This chapter is a bit on the drama side. I promise the next chapter will have some fighting. Somehow, I got caught up with the characters interacting at the bunker. I hope this chapter did not drag too much for you readers.


THEN:

Dean walked over to the dresser and picked up his uneaten dessert. He wanted to ask Mara about the incident with the goddess but he felt that Mara needed some more time to heal. Dean returned to the chair and interjected. "Sam always had been a good cook. I don't know how he got the talent or the time to fix good food." They both sat in silence eating the last part of the meal lost in their own thoughts.


NOW:

Dean chatted with Mara an hour after their dessert was consumed. "Are you still checking in everyday with your agency?"

"Yes I did earlier today. I'm still on vacation so they will not be calling me unless it's an extreme case." Mara watched the man grabbed her tray and set it outside next to his.

Dean saw her make a face. "I'll put the stuff in the kitchen later." He sat back down on the chair next to her bed. "Are you sleepy yet?"

The auburn hair woman shook her head. "Not yet. What do you want to talk about?"

Dean gave her a look contemplating the question he wanted to ask her. "When you died were you instantly aware you were outside your body? Sam and I did astral projection one time and it was a cool experience. From what happened, your experience must have been totally different."

Mara gave Dean a cool expression. "Yes it was very different. It was not astral projecting. Instead, I was yanked out of my body in my soul shape. You saw it briefly when Kuryiel put me back."

She heard Dean's gruff "um hum."

Recalling what happened. "It was a strange experience. I saw a weird shape above the Goddess's head that was drawing me to her. I had to fight from going to that triangle like thing. That's how she killed those women. The only difference is that she could not totally drain my life force. There was a part of me that still preserved my body in a normal state. It must be from being Mai and not human."

Dean listened earnestly feeling guilty. "I felt like I failed you by not stopping that goddess."

She held up her hand. "Don't feel that way." Mara looked at him with compassion. "I saw your soul Dean."

"Really?" His eyes widen a little. "How did it look? It must've been very bright."

"Yes it was, but your soul looked like there are thin slivers of fractures." Mara instantly got quiet for a second. She did not want to tell him what she saw that night but had to be honest. "Even though your soul is bright but it seem different like it appeared to look damaged by something." Mara saw Dean put up a guarded expression on his face and she instantly scanned his thoughts.

There was a glimpse of a dark tortured device with Dean being surrounded by Demons, monsters and souls of other people screaming in human like form. She was getting a few more images of this horrible place absorbing what Dean was thinking and feeling. She never scanned anything like this in her life while absorbing his feelings of terror and locked in chains in a place that is inescapable. The last images she saw were Dean lashing out torturing souls. Mara was so shocked she imitated a coughing fit to suppress her horrific revelation.

Dean saw her instant shocked expression along with a coughing. He walked over and patted Mara on the back to sooth her. "Are you ok?"

Mara's eyes were tearing up still feeling Dean's past experience and tried to get control of her emotions. "I'm alright." She croaked gasping for air. "I guess I am still not a hundred percent well." She averted her eyes from Dean's. "Could you do me a favor? Would you hold me until I go to sleep?"

Dean gave her a small smile. "Sure." He pulled the covers back and slid next to Mara. She placed her head on his chest as he held her firmly.

Mara snuggled next to the handsome man in her bed. She felt calm and safe in his arms. Her eyes were starting to get heavy. "Dean, tell me why you are always into your car?"

Dean rubbed her shoulder. He told her about his father and how they were bonded because of the car. By the time he finished his story, Mara was fast asleep. Dean looked down at her pretty face. He bent his head to plant a gentle kiss on top of her forehead. The woman shifted in her sleep. Dean carefully slid out of the bed and tucked the blanket around her shoulders. He looked at her for a couple minutes more then he quietly shut the bedroom door.

Dean picked up the first tray and quietly walked to the kitchen. After he placed the second tray of dishes in the sink, he walked back to the library to see Sam still researching online. "Any updates?"

Sam looked up for a second. "Yeah I think I got our monster. From all the information that was in one of the Men of Letters journals, we may have a troll in our hands." He saw the look of disbelief on Dean's face. "What?"

"Yeah right. A troll. Really?" He saw how serious he brother looked. "You got to be kidding me. Like the children's books about having trolls under bridges? Those kind of trolls?" Dean asked hardly believing what Sam said.

"Yeah those from the children's books." The victims were near bridges too. It all fits. From the journal we can kill them. The preferred weapon is a sword with a fire sigil spell." He pushed the journal towards Dean.

