In the Lethe Series 2

by teaandchess

Three years have past after the events of In the Lethe, when Castiel made his choice to save a demon and the Winchesters made theirs to save one other. All that Dean, Sam and Castiel have fought for to save friends, lovers and family has started to fall apart. Old enemies begin to stalk those that they love and so it comes down to a choice. It will always come down to a choice.

20. Burn (When Angels Change)

Summary: It is all out war on Azazel/Michael now as Sam tries desperately to reclaim his brother.

---

Part 16: Burn (When Angels Change)

The dark room was cold, and as the hours passed it was clear that the walls were slowly beginning to close in tighter and tighter. Occasionally, Dean would reach out and put his hand flat on a wall, just to reassure himself that he wasn't imagining things. The wall would tremble and push back, warning him not to try to escape.

All he would do, could do, was close his eyes and pray in a way he hadn't in years. Pray with a desperation for things to turn out right for once, pray that he hadn't made the wrong move. The longer he stayed in the dark recesses of his own mind, the more Dean began to believe that the chance he had taken was going to destroy him from the inside out.

Without any cracks of light to relieve it, the darkness felt stifling and Dean found himself strangely craving sunshine. It nearly felt like he'd been put inside a box, forgotten and left to rot. It gave Dean too much time to self-reflect, too much time to think and realize, with a terrifying horror, what Sam had felt when he had been possessed, by angels or demons. His own moments had never felt this intense, but now he was occupied by an angel who was using him as a personal punching bag.

Resting his chin on his arms, Dean sighed and shuddered as he felt trickles of pain begin. He knew that Michael was doing this now. With Azazel in charge of the body, the part that was Michael would spend hours tormenting him just for something to do.

For years Dean had fought things like this and come out on top; his stubbornness always had been his best feature to outlast the pain. Only now he couldn't be bothered. His soul ached after being patched back together and he had lost that part of Sam that had kept him comforted, so what was the point?

Sam was safe, Nyx was safe, they were all safe. That's all I can hope for.

As another crack of agony tore through him, he groaned and hid his eyes, trying to block it out. There was a shift in the air and a hand touched his head gently, though he didn't look up. He felt someone sit down beside him and cringed in preparation, ready for more pain.

"It's okay, Dean." Anna's voice was soft, her hand on his. "They're coming for you. You saved Nyx and we'll be ready."

"You, what can you do? You're dead," he muttered, looking over. He could just make out the shining red hair and the ghostly glow of her.

"We can do more than you think," a second voice said and Dean's head jerked up. "Even if big brother is being a dick."

Anna only moved closed as her hand tightened on Dean's.

"It'll be okay, Dean. Just have faith."

Then there was only silence and Dean realized he'd been left alone in the darkness.

"Yeah right. Have faith." He leaned his head back and looked up as he tried to picture what sunlight would look like again. "What for?"

---

Colorado…

"Come on, Clarence," Meg muttered to herself. "Where are you?"

The safe-house behind her was quiet with its lights were dimmed and Nyx watching the television and describing it to Kevin. There was nothing for Meg to do now but wait. Wait and let anticipation slowly begin to fuel her plans of what she had to do.

She sat on the front steps and stared at her car, as if expecting it to start up and drive itself off. The intense focus she had, the way her dark eyes never left its sleek metal hood or the faint patches of dirt that the road had splattered on its wheels, belied what was actually going through her mind. It had nothing to do with the car or the upcoming trip. One hand propping up her jaw, she tapped her nails against her skin just hard enough to feel the prick of them, just hard enough to distract herself with the irritating pain. It had been two hours since Castiel had left to speak to the angels and he hadn't returned yet.

The past few days, spent in a sort of haze, had had them falling back into a routine nearly the same as it had been in that quiet month before Oklahoma. Nyx clung to all of them, falling back into happy patterns with Castiel and Meg, while she spent time pestering Kevin and his attempts to find spells and writings. When he wasn't with Meg, Castiel allowed himself several long nights watching over her, preparing himself for what they had to do.

It was why Meg figured he had turned to being aggressive with her. There had been enough times when he had pressed her down on the mattress or against a wall when Nyx and Kevin slept, fingers and mouth making marks of passion and desperation. Even when he tried to be gentle, it seemed like he was wanting a way to let her know he didn't like her easy acceptance of Sam's plan. He was frightened of losing her.

"We both know how this could end if you go," he'd growled against her ear one night . She'd had to push him back, fingers digging into bare skin that had just seconds before been sliding so hotly against her own.

"And you know what happens if he gets to the Lethe. You remember what happened to you? Imagine something like Azazel and Michael getting that much power."

When it came to Lebanon, Meg only knew that it seemed like the thing to do. She didn't understand her motivations any better than he did. The more she thought about it, the more of a headache it gave her.

Castiel's coat made its tell-tale flutter as he returned, already walking towards her.

"About time, feathers," Meg grumbled. "We've only got so much time."

"Did you say goodbye to Nyx?" he asked, ignoring her pettishness. "Or are you acting as if you don't care still?"

He sounded tired, so she let that slide. "This really bothers you, huh?"

"I spent years wanting to protect you both. I remember how I was when you were in hiding, when we thought we had lost Nyx, and I don't want to feel like that again." He sat down beside her and clenched his hands on his thighs. "Should I?"

"Probably not." Meg pulled out the weapons she would carry with her. Only three knives and her angel sword. "I do what I must. I'm tired, Castiel. Tired of running and never feeling like I can run hard enough to escape."

"You survived this long." He handed her the leathers she had lain out and she rolled her pant-leg up, fixing the buckles to lay flat.

"This? This is surviving?" She scoffed. "Hiding out, pretending to be something I'm not."

"Nothing has been worth it?" he asked. Reaching out, he touched a tear in her jacket and his finger hooked in it, just grazing the flesh beneath.

"That's the point. It has been. And I'm willing to finally do something to keep it."

"At the cost of what?" The angel was staring at her and Meg lifted her head to the side to stare back him, search under the surface to just barely see the brightness that lurked within. At the same time, his touch sent something electric through her, as if he was branding her on the inside with just a touch and a look. Meg knew what she was feeling. He was warning her to be careful with a look even as he was letting her know his love with a touch.

The feeling it gave her was heady enough to cause her to sway a little toward him, ready to murmur the three words back to him when she felt his touch leave her. Meg pulled back and moved away, sitting on the garden bench to put distance between them. Before she blurted out what she felt as if she was truly lovesick.

Castiel just stared at her and she had the feeling that he knew anyway.

"Just so we're clear: I'm leaving now. You are going to make sure the house is safe and go find your monster. Right?"

"I suppose." Castiel shifted from his place on the front steps to stand over her.

"You know, if you put any less enthusiasm in your voice there, Clarence, I'm going to think you don't trust me to come back." There was something in her smoky voice that made him look over. Meg had reclined back on the bench, fitting straps to her ankle. The temporary holster fit close to the skin, a comforting weight, and she stroked the leathers thoughtfully.

Castiel crossed his arms over his chest, watching her with a scowl.

"Don't look at me like that, feathers. People will think I broke up with you," she drawled.

"I don't like this."

Her eyebrow arched and she looked up from the buckles. "If I ever took you being all angelically righteous seriously, I'd never have any fun." She made a show of checking out his ass. "Or tapped that."

He glanced down and then rolled his eyes. "You were enthusiastic enough to enjoy it. I remember it being mutual."

"Oh boy was it," Meg said with an infectious grin. "Especially that first time you asked me to…."

"I'm trying to be serious," Castiel insisted. "And you're deliberately being difficult."

The grin dropped from her face and was replaced by a hard look that had him nervously looking away.

"Don't make it harder than it has to be. I'm dealing," Meg snapped.

"Nyx needs your protection."

"Don't," she warned and she sheathed the two knives into their straps on her leg. "Just don't do that on me. I'm not fragile and you know that."

She turned her pant leg down and stood up, stretching her muscles. She couldn't help but drag her heels a little, wanting him to follow her. He didn't disappoint, this time crowding her against the car, and she felt a small thrill at how obviously he was affected by her stubbornness.

"What do you expect?" he asked, blocking her in with both arms. "I've made it very obvious I mean to protect you."

She tilted her head back, her wavy hair falling over his braced arm. "We do what we have to do, damn the consequences."

"If the consequences is your life, or Dean's, or Sam's, then it's not worth it."

"Damn it, Castiel. Do you think I'm doing this because I care about the Winchesters? The angels? I'm doing this to protect what I have to protect." She crossed her arm over her chest and glared at him, stepping close to try to intimidate him. "If I wanted you to do your guardian angel impression, I'd fucking ask."

She shoved him back and this time put some force into it. Before she could move more than a few steps, Castiel had her by the arms and was shoving her back, pinned at the car. The Cougar's door made a clunk sound and they didn't release each other until she was between him and the car .

Meg couldn't tear her eyes away because gone was the lover and back was the angelic soldier. She wasn't sure which was sending hot sparks through her body but she felt them even as he glared at her.

"I didn't spend those years waiting only to lose everything now, Meg," he said. "And I won't lose you."

She rolled her eyes before looking the other way. "You're a sap. Things are the way they are."

He grabbed her arm, and she didn't fight him as he pulled her in.

When he kissed her it hurt, the thrust of his tongue in her mouth sudden as he pushed her lips apart and she felt the sharp edge of his teeth catch her own tongue. The thrill up and down her body was just as strong as four years ago. Her muffled gasp swallowed, she could only clutch onto his shirt and pull him as close as she could. The sudden vivid thought of him imprinting his Grace on her had her cascading darkness into his own body. She heard the pained hiss he made, the air rushing against her teeth before he returned the bite of both teeth and power. The kiss seemed as cleansing as their first one had been and the shared agony only intensified as pain gave way to desire.

When they broke apart, his fingers were so tight in her hair that they caused an ache in her scalp, and her own nails were dragging against his neck, marking him a little. Castiel stared down at her and neither knew what to say as they both sucked in deep lungfuls of air. Meg brushed her hair behind her ears and dug her hands into her pockets.

Eventually, she had to look away and without looking up at him, she ducked into her car. He stayed where he was, just watching her. Only the way she peeled out of the gravel driveway made him rock back to narrowly avoid being hit by the bumper as the car fishtailed. Licking his lower lip and still tasting her darkness on his tongue, Castiel watched the taillights grow dimmer and dimmer.

A small hand slipped into his and he looked down to see Nyx there. She watched after the car for a moment and then looked up at him. Castiel gave her a small smile but his troubled look couldn't be completely erased.

What Meg was willing to do to have revenge and to protect her causes was what bothered him.

Nyx tugged on his hand and he noticed the way she looked so frightened. He squeezed back and tried to not seem so worried. He knew though that Nyx would know if he lied anyway.

"Have-ta keep her safe," she whispered.

"I know, Nyx." He looked up and frowned as he watched the car disappear from his sight. "I know."

---

It took her a day to drive to Lebanon. The long drive gave her time to come to grips with what she might have to do. She knew how Castiel wanted to keep her back; angel would likely shove her in the corner as he puffed up his wings and defended his little family. Like a big peacock, Meg thought affectionately. Not that she didn't find that all matter of adorable but he also knew what she was and what she could do.

She had started this. She was going to help finish it the way it had started. Her and Azazel; the father she had loved and served. It was a shame that Dean was in the way but Meg knew Sam. She knew he'd be trying to save him. Maybe he could. Maybe I can live past this, she thought, but let's not get too wishful.

When Meg turned into Lebanon's outskirts, she noticed the eerie quiet that had overwhelmed the town. Her car's low chugging motor seemed loud even when she slowed to a crawl, on the look out for any signs of attacks. But beyond the snow drifting in and out in hazy blurs, distorting the road, there was nothing Meg could see as she drove down the lane-way towards the bunker. When she cut the engine and there was still no sign of an attack, she sighed and looked down at her hands.

It wasn't nerves making her hesitate. It was the knowledge that once again she was going against what she had been tortured to be, all for the sake of something she could never fully understand. Cursing herself for still being a little sentimental, Meg reached for the angel sword from the glove compartment and tucked it into her coat, followed by her only gun. The hidden knives were still strapped to her leg, and she rotated her ankle slowly before getting out of the car.

