Wow guys! Thanks for the reviews and favourites! I didn't think anyone would actually like this story. Sorry about the wait. I've been doing GISHWHES and I've been ill so it has taken a while to get this out. Sorry. But here's your next update!
It was time for the hunt and the atmosphere between Dean and his father was frostier than ever. John Winchester didn't get spoken down to like that. It just didn't happen. But when Castiel raised his voice to him and put him down in front of his sons, well…needless to say that really pissed him off. Dean kept his distance, speaking to Sam about the usual safety crap that his younger brother seems to keep forgetting before every hunt. Honestly, for geeky kid he can be quite thick sometimes. Castiel was going to meet them at the warehouse where the demons were supposed to be taking their victims to and torturing them. He didn't want to be around John Winchester right now. He was still seething even after Dean's attempts at calming him down. Dean could understand him though; he'd just hope that it wouldn't affect Cas and his hunting abilities today. He wouldn't know what to do with his life if he lost him.
They had arrived at the warehouse in the Impala after a silent two hour drive. John got out quickly, a look of determination on his face as he opened the boot and readied his supplies. Dean and Sam got out together, the younger Winchester visibly more nervous. Dean put a comforting arm around his shoulders.
"Breathe Sammy. No need to worry! This is just a simple demon hunt. One stab and we're done yeah?" Sam looked up at his big brother and nodded his head, taking deep breathes, trying to clear his head and calm down. This was just a simple case. It will be easy. No one will get hurt, Sam kept repeating in his head. He looked up when his father called his name and accepted the knife that was given to him. He didn't want to handle guns just yet. He left the shooting to Dean and his father.
When Dean was kitted out, he walked away from his father and prayed for Castiel. "Okay Cas. We're here. Time to get your feathery ass down here." Immediately after, Dean smiled as he heard the familiar flutter of wings from behind him. He turned around and walked towards his angel, giving him a small peck on the lips, not seeing his father's look of disgust at his actions. "Hey. You ready?" Dean asked, the smile never leaving his face. Castiel just smirked and answered, "I'm always ready Dean."
"That you are," Dean sighed fondly and patted his shoulder, walking around him to regroup with his father and brother. Cas kept his distance from John, never meeting his eyes and never speaking to him as the Winchester went through his plan. Dean and Cas were to enter through the front door. Bait, obviously, and Sam and John would enter through the two side doors when Dean gives out the signal of a gunshot. Personally, Dean didn't like the idea of Sammy taking a whole side on his own. Who knew what could be lurking over there. But Dean knew it would be useless to argue with his father. With no other words said, the boys went to their positions. Dean turned to Cas and kissed him slowly, savouring the moment.
"Just in case," he whispers against the angels lips, foreheads pressed together and breathes mingling. Cas placed a hand on the side of Dean's face and turned serious.
"I will protect you Dean," he murmured, ferocity lighting up his eyes. Dean didn't doubt him for a second. He nodded and stepped away from Cas, sucking in a deep breath.
"Okay then. Let's do this." He walked straight to the doors he was supposed to be at and looked back at his father, waiting for his signal. At the nod of his head, Dean yanked open the door and slowly made his way inside, Cas holding a protective stance behind him. Dean had his gun ready, scouting the area for the demons, but became unsettled when he couldn't see anything. Cas felt this too, even his angel senses couldn't pick up a trace of demon. Dean made to carry on walking, but Cas held him back. The Winchester turned his head, silently questioning his actions, but Cas just shook his head and stepped in front of Dean, taking the lead. They continued through the warehouse but there was still nothing. However, not two seconds later, the angel stiffened as he felt a shift in the air. He quickly glanced at Dean, seeing that he was a few metres away, checking the offices, then looked up, feeling the air shift again. That was when he saw the fireball, flying towards him. The fire wouldn't hurt him, so he could just easily step out the way. But the fire landed just in front of him and only too late did he see the traces of holy oil surrounding him, now burning in flames, trapping him.
