Disclaimer: I do not own Supernatural or any of its characters.

Thanks to everyone who reviewed!

Garideth- Thank you! She might…. Or she might not. :P

Phantom's Ange- Yeah, I liked writing it too! I did mention the line where she thought she was gonna lose two more brothers, remember? Odette knows. A little. :P

blue-daisies- Yeah, I'll have to think about that!

XKaterinaNightingaleX- Thanks! :D

ccgnme- Yeah, I figured he would be!

Chapter name borrowed from Rage Against The Machine.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN- KILLING IN THE NAME

The Impala was parked under a tree, and the tension in the air was palpable.

"Before Dad died," Dean put down his beer. "He told me something—something about you."

Sam's head jerked up.

"What? Dean, what did he tell you?"

Dean took a swig of beer, almost as if for courage.

"He said that he wanted me to watch out for you, to take care of you."

"He told you that a million times," Sam snorted.

"No," Dean shook his head. "This time was different. He said that I had to save you."

Sam's tone sharpened.

"Save me from what?"

"He just said that I had to save you, that nothing else mattered; and that if I couldn't, I'd….." Dean trailed off.

"You'd what, Dean?"

I took a step back to Castiel.

Something was coming, and I had a feeling I didn't want to know what Dean was going to say.

He swallowed.

"That I'd have to kill you. He said that I might have to kill you, Sammy," Dean whispered.

Everything went still.

"Kill me?" Sam exploded. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

Dean lowered his head.

"I don't know."

My ears seemed to ring as Dean's words registered in my head.

Kill. Sammy.

No.

No.

Sam paced back and forth.

"I mean, he must have had some kind of reason for saying it, right? Did he know the demon's plans for me? Am I supposed to go darkside or something? What else did he say, Dean?"

"Nothing," Dean leant against the tree. "That's it, I swear."

"How could you not have told me this?" Sam yelled.

"Because it was Dad," Dean sighed. "And he begged me not to."

"Who cares?" Sam shouted.

"Take some responsibility for yourself, Dean! You had no right to keep this from me!"

"You think I wanted this?" Dean retorted.

"Huh? I wish to God he'd never opened his mouth. Then I wouldn't have to walk around with this screaming in my head all day."

Sam turned and took a few steps away, fuming.

I put a hand on his arm.

He was shaking.

Sam turned wide, pleading eyes to Castiel.

"Tell me…. tell me this isn't true."

Castiel remained at my side, expressionless as usual.

"I'm sorry, Samuel. John Winchester's warnings do not go unheeded."

"I've been thinking about this," Dean said abruptly.

"We should lay low. At least for a while. It'd be safer. And that way I can make sure-"

"What?" Sam cut him off.

"That I don't turn evil? That I don't turn into some kind of killer?"

"I never said that!" Dean exclaimed, frustrated.

"Jeez, Dean, if you're not careful you'll have to waste me one day," Sam said bitingly.

"I didn't say that!" Dean rubbed his head.

"Damn it, Sam, this whole thing is spinning out of control. All right? I don't even know what the hell anymore. And you're pissed at me, I get it. That's fine, I deserve it. But we lay low until we figure out our next move, okay?"

"Forget it," Sam snapped.

"Sam, please, man," Dean begged.

"Hey, please. Just give me some time to think, okay? I'm begging you here, please."

Sam nodded reluctantly.

~Supernatural~

"Where the hell is he?" Dean yelled, angrily punching the wall.

"I told him! I told him to lay low!"

I pulled him away from the flaking plaster.

"We'll find him, Dean, just calm down."

Dean growled wordlessly, pushing me away.

"Lafayette, Indiana."

Dean cursed violently as Castiel reappeared.

"What?"

"Lafayette, Indiana," Castiel repeated, as if talking to a slow-witted child.

"Samuel is searching for other children like him."

I ran up to Castiel.

"Take us to him."

…

I twitched restlessly in the car next to Castiel as Dean ran out to refuel.

Worry for Sam swamped me, and I itched to find a distraction.

"Hey, Castiel?"

He slowly raised his head.

"Tell me about heaven."

I wrung my hands nervously.

Castiel looked at me impassively.

"What do you wish to know?"

I stuttered.

"About…. about other angels. What's it like?"

Castiel tilted his head.

"There are thousands. My brothers and sisters, all bound to follow Father's will. There is no one heaven, Odette. Hundreds, to fit each person."

Castiel's eyes seemed far away.

"We each have our own garrison, and one leader among them."

There was a hint of pride in his voice.

"Mine was the strongest. We were the soldiers, the army. We were the ones who fought."

Castiel's eyes turned dark and fierce.

"To lose was never an option. We won, or we died trying."

I suppressed a shiver at the fierce pride in his eyes.

"And then," Castiel's face turned inscrutable again. "I was sent here."

I paused.

"Did you like it there, Castiel?"

Something like surprise flitted across Castiel's features.

"No one's ever asked me that before."

I waited.

For a second, he was almost unsure.

"I don't know, Odette."

…

We'd finally found Sam.

Dean's sigh of relief mingled with mine.

"Oh, thank god you're okay," Dean said softly.

Sam moved aside, revealing a girl leaning against the motel window.

Dean smirked.

"Oh, you're better than okay. Sam, you sly dog!"

I chuckled quietly.

It died in my throat as the window above Sam's head shattered.

I dimly heard the girl shriek inside.

Dean pulled me out, pointing at the rooftop across the street.

A long black silhouette pointed a sniper rifle at the motel.

"Come on!"

He dragged me out.

…

Dean tackled the man to the ground.

Gordon.

"Gordon!" Dean yelled, kicking him hard.

Dean pinned him down on his back, hitting him in the face.

"You do that to my brother, I'll kill you!"

"Dean, wait."

Gordon wrestled the rifle away from Dean, hitting us both in the head.

We fell to the ground, unconscious.

~Supernatural~

I came to, tied back to back with Dean in a chair.

I heard the tail end of his conversation with Sam, as Gordon held the phone to his ear.

I glared at him, struggling with my rope.

Dean winked at me, and I stared at him incredulously.

Sam knows, he mouthed, as Gordon put the phone away.

He turned back to us.

"Now, was that so hard?"

"Bite me," Dean snarled.

I kicked against the chair.

"Why are you doing this, Gordon?"

He jammed a knife into a wooden table.

"To kill your darling brother, of course."