad shoulders that could easily knock someone out if he wanted to.

"Uriel, they are different." Castiel defended, his brows coming together in hatred. "I can handle this, leave us be." He demanded, his tone sounding powerful and authoritative as he glared daggers at the brusque man before him.

Uriel chuckled with amusement as he took in the strange sight. "An angel and two demons get together in a barn, must be a bad joke in there somewhere." The angel joked, shaking his head in mock disapproval before his gaze landed on Sam. "You're different than your brother, I'll give you that. But," His eyes trained on Castiel, his features hardening. "That doesn't excuse what our mission is. Naomi wants this done and she wants it done now."

Castiel took a threatening step forward, tilting his head. "Why do you give me orders? Last time I checked, I was your superior. So, when I say leave us be," He paused his face now mere inches from the cocky angel. "Leave. Us. Be." He said, the words coming out separate with a warning evident behind them.

With his hands shoved in his pockets, Uriel cleared his throat. "I think I'll go, seek revelation." He offered right before he disappeared.

"Castiel-" Mary began only to have the angel cut her off with a hand motion.

"Enough. You see what I am dealing with yet you still ask me to defy Heaven's orders?" He asks, sounding genuinely curious.

The blonde demon took a deep breath, not sure how fond the angel was of her at the moment. "Heaven isn't always right." She said with absolute conviction, causing Castiel to really stop and think.

Was Heaven wrong here? All his life he had been taught to listen to orders, to be a good little soldier. Maybe… Maybe the demon had a point. The last half of the sentence gave the angel pause. The demon had a point? How can he be sure? "I- I've had doubts before. But defying Heaven, that is not something I can do lightly."

"Just," Mary made the angel meet her gaze, hoping this would work. "Rescue Dean then make your decision. Look in his soul and you'll see he isn't a threat!"

The way the blonde demon spoke with such assurance is what convinced Castiel to at least see Dean before he made any rash decisions. With a quick nod and a small smile, the angel was gone.

….

Six weeks.

It had been six weeks after Mary had met with Castiel and they hadn't heard anything. Dean wasn't back, the angel up their sleeve hadn't paid a visit, and they were all on the edge of their seats on what was going to happen.

So when John suggested they all take a trip downstairs, nobody objected. That is, no one except Bobby.

"If you idjits think you are just going to march down to Hell and save him, you're more screwed in the head than I thought." The capped hunter noted bitterly, shaking his head from his position leaning up against his living room wall.

Jo rolled her eyes, before standing up from her position on the couch. "Bobby, we can handle it. We have two demons and four hunters, I think we have enough man power to get this done right." She stated, locking eyes with Sam with a certain knowing in her gaze.

Sam cleared his throat, feeling uncomfortable before speaking up. "We need to rescue Dean. If what Castiel said is true, we don't have much time." He said, keeping his voice level as he glanced between his two parents.

John nodded, agreeing with his son's logic while Mary seemed hesitant.

"I for one think we could do it." Ellen agreed, surprising everyone especially her daughter. "You boys are like family to us now, if one of you is in danger, I plan on steppin' up to help." She rationalized, returning Sam's small smile.

"Bobby, if you don't want to come you don't have to-" The youngest Winchester started, the old hunter cutting him off with a crotchety laugh.

"Do I look like a ditchable prom date to you?" He asked, removing his cap and rubbing his head before replacing it. "If we're goin' down, might as well do it together."

….

"How much longer do you think you can hold out Dean? It's been weeks, you could make this all end with one simple word." Alastair purred, trying to convince the middle Winchester to just give up.

Dean spat access crimson from his mouth to the floor before turning his lifeless green eyes to his torturer. "You can take that simple word, and shove it up your fucking ass." He hissed, gripping at the chains that wrapped around his wrists that kept him suspended from the ceiling.

Alastair walked over to his metal cart, picking up a serrated knife that seemed to be about the length of Dean's forearm and looked at it thoughtfully before taking sluggish but earnest steps towards the young demon.

The master of torture set to work quickly, slicing off strips of skin on his thighs, torso, and upper arms agonizingly slow while Dean yelled. After a few good chunks had been removed, Alastair set down his now scarlet stained blade back on the cart, picking up a container of salt. With a flick of his wrist, he sent generous handfuls full of white particles into the open wounds, a burning sensation shooting through Dean's body as his screams grew more pained and anguished.

Alastair laughed to himself sadistically, enjoying the way he could made the other demon suffer. With a smirk plastered to his face, he spread out his arms in a wide gesture. "Are we having fun yet?"

….

Dean towered over the cowering form that was whimpering, begging for mercy at his feet.

He didn't understand what was going on or what was causing his hand to shake so fucking much. He glanced down, the unfamiliar blade in his head startling him. He noted the distinct curve of a jawbone and the sharp edges of jagged teeth that made up the blade. As if just noticing where he was, Dean looked up and his eyes took in his surroundings.

There were butchered bodies littering the floor around him, the wood panels painted with crimson that pooled underneath the corpses. He cringed, panic starting to seep in as he returned his attention to the shaking person below him who was asking him to stop.

But he couldn't stop. It was as if he wasn't in his body, like he was watching from the sidelines. He saw his body lean down, carving the blade across the poor bastard's chest before plunging it deep into their heart, twisting it mercilessly before ripping out the knife.

Dean, not-Dean, glanced up at him, a blood-thirsty grin creeping across his face. When he looked down, he saw that the body belonged to his brother.

Dean woke up abruptly, being greeted with none other than Alastair's cruel features. "Did you enjoy your nap, sweetheart?" He drawled, backing up only slightly.

The middle Winchester's eyes landed on Crowley who was standing quietly by the door, watching him intently. Dean swallowed, his throat feeling dry.

"Having nightmares are we?" The King surmised, taking a step forward as he shoved his hands in his pockets.

The young demon stiffened, his whole body aching as he watched Crowley pull an all too familiar knife from his jacket pocket. Dean visibly paled, images of the blade and carnage flashing across his vision.

The King stepped towards the new Knight of Hell with a mischievous glint in his eyes. "I have a new toy I'd like you try out. What do you say? Ready to get started?"

….

TBC

Please continue to read and review. It really does make my day.