Dean was on a hunt with Bobby. Ella had decided to stay at home. The idea of killing vampires was beneath her, that and a feeling of something coming was steadily growing in her. It wasn't the normal feeling she got when bad things happened. Ella truly was a warrior, she didn't get bad feeling before battle, nerves never plagued her, she knew if it was her time to die she would, but not before putting up an epic fight.
This feeling had been growing for the past several days, it was unnerving and yet somehow comforting at the same time. Moments of sheer adrenaline would flow through Ella, followed by intense fear and determination. All this while she sat on Bobby's front porch; whatever was going on was normal for her. Never in her time as a celestial being had she felt such raw emotion.
A flutter of wings broke her from her thoughts. She turned to the left knowing he would be there soon. She was not disappointed, within moments the flutter of wings brought her face to face with Castiel. She neither ignored his presence nor did she make any outward signs of acknowledging it.
The feeling of fear deep inside was back. If she hadn't been sitting already it would have dropped her to her knees.
"Its overwhelming at first, but it gets easier."
"Why are you here Castiel? Shouldn't you be in heaven, ignoring your charge down here?"
"I have not ignored Dean." Cas cocked his head to the side, "I have been busy."
"Yea Cas real busy, Dean and Sam sacrifice everything and in the end you get a free pass back home complete with a shinny new pair of wings." Ella was standing up at this point, if it were not for her short stature she would have been nose to nose with Cas. Instead she was a few steps back from him looking him dead in the eyes. "Congratulations Cas, while you're up in Heaven enjoying your new role, I'm down here picking up the pieces you helped create."
"Ella…"Cas let out a sigh, no doubt a human trait he learned from Dean.
"Don't Cas." Ella was almost yelling, "Don't come down here spewing non sense about how busy you have been in Heaven. I don't care. Heaven can fall to anarchy, It'll survive… It always does." Ella began to turn around. "Heaven will always survive Cas, you, me, other angels, demons, all of it. It will survive. Dean won't. Not without Sam, and if he can't have Sam then he needs you and Bobby to help hold him together."
"If? You said if he can't have Sam. Sam is in the cage, no one can get him out, not without letting Lucifer and Michael out. I will not let that happen, Sam stays in the cage Ella"
The slow smile on Ella's face was absolutely frightening, her wings slowly unfurled, "Watch what you say. Do not threaten me Cas, shinny new wings or not, I will end you to protect what's mine."
Most would be scared of Ella in her current state, but if Cas was he wasn't showing it. He simply looked at her, waiting for her to elaborate, never had he seen Ella so protective, so willing to fight a friend for a human. It was pleasant to see that Dean had rubbed off on Ella as much as he had Cas.
"I mean you no disrespect Ella. I was simply stating the facts; there is nothing we can do. If there was I would have done it already. I want Sam back just as much as Dean. It's why I've stayed away; I have no new information that will help him get his brother back."
Ella's stance softened but she still remained in a defensive position. The loud purr of the Impala could be heard. Dean was parking close to the house. "Then you didn't look hard enough Cas, there is a way to get Sam back, he will be back. I can promise you that." By this time Dean had already parked and was standing not far from Ella and Cas.
"You two know each other?"
"Yes" Both angels replied at once.
"Angels in surround sound, creepy. Is it true Cas?"
"Is what true?"
"Can it be done? Can we get Sam back?"
A look of pure grief crossed Castiels face. He looked to Ella who was still in a state of rage. The look in her eyes was daring Cas to break Dean. To kill any hope he may have had. "Dean, if there is a way to get Sam back, then maybe just maybe we can do it, but I don't know if any way to get him out, not without letting them all out. We cannot allow them all to get out Dean…"
"Shut-up Cas, you might not know a way to get him out but I do, I've spent enough time in Hell to learn a few loop holes to the rules, even Father's rules." Ella was shaking in emotions, they were consuming her and she was having difficulty distinguishing which ones were hers and which were not.
"Damnit Ellla! I've listened to your cryptic talk, you say I can't get him out that he's gonna come back when the time is right, when is that time? Huh? When do I get my brother back? Jesus Ella he's in Hell, you got him out of the cage, why not get him out like Cas got me out? He sacrificed enough; doesn't that tip the scales in his favor? Jumping into that cage had to count for something." Dean was trying to calm his breathing; the anger in him was heart breaking.
Ella smiled, Sam had tipped the scales, in a way no one ever thought possible.
Cas growled. "Out of the cage? Ella what did you do?"
"What needed to be done Cas. I had a job to do, unlike you I don't leave my charges when things get tough."
"I was here at the beginning, I was at the cemetery for the end, and I rebelled for Dean. I did not leave my charge."
"Charges Cas, more than one. It's sad you didn't see it then, family Cas that's what Sam and Dean are. You help one you help them both, you hurt one and the other will kill you. Your orders were to guard Dean, and by proxy Sam. By not doing everything you could do to protect Sam to help him prepare for the cage you damned Dean to a life of misery. That my old friend will be your burden to carry until the end of time."
Cas was silent whatever argument he had was lost, Dean was looking back and forth between the angels, wondering what to do next.
"Help prepare Sam how?" As usual it was Dean who broke the silence.
"It is in the past Dean, leave it there, it can't be changed." Ella went to sit back down, new feelings were consuming her, anger, rage, and adrenaline had been replaced with joy, a slight nervousness and and feeling of glee. It was disconcerting to Ella, emotions were something she was stunted in understanding. To have this many different powerful emotions freely flowing through her was frightening at best.
"Ella?" It was Dean, always concerned for everyone around him.
Ella took a deep breath trying to settle her mind before speaking, "I'm ok Dean, just overwhelmed. Having emotions run through you that aren't your own can be daunting."
"Who's emotions?"
Another deep breath, Ella raised her head ready to tell Dean another secret she had kept from him, "Sam's emotions, always Sam's, who knew someone could feel so much?"
"You can feel Sam's emotions? How?"
Castiel had been silent through this conversation; he had busied himself with studying Ella, trying to figure out what was going on with her. She souldn't be feeling such an overwhelming wave of Sam's emotions.
"The same way Cas can feel your emotions. It's how Angels keep an eye on their charges."
It had been 3 days since Ella had talked to Dean and Cas, her emotions were still ever changing and every time she went to speak it came out as a low growl. It was becoming disconcerting to Ella; this inability to keep a hold of her emotions. Emotions themselves didn't bother her, not being able to control them didn't seem to affect her. It was the fact that they were Sam's emotions that was slowly driving her to break the deal she made and go after him. The idea of this much rage flowing freely through Sam made her furious at whoever caused them. She had her suspicions as to who caused her Sam so much rage and misery but there was little she could do. She had made a deal and like all deals her's came with a heavy price tag if she interfered.