A/N- Home stretch guys! Thanks for staying with me this far xx

Chapter 20 - "I've been better."

"Can you see anyone?"

Bobby shook his head and handed the binoculars to Sam.

"Doesn't mean no ones there. Simple enough though. Two in the front, two round the back, cautious, slow. This ain't the movies, you understand?"

Dean turned towards Cas. "You and me'll take the front door…. You ready for this?" He just nodded.

Didn't trust himself to speak. Wasn't sure that English would be possible. The only words that seemed to want to creep past his lips were Enochian.

Cas swallowed hard, rested his fingers on the handgun, almost reverently and looked towards the seemingly innocent exterior of the cabin with something like fear blooming in his stomach.

No.

Not fear.

Anticipation.

Trying to force a lock with one hand would have been funny to watch, she thought as it slipped again, and she nearly stabbed herself in the face.

"Fuck!"

With a cry she threw the knife across the room and sat heavily on the floor, her back to the door.

Her hands were shaking and her head still felt like she was on a merry go round. No way she was going to be able climb out of the window without breaking her neck, it was the door or nothing, and right now it looked like nothing.

Think.

This wasn't going to be easy. She was going to have to be smart.

There was zero chance of her being able to fight her way out of this, not with Crowley and Lucy here.

Struggling to her feet she drew back her fist and hammered on the door.

"Naomi?"

She thought she heard the quiet shifting of someone down the hall.

Taking a deep breath, Meg knocked on the door again, quieter this time.

"Naomi? I need the bathroom….. Can you let me out?"

"I can't."

Her voice was close to the door and made Meg jump.

She was silent for a moment then called again. "I'm not kidding. I'm gonna be sick."

The silence from the other side of the door was thick, measured.

"I can't."

"Jesus Naomi! I'm gonna puke in here and you'll end up getting the blame for the mess and…. Oh God…."

She made gagging noises, moving back from the door as she heard the rattle of a key in the lock.

As Naomi burst in, Meg drew back her good hand and let fly from the shoulder, knocking her to the floor. Out cold.

"Huh. Guess it was easy." She smiled down at the sprawled form at her feet.

Holding her bad hand against her chest, trying not to let it fall to a point that blood rushed painfully into it, she half dragged Naomi into the room, kicking her legs over the threshold so she could close the door.

She leant against it for a moment, gathering her breath, before cautiously making her way down the hall.

The kitchen was small, galley style with a door at either end.

Meg quietly looked around for something she could use as a weapon if needed.

A tiny insistent voice in the back of her head also pointed out that if killing to escape was now an option, she should probably consider her own mortality.

She rested he hand on the counter and took a long shuddery breath.

Would she take her own life?

Yes.

In a heartbeat.

She wouldn't go back to Crowleys chair…..

….. And she wouldn't go back with Lucy.

Biting hard on her lip, pushing down the pain she felt scratching at her every few seconds, she made a vow.

She was no longer that frightened little girl, no longer mistaking possession for love, she'd die first.

A few weeks with those boys, a couple of nights with Cas….

She couldn't go back after that.

Voices snapped her out of her thoughts.

Moving through the kitchen she listened carefully, her whole body tensed for flight if they came towards the door.

"I don't see why you need her alive now. Why the change in plan?"

Crowley.

She instinctively clenched her fist at the sound of his voice.

The clink of glass against glass, the smooth glug of liquid being decantered. "I thought this was a tying up loose ends job. Don't tell me I just spent over three years running all over this godforsaken country so you can get your old girlfriend back!"

The soft chuckle she knew so well slipped through the crack under the door and made her shiver.

"Don't be so obtuse. You're right, of course, things have changed." Lucys voice carried nothing but sympathetic sounding platitudes. "But you got your money. Doesn't really matter if the ending changes."

"Bullshit."

"Why so hostile?"

"You saw her with that fucking Mormon, or whatever the hell he is, and you changed the plan. that's not business love, that's emotion."

She held her breath as the silence stretched.

"You're wrong." Lucy said finally.

"Am I?" Crowley laughed softly. "You've seen her hook up with plenty of bastards over the years, you trained the little whore well, I'll give you that. But this time? No. This time it was different."

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

She could almost taste the nonchalance in his voice, but she wasn't fooled. Crowley wasn't reading him at all. If he was, he'd have realised it was time to shut up. Instead, he carried on, poking the bear with the stick.

You only get away with that for so long though.

"Your little Meg was about to settle down and you didn't like that one bit. She'd found some pretty boy to spend more than one night with and suddenly you wanted her again. Or if not her, then control over her. I'm surprised at you Luc, I really am. I didn't take you for a romantic."

