The sound of loud, harsh laughter brought Sam out of his shock. It was Dean, laughing from the other room.

"Oh hell, no. I should have known it would be one of you. Filthy conniving angels. You say this is your fault, huh?" Sam could see Dean struggling to stand up, a look of disgusted amusement on his face. "You were the one that was supposed to 'save' me from Hell before I turned, right? So I could be your bitch in the apocalypse, and use me as an angel vessel to fight against Sam?"

Sam quickly took a step back from this angel. This was the thing that was meant to pretend to save Dean only to kill him in battle.

"Get away from me. I won't do anything you tell me to, so just leave."

"I understand that you are angry at me for not getting to your brother before he turned."

"No! You know what? I'd rather have him as he is now than having you get him out for your own selfish needs and using him!" Sam wasn't sure how his voice could sound so strong when he was a bundle of nerves inside.

"That is not true; I am here to avert the apocalypse. You are not upset that your brother is now a demon? Hellspawn?"

Sam flinched at the use of that word. "Don't call him that. And no, I'm not. He'll always be my brother, no matter what. And you have no right to take him away from me."

"I have no other choice."

"Is this the way you deal with your shit?" Dean shook his head. "You mess up and instead of dealing with it, you just decide to erase the evidence? That sounds pretty fucking low for an angel."

The angel, Castiel, actually considered Dean for a moment. "You might have a point, demon. Perhaps I will not dispose of you. But you do not belong here. It is time for you to go back to your place in Hell."

Sam ran out of the destroyed hidden room to chase the angel but before he could reach him, Sam felt himself get knocked down. He tried moving, but it was useless. He was frozen in place, like Dean had done to him before. However, judging by the confused look on Dean's face, this wasn't his brother's doing.

Dean began to back up from the angel. "Okay man, in all seriousness, you're misguided or something. What you're doing is going to unlock the last seal. If Lilith dies, Lucifer rises."

The angel seemed genuinely confused. "That is not true. We must stop the breaking of the seals. Lilith is breaking them and we must destroy her before she finishes."

"Someone's feeding you the wrong information, buddy."

"You're tricking your brother for your demonic needs."

"I would never do that to him. I'm doing this to keep him safe, from freaks like you."

Castiel took a step towards Dean, who backed up stealthily.

"Seriously, we're fighting on the same side, you just don't know it." Dean's voice sounded nearly desperate. "Leave me alone and maybe we can work together on this somehow."

"I would never work with the disgrace of a Hellspawn."

Dean kept avoiding Castiel's advances toward him. "Alright, alright. If you're so uptight then how 'bout you let me go and we just leave each other alone? No interfering with each other, okay?"

"I have orders to get you away from Sam Winchester. I cannot disobey those orders."

"Sure you can, you can just not listen. What do you think I'm doing? I'm going against practically all of Hell by doing this."

Dean looked into Sam's eyes for a moment and all the younger brother saw was defeat. Dean knew he couldn't win against this angel. Trying to reason was the only option, and it didn't seem to be working.

"I will not disobey my Father." The angel proclaimed, and Dean was tossed into the wall once again.

Dean got up faster this time after being knocked down. He pushed out his powers toward the angel, and it seemed to knock Castiel off his footing for a moment.

Sam watched as his brother took the angel's stumble to his advantage and dove toward one of Crowley's couches, jumping back up with the demon-killing knife. It must have gotten knocked out of Dean's boot when he was getting flung about.

Would it work on angels? Neither of them knew the answer to that, but it was better to attempt than to try nothing at all.

Sam saw Castiel shoot some kind of angelic light out at Dean, and knowing that he couldn't move, Sam did the only thing he could.

"Dean, duck down!"

Dean ducked just in time as he rolled behind the couch. Castiel marched toward it, and then the couch was off the ground and flying through the air, sending the angel along with it as it crashed into the opposite wall.

Castiel easily pushed the couch off of him, but not before Dean ran over, stabbing the angel in the back with Ruby's knife.

