Chapter Eleven- The Plan

Dean woke, sitting up abruptly. Something had woken him up.

He held his breath as he listened, but everything was quiet. Just as he was about to lie back down, he heard it again. A quick thump knocked on the wall, then was silent. The hair on the back of Dean's neck stood, prickling his skin. He turned towards the source, facing the bedroom door. Slowly pulling his gun out from under his pillow, he kicked the blanket off of him as he stood.

He crept silently, dodging bags and shoes as he sneaked up to the door. He heard the noise again, louder this time. He wished the door had a peephole, but even that was a luxury for this place.

He grasped the doorknob and breathed out slowly. One…two…three! He yanked open the door and almost dropped his gun as his breath got knocked out of him.

Naomi was pressed against the wall across the hall, her legs wrapped around the torso of the stranger she was making out with. Her fingers were deep in his hair, pulling him closer. The stranger had one hand pressed against the wall, supporting himself, while the other was wrapped under Naomi. Dean recognized the forest green shirt the stranger wore.

He yelled, "SAM!"

Naomi broke the kiss and peered over Sam's shoulder, breathing heavily. She sighed disappointedly as she stared at Dean, unimpressed with the shocked expression he wore. His heart sank as he leaned against the doorway. It would happen sooner or later. They were perfect for each other. He had just thought…wished…

Naomi slowly unwrapped her legs as Sam dropped her gently to the floor. His strong shoulders sunk as he sighed. Sam's back was still to his brother as he shook his head. "Dean."

"W-what are you doing, man?"

"I'm just taking what's yours…or rather, mine now." He turned around and Dean raised his gun to his brother's head. Sam blinked yellow eyes back at Dean as he slid an arm around Naomi's waist, tugging her closer. She smiled slyly up at Sam, then at Dean. Sam grinned smugly.

Dean blinked hard as he shook his head, trying to erase the image in front of him. His voice shook slightly as he gripped his gun tighter. "You're dead. I killed you myself."

"Ah, Dean. Don't you get it?" Sam released Naomi and slinked slowly towards Dean. "You can't escape your fears. Not when they live in…" He flicked Dean's forehead. "…here."

Dean gasped awake. He clutched at his chest and gulped for air. Wildly searching the room, he found Sam sleeping soundly in his bed, snoring quietly. Dean took in a deep breath. It had been a dream.

A glance at the window told Dean that the sun hadn't risen yet. Knowing going back to sleep wasn't an option anymore, Dean quietly stood. Deciding to change into some fresh clothes, he made his way to his duffel. After grabbing whatever was on top, he glanced over to Naomi's bed to make sure she was still sleeping. The bed was empty.

Dean swallowed the lump that had formed in his throat and felt it sink into his stomach. Get a grip, Dean. She could just be hitting the head. He leaned to get a view of the bathroom, finding it empty. He yanked on his fresh clothes, deciding to do a quick search around the motel before waking Sam. He stuffed one of the handguns in the back of his pants before opening the door. He stuck his head out the door and stopped in his tracks.

Naomi was across the hall again, only this time she was sitting cross-legged on the floor, scribbling in a notebook with an open book in her lap. Dean swallowed the bitter taste the fresh dream left in his mouth. Checking to make sure no one was in the hallway, he said, "You're up early."

Naomi started, pressing a hand to her chest. When her eyes found Dean, she released her breath and smiled. "Couldn't sleep."

Dean glanced behind him, making sure Sam was still asleep, as he quietly shut the door behind him. Dean nodded at the book in Naomi's lap. "So, you came out here…to read?"

She held it up. "Every day." It was a Bible.

Dean suddenly wished he had stayed in the room. He stood against the door, gesturing to the Bible, "Well, uh, I don't want to interrupt."

Naomi smiled knowingly at him. "You wouldn't be interrupting."

He reached an arm behind his head to rub his neck. The hallway had become warm very quickly. "Well, it looked like I was."

She patted the floor beside her. "Sit down, Dean. I'm not going to bite."

He worked his jaw, debating on whether to duck out or stay. He met her blue eyes, sparkling up at him. He caved. As he crouched down beside her, he peered at her notebook. He'd never heard of people reading the Bible and writing too. As if reading it wasn't hard enough.

"Taking notes?"