Dean sucked in a shocked breath and ran to his angel but Cas shouted at him to keep his distance. The young Winchester stubbornly tried to reach Cas but was thrown back by an unseen force. He collided with the wall with a smash and pain exploded in his back. He was pinned there and he squeezed his eyes shut against the pain. He could hear Cas yelling for him, but he couldn't find the strength to reply. He needed his gun. He needed to fire the shot that would let his father know he was needed right now. But his body wouldn't cooperate. Finally, Dean was able to open his eyes a little after he heard two voices. One was his angels, the other was unfamiliar. His eyes focussed on Cas first and saw that he was unharmed. To that he sighed a breath of relief, but then his attention was drawn to the demon and fear spiked in him when he saw the angel blade that he was holding. The only weapon that could kill Castiel. He struggled against his invisible bonds. He needed to gank that demon now, before he could harm the angel.
Noticing the movement, the demon tore his eyes away from Castiel and smirked at Dean, walking slowly towards him. The vessel was tall, but pudgy. His face was round and covered in dirt, his eyes were pure black.
"Dean Winchester! Nice to finally put a face to the name," the demon smiled, revealing rotting teeth. "You and your…family…seem to be causing a lot of trouble amongst my kind. You're good hunters, I'll give you that, but you're no match for some of us. Me especially." The demon slowly grinned, bringing the angel blade up to Deans neck. "And I'm gonna be the one who finally kills you all. You see I got a couple of pets outside, keeping your brother and father busy. We'll see how that turns out later…well you won't," he smirked, pressing the blade even harder to Dean's neck, causing him to choke and moan in pain as small drops of blood leaking from the small cuts made.
"NO!" screamed Castiel, causing the windows of the warehouse to shake as the angel's true voice almost seeped out. The demon was shocked out of his actions and he turned back to Cas. "Turn the volume down. I'm trying to kill here."
Castiel was visibly shaking in fury. "You will not touch him!"
The demon rolled his eyes. "I already did, you dumbass angel. Shut up or I'll kill you slowly." He was about to turn back to Dean but what Castiel said next made him stop, surprised.
"Kill me first! Please. I cannot see a way out of this situation but please kill me first! Dean does not deserve to die," Cas shouted, his voice shaking. Dean croaked out a "No Cas," before his throat burned with the effort of speech. The demon contemplated this for a moment before nodding his agreement.
"Alright. Angel first." He waved his hand and Dean was released from his invisible bonds and he fell to the floor. He looked up at Cas and found the effort to say, "Please Cas. Don't do this! I can't lose you!"
Cas looked at him, tears brimming in his eyes before he closed them, taking a deep breath. "There's nothing else to do. Your brother and father have troubles of their own, they cannot save us. I want to die first. To give them time to save you." The demon snorted at that and muttered an "unlikely" under his breath. Dean just looked into Cas' eyes and let a tear fall. "I love you," he whispered brokenly. The phrase was returned in kind and the demon gagged at the show before clapping his hands together once.
"Alright lovebirds. Shut the hell up now. It's time for the show to begin." He walked to Dean and kicked his ribs so he was momentarily stunned, before throwing the angel blade with power and precision towards the angel. Dean screamed as the blade pierced through Cas' chest. The angel grunted and fell to his knees, his face was contorted in pain. Dean ignored the twinge in his ribs and twisted so he could reach for his gun, aiming at the demon and firing, the bullets landing in the demons head. He quickly got up and lunged for the stunned demon, hitting him repeatedly and shooting him anywhere he could, knowing it wouldn't do much but slow him down. He needed to inflict pain. This was for Cas and he'll be damned if he lets this demon walk away. He screamed in grief and anger as he pummelled his fist into the abominations face, his arms tiring, but his mind unwilling to stop. Just when his body was about to fail him, the side door opened and John and Sam ran in, their appearance a little rough and bloody but otherwise fine. He heard Sam's yell of "NO!" when he caught sight of Cas on the floor, gasping in pain, with grace leaking out from around the angel blade. Dean looked up and saw his father running towards him, not sparing a glance for Castiel. John grabbed him and hauled him up.
