Part 8: Broken (When Angels Fall
Part 2
The building went up in flames beautifully at the same time the monster rounded the corner towards him. With a casual swing of his long knife, Sam sliced its head off and watched it drop lifelessly to the ground. He grinned and grabbed the duffel bag he'd been holding as he sprinted for where Dean was running, having circled the building to find the next open door. There was shrieking inside the building and the locked doors in the north-side began to pop open as confused monsters tried to find them through the smoke and ash. He shook his machete free from his holster and tossed Dean his own knife when he passed him.
Dean's joy in battle was obvious as he and Sam began to fight their way together into the building, his grin cold and calculating, his eyes a brilliant shining green in the firelight. The fire was crawling slowly over the building, eating away at the more resistant brick and steel, and giving them just enough cover to slip through the monsters panicking from the fire. Sam picked up the second gas can and at Dean's signal he made his way down the front west hall to try to distract the monsters with even more fire. They just needed enough time to destroy the sigils and the marks, enough time to find where Castiel was being hidden and avoid meeting up with Adam.
Nyx waited in the car, just like they told her to. She was determined to be brave like Dean and Sam had told her to be. She would be safe soon, they had promised her.
Snuggling deeper into the comforter, she lay there until the whispers of her friends telling her that she needed to save her daddy began to grow louder and louder. Nyx rolled to her back and stared out the window at the building in the distance. The sight of the fire frightened her and she was scared with no one there to protect her. She needed to find someone, anyone, who would keep her safe. The old car, with the way it smelled of Dean and Sam and home, had made her feel safe until she had felt something else pushing at her.
Something that hurt.
She had felt frightened because her mother was warning her, with that tug of connection they shared, to stay away from her. Nyx could feel it, and knew her mother was hurting. She could feel it.
The same way she knew her father was hurting but he wasn't trying to keep her away like her mother was.
The whispers were loud, telling her where she should be while she felt touches on her hand like someone was holding hers. At the same time, they comforted her and told her not to be afraid.
With a determined little nod, she tucked her Clarence into his blanket and told him to stay still, to stay hidden. She did it very sternly, just the way Sam had told her to stay, before bopping the toy on the nose and reaching up to pluck the lock up. Very carefully she opened the door, slipped under the camouflage cover, and slammed the door shut. She held a hexbag to her chest as she walked a few steps away from the car and looked up the dirt road.
She knew just what to do. Nyx closed her eyes and thought of a safest place she could be.
Adam's anger started to build as the Winchesters avoided his monsters and began to burn down the warded walls. He had forgotten, even with Eve's warnings, how slippery those stupid humans were. He only thought they would come back to save the angel and he had made sure Castiel was deep inside the building. A place where they could be trapped but no, of course, that wasn't going to plan.
Burning the entire compound down to save an angel and a demon? Stupid and incredible.
Hunters did not save these creatures. The thought that these humans had managed to surprise him cut the monster too deep in his pride.
Adam grabbed a shifter who went to run past and forced him to stand still. "Find them. Kill them." He pointed at two other monsters who looked ready to run. "You two, go back to the angel. Make sure he's either kept inside that fire. We still need him." He looked at the last shifter. "Turn the demon." He rolled a small ball through his fingers at him, the last of Eve's eggs he still held, and the shifter cradled it close when it came into his hands. "That's the last one I have from the Mother. No use waiting. Either way, she dies."
Without waiting for an answer, Adam disappeared to hunt down the Winchesters himself.
The smoke was already coming into the room and he had to press his hand to his mouth to stop the way it fouled his mouth. Smells of blood, burning flesh and hair, and algae permeated the room and choked what fresh air remained. But Castiel remained focussed. He listened to the howling of monsters, felt a growing heat in the building and became more and more aware that there was panic and fear now in the warehouse.
He smiled a little because he knew what that meant.
"Dean, Sam, thank you," he whispered, staring up at the ventilation shaft. Still restrained by the fire and the sigils, he stared at the iron grate and debated on shouting to them but the chance of them hearing his voice were slim. He'd have to wait and pray they could make it through alive, pray that they could find him.
He had to hope that they could stay one step ahead of Adam and his monsters.
Coughing at the smoke, Castiel waved it away from his eyes. He wanted to shout to Meg, to tell her to hold on and to tell her to wait, but that wouldn't help. They had moved her earlier, he thought, because while she had screamed it hadn't been as close as before. She was as stuck as he was and there was a chance of Adam coming back. The angel didn't have any doubt that Adam would rather see him dead than escape again.
Amazingly, with each crack of the outside walls burning under the force of the fire, Castiel could feel more and more of his power coming back to him. The wards were being destroyed and he already felt stronger than he had in hours. If only the Winchesters would hurry up and extinguish the flames, he could help them. Get them all out of here and away from Adam.
Desperately, he searched out with his strengthening Grace to where he guessed Meg was confined and felt instead something else brush up against his power. Not threatening like Adam was, but something frightened and small.
The feeling that someone was staring at him made Castiel turn slowly on his heel and look across the fire to the shadows.
Nyx was crouched against the wall across from him, clutching a hexbag to her chest. Her bright eyes were large and her tear-stained cheeks were dirty with soot. She plucked at the burlap sack and made a soft sound, like she was about to cry .
"Nyx," he whispered, barely able to believe that he was seeing her. He expected Dean or Sam, not a little girl. "What are you doing here?"
"Got scared and didn't want to be alone." She looked impossibly fragile, especially when hiding in the shadows, and Castiel swallowed. "I'm scared."
"Come here," he whispered and she took a few steps into the room. "It's okay, Nyx. No one can hurt you with me around."
Over the shouting rooms over, he was aware of footsteps drawing closer that were heavier than Dean or Sam's steps. Nyx looked behind herself and then up at him. With the fire separating them, he couldn't grab her without burning his hands again and he didn't want to risk hurting her. Castiel crouched down, ignoring the way the flames seemed to grow in warning, and stared at her. His own blue eyes glowed a little as he watched her.
The fact that she refused to get too close to the fire told him how scared she was.
"I'll protect you. You don't need to be scared." He glanced around the room, trying to find something, anything, he might have missed to get the flames down just enough. He had to reach her. It was when he looked at Nyx again that he spotted the hexbag Dean must have given her. "Throw me the bag, Nyx."
