Disclaimer: I certainly don't own the rights to Supernatural and no copyright infringement is intended.

Again, Thank you to Insane Troll Logic for editing and suggesting.

Better to Reign

And the Lord said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: Am I my brother's keeper? Genesis Chapter 4, verse 9

Chapter 2

Dean sat on a park bench. The day was unusually warm for the first of November. The sunshine attracted young children to the swings and still green grassy lawn where they ran in joyous abandon. The cacophony of laughter was soothing to his ears, especially when not very long ago he was hearing tortured screams. The sun on his face made the ingrained chill in his bones start to thaw—just a little. He leaned back and tilted his head up. The children were alive to play today because of him. He had asked the angels not to destroy the town, promising that he and Sam would stop Samhain from rising; a Seal from breaking.

They had failed. The Seal was broken. Samhain rose. Sam used his Azazel bestowed powers-which he had promised not to use--to exorcise the ancient demon. Then Castiel told him it was a test and he had no idea if he passed or failed. If he failed and continued to fail, would he be sent back to Hell? If he was sent back, what would happen to Sam? He wondered how many Seals were left.

At least the children were laughing and playing. He took some small comfort from that.

"Many take comfort in the special joy that only a child can bring. Their laughter is sweeter than any song sung by a chorus of angels."

Dean glanced to the side at the speaker. Castiel sat stiffly beside him, eyes intent on the joyful chaos of children playing. Dean was suddenly struck by a powerful feeling of deja-vu and he knew. "I'm dreaming aren't I?"

"It's easier to speak with you this way," the angel replied, never taking his eyes from the scene unfolding in front of him.

"I don't like you playing around in my head."

"While I am here, this dream will continue. Would you rather dream different dreams, Dean?"

Dean stared at Castiel for a second and then shut his eyes and lifted his face back toward the warmth of the sun. The silence stretched out between them. Whatever Castiel was here to say to him, he didn't seem to be in any hurry to say it. Dean abruptly asked, "Is Anna all right?"

The angel smiled only slightly. "Our Father loves all his children."

Dean frowned. "That doesn't really answer my question. Did she get in trouble for choosing to fall? Is she being punished?"

"Do you know the story of the prodigal son?"

Dean searched his memory of the times he and Sam had stayed with Pastor Jim. "I think so. Young dude wants to sow some wild oats so he takes an early inheritance from his dad and heads for the big city. He parties hardy, losses all his money, swallows his pride and crawls back home just hoping for some warm scraps of food and a place to stay out of the rain. Instead of being angry, his dad welcomes him back and throws a big party to celebrate. His older brother, who had stayed home and worked hard on the farm, was a little pissed that the little snot had deserted them for some fun and then came back and was welcomed like nothing had happened."

"In essence, that is the basic story. Since you know the story, you understand what happened to Anna. She was welcomed back, her sins forgiven." He sighed, "Still that doesn't mean that there were not consequences for her choices."

"She would have gone back earlier but that prick Uriel had her Grace and didn't want her to have it back. He wanted her to be punished."

"Uriel has been troubled, barely skirting blasphemy and has been called into account for his behaviors."

"Yeah, well, he deserves everything he gets and probably a lot more." Dean was still angry that Uriel had wanted to destroy the town where the witch that raised Samhain had lived. Angry that Uriel had threatened first Sam and later him and that he had kept Anna's Grace from her. He couldn't see much difference between Uriel and a demon.

"Judge not least you be judged Dean," Castiel said with a bite. "My brother may have many flaws but these arise from frustration and anger. For millennia Uriel was tasked with destroying whole towns and cities in order to save whole areas or states, much as a surgeon might sometimes need to cut off a limb to save a body. He had to harden his heart to Man to perform these tasks. Over time, seeing Mans' treatment toward other men, seeing how they used their free will to chose evil and having to scour the earth clean of their filth, he could no longer see and appreciate the beauty of our Father's youngest children.

