Chapter 6

Castiel had been given a few days break from Dean as the demon was busy showing Zachariah all the wonderful things he learned while trapped in Hell. The angel still hung in the private suite, and no one approached that door. It was well known that the angel belonged to the Winchesters, and anyone daring to go near him got the chance to see exactly how well Dean used his craft.

For awhile, I avoided the room myself. After confessing to Cas that I had really only gone dark after trying to save Dean, I didn't want to face the angel. I told myself that it was because I didn't want the idiot thinking I had some shred of humanity left, but it was a futile lie… I had my humanity, I always had. In Nephilim's, we have grace and a human soul, but they are separate parts. While my grace was tainted, my human soul had been suppressed- whole and untouched. Life was easier when I kept my soul suppressed and relied on my grace, but lately when I was around the angel, I felt more of my soul pushing through the cracks in my grace.

The very thought angered me, and I couldn't understand why after all this time, my human soul decided now was the time to make me feel guilty about what I had done. Shockingly, I discovered Dean was beginning to feel the same effects when he was around Cas. This was another reason the Winchester was spending all his time with Zachariah and taking time off from Cas.

Now though, I decided I couldn't keep passing the door and not entering. I needed to understand why my humanity tried to flare up around just this angel. From across the dungeon, I could hear Zach's screams of agony which told me I would have some uninterrupted time with Cas.

Stepping through the door, I almost wanted to berate myself. I had faced garrisons of angels without breaking a sweat, but one tiny angel that was pulling up my humanity… I felt like walking away and not looking back.

"Hello Castiel," I said staring at the hanging angel. "How's it hanging?" It was a stupid joke, but I didn't really care. I positioned myself on the opposite wall, so I could look at the holy tax accountant fully, but I was far enough away that I would be less affected.

"I thought perhaps you had forgotten about me," he replied, stoic as ever.

"No," I smiled sitting down against the wall. "We've all been busy these last few days." I gave the angel a once over and saw that by now all Dean's inflicted wounds had healed away thanks to the angel's grace. I couldn't help but try and shake the angel of his emotionless mask. "Right now, we're planning a full assault against Heaven."

Cas appeared to flinch but he didn't meet my gaze. "Your armies will be destroyed."

"We have a poison lethal to you," I lied. The poison was still be created, and I was trying right now actually to keep my Father from attacking Heaven for this exact reason. The demons would be sitting ducks without some sort of weapon against the celestials.

"I can tell when you are lying."

I wanted to stab the angel. He annoyed the crap out of me when he thought himself all high and mighty compared to the rest of us. It took a lot for me to remain seated and act nonchalant. Damn angels.

"What are you doing to Dean and myself?" I finally asked getting right down to business.

For the first time in a long period, I saw an emotion flicker across the angel's face. Angels could feel just as much as humans could; they just showed them differently and felt things differently then us. Being in a vessel made it difficult for angels to show anything as they didn't know how to convey it through a human body, but I recognized Cas's emotion- confusion. His head tilted to the side.

"I am one of Lucifer's general and his first-born heir," I stated, although it was quite obvious. "I don't feel shit… yet…" I stood and began to pace.

"I had thought that your humanity was completely lost to the darkness," Cas sighed shutting his eyes- well his vessel's eyes. "I was never told how you turned to your Father, and I was taken back when you explained what happened."

"I shouldn't have," I mumbled stopping to face the angel. "I'm one of Lucifer's generals," I stated again. "And I don't plan on ever being anything else." I closed the distance between myself and the angel. He was at my level thanks to the rack, and for once, our eyes met. "I should kill you…"

"To keep yourself from feeling your humanity?" Cas questioned, his head turning to the side. "I am not entirely sure how I am the reason for it."

I licked my lips nervously. "You killed my parents," I said sadly, and for the first time in a long time, I felt my eyes become hot from tears.

"Accident," he answered. "I did not mean to hurt them."

