Huge thanks to Jenjoremy for the awesome beta job. She fixes my commas, kicks continuity ass and finds the words I didn't know I needed until they were there. Also to Gredelina1 for all her help getting the ideas out and in a cohesive chapter. And finally to all of you that are reading. Thank you for the support.

Chapter Six

Cas was doing his best to protect the seals he knew the demons had broken last time, but it wasn't easy when he was forced to remain invisible to his brothers and sisters. So far he had failed to save a single one and was growing disheartened. He knew this wasn't his real mission—that was to protect Sam while he saved the future—but he had to do something to try.

He hadn't been able to speak alone with Sam since Concrete, though he had tried many times. It seemed like the young hunter was always accompanied by Dean or Bobby. He had watched the brothers' confrontation, heard Sam's purported story that he was psychic, and then he had flinched as Dean had given into his rage and punched him. He worried about Sam's state of mind. As hard as he tried, he seemed to be bound on course to destroy the bonds of his relationship with Dean. He could only hope that, in the future, when Dean knew the whole story, he would understand. He considered returning to his time, not only to tell Dean and Bobby what was happening but also to test the way Dean was feeling in that time, in hopes of reassuring Sam, but he didn't. Part of him feared that if he did, there would be no reassurance to be had. It was better to live in optimism than sad knowledge.

He had returned from guarding another now broken seal and arrived in Bobby's home to find Dean alone. He reached out with his grace and found Sam across town. After taking a moment to look at Dean, to wish he could show himself and explain what was happening to his friend, he took flight again and came down in the aisle of a supermarket. Sam was comparing two cans of fruit and he glanced up at Cas's arrival. His expression was guarded at first, but then he noticed the lack of tie and smiled. "Hey."

"Hello, Sam."

Sam shrugged and tossed both cans into his cart and set off along the aisle again. Cas fell into step beside him, watching curiously as Sam picked things up and set them into his cart without seeming to pay any attention to what he was doing.

"How are you?" Cas asked.

Sam stopped with a bag of chips in hand and considered the question. "Not good. Dean's not doing so well with the whole vision thing. You were there for that talk, weren't you?"

"Yes. I am sorry I was unable to assist, but the secret is…"

"More important," Sam finished for him. "Yeah, I know." He sighed. "This is the first time he's lent me the car to come to town in over a week. It's like he think I'm going to duck out at any chance and leave him behind."

"Do you blame him?"

"No," Sam said quickly. "I'd be the same in his position, but I just wish I could tell him more, make him understand. It's hard to deal with this distrust when he doesn't even know the half of it."

Cas nodded. "This is an impossible situation for you, I understand."

"Not impossible," Sam corrected. "Just hard. What's impossible will be what I return to if I fail."

They had reached the last aisle and Sam stopped to pick up two six-packs of beer. He set them in the cart and then moved to queue at the register. "So, how've you been?" he asked Cas.

"Things have been difficult," Cas admitted. "I feel impotent in this time. I am imbued with foreknowledge but there is little I can do to make a difference. I have been trying to protect seals, but it's impossible for me."

"Yeah," Sam said. "I get that."

Cas stood back as Sam's turn at the register came. He watched him make idle chat with the woman behind the counter, noting the smile and relaxed set of his shoulders even though he knew Sam was far from relaxed. When Sam was done, he followed him out to the car and helped him load the groceries in the trunk.

As Sam slammed the truck closed, Cas opened the door and sat in the passenger seat. He wanted to make the most of this time alone with Sam to talk, so he would make the journey back to Bobby's with him. Sam slid in beside him and started the engine. The radio came to life and a man wailed about life in the real world. Sam clicked it off and then pulled out of the parking space and onto the road.

They were a few streets from the store when Sam spoke again. "I saw Ruby."

Cas immediately understood the implications of those simple words. "You drank." It was not a question.

"Yes," Sam said. "Kinda had no choice."

"Because of the addiction?"

"That's definitely part of it," Sam said. "It's not all of it though. I can't withdraw yet. There's still so much to do, and being stuck in the panic room for however long it takes won't make that any easier."