There wasn't a noise in the room as Dean stared blankly at the protruding knife. Castiel turned around slowly and pulled the knife from his back as he did so. Instead of stabbing Dean with it like Sam feared he would, the angel dropped the knife and grabbed Dean by the head, twisting his neck sharply. There was a loud snap and then a thud as Dean hit the floor.

Sam screamed and fought against his bonds with all his might. He tried calling out his powers to grab Dean's soul, but Sam was a mess. He was so worked up and exhausted that he couldn't even begin to muster his recently acquired powers.

Dean's face was angled so it was facing Sam and for the first time, he looked... sad. He moved his lips and while no words came out but Sam didn't need them.

Sorry Sammy

"No! No, you're not going anywhere, Dean!" Sam glared over at the angel. "Let him go, please let him go! I'll do anything you want me to!"

The angel ignored Sam and tilted Dean's face so it was facing up by using his powers. The angel stared into Dean's eyes with hatred.

"I should dispose of you. You are lucky that I am just sending you back to Hell."

Sam wasn't sure how angels could send a demon back to Hell. Luckily though, he didn't have to find out as the door to the room flew open and Crowley stood in the doorway. His suit was ripped, and he carried the Colt in one hand and an African American man was being dragged by his other hand.

"Let Dean go, or you'll face the same lovely fate as your angel friend here." Crowley dropped the angel on the ground. His eyes were lifeless and there was a bullet hole in his forehead. He had gotten the Colt working again, and apparently, it killed angels as well.

Castiel must have realized this as he let his powers release both of the brothers. Sam immediately got up as quickly as he could and rushed toward his brother. He tried grabbing Dean by his shoulders, feeling sick to his stomach when Dean's head rolled lifelessly and his arms hung loosely at his sides. Sam had to prop Dean up against his chest just to keep him from sliding back down onto the floor.

"What have you done to Uriel?" Castiel had forgotten about the brothers for now, and was staring at his fallen comrade.

"What does it look like?" Crowley huffed. "I shot the fool in the head. Obviously, this gun can kill you as well."

Crowley looked over at Dean then, as if silently asking his brother a question. Dean must have mouthed an answer because Crowley looked annoyed.

"Looks like it's actually your lucky day, angel. If you leave right now and don't threaten the Winchesters, I'll let you live."

Castiel glanced back over at Sam. "Working on the side of Hell cannot be tolerated. I will come back to save you."

"We're not on any side, you feathered abomination," Crowley hissed as he took a step toward the angel, gun still pointed. Sam wasn't sure where his insult was coming from, because despite Sam's image of angels, Castiel didn't have a single feather on him or even wings.

However when the angel suddenly vanished, Sam swore that he could hear the fluttering of large wings.

Sam stared at the place the angel vacated for a few seconds, trying to wrap his mind around everything that had just taken place. It was when he felt his brother's head fall heavily on his chest that Sam focused his attention back on Dean. He still wasn't moving, and by the looks of it, he wasn't breathing either. Sam began to panic, thinking that Dean had somehow died before he remembered that he could see Dean's demonic soul with his powers. Sam took a deep breath and concentrated. After a few seconds the dark cloud that was Dean's soul became visible, moving around sluggishly inside of his body.

"Don't get your panties in a twist." Crowley rolled his eyes as he ordered his human servants to dispose of the angel's dead body. "His neck was broken; he can't breathe, so he's unconscious until his body is capable of breathing again."

"And when will that be?" Sam asked as he watched Crowley walk around and inspect the damage done to his house. Crowley's soul looked more powerful and it put Sam at unease. Something about the way it moved about made Crowley seem sneaky. No wonder he was in charge of creating deals. Sam felt that he should really watch himself in front of this demon, but what other choice did they have but to follow Crowley's advice?

Crowley shrugged, an indication that he really didn't give a crap. "About a day to fully heal, he's just a newborn demon after all. You might want to get him in bed and support his neck so it heals properly. I don't want you crying when he's walking around with a crooked neck and we have to break it again."