She looked down nervously and took a deep breath before giving the bag a childish throw. Sticking his hand through the fire, Castiel bit down a cry when the flames licked at his skin with agonizing heat and caught the bag. Filled with herbs and salt, the bag was stuffed to the brim and he ripped it open, dumping it over a part of the circle before promptly slapping the bag onto the flames. Holy Fire was stubborn, more so than any other fire could be, but if he knew if it fell just enough he could have a chance. With one last heavy slap, he threw the bag down and planted his foot on it, keeping the fire from going over the oil too quickly. The flames had died in that tiny space and he jumped forward.
He leapt out of the flames just before they sprang up again and quickly turned on his heel to face Nyx. She stared at him in obvious wonder and he smiled at her while hiding his burned hand behind his back. He touched her hair with his other hand as his Grace slowly healed the damage to his fingers.
"Are you okay?" he asked and she nodded, nervously looking behind herself.
With a gentle pat to her head, Castiel moved around her and dragged his palm against the edge of the metal doorframe to cut it open. He ignored the sting of the new wound as he dabbed his fingers into the cut and quickly closed the door again. Feeling Nyx shadow him, he began to swipe his bloody palm through each of the sigils and felt his Grace starting to return at full force within the room. Each destroyed sigil felt hot to the touch and he realized that the fire was starting to destroy the interior of the building.
Tiny hands suddenly clutched his trouser leg and began to tug. Shaking the blood off his fingers, Castiel turned and crouched down in front of Nyx.
"Still scared?" he asked as he pushed her dark hair out of her face and smudged the soot on her cheek with his thumb. Reaching up and putting her hands onto his arms, Nyx wiggled her fingers, muttered "up" and he scooped her into his arms before standing again. Nyx pressed her face against his neck as she almost climbed inside his coat to get as close as possible to him.
"Scared."
"You were very brave," he whispered against the crown of her head as she hugged him. "That's my girl."
"Want to be safe," she insisted, voice muffled by his neck, and Castiel hugged her. It was so easy to hug her to give her some comfort, now that he knew what it meant to her to be safe with him. Years ago this would have been confusing but now it made sense.
With his lips just touching Nyx's forehead, his blue eyes slowly opened again as the door swung open.
Two monsters, one a shifter, the other a werewolf, stood staring at the empty circle of flames in shock. The open door swung back and forth as they turned to stare at Castiel next. One looked at the little girl in his arms and growled in an animalistic way, taking a few steps forward toward them. Castiel felt Nyx start to turn at the sound and shushed her.
"Keep your eyes closed," he ordered, one arm still supporting her as the first monster charged. Not knowing why his Grace came surging back stronger than before, Castiel lifted his hand and focussed.
The white beam that shot out of his hand filled the room with light, destroying the monster into a smoking ruin, but he kept Nyx's head tucked against his neck as the remaining monster charged again. Grabbing the collar of the shifter's shirt with his free hand, he threw him down into the flames and gave the soft underbelly a hard kick. He ignored the screams and the smell of burning flesh, concentrating on holding his daughter.
Nyx cuddled closer and he made sure to keep her from seeing the monster.
"It's okay," he muttered against Nyx's ear as he kept his mind totally on her and backed out of the room. He locked the door behind himself, ignored the monster's shouting, and started to head for the stairwell. "I'll keep you safe."
It was hard to figure out which way to go, with how massive the old building was, but Dean had had a good idea judging by how many monsters kept spilling out to attack. They were spooked though, Adam's control clearly slipping as the fire started to destroy more and more of the massive lot. Dean kept close to the walls and avoided most of them when he could, his attention totally on getting through this alive.
He knew he was in trouble when he tried to cross a catwalk that led deeper into the building and found himself stuck between two large mastiffs. They stood on opposite ends of the walk, growling and salivating as their fur stood on end, and Dean gave them both quick grins.
"Good dogs. Sit."
One snapped and growled deeper as it padded out onto the walk. They were skinwalkers but stuck in dog form and pure animal now, the red glint to their eyes giving them a hellish look. Dean looked at one and nodded before taking off for the other one. Both dogs charged at once, and the closer he got to the larger mastiff the more obvious it was that it was just waiting to tear his throat out. Quickly judging his distance, he ducked and rolled as they both leapt for him. The dog he slid under just nicked his clothing with its paws as he continued to roll out of the way. The two beasts collided and he kicked out hard with both legs to send them toppling over the edge of the catwalk. He heard them yelping as they landed in sickening thuds and Dean rolled to his feet, snatching his gun out of its holster.
The dogs had shifted back into their human forms, lying still on the metal grate below.
Dean wiped at his bloody mouth and looked up. He could see the glow of flames still burning through the walls and he smirked. Not moving too fast but it had distracted the monsters and was giving him time.
The bonus was the smoke screwed with their more acute senses and they were scrambling as the Winchesters had used incense and salt to distort the way the flames and smoke carried, to ruin the monsters' sense of smell.
Dean squinted through the fire and saw Sam walking over the bottom floor, looking for any sign of Castiel or Meg. He whistled and Sam looked up. "You got anything?"
"Nothing!"
"Damn," Dean whispered. "Where the hell did he put them?"
"Like I would tell you that."
Eyes widening, Dean swung out instinctively as he turned to come face to face with Adam. When the blow was blocked, his gun tossed aside, he lifted his other fist to strike and the monster grabbed him by his elbow, wrenching so hard his arm dislocated. Adam's fist slammed to the side of his head, and sent a cracking agony through his skull. Dean went down on his knees and over the roaring in his ears he heard Sam shouting his name.
"Winchesters." Adam spat the word out in open disgust and he slammed him back against the rail. Dean shouted as his shoulder was reset by the impact and Adam struck him again across the face. He licked his bloody knuckles and then did it again. "You little bastards."
"Thorns in your side huh?" Dean managed to laugh as he was hauled up by his coat collar. "You didn't learn anything from that bitch of your other self?"
"Oh, I did." Adam extended his fangs in threat. "That the Phoenix is long dead. What exactly is your little ace in the hole now? I'm too strong for some weak human."
Dean swallowed because he didn't have an answer. "Go on, kill me."
Adam ignored the heat of the fire. "You think that sacrificing your life to save some angel and his whore of a demon is worth it? What would your," his face changed into John Winchester's, "Daddy say?"
Dean had to look away. "You son of a bitch."
"That's what I figured." Adam leaned down so his mouth grazed the hunter's pounding pulse. "How would you like to be a monster, Dean? You can show the world what you really are. A killer." Strong fingers yanked harder on Dean's hair. "Your little brother can be your first meal."
He could feel the teeth just starting to graze his skin and Dean looked down to see Sam scrambling up the walkway to try to get to him in time.