Cas understood but he didn't like it. The longer Sam was taking in the blood, the harder things would be for him in the future. He didn't want his friend to suffer more than he had to. He gazed out of the window and wished there was a way for him to help it pass. He could think of nothing, even though this time he was a fully powered angel with a connection to Heaven.

"Anna should be escaping anytime now, right?"

Cas's gaze snapped to him. "Anna?"

Sam smiled wryly. "Fallen angel that tried to kill my parents, remember her?"

"I remember," Cas said. "I just did not know you would have concerned yourself with her in this time."

"I wasn't going to," Sam admitted, sounding ashamed of himself. "But I figured I should. She's going to be tortured by angels or demons unless we step in. Besides, it wasn't like she tried to kill out of spite. She was trying to save the world. I can relate to that."

"What will you do?"

Sam flipped on the turn indicator and pulled over to the side of the road. He shifted in his seat to look at Cas. "I'm not sure. It's more than a case of finding her and telling her the truth. She needs her grace to be able to protect herself, and there's no way I can get that out of Uriel. Even if he wasn't a turbo charged angel, he'd still be a dick. I don't think pleading her case will help."

"No, it would not even help to ask me of this time," Cas said. "I am still bent under the will of Heaven, even though I am starting to have some doubts."

Sam nodded slowly. "I'm going to need you, Cas. You're the only one with a chance of getting it from him."

Cas frowned. "That would risk him seeing me."

"Yeah, I thought about that." Sam looked apologetic. "I figure he's going to have to die."

Cas flinched. "You want me to kill him?"

"Don't you want to?" Sam asked. "Be honest. In this time he's killing your family, right? Surely that's as good a reason as any for him to die."

"You might be right," Cas said slowly. He hadn't given Uriel much thought other than as an opponent to their plan. He realized he'd been a fool. He'd been attempting to protect seals when what he should have been doing was protecting his brothers and sisters. Killing Uriel would serve that purpose. It would not be the first time he had ended another angel's life. In the battle against Raphael, he had been forced to fight many angels, and some had been killed. "Yes. You are right. Uriel must die."

Sam smiled, satisfied. "Good."

Sam didn't know why exactly he hadn't told Cas his whole plan. He only knew that when he had spoken of addiction and withdrawal, there had been a small voice inside him that had told him to remain silent. Cas didn't need to know yet. Sam didn't think he would try to stop him, but he didn't want to risk it. Whatever happened, Sam's plan must come to fruition. He would kill Alastair. For that, he needed demon blood.

He owed it to Dean to end Alastair. The demon had tortured him, broken him and almost made him a demon. If it weren't for the angels, Dean would really have been lost to him forever, lost as his soul became corrupted and black.

Sam wasn't sure he'd be able to do it. He had the demon blood in him, he'd taken more than enough from Ruby, but he wasn't as practiced in this time. He hadn't exorcised Samhain, and Cas said that was a pivotal moment for him. He hoped that his knowledge of exactly how it had felt last time, what he'd had to do to kill rather than draw, would help. No matter what, he had to try.

Cas left him alone in the car as he pulled into Bobby's yard. Sam was both relieved by and regretting the absence. It was good for him to have Cas around as he understood and could relate to Sam's plight, but it was also easier to breathe when he was alone because he wasn't tensed to control himself all the time to stop himself from letting something slip.

Bobby wasn't home—he'd gone to meet up with an old hunter friend in Missouri—but Dean was waiting on the porch for him. He ambled down the steps and came to the truck to help Sam unload the groceries. It was so out of character that Sam wondered what his motivation was. It crossed his mind that Dean had been waiting for him to return since he left, aware that Sam might not come back, even though Sam had taken nothing more than his wallet with him, again.

They carried the sacks through to the kitchen and Sam set to unloading them onto the counter. Dean took a beer and sat at the kitchen table, watching him work. Sam felt his eyes on him, making him tense, but he didn't look around until Dean spoke.

"What's up with you?"