Dean crossed his arms. "Are you serious?" Sam nodded his head. "Is the sigil spell in the journal?"

Sam picked up the journal and opened a page that was bookmarked. "No we don't have it here but it's written that an old gypsy family has the spell. All we need to do is to find them. I have the last name of the family so it's possible they have the spell in an old book in their possession."

Dean raised his hands in resignation. "Ok let's look up these folks and get this spell." He opened his laptop and turned it on.

A couple of hours later, Kuryiel and Castiel stepped out of the bedroom feeling contented. She stopped in front of Mara's door. "Cas I need to check on Mara for a few minutes."

"Ok. I will see what Dean is doing. You know where to find me." Castiel bent his head down to softly kiss Kuryiel on the lips as he brushed his fingers of his right hand across her cheek.

The angel woman light blue grey eyes looked deeply into the pair of cobalt blue eyes of the angel she loved. "I always know where you are angel man. Go see the guys" She saw him walking away toward the library area.

Kuryiel opened the door to see Mara slowly sitting up in her bed. The angel walked in the room. "Did I wake you?" Watching the woman rub her sleepy eyes.

It's alright Kuryiel." Mara smiled and motioned for Kuryiel to come in the room. "I heard you two returned hours ago. Dean was making fun of you spending quality time in your room."

Kuryiel blushed shade of pink. "Yeah Cas and I needed some R&R." The angel gave the woman a shy smile.

Mara laughed. "I understand better than you think. I used to have someone special once..." her eyes looked wistful. "He died a few years ago saving my life."

"I am so sorry Mara." Kuryiel patted the woman's hand in sympathy. "Cas and I have a close relationship. If we were human I would be married to him. In fact, I have loved him for many millennia watching him at a distance. Angels were not allowed to have such feelings for one another since we exist for purpose. Some angels were created to be soldiers and others to serve certain tasks. My existence was to protect Heaven." Kuryiel sat back thinking of her love sitting with the Winchester's right now.

The angel continued. "Now I have a chance to be with Cas. I enjoy every moment with him until the final battle starts. Plus, I am taking advantage of any opportunity to have Cas in my arms. As an angel, I never thought making love would be so intense and connecting completely with the one I love. I will cherish every experience with him."

Mara listened to every word. She had a notion there was a sense of fatality of why angel was explaining her thoughts and feelings. Something was wrong but she felt it was not her place to ask. There was one question that was really irking her. "Kuryiel there is something I need to tell you. When I spoke to Dean last night we were talking about my experience being dead and seeing his soul. When I described what I saw he got very quiet and I picked up visions of horrific things from Dean. Were those thoughts and visions real?"

Kuryiel stepped closer to Mara and placed her hand over the Mara's hand. "May I see what you saw?"

Mara nodded. "Sure." She watched the angel stare straight ahead for a few seconds.

The angel reviewed Mara's thoughts. "Ok I see why you were disturbed." Kuryiel patted the woman on the hand. "Did Dean notice your discomfort?"

"Thank goodness no." She exhaled in relief. "I was so surprised to see something so vivid and real like that I had to fake a coughing fit to collect myself. Kuryiel, what was it? It was something so unreal like a nightmare except I know Dean was awake. It was so strange like he was not even a person. I hope the monster like demons will not haunt my dreams for now on."

Kuryiel looked at the woman thinking how to answer the question without making it sound crazy. "Well, there is an explanation. I should not tell you this since it's Dean's inner thoughts he locked away." Noticing the anxious look on Mara's face. "I will tell you what you saw." The angel explained everything to Mara. She watch the woman sitting there with her eyes wide in shock finding out Dean was actually in hell and the torture he did before Castiel yanked him out of there.

Mara rubbed her palms over her eyes. "Oh my God." She mumbled. Realizing what she just said. "Sorry. How did he survive it mentally? I can't even imagine being there for a few minutes then 40 years of time there. I felt what he felt when he was being tortured and when he started to torture the people. What made it really hard for me not to scream was feeling his pleasure and self-disgust in the end." Mara shook her head with tears in her eyes. "I don't know how to keep a straight face when Dean is around me. I feel so bad that he has this titanium shell around him. Not even his brother can get in. How can anyone live like that?" She wiped her eyes with the back of her right hand.

Kuryiel gave Mara a sincere look. "You have such a compassionate heart. It's in the past and Dean has dealt with it in his own way. Perhaps one day he will open up to someone that he will love deeply." The angel gave the woman a direct stare to drive the statement towards Mara.

