Delayed Rescue

OH MY GOD! Damn you people writing Supernatural! Make me work to figure out a way to bring little Castiel back to fit with this story. Or just hope they have it done later in the season so I don't need to come up with something. Yeah, let's just go with that. Mal's been told the story, it's all good.

Oh, and to unlovedtears14, Claire's just a name I came up with for an example for Sam to use against Dean when the latter was being hypocritical about about the whole Mal thing.

"They been gone a while." Bobby muttered.

"I'm sure everything's fine." Sam assured the old hunter.

"And if it ain't?" Bobby asked. Sam paused, now starting to wonder and worry. "Mal's got a bad habit of not answering her phone when she doesn't want to and Dean's the same, you know that. We all do it."

"Bobby we don't even know where Dean's taken her." Sam pointed out. Bobby raised an eyebrow, giving Sam a look that asked if the younger man was stupid. Sam rolled his eyes and shook his head, trying to reassure himself and his friend. "Look, I'm sure they're coming back right now. They'll probably be here soon and everything will be fine. I bet you anything, at this very moment, threats are being said and Dean is..."

"Dean is in danger." Castiel spoke up, making the two hunters jump and spin around to see the Angel standing nearby. "As is Mallory. But I can't locate them. They aren't far but their exact location is eluding me."

"Knew something bad was bound to happen." Bobby grumbled. "Them two idjits are just magnets for trouble." He headed out of the apartment and after a few seconds, Sam and Castiel quickly followed to keep up with the old man.

***SPN***SPN***SPN***SPN***SPN***

Dean crashed to the pavement, the knife skidding out of his hand. His face, bloodied and swollen, turned towards his attacker as he slowly got back to his feet. Mal stared at him as she watched the ex-hunter square off against her tormenter. She couldn't believe that he kept getting to his feet, not to mention he was defending her. Although she was fairly certain most of his anger at the demon was due to the fact that the thing had broken the Impala.

"That the best you got?" Dean asked, spitting out blood and getting ready for another attack.

"Mr Winchester, I haven't even started." The man pointed out. While Dean was a bloody mess, the man stood, appearing almost completely unharmed. His hat still in place, tipped down to hide all but his mouth. It was starting to piss off the hunters and all he did was smile. "Come on...I'll give you a free hit...since you're so rusty and all."

"Rusty? Fuck this!" Dean ground out, leaping back into action. He swung at the man, his fist connecting with his opponent's chin. When the man stumbled back, Dean's leg swung out, his knee hitting at the abdomen.

Mal realized by this point, when it seemed that the two were so fully intent on this fight that they probably didn't notice her, that she should be attempting to get away. Part of her did want to run but the other part wasn't about to leave Dean to face a fight that technically wasn't even his. Where the hell did all this caring come from? Had the few days with Sam completely messed her up or what? She was beginning to think so and her mind drifted to what she'd do when she got away from the Winchesters.

It snapped back to the current time frame when Dean once again crashed to the ground in front of her and this time stayed down. Mal's eyes widened as she crouched down by him and rolled him to his back. Through the swollen bloody mess that was his face, she could see his eyes closed and hoped like Hell that he was just out cold and not worse.

"Now...Mallory." The man called out. Mal lifted her eyes slowly to look at him. "Are we going to keep playing these games?"

"Fuck you!" Mal snapped.

"I believe you already have." The man laughed. The thought alone made her feel ill and a shudder run up her spine. Her eyes darted around, looking for the knife and finally spotting it a few feet away. "Go ahead, get it, I'll wait."

Mal dove for the knife and wrapped her fingers around the handle. She got to her feet and spun around, only to find the man standing right next to her. Before she could do anything, one of his hands grabbed her wrist and the other closed around her throat. She struggled to free herself as her available hand grabbed at his, trying to pry it away from her neck.

"You know...we've had lots of fun." The man mused, the corners of his mouth lifting into a grin under his hat. "All these years...all the monsters I've sent your way to try and derail you. It was easy. Even after your little Angel came back." He shoved Mal back against the underside of the Impala. He twisted her arm around, pointing the knife in her hand at her own stomach. Her eyes drifted shut and her hand fell from his wrist. "Look around though Mally. He's not here...again." She was vaguely aware of pain in her stomach as the knife slowly worked it's way in but she just couldn't care anymore. "Leaving you hanging once more, watching you drown and not pulling you up."