"You're finally going to realize what a perfect monster you can make, Dean," Adam murmured.
Before Adam could bite down, Dean felt a rush of air and then the monster was peeled off of him and thrown back. Collapsing to the floor, Dean gasped for breath and saw Castiel standing between him and the monster. The angel's coat was burnt at the hem from the fire and he looked bruised, but he kept between Dean and Adam as if he was going to protect his friend with his life. What caught Dean's eye was Nyx, tucked safe within Castiel's arms.
"Nyx?" he asked and she waved at him, beaming happily as her father used one hand to keep her boosted up against him. Dean gaped at the child. "I - I told you…."
"She came to find me, Dean," Castiel said without looking away from Adam as the monster scrambled to his feet. He held her tight and lifted his free hand in warning. Adam's orange eyes were fixed on Nyx and when the little girl turned to look, his grin turned savage.
"Told you it was only a matter of time before you delivered that little brat, Castiel."
The angel's shoulders drooped a little and at first Dean thought it was out of defeat. He had seen how Adam had affected the angel before. But before he could take a step towards Castiel, to let him know he had his back, he saw that his eyes were starting to glow.
"Back off," Castiel said, voice low but powerful.
Adam was stunned by the sheer power the angel was exuding and by the fact that his own power seemed sluggish in response. Somehow the angel seemed stronger and more fierce than before. "You're nothing, Castiel."
Castiel let his wings spread in warning as the glow about his body and Nyx intensified. All he could feel was an innate protectiveness of her, an incredible rush of power meant solely to protect her and Dean, and he knew that he had to keep her safe. He let every ounce of his restrained Grace slowly unfurl and the force of it made the little girl tremble in his arms.
"I'll kill you before you touch my daughter or my friends," he threatened and the shadows of his wings did a hard snap in the air, extending outwards. The loud singing sound of Grace and light permeating the smoky air was so loud that it boomed through the warehouse as Castiel lifted an arm. Adam stared, bewildered at the sight and the force of will he could feel pushing him away. Dean threw his hands before his eyes just as the angel used a flash of power to send the monster tumbling into the air and through a burning wall with a scream.
The high-pitched fury of Adam's scream, echoed by a sound like glass being struck, echoed in the air as the glow faded.
Castiel swayed on his feet and watched where Adam had been thrown through the wall — hopefully to the outside — as he let his power slowly fade back into him. His charged Grace healed his battered body, bathing his insides in soothing warmth, and he sighed at the sensation of it.
In his arms, Nyx shivered and he leaned his head back a bit as she straightened up from her cuddling position.
He looked at her carefully, making sure she wasn't hurt. "Are you okay?" he still asked even though he could see nothing had harmed her.
She bit her lower lip and nodded.
"Good girl." He felt her arms slip around his neck again and he turned to face Dean while Nyx hugged him. A relieved half-smile finally touched Castiel's lips. "You came for us. Thank you."
The hunter was glaring at Nyx. "She was supposed to stay in the car."
Castiel gave him a wry look. "She's Meg's daughter. What did you expect?"
Behind Dean, Sam jogged up. His machete was dripping with blood and he himself was soaked in sweat but he was mostly unhurt. When he was sure Dean was okay, he turned to give the child a look very similar to his brother's. "Nyx, you promised."
Castiel rocked his head back so she had to look at him again. "Didn't mean it," she admitted and he nodded, understanding her.
"Meg's daughter for sure," Dean said, giving her an exasperated look. "You are so lucky you aren't my kid, Nyx, because I wouldn't let you watch cartoons for a week."
She eye-rolled, an exact imitation of him.
Castiel adjusted her in his arms, aware of the cracking beams and the stifling heat in the room. "Take Nyx back to the Impala. Quickly."
"Hey, we came here to get you out and we're going to get you out," Dean argued and Castiel smiled a little at how stubborn his friend sounded.
"I know. You did help us. Without the wards I can actually move now." He tightened his arms around Nyx and let them lead him towards the stairs. "I need to find Meg."
"We can find her together. I mean, we're all here and we can keep Nyx safe," Sam insisted and Castiel breathed in sharply. Dean heard the sound and turned on the bottom step to face him.
"What happened, Cas?"
He didn't say anything but there was something so bleak in his stare that both Winchesters realized that something was wrong.
"Who helped you get here?" he asked to avoid the question.
"Believe it or not," Sam made a face, "Marv."
"What?" Castiel led the way to the door, still on the alert for any monsters, and the way he looked at Sam clearly showed that he didn't believe him. "Why?"
"He didn't say."
"He's got something he's up to," Dean said.
Before he could ask what Dean meant, Castiel heard Nyx murmur in his ear for his attention. He looked at her and her blue eyes connected with his. It was just a spark of understanding between them, something startlingly clear, and he realized Marv had helped because of her.
It was so strange for her to try to tell him something like that, so he squeezed her a little to comfort her.
"Okay," he muttered. "Now go with Dean and Sam."
"Want mommy," she whispered.
"I'm going to find her." Castiel looked away from Nyx's earnest eyes as they opened the side door to the cold night air. The fire was getting closer and closer to this side of the building, gaining speed as it devoured the frame. As he handed Nyx over to Dean, he drew several lines on the door with the still healing cut on his hand and focussed. His voice dropped to a whisper, "Metatron."
There was a flutter and his rebellious brother appeared, ruffled and looking put out.
"What is with the Winchesters and destroying first, asking questions later?" Marv asked as a greeting. He dusted himself off and looked at Castiel, obviously pleased with himself. "So they found you, huh?" The angel's eyes widened as he saw Dean holding Nyx. "What is she doing here?"
"Don't ask. She'll get hell over this later," Sam said but Castiel stepped between them all.
"Take them back to the Impala."
"They just burned a building down to save you," the Metatron pointed out. "You take them."
"I need Meg. I'll be right behind you." Castiel turned back, not leaving any room for argument as he ran back into the building that was starting to fall apart.
Holding Nyx, Dean was aware of how quiet she was and he gave her back a gentle pat.
"Fine. This was such a big effort and he still thinks he has to go pull some heroics to save a demon," Marv muttered as he put his palms on the Winchesters' heads. "You'd think he loved her or something, huh?"
They were saved from answering as he zapped them back to the Impala. Without saying another word he left them where they were and in the confusion neither brother tried to guess where he went. Sam patted his hip and realized he must have dropped his machete. But Dean's insistence that he get in the car so they could get the hell out of there made him forget it.
