Thank you so much Gredelina1 and SandraEngstrom2 for beta'ing and helping me get the ideas down. Thank you also to all of you that have read and reviewing. It's great to see some new names appearing. I appreciate every one of you, new and old.

Sorry it's another short one. I am not working to my usual rules with this one.

Chapter Three

Dean had once seen Sam's soul.

When Death had brought it out of the Cage, before it had been returned to Sam, Dean had seen it in his hand. It had been the most amazing thing. Pure, unblemished light, the reality of who his brother was—not the body or the RoboSam he'd been living with the previous six months. It was that light that made Sam Sam. It was that Dean was terrified for, because Lucifer was using it as a chew toy even now and Dean didn't know how long it would last. And Castiel was scared, too. He didn't say it, but it was all there in his whispered words. They weren't just racing against a clock to minimize Sam's suffering. They were racing to save him from destruction. What even happened to a soul that was so destroyed? All the things Castiel had warned of—'Paralysis, insanity, psychic pain so profound that he's locked inside himself for the rest of his life'—were what would happen if he lived. What happened to a ruined soul if he died? Would he have any peace in Heaven? Would he know Dean there?

He shuddered and Castiel laid a hand on his shoulder and squeezed gently. Dean took the comfort for all of a split second before he had to step away.

He couldn't ask Castiel the questions that were playing on his mind. He was afraid Castiel would give an honest answer.

He moved away from the angel and sat down at the table again, massaging his temples with his fingertips. He had a headache that seemed stupid and selfish to indulge with a reaction, given what was happening to Sam.

Castiel eyed him for a moment, seeming to be on the verge of speech, and then he shook his head and sat opposite Dean at the table and opened one of the books Dean had stacked there. "Have you found anything of use?"

"No. I was looking to see if there was anything in here about the cage that we didn't know when we tacked Lucifer before. They know about the rings, but I don't have Death's anymore. I'm guessing it was destroyed when I killed him."

"Dean, the rings open the cage. We cannot do that."

Dean went on as if he hadn't hear him. "And it's not even the same cage this time. I thought maybe there would be similarities. But like I said—"

"Dean!" Castiel barked. "You cannot open the cage!"

Dean looked at him, brow furrowed. "I know. I just said that. It's the wrong cage."

"We cannot open any cage Sam is in without freeing Lucifer."

Dean turned away, indifferent. How did Castiel think they were getting Sam out if it wasn't by opening the cage and letting them both out? They would get him out and then they would deal with Lucifer together. There was a whole library of angel lore here. There had to be something about powering down a rogue archangel. Otherwise what was the point of them? Every book and every person that had given their life to the Men Of Letters were useless if they couldn't help him get Sam back.

"Dean!" Castiel said harshly, moving to stand in front of him and gripping his shoulders again. "You cannot do this. Think of Sam."

"I am thinking of Sam!" Dean said yanking himself out of Castiel's hold. "I am thinking my brother is trapped in Hell, being destroyed right now, because he was trying to save the world. Again. He thought God was talking to him, and he went against his fear to do something about it. He was so scared and he did it anyway because he thought it would help. I am not leaving him there because he was doing the right thing!" He would not leave him there no matter what reason he had for being there. Nothing was worth Sam being in Hell.

Castiel's lips pressed into a thin line, and then he said, "I would exchange myself for Sam in a heartbeat if I could. You know that. I cannot though, and I cannot let you destroy the world in his name. Sam would not want that. Think, Dean, when he carried Lucifer into the cage before, he gave you clear instructions. He did not want you to attempt to get him out. He knew just how great a risk that was to the world."

"If you think I am going to…"

"I don't. Of course I don't. I will not leave him there either. What I am saying is that we need to do it the right way this time. Every time, every single time we have gone to do what we believe is the right thing without considering consequences, we have almost ended it all. Sam thought he was saving the world when he teamed with Ruby, the apocalypse was started. I thought working with Crowley was the only solution to Raphael, and I released the Leviathans. Metatron tricked me into making the angels fall. And you…"

"Got myself branded with the Mark of Cain and ended up a demon," Dean finished for him, his voice bitter. "Yeah. I know."

"I am not saying this to hurt you. I am trying to make you see that we have to be careful about this. We must look at it, whatever solution we come to, from all angles before acting."

Dean nodded slowly. He understood what Castiel was saying. He almost agreed. He was right in that whenever they tried to act for the best on a grand scale, they screwed the pooch. But this was Sam. This was Hell. This was Lucifer. This was the destruction of his brother. There was nothing he wouldn't do to fix that mess. Because that was what Castiel didn't understand. Dean had made that promise when Sam was gone, he said he wouldn't poke at the lock, but he had lied. He spent that year searching for a way to get his brother out, and this time it would be no different.

