Episode 4 – The Beast Inside

Author's Notes: Warning for detailed description of violence! Seriously, guys, it's not pretty.

Title from "Demons" by Imagine Dragons (which is sort of becoming my unofficial soundtrack for the Destiel part of this fic).

PS: Thank you for your kind reviews! They genuinely make my day and keep me motivated :)

xXx

It almost feels like nothing has changed. The chairs in the library are still far from comfortable, the computer lights are still shining and blinking, and Kevin's old room is just the way it was before he died.

Yet there are small changes he notices around the bunker – there is more alcohol in the fridge and the cabinets for one. For another, the faint smell of sulfur hangs in the air and sets Kevin's teeth on edge because he learned that sulfur means demons. However, it is only Dean, striding right into the kitchen after he puts his car into the garage while Kevin sets up his workplace in the library.

As a ghost, Kevin was able to see Dean's true form, tall and skeletal with horns and body armor. It was quite intimidating and Kevin would have been seriously scared if it hadn't been for the soft flickering of light that disrupts Dean's true form.

It is past midnight already, though Kevin is full of energy, which makes sense given that he has just been resurrected.

Resurrected. It's hard to wrap his mind around the thought.

"You hungry?" Sam asks and Kevin finds himself nodding eagerly. Sam turns around towards his brother and the two angels, apparently about to ask them the same question until Sam falters slightly. He shakes his head and heads to the kitchen, passing Dean by who is carrying a bottle of amber liquid.

"The spells around this thing are genius," Gabriel gushes as he inspects the bunker. "I wouldn't be able to locate this thing even now that I know where it is!"

"Ain't no getting in without a key," Dean explains, slumping in a chair and putting his feet up on the table.

Gabriel starts pestering Castiel for a tour then. The angel only relents after Gabriel starts whining and Kevin can't stop laughing at the sight of an archangel acting like a five-year-old but from what he heard about the trickster, that's apparently his default setting.

Sam brings sandwiches soon thereafter and Kevin does what he does best – interpret the Word Of God, loosing himself in the task at hand, trying to figure out where the information they need might be located.

He doesn't know how much time has passed when Dean gets up and pats his brother's back.

"Why don't you catch some shut eye, Sammy?"

Sam looks tired but still opens his mouth to protest. However before he can get a word in, Dean's phone starts ringing. Kevin tries to see the screen and the caller ID but he doesn't catch it, yet judging from Dean's defensive stance it isn't a conversation Dean looks forward to.

"What do you want?" Dean says by way of greeting. "I'm kinda in the middle of something."

A few seconds of silence and suddenly Dean doubles over, gasping in obvious pain. Everyone is moving at once but Sam is nearest and on his knees next to his brother immediately.

"Fine, fine, be right there," Dean grumbles into the phone and pulls himself up the table with a groan.

"Dean?" Castiel asks at the same time Sam says, "Who was that?"

"Crowley," is all Dean answers, and Kevin can feel his blood run hot with rage.

"What does he want?"

"No idea, that's what I'm gonna find out." Dean is already moving towards the main area and the stairs but Kevin blocks his way. Well, steps into his path; it's not like he could stop Dean, couldn't have stopped him even before the whole Knight-of-Hell-thing.

"Why's Crowley calling you?"

"Newsflash, Kevin, he's the king of hell and I'm the biggest muscle he has now."

"You're working for him?! But you're hunters!"

Instead of explaining himself, Dean suddenly disappears. Kevin whirls around to find that Dean is already in the main area.

"Dean, wait!" Castiel calls after him, which apparently suffices to make Dean turn. Kevin scoffs mentally. "I'll come with you."

Dean's eyes soften slightly, though his jaw remains set. "I ain't dragging you into this mess. And you've got your own shit to deal with upstairs."

With that, Dean teleports on top of the stairs and is out the door before either of them can move, so Kevin rounds on the remaining Winchester.

"What the hell, Sam?"

"Look, you saw how he reacted. Crowley has power over Dean, could just pull him into Hell if he wanted to," Sam explains, holding up a placating hand. "We made a deal with him, so now Dean's gotta do some jobs for Crowley, but never anything to people who don't deserve it."

The information completely screws with Kevin's image of Dean, the man who always puts up a fight even if the situation is hopeless, always doing the right thing. But, Kevin has to remind himself, he's not that man anymore. He is a demon and he might still seem like his old self but it's nothing but an illusion.

