(Sorry for the long delay. This chapter went through several rewrites and I've been more cautious of fixing my spelling and grammar mistakes first before posting it. This is the first chapter that isn't based any episode so there's some actual surprises in it.)

For more than a month, Dean and Sam had been on the road. It's been business as usual, hunting monsters, demons, and the whole lot. There were also a few new things like Dean experiencing the Back to the Future plot by getting sent back by Castiel to 1973 Lawrence, Kansas. There Dean met his parents when they were young and still dating. He also met his grandparents who turned out to be hunters. Dean didn't understand the point until he joined his family on a demon hunt and found out their target was Azazel. He got his hands on the Colt and tried to kill the son of a bitch to undo what happens in the future. But Dean failed and Azazel slew his grandparents and coerced Mom into a making a deal to save Dad.

After that was when Dean learned about Sam and his little nightly visits with Ruby. Apparently his little brother wasn't being very honest when he said no more psychic stuff. Hard to lie after he got caught exorcising a demon out of a human with his mind. To say Dean was furious was an understatement. All the stuff he told Sam before he died about doing it dad's way and not following the Antichrist path to Stardom apparently didn't seem to get through his little's brother thick head. Sure he was saving more people this way but that wasn't the point. He was becoming more like what Ruby wanted him and worse he was becoming more like Azazel wanted him to be. After an encounter with Rugaru, Sam decided to stop using his powers for fear that might bring out a darkness in him.

So things were starting to get back to normal. No psychic powers or angels either. Dean hadn't heard from Castiel in weeks and in a way was somewhat relieved. The angel while helpful was all too often cryptic and manipulative. He'll help Dean rescue Bela from Hell but only in exchange for Dean's obedience. Now Dean was starting to feel like he did just after Dad died and found out his father sold his soul to save his life. He felt helpless, worthless, angry, guilty, all these emotions he hide behind his cocky attitude and sarcastic whit. Sure the circumstances were different between Dad and Bela but the feelings were the same. Sam was already dealing with his own issues and Dean wasn't going to burden him with his own.

At the moment, Dean and Sam were on their way towards the Midwest checking out several different potential hunts. Without Castiel giving them new instructions on how to help fight Lilith, all the Winchesters could do was keep on doing what they've always done. Aside from a shapeshifter in Pennsylvania, it's been rather quiet on the supernatural hunting world. The demons must have bigger fish to fry because so far demon activity according to other hunters has been the lowest in years. Dean doubted it was because they were running scared from Castiel and the gang. More likely they were licking their wounds and preparing to fight back.

At the moment, the Winchesters were checking through various online sources to see if there was any activity on the road ahead of them. You had to know where to look since every so called reputable news sources were morons who couldn't put out the truth if their lives depended on it. While Sammy was searching online with his laptop, Dean flipped through a newspaper in their motel room and couldn't come up with anything. He was starting to think this was going to be another one of those normal boring days.

"Hey I think I might have something," Sam called out.

All too eager to get on a hunt, Dean tossed his paper aside and joined Sam at the small desk he was working from. "Whatcha got?" asked Dean.

"Several witnesses heard a massive explosion on the outskirts of the Shawnee National Forest. Local police later found a crater site which they believe was caused by a meteor impact," explained Sam.

"Sam unless that meteor was carrying Princess Leia in her slave outfit, I couldn't care less," sighed a disappointed Dean.

"Does this look familiar to you?" Sam asked, showing Dean a picture posted by the local news. It looked like a miniature nuke had gone off and blasted dozens tree to the ground, almost forming a perfect circle. To say that it looked familiar was an understatement.

"Son of a bitch," Dean whispered.

"Dean there's something you should know," Sam hesitated to say.

"Know what?" demanded Dean.

"I don't want you to get your hopes up or misconstrue what this might be…" Sam continued.

"Sam start talking sense or I'm gonna slap some into you," Dean sighed, losing his patience.

"The area they say the crater is. That's where Bobby and I salted and burned Bela's body," Sam answered.


Harrisburg, Illinois

Dean must have broken every traffic law possible the whole trip. The moment Sam told him about Bela, he told his brother to pack his things and they were out the down and on the road within minutes. Did they actually know that this was actually the angels resurrecting Bela? No, they didn't even know if this actually was someone coming back from the dead at all. But that didn't matter because even if it was a slim chance then Dean had to know. Ever since he'd gotten back, it's nearly drove him insane knowing Bela was in hell and not being able to a damn thing to help. Sure Castiel gave him hope despite the threat behind it but it still gave Dean sleepless nights.

