Alright, another chapter finished and this damn plotbunny still won't calm down.

Just a short question: Is my manner of expression very weird?

Chapter 1 - Welcome, my old life!

When Lisa woke up, Dean was nowhere to be found. "Dean?", she called sleepily descending the stairs.

"Lisa, wake Ben." It was his ordering tone. Well, he could order her to do anything, when they were in bed. Outside... Outside she didn't like it that much.

"What's going on, Dean?" She held back a yawn, when she entered the kitchen. Dean was packing.

"We've got to go." He made his way through the kitchen's cabinets until he found his collection of knives and daggers. Silver, pure iron, bronze, brass. There was even a bamboo one - blessed by a shinto priest.

"Dean, I don't understand. What is going on?" Maybe she wasn't fully awake at the moment. Why would Dean need his knives again?

"Cass was here. He asked for my help." Dean rubbed his temples. He looked as though he hadn't slept all night, one hour at most.

"You are hunting again..." Lisa did her best not to sound reproachful. She knew, it was a part of Dean's life and that it would catch up to him eventually. Actually, she'd thought, it would take less than a month. She'd gotten a year.

"I have to." Lisa could feel his conflict.

She closed her eyes for a second and crossed her arms. "You told me, you were done hunting. That you just wanted a normal life."

Dean looked at her, as if she'd slapped him. "Yes", he responded hoarse. "I want a normal life without hunting, but-"

"That's not, who you are. I understand", she cut him off. "I knew, that, eventually, you would go hunting again. I thought, it would happen much sooner." Lisa looked down in her lap. She couldn't meet Dean's eyes now. It would hurt too much. She didn't want him to leave.

"Thank you", Dean whispered after an eternally long and incredibly short silence. "You know, I don't want to leave you two like this, but Cass gave so much... I have to go, when he asks for something in return."

Being in Dean's arms felt unbelievably good. Lisa remembered that now, when he held her tight, as though she could vanish any moment. "Then let us come with you", she heard herself say.

"Lisa, it's too dangerous." His hand stroked her back. He wanted to touch her a last time before he left, Lisa realized.

"And you think it's less dangerous here?" Sarcasm dripped off every syllable. "You know, that the monsters and demons, you are hunting, will go after us, eventually. It won't take them long to find your weakness. Us." Lisa brushed off his embrace and took his face in her hands. "We will be safe with you."

Dean seemed to search for the right words. "I don't want that life for you." He hesitated. "You would have to stay in motel rooms, Ben won't be able to go to school and you won't be able to work."

Now it was Lisa's turn to hesitate. Did she really want that? Did she want that for Ben? But then... what choice did she have? Demons would be after her and Ben, with or without Dean, because he loved her and Ben. "We will find a way."

Dean bent forward to kiss her. Lisa sighed longingly. It must be pure crazy, that made her make this decision, but for the moment, she didn't regret it. A little gust of wind and Dean reaching out for a special blade - an archangel's blade - made her look up.

"You have to leave. Now."

Dirty trenchcoat, dark blue attire, dark hair and disturbingly blue eyes. That should be Castiel. He looked good, although he certainly wasn't Lisa's type.

"Cass? How much time do we have?" Lisa could feel how Dean's muscles tensed immediately.

"Ten minutes. At most", the angel replied. He laid his head to one side. "Five."

"Lisa, get Ben." Dean shoved her out of the kitchen and ran towards the garage, where his old car stood.

As soon as Lisa closed the car door behind her, Dean hit the gas pedal.

"Wait, what about Castiel?", she yelled, while stripping herself in.

"He'll catch up to us. He stayed to buy us some time."

"But will he be okay?", Ben asked from the backseat. He seemed scared.

"He's been through worse", Dean replied through gritted teeth. He completely ignored the speed limit. Lisa realized, Dean was trying to convince himself, that it was alright to have left his friend there. She could hear the rock fall off his heart, when the flapping of wings foretold Castiel's arrival.

"You are bleeding", Ben exclaimed the next second. Dean nearly lost control of the Impala.

"It's not my blood", the angel replied calm. "Dean, they were after you and your family."

"Why now? Because you showed up on my doorstep?"

"Partially, yes", Castiel admitted.

"Well, no thanks for that, Cass. Any ideas, how we get out of this mess? And why now?" Lisa could see, how tense Dean was. Maybe he would hit Castiel. Maybe he would... She didn't know. This was a Dean she merely got to know.

"They were sent by Meg. She has the upper hand in hell at the moment and wants to... um... settle the score." Lisa guessed, Castiel wasn't used to the proverb. It was kind of cute. And the look he gave Dean... She would be damned. Inside Lisa started chuckling.

"So, there's also civil war in hell at the moment? Who's Meg's competitor?"

"Crowley."

"The Crowley that helped us? King of the crossroads?" Dean sounded surprised.

"Exactly."

"Cass, I think there is a lot you have to fill me in on", Dean said after a while. "Can we do that, when we arrived at Bobby's?"