"I don't like it," he concludes, probably stating the obvious but Sam's eyes soften in response.

"I don't either."

"No one likes that, and I guess the demon population is gonna like it even less," Gabriel buts in, patting Kevin on the back for some reason. "Knights of Hell are feared and there hasn't been an active one since before Cain found his love for corn… But hey, why don't we get back to the job at hand, huh?" He gently but forcefully pushes Kevin back towards the tablet and he wants to complain yet it is why he is here after all, so Kevin sits down again.

He throws one last glance at the door and when he looks back down, he catches Castiel's eyes that mirror the worry Kevin is feeling.

This can't end well, for any of those involved.

xXx

Dean meets up with Crowley in a seedy bar a few streets over. He's in a shitty mood to say the least, and not only because he went a few days without ganking something 'cause Sammy and he had to chase fucking unicorns.

"Beer?" Crowley asks him as if they're old drinking buddies and Dean growls, which is maybe not the best idea given what Crowley can apparently do to Dean even from a distance.

"Just tell me what the fuck this is about."

"Oh, something's got your knickers in a twist… Maybe the fact that you haven't seen blood in a few days? You yacking your guts out yet?"

Dean shakes his head but he doubts that answer will stay the same for much longer. His blood is boiling and his skin's itching, the Mark an ever-burning presence against his forearm.

"Good that I've got a job for you, then."

"Spill."

"My, my, your demon self really has no manners…"

"You either start talking now or I'll cut your tongue out, you son of a bitch."

Crowley smirks, obviously enjoying this far too much but before Dean can make good on his threat, he begins. "There's still a few demons who are loyal to Abbadon even now that she's gone. I know where one of these groups will be tonight. It's your job to make them swear loyalty to me and if they don't, you've got full permission to kill them. Or if you're in the mood for a good maiming, go for it. Be creative. Express yourself. I really don't care how you do it."

Crowley slides a piece of paper across the bar. "This is the place. Get it done as fast as you can."

Dean grunts but apparently it's enough of an answer for the King of Hell who winks at him and takes his leave.

Dean unfolds the paper and can't deny the thrill of anticipation coursing through him. He is out of the bar immediately, his hand already on the blade handle.

xXx

"Have fun and don't hesitate to call us when you need anything or when you find anything," Gabriel tells Kevin while Castiel exchanges goodbyes with a tired-looking Sam.

"You'll come back, right?" It is an unseemly question yet Castiel hears everything Sam is not saying resonate between the lines.

"Of course. But we have to return to Heaven. Gabriel will be an invaluable asset."

"Good luck, then."

"To you as well." Sam smiles and Castiel finds himself returning it and pulling the younger Winchester into a hug. It makes him wonder when he will hug Dean again.

He follows Gabriel out of the bunker, glancing around the dark alleys in the pointless hope to see the older Winchester somewhere, find out what Crowley wants him to do and if he doesn't need help or maybe just company after all. He doubts leaving Dean alone with his bloodlust is a good idea.

"Stop worrying so much, Cas," Gabriel chides. "He's beyond your reach."

"You know that's not true. You must have seen his true form – it's unlike anything I've ever seen."

Gabriel rolls his eyes and groans. "And he's still waxing poetry! Leave it to you to find something praiseworthy in a skeletal thing with horns…"

"Those horns were good enough for you when you needed his help," Castiel growls, only barely restraining himself or he would have slammed his brother against the nearest wall.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. Let's just get back upstairs, I can't wait to see the look on everybody's faces!"

They find a good spot to draw the sigil yet before Castiel puts down the last line, he turns towards the other angel again. "What will happen now?"

"What do you mean?"

"Now that you're here." Castiel can't bring himself to be more obvious. It would be easier to ask outright, though Gabriel is smart. He will catch on.

And indeed, Gabriel does catch on: His eyes widen and his lips pull down into a frown. "I can't do that, Cas."

"You have seniority, you are the most powerful angel we have and you know what you are doing. You can lead, Gabriel."

"I left for a reason!"

"You left because of the fighting and that's not valid anymore. Nothing speaks against you assuming your righteous place in the hierarchy of the Host."

"What if I don't want to?" Gabriel whines, ever the toddler.

"Then suck it up!" Castiel snarls, not even regretting the vulgar expression. "I tried, Gabriel, or have you forgotten? I gave my best to be the leader they wanted me to be and I failed, hurting everyone around me and making everything so much worse! You are the right one for this and you needn't do it alone, we have great generals. But please, brother, don't leave this burden to me."