Meg had listened to the singing sounds and started to laugh as she recognized it as Grace. She knew that sound so well and she threw her head back to laugh harder. Each laugh made her chains and cuffs jingle but it felt so good to laugh that she kept doing it even when the laughter turned into almost choking hysterics.
"He's free," she called out, not caring that maybe no shifters were around to hear her laughter or know how glad it made her. She'd woken back up from another small trance to the smell of smoke and the sound of dying monsters. Winchesters, she figured, likely saving the bestie.
Meg wrenched hard on her cuffs but they were still stuck to the crossbar. Squinting through the heat and murky air, she saw that the angel sword was still on the bench, too far away to be of use since she couldn't summon the will to fight and get it to her. She was tired and she wanted to fall asleep again.
"That'll be great," Meg whispered and her head rolled back on her shoulders. "Die burnt of fire. First time for everything but I can't remember if it actually would be my first time."
With a heady sense of surrender, she let her eyes close.
The door creaked open and she reluctantly opened her eyes to see Castiel staggering through. The smoke made it hard to focus on him and stung her face and eyes. All she could really see was his face and lazily her head turned to the side. Using one hand, he began to unbuckle her cuffs, and Meg noticed that his touch felt strangely cold.
"It's me," he offered as he started to pick her up. "Castiel."
"Cas?" It was so hard to focus on him. There was something glowing in his hand and her eyes were drawn to it.
"It's okay, we'll get out of here," Castiel said when she finally stood at his side. "We'll find her and we'll leave."
His hands steadied her and Meg looked sleepily up at him.
"Clarence?"
"No, I'm Castiel," he answered in a distracted way. "Angel, remember? Come on. We're gonna call our girl and then run." He pulled her a few steps forward and Meg thought she saw his eyes change colour. "Call her to you and we'll run."
Meg knew when he barely reacted to the nickname she had used that this wasn't Castiel. Shaking her head, she tried to pull her arm free of his grip.
She saw his hand lifting in the air towards her, a tiny ball coming towards her mouth. Some instinct warned her of what was coming and her eyes went to the angel sword. Free of the bindings, she managed to get a better grip on her power and then swiped her hand in a circle. The sword spun through the air and buried deep into the back of his neck, so clean a kill that there was no spray of blood, and she watched as this version of Castiel fell to the ground with a stunned look on his face. The shifter's face went between his true face and the angel's for a several seconds, before settling onto the shifter's rounder features.
Meg stared down at the corpse as she stuffed her feet back in her discarded boots. Nudging the body over, she grabbed the angel sword and clutched it with her torn shirt closer to her chest.
"Glad I was right," she muttered and stumbled to the doorway. "That would have really sucked if I wasn't."
Don't think about that, she scolded herself. Save yourself first. As usual.
The warehouse was burning around her as Meg tried to find her way out and wearily she staggered through the halls, trying to search for the smell of fresh air to lead her out. But everything was thick with smoke and she was so tired already that she turned around several times to go the opposite way. Using the wall for support, she finally made it to the first floor and then had to stop when the roar of fire consuming the upper levels warned her how close the building was to collapse.
She heard something flutter behind her and she turned, wielding the sword before her as she tried to focus enough to stab.
"Castiel's demon." When she managed to see through the smoke, it was clear that the man who spoke was an angel, smaller than she expected, but she knew an angel when she saw one. She swiped blindly at him and he held his hands up as he dodged the sword. "Meg, right? I'm here to help."
"Why?" It was so hard to concentrate and she swiped the air with the sword again.
"Because it is time for me to help." He jumped back when the sword nicked the button on his cardigan. "Hey, Knock it off! I'm Marv! The Metatron! Not some monster or demon!"
Meg let her hand drop a little. "You…?"
"Let's discuss my family problems later. I can help you out of here."
Marv reached for her arm but before they touched they were thrown apart like repelling magnets, Meg slamming into the wall as he crashed into the stairwell. The demon hissed as her leg was twisted under her body and she heard the angel grunting as he tried to push a chunk of fiery debris off of his legs.
Adam now stood between them, burnt skin starting to peel from his scabby body and as his head slowly turned toward Meg his bloody mouth gaped open at her.
"You little bitch," he said, ruined jaw struggling to work. "You and your damn… damn angel!"
Meg scrambled to her hands and knees and looked up as the monster stood over her.
"You're going to regret this," he threatened and she flinched.
It was Marv who moved faster than she did, scooping up her angel sword and launching himself at the monster. Meg sagged back down, not liking her own weakness but having no choice. Her body was struggling to heal and it was not adapting as fast as it should to her weakness. Before her, Adam was thrown back, startled by how strong the small angel actually was.
Two arms going around her waist made Meg jerk and look up to see Castiel kneeling beside her. His hands tightened a little when she struggled.
"It's me," he whispered, eyes not leaving the angel and monster grappling in the fire-lit room. Dumbfounded, Meg studied his face and he looked down at her when she stopped squirming. Not sure why it was any easier to trust this one than it had been the shifter that tried to fool her, Meg let him help her stand, aware that he was staring at her.
A hand smoothed down her back. "Dean and Sam came to get us."
He held her gaze and Meg ran her eyes over his face. She could feel the difference now as angelic power touched her and burnt just a little; it wasn't enough to hurt but let her know she stood in the presence of a familiar Grace. One that reassured her even as it scalded her and the contact made her darkness curl around up around them. Castiel stared back at her before the sound of flesh being struck made them look away from one another.
Marv threw Adam into the air and fell to a knee, heaving for breath. But with Adam now facing the door and his ability to dampen their power suddenly surging, they couldn't get out and Meg had the feeling that Castiel didn't want to leave his brother behind to face Adam, despite all that had happened in the past.
Standing up a little straighter, Marv smiled at the monster as Adam picked up himself up. "So you're a new monster. That's terrifying," he admitted before coughing up a mouthful of blood.
"Get out of my way," Adam's eyes focussed on Castiel and Meg, recognizing the joint power they were starting to radiate now that they were back together.
"Or what?" Marv twirled Meg's sword in his hand. "You'll kill me?"
Adam's burning flesh smouldered and fell from his cheekbone to show scorched muscle and bone beneath. "You're not scared of that?"
"Heaven is already wanting to kill me. You're just another in a long line."
Behind Marv, Castiel protectively kept Meg close as he tried to gather enough Grace to wield beside Marv's. But he could only focus so much and trying to help Meg stay upright at the same time distracted him. Even with Marv's Grace acting as a buffer against Adam's monstrous self, Castiel wasn't sure what he could do.
