"We can trust Balthazar," Cas said. Jo looked warily at him. "He is a good angel. And if he can help us-"
"Uh, excuse me," Balthazar chimed in, "but I'm not going to help you. Well at least not all of you. Castiel, of course, I will assist you and only you, but I have my own skin to look after, and staying off of Big Brother's radar is number one at the moment." he looked around. Jo sneered at him. "The absolute nerve of these humans."
With that, Balthazar disappeared.
"So now what's the plan?" Jo asked.
After a long and needed nap, Jael woke to find Dean pacing the floor of the cabin. She sat up on the couch and watched him. After a while he noticed.
"Can I help you?"
"I can tell you are troubled about something. Very troubled. Since I promised Jo I would not read thoughts anymore, will you tell me?"
Dean sighed. "I'm just worried about 'em."
"You do not need to be worried for Castiel and your brother. They will find Jo, I promise."
"You don't UNDERSTAND!" he shouted as a lamp flew across the room. Jael didn't move.
"Then help me to."
Dean laughed sarcastically. "So now what? You're like the paranormal Dr. Phil?"
"I don't... why don't you just tell me what's going on."
"I'm just- I mean I-... well, I guess I'm just worried about Jo."
"You aren't the only one. Sam and Castiel are too."
"Yeah but, I'm really worried."
"What makes it so different?"
Dean sat down across from Jael. He put his head in his hands. "She just... I- there's so many things I have to tell her. And... and I can't protect her anymore because I'm-I'm... this!" he said as he motioned to himself. "Those demons... if I had been alive, they wouldn'tve been able to touch her. Ever. And now, she wouldn't be God knows where being used as a voodoo doll!" A mirror across the room cracked. Jael reached out and touched his hand. He flinched back and pulled away.
Jael sighed. "Look Dean. There's only so much you can do as a person in your state." He snorted. "But it isn't like you have great options in this. You have to pick one or the other, and see which one will cause the least harm. What's the good and the bad that can come from it?"
Dean scoffed. "I don't have choices. I never had a choice."
"But if you did," Jael prodded, "what would they be?"
I'd choose to kill Lucifer. Then, I'd choose to take everyone I love somewhere safe, and if anything threatened them, I'd choose to kill it."
"And?"
"And I... I'd tell Jo... I'd tell her how I-I will never let her be alone."
"So then, make those choices."
Jael leaned back into the couch and closed her eyes. Sleep is good.
Awesome. Not only am I stuck with a cloud surfing therapist, she turns out to be the only angel in the world that chooses to sleep. Dean had been there watching for over an hour with nothing to occupy his time except thinking. He tried to decipher what Jael meant, because it just didn't make any sense. I can't choose to kill Satan, can I? It didn't make sense. How could he, your friendly neighborhood apparition, do anything about it?
He looked through the window, willing Sam and Cas to pull up in the Impala with Jo. Of course, nothing happened. He saw no headlights. In the blink of an eye, he appeared outside and looked down the road. Nothing.
"Okay," he started, looking at the sky. "Seems I'm fresh outta options." He laughed halfheartedly. "I don't even know if you listen to the prayers of ghosts. But I... I don't know what to do."
Silence.
"I'm gonna assume you're listening. I can't protect anyone... like...like this," he said as he motioned to himself. "And I need to make sure Sam and Jo make it out of this apocalypse thing alive, regardless. So God, if you're listening, maybe enlighten me? I'd appreciate it."
Silence.
"Maybe I should just give up, you know? seems like the world's going to Hell in a handbasket anyway. 'Layin' to rest' honestly don't sound all that bad."
Silence.
He scoffed and shook his head. "Well this's been fun, but I think I'm going crazy. Amen."
"Angels."
Dean's head shot up. He looked around.
"What?"
"Angels."
All of a sudden, it dawned on him. He looked back up at the sky.
"Me praying twice in one night? It really is the end of the world." He closed his eyes. "Dear angels. Well, any angels except Zachariah..."
Dean's call was answered pretty quickly. An attractive young woman with dark hair and blue eyes appeared in front of him with a warm smile.
"Hello, Dean. I am Hannah, an angel of the Lord."
"Hannah? Awesome. Well, let's get this show on the road."
Her smile fell. "I am sorry that these are the circumstances under which you have chosen to do this."
He smirked. "Yeah, it's not been a picnic, that's for sure." He clapped his hands together. "So, you can put me back in my meatsuit?"
"Well no, I have to take you to Heaven first."
"Why?"
Hannah smiled again. "Because only a soul at rest can be returned. A wanderer, such as yourself in this state, cannot be helped until they are at peace."
"Then what're we waitin' for? Let's do this quick before my guardian angel wakes up from her nap and notices I'm gone." Dean asked.
Hannah cocked her head, confused, but didn't say anything. She grabbed his shoulder and they disappeared in a flash of white light.
"What the Hell was that?" Sam yelled as he pulled off the road.
The drive back had been late and grueling, but they were almost back to the cabin when Sam swerved off the road after seeing an explosion of light.
"Angels, I'm sure," Castiel said.
"Angels? Here? Why?" Jo asked.
"I'm not sure," Cas said as he studied the road in front of them. He could see the cabin half a mile away. "I've been cut off from all communication."
"Sam, let's go."
Sam continued back up onto the road and down to the cabin. The three of them jumped out and bounded into the cabin where Jael was sitting in front of the fireplace.
"Where's Dean?" Jo asked as she clutched the knife at her side.
"They took him," Jael said. "He's in Heaven."
"What?! How could you let this happen?! I knew we couldn't trust you!" Jo lunged at her, but Castiel held her back.
Jael whipped around to look at her. "He made his choice. They didn't force him. He has to do what he can, to protect who he has to protect." She stood up and walked over to Jo. "He wants to protect you."
Jo stared at Jael. Hard.
"Don't lie to me."
"It is my job to protect him from Lucifer and Zachariah. It is also my job to protect the earth and God's creation. And I swear on my life that I will not let them touch him."
Jo looked at Castiel, who nodded. She then looked at Sam. "We've been awake for too long. Let's go to bed and figure this out in the morning."
As they all walked their respective ways, Jael smiled softly to herself. Dean Winchester, everyone knows angels don't sleep.