Crowley motioned for another human worker to carry Dean up, but Sam wasn't going to have any of that. He picked up Dean's limp and heavy body by himself and started walking out of the room. On his way back upstairs he saw a couple bodies lying on the floor and debris everywhere. Mindy was sitting on the steps, rubbing her arm with a grimace on her face.

Sam couldn't help himself but to stop and ask her if she was alright. Bound here or not, she was human and it was Sam's job to protect them. Suddenly he felt very guilty; these angels must have caused a mini catastrophe by the looks of the house. And Sam had sat hiding in a secret room where he thought he was safe from all of the commotion. He was a hunter; he should have been out there saving people and bursting into the scene of action, guns blazing with determination instead of shying away like a coward.

Sam had changed since then. From the angry teenager growing up, to the independent college student determined to live a normal life, to the strong hunter who still wanted to make his brother proud. Now... now Sam had seen loss in the worst possible way, he had been alone and miserable and slowly fading away, almost manipulated by a demon he had believed was Ruby. He had watched his brother and best friend, everything he had left, die in a blood bath and get sent to Hell... all because of him. And then he got Dean back. Sam had lived through loss and then gained back that prized possession even though it was returned to him a bit tainted and damaged. Sam wasn't going to lose Dean again by running into a battle without knowing what he was getting into or what enemy he might face. They were facing the big guys now; this could lead to the apocalypse if they didn't play their cards right, and Sam had to keep both himself and Dean alive and safe.

Other than going in to kill Lilith with a plan firmly in place, there was no more running into the line of fire blind.

However, that wasn't going to erase his guilt when he spoke to a frightened-looking Mindy.

"They just came out of nowhere... I was doing laundry and they landed right in front of me. A demon came running up, I don't know his real name but Crowley calls him by the codename George. He was all excited to see the... the angels he said they were. He was demanding repayment because he said he had allowed the angels access to get in here. I don't know how he did it, but the angels didn't seem to be gratuitous."

"They killed him?"

"They put a hand on his forehead and then George was dead. Just like that. I didn't think anything could kill a demon except Crowley's gun. Then they started heading toward Crowley's office. There were two of them and I knew Crowley would be no match for them. I know I'm just a servant but I've been here forever. I actually like this place, it's my home. I like Crowley, he's good to me. I'm one of the few he allows to go out once a week and adjust to the times. And anyway, if they killed him, what would happen to me? Would I go to Hell? I wasn't even thinking when I ran over to them, yelling at them to stop."

Mindy chuckled for a moment, rolling her eyes at herself. "Like I could do anything, you know? How idiotic of me to run up to this thing that just killed a demon with its hand and tug on its sleeve. The one that Crowley eventually killed... he turned around and... he put his hand up to me, too. I guess I was in the way."

Dean was getting very heavy in Sam's arms, but he couldn't miss out on what Mindy was telling him. "You're not saying he tried to kill you, Mindy?"

"Oh, he didn't try. He did kill me. Sucker didn't know that Crowley owns me. My soul isn't going anywhere if Crowley doesn't want it to. I'm under a contract to work here and the only way I'm leaving Earth is if I disobey Crowley and he sends me to Hell."

Sam couldn't believe what he was hearing. He thought angels were supposed to be good. He could understand the angels wanting to kill demons and even go after Dean, because they didn't know that Dean was working to help stop the apocalypse. But to kill a human? And when it wasn't necessary in any way? Maybe he was mistaken in demons being his biggest threat. These angels seemed like they could be more deadly and careless than anything Sam had ever encountered.

Apparently Mindy was thinking along the same lines. "It really makes you question everything that you're told to believe in. Even someone like me that lives with demons every day. Is there even a right and wrong anymore?"