Leaning back on the pillows Mara tan eyes look haunted. "Dean loved one woman named Lisa but he hid who he was until she was in danger. I don't know if he is capable of opening himself with-" She quickly shut her mouth thinking she said too much.

Seeing the woman in distress, Kuryiel smiled in assurance. "Don't worry Mara. Dean is attracted to you and I have a feeling over time he will open up eventually. He does not have to hide being a hunter and you accept him as the man he is. Be patient Mara, it will happen." Kuryiel stood up and walked to the doorway. "The funny thing is that he is actually surprised to be attracted to a woman that is not even human. It just blows his mind away at times." The angel laughed when she stood at the doorway. "Get some rest Mara. We can chat tomorrow."

Mara lay down and told the angel goodnight. Staring the dark ceiling, she thought of everything that she experienced today. Mara reached out to scan Dean's thoughts and discovered his random thoughts of trolls and other forms of nonsense information. Feeling relieved, he was not thinking about the previous conversation Mara drifted off to sleep.

Dean feeling like his brain was going to implode. "Man I had enough of this for the night." He stretched his back and arms feeling the tension in his body. "I am turning in. See you in the morning." Dean rose from his chair hearing his brother saying good night. Walking to the sleeping quarters he passed Kuryiel on the way. "Hey angel lady I thought you will keep Cas tied up in your room all night." He winked knowing he will bring out a blush from the woman.

Kuryiel tried to keep a stoic face but she felt a little redness on her cheeks. "Very funny Dean. I can definitely say that you are becoming well practiced in the arts of abstinence." She saw the sardonic smile left Dean's face.

"Yeah, yeah, I am having a bit of a dry spell these days." He got a deadpan stare from the angel. "Ok it's been a long while. I was busy saving the world remember?"

"I understand. Well, I will not hold you up. I know you guys are leaving tomorrow afternoon to take care of you latest hunt. So...what is it this time?" Her eyebrows raised in curiosity.

Dean muttered. "A troll. That's what Sam believed what is killing these people but I thought it was made up as kid's bedtime stories."

Kuryiel shook her head. "I have seen those creatures before. Not all trolls kill people. If this one is killing people and taking organs out it needs to be eliminated. Just as a warning they are not attractive looking creatures."

"Thanks for the tip. If you guys get bored you can join us. Hopefully Mara will be on her feet tomorrow." He took a few steps toward the sleeping quarters.

She tugged his long sleeve and gave Dean a knowing look. "I know you don't want Mara with you on future hunts but she will be a great asset to you guys. Sleep over it Dean." The angel walked away.

Dean entered his room walking toward his bed. When he slid under the covers he kept visualizing Mara dying in front of him. Dean really did not want Mara to join anymore hunts but he knew he can't control where the woman goes. He tucked his hand behind his head and closed his eyes heading to sleep land.

In the darken place, there as sounds that came from people screaming in agony. Dean looked around and felt his wrist and ankles shackled. He struggled to get himself free dreading what he knows will happen next.

A demon like creature appeared with a twisted smile. "Break-time is up Dean. I will ask you again will you do the task of torturing these souls?" The creature standing next to him running a clawed finger across Dean's head burning his flesh like acid.

Dean looked angry at Alistair. "No I will not so why don't you asked your secretaries to do your dirty work for you."

Red eyes feigned sympathy. "Oh Dean I don't want to take you back on the rack again. It's really hurts my heart to see you in so much pain because you will not do one little thing for me." Dean gave the demon a fixed stare and did not utter another word. "Ok It's back to the racks again."

The Winchester instantly felt intense pain and screamed. All of a sudden he was transported to an open field where there were wheat grass in the process of turning tan colored. The pain immediately stopped as if it never happened. Dean looked around wondering where he was and saw twenty feet away Mara walking toward him. She wore strange outfit that was a long white and gold patterned flowing skirt with a white pleasant blouse. Her auburn curly wavy hair was down blowing around her face with a small gold headband piece that wrapped around her forehead and the top part of her hair. When she got closer Dean also noticed small gold earrings and the necklace showing the rings faintly bouncing at her collarbone with each step. Mara kept the pace until she totally faced Dean. He looked down at her sandaled feet with a gold anklet on her right ankle. He was staring at the woman looking like a wild bright wildflower in this beautiful place.

Mara reached for his hand. "Hello Dean. What brings you here?" She asked with an innocent curiosity.

He looked at her and the surroundings then shook his head. "I have no idea. Where am I?"

