The next morning Dean and Sam dropped Claire, Castiel, and Holly off at the house. Dean kept the Impala parked across the street until Carl arrived back home with Sally.
He and Sam watched as Castiel and Holly raced outside to hug their mother and Claire opened the front door to let Sally in. She left not long after and when she did, Dean drove to a nearby restaurant for an early lunch.
As he and Sam ate they discussed the demon.
"Do you think he'll come back knowing that we're around with the Colt?" Sam asked.
"If he's determined enough, he will," Dean answered.
Sam nodded then stuck out his bottom lip as he thought to himself.
"What's on your mind?" Dean inquired.
"I still don't understand the motive," Sam said. "I automatically assumed it was because Cas used to be an angel but there has to be some other reason too."
"Because it's fun?" Dean suggested.
Sam shook his head. "I don't know."
"It doesn't matter Sam," Dean told him. "We kill the demon and Cas and his family are safe. The end."
"Yeah I guess so," Sam agreed hesitantly.
Dean wiped his lips with a napkin and laid six dollars on the table for their waitress. "You ready to head back to the motel? We could catch up on some sleep. It would be nice since tonight we're watching the house again."
Sam sighed. "Yeah, I'm ready."
They stood and Sam followed Dean back to the Impala.
Ten hours later the brothers were back in the car and in front of Castiel's house waiting for the demon to come, if he would.
It was pretty quiet on the road. Only one car had passed in the last hour. Considering the road they were on was one of only two that led into the town and it was only nine o'clock it was unusual and it made the boys on edge.
So on edge that when someone knocked on the passenger side window Sam and Dean jumped at least two inches off their leather seats. Their hearts were pounding but they slowed once Dean and Sam saw it was Claire on the other side of the car's glass window.
Without any welcoming, Claire opened the backseat door and hopped into the Impala.
"What are you doing here?" Dean asked as he craned his neck to see her better.
Claire frowned. "You didn't think I could sleep while you're looking out for the demon who attacked my family did you?"
"This is dangerous," Dean warned. "You don't know how dangerous."
"I know a couple things about demons," Claire protested.
"But not enough to not be here," Dean said. "You should go home."
Claire folded her arms. "I'm staying."
Dean and Sam glanced at each other.
Sam shrugged. "We can't force her to leave."
"Fine, but if the demon comes you're not going inside," Dean told Claire.
Claire rolled her eyes. "That kind of defeats the purpose; doesn't it?"
"Take it however you want, but you're not going in. You're just going to get yourself killed if you do."
"Fine," Claire huffed.
After that the trio fell silent.
Around one both Dean and Sam had fallen asleep, but Claire had stayed wide awake. She looked out the Impala at her aunt's house taking in every detail, checking every shadow for a sign of something moving; something out of the usual happening. She would not let anyone or anything get into the house unnoticed. She knew her family was in terrible danger, again, because of Castiel.
Claire shook her head as she glanced up at Castiel's bedroom window. She couldn't blame him, she hadn't before, and he was totally innocent this time. He was just a kid, had no memory of his past. It wasn't his fault the past had caught up to him. It was just the way things were.
It was about a quarter to two when Claire noticed the wind had picked up and spotted a moving shadow along the front side of the house. Claire gasped. She leaned forward in her seat and put a hand on each Sam and Dean's shoulders and shook them. "Wake up!"
Dean and Sam bolted straight up in their seats. "What?"
"I think I saw a demon headed towards the front door," Claire told them. "The wind picked up just before I saw a human form moving towards it."
Sam immediately grabbed the demon killing knife and Dean the Colt.
"Stay here," Dean ordered her as they climbed out of the car.
Claire rolled her eyes. "Whatever."
She folded her arms as the brothers slammed their doors and watched as they jogged across the road and lined up against the wall. Weapons at ready, Sam and Dean slowly made their way to the front entrance.
She saw Dean pick the door open with something too small to see from where she was and the Winchesters stepped into the house.
Claire bit her lip. Was she really going to obey Dean?
It was quiet when Sam and Dean made their way through the first level of Sally and Carl's home. They took precaution, watching one another's backs in true soldier style. The kitchen, living room, bathroom, and office were all found to be empty.
The Winchesters were considering leaving the house before they got caught for breaking and entering when they heard Sally and Carl scream. They dashed upstairs without hesitation, skipping every other step until they were up the stairway and headed straight for the farthest room. They could hear Carl yelling at someone and Sally crying. They also saw that Castiel and Holly were up and at their doorways.