Sam sighed as he adjusted Dean in his arms. "I really wish I could answer that for you, Mindy. I mean, I've met a few creatures that were supposed to be monsters that weren't bad. I've always believed in angels and I used to pray every single day for mine and Dean's health and safety. I learned from Dean that they want to help start the apocalypse in some way and now they are killing humans. They were one good thing to believe in and now..."

Sam trailed off. He wouldn't mind still discussing things with Mindy, but he didn't feel like dropping Dean with a broken neck. He needed to get Dean laying down now.

Mindy took notice and stood up. "Need help with him?"

"Sure, thank you."

Back in their room, Sam got Dean situated on his side of the bed while Mindy tried to keep his head supported by pillows. Looking down at his brother not breathing brought Sam back all those months ago when he was laying Dean's body in the coffin, hoping it wouldn't be his final resting place...

"He's not going to die, you know. Give him a few hours; he'll wake up by then."

"I know..." Sam sighed quietly. "It's just hard. I've watched him go through so much and I kind of expected that since he's a demon now, I wouldn't have to watch him suffer anymore. I was wrong."

"Oh, he was suffering all right. I mean, before he was with you." Mindy laughed as she glanced over at Dean. "He was a grouchy thing, hissing at everyone and always seemed very antsy. Like all the other demons that are stuck here, he wanted to get out... but it wasn't about escaping for him. It always seemed like he was longing for something, and he seemed worried. Then I heard him talking about you to Crowley. He wanted to meet up with you sooner, even before his body was healed all the way but Crowley wouldn't let him."

Sam was longing for the information. He knew that Dean cared; it was just hard to notice how much he cared sometimes. "He was really talking about me, huh?"

"Oh yeah, basically the only thing he would talk about. He kept quiet most of the time so I'm pretty shocked at how different he seems now."

"Different how?"

"Well for one, he smiles. I have never seen a demon truly smile and Dean was no exception before." Mindy shrugged.

"He never smiled before? Dean's constantly smiling and cracking some stupid joke."

"Nope, never once. I mean, I could tell that he was different from other demons but he was nothing like he is now. He's a whole different person when he's with you and he actually seems happy. I didn't know demons could be so... relaxed."

Sam smiled, something inside of him feeling lighter. He was glad that even after everything Dean had been through, he could still find some form of happiness by hunting with Sam. "Trust me, he still has his moments."

"But has he ever tried to hurt you?"

"He'll get easily annoyed or angry. But no, he's never been violent to me once."

"Well I'm glad I didn't sleep with a totally careless demon. At least he actually still has some feelings." Mindy grinned.

"Alright!" Sam blushed, forgetting Dean's history with the girl. "That's enough information, don't remind me of that!"

Mindy chuckled. "Do you want me to wait here until he wakes up?"

"I'll be fine. But thank you for everything."

Sam could sense Dean waking up before his brother opened his eyes. He turned around just as Dean muttered out a hoarse "Sammy".

Sam ran over to his brother upon hearing his name and hovered above Dean. "Hey, are you feeling alright?" he asked with a relieved smile.

Dean rolled his black eyes, a sigh that Sam was now accustomed to. "Well, I can breathe."

Sam huffed. "Of course you can. But do you hurt anywhere? Can you get up?"

"I just broke my neck, moron, I can't get up."

"But..."

"I can breathe and move my neck a bit, but my spinal cord hasn't healed enough to move my limbs." Dean's annoyed grimace turned into a cocky grin. "Remember, I'm just a baby demon. Cut me some slack."

"What a strong and powerful demon you are, lying helpless at the mercy of a hunter." Sam laughed. Maybe it should worry him more that Dean couldn't move right now, but Sam knew he was going to heal completely so there really wasn't a reason to fret over it.

"Oh, I'm not completely helpless. I've still got my powers." Dean demonstrated by flinging the remote at Sam's head through the air.

Crowley chose that moment to walk in. "Ah, so you're awake."

Dean narrowed his eyes at Crowley. "How the hell did those angels get in? I thought you had this mansion angel-proofed."