She stood next to him and pointed out the area. "This is where my ancestors lived when the Mai flourished and multiplied. This is before we had genetic issues and started to become extinct. This area is part of what you call South America. My tribe was lived here to grow and populate." Dean looked around surprised hearing her words. "This was before you as humans became modernized." Mara took Dean by the hand and walked down a dirt path. There was a hut like house ahead of them. The woman watched his green eyes surveying the area taking in the mud walls and the dry grass interwoven as a roof.

When they finally reached the small home. "Come." She opened the straw like door to let Dean inside. The room was large enough for a family to stay comfortably with a fire pit across the way. There were four straw sleeping mats spread out toward the rounded walls. The floor was covered in a rug that was constructed with the same straw material but it had red intricate patterns that deem to be decorations. Mara motioned Dean to sit down near the fire pit where there was a short piece of smooth tree stump nearby. He sat on the floor and watched the woman pick up a clay pitcher and poured water into a clay cup. "Take a drink and relax."

Dean took a sip. "Is this where your descendants lived?" She nodded. "Where are they?"

She pointed out the open window. "They are hunting and gathering food. You will not meet them." She walked over to pick up a pair of small moccasins from the floor and fingered the beads.

He looked at Mara and suddenly noticed her face looked different. She looked more feline as she stared at him. Her tan eyes pupils had a slight horizontal slit and her nose was not shaped as a human. Her ears were more pointed at the top. "What? You look like you seen a ghost or something."

"Or something." Dean replied. "Is there any way you can see yourself? You look different Mara."

She picked up the water pitcher and poured water into a bowl. When Mara saw her own reflection, she reacted with astonishment. "Oh I did not feel any different. Interesting." She looked at herself touching her own face. "I hope it's not too disturbing to see me like this."

The woman sat back down next to Dean. He got a glimpse of her muscular legs before she adjusted her flowing long skirt. Dean he moved his eyes quickly to her face. "Nope I've seen you go all out with the fighting wildcat girl look. So this is pretty tamed compared to what I seen before."

Mara laughed at Dean's declaration. She saw his green eyes light up slightly as he noticed her upper and lower fangs. "Yeah definitely a tamed version I saw when you took out that alpha werewolf. Anyway, why am I here?"

The auburn haired woman smiled gently. "I don't know Dean. You showed up out of nowhere." Mara had to think of an answer that will not bring suspicion. She saw the horror of Dean's nightmare and dragged him into a dream state that she can control. It was strange that her subconscious brought him here. Wanting to end this dream soon, she told him basic information about her distant relatives living in this hut. There was no details given instead she shared how the Mai people lived day by day until she felt saw Dean slowly face away from the room.

Groaning with his face in his pillow, Dean moved his head up to look at the clock. The number displayed 5:45 AM. He groaned again as he felt his bladder urging for relief. When he exited the bathroom, he walked over to the living area to sit down and watched TV for a while. He thought about his dream about Mara. It was very strange to have a dream like that. Perhaps his active imagination was taking him on a wild ride. It was a hell of a lot better than having the nightmare previously.

Mara woke up briefly after Dean departure. Still feeling sleepy she drifted back to sleep letting her subconscious take her on a trip.

Later in the morning, Kuryiel opened Mara's bedroom door to check on her. She stirred hearing the sound of the doorknob rattling. "Good morning." As she spotted the angel walking in the room.

Kuryiel stood by her bed. "How are you feeling today?"

"I feel stronger than I did yesterday. I am tired of lying around." Mara got up from her bed to walk over to the dresser.

Kuryiel watched the woman laying out clothes on her bed sensing she was well enough be up and walking. "Since Dean will not let you go to his latest hunt, you can join me and Cas to visit a couple of angels."

The tan eyes brightened in curiosity. "I would love to come with you guys. You two are the only angels I have ever known. It will be an interesting experience for me." She picked up her clothes and grabbed clean towel. "I am going to take a long hot shower. Kuryiel when are you leaving?" The women walked out of the bedroom.

The angel glanced over at her. "Early afternoon. We will come and get you. Enjoy your shower. Kuryiel walked toward the kitchen.

Mara enjoyed her shower thinking about Dean. She really wanted to go on a hunt with them. She had to rest a couple of days. Once she is back to her old self, she will have to convince the green eyed man she is capable of hunting with him. Mara scanned for his whereabouts and discover him in the garage. Drying her hair she smiled thinking he was under the hood with his hands getting black with engine grease.

Feeling hungry Mara walked into the kitchen to see Sam and Kuryiel eating breakfast. Sam motioned for her to sit down with a plate of food was waiting for her on the table. "Feeling better?"