Marv charged at the same time Adam swung at him with his fist and the monster shrieked as the angel sword sunk into his chest. Bending at the waist, Adam's hand grabbed at his chest to try to pull the sword out.
"An angel sword?" His other hand grabbed Marv's bicep to hold him close before the angel could get away. "That is how you think you can kill me? A pathetic little," the blade snapped off, "sword?"
Marv stared back as the monster twisted the blade around and chortled abruptly as Adam sank it deep into his stomach. The Metatron felt the pressure as the monster wrenched it up towards his solar plexus and stared at him in surprise.
"I'm a monster, angel, remember?" Adam demanded.
"Didn't forget," Marv answered, his voice strained. The Grace in his body rebelled as the mortal wound opened deeper inside of him and he winced as he shook his other arm. "You're a monster, right? Leeching off a demon too? I did my reading. "
The sleeve of his jacket parted and he twisted his hand and swung.
The machete he had stolen from Sam sank into Adam's neck and with what strength he had left Marv sawed hard to the left to deliver the killing blow. Adam stared at him dumbly, head teetering on the delicate column of his neck, and Marv grinned.
"Only one good way to kill your kind of monster. You trap it, chop off the head. And then you exorcise that demon it is holding onto."
Adam's head tilted back, and Marv watched the smoke starting to spill out of his mouth. The howling sound of a demon was replaced by a higher pitched whine and he understood instantly that whatever it had been possessing the human body was trying to escape, taking Adam's soul with it.
He slapped his hand down the man's mouth, trapping the smoke, while his own eyes began to glow with his dying Grace. In the death throe, Adam's fingers continued to twist the angel sword deeper and deeper into Marv's body. Speaking out the low exorcism faster and faster, Marv put the last of his strength into his arm and the monster's head popped off.
Adam's body began to erupt with black blood and heat, the smoke drifting through the air hotter and thicker than before. It snarled around the Metatron's body and behind Marv's back his own wings spread as his trueform battled with the monster for control as the soul tried to latch onto a new host. The gaping wounds on Adam's body began to secrete orange smoke that wrapped around the Metatron's body.
Behind Marv, Castiel twisted with Meg in his arms and shoved her down underneath him as Marv began to shriek in Enochian, his true voice escaping. , Cradling her head in his hands to cover the demon's ears, Castiel stretched his own Grace out to protect her from the unnatural sound as monster and angel twisted around each other in a strange macabre dance. He had to look away as the light became too bright to see through and he lowered his head against Meg's, noticing how her eyes were instinctively closed.
White-hot wind flashed through the air and incinerated the building around them in a swoop, leaving only the skeletal remains of the building and the remains of monsters who had been trying to escape.
When Castiel finally looked, Marv was standing on shaking legs with the wound in his stomach now gaping wide and pouring out light. Adam was nowhere in sight.
Castiel stared up at him in surprise and felt Meg shift beneath him. Below him, her fingers clenched the panels of his coat tight to hold him close and he heard each shaky breath she took. Marv turned, eyes a bright blue now, and he smiled at Castiel.
"What a story," he whispered before his eyes glowed even brighter. When his Grace exploded out of his body, it incinerated the vessel he was in. Castiel kept himself covering Meg to protect her and he felt her heaving for breath as the heat from Marv's death singed her darkness. But Castiel's Grace twisted around her demonic soul and protected it as if it was his own.
When the roaring noise stopped and only the crackle of fire and the smell of burning flesh remained, Castiel lifted his head a little and felt Meg's breath against his ear.
"Are you hurt?" he asked as he quickly glanced around at the remains of the building. Only patches of frame and wall were left, the dying Grace having been so hot it had destroyed most of what remained. Marv had destroyed himself, taking Adam and the remaining monsters in the distance with him. He had never expected his brother to be that daring, Castiel knew with guilt and admiration.
In reflex, he tightened his arms around Meg and lifted her a little towards him as he moved to his knees.
"Nothing I can't — can't manage," Meg muttered. He looked down to see her eyes black and her face drenched in sweat. Brushing her hair away from her face, he felt the cold clamminess of her skin when she should have felt hot.
"Meg?"
"Just cold, Castiel." Her fingers tightened in his coat. "Just cold."
"Move slowly." Castiel smoothed her hair back several more times to reassure himself she wasn't about to fade on him. When she nodded, he stood up and brought her close to help her balance. "He saved us."
"Don't remind me. Seems like you angels get struck by consciences at the weirdest moments," the demon answered dryly as she looped her arm over his shoulder. "I can't feel my leg."
Glancing down, he noticed she was favouring it, using his strength as a brace. Her tattered clothing had left her exposed to the burning building but there was signs she was starting to heal beneath it. "It's a sprain but I'll carry you. We need to get out of here."
"Cas?" She stayed still even at his impatient tug. "I'm going to be sick."
He thought she was joking until she bent over at the waist and began to dry-heave into the ashes of the building. Stroking her back, not sure what else he could do, he stretched out his power and searched for what he needed as she heaved. Connecting with Nyx was easy now and he sensed that she and the Winchesters were already several miles away from them.
But he made no move to swoop Meg and himself out. With dead monsters and a smouldering ruin surrounding them, the best thing was to wait for Meg to finish being sick so that she could find the strength to move.
It took her nearly an hour before she stopped and Castiel busied himself with healing what damage he could on the both of them. He was tired but using the bits of his power wasn't as exhausting as before, not when he was rewarded by the sight of a cut on Meg's face healing over. Not wanting to rush, worried that the damage was deeper, he stayed beside her even when she fell to her knees.
She ignored his offer to help and with a grimace he removed his hand from her back.
Castiel stared at her face, willing to wait even longer, but the loud approach of fire trucks forced him finally scoop her up.
Meg cracked one eye open at the easy way he held her, her bloody hand reaching up and patting his cheek tiredly.
"You're a cupcake."
He decided to take that as a compliment when he saw the tired smirk on her lips.
The motel parking lot was empty when Dean pulled the Impala into its spot and did a quick once over to be sure there wasn't any new surprises waiting for them. He had barely let the Impala's engine turn off before he whisked Sam and Nyx into the motel room and locked the door behind them. Knocking a few books off the bed, he promptly sat Nyx down on it and began to check her thoroughly for any bumps or bruises. She was sniffling loudly and kept glancing at the door but as he checked her dirty face he gave her an unsure smile.
"They'll be right behind us," Dean promised her but she still looked ready to burst into tears.
"Cas looked pretty up to fighting," Sam agreed.