Sam paused with his back to Dean, a loaf of bread in his hands. This was probably the best moment to get it over with. He stowed the bread in a cupboard and turned to face Dean. "I need to take off."

Dean raised an eyebrow. "You do?"

"Yeah, there's things I've got to deal with, and I need to go alone."

"And why the hell do you need to go alone? This is another vision thing, right?"

Sam nodded.

"Then why do you need to do it alone? I already know you're having them, what else can you have to hide?"

If only he knew, Sam thought. The truth was that he wanted to take this hunt alone not because it was one of the most dangerous they'd ever take or because Cas could be there if Dean wasn't but because Sam wanted to spare Dean Alastair's confrontation. He didn't want his brother to have to face the monster again.

He could tell Dean none of that though. There was very little he could tell him without risking the angels overhearing if they were lurking nearby invisible as he was almost sure they were. He could give them the heads up on where Anna was and the whole plan would be screwed to Hell.

"Please, Dean," he said softly, "just let me do this my way."

"No."

"Please," Sam looked at him imploringly.

Dean crossed his arms over his chest. "I'm not letting you go anywhere until you tell me exactly what's going on and why you don't want me coming with you."

"I can't tell you," Sam said sadly. "It's too dangerous."

"Dangerous for who? You or me or whoever this hunt's really for?"

"All of the above and more."

Dean shook his head and got to his feet. He moved to the fridge and pulled out another beer. He unscrewed the cap but didn't drink, merely fiddled with the rim of the bottle for a moment, deep in thought. "Here's the thing, Sam, I don't trust you. I can't trust you while I know you're still hiding things from me. You said you're going to need my help, and this could be the thing you need help with. I'm not letting you go off on your own until you give me a real reason to do it."

Sam chewed his lip, deep in thought. There was something he could say, a name, but it would hurt Dean and Sam didn't want to do that. It wouldn't work anyway. There was no way Dean would let him take the hunt alone of he knew Alastair was at the end of it.

"Okay," he said slowly. "I can't tell you everything you want to know, and I can't stop you coming, but I can do this."

He took a knife from the rack. Dean started forward as if to stop him, but he was already running the blade across his palm, drawing blood. He fisted his hand to make it flow faster and then daubed the sigil on the door of the refrigerator. He slammed his palm down and felt the rush of energy pulse through the room. He didn't know if there had been any angels in the room listening, but if they had been there, they had now been blasted back to wherever that spell sent them.

"What the hell was that?" Dean asked, even as he grabbed a cloth from the drainer and pressed it to the wound on Sam's palm. "What did you do?"

"Angel banishing sigil," Sam said, hissing between his teeth as Dean pressed down on the wound. He'd gone a bit too deep in his haste.

"And you learned about it how?"

"Vision," Sam lied. "Any angels in the vicinity will be sent back to their corners for a couple hours at least."

"Okay, good to know," Dean said. "But why are you sending the angels back to their corners when they're not even here, or was that just a demonstration?"

"They might not be here but they could be. Uriel was buzzing around the last week when I was in Washington, and I didn't have a clue. I don't want them listening to what I'm going to say now. Dean, the hunt's for a college student. She's on the run from demons, but also angels."

"Hold up! Angels are after her?"

"Yes, and they're not going to do anything good if they do get hold of her. We have to protect her."

"But, Sam, if angels are after her, is she really someone we should be protecting? What did she do that put her on their shit list?"

"She did nothing wrong. She's the victim here. And if we don't stop them, she's going to die. These are the same angels that wanted to level a town to take out a demon that I stopped. They're not the good guys." Sam's chest heaved with emotion.

"Okay," Dean said, laying a hand on his shoulder. "I'm not going to pretend I understand what's going on, but I'll help."

Sam looked hopeful. "You'll let me go?"

Dean huffed a laugh. "Hell no. I'm coming with you. But I'm going to let you take the lead. And I'm going to memorize that sigil. And I'm going to stitch your damned hand up first. Whoever taught you to handle a knife missed some obvious lessons."

Sam smiled slightly. "That would be you, Dean."