"His anger turned toward Anna for she deserted her brothers and sisters in a time of great need. She choose to become Man and she turned away from our Father. He could conceive of no greater transgression." Castiel sighed softly. "He also now faces the consequences of his actions. I greatly fear that in his pride, he may chose to Fall rather than humble himself."

Dean considered what Castiel said and slowly shook his head. "Brothers, huh, a real pain in the ass but what can you do, they're still family."

Castiel nodded in agreement. "The prodigal son, no matter what they do, they are still family and we love them."

"Sam's still messing with a demon. He doesn't want to listen to me."

"My brother wanted to raise his hand against his sister rather than welcome her home. We do the best we can do to turn them toward the light, to stop them from following a path that will lead to darkness and pain, but in the end it's their choice and we can not take it from them."

"If you try to hurt Sam, to stop him, I'll fight you," Dean said. "No matter what he's done or what he's into, he's still my brother."

Castiel met Dean's declaration with silence.

Dean turned to watch the children run. "Why are you here anyway?"

"I am here for two reasons. One is to tell you that you are on the right path. The talisman that your friend will make will protect who wears it from Lilith. Remember to tell him the writing must be from right to left, as originally written, and that the proper prayers must be said with pure intent."

"Couldn't you just have told us this instead of us fumbling in the dark? Seems you knew about the talisman. What else can you tell us? Maybe give up a little heads up?"

"I am allowed to interfere or offer guidance only in certain matters and only to a certain extent."

"Why? You want us to win don't you? Right now the other players seem to be holding all the cards. Why don't you just tell me where to go and what you want me to do? Make it easy on both of us."

"I am a soldier not a general. I do not know the entire plan. I can not tell you what you should do. Still I have faith that you will do that which is right."

"Wish I had that faith," Dean muttered.

"So do I," Castiel replied.

"Okay, you've told me one reason that you're here, what was the other?"

"So that you might find some rest in your…."

"….sleep all day?" Bobby said loudly from the doorway. "It's going on toward one in the afternoon. Get your lazy ass up and come downstairs for some lunch. You missed breakfast, it was over hours ago."

Dean cracked one eye open, yawned and stretched.

"Come on, sleeping beauty, up and at 'em."

"Give me a few, Bobby. I'll be down in a sec."

"Coffee will be ready when you get there. Feel like BLT's? Got plenty of bacon left over from breakfast."

"Sounds great, thanks. Hey Bobby, where's Sam?"

"That email I was waiting for came through this morning. I sent Sam into town to pick up a few supplies. Didn't have everything I needed to pull off the amulet. Who would have thought it had to be made of gold? He should be back within the hour."

Dean nodded and Bobby turned and headed back downstairs. Dean stretched and realized he actually felt rested. Last night was the first night that was totally untroubled by nightmares that he could remember since crawling out of his own grave. "Owe you another one, I guess," he said softly as he proceeded out of the bedroom and into the bathroom to get ready for the day.

Bobby was cutting up tomatoes for the sandwiches as Dean moseyed into the kitchen and poured himself a cup of coffee. The coffee was strong and hot, bitter on the tongue and tasted like heaven. Bobby cast a quick glance in Dean's direction. "I figure you and me can melt down the gold jewelry I sent Sam to the pawn shop to pick up and then cast it and inscribe the names in Aramaic. I got some books I want Sam to go through while we make the talismans. Found a third hand copy of the Devil's Codex and it seems to have several mentions of Seals in it. He might be able to track down a couple of likely places for them."

"Sounds like a plan," Dean murmured while savoring another swallow of the caffeinated brew.

Bobby nodded absently. "Just still worried about whether them things will work or not. No good way to test them until it would be too late to do anything about it."

"They'll work. Just remember to write backwards and to, ah, pray intently or something like that," Dead said as he filched a slice of bacon.

"Huh?" The older hunter turned to stare at the younger.