Naomi smiled, closing her notebook and stroking the cover. "After I read a passage, I write down how it made me feel, how I can apply it to my life now, any questions I have, stuff like that. That way, I don't forget what I got out of it."

Dean chuckled. "Mother Teresa has questions?"

Naomi grinned at him. "Is that nickname really going to stick?"

He smiled back, nodding at her Bible. "If you keep reading that, it will."

Naomi shrugged, looking down at her Bible. A small smile crept onto her lips, as if she was withholding a secret. "Then, Mother Teresa it is." She looked up at him. "And yes."

Dean cocked his head. "Yes what?"

"Yes, I do have questions. Sometimes, I get answers and other times, I don't. Personally, I think it's better that way. Leaves me with something to contemplate." She hugged her Bible to herself as she looked away. "One of those questions is what that thing was last night. Got an answer for that?"

Dean noticed Naomi's white knuckles as she clutched onto her Bible. She was more afraid than she was letting on. He felt his hand instinctively reach for hers, but quickly retracted it before she noticed. "Not really…yet. When me and Sam don't know something, we do our own reading." He leaned forward. "Sam hits the books while I sit back and look good." He winked.

Naomi gave a small laugh before rolling her eyes. "Right. Can't say I'm too surprised."

Dean grinned, liking how he could bring a smile back to her face. "That I'm the hot, older brother?"

She shoved at him. "That you're the one who doesn't do any work."

He rubbed at the placed where her hand had been. "I didn't say I didn't do any work! He's just better at all the book stuff."

Naomi tilted her head inquisitively. "How so?"

Dean shrugged, leaning his head back against the wall. "I don't know. Sam is really smart. He went to college for a while, Stanford of all places." He looked at her. "I was lucky to get my GED."

Naomi smiled. "I didn't go to college either, you know."

Dean's eyes widened. "Really? Could have fooled me. You're so-"

"Smart? School doesn't define your success in life, Dean. Sure, I had planned to go to college, but the summer before my first semester, I felt like I was supposed to be in the mission field immediately. So, school was out of the picture." She shrugged nonchalantly. "I consider my life successful."

Dean thought about how much Sam had wanted to go back to school when they had started hunting together again. He could imagine Naomi feeling the same way "Do you ever regret it? Not going to college?"

Naomi smiled up at the ceiling. "No. I had some lessons to learn that I probably wouldn't have gotten if I had gone to school. The biggest one was that God would supply me with what I needed. Clothes, a place to sleep, income, places to speak at, you name it. He hasn't failed me since."

Dean nodded, rubbing at his five o'clock shadow. "Right. So, you didn't have anything to do with all that?"

Naomi's brows knit together in thought. "I think God used what He created in me to do His will. Looking back, there were a lot of doors opened for me I wouldn't have touched if I was the one calling the shots. I know I couldn't have gotten to where I am now without some outside help." She tilted her head to meet his eyes. "I get the feeling you and God aren't on the best of terms."

Dean smiled sadly at her. She has no idea. "You could say that. My thinking is that if there really is a God, I'm not interested in what He's selling."

Naomi smiled gently at him. "What do you think He's marketing?"

Dean paused for a moment. He never really had been asked that before. Considering he hung out with a religious brother and an angel, he found the realization hilarious. "Everyone says that He loves us, but if that's so, He's got a weird definition of love. If you love someone, you don't just sit back and watch them suffer without doing anything about it. What kind of god lets bad things happen to good people?" An image of Ellen and Jo flashed through Dean's head and he had to bite his lip to fight back the tears that started to form.

Naomi sighed, leaning her head back against the wall. "You aren't the first person to ask the question and I doubt you'll be the last." She turned toward him. "No matter how much 'good' we do or how many things we do right…" She held up her Bible "…this says that messing up once qualifies us as bad people."

She cracked the book open to where a ribbon marked. "In Romans 6:23 says that 'the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord'. What that means is what we deserve is what we're going to get. However, another option is on the table too and it is absolutely free to receive instead." She smiled up at Dean. "I don't know about you, but in my limited experience in love, giving gifts freely was a common occurrence."

Dean stared at her, silent. After a moment, he opened his mouth to speak when the bedroom door swung open, Sam in the doorway.