"No need to act so righteous around me, little bro," Gabriel tells him with a smirk that doesn't bode well. Of course Gabriel would see right through Castiel. "Don't worry, I believe you meant every word of that. But I also know that your little stint as God and all that mess you left for the rest of the world to clean up ain't the only reason you don't wanna be in charge."

Don't say it, Castiel thinks, feeling his pulse spike. Don't say it. For saying it makes it real, turns it into a palpable situation that exists outside of Castiel's head.

Gabriel sighs, rubbing his eyes. "Let's not draw hasty conclusions, alright? Why don't we deal with the tablet first and then, once we've figured out how to reopen the gates and done that, too, why don't we wait till then to settle who's gonna be the new boss, huh? What do ya say?"

Gabriel flutters his eyelashes, eliciting a soft chuckle from Castiel, who is so relieved that he agrees to the suggestion.

Castiel returns his attention to the sigil, draws the final line and watches as the stairway to Heaven forms before his eyes.

xXx

Kevin leaning over the tablet, glancing up when he hears footsteps. Dark eyes looking up to him as he asks about Dean.

"Don't worry about Dean. Dean will be fine," Sam's voice replies, sounding hollow and cold.

He can pinpoint the exact moment when Kevin figures out something is wrong but by then, it is far too late. Sam's arm raises by forces beyond his control and he is inwardly screaming, shouting, rattling the cage he has been shoved into, trying anything to make it stop but to no avail.

Light spills form Kevin's eyes and open mouth as he smokes out and falls to the floor.

Dean, pushed against the wall while Sam rattles against the bars of his prison.

His hands, placing a yellow slip of paper on the white shirt covering Kevin's chest, eyes black sockets that shall never see again.

Sam wakes up screaming, drenched in sweat with his heart hammering against his chest. It takes a long moment (too long, way too long for a hunter) to orient himself. He's in the bunker.

And so is Kevin.

A look at the clock tells him it is barely five in the morning, but more than four hours of sleep would have been unusual either way. He showers and braces himself on the sink as he takes a few deep breaths because he checked Dean's room and it was empty. Silence rings through the bunker and it sets Sam's teeth on edge.

He finds Kevin at his preferred table in the library, the one in the middle, and on the same side he was when Gadreel advanced on him all this time ago. The similarity sends a shiver down Sam's spine.

"Hey, how's it going?" he asks when he finally gets his voice to work.

Kevin startles out of his trance-like state and blinks up at him. "It's starting to come together… Morning already?"

"It counts. Coffee?"

Kevin's entire face lights up at the suggestion. "Oh man, I missed coffee! Please!"

"When the shops open up I'll get you something good but until then the cheap stuff in the kitchen'll have to do."

"The cheap stuff's fine; I guess after months as a ghost everything tastes like premium blend…"

The comment stings even though Sam is sure Kevin didn't intend it to. He knows Kevin doesn't blame him for his death, but he isn't the one waking up after a nightmare.

So Sam does the only thing he can think of – make Kevin coffee and cook breakfast until the weight on his shoulders lessens.

xXx

Dean goes about his task with eerie precision. He scouts out the place the demons are squatting, making sure all thirteen are inside before he draws a thick circle around the abandoned building in the shitty part of St. Louis, Missouri. He nicked the salt from a factory two states over that he remembers from a hunt a few years back.

He's really getting good at the whole teleporting thing.

He steps across the salt line with a smirk and grips the blade tight, enjoying the rush is causes and rolling his head to work out the kinks in his neck.

The demons are quick to react when he enters, drawing weapons and surrounding him but Dean only has eyes for their leader, a tough looking woman with a semi-automatic in her hand. The ground floor is one large space littered with chairs, sofas, tables, weapons and clothes. The entire place reeks of sulfur.

"Crowley sent me with a message," Dean growls in his most intimidating tone.

"Oh, let me guess," the woman drawls, rising from her chair. "He wants us to surrender and swear loyalty to him?"

Dean nods.

"You can tell him to go screw himself," she spits but pauses when she notices the smirk on Dean's face.

"I was hoping you'd say that," he says truthfully and goes to work.

xXx

"Castiel, the angels are confused." Hannah has her arms crossed in front of her chest, fixing Castiel with a stern glare after she pulled him aside from the masses. "Gabriel is an archangel – will he take over now?"