Groaning, she stretched and slammed the door shut with her hip. The chill in the air was still vicious and she felt its cold bite when a gust of wind touched her face. With it came a smell, of thick algae and blood, and she froze, hand going to her jacket.

A low grunting sound from close by had her spinning, knowing exactly what it was. When Adam had taken her hostage, she had felt that same presence, heard the grunts and groans. She saw the vined skin with its poisoned tracks, the reddening eyes, and she reached in for her gun as the monster loomed down towards her. A brush of wind by her hair had her twisting just a little before a bullet slammed into the monster's head, hitting between its eyes. It went down with a groaning whine and Meg gave the warm corpse a kick before looking over her shoulder to grin at her rescuer.

"You'd better be on the lookout," Sam said as he walked up the roadway towards her. "They're crawling all over here and move fast."

Meg rubbed at her neck. "Where'd they come from?"

"Don't know. Word has it there's some disease. But Benny and I checked and this is the same infection Eve was using. They're typically out of sight. It's like they're waiting for something. Maybe she's making more of her monsters." Sam fingered the trigger of his gun.

"Or she's infecting more creatures than we realized," Meg whispered. "Any humans showing signs?"

"Not sure. The town's quiet." Sam looked around. "Wouldn't be surprising that this could be a ground zero if something did happen."

"Surprising? No. Shitty? Oh yeah." She flipped her coat back, exposing the hilt of her angel sword if she needed it.

Behind her, Benny was eyeing the tree line. "We need to get out of the open. I don't like what I'm feelin' out here."

"Where's Cas?" Sam asked as he fell into step beside Meg, both of them headed for the door at the same time.

"He was with Nyx, warding the house. But I think by now he'll be on Eve patrol." Meg made to open the door and Sam caught her arm. The contact was so sudden she looked at his hand instead of at him.

"Don't do anything we haven't planned."

"I'm a demon, Sam, that's bound to happen anyway." She jerked her arm free and headed into the bunker. "What is this? Concern?"

"I think you're willing to do what it takes." He held the door for Benny. "I just don't think you really get what it could do to Nyx and Cas if something happens to you."

"What about you, Sam?" Meg asked, ignoring Benny's agreeing nod. "What if you die saving Deano? Will that be worth it? Or are you finally coming to grips with the fact that what is inside him might not leave?"

His entire face stilled and she shouldered past him, Benny close on her heels with an apologetic shrug. The deeper they went into the bunker, past the front steps, the stronger the smell of blood and charred flesh became. It saturated the air, enough that even Benny had a look of disgust rather than hunger. All three slowed down and crept down the archive aisles, ready for anything. But there was only the smell and the radio playing. The lights were flickering on and off, revealing red stained walls that made Sam's stomach turn when he realized what stained them and he reached for his knife on reflex. The heavy meaty smell was so thick in the air that he had to try not to choke as the odours grew overwhelming. Benny steadied him with a hand and pushed him gently forward. He stumbled into the middle and as the demon and vampire joined him, the lights finally stopped flickering.

The sight of the four bodies, all pointing in different directions, could only mean one thing. Azazel wasn't about to be kept waiting. Gingerly, Sam put one foot out and nudged a body over. It was easy to recognize, through the blood, the hunter Sheila. Her mouth was slack, eyes staring up at the ceiling as her expression remained a frozen mask of horror and pain.

Behind him, Benny ran his hand over a wall. "This is all fresh," he whispered.

"Would have to be," Meg said as she came up beside him, eyes rolling up and then down to take in the puddles of blood. "When you make a call, the blood has to be fresh."

"A call? Who'd he be calling?" Sam asked, eyeing the sigils and pentagrams painted on every surface of the circular room.

"Why don't you ask him?" she countered, and Sam realized that standing at the second floor rail was his brother. Meg hadn't turned but apparently had felt him coming. His brother's skin was cracking at the pressure of the creatures within and Sam could clearly see, even with the glare of light, the lines of blood starting to weep. He may have been Michael's true vessel, but there wasn't room for too many souls inside of him.

It was then Sam realized that if Azazel and Michael took the souls from the Lethe, his brother would break apart the same way Castiel had.

"Dean."

His brother's eyes were a glinting green, hard and unfeeling, as he stared down at them. "Never will see who I am now, will you, Sam?" Michael had a way of making Dean's voice terrifyingly static and cold.

"I know my brother is in there," Sam said as he watched him slowly walk around the second level, like a vulture ready to swoop down. "I'm not giving up on him."

"You should, Sam, really. It'd be so much easier." The green eyes went over the others. "You brought a vampire bodyguard. Azazel will be pleased." Then his eyes locked on Meg, not showing much emotion. "And my brother's pet."

When he said that, a lightbulb cracked and exploded as if to accent his hate.

"Let me talk to Dean. I need to know-"

"You'll get nothing until that demon is locked up." He jerked his chin at Meg and then tossed down a pair of handcuffs. "You'll see the place I want you on. Hope you're ready to bleed."

Meg let the cuffs hang from her fingers. "Show him his brother."

"All this for Winchesters, Meg? Didn't Azazel teach you better?" His head tilted. "He'll see his brother after we start."

The low snarls had Benny turning and Sam with him. Neither could see the hellhounds but they could hear them, and the shelves rattled as one of the invisible beasts bumped it. As they turned around to follow the bloody tracks the hounds made, Sam noticed a smaller demon standing in the corner and recognized Crowley when he stepped out from the shadows.

"Now isn't this interesting?" Michael asked. "Crowley was more than willing to tattle on your plans, despite his deal with the both of you."

"I made a deal," Sam protested.

"You did. You'll get your brother back. When I'm done," Michael said.

"You're cheating him," Meg said but she looked more bored than interested.

"Not exactly." Michael leaned over the edge. Meg sneered at him and then gestured at the Crossroads demon.

"What'd you promise the pompous prick?"

"Crowley, you do remember that I'll give you Hell when I take my share of the Lethe souls, right?"

"Of course." Crowley looked at Sam. "Sorry, Moose. A deal is a deal but if you don't sign the contract, I don't have to hold to it when the big boss is in charge. Unfortunate little problem. I won't mind having Hell back to myself. Michael might not be as bad as boss as Abaddon."

"You son of a bitch."

Benny held him back, noticing that Crowley wasn't alone. "Leave it. We're stuck for now."

"Yes, you have noth…" Michael stopped himself as his entire body did a twitch and he growled, fighting down whatever was inside of him. Sam leaned forward, anticipating Dean, but Michael straightened up and gave a pleasant smile. "Come on, while the blood is still fresh."

Still looking annoyed, Meg snapped herself into the cuffs as demons began to appear from the archives to surround Sam and Benny.

---

Maine…

Castiel made his presence known in the Hundred Mile the moment he arrived. Frustration with what had to be done made this so much worse and he let his power stretch out and snap, the singing sound of his Grace filling the air. He was worried and angry; Nyx had wanted him to stay but hadn't stopped him when he'd told her to stay with Kevin. They were as safe as he could make them and now he let his emotions appear on the surface, raw and powerful. The trees rattled and shook as lightning creased the skies at his landing, creating a brilliant relief of his shadow wings as they coiled around him and then disappeared.

The other angels close by dispersed immediately to form a loose ring around the clearing he had come to. Only Camael stayed still. Castiel nodded to him as he crossed the forest floor, but he didn't stop, forcing the angel to walk beside him

"She's fed, Castiel. But not healed."

"On what?" he asked, eyes on the den amongst the trees.

"A demon or two that went too close. We never saw them again. There were humans. They may have been bit." He jerked his chin in the direction of the trails that led to campsites. "We're trying to track them but I'm not sure they were infected. Those that were attacked ran and they haven't stopped running."

He noticed Castiel's irritated disappointment. "I'm sorry, Castiel."

"Get the others out of the way," Castiel snapped as he stopped and unsheathed his angel sword. Camael disappeared as Castiel quickly cut his palm open, letting the smell of blood get in the air. His eyes were on the dark makeshift den, with its thick cover and mud. Inside he could feel her. It was just a matter of getting out before her power, what was left of it, ensnared him.

"Come on," he whispered and his power flexed around him. "Cnila Cal."

The illusion warped around him as he used his Grace to force it to come together. Like a ghost, he made Adam's peeling wreck of a body appear, gravelly voice calling to Eve. It worked slowly and was deceptive enough that Castiel saw the other angels looking nervous. The mud and brush shifted around angrily and then slowly, dragging nearly useless limbs after her, Eve came. Castiel backed up as the illusion shattered under her building power.

Eve's eyes were completely red and her tortured body was nearly unrecognizable, the decay of her power showing in the body she rode.

"Cassss-teee-eelllle." She had to force her tongue to form the word. "Cassss-teee-eelllle." Her head tilted down and then up. Reaching into her own mouth, she fixed her tongue and then cracked her jaw back into place, so her voice was nearly normal. "Hello, Castiel."

"Eve."

Her body straightened as much as she could and the feral look in her red eyes wandered over him. "You brought family. I'm going to tear you all apart."

Castiel watched her come a few feet closer. "Don't you want to tear apart the creature really responsible for you losing Adam, for tricking you?"

Her reddened eyes fixed on him. "He tricked me."

"Come on." Castiel circled her and his power gathered around him. "I'll show you him if you're not too weak."

He alighted into the air to her goaded scream of anger, shooting across time and space for the bunker, leaving his trail open to be followed.

---

"You can run on for a long time. Run on for a long time."

Meg leaned on the wall, feeling the breath of a hellhound on her leg. It snapped at her face, forcing her head to turn, and then prowled over to the other hounds sitting near the archives. Across from her what was once Dean Winchester was singing in bad imitation of Johnny Cash. After making sure she was chained to the wall, he was finishing his sigils while Crowley stood near Sam and Benny with the other demons. The Crossroads demon looked too smug.

Meg knew he'd betray them but she had an idea it would cost him. Chained to the side, Sam and Benny were just as quiet as she was, biding their own time.

"You know, I wanted you here to witness this, Sam." It was Azazel speaking, Meg could tell by the silky way he said the words. "You saw the Lethe once, didn't you?" He fixed his coat. "Except for the vampire, everyone here has been touched by the Lethe in someway."

"This where you tell me your master plan?" Meg muttered. "So hackneyed."

She regretted her words as Azazel pounced and wrapped his hand around her wrist, squeezing so the iron cuff bit into her skin. "No." He used his knife to slit open her jacket, parting the leather so he could rest the tip over her heart. "Is this where you stall me until your angel shows up?" he asked.

Meg looked away and he made a disappointed moue.

"Aw, Meg. Darling, you know that I know you. You're predictable. Getting rid of Abaddon, trying to turn the others against me? Classic. But you forget one thing," Azazel said as he leaned in so his lips brushed her ear. "I taught you all you know. No demon will forget that you chose an angel over us." His breath was hot in her ear. "You were a sad little thing when I found you and you are pathetic now. Nothing's changed."

Meg shut her eyes and tried to ignore how those words made her skin crawl.

---

"Come on, Nyx," Kevin said as he sat across from her on the floor. He had to reach out to touch the stone tablets, to reassure himself that they were there. "I need your help."

He could hear her shuffling around.

"Is there anyway of stopping this without killing anyone?" he muttered to himself. Nyx shifted, her feet making scuffing sounds and he knew that sound, could picture her biting her lower lip and looking at her toes. She was hiding something. "Nyxie?"

"It's a secret."

"Why is it a secret?"

"The man in black told me. Doors have-ta open."

"What, why?"

"Because." Nyx sounded frustrated by his stupidity. "They wrote the story that way."

"Then how do we open this door?" He scrambled for a tablet and knew when he touched the demon one, where it told how the doorway to Hell could open up other places as well. "The door to the Lethe?"

"Don't." Nyx's voice was small and frightened. "Don't."

"Why not? We can save your parents this way."

"She's not happy," Nyx whispered. "Gonna be angry."

Kevin reached out, searching for her soft dark hair to pat. "Your mom won't be angry with us."

"Gonna be mad," Nyx said.

Kevin's head turned sharply and he suddenly wished he could see her. "Nyx?"

"Don't like this game," she said, shoving away from him. He heard the tablets crash to the floor and tried to catch them. "He's gonna hurt Dean."

"Nyxie, please. I need your help, I can't read the tablets anymore."

Nyx sighed. "You read."