For some reason, I leaned forward and rested my forehead against the angel's. I just wanted to stop feeling guilty now. Never before had I felt guilty about releasing my Father, but now, I couldn't believe I had done it. I had stood by my Father because of my tainted grace and the promise that humanity would be left alone. "I have never felt guilty for anything…"

"I have never felt anything at all," the angel retorted. "Until now…" I pulled away and looked at the angel's blue eyes, and I guess I wasn't thinking when I closed the distance and kissed the angel. All coherent thought left, and I couldn't even focus when it was the angel, not me, that deepened the kiss.

Finally, I pulled away whispering, "No, no, no…" I stepped away and put some distance between myself and Cas. "I'm Lucifer's heir… I cannot fraternize with the enemy."

The angel only stared at me, but before he could speak, a demon rushed into the room. He glanced at the angel then myself, but one quick glare told the demon to get on without whatever he was doing here.

"Your Father is calling you," the demon stuttered. "He wants you and the Winchesters to help out against the attack on Heaven." Without another word, the demon fled from the room.

"Attacking already?" I whispered to myself. "It'll be a slaughter."

I moved to leave, but Cas spoke, "Rachel, if Lucifer gets into Heaven…"

"It will all be over," I said pushing all my emotion into a lockbox.

"Every soul in Heaven will be either destroyed or put on a rack to become part of the hellfire… This includes your parents."

I gave the angel one more fleeting glance before rushing from the room and fetching my cousin. Dean seemed annoyed to have to stop, but when I told him Lucifer was readying the forces to attack Heaven, he quickly followed me to find Sam.

"We can finally end this war," Dean grinned as we walked into the library to find Sam reading a book. The eldest approached him while I locked the doors behind us; I had to speak with them.

"Rachel?" Sam said standing up. "We have to go to your Father. What are you doing?"

"We can't do this," I sighed.

"We lead this attack," Dean started, "Heaven won't stand a chance!"

"So we slaughter everyone in Heaven?" I retorted. "This includes the souls there. John Winchester's soul, my parents' souls, your half-brother's soul… Are we willing to kill the very people we use to fight for?"

"You Father…" Dean began but I interrupted.

"My Father has deceived us," I hissed. "He told us humanity would be left out of this war against the angels. Look around us! We, us, killed off almost every human being without a second thought." I looked at the brothers' willing them to listen. "What about Bobby, for example? He was like a father to you guys, and there's a chance now that he is dead!" I met their eyes. "And it's our fault."

The brothers didn't grace me with a response, but rather glanced away. I could tell when they were ashamed of something or in this case, themselves.

"We might have given Lucifer Earth," I sighed. "But I'll be damned, if I allow him to get Heaven… I don't give a shit about the birds, but I'm not letting those people in Heaven to be killed."

"And what should we do?" Dean asked, his voice lowering as we began to speak of betraying the devil.

"Lylith and Samhain are going to lead the attack," I started making it up as I went. "We go in no matter what and stop the demons from getting past the gates."

"Kill Lylith?" Sam laughed. "That's not exactly easy… And if we do this, we can't leave any survivors or Lucifer will know that we are traitors."

"Then we send Lylith back to the palace for her own safety," I suggested. "We can kill the rest."

"It won't be easy," Dean sighed.

"When is it?"

"The angels," Sam began.

"Won't even know we helped them," I grinned. "We make it look like a few demons are betraying us, and that we are fighting back."

"Use the birds to help us kill off the army," Dean grinned. "We can pull this."

"Then lets go," I nodded as the three of us leaving the quiet library.

. . . . .

Lucifer was not happy to hear that the three of us wanted to lead the attack, but we gave the good reason that we could end it now and easier if he allowed us to do this. The blackened army was expanse and unusual looking in the bright light. We were on the edge of Heaven's gates, and as Dean, Sam, and I made it to the front, demons began to cheer.

Samhain and Lylith were standing in the front prepping for the first wave. They didn't seem shocked to see us, and the two demons backed down as we approached. A silent, knowing glance was exchanged between Dean, Sam, and myself.

"Lylith," Dean said taking charge as I spoke with Samhain. "Back to the palace."

"What? Why?" she hissed.

"For your protection," Dean answered. "This will be a bloody mess, and if you ask me, I am not expecting a victory against the angels here… We have barely any weapons that can hurt let alone kill angels."