"Holly stay where you are!" Dean heard Castiel command his little sister as he passed with Sam.
Then Castiel was running too.
Everything was happening so quickly that Dean and Sam weren't even able to think about telling him to stay back as well. They were too focused on reaching Carl and Sally in time.
When Sam and Dean entered their bedroom Sally was on the floor sobbing in fear and pain, cradling her hurt arm while Carl was on the back of the demon holding on for dear life while trying to choke the life out of his intruder. The demon slammed him into the wall and Carl grimaced. His hold loosened.
"Hey you son of a bitch!" Dean shouted aiming his gun at the demon's head.
The demon's eyes fell upon Dean and he disappeared before Dean could shoot.
Carl collapsed to the floor with his arms still wrapped like they were while he was trying to choke him.
Castiel pushed his way through the gap between Sam and Dean to see his parents. As he reached them the demon reappeared next to Dean and knocked the Colt out of his hands. He pummeled Dean and threw him into the bed post then threw Sam into the wall where the window was. Sam's forehead hit the wall hard. Both Dean and Sam crumpled to the floor unconscious as Castiel opened one of his father's dresser drawers and pulled out a bottle of holy water. As the demon turned to face him he struggled to open the bottle with his shaking hands but luckily was successful before the demon could touch him.
Castiel threw the water in the demon's face and the demon screamed in agony. His skin sizzled and he swiped at his face with his hands trying to wipe away the source of his pain. Castiel whipped the bottle at the demon again, wetting his face once more, and a few drops fell into his eyes. The demon howled. He reached out for Castiel blindly but Castiel side stepped out of the way.
Castiel tried to reach his parents again but the demon took hold of his right arm and yanked him backwards, causing him to drop the bottle of holy water that was still in his grip. The leftover water splashed onto the floor.
Just then, Holly ran into the room. Her worry for her parents had overruled what her brother had ordered her to do and her fear.
"Stop!" Holly shrieked as the demon put a knife to Castiel's neck.
The demon pushed Castiel away from him a little and faced the child. "I'll get to you soon enough, sweetheart," he winked.
"Holly, hide!" shouted Castiel.
Holly froze in place and starred at the killer that was holding her brother still.
"Run, Holly!" Castiel yelled.
Holly nodded and bolted down the hallway. Castiel sighed out of momentary relief but fear rose in him again as his eyes met the demon's black ones. Castiel harnessed all his strength and pushed the demon away from him.
The demon was surprised, but quickly recovered. He charged and slammed his host's body into Castiel's. Castiel fell backwards and hit his head against the wall. He grimaced after he fell onto the floor. He was bleeding from the blow to his head and Castiel became disorientated.
The demon seized the moment and grabbed Castiel by his t-shirt to pull him back up onto his feet. Exhausted, all Castiel could do was grip the demon's jacket and stare.
"You are a lot of trouble for just a kid," the demon sneered. "But you can't escape me. You won't bring eternal Hell to my kind."
"I wouldn't be so sure."
The demon spun around. Claire was behind him, holding the Colt in her hands. She shot at him and the bullet hit him between the eyes. The demon gasped as light exploded from him. When it was over, the light went out and the demon collapsed.
Claire ran over to Castiel, who had fallen onto his knees. "Are you okay?"
Castiel nodded, but Claire still checked his wounds. "You have to go to the hospital for that head wound."
"Check on everyone else first," Castiel murmured.
Claire agreed to and turned away from him to see that Sam and Dean were up. She gave the Colt back to Dean as she made her way to Sally and Carl. Carl was for the most part okay besides some cuts and bruises, but Sally would need to get surgery on her arm again. Claire winced as she studied the injury. It was in pretty bad shape.
"Could you guys help Castiel and Uncle Carl out?" Claire asked Dean and Sam as she wrapped Sally's good arm around her shoulders.
They nodded. Sam went to Carl and helped him up while Dean helped Castiel. They followed Claire and her Aunt Sally down the stairs. All of them limped after each step that they took.
After finding Holly behind the living room couch they then went outside and got into two vehicles. Sam and Dean took the Impala and Castiel climbed in with them. Claire meanwhile, took Carl's pick-up truck and Sally, Carl, and Holly joined her.
Claire started the engine as soon as her passengers were inside the vehicle and drove to the hospital. Dean followed her.