"I just told you, I can't!" he shouted but before he could regret it, he felt her hands on the sides of his face. She held him steady and he sucked in deep breaths to keep himself calm. For such a small child, her comfort was so real that he gathered her up in his arms and hugged her. Nyx hugged him back. "They told me that the trials would be over, then I wouldn't feel anything. What was the way out?"

Nyx pulled back a little and he suddenly had a vision of her staring at him, wide blue eyes and smiling mouth. "Me."

---

Meg watched Azazel as he bound her arm with the rubber tubing and positioned a small metal bowl . "Waste not, want not. Right, Meg?" he asked lowly and she stared into his yellow eyes.

"You don't have to do this to rule Hell, father. All you're going to do is destroy yourself," she whispered, trying to wheedle him. He stared into her eyes searchingly. Then without any warning he slapped her hard enough that her head rocked on her shoulders.

"Don't tell me how it should be, child." He grabbed her by the chin. "You lost what I raised you to be. For what reason?"

She glared back at him. Unlike the others, she wasn't torn apart by guilts that Dean was in there. She only saw Azazel and just twined around him, in a morbid parody of a lover's embrace, was Michael.

"I don't quite get it, boss." Crowley was reclined in the chair. "Why even bother with the bitch?"

Azazel didn't answer, just stared at Meg. "I held your deal, remember? I know all the sordid details of your past."

She looked away.

"The hate, the anger, the lusts. You just wanted freedom, from everything that hurt you. For a price of course." He took a hunk of her hair and turned her head back, ignoring her struggles. "I gave you all of that and look how you betray me."

The alarm in the bunker went off and he smiled, kissing her forehead before he breathed out against her skin, "Company is here."

He spun neatly on his foot and had the angel sword at Castiel's throat before the angel could sneak up on him. Blue eyes wide, Castiel put his hands in the air submissively.

"Castiel, welcome to the party."

"Azazel." Castiel didn't move an inch but his eyes went to Meg. "Meg, are any of you hurt?"

"Not yet." Azazel nudged him with the tip of the sword and waved his hand. "Sit. Please."

The angel didn't move and Azazel rolled his eyes back, transforming into Michael again with just a flicker of power. "Brother, I am giving you the option that if I kill you, you at least get to look at the demon when you die. Take it. You're already pitiful enough as it is without pretending you're stronger than I am."

Meg met Castiel's eyes and shook her head just a little. The angel stepped back beside her, directly into the sigil that would weaken him and he felt it slowly zapping his power.

"Now it's a party," Azazel murmured in open delight as he clamped the other set of chains on Castiel.

None of the demons noticed Benny stretching his hands against his ropes to reach for his pant-leg.

"So, Crowley. A history lesson. Torture strengthens demons."

"Yes. So?"

"None of you can see it, can you? Why it is so hard to kill her, why she can touch the Lethe. Under the surface our little Meg is the survivor that she was born to be."

Azazel had her arm tight in his hold and he sliced the angel sword into her skin. "I chose her because of what she was. I felt how it could be, what she could have been born before. Maybe she has been touched by God before, maybe she is just a cockroach. She was forgotten. The way all weapons are left to rust, really. Left to be a slave to a cause."

"A weapon," Crowley repeated as he watched Azazel drain blood into the bowl.

"Didn't work so well at the time. Souls are difficult to manipulate but Meg was particularly… difficult. She was so strong in conviction, that I had to break her faith first. Then that faith snapped and it was so easy." He twisted the knife into a nerve to hear her cry out. "I think I was the only one to ever see that. Even Meg doesn't know why I chose her."

Meg kept her eyes on Castiel and saw his confusion at Azazel's obscure rambling.

"It explains their attraction. Angels can be attracted to demons in a strange way. Demons are nothing more than Lucifer's answer to angels. Like moths to a flame. Only there was something more in her, something only I saw," Azazel continued. Meg finally looked at him and he smiled. "The soul always remembers what it wants, what it could have been. Maybe Meg always dreamed of Heaven and thought she'd be worth it."

He tilted his head and leaned in. "Didn't you ever wonder why I took you?"

Meg didn't blink. "I don't remember why."

"That's a shame." Azazel leaned back. "Castiel would likely find it fascinating."

"I love interesting stories," Crowley teased, and he looked at Castiel. "Did you like tainting the angelic reserves, hmm?"

Castiel looked away and Meg twitched as the blade sunk deeper.

"I wonder how deep that connection is." Azazel dug deeper. "Who knows your true name, Meg, besides me?" Her eyes were on Castiel again and the demon noticed. "You trusted him with it? So he can what? Chain you to him?"

She refused to look at him.

"You love him?" He forced her chin to turn. "Deny it and I'll let you live, bring you and that bastard into our fold. We can rule. Admit your love and you'll be cast into the Pit after I bleed you dry."

"Meg," Castiel whispered but she wasn't listening to him.

"I did love you as my father," Meg muttered. "Even though I knew I was being forced to it."

"Obedience," Azazel agreed. "You were so good at that for a long time."

"But I love him out of free will." Her eyes went black and focussed on him. "And that's something you never had out of me."

He hissed and slapped her across the mouth. "Whore."

She crumpled down and Castiel caught her as best as he could. Powerless from the sigil, all he could do was hold Meg as they both stared at the demons. Azazel gave them a disgusted look and turned away, hopping down the steps towards the rear of the bunker. Meg's arm throbbed with pain and over Castiel's shoulder, she looked at Benny. The vampire eyed her in return and she slid her toe to her pant-leg, exposing just a tiny glimmer of silver. He nodded and leaned back, closing his eyes as if resting.

Suddenly, Crowley gave Sam a playful punch on the shoulder. "Just like old times, huh?"

"Should have known you'd have a hand in this." Sam squirmed his hands in the ropes.

Meg felt Castiel's hand moving on her leg, the pretence of checking her for wounds. Their eyes met and he nodded, understanding what she wanted as he loosened the straps .

"What can I say, Sammy? I'm an opportunist. You don't live this long without picking the right horse to bet on." Crowley walked across to Castiel and knelt down, yanking him away from the other demon. Meg yanked at the bindings on her hands but he was too far from her reach. "Isn't that right, old partner?"

Castiel glared at him and with a shove, Crowley pushed Meg away.

"Nothing personal, darling, but old Castiel and I. Well." He pulled an angel sword out and let it glint in the light. "We have unfinished business."

"Crowley." The cold monotone voice of Michael made him look up to see Dean Winchester back in the room, holding the bowl now laced with herbs. "Don't kill him."

"Why not?" Crowley demanded and Michael's eyes, shining with Grace, focussed on Meg as he knelt beside them both.

"Because if you kill him, the demon will be more unmanageable." He grabbed her by her hair and pulled her after him. Meg swore, struggling to get to her feet, and Castiel lurched forward.

"Ah ah. Don't be stupid, Cassie." Crowley stopped him with a subtle lean, the blade of the angel sword resting point down on his stomach. "Funny thing, isn't it? Life?"

He waited for Castiel to look back at him before continuing. "You said you'd come back and end me, burn me out. Because of Meg." He leaned harder and the blade slid into Castiel's stomach an inch. The angel grunted, teeth clenched to muffle the sound as scorching pain tore a tiny hole through him. "But here we are. You get to be on the receiving end."

Azazel's murmuring made both demon and angel look over to see him kneeling beside Meg, holding her still despite her pulling. The room trembled as the air around them seemed to close in. "Lethaeum ad limen. Tibi dico. Lethaeum ad limen." He paused, cutting his own hand to drip blood over a blood sigil beside Meg. She twisted, breathing hard to hide the pain when he drew a matching one on her exposed arm with the knife. "Qui cum exiit dæmonium a sanguine. Arte Dei. Lethaeum ad limen. Tibi dico. Videam, quæso."

The temperature in the bunker seemed to drop and there was a low vibration coming through the ground, one that Castiel could feel through his hands. Every exhale of breath was steamy from the cold and he tried to move, only to feel Crowley pushing the angel sword into his stomach again.

Absurdly, Sam started to laugh and the demons closest to him grabbed hold to shut him up, smacking him down when he didn't stop.

"Something funny there, Moose?" Crowley asked without looking over from where he was torturing Castiel.

"Yeah, actually." Even though he was flat on the ground, Sam struggled and managed to lift his head a few inches from the floor. "You don't think we were ready for this? We even left the front door open."

From where he was holding Meg, Azazel looked up from painting sigils on her skin. Crowley leaned on the sword but didn't move it. The shelves and their contents were starting to rattle, bottles clicking and books toppling, and the lights began to snap on and off quickly, creating a strobe effect.

"What're you talking about?"

Sam grinned at them both. "Why do you think Cas was so late?"

Crowley's head snapped back to see Castiel staring at him. The faintest sign of a smirk was there. "You feathered bastard."

The booming noise began in the back and lights began to flicker on and off. In Azazel's grip, Meg laughed though it caused her to choke. His fingers pinched and squeezed on her throat, the knife on her arm cutting deeper so that more blood dripped into the sigil basin he had pulled over. Catching her eye, he narrowed his gaze and held her by the jaw. Her bruised cheek was cut just below the eye and he leaned over to sniff at her blood.

"How many betrayals do you have left in you, Meg?" he asked softly.

The archives were filled with rushing air and heat, as if someone had suddenly set the furnace and generators on high. Let go, Sam rolled a little towards Benny and began to rasp the ropes on the sharp edge of the grating as he kept his eye on them all. Benny, aware of the demons now confused by what was coming, bent over and began to saw the ropes on the knife in his boot.

The entire bunker trembled as Eve arrived in a flourish fitting what she had once been. With her twisted body and gangly limbs, she was a shadow of a monster, the jutting bones and torn skin fragments of the beauty she had held. Her eyes were now like twin flames in the skullish face, orange light dancing over red iris. Long fingers clasped into fists, she turned her head slowly around, searching for something.

Castiel made sure to keep his eyes on the floor, slumped as the blade piercing his skin went a little deeper in. Eve moved fast when she saw who straddled him and Crowley howled in pain as she flung him away from the angel and then crunched her hand into a fist. Her power snared and held him suspended in the air, like a fly dangling from a spider's web. Eve's head tilted back and she looked at the demons wavering. They backed away as one until one finally found his courage and started forward.

Eve snapped her fingers and he exploded. The hellhounds, still prowling the archives, charged forward. Only to skit to a halt when Eve growled deeply in their direction and the shelves around them collapsed as they fell to their bellies, cowed. She swiped her hand through the air and sent the rest of the demons to their knees as well, the hellhounds yipping as her power slowly began to pull them apart, until black blood coated the floor in oozing trails. She had been saving all of this for her revenge, and the hounds' black blood leaked across the floor.

The yellow-eyed demon only smirked as he watched.

"Eve, it's been a while," Azazel said as he clamped Meg's cuffs around the post against the wall. He twisted his angel sword around and slammed it into Meg's palm, pinning her hand. The demon screamed at the pain, hand lodged to the cement, and she hung there, her shackled wrist twisted as she sagged down to her knees. Azazel stepped over her to the centre of the room, eyes on Eve alone.

Freed from Crowley, Castiel launched himself forward to reach Meg. Without turning, Eve lifted her hand and Castiel was thrown in the opposite side of the room. He landed heavily beside Sam and Benny and he had to spit up blood, aware of pain crunching through him as Eve's power drove through the air in waves.

Benny grabbed him and Sam met his eyes. "Go. While they're distracted."

Castiel looked over his shoulder and saw that Meg wasn't watching; she was trying to get free, while Crowley was still hanging limp, blood weeping from his eyes as Eve kept up the pressure. Eyes lingering on her face, as if he was afraid she would break and disappear, Castiel had to force himself to turn and run down the aisle, followed by the remaining demons who noticed him.

"You used me, used my family," Eve snarled.

"I use everyone." With Dean's slow swagger, the creatures inside of his body conveyed the same easy confidence that he might have but with far more menace. His constantly changing eyes, from green to yellow to green, showed how volatile he was. "Don't take it so personally."

She waved her hand and sent him crashing to the floor. "You arrogant ass." She stepped up slowly, bare feet leaving bloody prints when she crossed the sigil lines. "My kind were natural, created by God. The demons, they were freaks. Abominations. And you? You're the worst of all. If you were to separate you would die."