"This all stinks," Dean muttered. Something about this just didn't seem right.

"Or maybe the angels came through for you," replied the ever optimistic little brother. As soon Sam heard about Castiel and the angels, he was like a little kid who was told Santa actually was real. He was too trusting of them, even though he'd never met a single one. While Dean didn't consider Castiel an enemy, he was cautious enough not to trust him.

"And what? Cas just forgot to mention it?" asked Dean.

"Maybe he's busy off fighting demons," said Sam.

"Oh so Fluffy Wings is too busy to leave a voice message or drop off a note?" sighed Dean.

"Let's just figure out if this actually was the angels rescuing someone first," suggested Sam. For once they were in an agreement.

The brothers first stopped at the crater to make sure it was the real thing or some kind of fraud. It didn't come as a surprise when they found it that it was the genuine thing. It got Dean's hopes up but he still had to be cautious. The thought did occur to him that this might all be some trap set up by Lilith or some other demon. The area was taped off with numerous bystanders standing outside of it taking pictures with their phones. Most of the investigators had left so the Winchesters decided it wasn't worth staying. After getting into Harrisburg, Dean dropped Sam off to check the local hospital while Dean headed to the sheriff's office.

"Homeland Security wants to investigate a meteor?" the secretary at the sheriff's office frowned upon hearing Dean's cover story. It wasn't the most elaborate but considering the communication problems between Federal and local agencies, a fake badge and a call from a convincing Supervising Agent Bobby Singer always did the trick.

"Well we can't take any chances when it comes to terrorism ma'am. No stone unturned is DHS's motto," Dean smiled. The secretary rolled her eyes but let him through to meet the Sheriff.

"Look Agent Halford I hate to say this but you've wasted the taxpayer's money coming here. Still got plenty of people coming in to check it out but from what few people have, they all said it wasn't any bomb. Granted we're lucky that damn rock didn't land near town but still this isn't a criminal matter," the sheriff explained.

"And I believe you but my superiors still want to at least confirm that. Do you have any witnesses who saw it?" asked Dean.

"No but plenty of people heard it for miles," answered the sheriff.

"Has anybody passed through the area recently that seemed out of place?" inquired Dean.

The sheriff gave Dean a look, indicating something was up. "You could say that. Last night, one of my deputies found a woman walking down the highway. Poor girl was naked and covered in dirt. She was a real mess too. Disoriented and dehydrated," he explained.

Dean's heart began to beat faster. Could it be Bela? Who else could it be? But he had to keep calm and stay focused. "Were you able to identify her?" he asked.

"No, Jane Doe didn't have any form of ID on her. Talked to her later after she calmed down but she claimed to have lost her memory. It is weird though. The doctors found some kind of burnt mark on her. Like a brand in the shape of a hand. Sounds like I've got a psycho in my town," the sheriff spoke.


"They brought her in last night completely covered in dirt and naked. She was incredibly traumatized that was for sure. Always jumping at the slightest sound or any time someone tried to touch her," Doctor Hayes explained to Sam, currently under the alias of Agent Mark Hamill. He first checked the morgue but no one had been brought in the past twenty-four hours. Asking around the nursing stations led him to a promising lead with the doctor. This sounded like it could be Bela but Sam didn't want to get his hopes up yet until he could confirm it.

"Any idea what happened to her?" Sam asked, sticking to questions someone in his possession should ask.

"I'd say she was a victim of some mad man but it's strange. Other than bruising on her fingers, a little dehydration, and a strange mark on her, she's completely healthy. No signs of any short-term or long term physical or sexual abuse. The bruising on her fingers and covered in dirt tells me she was buried alive and dug her way out. That would be traumatizing for anyone but not like this. The patient lost all her memory. Can't even remember her name," explained Hayes.

"And what about the mark?" Sam inquired.

"Well I'd say it was a brand of some sort but the burns aren't that deep and given time should completely heel. I also say that because it's in the shape of a hand and I have no idea what else could cause this," answered Hayes. A hand mark burned onto the skin? Things were starting to look up.

"Could I see her?" asked Sam.

Hayes shrugged, "I don't see why not. Her condition's greatly improved since last night and quite frankly she could probably use the company."

He led Sam into the psychiatric ward, a sealed off section of the hospital that housed only about twelve patients. From what Sam saw, it didn't have a One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest vibe. It actually seemed rather quiet and not completely depressing. Most wards this small only held short term patients who suffered from suicide attempts, depression, or less severe cases of mania. They came to a halt in a cafeteria where a brown haired woman was staring out one of the windows. Sam couldn't see her face but already knew who it was.