Crowley actually had the guts to look the tiniest bit embarrassed. "That, ah well... some wards were broken by one of my demon slaves trying to escape..."

"Wow, what a shocker there." Dean rolled his eyes.

"It's been taken care of. Actually, one of the angels got him. Now, Dean..." Crowley walked over and stood over Dean with a menacing look on his face. "Why don't you care to tell me exactly why you wished me to spare that angel's life?"

Sam took a step closer to Dean protectively, but his brother remained calm and collected.

"Didn't you see how confused the guy was? He was clueless and being led around like a dog. He thought he was saving the world from the apocalypse."

"And...?" Crowley didn't look impressed.

"And he even decided against killing me because he was the angel that was supposed to free me. If we can get him to learn the truth... plus the fact that he probably feels guilty about not getting to me in time... it might be enough to get him to work with us," Dean explained, looking smug the entire time.

"We'd have an angel on our side that could warn us about any incoming threats," Sam gasped.

Crowley gave a mischievous grin. "That might not be such a bad idea after all. Those things could become quite handy in the right situations."

"See, I'm just full of good ideas." Dean smirked. He was obviously proud of himself for thinking of such an amazing idea.

"Yes, and if that angel comes back to kill us, I'll be sure to wipe that smirk off your face." And with that threat, Crowley disappeared out the door.

Sam watched as Dean's coy look changed to one of annoyance as he pouted in the bed.

"What's wrong with you?"

"If you haven't noticed, my neck is broken," Dean stated in his best mocking tone.

Sam let out an aggravated sigh. "Seriously, Dean."

"Fine, my throat is parched. Happy now?"

"Dude, why didn't you just tell me? I'll get you some water," Sam told him, already walking toward their kitchen area.

"I am NOT having my little brother help me drink!" Dean seemed to grow more agitated as Sam continued to ignore him and fill a glass with water. "Do you hear me, Sam? You try to give me that water like a freakin' baby and I'll spit it on your face, bitch!"

"I could be a real bitch and give you holy water," Sam suggested.

"You wouldn't."

"Yeah, I know I wouldn't." Sam smiled but sighed when he felt himself suddenly freeze to the spot, unable to move. He glared at his brother. "Dean..."

"Let's make a deal."

"You're not a crossroads demon, jerk."

"No, a good old fashioned deal. If you can escape the hold of my powers in less than two minutes then you can give me that water. If not, then I get to wait until I can actually hold the cup for myself."

On top of practicing grabbing onto demon's souls, Sam was also learning how to deflect their powers and escape from them. Dean had been doing this to him, pinning him against his powers and having him try to escape by using his own. It had taken Sam upwards of ten minutes in the beginning and now he was down to around three. But he would accept this challenge; he knew Dean's powers and how to work around them.

"Okay, deal."

One minute and forty-eight seconds later Dean was scowling as Sam held the glass up to his lips.

"Admit it Dean, I'm the awesome brother."

"I told you I'd never lie to you Sammy, why start now?"

"Very funny." Sam ignored his brother's stares and tilted his head up with one hand and brought the glass up with another. Dean's scowl stayed put but he didn't spit the water out like he had threatened. "See, that wasn't so bad, was it?"

"You better shut your mouth. I feel like a freakin' infant."

"Well, hey... I'm just returning the favor. Weren't you the one that fed me all my bottles when I was a baby?"

"Of course it was me. Dad was out a lot of the time and trusted me to take care of you. I wasn't going to let you starve. So this ends our 'best brother' argument."

Sam smiled. "Yeah, I guess it does. You're more awesome than me." He brought the glass up to Dean's lips again. It was nice to take care of his brother for a change and to sit here and relax with no tension between them.

As Sam went to give Dean another drink of water, his brother vanished before his eyes. Sam glanced around wildly, finding himself in what looked to be an abandoned factory building of some sort. When he spun around, he came face to face with the angel Castiel.

"I am in great need to speak with you, Sam Winchester."