Dean chewed slowly with a thoughtful look on his face. "You remember I told you that it was an angel that pulled me out of Hell? Well, he shows up every now and then. Sometimes to talk or tell me to do something. Likes to do a little dream walking without the nasty tasting tea. Told me last night that we were on the right track and that the talisman would protect the wearer from Lilith's power but to remember to write the names from right to left and something about praying with pure intent."

"The text with the supposed angelic script that the names were written in had a prayer with it. Must need to recite it while making the talisman. Good to know that the talisman is the real deal. Feel a little better about letting you boys wear them knowing we got it straight from the horse's mouth that they'll work." Bobby brought the tomatoes, a head of lettuce and several slices of toast and set them on the table. "So what else this angel been telling you?"

"Oh, you know, this and that, respect him or get tossed back into Hell, God works in mysterious ways, do this, stop that." Dean started constructing his sandwich. "Don't really know why he bothers though, I've screwed up everything he's asked me to do."

"What?"

"Never mind, Bobby, really don't want to relive past failures."

Bobby began making his own lunch from the fixings on the table and both started to eat. He sneaked quick looks at Dean whenever he thought the older Winchester wasn't looking.

Dean was looking. He caught the sneaking glances. Suddenly, Dean brought his hand down sharply on the table, startling his scruffy host. "Sam said something didn't he? What did he tell you, Bobby? What did that lil' wuss say?"

"What are you talking about? What makes you think Sam told me anything?" Bobby tried to object but it sounded lame even to his ears.

"If he didn't say anything then why do you keep staring at me and looking like you're sucking on a lemon?"

Bobby sighed and shook his head. "Sam might have mentioned that you were in Hell a might longer than we thought and that you two idiots were having a hard time readjusting to hunting together."

"Hard time readjusting? Is that what he's calling it?" Dean said bitterly.

"Nope, that's what I'm calling it so just calm yourself down. Besides, I thought that you told me you didn't remember anything about Hell. Why would you lie to me about something like that? You think I'm not in this as deep as your brother?"

Dean took a deep breath. "When I showed up on your doorstep, fresh out of the grave, I didn't remember, at least nothing specific. Later, I starting dreaming about it and then when I caught the ghost sickness, it all came back. Everything. But there's nothing to tell. Time just passes differently in the Pit."

"Forty years worth of different?"

"Does it really matter? Four months or forty years, it was still Hell. I went 'cause I made a deal with a demon; lost my soul but got Sammy back. It was a fair deal.

"Want to know something funny, Bobby? I was afraid that Sam might try to make a deal with a demon to get me out but what I really should have been afraid of was that demon bitch Ruby making a move on Sam and making him some kind of pawn for whatever sick hell spawn game she's playing."

"Sam mentioned that he'd been working with that demon."

"Had been and still is…doesn't care what I think about it either."

"You sure he don't care?"

"Well, I asked him to dump her and he said no, so yeah, I'm pretty damn sure." Dean put his sandwich down, only half eaten. "Listen, I've lost my appetite. Think I'll go change the oil in the Impala. Let me know when you're ready to smelt the gold for the talisman."

Dean stood and headed for the door, pausing only to grab his coat. He opened the door to see Sam standing on the other side of the screen juggling a couple of large bags. "Lunch is on, I'm going out." He said shrugging past his brother.

Sam watched him as he retreated. Apparently the argument that started last night wasn't over. He looked over and saw Bobby standing in the doorway to the kitchen and shrugged.

"You boys have a big problem."

"Maybe I should go talk to him?"

"You gonna be saying anything different from the last few times you talked?"

Sam stared Bobby in the eyes and slowly shook his head.

"Then rehashing old arguments won't do anything but bring back up old hurts, leave him be for now. Eventually one of you stubborn sons of bitches are gonna have to give in or else…" Bobby sighed and turned away.

"Or else what, Bobby?"

"Or else you'll tear yourselves apart so bad that Lilith won't need to lift a hand because you'll already be broken."

tbc