Dean sighed. "Oh, well, I can't always be perfect." He flashed Sam a wide smile that made Sam think that all wasn't lost between them yet.

He returned it tentatively. "Okay, but we've got to be quick."

Dean nodded. "Don't worry, Sammy, we'll get there in time."

Unexpectedly, Sam felt better having Dean at his side as they made the journey down to Kansas. Anna's father's church was in a small town just inside the border, and though the journey seemed to last forever for Sam, Dean's driving cut it down by a couple hours. They didn't speak much on the way, but it wasn't the tense silence of the previous few weeks, it was more companionable. Sam didn't fully understand it, but he suspected that by telling Dean as much as he had and bringing him along for the hunt, he had reassured Dean somewhat. Perhaps it had even been the first step in getting them back on track.

It was a shame it wouldn't last.

If Sam succeeded and killed Alastair, he would have to go through withdrawal soon and that would ruin any progress he and Dean made. Dean would know the truth about the demon blood and that would destroy things all over again. There was nothing he could do about it though. He had to go through the withdrawal at some point, whether it be now or later, and whenever it happened, he wouldn't be the only one to suffer.

They were just outside Fort Scott, Anna's hometown, when the radio switched to static and the engine stalled. Sam knew what was happening, and he cursed it. He should have let things play out the way they were supposed to earlier to avoid this happening.

Ruby was standing in the middle of the road. Her hands were on her hips and she looked tense and alert.

"Demon bitch," Dean growled when he caught sight of her.

"We need her," Sam said, though he couldn't be sure they did yet.

Dean shot him an incredulous look but Sam was already in motion, climbing out of the car and walking toward Ruby.

"What do you want?" he asked as he came to a stop in front of her.

"I need help," she said. "There's a girl. She's in trouble.

"We already know," Dean said in a bored tone. "Sammy—"

"Heard it from the angels," Sam said quickly, cutting him off. "We both did. The demons are after her, right?"

A small crease appeared on Ruby's brow. "Yeah, what did the angels tell you?"

"Just that," Sam said. "We think we figured where she's probably hiding, and we're going to check it out. You want to come?"

"What?" Dean snapped.

Ruby smirked at him. "Sure, Sam, I'd love to come along."

Dean grabbed Sam's arm and spun him around. "Are you serious?"

"Ruby, please wait in the car," Sam said. When she had walked away, her boot heels clicking against the asphalt road, Sam locked eyes with Dean and spoke in a rush. "I know you don't like her, I know you don't trust her, but we need her. She's the only one of us that has a chance of getting Anna away from the demons that are coming for her."

"Apart from us, right?" Dean asked.

Sam shook his head. "No, we're going to be too busy dealing with the demons."

"Awesome. And you didn't tell this before, because…?"

"I didn't want you to come, Dean, remember?"

"And how the hell were you going to deal with the demons that are apparently coming?" Dean asked and then he groaned. "Sam, no, you can't do this. You said you'd stop."

Sam could feel Ruby's eyes on him through the window. He wasn't sure just how good demonic hearing was, so he dropped his voice to a whisper. "I know what I said, and I promise you I will stop, but there's a badass demon coming that we can't deal with any other way."

"But the knife…"

"Won't work," Sam said. "Trust me, Dean, on this if nothing else. We need her help."

Dean stared into his eyes and then sighed. "Fine. I guess I'm in."

Sam could tell he hated to say it, that he wanted to argue, but tackling Sam's foreknowledge required more argument than he currently had in him.

Sam strode back to the car and climbed into the shotgun seat. Ruby leaned forward to rest her elbows on the back on the bench seat and looked at Sam as Dean slid in beside him. "You seem awful boned up on the knowledge all of a sudden, Sam?"

"I did my research," Sam said.

Dean started the engine, leaning ostensibly away from Ruby. "Rules of riding in this car, bitch," he snarled. "You stay quiet, you don't screw with the radio again, and you do as your damned told when we get to the fighting."

"Sure thing, Dean," she said with a sickly sweet smile. "I wouldn't want to interfere with your uber plan."