"There is no drowning." Castiel's voice came from behind the man. Before he could turn, the Angel grabbed the demon and flung him down the road. Mal crumbled to the ground but before Castiel could even step towards her, he was thrown backwards into the field running alongside the road.

"Oh I've been waiting for this." The man laughed, advancing on the Angel. "You know that last time...fucking with her...it was to mess with you as well." Castiel got to his feet and narrowed his eyes. "Actually this whole time, all these years, screwing with the girl, sending things her way to mess with her head, it was all to get at you, the precious little guardian Angel who couldn't be there to save the day."

"You have one chance." Castiel warned.

"To what? Leave and never come back?" The man asked. Castiel swung at him but his fist was caught. "Now now Cassy...violence doesn't suit an Angel."

"Then you've had little experience around them." Castiel pointed out, his leg coming up, foot connecting with the man's stomach to knock him back.

While the Angel and demon fought, Sam and Bobby made their way over to the two fallen hunters. Sam went to Dean and dragged his brother over to Bobby and Mal while the older hunter checked the girl's pulse.

"Well?" Sam asked.

"It's weak." Bobby muttered. He looked down and gingerly pulled the knife from Mal's stomach. "Come on kid, don't be dying on us now. You've been through a hell of a lot worse." He pulled off his vest and bunched it up before holding it to Mal's stomach.

"We need to get them out of here." Sam pointed out, glancing over into the field as Castiel uppercut the demon only to get a kick against his knee in return. Bobby leaned over and checked Dean's pulse. The touch made the younger man groan. "I think he's coming to."

"Hey idjit, wake up!" Bobby snapped quietly, flicking Dean's ear.

"Son of a bitch!" Dean grumbled, wincing. He opened his eyes as much as he could and looked around. "Sam? Bobby?"

"Yeah we're here, now come up, we need to get up." Sam instructed. He stood up and helped his brother up while Bobby lifted Mal in his arms.

"Shit." Dean muttered, taking in Mal's unconscious and unmoving state. Sam put a gun in his brother's hand and the men carefully moved towards where Mal's charger sat, waiting.

"Hold it!" The man called out behind them. Sam and Dean spun around, guns aimed. The hat was gone now and underneath it the face was starting to look bruised.

"Huh...least someone can get a hit on you." Dean pointed out.

"I told you already Mr Winchester...the girl is mine!" The man snapped.

"And I told you...it ain't happening." Dean retorted. Before he could fire, Castiel was back, trapping the man in some sort of headlock. The two struggled against each other as the Angel forced the demon to the ground.

"GO!" Castiel yelled to the hunters. Dean and Sam started backing up, keeping their guns ready. Bobby was already in the car, having put Mal in the back seat and starting the engine. Sam got in the back to keep an eye on Mal. Dean hesitated for a while, hand on the door handle. Castiel threw the demon away from the car and turned to Dean. "Get out of here Dean."

"But you..." Dean started.

"You're done enough, now you need to go." Castiel insisted. He turned around and threw a punch, catching the demon off guard and stopping him from his intended sneak attack.

Dean sighed and quickly got in the car. He glanced over to where the Impala still sat on it's side before Bobby spun the car around and drove off. He looked to the backseat as Sam held the bunched up vest against Mal's stomach to at least stem the flow of blood.

"How she doing?" Dean asked.

"I don't know." Sam replied.

"We're getting to a hospital, just hang on." Bobby informed them. Dean sighed and leaned back against his seat, feeling his own consciousness leaving him again. The adrenaline boost being short lived, the last thing he remembered was Bobby yelling at him for something as they sped through a red light.

So Cas is really saving the day here. This story is coming to an end very soon. Maybe another chapter or two. Narrowing down the things I have to do in the hopes that I'll get more inspiration for the others. Trouble is, I get more inspiration from pictures I make up and I don't want to end up with a dozen or so stories that I just can't finish. Sigh...