"Alright, I'll just... sit here then."

For some reason Dean started to chuckle after that.

"Bobby!", Dean exclaimed happily, when the old hunter opened the door.

"Dean, what brings you here?" Bobby took a step to the side to let Dean, Lisa, Ben and Castiel in.

"I got visitors last night. Cass will explain the rest." Dean assured that his baby was safe.

"Now you piqued my interest. Come in. Something to drink?" Bobby shoved them all inside. Before he closed the door, he reassured himself, that there was no one outside.

"I could use a drink", Dean stated. Ben had slumped himself on the couch next to Lisa. Cass stood uncomfortably in one corner, while Dean leaned at Bobby's table.

"Just water for me, please." Lisa smiled insecure in Bobby's direction. Dean couldn't blame her. She never got to know this part of his life and he was grateful for it. Now it could become a problem.

A minute later Dean and Bobby were nipping a beer, while Lisa held a glass of water. Ben was fast asleep again.

"So, Cass, time for explanations. What did I miss in the past year?"

Castiel left his corner. "We are at war. God hasn't returned. I doubt he ever will." Dean could see, how Cass' shoulders slightly downed at that. "Michael is in the cage with Lucifer. Raphael wants to break the cage now. Completely."

"Alright, I got it that far. So, who stands against Raphael?" Dean had absolutely no idea, who was left to have enough power. Michael was gone, God was gone and Gabriel was dead. Anyone else couldn't compete with the archangel.

"Actually, me."

Dean choked on his beer. "What? Last time he smote the crap out of you." At least that's what he remembered.

"I know. Somehow I've gotten stronger since I returned." Cass sounded puzzled. "I can't explain why."

"Strong enough to stand up against an archangel? Frigging sweet." Dean whistled. "But that's not all."

"No." Cass wlaked around the room. "While Raphael and I were fighting, the same process started in hell. They lost all leaders." Azazel, Alastair, Lilith... Lucifer. Yes, seemed about right. "Meg tries to free Lucifer and Crowley tries to stop her."

Dean missed Sam now. He could make sense out of this madness. He blinked. "Why haven't Raphael and Meg come to an agreement? I mean, they do want the same, don' they?"

Cass nodded. "They do, but Raphael would never make a deal with demons." He seemed to sense Dean's next question, because he added hastily: "Me neither. Crowley would just betray me in the end. Nothing good comes out of a deal with a demon."

"Don't have to tell me", Dean said. He knew. Better than most, he guessed.

"Same here. He still owes me my soul", Bobby added grumpy.

"I thought, he would give it back after we iced Lucifer." Dean was confused.

"Son of a bitch seemed to have forgotten about it." Bobby exed his bottle and moved on to stronger alcohol. Dean was inclined to follow in that.

"I will bring Ben to bed", Lisa suddenly interrupted. She had been silent until now, so Dean had almost forgotten her.

"Bobby, do you have a safe location?"

"The panic room, idjit", Bobby grumbled. "I had some time so it's also angel-proofed now." He gave Cass a quick glance. "Sorry, Cass."

"I understand. They need to be safe from Raphael." His stare fixed on Dean. "He still wants you to be Michael's vessel. Adam won't hold him for long. Raphael will try to hurt you."

"I know", Dean replied hoarse. "I won't let him."

Bobby had left again to talk with Dean and Castiel. Ben slept. Lisa was left alone with her thoughts. She was surprisingly calm considering she sat in a supernatural bunker. War. She had a good guess, why Dean had to fight again. Heaven and hell were at war. Civil war, but also with each other. Earth was their battlefield. Humanity was just coincidentally between the four parties and would be crushed, if no one stood up to protect them. Lisa guessed that was Dean.

It took her a while to notice she was being watched. Castiel. The angel. His face was unreadable. Lisa assumed he was curious about her. At least, she would be in his position. During their talk earlier she had seen the looks he gave Dean... She knew that kind of looks.

"You love him, don't you?", she asked bluntly. From what she heard, it might be the easiest way to talk with the angel.

"Yes."

Lisa raised an eyebrow or two. That was straight forward. "But isn't it forbidden for angels? Dean said, you got into trouble before, just because you liked him." That question had nagged her for a while now.

"He said the truth." Castiel hesitated for a moment. "I should not feel. We angels were not created to feel. We are warriors of god. Emotions..." He sighed. He looked so helpless. Lisa stood up and embraced him briefly. Even she could see the conflict in his eyes, although she barely knew him.

"Emotions are a gift. Why should god grant you this gift to forbid it?" Why did god do anything? Lisa had never understood the concept behind god. It was just so... untouchable.

"Emotions impede judgement." Castiel looked at her as though it was obvious. "They are a curse."

"Maybe they are." It wasn't up to her to make him understand. He would have to think it through on his own. "Just... could you promise me something?" He backed away. Lisa smiled ruefully. That was to be expected. "When I die, will you look after Dean?"

"I will."

Next chapter in progress. I think, we will meet a new character there, but I'm not sure yet...