Next chappy posted...two in one day, not bad!! now back to Charlie!! thanks for reading!! thanks for all the awesome reviews!!! gotta say, i live for them...not too many chappies left to go on this story!! phew!! bambers;)
also, i borught back a character from my first fanfic, called Guiltless Crimes... her name is Angelina andI just loved her character and couldn't resist bringing her back to help Dean!!
Chapter Twelve
Dean dropped to the ground the moment he was inside the blazing inferno, thick black smoke burning his already aching lungs, eyes stinging as ash and soot gathered in them. He squinched his eyelids closed and rubbed them with the palms of his hands.
"Sam . . . Sam-my," he managed to choke out before coughing, more smoke filling his lungs.
On all fours, Dean crawled through the fiery debris, quickly rolling out of the way as a piece of burning timber fell and landed within mere inches of him. Hot ash scattered, singeing Dean's bare arms and face.
He scurried through the labyrinth of burning broken chairs and tables, heading toward the bathroom. Damn it, Sammy, where the hell are you?
He'd just barely rounded one of the tables when he spotted his brother. Sprawled out on the ground, Sam lay motionless, dangerously close to being burned alive by the quickly spreading fire. Dean's heart caught in his throat as another piece of timber broke free from the ceiling and crashed down onto a turned over chair a few feet away from his brother. Sam didn't even flinch at the noise or make an attempt to move as the fire drew closer.
Oh God, don't you be dead, Sammy. You can't die on me now.
Leaping to his feet, Dean sprinted the rest of the distance to his brother, mindless of the danger crashing down all around him. Dean fell to his knees and gathered Sam into his arms, cradling Sam's head, against his chest. He quickly checked Sam's breathing and felt for a pulse, but found neither.
"No. No. No. No. No. Come on, Sammy, don't you dare die on me." Dean gently shook him. Sam's head lolled lifelessly to the side and then rolled back to rest against Dean's shoulder. Tears streaked Dean's soot-covered face as he brushed Sam's unruly hair out of his closed eyes.
"I'm gonna get you outta here." Gathering his last stores of strength, Dean stood, hooked his arms under Sam's, and began dragging him toward the door. Sweat streamed down Dean's face and back, his shirt nearly soaked. His tired, aching muscles screamed with the effort it took to haul his brother from the fiery building, but he refused to give up. Come on, God, just a little help here.
The fire flared up, spreading rapidly across the ceiling, rippling like fiery waves in an ocean hell-bent on destroying everything in its path. Liqueur bottles on the shelf behind the bar exploded, spewing reddish-gold flames into the air. A fiery beam crashed to the floor in front of the entrance, cutting off any hope of escape from it. He glanced heavenward. Yeah, thanks for the help.
Dean squinted, scanning the tavern for another exit. There has to be one in back. His gaze darted from one side of the bar to the other and found no clear path large enough for both him and Sam to get through. If he'd been alone, he could've probably made it through the narrow twists and turns of the fiery maze, but to leave Sam behind wasn't even an option.
He nodded, lower jaw trembling. He dropped to his knees, and gathered Sam into his arms, wrapping them tightly around his brother to shield him from the inferno. "It's all right, Sammy, I'll stay with you. I promise. I won't leave you alone." Closing his eyes, he breathed in deeply, acrid smoke filling his lungs. Dean rested his head against Sam's and slowly rocked his brother back and forth, waiting for the fire to take them both.
"Dean," came a soft familiar voice. "I am here, Dean, as I once promised you."
Through closed eyelids, Dean could still see the intense bright light in front of him. He opened his eyes and saw her. Silver-gray wings arched high above her head, and fanned out gloriously until they touched the floor. Waves of silken chestnut hair cascaded down over her shoulder in riotous splendor. She smiled at him, blue-green eyes sparkling.
"An-Angelina?"
"I told you, I'd be watching." In a blink, she was beside him, placing a delicate hand on his shoulder.
Dean could hardly believe his eyes. The last time he'd seen Angelina, she'd come to help them fight off the demon Beliar, in the forests of Old Forge. With her help, he'd sent the demon back to Hell where it belonged to wait for end times. After she'd had brought Sam back from the dead, Angelina had promised to watch over them, but Dean hadn't actually thought she would.
"Why are you here?"
"I thought that would be obvious, Dean." Angelina gestured around her toward the all-consuming blaze.
"You came cause we're dying? Dean tightened his hold on Sam. "Cause I gotta tell you that would so totally suck."
"You and Sam, always so willing to put one foot in the grave to save each other." Angelina chuckled. "But, that day is not today. Misery called to me and made a deal."
Dean stared at her in confusion. Who the hell is Misery, and why would she make a deal on our behalf.
"I don't understand," he choked out, coughing as more acrid smoke filled his lungs.
"The banshee couldn't stand the sight of losing both of you to evil, so Misery bartered her newfound freedom to save you and Sam."
"Freedom?"
"Yes, her freedom. When you didn't die at the hands of the demon, Mara, Misery was set free from her curse."
"An' she gave it up for us?"