Dean opened his mouth to answer, but Sam spoke over both of them. "Give it a rest, both of you. Dean, drive. The longer it takes us, the less chance we actually have of doing any good."

It was almost sunset when they finally pulled up in front of the church. It was exactly as Sam remembered, with its high columns and stained glass windows. Sam climbed out and looked around for any signs of demons or angels, not that he really expected to see any. They were too smart to stand on a street corner waiting for the cavalry to arrive.

Sam made straight for the side door of the church, not wanting to tackle the heavy lock on the main doors. He knelt and got to work on the lock with his picking tools. He felt the tumblers click into place and straightened. "Okay," he said. "She's going to be freaked as all hell, so go slow with her. We've got to get her trust so we can take care of her."

Dean nodded but Ruby said, "Why do we need her trust? We can just drag her off. Super-powers, remember?"

"Yes," Sam said patiently. "But it'll be harder to keep her hidden from demons if she's screaming bloody murder the whole time."

"I can take care of that, too," Ruby offered.

Dean glared at her. "One wrong move, bitch, and I'll end you." He reached into his inside pocket and pulled out the knife. "A quick prick and you'll feel nothing else. I promise."

"Like you'd even get close," Ruby sneered.

Ignoring them both, Sam eased open the door and stepped inside the church. His steps seemed far too loud against stone floor tiles, and though he thought there was no one else within hearing distance, it made him uncomfortable. His senses were alert and focused and his nerves seemed to tingle with anticipation. Dean and Ruby followed him in and they made for the opposite end of the vast room.

"Where do you think she is?" Dean asked pointedly.

"There's got to be an attic or anteroom in a place this big," Sam replied. "I figure we start there, somewhere smaller where she'd feel safe."

Sam remembered the polished wooden door that hid the rough wooden steps that led to the attic. He started to climb them, but Dean grabbed his shoulder and pulled him back, waving the knife as a sign that he should go first. Sam acquiesced, thinking that he would be close enough to protect his brother should the demons already be there. He fixed his eyes on Dean's back as they walked up the steps and into the attic.

There was movement in the room as they stepped inside, a figure darting behind a screen. Sam was relieved that Anna was there. He didn't know what he would have done if had they been too early or late to see her.

"Anna," he called softly. "We're not going to hurt you. We're here to help. My name's Sam, and this is my brother, Dean."

"Sam? Not Sam Winchester," she said, still not revealing herself.

Sam nodded at Dean to speak up. "Yeah, this is Sam and I'm Dean."

"Dean Winchester," she breathed. "My God."

Sam shot a look at Dean and saw he looked confused and maybe a little annoyed. Perhaps Sam should have told him a little more.

A flash of red hair appeared around the corner of the screen and Anna let out a soft shriek."Her face! What's wrong with her face?"

Sam had forgotten about Ruby, who was looking suitably pissed at the reaction.

"It's okay," he said. "She's here to help."

Dean mumbled his disagreement, but Sam ignored him.

"So, we've found her," Ruby said. "Can we get out of here now? Somewhere a little safer and a lot farther away, perhaps."

"Yeah," Sam agreed. He looked at Dean. "You need to take her to Bobby's. The panic room's the safest place for her."

Dean raised an eyebrow. "And I'd do that alone, because?"

Sam shook his head. He couldn't have this argument again. He turned to Ruby instead. "Can you do it?"

Ruby nodded. "Take our pretty little friend to safety? No worries. What are you going to do though?"

Sam glanced over her shoulder at the statue that was not yet crying blood. "I'm going to give you time to get away."

He clenched and stretched the hand that Dean had sewn, making the stitches pull and the wound trickle blood. He pumped his fist, getting it flowing again and then daubed the sigil on the wall.

"You know this screams suicide mission, right?" Ruby asked, the tension in her tone belying the easy words.

"It's not," Sam said. "It's the only way. Now go!"

Ruby marched across the room and grabbed Anna's hand, though she scrabbled to get away. A moment later, they were gone.

"Sam," Dean snapped. "What the hell's happening?"