Dean felt the need to explain himself. "Sam, we were just-"

"We have a visitor, Dean. " He pointedly stared at him. "He needs to talk to us." He glanced at Naomi. "All of us."

Dean got the hint. "Oh. Okay." He stood and helped Naomi to her feet. She hugged her Bible to her chest tightly, hesitantly peeking around Sam. "No one came into the room while I was out here, guys. How could there be someone in there?"

The brothers looked at each other, searching for the right words. Sam looked at her and said, "He has a way of going unnoticed."

Naomi squinted warily at them. Dean led her, a hand on the small of her back. "You'll see."

She stopped in the doorway before she went inside, looking up at Dean. She whispered, "Just because you aren't perfect doesn't mean God doesn't care about you, Dean." A look passed between them for a moment before she stepping inside the room. Dean silently followed.

The trio filed into the room, one after the other. Dean saw Castiel standing in the center of the room and opened his mouth to greet him when he noticed Castiel staring straight at Naomi. She stopped abruptly in front of Dean the moment she met Castiel's eyes and collapsed onto the floor.

Dean stepped back as Sam knelt down next to her, putting a hand on her back. "Are you okay? What's wrong?"

Naomi was on her hands and knees, staring at the floor. Her breath shuttered as she whispered, "Can't you feel that? His presence…it's…" Tears fell onto the rug.

Sam glared up at Castiel, yelling, "What are you doing to her? Leave her alone!"

Castiel slowly moved towards her, causing both Sam and Dean to stiffen. When he stood above her, he crouched down and whispered, "Don't be afraid." He looked up at the brothers and gave them a small smile. Dean and Sam exchanged a look. Cas never smiled. Ever.

"You found her."

Dean replied, "Well, after ganking the demon that beat us there. We didn't know we'd be receiving a welcome party."

Castiel looked back down at Naomi. "Please stand."

Naomi shakily stood, clutching onto Sam as he helped support her. She stared at the floor, avoiding Castiel's gaze.

Dean asked, his eyes on Naomi. "What did you do to her?"

Castiel replied flatly, his eyes not leaving her, "She is sensitive to Heaven's power. She hasn't dealt with such a high dosage before. She'll recover."

Dean retorted sarcastically, "Fabulous. Got any other surprises, Cas?"

Castiel broke his stare with Naomi and switched to Dean. "I have heard the angels speak of her again. She has a bounty on her head."

Sam spoke up. "What? Why?"

"One of Lucifer's generals, Sheol, intends to possess her. He knows she's valuable to us and wants to keep her close. The angels would like to avoid that from happening."

Naomi interjected, fear causing her voice to squeak, "W-what are you talking about? What do you mean I'm valuable?"

Castiel's voice softened. "Your Glory is precious."

Dean said, "Come again? What Glory?"

Castiel sighed. "The Glory she has has multiple uses, one of those being that she has the power to exorcise demons. It is precious." Catching her eye, he leaned in, his head tilted slightly. "What are you?"

Naomi glanced at Dean before looking back at Castiel, her eyes wide. "I'm human. Are there other options?"

Castiel replied solemnly, "Several."

He continued to stare at her, evaluating her. She struggled to hold his gaze, switching between him and her shoes. After a few moments, Dean interrupted. "Cas, give her some space."

Castiel stood abruptly. "I don't understand how she obtained Glory. It is a gift. It can only be given."

Dean stared at Naomi. "Well, someone must have given it to her then."

"You don't understand. There is only one who can give Glory."

Sam interjected, "Who? An archangel?"

"God."

The room fell silent. Naomi glanced between the three men. "Yeah. So?"

Castiel opened his mouth to reply, but Sam hurriedly asked, "When did you receive your…um, Glory?" He and Dean exchanged a look. Dean gave a slight nod of gratitude. Now wasn't the time to explain to Naomi how God was taking a vacation.

Naomi replied, looking up at Sam, "The night I was called into ministry."

"How long ago was that?"

"Seven years. I was eighteen."

"Did anything unusual happen?"

Naomi smiled. "If you count me being prophesied over as unusual."

Dean turned to Castiel for an explanation. "Prophesied?"

Castiel met his eyes. "The truth being spoken over an individual. It usually includes a glimpse of the divine plan for their life." Castiel looked to Naomi. "What was spoken over you?"