"For as long as she's lived, Misery has loved your family, and could not bear to see you come to such an ill-demise. So to her, it wasn't even a sacrifice, and she would do it again gladly."
"Huh, kinda feel bad for callin' her a bitch now."
"Yeah, I kinda thought you would."
Angelina leaned over and brushed her lips against Sam's, softly breathing into his mouth. "What dark fires have stolen away, He gives back unto you. By the almighty grace and power of the great Ever-Present One, rekindle the life of your warrior son."
Sam drew in a gasping breath, coughing loudly, but his eyes remained closed.
"Pick up your brother, Dean — pick him up and carry him out of here."
Dean slowly got to his feet, his injured chest protesting against the jarring movements. He tried to lift Sam, but his knees buckled, sending them both crashing to the ground.
"I can't."
"There is nothing you can't do, Dean." Angelina knelt beside him and touched the right side of his chest, and the pain disappeared. "Mara took something away from you. It is my intention, to give you something more in return." Her delicate fingers traced a path to his left side and lingered there, and Dean breathed easy for the first time in so many days.
"Angelina — I wanted to. . . ." Dean's voice trailed off as Angelina covered his lips with two fingers.
"Shhh . . . Dean. You needn't speak of it. I already know."
She stood and helped Dean to his feet and then extended her arm to hand him something. Dean glanced down at a ring with the Star of David emblazoned on the surface. Five jewels adorned the ring, the first four representing the elements, the fifth, the human element as the archangel Gabriel had explained to Dean. The strange jewel outshone all the rest, and it gave Dean comfort.
"Mara cannot make you forget who you are, Dean." She took his hand and placed the ring on his finger. "This ring is a reminder of all the good you are destine to accomplish." Angelina bent and picked Sam up from the ground, and placed him gently in Dean's arms. "Now take your brother and leave this hellish place."
"But the fire, Angelina, there's no way out."
"Have faith, Dean. Have faith and walk right through it. I promise, you will not even feel it."
God, why is it always have faith, Dean, with her. Why couldn't she just blow out the fire and say, there ya go, Dean, an easy way out for ya. Dean repositioned his brother in his arms, Sam's head cradled against Dean's shoulder, and walked through the fiery inferno toward the door.
Flames licked at his legs, scorching his jeans, but as Angelina had promised he didn't even feel anything. Okay, so maybe there is a little something to this faith thing, after all.
At the door, he hesitated, having forgotten momentarily that it was blocked by a fallen beam. He shifted Sam in his arms, and turned to look at the angel. "Angelina, you think you could. . . ." He jerked his head toward the burning timber.
Angelina smiled at him, blue-green eyes glistening with pride. "Yeah, Dean, I think I could."
She waved her arm, and the beam disappeared in a blast of brilliant light. "Suppose you want me to get the door for you as well."
"I was kinda hopin'. You know, given that whole faith thing a go." He grinned at her.
In an instant she was at his side, opening the door.
"Damn, was actually thinkin' you would use some sort of angel magic on it, to blow it off its hinges."
She gave him a puzzled look. "Why would I do that when I can open it just as easily like this?"
Dean shook his head. "Never mind. I'll never understand angels. Demons sure . . . angels never."
Angelina chuckled as they strode toward the Impala. She opened the car door, and Dean set Sam down inside, shut it. He turned to face the angel who had saved his brother's life twice.
"Seems like every time I see you, I end up having to thank you for saving Sam's life," Dean said awkwardly.
"Yeah, it is becoming kind of a habit."
Dean kicked a stray stone with the tip of his boot, staring at the ground, not wanting to look Angelina in the eyes. "Anyway, thanks."
Taking off the ring she'd given him, Dean tried to give it back to her, but she closed her hand around his.
"No, it's yours. It always has been."
"Mara, she made me think. . . ." Dean's voice trailed off as he looked up at Angelina. "How do I explain to Sam that I gave up on him?"
"You know you need to face her, Dean," She said, ignoring Dean's question. "You have to show her she didn't win."
"Didn't she?" Dean shrugged, his eyes stinging with unshed tears. "I mean, from where I'm standin', the only reason I'm still alive is because Sammy and some banshee refused to give up on me."
Angelina lightly caressed his face. "All the more reason to face her, Dean, to show her how truly strong you are." She turned and strode away from him, silver-white wings fluttering in the breeze. "Remember to face a nightmare is to conquer it."
At the entrance of the burning building, Angelina twisted around to face Dean. "She never faced you, Dean. There's a reason why. Figure it out and she'll never be able to harm you again." A graceful smile settled on her serene face. "And as for telling Sam, I think you can trust that he'll understand the pain you were going through." Dean watched as Angelina disappeared in an explosion of glistening white light.
After she was gone, Dean open the driver's side door and slid into his seat. His hand loving caressed the steering wheel, a slow smile creeping across his features. God, it's good to be home.
He grabbed the keys out of his pocket, put them in the ignition, turned the key and revved the engine, and noticed for the first time that Sam had hot-wired his baby. Smirking at his sleeping brother, who was snoring softly, Dean shook his head. Damn, I'm so gonna have to kick his ass for that.
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