"Your kind?" The cold voice of Michael boomed through the room as he stood. "Your kind were the beasts my Father was too weak to destroy, to drown like the rats you were."

The singing sound of his power and the glow of tattered wings and angelic Grace filled the bunker.

"Benny, shut your eyes," Sam warned and the vampire slammed his hands down on the knife edge, severing the ropes before he twisted down and covered his eyes. The room exploded into light and they felt the heat saturate as the sounds of roaring flew through the air. The demons closest to the centre shrieked as they were incinerated by the power Michael was exuding to intimidate the Mother.

When the light faded just a little, there were no demons left except for Crowley and Meg, still hanging in the air. Skin scorched and eyes still fiery, Eve stood.

"I will rip you apart," she threatened and the rush of air in the room became hot once again. Like ants, a group of monsters seemed to appear from the shadows of the archives, brought in by the tail end of their mother's power. "You used my children."

Michael's head twitched up and he looked directly in the direction Castiel had run to. The loud flutter of cloth and wings and Grace filled the air and Eve unclenched her fists, dropping Crowley head first into the tiled floor. His head cracked on the tile and he lay unconscious in a heap. Still ignored, Meg pulled her legs back from his body, sill fighting with the cuff.

Michael smirked as the angels that stood on in a semi-circle around them. One caught his eye. "Camael."

The angel stepped forward from his brothers and sisters, youthful face sad. "I'm sorry, Michael. So sorry."

His eyes went to Eve and she snarled. Her fingers outstretched and the two angels closest to her were flung backwards. The others watched as Michael turned away, slowly transforming into Azazel as he reached into his coat. Sam and Benny skirted around the circle of angels, grasping the shelves to hold on as a whirlwind of power began to tear around the circular room. The angels started for the monsters and the infected creatures began to howl in terrifyingly inhuman way.

But all Sam could see was his brother and knew he needed to fight through the monsters to get to him.

Meg slumped down, fingers limp. It had been easy to plan this all until she was here. The angels had been Castiel's back-up, his distraction, and his hope that sheer numbers could turn this around. But her own plans felt like they had been shattered by how ready Azazel had been for her. The pain in her hand ached so badly she forced herself to look at it instead of Castiel. The angel sword was planted into the brick and no matter how she pulled she was still stuck against the wall.

Another hand slipped around her wrist and she looked up to see Castiel stooped protectively over her. He wrenched the knife out of her hand and blocked as an angel that had attacked Michael was tossed in their direction, and he bore the brunt of its weight before it flew off again. Meg met Castiel's eyes as he fought to get the chains free from the post they were wrapped around and then he looked away to focus. The post snapped in two as he pulled so hard that she cried out at the pain the tight pressure caused, but she was free.

Castiel cupped her neck with his hand, wordlessly asking her if she was okay and Meg let herself lean into him as he tried to get the iron undone.

Eve's fighting was hitting its crescendo as bodies slapped together, as she tried to reach the angel she wanted to kill. The protective group of angels tangled together in a blur of light and Grace, buying Castiel the time he needed. As the chains finally opened, there was a flash of silver and Meg reached out, grasping him by the collar and pulling him forward on instinct to save him. The angel sword still scraped along his spine, and the pain scorched up his flesh as Grace wept from the open wound.

Meg pushed him under her to protect him and her hand went to her ankle, catching the hilt of her own knife. The sharp edge sliced open the buckled leather and she twisted on her knees, blocking the angel sword on its second swipe downwards.

Dean Winchester's face, looming over her, was like déjà vu but she knew what she was looking at. Castiel twisted and his angel sword slipped free to his hand though he had to struggle to get to his feet.

"We're not done yet," Azazel snarled. Meg balanced on her knees, and dodged the jab towards her neck, ducking under his arm. It was Azazel controlling the body, she knew, when his yellow eyes fixed on her.

He smiled. "Not ready for you to die, Meg, not yet. Don't make me kill you."

"You won't get that close," Meg whispered.

"Won't I?" He moved fast, faster than she could block and she cried out as his fist cracked against her jaw, sending her to the ground. Through the stars in her vision, she saw that Eve was still fighting the angels but headed towards them and in her desperation she was tossing bodies left and right. Getting her legs under her, Meg sprang up into Azazel and felt the blade graze her side before Azazel threw her off once again, her back slamming into the wall. Closest to her, Benny grabbed for her hand but was thrown away as Azazel stalked toward Meg. Castiel was on him next, holding his arm to block the blow, and Azazel's eyes shifted to green as the angel inside took over.

He choked through the hold on his throat, "Oh, little brother."

Castiel felt the tear in his back deepen as he struggled to hold him and he began to pant. "Fight him, Dean."

"Didn't you hear?" Grunting, he twisted and sent Castiel over his shoulder with a flip. Michael sounded bored as he licked his bloody lips. "Dean Winchester has left you all."

Castiel ducked a coming jab and stooped to catch up a second angel sword that had dropped. Blocking a strike, he rocked forward as he flipped the blades flat to his wrists. Michael charged and struck, trying to get purchase on the slippery ground, and Castiel spun, blocking the blow from one side and then the other. He focussed only on Michael as he fought, parrying with both blades before going on the attack. His fingers tightened around the hilts as Michael picked up a knife a demon had dropped and began to fight back harder. The clash of metal was loud, overcoming even the animalistic growls of the monsters.

Feinting to the side, Castiel dropped to a knee and slammed a sword into Michael's thigh. The angel howled and slashed up, catching Castiel on the side of his face. The wound wept light and he staggered backwards for a step or two before advancing again. The closer he came, the more desperately Michael fought.

Until he backed up into Meg. Realizing the advantage, he stepped downward and grazed her neck with the knife before she could move. Her shocked cry threw Castiel off for a heartbeat but it was long enough for Michael to grab him by the arm and break his grip on the first sword.

He tossed the other angel into the wall with a whip-crack of power and stepped over Meg, who was struggling to get free from the rubble her legs were covered in. Suddenly caught up in his hate, Michael grabbed Castiel by his shoulders and ignored the loud battle going on behind him.

"Dean has such strange memories. You once beat him to within an inch of his life for not fulfilling your faith." He lifted him close. "Maybe I should return the favour."

Without any hesitation, he pinned Castiel up against the wall and began to slam his fist into his face repeatedly. Even when Castiel ducked and his fist hit the cement, Michael continued until Castiel couldn't dodge the power behind those blows. His head rocked back into the wall, skull cracking repeatedly, and he saw the hate in what had once been his friend.

"Michael… stop… this…"

"Oh no, little brother. This is just what you deserve." He hauled him close. Castiel glimpsed Meg slowly getting to her feet, sliding in the blood around her, and Sam helping the angels battle the monsters, Benny at his back protecting him. He had to keep Michael distracted, he knew; it was why he weakly went to hit him back just to enrage him. Michael tossed him down to his knees and the angel sword in his hand flashed down, burying into his right shoulder and Castiel couldn't stop the scream of pain from escaping his throat.

"I'm going to make you watch them all die, Castiel. Then you can feel what it is to lose it all, the way I did," Michael began, lifting his fist again.

A smaller hand grabbed onto his wrist and used his forward momentum to throw him into the wall across Castiel. Looking ragged, Meg limped in front of Castiel, an angel sword in her hand as she shakily swayed on her feet. Castiel stared up at the back of her, well aware of the pride he felt as he watched her stand in his defence, and then he looked at Michael as he picked himself up. The smaller demon stood between them, sword held up in threat.

The way Michael used Dean's face for his cold smile was chilling. "Really. You? You're going to save him?"

"Yeah," Meg whispered. "Wouldn't be the first time."

"You can barely stand." Michael dabbed at the blood in his eye. "And your father is very angry with you."

"Fuck him." With her other hand, Meg clutched her wounded side, struggling to concentrate through it while around them monsters and angels battled.

"Such language." Michael circled towards Sam.

Castiel fought to heal himself, the drain from Eve making it harder and harder for his Grace to manipulate the air around them. His loud wince distracted Meg and she glanced back, wondering why he wasn't getting up. Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted movement.

Michael ran for her and Meg blocked the blow just as the sword came towards her face. The weapon nicked her neck neatly before he grabbed her arm, Meg squirming as she tried to stop him from getting too much of a hold. But as Michael reached for her jaw and head, he felt searing pain in his neck and heard a loud growl.

Eve grappled onto his back like a wasp, teeth buried deep into his throat. He dropped Meg, blade slicing through her chest in a shallow wound before he and Eve went down together. Unable to stop the fall, she landed across the blood sigil, struggling to find purchase as the power whipping around them once again began to tear through the air.

"Benny!" Sam shouted, tossing him the axe as the vampire dodged a werewolf and caught its snout in his hand. It snapped at him, paws digging into his arm until the muscle and flesh were torn to ribbony strips. Benny snarled, knocking it back with his good arm as he started forward. Sam gripped the back of his coat as they managed to pull free from the fight. Benny grabbed hold of Eve's dark hair and Sam grabbed onto Dean's coat, hauling forward.

Together, they ripped the pair apart and Benny swung the axe down hard, beheading the Mother in a neat swipe. Her eyes still blinked, mouth slack in her surprise. Dean's body twisted around, poison pumping into his body as he fought the infection. Azazel and Michael's twin voices, twisted and screaming, were stuck in a harmony that wouldn't stop. The infection was burning into them.

Tossed to the side, Benny and Sam sprawled on the ground and watched as the two creatures fought death. Murmuring for them to stay out of the way, Castiel crawled a few feet towards Meg as he tried to ignore the throbbing in his back .

The Mother twitched, half-dead now as her exhausted power refused to save Eve. Benny cradled his torn arm and winced, looking around at the angels slowly chasing the monsters out of the building, intent on hunting them down. Sam only had eyes for his brother as he watched him fall to his back, no longer breathing. Despite Castiel's loud warning, he scrambled through the slippery mess on the floor to go to his side.

"Dean, Dean," Sam whispered, getting to his knees beside him. "I know you're in there, come on."

He slapped him gently on the face. "I won't let you die."

Dean's eyes fluttered. "Sam?" he asked in a weak voice and Sam nodded, smiling. "That you?"

"It's me. You're going to be okay." His eyes widened as Dean's eyes opened and he realized that his gaze wasn't green but yellow.

"Sucker." Azazel shoved him off and threw Benny down one of the aisles. The remaining angels around them screamed as his power lashed out in hot waves. Castiel turned, realizing he was going to try to kill them, and his eye caught Camael's. A moment of understanding, of shared thought, caused the other angel to nod and with a pop in the air he and the other angels disappeared. Castiel fell to his stomach, and looked up to see that Michael and Azazel were equally sharing the body now, the face beneath Dean's a terrible blend of tortured demon and angelic Grace. His body contorted as he stood up and went to the wall with the largest sigil, fingers drawing rapidly with the blood from Meg's body.

"Sam! Sam, stop him!" Castiel shouted, still struggling to get to Meg. His fingers grazed hers and he saw her black eyes open to stare at him. The demon's head lifted wearily from the floor and they both watched as this time Michael began to chant as Sam ran for him.

"Da mihi animas. Da mihi in lucem, da mihi, pacem. Ostende mihi chaos. De sanguine daemonia. De cruore corrupto. Cum promissione de iudicio. Tibi dico. Aperi ostium. Patefacio! Aperite!"

The roaring in the air transformed from feral to that of a brass bell before dropping to silence. Michael looked around, bewildered by the stillness in the air, but then there was the snick of matches being struck. A hiss and the low snarl of flames.

Begging for forgiveness, Sam slammed a discarded angel sword into Dean's back just as the sigil on the wall burst into light. Castiel reached for Meg's hand just as the beams of light flooded the room and sent them all into darkness.

---

Even far away in the safe-house, Kevin felt the change. His fingers tightened in the pages he was holding and he felt it with all his being that it had worked. He had thought the spell was a dud but it had been the right one. Standing from the couch, he shakily reached out for where Nyx had been sleeping in the armchair.

"I'm sorry," he whispered. "Nyx."

As his hands touched nothing but the old cushions and she didn't answer him, a deep knowing fear filled him.

"Nyx?" Kevin whispered again, realizing she had left him alone.

---

The Lethe..

