After dropping Sam off at the motel Dean drove a ways away to try calling Cas One last time. He sat in his car, still thinking about everything Mythri had said and done. How had she known about Merlin? How did she keep them from moving? Should they trust her? And most importantly, how did he not get the number of the most beautiful and sexy babe he has ever seen?! Shoving all his thoughts away he sighed, ready to call out to Cas.

" Hey Cas, can you hear me? We nee you right now." dean stood still, waiting. Waiting.

"You called." A Gruff voice said from right behind him. Dean jumped and turned so he was face to face with the trench coat wearing angel.

"don't do that! It's freaky." Cas lowered his head in shame.

" I did not mean to scare you." he raised his head to look Dean in his fanfiction green eyes. " What do you need."

"I've been trying to contact you for days, Cas. Where were you?" Castiel looked surprised.

"I could not hear you. There has been something blocking anyone from sensing you."

"what kind of something?" Dean asked, taken aback at this new piece of information. In his mind he went back to what she had said ' stand 50 feet away and it should work.' was Merlin stopping the angels from seeing them? Was that why the demons wanted him alive.

"An energy pulse. It has been slowly weakening but it is still noticeable."

"is it just us that it's shielding?" Dean asked, sounding slightly annoyed.

"Yes. But we can not get near it for it does not exist. The only reason we know it is an energy pulse is because it has been around since the dark ages." Cas answered both the asked and unasked question. " why did you call me?"

"Right. We saved someone from a pack of demons but they used some sort of medieval magik on him and he wont wake up. We got an anonymous tip that an angel could reverse the magik. Will you help?" Cas considered it for a moment then nodded.

"I will help." Dean nodded back

"Good, come on then." he called over his shoulder as he trudged back to the Impala and slid into the drivers seat. A quick glance to the mirror proved that Cas had already sat in the backseat. It was a Silent trip back to the motel, neither man quite knowing what to say. Once at the motel dean parked the car and led Cas inside. Merlin, if that really was his name, had moved to his bed and his head was turned away from the door. Sam sat at the desk typing away, pausing to glean the information he had been seeking out. As the door opened, Sam looked up at the men.

"finally, I was beginning to think you abandoned us." Sam exclaimed lightheartedly, getting up from his chair.

"I could not hear your calls. You have been shielded from heaven by something." Cas replied, turning his steady gaze on Sam. "now, where is the man you wish me too heal?" Sam turned to point at their guest.

"right there. I patched him up as best I could but he still wont wake up." He explained, leading Cas over to the boy. "I think this maniacal is sucking the life force out of him or something." He finished, pointing at the iron bracelet. Cas stepped forward with a very odd expression on his face.

"you saved him from demons." The angel inquired, reaching out slowly toward Merlin's face.

"yeah." Dean answered, slightly spooked though he couldn't figure out why. He watched as Cas gently turned the ravens head and nearly jumped in surprise. He turned abruptly to face the brothers, something new flickering in his eyes. Something Dean did not like.

"you must leave while I remove the magic. "

"we aren't leaving, Cas." Deans brotherly over protectiveness kicked in. He was not leaving the boy alone while he was spooked. Not even with Sam.

"it wasn't a question. You must leave or you will die from the energy being released." Cas's steady gaze hardened for a moment the softened. "I promise the moment I am done you may return." Sam nodded, slightly on edge himself, and turned toward the door. Dean followed, giving both Cas and Merlin something like a momma bear glare but much scarier. once they had left Cas turned back to Merlin. After taking a couple deep breaths he screwed his eyes shut and place his hand on the maniacal. Two screams filled the room. A bright light stole all the color, bleaching the world to his eyes. It seemed like forever, yet only a few seconds. The pain, like fire, rippled up and through his body. 1. 2. 3. seconds. A click and the silver bracelet fell away. The light receded and Cas collapsed to the ground in a steaming heap. Before him the maniacal glowed for a second then crumbled away into dust. The door burst open. Sam and Dean ran into the room, eyes wild and afraid. Dean rushed to his side while Sam ran to Merlin's.

"Cas? CAS! Cas, can you hear me?" He nodded then turned to look at Merlin. He too was groaning. He sat up with the help of Sam and looked around the room, wincing terribly. His eyes landed on Cas. After a second of confusion, realization and panic flooded over his features. Cas pushed himself to his feet, ignoring both his body's and Deans protests. Merlin, in his weakened and panicked state, tried to run only to be held firmly down by Sam. Cas just watched for a minute as Sam struggled to hold the boy down then spoke in a strange language.

"jotw yuid batg, merlin. E waoh yui hu modw." Merlin stilled and turned to face him relaxing slightly at the sound of his mother tongue.

"ew hul kuehk relm yui." Sam slowly released Merlin as they spoke and sat back to listen. To him it felt as if the very words themselves held great power, and to speak them was a great feat. Cas turned to look at dean, who was standing just behind him, breathing heavily with a perplexed look on his face.

"thank you for finding and rescuing him for us. Heaven is in your debt." Cas turned back to face merlin " You will come to like it eventually" a look of determined sadness flickered in his eyes as he reached forward. Sam who saw the utter terror in Merlin's eyes jumped in front of Cas, putting himself between the raven and angel.

"whoa! Cas, what are you doing?"

"I'm taking him to a heavenly safe house where the demons can never get him." Cas said it like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"can't you see that he doesn't want to go?" Somewhere in the back of his mind a small voice asked why he was arguing with an angel over the protection of someone he doesn't really know. Those voices where quieted when Dean moved to stand beside him, the look of utter protection of his face.

"At the moment his wants do not matter. If the demons find him it would bring about the end of the world. they would gain the upper hand. " Sam was about to protest but Dean beat him too it.

"it doesn't matter? Of course it matters! What are you going to do? Keep him locked up for the rest of his life?" And why is he so important? He left the last question out.

"he will stay with us till the threat diminishes" Merlin snorted and the Winchesters turned to face him.

"we both know that isn't going to happen. Nice try though." Merlin was sitting up, right on the edge of the bed, waiting for his chance to bolt. He had been quite impressed by the way these men were protecting him. Sam, seeing the tension rise intervened again.

"look, "all eyes turned to look at him " how about he stays with us. We can keep him safe from a couple demons." Merlin and dean stared at Cas, waiting for an answer.

"fine. But if he is even close to being hurt he comes with me." Sam and dean nodded. Merlin glared at the angel.

"Yui'tt mona lu wosa wa, gedbl." Cas nodded then disappeared. Sam and Dean turned to look at their new charge. Merlin stared right back at them. Dean turned to look at Sam, the protectiveness melting away.

"what did we just do?"