"Maybe. Nothing is decided yet, Hannah."

"We trust in you, Castiel."

"I'm not the leader you deserve. I'm no leader at all."

Hannah frowns but at least she uncrosses her arms. "But can we trust him to stay? He abandoned us once, left us to fend for ourselves when we would have needed his guidance. He has a lot to prove before he will have our support."

"I understand that, but Hannah… He left because he couldn't stand the fighting. The tables have turned – his brothers are long dead. Believe me, this will be for the best."

She is silent for long minutes and Castiel fears he failed once again, but then she huffs and her frown vanishes. "Fine. I shall speak to my brothers and sisters. Yet I can't promise you they will want to follow him."

"All I can hope for is that they consider it."

He dismisses her with a nod and watches her return to her desk while most of the others still fawn over Gabriel, having centuries worth of memories and recollections to share now that they have been told about the tablet.

Castiel heaves a sigh. He wishes Kevin would pray for him, or Sam, to give a reason to return to earth, but silence fills his head like led.

xXx

Dean lets go. He's strung so tight he's almost at the breaking point, he's tired and ready to jump out of his skin, so he unleashes every dark impulse inside of him, allows them to take over.

The Mark is glowing beneath his shirt as he slices the first demon that dares attack him right in half, splattering blood everywhere. The second one looses her head while the third looses first his arm, then receives a deep cut across his throat.

The demons glow red as they smoke out and it only fuels Dean's aggression. He slams three more against a wall to deal with them later while he fights four more at once, moving at inhuman speed and cutting through everything that comes near him.

He has to take some hits, one fucker breaks his nose and gets cut in half for his troubles, right across the middle so that his guts are falling to the floor in a messy heap of entrails.

Seven down, three against the wall, two more thugs and the boss remain.

The blade cuts through their skin like a hot knife through butter and Dean has to blink droplets of blood out of his eyes. When only the woman is left standing and charges at him, firing shots wildly, he slams her back first onto a nearby table, using his powers to chain her to it and leaves her there while he strolls at a leisurely pace towards the remaining three demons.

Two women, one man, all trying really hard not to show their fear but Dean can see it in their eyes and taste it in the air. They reek of terror and Dean drinks it in.

"Last chance. Crowley, yes or no?"

The guy has the audacity to spit in his face. A fresh wave of anger overcomes Dean and before he has fully realized what he's doing, he rams his left hand through the guy's ribcage and closes his fingers around his spine before he pulls back. Black eyes widen and look at him in horror before he spits the asshole's skull with a well-aimed blow.

It feels like Dean is back in Hell, implementing what Alastair taught him, only this time the power rush and the adrenaline are ten times more intense.

The woman next to the corpse falls before she can scream, a simple knife to the heart and she glows red as the demon leaves its vessel.

"Please, no, I'm on Crowley's side!" the second to last victim pleads. "I'm begging you, I'll serve him, I'll swear loyalty, I'll do anything!"

"That'll be for him to decide if he can use you," Dean tells her coldly before finally turning towards the leader of the group who is scowling at him. He can hear the blonde woman sob in relief.

"Crowley thinks he's invincible now that he's got a new lapdog, doesn't he?" the leader snarls. "But he's just another prick who's got a hard-on for power, he's not the leader we deserve!"

"Shut up, bitch," Dean growls, already annoyed by her nagging and just for that cuts her throat first, but only deep enough to snap her vocal cords. He drains her then, cutting the arteries and letting it flow to the ground and pool around his shoes. He picks her apart, limb for limb until even she is making noises, first pained whimpers then straight out cries.

It resonates like music in Dean's ears.

When there's no blood left in her body and Dean is finally satisfied with his work he buries the blade deep in her chest, watching her smoke out.

Someone slow claps in the distance but Dean isn't worried. He felt Crowley's presence when he appeared several minutes ago.

"Impressive."

Dean jerks his head towards the last one left alive. "That chick wants to switch sides."

"Good. Someone needs to tell the tale of your carnage, after all. You can let her go."

Dean does and she sags to the floor, swallowing audibly. Then Crowley whistles and Dean is confused for a moment until he hears barking in the distance, coming continuously closer until a band of hellhounds barge in. Crowley must have disrupted the salt line. Or the wind did, Dean doesn't care. He knew he'd be finished with the goons inside before anything like that happened.

Being able to see the hellhounds is incredibly useful because he can sidestep them since apparently they don't care who they run over on their way to fresh entrails.