The breeze caressed his injured back, cooling the fiery burn, and Castiel lay still with his eyes closed. The sand beneath his face scratched his skin and he felt the slow crawl of water creeping up his body in lapping waves. It soaked his shirt and coat, the saltwater cleansing the wounds and bringing feeling back to his skin. He breathed out slowly, eyelids fluttering as visions of darkness and dotted starlight slowly left him. All he could do was lie there and try to find the strength to move.

Where was he?

"Daddy?" The piping, clear voice was close and he managed to weakly roll his head to the side, still resting his cheek on the sand as he looked through blurry eyes to see in the distance a small dark haired girl. Favouring his injured back, he stretched his hand out and dug his fingers into the sand. She was in the distance, a small mirage that waved and called to him again. "Daddy!"

"Nyx?"

He heard her laughter and then she was gone. Castiel rocked his head back down and closed his eyes, exhausted and wanting to sleep and enjoy the peace he felt here. He felt oddly protected, loved, content to forget the rest of the world. He heard Nyx calling to him again, but he let himself fall asleep instead of going to her.

Sam woke with a start, head aching and mouth dry. The familiar other-worldly sensation, one he had come to know from his seizures, from time spent under the influence of demons or angels, was there but not the shaking or the pain. He rolled to his stomach and pushed himself up onto his feet find that he was alone on a beach. The warmth in the air felt good on his skin but he knew it was a trick. He had been here before, in a seductive vision he had rejected once.

"Dean? Cas!" he called out but he saw nothing to answer his call. "Meg!"

"Sam." Her voice was low behind him, her opaque eyes searching the area.

"Meg. Where are we?"

"Lethe, Sam." She looked around the barren landscape. "Or part of it."

"Have you seen them?" he asked and she shook her head. "We have to find Azazel and Michael, before they cause more damage."

"I think they already are causing it, Sam," Meg whispered. "Can you feel it?"

Confused, he tried to focus on calm and his breathing slowed as he listened hard to what his instincts were telling him. Then he realized what Meg meant. The stillness was wrong and threatening.

"Come on," she murmured, pushing past him up the beach. Sam kept close behind her.

"How do you know we're going in the right direction?"

"I just do," she answered before springing into a run. So intent on keeping up with her, Sam didn't notice how her body flickered grey for just a little.

---

"Castiel. You're sound asleep. Naughty angel," a woman said and, waking up with a soft murmur, Castiel turned over. He lazily opened his eyes to see Meg standing over him. Or at least, he thought it was Meg.

"Meg?" It was so hard to see her through the sunlight that shone in his eyes.

Her laughter was warm. "I can't leave you for a moment."

"Are you hurt?"

"No, not yet." She knelt down beside him, fingers sliding into his clothes, and before he could stop her she was kissing him. Gratitude that she was alive flooded him and he kissed her back hard, touching her skin to reassure himself that this was truly Meg.

But when he felt how hot her skin was, when he tasted her lips, he knew he was wrong. Shoving her away, he wiped his hand across his mouth and stared at the vision of Meg as she chuckled, the smoky tones changing to girlish laughter. Her face rippled and broke apart like a mask shattering, revealing a red haired woman beneath. He hadn't seen the primordial god in her element before, had never thought to see her again.

Sheol stared at him as if he were a bug to be squashed.

"Not bad, Castiel." She lewdly licked her lips. "I can taste the attraction." Fixing her white skirts around herself, she sat down and drew a heart in the sand. "Why are you here?"

"Azazel and Michael, they are going to tear the souls out of the Lethe."

"Oh, I know that." She rolled her eyes as she drew a jagged line through the heart. "I mean why are you here?"

"Where's Meg?" he demanded and Sheol smirked. "What have you done to her?"

"This is the place she once longed to come back to." Sheol tilted her head back to enjoy the sunlight. "Before you took her all was right with my demon. Before I gave you her, that is."

"Be kind to the angel, sister." Not caring that his sudden appearance caused the angel to jump, Death took a seat on the other side of Castiel. "He always was a bit slow to learn."

Castiel closed his eyes, praying this was a nightmare. "I just want to find Meg."

"Just Meg? Not the Winchesters?" Death dusted sand off his trousers. "This is a crucible for them, you know. Dean's body will not hold up to three strong souls any longer, nor will it support the millions here. An angel taking souls couldn't last, why should he?"

"Why are you both here?" Castiel snapped.

"I only woke up because of you all tampering with my domain." Sheol was pouting now. "I want all of you out."

"Then punish Azazel and Michael, only let me take Meg, Sam and Dean."

Sheol's grin was wicked. "Only them?"

"He doesn't know so don't play games, Sheol," Death pointed out. Before Castiel could ask what he meant, he shrugged a shoulder. "I suggest you let Sam handle Azazel and Michael. Dean is strong enough to reject them but he needs to find the will. Sam is that key."

"Though to be fair." Sheol stretched her long milky white legs out and wriggled her toes in the sand. "Both Azazel and Michael did exactly what I expected them to do. But they forgot one thing about the Lethe."

Castiel frowned at her and her jewel-bright eyes glimmered in humour.

"Only human souls lose their memory here."

"Where is Meg?" he asked, ignoring her smile.

Sheol eyed him. "Where you thought she would be. Here. In a way, a part of her has never left here."

Knowing they wouldn't help him, Castiel stood and began to run towards towards the tree-line in the distance and they both watched the shimmer of light that was his grace before looking in the other direction. A little girl wandered up the beach, calling to the light but the angel didn't hear her. Nyx, caught up in the same world as her parents, gave up as she drew near to Death and Sheol.

Sheol outstretched her hands. "Come on, beautiful girl, and we will tell you a story."

With no hesitation and fearless, knowing that her once enemy was now kind, Nyx settled in her lap and began to draw in the sand with her. Sheol kissed the top of her head, muttering at how big she was growing, and another warm body settle down beside her. Chuck smiled at Nyx when she looked up, and Death said nothing to the scene before him. There was something almost familial about it and disturbing to the gods they were.

"Is it a happy story?" Nyx asked Chuck nodded and reached into his bag for a stack of papers, settling them on the ground. As he began to read, the wind would tear pages off the top but he never faltered.

"Once upon a time, there were two brothers. Two brothers who only ever had each other," he said.

"They were watched by angels!" Nyx interrupted and Chuck smiled. "Just like me?"

"Yes, Nyx. Just like you."

---

Sam ran blindly as he drew closer to the trees that seemed to spring out of nowhere. He had expected this to be like Purgatory in some way, with its traps and monsters. The Lethe was endless in its own way; stagnant, static, stationary. He could run for years, he realized, and not come to its end, and never see another soul. Meg flickered beside him and he finally had to stop to breathe.

"Are we any closer?" he demanded of her and she turned slowly. Sam finally noticed how she seemed to be fading. "Meg?"

She turned, about to say something, and promptly disappeared, leaving him alone. Sam called out her name several times and then turned around in circles as a forest seemed to shoot up around him. His body hurt from top to bottom and he just wanted to rest. This place was too strange.

"Sam." Castiel came out of the trees. "It's me."

"Yeah, I know. I can tell by the way that you did your usual sudden appearance." Sam looked around. "Have you seen them?"

"No. You?"

"Nothing." Sam shook his head. "I thought Meg had led me here but I don't think it was her."

Castiel looked at the ground, finally absorbing what Sheol had said. "Part of her. It was a part of her that remained behind."

"What?" Sam looked at him in confusion as Castiel started to look around.

"Every soul has a glow about it, a spark. But after the Lethe, Meg always remained cold. No matter what. Even when we touched, it wouldn't last. As if what she had to keep her soul warm was gone. She left a fragment of herself here. That's what we both saw."

He sounded so certain that Sam decided not to argue.

"Great. So where's Sparky then?" he grumbled, no humour in his voice. "And where's my brother?"

---

Meg at first wondered if she was drowning. She couldn't see through the thickness in the water, through the cloudy darkness that surrounded her. She felt the ice in the water, felt the scramble of her legs trying to kick free of whatever was holding her. But there was no agony in her lungs, no pain of dying. She was simply stuck.

I've come too far to die now, she thought to herself and kicked out hard. The grip on her ankle left and she surged up, arms outstretching. As fingers just grazed her ankle again, another hand stole into the water and caught her by the wrist, pulling with such strength that it nearly felt like her arm was to be ripped out of its socket. Meg gulped for air as she was hauled out of the water and then laid on a cushion of grass. Choking out mouthfuls of the water, she rolled to her side and saw a pond thick with scurf before she pressed her cheek gratefully into the soil and closed her eyes.

It felt like hours before she opened her eyes again, and she saw a young red haired woman and an incredibly intimidating man staring back at her.

"I told you we would find her."

Meg squinted, not understanding what she was seeing. They were angels, her own demonic power warned her of that, but their light seemed muted. Absent of the brilliance Castiel shone with.

"She looks terrible," the man said. "Are you sure this is the one we had to save?"

"Please, Uriel. Would you look so wonderful after being in the waters of Lethe?" The redhead held her hand out to Meg and with nothing else to do, the demon took it and let herself be pulled up. "Hello, Meg."

Meg looked between them. "You're angels. Let me guess. Castiel's family?" she asked dryly.

"And Nyx's." Anna smiled at her. "We have watched her grow, Meg. For a child of a demon, for one with her parentage, she is remarkable."

"Thanks, I think." Meg ignored that little slight. "So…"

"Uriel." Anna turned to her brother. "Find them. Castiel will need our help."

The other angel nodded and flickered out. Meg was still struggling to breathe, the wounds in her chest ruby red and angry. Anna watched her trying to move before she took a seat across from her.

"It has been almost four year since we have all been in the Lethe, Meg."

"Thought angels just hung out like a waste of space after dying." She touched her injuries and winced.

"I forgot, you know nothing of our kind, not really." Anna brought her knees up to her chest. "Do you remember the month of Nyx's birth?"

Meg nodded.

"Years before, I was destroyed by Michael, burnt so that I had no form left. I wanted just eternal death but even that's denied us, you know. We remain." Suddenly, Anna looked around as if expecting something to come charging through the trees. "I was broken. Shell-less Grace put haphazardly together with no home. When Sheol's spell on the tablet broke, when angels were sent to the Lethe, we found a temporary home, those of us that died."

She reached down and touched the hem of her shirt. "The Lethe called and we went there. I didn't even feel its warmth, not until… until…"

"Until?" Meg prompted when she was silent for a while, awkwardness building. She noticed Anna was blushing a little.

"She kissed me."

"She?"

"Sheol. She kissed me and I healed. I felt what I hadn't felt in those years I spent watching the earth. I felt loved and wanted. The way our father would have once made me feel."

Meg stared at her. "And for that, you think we should have let the Lethe burn Earth?"

Anna uncomfortably squirmed. "No."

"But you're haunting my daughter?"

"The Lethe could have been our home, Meg. It was everything that Heaven had been but there was no… no…" She snapped her fingers. "Individuality but we felt at peace. But then we lost it when the Lethe closed to us. We were drifting. So we chose the closest thing we had to a healing presence. Your daughter."

Already annoyed with the lecture, Meg stood up. "Well, that's a fun story but I need to find them and get the hell out of here."

"We're going to help you. Sheol used our brother as an example, but he is still our brother." Anna smiled. "No matter what, we will bring him back to us. She brought us to the Lethe, so we will help you all leave."

"But…" Meg turned on her heel. "Nyx is here, isn't she?"

Anna stood, solemnly looking at her. "She followed you both, knowing you might need her. She's a child but you are her family."

"Take me to her."

"She's safe," Anna soothed. "Trust me."

"Trust you? Why?" Meg snapped and Anna smiled but disappeared without answering. The demon looked around and chewed thoughtfully into her lower lip. "Typical angel."

"Meg?" She felt the call through all of her body and she spun to find herself in a hold that was strong and smelled of warm angel and life. Castiel's body was solid and she relaxed thankfully. "It is you, right?"

Meg opened an eye and stared at the watching Sam. "What's with him? He's all hugs."

"I think he had a hallucination of you. Something to realizing that your…" Sam shut up when he saw the glare Castiel gave him as he let Meg go. "Have you seen Dean?"

Meg shook her head, debating on saying something to Castiel. She saw how he was though, now that he'd found her; like Sam he was too caught up now in finding the last of them. "Any thoughts on how to separate the souls from his body?"