Patting Nyx on the head, Dean stood and went to the dresser to get out a change of clothing. Removing his boots, Sam saw Nyx kick off her sooty shoes and then with a tiny cry she ran to the bathroom. She was gulping in air desperately and Sam followed her just as she was sick into the garbage can. Grabbing a spare shirt from the duffel bag on his bed, he set it on the sink before he wet a washcloth. She was shaking as he pressed the cold compress against her forehead. The smoke inhalation was bad enough on them as grown men, let alone how it would be for a child.
"It's okay, Nyxie, you're fine, just breathe," Sam whispered as he rubbed her back and let her heave.
Finally she just sniffled and stopped hyperventilating, her face splotchy and wet with sweat. Sam let her hug him before he picked her up and set her on the sink. Carefully, he wiped her face clean, determined to act like everything was okay even though he was aching for a shower and sleep himself. Nyx held out her hands for him to clean and he subtly checked her vital signs as he helped her clean up.
"Better?" he asked. With a nod, she looked away from him to stare at the door expectantly. Suddenly the door swung open and the Winchesters both went for their loaded guns.
Ignoring their weapons, Castiel half-dragged, half-carried Meg inside. The sound Nyx made was high pitched and full of excitement at the sight of Meg but Castiel held out his hand in warning. Dean grabbed the little girl by her waist when she shot by him and he held her back even though she squirmed.
"Easy there, kid, let her get in first."
"She's okay," Castiel said curtly. "Just a little battered."
Meg opened her eyes. "She's gonna need a lot of booze."
Sam stepped around Dean and closed the door, glancing through the curtains. "Where's Marv?"
Castiel shot him a look that had both brothers nodding. "Okay then," Sam muttered.
Dean sat Nyx down near the radiator and watched Castiel as he eased Meg into the arm chair. Sleepily closing her eyes, the demon barely seemed to notice and didn't bother to cover the rips in her clothing though they exposed what marks were left. Dropping his smoke-blackened jacket and coat onto the floor, Castiel rolled up his sleeves and disappeared into the bathroom to wash off the soot. Sam watched, noticing how disturbed Castiel looked when he closed the door, and then glanced back at Dean. His brother shook his head to tell him to leave it alone.
""You guys look like hell," Dean said when the silence dragged too long. Meg's eyes reopened and she blinked owlishly at him. Almost as if she wasn't sure it really was him.
"Yeah? That's great." She pushed her hair out of her eyes and rocked forward a little. "Thanks for the rescue, I guess."
Dean nodded and looked at Castiel when he finally opened the bathroom door. He looked like he had dunked his head under the tap and done a quick pass to get the dirt off his face and hands. Knowing him, he would just use his power to clean up later anyway. The angel gingerly poked at his own wounds, the ones still healing into fresh pink marks, before he moved to the bags Dean had stacked on the dresser.
"First-aid kit is in the bottom," Dean said, knowing what he wanted. Castiel muttered a thank you and Sam squeezed by him to hand Dean and Nyx two glasses of water. Dean gulped down his water quickly and gratefully closed his eyes as it eased the ache in his throat.
Still sipping at her water, Nyx made an impatient little sound before she started squirming on her seat.
Meg looked at her.
"What's up, monster?"
"You hurt." Nyx reached out and touched the blood-stained edges of Meg's clothing. Dean listened to the demon wheeze in a breath and saw her flinch a little when her daughter touched bruised flesh.
"I'm fine."
The faint sheen of sweat showing on her forehead made Dean stare at her and then at Nyx. The little girl clearly wanted to launch herself at Meg, wanted to be held, but he put a restraining hand on her arm. The wounds on Meg's body were already healing but he wondered if there was something else wrong. Meg parted her torn shirt a little and poked at a lesion that was slowly closing over on her belly.
Sam muttered he'd be back and tucked his gun into his belt before he left.
Dean looked away as Castiel put the first-aid box down on the table beside Meg. "You're still in rough shape?"
"No." Castiel's attention was on Meg. "Her wounds could get infected since she is too weak to heal. The room is warded?"
"Yeah, the best we can." Dean glanced at the door. "Sam probably went to get another room so we're not all packed in one."
"Good."
Meg's shoulders sagged a little but Nyx continued to squirm, making noises as she did.
"Nyx, sit still," Meg snapped, her voice cracking with anger, and the little girl stared wide-eyed at her mother. The strain in her voice made Dean look at Castiel but Castiel was staring at Meg in surprise. Quickly Dean scooped Nyx up, not liking how this could go if Meg lost her temper; for once he sympathized with Meg considering the damage he could see.
"Come on, Nyx, let's get you cleaned up a bit more."
Meg tiredly watched them go to the bathroom but the loud scrape of the chair being pulled up beside her made her flinch and look away. Castiel ignored the way she warily watched him and he reached over to cup her chin in his hand. Turning her head to the side, he stared at the ripped flesh of her neck and touched the infected edges with his other hand.
"It's deep." His fingers slid in a slow and mindless caress over her nape and her eyes shut as if enjoying it.
"Hurts like hell," she muttered as he let her neck go and picked up her bruised hands next. He turned her palms over and looked at the marks left by the cross-bar shackles.
"These are healing already."
"You know me. Fast healer if I get away from monsters," she said, head slumping forward until her forehead touched his shoulder. He caught her and muttered in her ear to hold still before he made quick work of wrapping the abrasions on her wrists. Meg's fingers caught his and held on to stop him. "Thank you. For coming to get me when you were free."
Castiel turned his head towards her, staring at her in a searching way. Her one eye had lost the white of it as a ruptured blood vessel discoloured it. But instead of being repulsed, he brushed her hair back from her eyes.
"You're welcome."
His thumb brushed her earlobe and stroked down her neck, feeling the way her skin was growing cold. But as tired as she seemed, somehow she managed to keep her eyes open and he stared at her, thumb still tracing over her skin. She seemed to be trying to read him and he held still to let her, wondering what was wrong as when Meg looked away.
The door opened, bringing with it a blast of cold air that snapped them both back to reality.
"So I got another room right next door and…." Sam broke off mid-sentence at the sight of Castiel touching Meg's face more intimately than he had in weeks. He shut the door with a snap. "Am I interrupting something?"
"Interrupting what?" Dean asked from the bathroom as he finished helping Nyx into one of Sam's shirts. She was as clean as he could get her with just a washcloth, no longer looking like she had rolled around in ashes. A frustrated grunt came from inside the shirt as she struggled to find her way through the massive shirt and she was frowning when Dean pulled it down over her head, tying the ends at her feet so that the shirt resembled a large nightgown around her.