"Ma'am you have a visitor," the doctor told her. She turned her head and it was her. Bela Talbot alive and in the flesh. As glad as he was to see her alive, Sam needed to be professional about this. Who brought her back and why? It occurred to him that the angels might not have had anything to do with this. All of this might be a trap set up by Lilith to lure Dean and Sam out.

"This is Agent Mark Hamill from the FBI. Would it be okay for him to ask you a couple of questions?" Hayes asked.

Bela stared at Sam as if seeing right through him. She didn't even seem to recognize them. "Alright," she mumbled. The doctor walked off to give them some privacy. The moment he was out of earshot, Bela's confused and blank stare completely changed. "How the hell are you still alive Sam?" she whispered.

Sam was a little surprised by the sudden change. Bela was a much better actress then he thought possible. She gave no hint of recognizing him the moment she saw him. Sam was starting to understand why she was such a good con artist. "How am I alive? How are you alive?" he demanded.

Bela glared at him then relented. "Fine ladies first. Honestly I have no idea alright. The last thing I remember was that demonic bitch snapping my neck then things got fuzzy. I felt dirt then I couldn't breathe…My feet hurt and I felt grass underneath them. Then I remember a light and then the next thing I know, I woke up here," she answered.

"Why the amnesia act?" asked Sam.

"It was the best thing I could come up on short notice and it had some truth mixed in with it now my turn. How are you even still alive? Last time I saw you Lilith had us all dead to rights," inquired Bela.

"It's a long story," answered Sam.

"Then give me the short summary darling. What happened to you and Dean?" asked Bela.

"Well after Lilith killed you, she let a hellhound loose on Dean and…it killed him," Sam started. He didn't give Bela a second to react to the news. "But it's okay. He's back and alright," he added.

"Dean's alive? How?" asked a confused but relieved Bela.

Sam unscrewed a container of holy water in his suit pocket as he said, "After Dean died, Lilith tried to kill me but couldn't. It's like her powers had no effect on me. I tried to kill her in the confusion but she escaped. Bobby and I buried Dean and burned your body. About a month ago, Dean showed up on Bobby's doorstep alive and well. We did all the tests and he wasn't a demon or monster but the real thing. He was just as confused as the rest of us."

Then Sam subtly took out the container and poured a few drops on Bela's hand. He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw the water had no effect. "What are you…holy water," Bela realized.

"Sorry. Have to make certain you are who you say you are. Now tell me something that only you would know just so I can be sure," explained Sam.

"Still dreaming of having wild sex with me?" Bela asked with that trademarked smirk of her's. Sam nearly choked in embarrassment, remembering the time in that dream world where everyone saw each other's dreams.

"Okay it's you," conceded Sam.

"Seriously I want to know. How many more times Sam?" snickered Bela.

"Like I was saying before Dean's alive," Sam quickly changed the subject. "While we tried to figure out what happened to Dean, something was following him. It turned out to be an angel named Castiel that had rescued him from hell and wants Dean to stop the apocalypse," he continued, knowing Bela was probably going to think he was insane.

"Sam I'm starting to think you're the one who should be in here not me," Bela commented.

"Believe me I thought it was crazy too at first but I don't know what else can explain it. Castiel has spoken to Dean several times and the last time they talked he said he was going to free you from hell in exchange for Dean's cooperation," continued Sam.

Bela was almost taken aback by the news. "Dean did that?" she asked though she seemed so stunned.

"Yeah but we had no idea the angels rescued you. Are you sure nothing strange has happened at all since you've been back? Maybe flicking lights and intense sounds?" asked Sam, wondering if maybe an angel had been following her.

"No nothing like that. I occasionally get strange…images in my head. Scares the hell out of me each time and it's the only reason I haven't flown the cuckoo's nest yet. Last thing I want is to be running around while I'm turning into Jack Torrance," replied Bela. She glanced around. "Where's Dean? Is he here?"

"No but I'm sure he's probably on his way. I'll go call him now just to let him know. He's going to be damn happy you're alright," remarked Sam.

"It's so strange. I feel like this is all some sort of illusion to trick me into thinking it's finally over. Then any second now some demon will pull the wool from my eyes, laugh at me, and start the torture all over again," shivered Bela. Sam had to admit if he were her shoes, he'd probably question whether this was all real too. After all, since when do miracles ever happen to them? Sam stopped believing in miracles altogether until Dean came back.