"If Eve's bite is acting on him, maybe they'll be weaker."

"Maybe. Let's not get too hopeful," Meg answered, ignoring the way both angel and hunter glared at her.

---

The waves kept erasing the drawings that Nyx was making in the sand, usually of two figures holding hands. Chuck watched her try to illustrate his story for him.

"And the brothers thought they were doing the right thing," he finished.

"They did," she insisted and he smiled, noticing how she was already looking at the tree-line in the distance.

"Yes, they did. Because they helped protect life. They did exactly as they were supposed to."

---

Sam felt the change in the air, saw it in the way the land changed, as they walked deeper into the Lethe. The hills flattened out and then fish-bowled in to a plateau of streams and white gazebos. Dotted in a large circle at the lip of the plateau were thousands of ghostly shades standing, facing the trees to the left. All of them were motionless; even when he waved his hand through them there was no flinching or even flickering. It was as if they were waiting for an order.

Castiel stared at the souls and then followed Meg as she walked towards the trees. Her focus wasn't on the souls or even the way she felt the change in the air. It was going to happen and they had to get there before the souls were taken. Obediently, Castiel grabbed Sam's arm and made him follow them into the woods, trekking up an escarpment to a hill that that overlooked the plateau. It was a beautiful spot, lush and green with clear streams trickling down to a pool of water on the other side of the hill.

Sam looked around and spotted his brother at the top, crouched and watching the souls as he drew lines in the dirt. Up here the wind turned ice cold and something electrical seemed to hum through the air.

"Dean!" he shouted as he broke into a run, ignoring Meg's snap to stay back. It was the way his brother's back straightened and his hands flexed to fists that made him stop.

"Told you once before, Sam, he's not in here." Michael turned towards him. "But since you're here, have a drink of water, stay a while. Because when I leave, this may be the only safe place left."

Behind Meg, Castiel disappeared and she grabbed Sam's arm to hold him back. Dean's gaze turned yellow and hungry.

"Meg. Glad you could join us. Turns out I need a bit more blood to form a link."

"Not likely." Meg saw his eyes shift to green again and he pulled an angel sword out, resting it on his jaw.

"No? You might change your tune." He turned and stabbed blindly in the air. The weapon caught Castiel in the stomach and Michael held onto his shoulder as he pushed it a little deeper. "When Castiel is drained of his Grace."

This time it was Sam who held Meg back as Castiel stared at his brother, unable to speak. But he hadn't been sneaking up on him without expecting that. His coat stopped the wound from going too far in and he had to fight to focus, forcing himself even closer. Dean's face was almost unrecognizable now, twisted by what was inside of him. With his eyes on Meg, Castiel reached out and pressed his palm to Michael's head.

"I'm not a demon," the other angel hissed, trying to dislodge him but his hands were full.

"Not you," Castiel whispered as he began to glow with light. It sent them falling to the ground as he kept his hand on the sweaty forehead and began to utter a guttural exorcism. Dean's mouth opened wide as yellow smoke drifted out of his body, tearing through the air. The blood and Grace leaking out of Castiel's own body dripped on Dean's and he swayed on his knees as Azazel took over, as the demon began to push back.

"He's going to fall," Meg whispered and she launched herself into their glow, her hands burning from the sheer power they were exuding. She leapt on Dean's back and Castiel was thrown off finally, crumpled down as the sword in his stomach ripped a shallow line to his neck.

Azazel hissed as he fought with the scrappy demon on his back. "Even if you get me out of him," he threatened. "Michael will kill him."

Sam dropped to his knees and cut his hand open with the sharp edge of a stone, drawing a demon's trap on the ground quickly as Meg wrestled Azazel towards the demon trap Sam was drawing. He rolled her under him, fingers clawing at her throat. Meg's eyes caught Castiel as the light streaming out of Dean's body took on a smokey hue. Reaching out, he tried to grab her hand to pull her away.

The power around them was throbbing still, and they all saw that there were shades moving towards Dean's body. Drawn to it and Castiel knew they would be absorbed by the final end of Michael's spell.

Inside his pocket, Sam felt something warm rolling about and he dug in to find the ball that Death had given him, clutching it tight. He wasn't sure what it would do to Dean but when he looked at it, he thought he saw light dancing within. Starlight and sunlight, though he wasn't sure what it was.

"I'm going to help you, Dean," Sam whispered as he realized what he had to do.

He just had to be brave enough to do it, like Dean had been.

He leaped forward and pulled Azazel off of Meg, slapping the black ball into his mouth. On reflex the demon swallowed it and then began to howl as light poured out of his mouth and body.

Sam realized then what Death had meant by life and creation. It was God's Grace and Death going into the demon and burning him out. Clinging to him, he put him in a choke hold and tried to hold on as his body kicked and jerked. Azazel arched in pain as Meg helped hold him down, with Castiel kneeling down on his chest.

"Exorcizamus te, omnis immundus spiritus," Castiel began and Azazel howled as Castiel used his Grace to manipulate the force of the exorcism. He kept the words rhythmic as he used the hunter's exorcism to help capture the demon and force it out. Smoke poured out of Dean's body, a yellow and impure essence flooding from his mouth and dribbling like blood. Castiel watched Azazel's eyes open to stare at Sam.

"I'll kill him," he threatened. Sam ignored the demon and looked at Castiel.

"Finish it."

Castiel took in a deep breath and forced his power to crackle in the air around them. The souls were retreating, put off by what was happening, and he stared at Dean's tortured face with its yellow eyes.

"Benedictus Deus. Gloria Patri." Meg grunted as she held on, felt the pull on her own demonic essence, but Azazel screeched as the Lethe and the exorcism pulled him and Michael apart. Dean's screams became guttural as smoke poured out of his mouth and his legs kicked rapidly for several seconds before he sagged. The smoke drifting in the air coiled up and Castiel stared up at it. The shades surrounded them were gone now and he lifted his hand, letting what remained of his power to coil there.

He let loose with a blast of Grace to banish the demon and he heard its high-pitched scream.

Meg, hiding her eyes, felt the sudden heave in Dean's body at the same time that Sam shouted for her to keep hold. Strong as he was, Sam was thrown across the clearing and Castiel was tossed in the air by a well-placed kick before Meg was smacked away. Michael, now in sole control of Dean's body, stood and cracked his neck as he stared down at Meg. Savagely, he kicked out and caught her in the belly, sending her rolling away down the hillside.

She crunched into a tree trunk at the bottom of the hill, dangerously close to the pond of water, and she groaned as she tried to get to her knees. The open gaping wound from her other cuts had deepened and she closed her eyes, willing them to stop bleeding. A soft hand in her hair made her look up to see a glimmering light, just before she pushed herself up onto her hands and knees and tried to move.

Castiel scrambled to get to her as her body teetered on the edge of the water, not seeing the light that she saw. He was nearly down the hill when Michael caught him by the back of his coat and hauled him back, so close he could see the other angel behind the thin veneer of Dean's tortured face.

Behind Michael, Sam picked up the angel sword he had dropped.

"Time to stay in the Lethe, Cas. You'll like it." Michael eyed Meg again. "You both will."

"Dean."

Sam's voice was quiet, his eyes appearing tortured by what he had decided to do. Michael turned on him, dropping Castiel into a heap at his feet. The angel rolled to his side and saw Meg staring at something around them now. They looked at one another and she shook her head, still fighting to stay conscious.

"I know you're in there, I know you can fight," Sam whispered as Michael moved fast and grabbed him by his neck with a hand.

"When will you take the hint, Sam?" Michael asked as he lifted the taller man off his feet. "Your big brother is locked up tight. Do I have to kill you to get that through your head?"

"Yeah," Sam whispered. "Go ahead. We both know you've got nothing else. You lost everything you ever loved."

His brother's green eyes were glittering in pure hate. "I'm going to bring about my own Apocalypse. End this miserable existence. You should be thanking me. I'll be a better god than my father ever was, than my brother ever would have been."

"Maybe. But those souls aren't around, are they? They're staying here and you've lost," Sam taunted. Michael's face twisted further. "You lost, Michael."

"Did I?"

"Yeah." Sam brought the angel sword up fast but Michael blocked the coming stab and the weapon dropped to the ground.

"Oh, Sam. That really was the wrong choice." With a twist of his wrist, he snapped Sam's neck in retaliation. The crack was loud as the bones gave under the pressure and Sam's entire body went slack and lifeless, his eyes staring sightlessly at the sky.

"Sam!" Castiel shouted, getting to his feet as Michael dropped the hunter to the side as if he were worthless. The older angel looked at him before he kicked Sam down the hill to where Meg was.

"Just you and me now, Castiel," Michael said.

---

Dean had felt Azazel leave his body, torn away from Michael. His soul began to slam against the walls Michael had built to keep him in, and he began to scream Sam's name, wanting his help to get free. The insides of his own occupied vessel were badly damaged, Michael's Grace ripped in two from the force of Azazel leaving.

"Sam!" he shouted. Inside of his mind, he began to bang away, wanting control again.

In reaction, Michael's Grace came crashing down on him in white-hot droves of pain, sending him down into the darker recesses where all he could do was try to watch what was happening.

Sam would save him, he thought as he mustered his strength for another fight. He would.

---

Barely able to lift her head from the ground, Meg dabbed her fingers in her own bloody wounds until her fingers were soaked. Groaning, she reached out and began to paint on the tree trunk a familiar pattern, hoping that this would work. There was no point in all of them being stuck here to die and she was willing to save Castiel's life this time.

But before she could finish, the pain in her stomach worsened and she had only felt something like that twice before. Once when dying and once when giving birth. She ached all over and the pain and desperation was slowly zapping her strength. It took all her will to force herself to reach out and draw the rest of the angel banishing sigil. When it was finally finished, she lifted her hand and closed her eyes, ready to free Castiel from the Lethe.

She could only hope that it would work.

"Mommy?"

She turned over to see Nyx. The girl stood beside her, looking frightened as she chewed on her lower lip and stared at her wide-eyed.

"Nyx," Meg whispered, not caring how she had come here. "Get out of here."

"Not leaving," Nyx whispered. "Has to be a happy ending."

"Nyx, go!" Meg snapped but her voice lacked the strength of before. There was no real hope of escape, she knew that. She could hear Castiel fighting with Michael, and beside her was Sam, dead and already cold. Before she could order Nyx again to run, her daughter reached out and touched her head, and Meg felt overcome by a swirling darkness.

Castiel grappled with Michael, wrestling with him but unable to get a grip as they threw each other around the clearing. He was too weak, he realized. Though Michael was badly wounded and the infection still in his body, he bordered on the rabid strength of the insane and it made him stronger.

"I'm going to strip your Grace from you," Michael whispered, using Dean's eyes to convey all his revulsion on the angel. "And you can watch me tear apart the world that you loved so much until it is nothing but a wasteland."

Castiel tried to focus on his face as he swayed on his feet, hands ready to block another furious round. The other angel raised his fists, the face of Castiel's best friend twisting by hate and angel, and then he launched forward to strike Castiel. His head was struck right and then left but before he could drop Michael grabbed him by his collar and hauled him up.

A flicker of light beside him distracted Michael, and Castiel weakly looked over as well. His eyes widened in confusion as Anna appeared and at her back, just as shadowy and ethereal was Gabriel. The two stared at them and Gabriel smiled.

"Oh, big brother," Gabriel muttered. "I knew you had it in you. I don't like being right."

Bewildered, Michael looked at the pair of them and dropped Castiel to the ground. Castiel heaved for breath, trying to find any way of getting back up to fight. But like Michael, his amazement was for the group of angels now ringed around them. Angels long dead, either by his hand or the hands of others, shimmered and materialized, and their extinguished Grace seemed to reignite.

"Come home, brother," Raphael said as he stepped forward from the circle. "Come back to your family."

"That world deserves its punishment!" Michael roared. "And it will have it!"

"You don't get a say in that, Michael. Your time has passed. Come home," Anna whispered. "You can stay with us."

"I'll destroy you all. I'm stronger now."

A tall blond angel appeared by Hester and Rachel, and shook his head.

"Oh, come on, darling. Yeah, you are strong. But, and it kills me to say this, there is something inside of you right now that is much stronger than you. Or did you forget that?" Balthazar warned. Michael's head swung in his direction and Balthazar disappeared.