"Much better. I was tired of being a bed jockey. Thanks for making a plate for me." She smiled at the mat sitting across from her.

Sam was looking at his phone reading messages. "No problem. We found out what kind of monster that is killing those folks. From my research it was a troll like creature."

Mara looked surprised. "Really?"

The angel said "No matter what it has to be stopped."

"I agree. Too bad Dean will not let me come with you guys. I can scan it's-" Mara stopped before she gave away to Sam of what she can do. She quickly changed her words to say. "You can use my skills if they get hostile. I can most likely shape shift into one of them and fight along with you."

"Well that's not going to happen." A male voice said at the kitchen doorway. Everyone turned their heads in Dean's direction. He was standing here in his usual attire of Jeans, Flannel shirt, t-shirt with black boots. "You are not strong enough to deal with a troll and from what I read in the journal they are nasty brute monsters. You can forget coming with us Mara." He gave the auburn hair woman a stern look.

"Whatever." Mara said in a nonchalant tone. "Anyway, I will be hanging out with the angels today so you don't have to worry about me." She turned her head dismissing Dean for aggravating her.

Dean's jaw ticked in annoyance at Mara's curt response. "You have fun with our feathered friends here. Sam and I will be taking out a monster that has a thing for human organs." When he did not get response from the woman he abruptly turned and walked away.

"You sure know how to get under Dean's skin." Sam grinned feeling entertained watching the two verbally crossing swords.

She set her fork down glaring at Sam. "You would get a kick out of this wouldn't you? Well that green eyed man better wake up to reality. When I am fully charged whatever he say will not matter."

"I understand where you are coming from. Dean will back off when you fully well. So don't worry Mara." Sam finished his OJ. "I got to call these folks back. To update both of you I had to locate this gypsy family to get a fire sigil spell. They know who the Men of Letters are. Dean and I have to provide them a weapon to put the spell on so we can take out this troll."

"Good luck. Sam." Mara gave him a thumbs up. "I know you will take that creature down with no problems."

Sam chuckled. "Well see about that. Hopefully it will put a stop to the killing and send a message to the other trolls there will be no more organ tradeoffs." Sam placed his dishes in the soapy hot sink water. "You have a good time with seeing angels and we will give you the scoop of what happened when we return."

Dean was in his room packing up his duffel bags. One bag was his clothing and the other was his weapons he may need just in case. Sam found a sword in the Men of Letters archive room they have to use to kill the troll. It was a heavy sword that was very sharp. Dean personally wanted to use the samurai sword that was in the library, but Sam told him it was not fit to use with a fire sigil. When he finished packing he placed both bags by the door. Dean still felt frustrated earlier with Mara. He knew she will not be happy with his decision of keeping her out of the hunt. Giving him the cold shoulder got to him. Normally he would bark off orders and did not care if anyone would like it or not. This time around, he did not like the way she looked at him with resentment. He wanted to protect her since failed the last time. In reality, he knew he can't control this woman once she was well enough to fight again.

Sam was packing up his laptop chatting with Mara and the angels. Dean walked in with his duffel bags. "Sam we are leaving in thirty minutes. So pack up what you need. I'll grab the sword."

Sam zipped up his laptop bag. "Ok. See ya ladies, Cas." He walked toward the sleeping quarters.

Mara walked to him. "Sam told me you guys have to use a particular sword. I would love to see it. My parents kept a collection of weapons that was from my linage. I can come with you to get-" She got cut off by Dean.

"I don't need a babysitter to get a sword. You don't have to follow me to the archive room. So let me go get it and I will show it to you. Ok?" He said in a curt tone.

Mara face turned into anger wanting to throttle the man in front of her. She knew he was still kind of angry from their discussion this morning or the lack of response from her. Fine he can have a temper tantrum if he liked but she is not going to take any crap from him. "Forget it. I will ask Sam when he comes back." She turned and walked toward the bookshelf pretending the books were very interesting to her at the moment.

Dean expression was hard and he saw the look of disapproval from Cas. He must have sounded like a total dick to Mara and everyone else that heard him. "Alright." Dean sighed. "I was not trying to rip your head off or anything." He continued gruffly. "Hey, you can follow me down to the archive room. I'll show you the-."

Mara stood there seething. "Why don't you do me a huge favor? Go pound sand and get out of my face Dean." She stomped away with her wild auburn waves billowing down her back.

"Way to go jerk. You really suck at apologizing." He mentally kicked himself for not governing his mouth and brain.

To Be Continued...

on Chapter 18