"Nothing," Castiel said as he let Meg go. She stood up away from him and braced herself on the table as she tried to walk.
Sam wrinkled his nose. "What's that smell?"
"If you're about to make a sulphur joke, I swear to Hell I'm not in the mood," the demon said.
"No, it's just…She's starting to smell. Not a smoky smell either." Sam winced. "No offence, Meg."
Her eyes lifted to his face before she turned and leaned against the wall. She sniffed at her arm and made a disgusted sigh. "Guess that's true."
Following her, Castiel leaned in from behind and took a whiff of her hair. "It is the poison. You're sweating it. You might be going into shock."
"Stop smelling me," Meg muttered, shifting away from him. "I just need to get clean."
Dean kept a restraining hand on Nyx as he watched Meg stagger to the motel bathroom. He nodded his head at Castiel and saw the confusion on the angel's face. Clearing his throat, Dean gave a pointed look at the bathroom and then down at Nyx.
Nyx watched from the bed and Castiel swallowed at the fear in her eyes. She looked at him finally and in a hesitant voice murmured, "She's sick."
Castiel shot Dean a pleading look, not wanting Nyx to see this.
"Come on, Nyxie, you're going to help us make up the next room and we're going to keep the monsters out, okay?" Dean offered as he took her hand.
With one last meaningful look at the angel, Dean picked the girl up and started out for the connecting door to the new room. Castiel saw Nyx look over Dean's shoulder at him and he managed a weak smile for her, even though he knew it looked strained.
When the door shut behind them, he turned to look at the bathroom, aware of a trickle of trepidation warning him how this could go so wrong. It had all happened so fast. Castiel had seen what Adam's venom had done to the other demons and knew how quickly it had torn them apart.
Taking in a deep breath, he knocked on the door before going in and found Meg sagged against the bathtub, trying to unzip her boots. He caught her arm before she could fall and helped her sit on the floor. Meg brushed his hand away impatiently and Castiel reached over her head to start running the water.
"You can admit that you need help. We only just escaped, we're both tired, and you were tortured for a long time," he said when Meg started to say she was fine.
"Doesn't mean I want your help," she said, sounding more like she was grumbling because she could and not actually meaning it this time.
"Would you prefer Dean or Sam to be here?" he asked as he pulled her up so she stood beside him. She swayed into him, eyes crossing as her vision swam.
Still, she managed to grin at him. "Depends. Is it a tag team?"
Muttering that she was impossible, he pulled her tattered shirt over her shoulders and the soaked material fell apart in his hands. It sent a fresh waft of odour that made him wrinkle his nose in disgust. Meg's skin smelt foul from the poison, the smell now even stronger since she started to sweat. Deciding to ignore it, he lowered his hands to unbuckle her belt.
The slither of leather through denim was incredibly loud in the tiny bathroom. Aware of the awkwardness, Castiel unzipped her pants next.
"You know," Meg said, swallowing hard as she pressed against him for support. "If you went slower this would be so much sexier. All that adrenaline and danger, then stripping off. Gets a girl hot, you know."
Startled, he looked at her face and she smirked a little, cocking an eyebrow.
"Tempting as that is, I'm not interested in that when you are sick and have been poisoned," Castiel answered finally before he knelt down and pulled the ruined jeans to her feet.
He undressed her with such efficiency that she had no more time for another quip, though Meg clearly didn't have the energy for it. She had to hold onto his shoulders for balance and he felt her shaking when he let her stand on her own feet while he tossed her clothes into the trash can. Castiel moved carefully around her, turning off the water and testing.
He glanced down to see her eyeing him, Meg's arms crossed over her chest. "Nurse Castiel hard at work, huh?" she asked.
"You're welcome," he said, not rising to the bait as he turned her around and swung her up into his arms.
"You're getting used to doing that, huh?" Meg sniped at him and he ignored her as he lowered her into the tub.
Yelping at the cold in the water, she shuddered and rocked forward to pull her knees up to her chest, giving him a startled glare. Castiel handed her the soap and washcloth from the sink and sat on the edge of the tub. With a careful eye on his turned back, Meg scrubbed hard at her skin and grit her teeth against each painful rasp. Each scour of terry cloth on her body burned until every hyper-sensitized inch of skin ached. The water turned black with old blood and venom sweat immediately as the soap and water pulled it away in layers.
Castiel held out another clean cloth to her when the first became black and disgusting. Other than handing her things, he kept his back turned as she washed and scrubbed the stink of monsters and torture off of her body and hair. Meg rubbed at the wounds and the burns until they were raw but clean, before she wearily handed him back the soap.
Realizing that she was done, Castiel pulled the plug and ran the water hot this time so that her skin warmed and actually turned a healthier shade. When he looked at her trueface though, he could see how she still hurt and how much she was trying to hide from him.
He sat beside the bathtub and watched her as she leaned back, one slim leg going over the porcelain edge. Every now and then her face would pull into a frown and he knew that that the drumming sound of water pouring hurt her as much as washing had. Discreetly keeping his eyes on the wall instead of her, he turned off the taps.
"Brings back memories, huh?" Meg flicked the water with a finger. "Except for the venom bit, I guess."
"Why did you do it? I can handle torture, you know that," he asked as he rested an arm beside her on the tub's lip. She grinned, freshly washed hair clinging in snaky tendrils to her face and shoulders and somehow making her seem girlish.
"We already talked about this. I'm a demon, Castiel. I've had worse done to me and for a hell of a lot longer than an angel or monster." Her back arched and she hissed. Castiel helped Meg turn to the side and held her as she dry heaved over the side of the tub. Holding her steady, he pushed her damp hair over her shoulder and touched the gouge in her neck where Adam's fangs still made an imprint. It was trying to heal over but the deep punctures were still looking infected.
"This might hurt," he warned as he pressed his fingers into them. Her scream was muffled by his arm and he felt her teeth sink into his shoulder as he tried to force his Grace to at least repair the damaged tissue. Castiel winced as his fingers went deeper into the wounds and he could feel the infected flesh sucking at his fingers. Her body was struggling to heal.
Failing to heal.
Castiel saw her body relax in the water and left quickly to get the first aid kit. She was still in the same pose when he returned and he quickly grabbed a bottle of peroxide. Meg didn't fight him as he cleaned the wounds on her neck, only her breathing and the steady drip of the faucet breaking the silence while he worked. It was hard to be gentle with her when he could feel the venom that had been put in her; the temptation to try something more was strong.