Immediately Michael's eyes locked on Sam's dead body at the base of the hill.

---

Dean saw it through his eyes and began to scream.

---

"No," Michael whispered as he felt Dean starting to fight him. Starting to win. "I am in control."

Behind him, Anna laid her ghostly hand flat on his back. "Wake up, Dean."

The other angels began to lay their hands on Michael and he began to scream as they began to force him out.

---

"You killed my brother!" Dean screamed as he began to pull apart the walls that kept him trapped in his own mind. "You killed my baby brother!"

He felt the shuddering around him and the shining white that was Michael resting inside of him. "Get the fuck out of me so I can kill you myself!"

With a shove, he began to pummel the Grace surrounding his soul and invading his body with the strength he had left.

---

Castiel watched, fascinated by the sight of a ring of angels all touching Dean like supplicants to an altar. Only their hands glowed and as they did, his eyes glowed and his parted lips began to tremble. Castiel felt the reaction in his own body, Grace responding to Grace.

"We're coming home. We can be happy here" Gabriel whispered. "Come be with your family, Michael."

"Even though we'll be trapped," Anna continued.

"Better a life here than the ruin you would bring," Raphael finished as he and Gabriel used their greater power to tear into him as he weakened. They began to pull the Grace from his body as Dean on the inside fought him. "We've learned what it is to find hope again."

Michael screamed as he was torn apart, torn out of the vessel he had claimed, and his voice began to change to Dean's, an echo of what it had once been. Something grey, a twisted light like stardust, began to swirl around his body.

---

"You killed my brother!" Dean's shouts were echos in his own head as he fought with the shards of Grace still inside of him. "You killed my brother!"

---

Michael's Grace flooded out of his body and he screamed for minutes as lights began to flash and the sky overhead darkened to storm clouds. But the angels never stopped touching him. Not until Dean stopped glowing.

Castiel, watching, saw only the flash that went through the entire ring of dead angels. He felt their loss acutely as they disappeared and he knew that they were gone forever into the Lethe. Then there was only Dean's body, sagging to the ground to his knees. Castiel watched, twisting the angel sword around in readiness, but Dean only swayed. His head lifted and he turned desperate green eyes on Castiel.

"Cas? Where's Sammy?" he whispered, and the almost weak childish plea convinced Castiel. Without the angel in his body, his wounds reopened and he crumpled forward, Castiel catching him. "I need Sam, get me to Sam."

Castiel half-walked, half-dragged them both down the hill to where Meg and Sam lay. Dean pushed up on his own and leaned over his brother, slapping his cheek as if the jutting bone in his neck wasn't broken. His own swollen eyes barely let the tears come.

"Sam, Sammy? Please, come on. Come on, damn it. Please," he whispered, his strained voice almost broken as he realized there might be no fixing this. "Please, Sam. Please wake up."

Castiel watched and couldn't say a word. Too exhausted by the Lethe's drain on his own power, all he could do was crawl beside Meg. The demon, passed out from before, murmured weakly as he touched her.

"Meg?" He touched her face and felt her shiver.

Without opening her eyes, she reached out and felt the gaping wounds in his body. "You're hurt."

"You too," he whispered, slumping down against her. Dean was pleading with Sam still and the sight made Castiel have to look away, aware of his weakness and knowing he couldn't help them.

"Sam, I need you with me. My pain in the ass brother who can't be left alone for a second. Please, Sam. This isn't fair. I didn't do this all just to have you die for me." Dean shook him before gathering his limp body into his arms and rocking him a little. "It's okay, Sam. I won't let you die. Not alone. Not here. I'll stay here. If you wake up we can leave."

He pressed his face into Sam's shoulder. "Come on, little brother, wake up. I have to take care of you, remember?"

"Where's Nyx?" Meg asked suddenly and Castiel stared at the top of her head.

"Nyx?"

"Here." The little girl seemed to pop out of nowhere and Castiel stared at her, dumbfounded. She noticed Dean and Sam and her eyes widened. "Sam's hurt."

"Nyx, how did you get here?" Castiel whispered.

"Sam's hurt," she said. "Sam can't hurt."

Castiel reached for her but she was already crawling onto Sam's lap. Dean looked up, shocked to see her, and he stared, not sure what to say. But Nyx only had eyes for Sam.

"No more," Nyx whispered, voice suddenly very adult. "Don't want you hurt, Sammy."

"Nyx, he…" Dean started.

Nyx looked over his shoulder and Dean grunted as he turned to see a red-haired woman in white staring down at him. Her eyes were on the little girl only.

"Want him," Nyx whispered.

"You have to learn to let go, Nyx," the woman said. "He'd be happy here. He'd forget everything, all his pain, everything."

"He'd forget us," Dean whispered. "I won't…"

"No!" Nyx screamed and the wind picked up around them, sending her dark hair into a flurry about her head. Blue eyes fierce and protective, she laid her hands on Sam and Dean watched hopelessly as she started to cry when nothing happened. Sam still lay dead.

"Want him. My friend," Nyx whispered. "Come back, Sammy."

The other woman disappeared into the air and Castiel reached out for Nyx to bring her away. But the smoky glow about her small body intensified and suddenly her tiny hands seemed to send a jolt through Sam's body.

Meg felt it as well and she watched, wordless, as her daughter tried to use her power again. There was a loud crack as Sam's neck fixed itself and the colour slowly returned to his skin. One hand on Nyx's back, Castiel tried to feel what she was feeling and had to snatch his hand back from how much it stung to touch her like this. The almost electrical shock he felt burnt his finger tips and sent his arms tingling.

She was staring only at Sam, whispering his name.

Sam choked for air as his soul came flying back into his body and he opened his eyes in reflex. Everything around him suddenly seemed bright and beautiful, and he made a breathy chuckle as he realized what had happened. When he moved his head a little, he saw that Nyx was perched on his chest and she stared down at him in delight.

"Nyx?" he whispered. His head turned to the left and he saw Dean. The fact that his brother was crying made him stare in wonder. "Dean?"

"Damn it, Sam," Dean whispered in a choked voice. He gave a nervous laugh. "What did I say about dying on me?"

Nyx crawled off of Sam and Dean quickly swept him into a tight hug, ignoring how his sides hurt from the pressure on his deep wounds.

"Was I dead?" Sam asked, voice muffled by Dean's shoulder. "It worked?"

Dean pulled back from the hug and stared at him. "You did that deliberately?"

"Figured I had to. I wasn't about to let him take you that far down with him." Sam gave him a weak smile. "Worked, didn't it?"

"You stupid son of a bitch, what if it…"

Sam still smiled. "Had faith in you, Dean."

As if deciding how to react, Dean's fingers flexed on his shoulders and then he hugged him again. Over his shoulder, he noticed that Meg's head lolled on Castiel's arm but she wasn't moving far. Smiling a little to himself, he gave Sam a hearty pat on the back and leaned back to save his sore sides. Nyx sat down beside Meg and Castiel stared at her.

"Gonna leave my friends here," she whispered, and she waved at the glowing lights in the air. "But they happy."

"Nyx," Castiel whispered, reaching out to grab her by the hand and pulling her into his lap. Ignoring her uncomfortable squeak, he hugged her tight for a moment before he looked down at Meg. "Meg, I…"

He saw that she was staring to the side and he looked up to see Sheol standing just behind Dean and Sam again. Dean turned around but Sam held him back, both brothers dragging themselves closer to Castiel and Meg.

"Now. To let you out? Or keep you all here. What to do, what to do." Sheol crossed her arms over her chest. "Maybe you're thirsty? A drink to forget it all?"

She waved a hand at the crystalline pool of water beside Meg. Her eyes were on the demon.

"Your choice, Meg."

None of them were in any shape to fight and no one dared to move.

Suddenly, over Sheol's shoulder, there was a glimmer of light that was too distorted to see clearly. It surrounded her from behind touched her and made her red hair a halo about her head. A voice, male and calm, muttered, "Sister. Let them go."

"Or what?"

"You know what."

She sniffed as if repulsed. "Can't see why I should."

"We can rebuild. I will stay with you, help you heal. Do what I was meant to do. No more hiding." The light became a hand, a face, a bearded cheek that pressed against her neck in an affectionate hold. Castiel tried to squint through the light to see who it was but Sheol's hand lifted and blocked his view.

"Let it go. It's over." The voice was softer now. "Let go."

Sheol's eyes closed and her grey skin seemed to retain a healthy glow now. "Very well. If you will stay."

She re-opened her eyes to stare at Meg. As if in a trance, the demon reached out to the water and her hand dipped into it, just as Sheol snapped her fingers. With a flash of light, they were all tossed from the Lethe to the musical tone of a ringing sound that they had all heard before.

---

Cradling his bleeding arm, Benny stared at his captive. Crowley, roped to a post and upright over a devil's trap on the floor, was still unconscious. When the light had slashed through the air and the others had disappeared, he had been left alone in the bunker. He had nothing he could do but wait as the minutes ticked by.

When the rumbling started in the building, he gripped his axe tight and waited.

Then with a gentle pop, the blood-bathed ground with its litter of bodies was suddenly occupied by people he knew. Seeing that Castiel was okay with his tiny burden, he stumbled in to help Sam with Dean. Both brothers were battered and badly bruised, but when Benny inhaled he no longer smelt a demon or an angel. It was Dean.

"Hey, brother," he muttered and Dean's eyes half-opened.

"Hey, Benny. You did good," he muttered and then slumped down a little.

"Benny," Sam said and he let Benny help him through the slippery blood to a bit of rubble to sit on. "What happened?"

"When you guys disappeared, the angels came back to get Eve. Said something about putting her back into Purgatory where she belongs with that backdoor to Hell guarded." Benny jerked his chin in Castiel's direction. "That young guy said Cas told him to."

"Camael is loyal," Castiel said as he gathered Nyx in his arms to keep her out of the blood. "He will do what has to be done."

Benny blinked at the sight of the little girl. "Lil' sprite, what're you doin' here?"

"Had to help them," Nyx whispered as she hugged Castiel. She pressed her face into his neck and, stroking her back, Castiel looked away. The place at his side was empty and he was sure he had felt the demon there.

"Benny, did you see Meg here with us?" he demanded and the vampire blinked.

"She was never here. When you guys fell back through, it was just you."

Castiel set Nyx into Benny's arms and stumbled through the wreckage of the bunker, calling her name. Benny helped Nyx onto a piece of fallen shelf and turned back to Dean and Sam. Neither Winchester was up to much and he helped Nyx bind her feet in ripped clothing to keep her from being chilled.

"I can't find her," Castiel said as he came back, looking distraught.

"I'm sure she's…"

"I can't find her!" Castiel shouted at him. Nyx whimpered and he closed his eyes. "Nyx, it's okay."

"Don't mean to ruin the reunion," Dean said from where he was slumped in Sam's. "But I'm gonna go ahead and pass out."

He did it immediately and even Sam looked ill.

"We need to get out of here," Castiel said as he crouched beside Nyx. "It's not safe and I need to find Meg."

"What about him?" Benny asked, nodding at Crowley. Castiel looked at him.

"I'll take care of it. Benny? Take them to the Impala."

The vampire nodded and bent over to help Sam with Dean.

"Did you die in there?" Benny asked the taller man and Sam gave a sheepish nod. "Thought so. You smell all corpse-like."

"Thanks, Benny. Real helpful."

The vampire grinned. "I try.

---

"Wake up, Crowley."

The Crossroads demon came to slowly to see Castiel sitting across from him, a little girl in his arms. Adjusting his sore jaw with a yawn, Crowley wriggled his fingers in the ropes as he smirked at the child. "Hello, moppet. You the daddy's girl they were all protecting?"

Nyx frowned at him, fingers entwined with Castiel's. "I don't like him. He's mean."

"Now now." Crowley's eyes went red in threat. "That's not nice to say to the new King of Hell."

Castiel said nothing, just pressed his lips to the top of Nyx's head as he stared at Crowley thoughtfully. She played with his fingers but her own eyes didn't waver from the demon. Crowley tried to ignore the chill that went through him at the way they both stared, and gave Castiel a cocky grin.