It was too late. The stature was weeping blood. He heard the footsteps on the stairs and he tried to shove Dean behind him. Dean pushed him away though and stood with him side by side as Alastair walked through the door.

He didn't say a word. He just smiled and swept a lazy arm through the air. Sam was thrust backward, unable to resist the force pressing against him.

"Sam!" Dean shouted, but there was nothing he could do as his brother's back hit the stained glass window and it smashed around him. Sam felt a moment of weightlessness and then he fell. He hit the concrete sidewalk with force and he heard sick cracking sounds over the meaty impact.

He was in motion again before he had even drawn a breath. He stumbled as he attempted to run to the side door again. His ribs burned and he guessed a few were broken, and he could also feel blood dripping down his back where glass had pierced him. It was going to be a long painful night as Dean plucked the glass from his wounds – that was if they survived. He was very aware that survival was not a certainty at this point.

As his body became accustomed to the pain, he was able to speed his pace. He dashed through the church again and up the stairs.

Dean was pinned against a wooden ceiling support with blood dripping from his lip and Alastair gripping him by the throat. He was speaking but Sam didn't hear the words. His attention was focused on the fingers squeezing the breath from his brother's lungs. Dean's eyes found him, and Sam saw the relief in his eyes. Despite the fact the demon was crushing the life out of him, he was relieved that Sam was okay. Or perhaps he was relieved that Sam was back to help him. Sam wasn't sure.

He stopped behind Alastair, and drew a deep breath. His hand rose of its own volition. His body remembered this, rejoiced in it, the rush that came with using his powers. Sam felt for the center of Alastair's twisted and cursed form, the part that had once been a soul, and gripped it tightly. Alastair jerked as if electrocuted, and released Dean. Dean slid to the floor, wheezing as he tried to get breaths through his abused airway.

Alastair turned slowly, and as his face was revealed, Sam saw the smirk on his face. "Sammy Winchester," he said. "All juiced up and ready to exorcise."

"Not exorcise," Sam corrected. "Kill." He tightened his grip on Alastair and smiled grimly as Alastair's smirk faded.

"You don't have that power. Not yet."

"You're wrong."

Dean was still on the floor, and through Sam could feel his eyes on him, he didn't turn. He needed to stay completely focused on Alastair. He closed his eyes for a moment, summoning his strength, and clenched Alastair's destroyed center harder. His fisted hand felt like it was gripping that ruined thing, and he tightened his fingers instinctively. He knew it was going to work. He could feel it as surely as if he'd already done it. Alastair was moaning and growling, but it was white noise to Sam. He felt warmth trickle down his upper lip, and he knew he was straining himself, but he didn't stop. He tightened his grip as hard as he could, and then he felt the rush of release as it happened, as Alastair died. It was like bursting a balloon with his bare hands, so much effort and then emptiness in his hands.

Sam staggered back, feeling a buzzing in his ears that he couldn't identify. It was like someone was talking to him at a pitch beyond his understanding. He felt lightheaded, and wondered if he was going to lose consciousness. He stumbled toward the wall with the sigil on it, and leaned back. Something was wrong, very wrong, it was his mind. He could feel a splintering there, something breaking.

Then he saw the man in front of him, and he reacted instinctively. He swiped a hand over his bloody lip and slammed it on the center of the sigil. The pulse ripped through the room and Cas was torn away, but the simple effort was too much for Sam. He crumpled to the floor and his head hit the wooden planks hard.

His vision swam and he heard a sound separate to Dean's voice shouting his name. It was a duet of high and low maniacal laughter. Even as he realized what was happening what he had done to himself, as the darkness swept over him and the laughter echoed around his mind, something else registered: He wasn't wearing his tie.

So… Uh… Well… That happened. Yet again I am putting Sammy through the wringer. It's an addiction. Perhaps there's a support group out there for people like me ;-)

If you're reading and enjoying, drop me a review/message to let me know. If you're reading and not enjoying, drop me a review/message to let me know why. It will help me shape the next story.

Until next time…

Clowns or Midgets xxx