He was reaching to grab the gauze when he heard her breathing even out. As he bound her neck wound, he noticed how quiet she remained and he asked her to move for him. She stayed still and he rocked back on his heels so they weren't as close to see that though her eyes were open, she wasn't actually seeing him anymore.
Steeling himself against what was wrong, he picked her up out of the water and carried her, dripping wet, back into the main room.
Castiel wrapped a thin sheet around her once she was on the bed and moved her hair away from her face before he towelled her off gently, fingers lingering over the bruises and marks. "Sometimes I'm not sure if you are brave, arrogant, or stupid," he muttered. "Or all three."
He fixed her legs on the bed and sighed. "I'm not sure if I'm just as stupid sometimes," Castiel admitted as he backed away from the bed.
He grabbed Dean's duffel bag and took out the angel sword the Winchesters always kept close by and rolled it between his palms as if to warm it. The thought that crossed his mind alarmed him enough that he set it down on the night-stand and pulled a chair close to the bed. He took a seat before he put his head in his hands and slowly dragged his fingers through his hair.
Despite what he was and how he knew sometimes things like this had to happen, Castiel didn't even want to think about it.
He heard Meg whimper in pain and he glanced up to see her eyes moving rapidly. Wondering if maybe it was the light, he dimmed the lamp with a wave of his hand. He could hear Dean and Sam outside the connected room, muttering to each other about warning the other hunters but that was something he didn't care about.
All he cared about was Meg. Lying still, pale and struggling to heal, just the sight of her made him afraid. Her power was weak and struggling and he reached out to fix the bandage over the gaping wound in her neck. It still refused to heal under his power and he wondered it was another form of rejection.
But maybe not.
The fact that the shifter had taken on his vessel's features to get close to Meg had affected her. He noticed she had hesitated before trusting him, but invariably she had trusted him and that gave him an odd sort of hope. Not that the demon could forgive him but that she might be willing to let him in again.
He hadn't realized how much he'd needed that. Maybe, if there was time, he could find a way.
If she lived, that was.
He reached across the bed and took her shaking hand, feeling the cold of her skin. Lethe cold; he remembered how she'd always been that way unless he'd warmed her like the years past. Those memories, of lying with her and staring at skylights as he tried to bring comfort to her and himself, were now too sharp and ached too much. Even thinking of sex and comfort hurt because of how it had been severed between them.
He was an angel again, he thought, he should be beyond missing something so human.
But he wasn't. He'd felt and suffered too much. He had loved more deeply than any angel had the right to.
Meg's soft murmur made him glance at her face. Her eyes were open but sightless; the effect of the poison, he knew. Gently, Castiel reached up and pulled her lips back from her teeth and then checked her eyes. No sign of transformation. Still a demon to her core, still his Meg.
His.
Meg would kill him for such a possessive thought and he was sure that he'd let her as long as for just a moment he could think it. Angels were not allowed to feel possessive or to feel anything more than a collective love; he'd disobeyed both beliefs repeatedly and in so many different ways.
He listened to Meg's stuttering breathing as he caressed his hand across her cheek. The prick of thorns was now there, the demon once again restless under the meatsuit. Her true form was fighting the poison and perhaps winning slowly, he could only hope.
Running his thumb across her lips, Castiel stared into her sightless eyes and almost begged to God to have her actually see him and not a fever hallucination.
He heard the door creak open and glanced up, ready to snap at Dean to leave him alone.
Nyx stood in the doorway, still wearing one of Sam's old plaid shirts with her damp dark hair curling over her shoulders. Clutching her beloved stuffed unicorn to her chest, she looked tiny compared to Dean standing just behind her. Castiel's breath caught and held at the sight of her. She looked lost and frightened.
"Nyx," he whispered, heart hammering in his chest when he saw her staring at Meg as if expecting her to just get up. If she was here then maybe Meg…
He looked down but Meg was still unconscious and unresponsive, and he moved his hand away.
"Go on," Dean muttered to the little girl, giving her a gentle nudge. Still eyeing her mother, she approached the bed beside Castiel. Dean met his friend's anxious stare. "Get some rest. We'll keep watch."
"She's sick," Nyx lisped at Castiel, childish voice frightened. Seeing her mother like this was terrifying for her. Castiel looked at Dean accusingly but the hunter was already closing the door to leave them alone. When he looked back down, Nyx was standing in front of him. Her blue eyes, so like his vessel's, glimmered with unshed tears.
"She'll get better," he muttered. It was hard not to look at his daughter without wonder again. This had been who he and Meg had fought so hard to protect, who he'd loved since he'd felt her still as a tiny little spark of life. Who Meg had strangely loved so much that she'd been willing to let a shifter torture her to keep Nyx hidden.
She thrust out her lower lip just like her mother might.
"Promise?"
"Yes."
Nyx hugged the unicorn up to her cheek and nodded, accepting his promise with more trust than he could have expected in a child. "Good. She's got to get better. Love her."
Castiel closed his eyes a little to hide the pain her innocent words gave him.
Tiny hands suddenly grasped his arms and he shifted back in his chair a little in surprise. His eyes opened as Nyx slowly crawled up his legs, obviously determined to climb onto his lap. She balanced awkwardly, stared into his face for a moment, and then turned around to face her mother. Her arms reached out to grab for her toy and Castiel leaned over to get it for her, his callused fingers catching on the well-loved plush material. He watched her cuddle it while she tucked her feet under his hands to keep them warm.
Castiel had to swallow down a lump in his throat at the way she cuddled into him for warmth.
"Have-ta make sure she gets better," Nyx said, her voice serious but sleepy. Her head rocked back on his chest and he heard her breathing slowly even out. Castiel gently wrapped an arm around her and took a deep breath as she quickly fell asleep. He inhaled the clean soap smell of her and felt her gentleness and warmth, her innocent trust; all of it was a comfort to him.
His eyes remained on Meg, desperate for any sign that those dark eyes would change and finally see them here.
"Please, Father," he prayed. He took in a deep breath and reached out with his other hand to touch Meg's cold wrist. Feeling the throb of her pulse, he wrapped his fingers around hers. "Nyx needs her mother."
His daughter sleepily murmured in his arms and he closed his eyes before looking back into Meg's catatonic gaze. The stark realization hit him hard, the very one he'd been denying for weeks now: he hadn't undone the spell just to save her life. The reason why he'd protected her and had wanted her back as a demon again had nothing to do with Eve or the monsters, nothing to do with the Wars in Hell and Purgatory.
It had everything to do with the demon he learned to love years ago.
"I need her too."