"Can't find your girl, I bet. Knowing the Lethe it sucked her back in," Crowley continued, clearly enjoying the sound of his own voice. "Do you think she's crying for you now or happy to be rid of you?"

"Nyx?" Castiel touched her cheek and she looked up at him. "Can you go out to Benny? I need to talk to him alone."

She nodded and then stuck her tongue out at Crowley before she blinked out.

At her childish display, Crowley arched his eyebrows. "Definitely your little girl, Castiel. All hellfire and grace. I like that. She'll be one to watch, won't she?"

Castiel stood up slowly and Crowley watched him warily.

"Going to untie me? I did help."

"You betrayed us first. As Meg said you would."

"Funny thing that. Where is your little whore, Castiel? M.I.A.? Run away? Maybe she's about to leave you with the kid as payback." Crowley leaned his head back on the pillar. "See, you get this whole idealism about demons redeeming their other qualities for what? For love? Darling, please."

"I'm not here to talk to you about Meg."

"Then why haven't you let me go," the demon pointed out. "Hell needs a leader."

"I think after all this time," Castiel fixed his coat, "it could use a new leader for a while."

Crowley swallowed nervously. "You wouldn't exorcise me."

"I'm thinking that the Pit would give you an attitude adjustment." Castiel's eyes glinted with light. "Did you really think, all those threats, all those things you did to us, the betrayals, that I'd forget? For a day of help?"

"Fine. Do it," Crowley sneered. His bravado was unfaltering. "I'll be out before long, maybe by the time your little girl is all grown up and ready to play. I do wonder what she'll be like. I can't wait to find out."

Castiel said nothing.

"So exorcise me to the Pit. Do it." Crowley jutted his chin out. "I'm all tied up, after all."

Castiel snapped his fingers and the ropes fell. The demon gave a delighted grin but when he went to teleport out he found himself stuck. He realized where he was, in the centre of a devil's trap, and he growled in his throat at the threat.

"You don't want me as an enemy, Castiel," Crowley warned and the angel gave him a narrow look that was almost agreeable. "I will make your life a living hell. Starting with that little chit you've tried so hard to protect. What was her name again?"

Castiel looked into his eyes and his blood ran cold at the expression he saw there.

"You're right," Castiel whispered. When Crowley went to duck, Castiel slapped his palm to his forehead and his eyes began to shine. "I'm through with letting you run."

The light that flowed from his hand seared Crowley, turning red as he was quickly burned out. There was no fanfare, no struggle.

He simply ended.

---

Squished between Dean and Sam, Nyx was so concerned with both men that she kept touching their faces and trying to shake them awake when they slept too long. Looking over his shoulder, Castiel touched her shoulder and raised his finger to his lips. Since the Impala was out of gas, they'd taken Meg's car, and the miles were being eaten up by Benny's effortless driving. Dean was no longer coherent, Sam slept restlessly, and Nyx was worried.

If he hadn't been so weak, Castiel would have left to find Meg.

The radio was crackling, the weak reception bringing only political channels and old blues. Benny settled for the blues happily and hummed along as he drove with one hand. The low hum was stopped as the announcer warned that there had been a series of attacks. Reports were that there was a group of people wandering around the border line between Kansas and Missouri, attacking others. The few captured were in quarantine.

"Shit," Benny whispered. His eye caught Castiel's knowingly. "I thought you got them all."

Castiel stared that the radio and the vampire waved his hand in the air while driving with his knees. "The angels can take care of it though, right?"

"You saw the devastation, as I did. My brothers and sisters will need all their reserves to take Eve back to Purgatory and seal it." He leaned back. "And I'm too weak to investigate."

"Let's hope some human hunters figure it out then," Benny said, eyeing the pair in the back seat. "Because those two aren't about to."

Castiel looked back and then leaned in his seat again, aware of the damage they had taken. His own body was a mess of still bleeding wounds, the long slice that went from his nape to the base of his spine aching and soaking his shirt with blood. Sooner or later, he'd have to sleep to rest. Right now he couldn't stop himself from watching the road.

"Lil' lady will be fine, auntie," Benny said when he caught Castiel watching each sign post that the Cougar sailed by.

"She's lost. I need to find her."

The vampire looked over at him. "You're exhausted. More than the rest of us." He picked up his Sip N' Gulp and drew hard on the straw. His wrapped arm was slowly healing as the blood he had brought from the Impala began to help him repair. Castiel eyed the cup with open disgust and was glad Nyx was in the back, the metallically bitter smell was so strong.

"She might be…"

"Castiel." Benny set the cup down and looked over at him, licking the blood from his teeth. "You've got a scared little girl back there. You've got friends that need your help and an army of angels who are invading Purgatory as we speak. They'll need you as well."

Castiel looked back at Nyx and saw her nervously twisting her little hands around Dean's fingers as she stared out the window. Her eyes caught his. "Where's Mommy?" she whispered.

"I don't know," he answered honestly. "Maybe she is waiting for us."

Nyx smiled. "Safe-house."

"Yes, Nyx," Castiel said with a weak smile. He turned back around and his smile dropped from his face. "The safe-house."

---

Meg turned her head slowly, aware of the water cresting over her back but she couldn't move. The warmth felt good and she felt the salt. It burned the inside of her wounds but even though her skin smoked from the contact, she laid there and took it as a penance for surviving this.

She knew she should get up, that she had been tossed somewhere far from the others. For whatever reason, she hadn't been left with them.

"What if he leaves you again?" The softly feminine voice over her had Meg turning her head a little, cheek pressed against her arm. The depth of her internal injuries was enough to distract her with the throbbing pain that she ignored the voice. Something poked her side and she ignored that as well.

"Stay here. It won't hurt. I'm going to give you something that will help you." A man's voice chuckled. "Cas won't like it though. It'll be harder for him to find you."

The poking in her side suddenly became a gentle touch and a warmth flooded her side. Meg felt it, knew that it was a sigil. Eventually, her eyes opened and she sighed when she saw something glimmering beside her. The grey light was beckoning her and she reached out to touch the light. It danced in her hand, a spark that caused an electrical current up her hand and down to the base of her spine.

For the first time in four years, Meg felt completely warm and she closed her eyes again in contentment.

---

Colorado…

Sam woke up in a pile of blankets and the hard surface of a cot. Rolling over, he reached out and grabbed for the first thing he could feel and found a leg. He froze and quickly opened his eyes to see Kevin sitting beside him.

"You mind?" Kevin asked, head turned in his direction. "You're not really my type."

"Kevin, where- where am I?" he asked as he rubbed at his eyes.

"Castiel's safe-house. The kitchen, actually. You developed chills, so we put you here where it is the warmest. It was the best choice, according to Benny." Kevin's hand waved in the air for a second until he found a cup. He handed it to Sam. "I'm watching over you." He laughed then and gestured at his covered eyes. "Well, not really."

Sam guzzled the water down, not caring how it dripped onto his bare chest, onto gauzed patches that covered his wounds. The water just tasted so good, he thought, gulping noisily until he could take no more and started coughing. Handing Kevin the cup back, he moved to the edge of the cot.

"Where's the others?"

Kevin held up his fingers to count off. "Dean's sleeping on the couch, Benny is in the basement sleeping. Cas is with Nyx and trying to contact Meg using all of her old phone numbers."

"She's still not around?"

"No idea where she is. Cas isn't doing well over it either." Kevin shrugged. "Maybe when you were all tossed out of the Lethe, she got an extra shove."

"Maybe." Sam winced at the cold hardwood under his toes and reached out to put his hand on Kevin's shoulder.

"Sam? Can I ask you something?" Kevin's voice was quiet and when Sam murmured agreeably, he leaned back. "The Lethe. What was it like?"

Sam thought back. To the sameness of it all, to the forgetfulness that had almost afflicted him. "Terrifying," he admitted. Kevin was quiet and Sam looked at him. "Why?"

"I wanted to make sure this was worth it." The prophet stood and began to feel his way to the fridge. "Go see Dean. I'll be fine."

Sam stared at him, saw the resigned set to his mouth, but didn't say a thing as he went to the living room.

His brother was stretched out on the couch, bound up as thickly as Sam was. His face was slack in sleep, the cuts on his upper body slowly healing over to scars on his neck and shoulders. Sam sat on the coffee table, praying it would hold up his weight, and reached out to touch his hand.

Dean's wild jerk, the way his eyes darted around, had him tightening his grip.

"Let me go!"

"Dean, Dean!" Sam held on and reached out with his other hand only to have Dean bat it away. "Dean, it's me."

"Leave me alone!" Dean's eyes wandered frantically over all the surroundings, the glassy look verging on hysteria. Sam gripped him tighter.

"Dean! It's Sam. Sam!" he said and finally, Dean took in a deep breath.

"Sammy?" he asked as he squinted at him. "That you?"

"Yeah, yeah." Sam grinned at him. "It's me."

"You died." Dean was trying to clear his head. "I saw what Michael did to you."

"Nyx, remember?"

"Oh, yeah. Yeah." Dean pushed up onto his elbow and looked at the wrappings on his arms and chest. "Guess we took beatings."

"Yeah." Sam reached out and gave him a hard poke in the chest, where a gouge was still healing. It made Dean yelp in pain.

"What the fuck was that for?" Dean asked, punching him in his own injured shoulder for retaliation.

"You let them possess you, you idiot!" Sam snapped. "What the hell did I tell you about acting like a martyr?"

Dean's mouth took a minute to work. "Wait a second, I did it to save you all. And yeah, well, you let Michael snap your skinny neck."

"I did it to save you!"

"I did it to save you!" Dean retorted and the brothers stared at each other. "I wasn't about to let Michael kill my brother. I wasn't going to leave you to the Lethe anymore than Nyx was."

Sam's jaw worked and he closed his eyes. "This is just going in one big loop, huh?"

"Yeah but…" Dean sat up and winced as a bruised rib caused him pain. "Least this time I was the one possessed." He squinted around the room. "Safe-house?"

"Yeah." Sam looked as well. "What are we going to do?"

"First thing we can do. Get better," Dean said. "Let's hope Cas has some ideas."

"Don't bet on it. Meg's missing and from what Kevin told me, he's upset." Sam sat on the couch.

"Shit." Dean shook his head. "She did us a real favour but even then… if he's lost her…"

"I know." Sam leaned forward with him and sighed. "Dean?"

"Yeah?" His brother looked over at him as he finished scratching at a wound's edge. He found himself swept up into a hug and he choked at the pressure. "Jesus, Sam, I mean I get you missed me but…"

"Just shut up and hug your brother," Sam said.

Dean gave up and hugged him back tentatively until he realized why Sam seemed so concerned. How close they had both been to death.

Then he used his other arm and hugged his brother back tightly.

---

Meg found herself on the side of a highway in the northeast. She wasn't sure why she wandered like this, in ruined clothing. She wasn't safe, she knew that. Anytime now, a demon would show up, an angel to smite her, but she didn't care. It took all of her effort to put one foot in front of the other.

Only there were no demons. Not even when she finally caught a rabbit and used its blood to make a call, no one answered. She turned to prayer but there was nothing. No matter how she prayed for Castiel to show his feathery ass to her, there was nothing. It was like there someone blocking her.

For the first time, Meg hated this loneliness. So she walked, hitched rides, not knowing how she was going to get to the bunker. She had woken up on the Eastern shore and it would take forever. Anytime she tried to call Castiel, there was nothing on the other end but static and an annoying high-pitched whine. Even the Winchester's numbers were out of service.

Meg was starting to doubt her own sanity. It was like none of it had ever happened.

Following her at a distance, the angel who had been blocked her prayers watched her curiously. Sariel had been lucky to find her on his travels, he knew, and he was careful to keep his distance. Camael had said to be watchful of her, that she might have brought something back with her. But this demon looked only tired and alone.

When she flagged down a truck, he moved forward but felt a hand on his shoulder. Spinning and half-expecting it to be Camael, the angel saw a smaller man smiling at him who wasn't an angel or a demon. Just one look in his eyes made the angel's knees tremble and he knew him. Knew him with loving need and he bowed his head in respect.

"Father."

"Leave her alone, Sariel." Chuck's eyes went to the demon climbing into the truck cab. "She's going home."

The angel swallowed and nodded, and then the man in white was gone. By that time, the demon was out of sight and no matter how Sariel searched, it was as if she had never actually existed.