"Crowley."

"Hm?"

"We're not alone."

Shit.

Meg sprinted across the kitchen and back the way she'd come as she heard them moving.

Time to leave.

Fast.

Cas led the way up the stairs, Dean sidestepping his way behind him, gun raised, eyes watchful.

The cabin was bigger than it looked.

From the front it had seemed to be the size of a modest house, but there were offshoots, extensions, the ground fell away at the back of the buildings and the cabin had been designed around it, making it seem sprawling, difficult to navigate.

He'd heard quiet moaning though, from the room at the end of this hall.

Opening the door he frowned in confusion.

"Naomi?"

Dean glanced at him. "This is Naomi?"

Cas crouched down and rolled her onto her back.

Her lip was split. "Who did this to you?"

Bringing her hand to the side of her face she managed to focus on Cas and glared at him. "Your bitch…"

He grabbed her by the front of her shirt and pulled her face close to his, making her squeal in shock.

"Where is she?"

Footsteps running up the stairs.

She had a chance.

If they'd all gone upstairs then she could find a way out, make a run for it, hide in the woods.

Slowly, she crept through the rooms, her bare feet making no sound on the hardwood floors, straining her ears for any sound.

She could see the front door, half glazed, looking out onto the drive, and beyond that, the trees.

A board creaked and she turned around, her heart hammering, eyes wide, expecting someone to be behind her.

She clutched her bandaged hand close to her chest, like something precious, she felt the flair of pain as she did and relished it, it bringing her back from panic, paralysis.

Pain would do that, sharpen the mind.

Go.

As she turned to reach for the door, he was there.

Standing between her and freedom. Hands thrust in his pockets, shoulders slightly hunched, his eyes sad but his mouth turned up in that awful half smile.

She gasped despite herself and suddenly she was a kid again and he had the power to stop her with a look.

"Don't leave just yet Meg….."

"Hello boys."

Sam and Bobby stood hesitantly in front of Crowley, who was sat in a high backed, winged arm chair, one leg, carelessly hooked over the other, a glass of whiskey in his hand.

"To be honest, I didn't really expect the cavalry. Not for her, and especially not you two."

"Is he insulting us!" Bobby indicated towards Crowley.

Sam shrugged. "Ah.. Little bit. Where's Meg?"

He pulled a face and stood up to pour another drink, unfazed by the guns trained on him.

"Don't know. Don't care. I did my job and now the goods are in someone else's hands."

"Goods? What the hell did you do to her back at the plant!" Growled Bobby, levelling his shotgun at Crowleys head.

"Oh please….. That? You do know where she came from right?" He swilled the whiskey around the base of the tumbler and inhaled, smiling slightly before knocking it back. "I doubt what I did back there was anywhere near the worst thing that's happened to that girl. Not by a long chalk."

The noise of footsteps made them all look towards the doorway just as Dean and Cas walked in, dragging Naomi with them.

A twitch of irritation pulled at Crowleys eyelid. "So there you are."

"Where has Lucy taken her." Cas said softly, pushing Naomi forwards.

"No idea."

"Well you better start forming one if you want this back." Barked Dean, pressing his gun to Naomis head.

She whimpered and stared at Crowley longingly. "Please…" She whispered.

"Oh for gods sake." Crowley rolled his eyes and before anyone could say anything he pulled out his gun and shot Naomi.

Dean jumped back in alarm as she slumped to the floor.

But Cas hadn't moved.

He stood, his gun levelled at Crowley, looking down the barrel of his.

"We seem to be at an impasse." The cop murmured.

"It would appear so."

"I'm sure we can all work this out like gentlemen. Come to some agreement."

"I don't think that's very likely."

Cas saw the twitch of Bobbys shotgun out the corner of his eye and then Crowley was on the floor, screaming.

"What?" Shrugged Bobby as they all turned to him. "He talks too much."

The rest hung back as Cas went over to Crowley, lay on the floor, blood pouring from his shattered hand.

He kicked the gun away and crouched down, cocking his head to one side as though examining a particularly disgusting bug.

"Why?"

"What?" Crowley spat, gritted his teeth against the pain.

"Look how you ended up. Was it worth it?"

His eyes flicked from Cas to the others, stood impassively behind him. "What the fuck are you on about?"

"All that killing. Did it make you happy in the end?" Cas gently placed his gun against Crowleys temple.

He laughed, his shoulders spasmed, feet slowly seeking purchase on the slippery floor.

"Sure. Why not. I'd do it again…. And if I did, I'd stick my knife so far up your girl that you'd cut your dick off getting a blow job."

Cas pulled the trigger.

