Author's Note: I'd like to thank Ranisi123 for beta'ing this chapter. She was a major help!

CHAPTER ELEVEN: Old Habits

With a snap of fingers, the chains had disappeared from Dean's wrists, causing him to crumble to the ground, rolling his shoulders. Dean rubbed his now raw wrists that were just starting to form blisters.

The Knight stood up, his gaze focused on Crowley instead of his bleeding friend.

"Seeming as though I can't trust you, I have a proposition for you." The King offered, walking behind Castiel and placing rough hands on the angel's shoulders. Cas flinched as the blade that was still firmly lodged in his shoulder was jostled, pain pulsing through his body.

Dean eyed Crowley suspiciously as a cruel smile crept across the King's face.

"What?" The Knight asked, his words laced with venom. As Dean stood there, he continued to clench and unclench his fists, trying to calm himself down. Needless to say, it wasn't working.

"Castiel here has been a major pain in my ass for a while." Crowley strolled over to the eldest Winchester, stopping inches from him. Dean's gaze hardened, his lips pressed into a firm line while the King stared at him smugly.

"What's your point?" The former hunter barked, tired of the foreplay.

As Crowley spoke, he tried to make the task sound appealing, "I want you to take this angel blade and shove it through his heart." He watched the Knight intently as a range of emotions played across his face: rage, sorrow, and hate.

Dean's heart rate quickened as both his and Cas' faces were taken over with shock.

"That shouldn't be a problem right?" He patted the Knight's shoulder and gave a little shove, forcing the angel blade into his hand.

The eldest Winchester felt the cold metal against his skin as he adjusted his grip on the blade. Grasping it firmly, he took a step towards the angel. Dean's heart ached as he saw betrayal and defeat flash across Cas's features, pain evident in his eyes.

Castiel could see the spark of mischief in Dean's eyes that was soon replaced with anger. "If I'm going to kill him, I'll do it with my blade." His words were laced with malice.

Crowley looked as if he was about to protest, but, after seeing the dangerous look in the eldest Winchester's eyes, he thought better of it before vanishing.

Returning moments later, Crowley warily handed the weapon to its master. The First Blade was now in Dean's hand, the Mark of Cain glowing scarlet.

The Knight realized how much he had missed the rough feel of the First Blade in his calloused hand as he felt the surge of power flow through him.

At first Cas thought he was going to die. He saw the raw bloodlust and power take over Dean. It was like a switch had been flipped: humanity off, psycho killer on.

The change in the Knight was so dramatic that the angel grimly accepted his fate and pitied the eldest Winchester for what he was going to have to live with once he was cured.

But then Dean laughed.

Yes, it was a sadistic laugh, but it was directed at Crowley. The Knight spun to face the King, his lifeless green eyes almost feral.

Recognition played across Crowley's features as he figured out how royally bonedhe was.

"Guess I've been Winchestered. You really going to kill me squirrel? After all I've done for you?" The angel could hear the worry in the King's voice as he put his hands up in surrender.

"I've wanted to shove this blade up your ass for a while now." Dean quipped, eyeing Crowley like he was a bacon cheeseburger. With each passing word between the two, the former hunter would take a step towards his target. The King swallowed hard as his palms started to sweat.

Suddenly, the Knight lunged at Crowley, forcing him up against the wall, high enough that his feet were dangling, his left hand clenching the King's throat.

Dean could hear Crowley's blood pumping frantically, and the eldest Winchester wanted nothing more than to slice a vein open and watch as crimson stained his hands.

As he pressed the Blade forcefully into the King's neck, Dean's eyes switched to black as a deadly smirk plastered his face.

"What if I told you there was a way that insured you couldn't be cured?" Crowley said in a rush, his voice desperate.

The Knight's eyes switched back to green, his brows furrowed in consideration, before he shook his head. Sweat started to form on his forehead, but, at the moment, he didn't care enough to wipe it away. He was too focused on what Crowley had just said. "You're lying," he accused.

The former crossroads demon chuckled, confident in the knowledge that he'd won. "Boy Scout Honor. But if you kill me, you're as good as cured."

Dean glanced at Cas, seeing fear and anguish in his eyes before returning his dark gaze to the demon.

The angel could see the internal struggle going on in Dean's eyes. He wanted so badly to save his friend, to be the person Sam and Cas wanted him to be, but he also knew he couldn't live with himself once he was human. Maybe his decision was a little selfish, but the demon coursing through his veins didn't give a rat's ass.

"Get him out of here." The former hunter demanded. He didn't want Castiel to see him give in.

"Dean no-" The angel hadn't even finished his sentence before he was on the bunker's kitchen floor, yanking a blade from his shoulder.
….

"Dammit Dean!" Cas yelled with frustration. How could he be so stupid? He should've known his friend would do some self-sacrifice bullshit only to have Crowley fuck the whole situation up.

"Cas?" Sam said in disbelief, having heard the yelling. With Meg on his heels, he rushed over to his injured friend and hauled him up into a chair.

"You look like shit." Meg noted, crossing her arms. Even though she really had been worried about him, there was no way in Hell she'd ever say so.

Castiel sent a quick glare at Meg as he tried to calm himself down. He was worried about Dean as well as pissed off at him for being so incredibly reckless like usual.

"What happened, man? One second I hear you and Dean yelling at Crowley, the next you were gone." The youngest Winchester said, looking at the angel with worry.

Cas eyed Sam disapprovingly as he really took a look at him. Power was enveloping the young hunter and he could smell the cursed blood he had drank.

"Sam, do you really think that's helping the situation?" The angel stood up quickly, backing away from the youngest Winchester. He tried to control his anger but he had finally had enough. "Instead of doing something productive, you were up here drinking demon blood." Cas didn't try to hide the venom in his voice as he seethed with fury.

"This was something productive. I can't take on Dean without a little extra help! He has to be stopped Cas. There's no getting through to him." Sam said through clenched teeth, frustrated at the angel's incompetence.

"Dean saved me, Sam." Castiel's voice dropped dangerously low as he looked at the hunter with disgust. "Maybe if your head wasn't shoved so far up your ass, you would've seen the humanity left inside of him."

Sam scoffed but before he could respond, Cas turned his back on the youngest Winchester. Making his way to his bedroom, Castiel left behind a fuming hunter and a shocked yet proud demon.

"Little Cassie is growing up."

TBC

Thanks again for all the nice reviews and such. I have two more decisions I'd like my readers to make but this time I won't make another chapter just for an author's note.

Do you want Dean to kill Crowley? Yes or no.

If yes to the last question, do you want Dean to take a nasty turn after? Yes or no.

If the answer to both of the questions was yes, then I already have an idea working up. If not, then it might be a little longer to update. Let me know in reviews what you want because I can't go forward without feedback! Thanks again. Love you all.