Naomi closed her eyes, recalling the memory. "That I would do great things for the kingdom. I would receive power to bring light into dark places. God would use my compassion for others to soften hearts and bring glory to His name. I would be a world-changer." She opened her eyes tiredly. "I think that was it."

Castiel looked to Dean. "I have questions that need to be answered. Protect her at all costs."

Sam held up a hand. "Hold on. You told us you had a plan."

"It has changed. I did not expect the weapon to be a woman."

Sam stiffened. "Well, we didn't either, but we can't just wait around here! We need to do something! We don't have much time!"

Castiel looked to Dean. "Keep her away from anything not human. I will contact you when I have answers."

Sam yelled as he walked over to Castiel, leaving Naomi leaning heavily against the wall, "Cas! Wait!"

The angel vanished.

Sam stood still for a moment, then swore loudly as punched the bedroom wall. His fist broke through the dry wall.

Dean yelled as he grabbed his brother's shoulders, "Hey! Sammy! Pull it together!"

Sam growled, "How can he expect us to just sit here and do nothing while people die out there?" He gestured to the window.

Dean replied, gripping Sam's shirtsleeves. "When he gets back, we'll get this apocalypse-ending show on the road. Until then, we have to wait, Sam." He released his brother, looking at Naomi. She had sunken to the floor and was staring wide-eyed at the brothers. "Besides, we are doing something. We're protecting her."

Sam stared at Naomi for a moment before dodging Dean and grabbing his coat. He mumbled, "I'm going outside" as he closed the door behind him.

Naomi stared up at Dean, her eyes pleading for answers to a hundred questions. Dean, in reply, snatched his leather jacket and followed Sam out of the room. Now isn't the time for Twenty Questions.

Dean found his brother pacing by the Impala, hands on his hips. He said nonchalantly, "Hey. What's up?"

Sam ran his fingers through his hair as he faced his brother. "Dean, I…I just need to be alone."

Dean leaned up against the side of the Impala. "Actually, you need to explain. Why are you stressed out over this, Sam? We weren't getting anywhere before Naomi. Why the rush now?"

Sam let his arms fall to his side. "I…I think Naomi's losing her Glory, Dean."

Dean stood up off of the car. "Whoa, hold up. Why would you say that?"

Sam stepped closer to his brother. "I was thinking about all of last night, Dean. Naomi said she has had this power since she was eighteen. She knows her way around it. So, why did she not get rid of whatever was in her room last night?"

Dean paused. He hadn't considered that. "She was probably just scared. Maybe she froze because it got a jump on her."

Sam shook his head. "She's been using that power for seven years, Dean. She never had a chance to get scared before last night."

Dean shrugged. "Maybe it wasn't something her Heaven mojo could kick. Could have been a spirit."

"I doubt her Glory picks and chooses, Dean. Just face it. She's losing her power and if we don't do something with it soon before it's gone, we're back to square one!"

Dean watched his brother begin to pace again. Dean knew trusting in Naomi's power completely wasn't smart, but Sam didn't need reminding. What he needed was proof.

Sam stopped again and Dean watched one of Sam's "looks" cross his face. Sam had many and Dean had learned to recognize all of them over the years. This particular look was the one Sam wore when he came up with an idea he knew Dean wouldn't like.

Sam looked over Dean's shoulder at the motel, then back at Dean. Dean raised his hands, warding off Sam's idea, "Sam, whatever you're about to say, no."

Sam stepped closer, his voice rising in excitement, "What if we could see if Naomi really is losing her Glory?"

Dean stepped back. "Sam, c'mon. You're psyching yourself out about this."

Sam opened his arms in invitation. "What if I'm not, Dean? What if Naomi is losing her powers and we're losing our chance at stopping the apocalypse?"

Dean put his hand on his hips. He always did that when he got onto Sam growing up. It had formed into a habit and continued on into adulthood. "If there is anything to worry about, Cas will know what to do."

Sam gestured to the sky, his voice calming. He always did that when he knew he was close to convincing his brother. "Cas could be days, weeks even. We might not have that long."

Dean crossed his arms, staring at his boots. He hated when Sam would argue a good point. He always played every card and played them in the way he knew would get results. The puppy-eyes didn't hurt either.

Dean sighed, "What do you have in mind?"

Sam smiled. "We find ourselves a demon."