He stayed crouched down, watching the blood pool away from the back of his head, saw the light fade from his eyes.

"Cas."

How many times had he seen that? That moment when everything stops, and a human being becomes nothing more than a sack of meat and blood.

"Cas!"

Dean crouched next to him, tried to pull his gaze away from Crowleys slack mouth. "Come on buddy. Lets go find Meg."

"I want you to call him."

He pressed the phone into her palm and squeezed the top of her arm painfully.

As it rang, she trembled in the dark.

Lucy breathing in her ear.

"Dean." She said as the call was answered. "Give me Cas."

She took a deep shaky breath as she heard the phone being passed over and at his "Hello?" it took all her will not to burst into tears.

"I'm downstairs. In the basement… Cas…."

But Lucy plucked the phone from her and ended the call.

"Good girl." He murmured, stroking her hair as though she was a pet to be calmed. "Lets get this foolishness finished shall we?"

"It's a trap!" Hissed Sam as Dean pushed his phone back in his pocket.

"Well of course it's a trap…. But you see, there's this rock and then there's this hard place, and then there's us… right in the goddamn middle of it." Bobby yelled.

"Ok… Ok, we do this smart and everyone gets home." Dean ran his hand down his face and frowned at the floor, as though disappointed that the smart plan he was looking for wasn't written on the wood.

Cas was already moving though, striding through the room and pushing through into the kitchen.

He saw the door, slightly ajar, darkness beyond and he walked through it without hesitation.

Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death….

Although he did fear evil.

But evil had Meg, and he wasn't leaving without her.

Stepping down into the dark he heard the others running after him, Dean shouting for him to wait… stop….

But the door behind him shut with a chilling finality, locking them on the other side. Useless to him.

Pausing, he took a deep breath.

"Meg?"

"Oh she's here." The voice drifted out of the darkness and then the world was filled with light as someone flipped a switch.

"Do you know what this is?" Lucy smiled at Cas, one hand holding a gun casually, the other had Meg by the wrist of her bandaged hand. "It's a panic room. It's lovely isn't it. Gives us a little privacy. Time to get to know each other."

Cas watched Lucy cautiously "Are you Ok." He asked Meg quietly, never taking his eyes from the smiling man.

"I've been better."

Lucy pulled on Megs wrist, making her gasp. "Oh you kids. Come on. We're all friends here right? Capable of working this little problem out."

"Let her go."

"No negotiation? Well, I thought you God squad were all forthright and such, but I thought there'd would be at least a little wiggle room."

Cas glared at him, fighting hard against the shakes that threatened to take over his body. He glanced at Meg, her lips thin and bloodless, her eyes too big, too bright, and anger swelled in him again.

"I'm sorry Castiel. I really am." Lucy sighed, his face lined with grief. "You see. She's mine. I own her. Have done since she was fifteen or so. isn't that right precious girl?"

Meg flinched as he stroked her cheek with the same hand he held the gun.

"She doesn't get to leave with you. I invested too much time and money in her." He smiled slyly. "To be honest, if you knew her how I know her, you probably wouldn't have put in all this effort. You want me to tell you all about her past Castiel?"

Meg moaned softly, her face slack with humiliation. She shook her head softly but Cas didn't look at her.

"You want to hear about how many guys paid me so they could have her? She was ruined before she was even seventeen." He chuckled and pulled her closer to him.

Cas could see blood seeping through the bandage.

"Are you trying to shame her? Trying to make her repulsive to me?" Cas shook his head in wonderment. "All I see is a girl you frightened into doing what you said. A girl who did what she had to do in order to survive. None of this is on her."

Lucy's face twisted and his raised his gun towards Cas.

"I don't have time for heroes boy. No room down here for knights in shining armour."

"Guess I'd better rescue myself then." Said Meg, smiling as Lucy turned to her in confusion, his expression changing to one of dumb surprise as she pulled the kitchen knife from the back of her jeans and plunged it into his ribs, jabbing up as she hit bone, burying it to the handle in his flesh.

He grabbed at her, his eyes wide with shock, and pulled her to the floor with him.

Cas shot forwards, pulling her up and away from him as he lay on his back, his hands trembling above the blade, looking at Meg with utter disbelief.

"Why…" He burbled, blood bubbling from his mouth, but she turned away from him, buried her face in Cas's shoulder.

"I don't want him to talk"

Cas raised his gun without hesitation and shot Lucy in the head, silencing him.

Above them was the sound of the others finally forcing the door, but Cas barely noticed them, he stood in the centre of the room, holding Meg.

"I got you." He whispered into her hair, inhaling deeply.

I got you.