"I got this. Go to Castiel," he whispered to his broken son. Tears were freely streaming down Dean's face and he nodded to his father, turning around and running to the ring of fire, vaguely hearing his father chanting a Latin exorcism. "Cas! Hold on! Baby please hold on!" He looked around desperately and saw a fire extinguisher to the left of the front door. With one last look to Cas, he sprinted towards it and all but yanked the extinguisher from its holder. He pulled out the peg and ran back to the fire, using it to extinguish the flames.
It was all done in ten seconds and after he had finished, he chucked the useful piece of metal away and ran to kneel by Cas' side. The angel was barely breathing and his eyes were shut against the pain of his grace leaving him. Dean placed his hand on the side of Cas' face, rubbing soothing circles with his thumb.
"Cas! Open your eyes baby. Please. Come on!" Dean yelled desperately. Cas opened his eyes only a little before breathing out his loves name. Dean smiled in return. "Yeah that's right Cas. It's me. I need you to fight this okay? I need you to be strong for me. Goddammit Cas I can't lose you!" His free hand was pressing around the angel blade, trying to stop leaking blood. He didn't want to pull it out just in case it worsened Cas' condition.
"Dean. It is impossible. My grace is already leaving me! I cannot stop it," Castiel breathed out. Pain lacing every word. Dean shook his head and growled, "No. Just hold on okay? We'll figure this out. I love you okay? I can't let you die!" He pressed his forehead to Cas' and began to feel tears leaking from his eyes. His mind was telling him to accept it. To accept the fact that Cas was going to die. The blade pierced the heart, pierced the very centre of Castiel. There was no way he would survive this, yet Dean desperately wanted to follow what his heart was telling him. 'Cas will pull through. He's stronger than this. We will find a way to save him.' But it was useless. Cas was already draining, his eyes unable to stay open for too long. His head lolled to one side and Dean placed his hand on the side of his face, moving his head to face him again.
"Please stop. Please. I never wanted this to happen. We were supposed to grow up together. To become the best hunting trio with Sam. We were gonna have a life together. I want that Cas. You can't leave me baby!" He cried, both his hands now on Castiel's face. Cas opened his eyes and smiled weakly.
"Dean. I love you," he whispered, his mind slowly shutting down, his grace burning up inside him waiting to be released. Dean pressed a kiss to his lips and said, "I love you too angel. Please don't leave me."
But it was too late. Cas' eyes rolled back into his head and his mouth opened wide. Dean shouted and screamed at the sudden blinding white light that poured from Cas' eyes and mouth. "NO! CAS! NO!" He wanted to keep his eyes open, he wanted to force the grace back into Cas but he was useless. He had to shut his eyes. He had to feel the small burn that the light was leaving all over his skin. He had to deal with the fact that this was Cas leaving him. That he was dead.
The burning stopped and he guessed he could open his eyes again. He did so reluctantly and moaned in mental pain at the sight before him. Cas was spread out, his eyes closed, his mouth open but his face peaceful. Two large, black imprints of wings were burned to the ground. They were Deans proof. Proof that the love of his life was gone.
He pulled Cas up and against him so his head rested lifelessly on Dean's shoulder. Dean cried and cried, running his fingers through Cas' hair, screaming out his protests. Sam couldn't watch anymore and left the warehouse, running to the car and letting his tears fall without an audience. John couldn't help but feel guilt as he watched Dean break in front of him holding his angel. His son really truly loved this angel and he never supported them. All he wanted was to keep his sons safe and happy but he couldn't even do that. He shook his head and closed his eyes, trying to shut out the painful yells of his son. He walked forward and placed an hand on his shoulder. Dean was too weak to shove it off.
"Come on son. We need to leave. I'll help you take Cas to the car and we'll drive to Kansas and give him a proper burial." Dean looked up angrily at his father.
"We won't burn him! He could come back! He will need this vessel! He'll come back!" He shouted, clutching his dead angel tight to his chest. John could do nothing but watch as Dean stood up slowly with Cas in his arms as he walked back to the car, shakily. Sam got out and opened the back door for him so he could get in easily with Cas. He sat and pulled Cas up and close to him, his lips resting on the cold forehead of his lover. He held him tight and whispered softly into his hair as his Dad got into the car to drive back to Kansas.
"Come back to me Cas."