"Well," Castiel said bracingly. "These books are no good to us regarding the cage, so what other options do we have?"

Dean sighed and sat down at the table, rubbing a hand over his tired eyes. "My first stop would be Death, but I took him out with his own Scythe."

"You did," Castiel agreed. "And Crowley would not be strong enough to overpower Lucifer in order for us to release Sam. He may be King of Hell, but he is still just a demon at heart."

"He won't do it anyway," Dean said. "I asked."

"The same problem applies to Rowena. She could perhaps free him, but she would also free Lucifer."

And she wouldn't do it. Her sense of self preservation was too strong.

"I cannot do it," Castiel said, "I do not have that power anymore."

"Yeah," Dean said, trying hard to keep the frustration from his tone, "you said."

They fell into uncomfortable silence. There was no one else. All their strongest allies were dead. Almost all of their friends and allies were dead. Ash, Ellen, Jo, Bobby, Charlie, Kevin. Garth was still around, but he was a werewolf and he was not the sharpest tool anyway. Jody and Donna were great, but they would be so out of their depth with this. They wouldn't be able to help worth a damn.

Then an idea occurred to Dean and he sucked in a sharp breath. Why hadn't he thought of it before?

"What are you thinking?" Castiel asked, his voice guarded.

"Amara," Dean whispered. She was power and force and strength. She would be able to do this. She could likely stroll into Hell on a whim and pull out every soul in there if she felt like it. And she was stronger than Lucifer. She would overpower him easily. This was perfect. She could get Sam out and keep Lucifer in.

"The Darkness," Castiel said dourly. "You plan to enlist the help of the force that could destroy the world more surely than Lucifer ever could?"

"Yes," Dean said simply.

"Have you listened to a word I have said?" Castiel asked, raking a hand over his face in frustration.

"I have listened to every word you said." He'd not agreed with it all, but he'd listened.

"Then why do you not see this is possibly the worst option of them all?"

"I don't think it is. I think this is the only solution. She can take care of Satan and get Sam out in a heartbeat. I know it."

"And the consequences could be devastating."

"I don't think they will be. I don't see her letting Lucifer out. Why would she? He was one of the angels that helped God lock her away in the first place. Think, Cas, if there's any one person with more of a beef with him than us, it's her."

"Perhaps," Castiel conceded.

"And I don't see her sharing the power of taking over the world with anyone, let alone him. She seems the strong, confident type to me."

"You have such insight into the Darkness now, do you?" Castiel asked, his eyes narrowing.

"Yes," Dean said. "I do."

"How?"

"That's not important. Finding her is."

Castiel stared into his eyes, seeming to be searching for something. Dean wished he knew what. He would deliver it if he did. Anything it took to get Castiel on board with this was worth it, any lie.

"You may be right," Castiel said carefully. "At least I think it is our only option that has a chance of working in our favor." He sighed. "It doesn't feel safe, but I don't think anything will when it comes to this. It is a risk however we come at it."

"I have to get him back, Cas," Dean said quietly.

Castiel looked at him sympathetically. "I know you do. But what makes you think she will even help us?"

"She will," Dean said confidently. "I know it."

"Very well, I will support you to a point. We will at least speak to Amara and see if we can get a gauge on her feelings for Lucifer. If she seems opposed to him, we can perhaps make it work."

Dean nodded and almost smiled. This was going to work, he was sure. Amara would help him and he would get Sam back.

"We will make sure it is safe first, Dean," Castiel said.

"Yeah. Absolutely."

What he didn't say but was sure Castiel knew anyway was that if this could work, if Amara was willing, he would do it regardless of Castiel's opinion, because it was Sam, and he had to get him out.

Dean walked along the hall of the living quarters and came to Sam's room. He hesitated outside the door. He didn't know why he was there. Perhaps it was his need to connect with his brother somehow that drove him. Perhaps it was just because he needed some space from Castiel for a moment.

In the times since they had moved into the bunker, Sam had barely changed his room from how it had been when some long dead Man of Letters had used it. The only additions he had made were the TV and the stacks of files on the wall. It was not his home. The Impala was. And that was okay. Dean had once been bothered by it, but now he didn't care. Sam could claim any building, any motel even as home, and Dean would take it, because that wasn't what mattered. The fact they were together was.

Dean looked around the Spartan room and then stepped out and pulled the door closed. He would not go back into that room until Sam was there again. Then they would warm up the TV with some Game of Thrones and they would just be brothers for a while.

Just as soon as he got Sam back.

It was dawn. Sam had been gone twelve hours. Sam had been in Hell two months.

So… what did you think? Not sure when I will get another one out to you as I don't know when I will have time to write with Christmas coming up. I'll do my best to keep the wait down though.

Until next time…

Clowns or Midgets xxx