"We done here?" he asks gruffly, wiping blood out of his eye.

"Yes, you're dismissed. But Dean?"

Dean has already turned to leave but looks back once more.

"Clean up a bit. I doubt moose and the heavenly duo will be too delighted if they catch you looking like a killer from a cheap 80ies horror flick."

"Yeah, whatever," Dean waves him off and zaps back to Kansas. It's only when he fishes the key out of his pocket that he catches a glimpse of his hands in the early morning light.

He is literally covered in blood, head to toe, and the reality of what he just did finally dawns on him like a blow to the gut.

Fuck.

Dean's knees give out and he crashes to the ground, gasping for breath but everything around him stinks of blood and death. He zaps to the nearest motel and into an empty room where he rushes into the bathroom and stops in his track when he sees his reflection staring back at him.

He doesn't recognize himself in the mirror. His eyes are still black, his leather jacket stained, his shirt and jeans soaked through. In his panic he doesn't wonder if he's capable, he just focuses on the stains and the blood and thinks them gone.

He figures if he can teleport and slam people against walls and hurt archangels without touching them he can clean a little blood out of his clothes. It takes long, too long, so Dean flicks the shower on and steps inside, watching the blood turn red and circle down the drain.

He has no idea how long he stands there but at one point, the water clears and he dries his clothes with a thought. When he looks into the mirror again, the thing staring back at him seems more like Dean Winchester, hunter, than like Dean Winchester, Knight of Hell.

When he reaches out to pick up his phone Dean notices that his hand is trembling. His entire body is trembling, coming down from the most intense high of his life.

He is a mess on the bathroom floor, shaking like a leaf and immensely glad that he managed to ditch Cas. He must never ever see Dean like this.

Dean focuses on Cas and Sam and Kevin, on all the good memories, things that make him feel human and not like the monster he turned into tonight. It takes time but eventually the tremors subside and Dean feels ready to stand up again.

The high is gone and he is left in its wake, strangely sated as if something inside of him fed on the blood and mayhem. A small part of Dean already worries about how long it's going to last and when he'll need his next kill but maybe Crowley has more work coming his way and Dean will never have to worry Sam about it. Or Cas.

Dean shudders. Cas made it perfectly clear what he'll do when Dean goes off the deep end and Dean doubts Cas will believe that he'll come down from the high again should he ever see him during one.

A key turns in the lock, pulling Dean out of his head and back to reality. Before the staff or cleaning lady or whoever was at the door even get inside, Dean is long gone, letting himself into the bunker with steady hands.

xXx

"Dean!" Sam can't stop himself from calling out when he hears his brother's familiar footsteps on the stairs.

"Yeah?"

"You okay?"

"I'm fine, Sammy."

Sam bites back his retort, like he always does when Dean uses that particular phrase. Dean's never fine, even though he sure looks it. There is some bruising on his face but it has already started to fade. He isn't walking strange or even limping. In fact, he looks better than Sam has seen him for days.

Before he can say anything else, Dean's eyes fall on the four Starbucks cups and the paper bags on the library table.

"What the hell you getting that fancy shit for, Sammy, we've got perfectly good coffee down here."

Sam shrugs and jerks his head at Kevin who is still crouched over the tablet, head resting on his arm. Understanding dawns on Dean's face and he drops it. Almost.

"There better be something left for me, bitch," he grouses as he sheds his leather jacket and grabs the paper bag.

It's so typically Dean that Sam feels the corners of his mouth twitch.

Now that Dean's back, Sam finally gives into his need for a run and when he returns an hour later, Kevin still hasn't moved but the papers strewn around him have more notes on them. Sam gets a bottle of water and when he returns, Kevin actually looks up, trance broken, and sighs contentedly.

"I think I've got enough to start us off."

Sam smiles and downs the water bottle as Kevin awkwardly calls for Cas and Gabriel. Sam lets them inside and by the time they are all looking at Kevin who is standing and clutching his notes, Dean strolls in from the lower levels. Probably got some shooting practice in, Sam muses.

"Dean!" Castiel sounds as worried as Sam felt this morning. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine, Cas, we ain't gathered here for me."

"What did Crowley want?"

"Scare some shithead still mooning over Abbadon, now let the Prophet speak."

Sam notices how Dean doesn't really avoid the question, so his reply must be true yet Sam can't shake the feeling that there is a lot more to the story than this. He meets Castiel's eyes across the table and finds his own worries reflected back at him.