"That I do agree with," she sighed. "This attack was prematurely planned."

"Back to the palace," Dean stated again. "That's an order."

Although reluctant, Lylith left. Samhain frowned with the order, but he didn't question it. He stood next to me gazing towards the gates, and beyond the gates, I could see angels scrambling to build a defense. They weren't obviously expecting this.

"We'll win," Samhain grinned. "With you three here, we'll easily win."

"I hate to disagree," I sighed before spinning to face the demon. Before he could say another word, I ran my blade straight through his chest. "The angels will be winning today."

All the demons close began to freak out as this probably wasn't what they were expecting. A few launched to attack us, but we were good fighters, and this was going to be easy. The angels suddenly joined in the fray, and the Winchesters and I were stuck fighting not only demons but angels as well.

"You killed two of my brothers," Gabriel hissed slicing at me with her blade. She thankfully was in a vessel because attacking light was unusual.

"Which two?" I grinned. "I lose track so easily."

A demon came at me from behind, and I struck him away; Gabriel took the opportunity to seize me and wrap her arm around my neck. I didn't really struggle as I could easily escape, but she released me as suddenly as she grabbed me.

"Castiel?" she whispered, and I suddenly wanted to berate myself. I had forgotten that the angel's smell was probably on me. "He's alive."

"Define alive," I shrugged before yelping out in pain as a demon drove a blade straight through my shoulder. I fell forward flipping the demon over my shoulder before pulling the blade out. "Fuck that hurt."

Gabriel stared at me while I tossed the blade to the ground. "Why are demons attacking you?"

"They're your traitors," I shrugged. It wasn't a complete lie after all. I didn't define who were the traitors.

I kept fighting ignoring the pain of my numerous wounds until the point came where pretty much every demon had fallen. The three of us- Dean, Sam, myself- had refused to call a retreat. This truly was a massacre, and I realized that when I was being backed up against the brothers with angels on all sides.

"Look who we have here," Uriel mocked, and I could hear the brothers' panting. They were probably just as injured as I was. Leaving the field seemed like a better option then being killed.

"Sadly," I started grabbing the brothers' shoulders. "We can't stay here." I moved to fly from the scene, but one of the angels got a lucky shot and an arrow was deeply imbedded in my thigh. I looked at the offending weapon and said, "Ow."

"That wasn't needed," Dean joked, but I could tell he was worried as I was about being surrounded by all our enemies.

The angels moved in closer, and the three of us huddled closer together. We had been in some tight scrapes, but never this close.

"Enough," Gabriel ordered before pushing her way through the circle to face us. I could feel her eyes boring into me, and I tried to hold the gaze- almost immediately failing. I went to glaring at all the other angels.

Taking the angels' relaxing pose as a chance, I lashed out fully with my grace, the brothers adding in their own powers. The closest angels immediately fell down giving us the chance to escape, and we took it.

We landed rather clumsily at the front gates. Our injuries finally catching up with us, and we almost collapsed, but Dean and I supported Sam between us. He seemed have the most severe injuries, and it took a lot for me to just even bang on the front door.

My mind was reeling while I thought about what just happened. Gabriel had us, and I was pretty sure she let us go purposely. She ordered the angels to relax, and she should have known, we would have taken the chance to escape. I couldn't help but wonder why she would letus go. None of this made sense. First Cas starts inflicting humanity in the three of us, and now, Gabriel releases us…

I didn't get the chance to think over it much longer as the front gate finally opened, and I allowed myself to collapse along with both Winchester brothers. The demons that opened the gates looked taken back to see the three of us severely injured.

"Get some help!" one of the sentries yelled. "Get Lucifer now! Say his three generals are critical!"

When I recognized the demons running to help us, I allowed myself to fall into the blissful void of unconsciousness. Stupid Castiel…

Chapter 7: The brothers and Rachel are feeling the effects of their humanity slipping back into their veins. Unsure of how to deal with this, the brothers go search for Bobby while Rachel tries to deal with Cas.

OOC: Well, you guys get an early update because my muse was moving for this. Hope you enjoyed this. Review!!!