"So, kiddo, hit us," Gabriel urges, pointedly ignoring the non-verbal conversation between his brother and Sam.

Kevin runs a hand through his hair. "Well, I haven't got much yet, but I found the counter spell you need. It has three steps as well, and they have to be completed in sequence. I'm not too sure about what exactly you need to do with it in the end, but the first step is capturing the snake of Eden."

Silence falls between them.

"Wait, you mean the actual snake? The snake that tempted Eve?" Sam asks, just to be certain. It's not like anything can surprise him anymore.

Kevin nods. "Part of it's needed for the spell, maybe the heart or the blood, it hasn't revealed itself to me yet…"

"Probably only will once we have it," Gabriel chimes in, then huffs. "Well, could be worse."

"Where can we find the snake?" Castiel asks before Sam has a chance to. "Purgatory?"

Dean groans and Sam tenses but Gabriel, fortunately, shakes his head.

"Nope, snake was banished too. Last I heard it's still stuck in Mesopotamia. Some of the ancient peoples worshipped the thing, thought it has some special powers just 'cause our dear brother Luci chose it as his vessel for the day."

"And we need to capture it?" Castiel asks, looking at Kevin, who nods. "Any details on how we will manage that?"

Kevin shrugs. "But I figure if you take Dean with you, it won't be a problem."

"What, I'm a fucking snake charmer now?"

"Oh, there ain't nothing you can't charm, big boy," Gabriel teases with a smirk. "Come on, chop chop, pack a bag, up an' at'em! We've got a snake to catch!"

"Just 'cause you throw a ton of catch phrases at us won't make us move faster," Dean grouses but he zaps away nevertheless.

Sam hesitates, glancing from the angels to Kevin. "I guess it's better if I stay here. I'll only slow you down."

It's merely a partial truth – he is human, after all, and needs to sleep, eat and is more easily wounded in a fight – but part of him needs to keep close to Kevin. This time he won't let anything happen to him.

"You can go with them, Sam, it wouldn't be the first time I'm alone in the bunker."

"Then who'll make a coffee run when you're in need of caffeine?" Sam keeps his tone light, flippant, and after a moment Kevin smiles.

"Guess you have a point."

"Alright, that's settled," Gabriel announces. "Get your demon ass moving, Winchester!" he hollers down the hall and suddenly, Dean appears behind him.

"Boo!" he says and even succeeds in making Gabriel flinch a little. Sam and Kevin laugh – even Castiel cracks a smile, but Sam can see the longing in his eyes. The lack of wings really has to be dragging him down.

"Oh, you're on, Winchester!" Gabriel shouts, teleporting away but Dean is hot on his… heels? Sam shakes his head, chuckling at the sight of his big brother regressing to pre-school age.

The game continues until Gabriel teleports right behind Castiel, who has time for half an eye roll before Dean barrels into him. Dean has to clasp Castiel's shoulders to steady himself and Castiel's hands clutch Dean's sides to break his momentum.

Sam bites his lips as they just stare at each other for a moment, both lost for words, and he spies Gabriel smirking over Cas' shoulder.

"Sorry, Cas," Dean breathes and Sam can see him swallow.

"No worries. We should…"

"Yeah," Dean echoes and withdraws his hands with more than a hint of reluctance.

"Alright," Gabriel speaks up, his voice dripping with mirth. "I'll be sure to bring the kids back in one piece, you two keep up the good work and don't do anything I wouldn't do!"

"That really narrows it down," Sam drawls, earning a wink from the archangel.

"Toodles!" He waves goodbye and teleports on top of the stairs.

"You'll be fine, right?" Dean makes sure and grins after both Kevin and Sam nod. "Good, 'cause I gotta bag myself a snake."

"Don't bring home any stray hell hounds!" Sam calls after him.

"Whatever, bitch."

"Jerk," Sam say out of reflex, still grinning when the door falls shut behind the trio.

xXx

End Notes: Okay, what an emotional roller coaster! And some sexual tension, yay :) Also, planning spells is fun, and Gabriel being back is amazing and oh my gawd, why can't I physically hug fictional characters because Dean really needs a hug right now…

Fyi, I have so many ideas and actually planned out this entire fic. Yeah^^ Only took nine hours of work ;) So there will probably be 22 chapters, aka 21 episodes and it's going to be an epic roller coaster of hurt, comfort, angst, heartache and fun. How's that sound?