Speaking of which, Sam noticed his older brother walking briskly into the cafeteria. Dean's face had a relief and joy Sam hadn't seen at all since his brother's return. He headed towards them then Sam heard a creak beside him. He turned to see Bela getting to her feet but something was wrong. She didn't look happy to see Dean, she looked terrified. "No not again," Bela whispered, starting to back away.

"Bela?" Dean asked but the sound of his voice only made things worse.

"Leave me alone!" Bela shouted. She grabbed her chair and hurled it at Dean. Fortunately he managed to move out of the way. Bela backed into the wall, almost hyperventilating.

"Bela calm down," Sam tried to tell her but she didn't even seem to hear him. Bela's terrified eyes were fixated on Dean. Sam touched her shoulder when suddenly she spun and struck him in the jaw. He was stuck momentarily as she took off running towards the exit.

"NO!" Bela screamed as nurses and aids tackled her to the floor, holding her down. Doctor Hayes quickly joined them and injected Bela with a sedative. Within seconds, her screams faded as she fell asleep.

"I'm sorry about that. I didn't think she'd have a relapse this bad," Hayes apologized to Sam as he gave him a quick check over. Sam was fine but Dean clearly wasn't. The look on his face as the nurses wheeled Bela away on a gurney was if he saw a ghost for the first time.

"I need some air," Dean spoke before quickly leaving. He headed out the exit and Sam excused himself to follow him. Dean headed into the parking lot and found a lamp pole to lean against to catch his breath. Seeing Bela like that must have really shooked him up. Sam knew that his brother had been lying to him about not remembering his time in hell. How many times could Dean keep saying he was fine when Sam would wake countless nights where Dean was screaming from one of his nightmares?

"You okay?" Sam asked, knowing he wasn't going to get a truthful answer.

"Sammy don't ask me stupid questions," Dean grumbled.

"Alright then. Do you want to talk about it?" asked Sam.

"No," fumed Dean. There's a big surprise, big brother refusing to talk. Dean always acted like he needed to deal whatever problems he was facing by himself. Sam gave his brother a moment to collect himself. "We need to get Bela out of here. If we found her you can be damn sure those demonic sons of bitches will too," Dean finally spoke up.

"A slight problem there Dean. The moment she saw you Bela flipped out. Breaking her out of there is going to be problematic enough without her kicking and screaming," Sam pointed out.

"The longer she stays here, the more danger she's in," Dean remarked somewhat aggressively.

"I'm not arguing that but we gotta do this smart. I should go in and get her," Sam said. Judging from Dean's face, he didn't like this plan. Not that Sam could blame him. Probably felt he failed Bela after what Lilith did to her and now he's got a second chance that can't happen. "Dean I talked to her and she was fine until you showed up."

"Castiel that son of a bitch," Dean cursed. It was probably a safe assumption at this point that the angels were responsible.

"We don't know if this is his fault. Maybe something happened while they were rescuing her," Sam protested.

"Then why hasn't he reached out to say something?" demanded Dean.

"Unless something happened to him," answered Sam. Castiel did tell Dean that they lost people rescuing him from hell so maybe he paid the price this time rescuing Bela.

"Son of a bitch," groaned Dean. His anger towards Castiel quickly turned to worry. "One thing to deal with at a time Sam. Let's just get Bela out of there first."

Sam nodded, "The psych ward is on the second floor. Most of the windows I saw there had chain locks on them so a simple pairs of bolt cutters and a ladder is all we need to get inside and get her out. We'll find an empty room to break into then I'll get Bela and we climb back down and skip town as quickly as possible ."

"You thought of everything," chuckled Dean.

"As long as Bela isn't having another psychotic break, we should be free and clear. If not then I guess I'll have to take a sedative with me," stated Sam.

"Yeah well just in case things get a little hellish in there, I've got an idea," said Dean.

Less than an hour later, Sam and Dean found an empty psych patient room and used a ladder to climb up to the window. A pair of bolt cutters was all they needed for Sam to break the chain lock and sneak inside. Dean stayed outside to have the Impala ready for a quick exit. Sam peeked out into the hallway and was relieved no one was in sight. He double checked that his credentials were still in his pocket. If someone did see him then he could just claim that he was looking for Doctor Hayes and gotten lost.

He was going to need to pass by the nurse's station to check the area containing the occupied rooms. Rather than simply sneak by, Sam casually walked towards it as if this was business as usual. He was going to simply pass by it and hopefully the nurse would just ignore him but something was wrong. There was no one in sight. Sam thought that maybe the attending nurses were checking on patients until he caught a familiar scent in the air. He glanced on the desk and saw yellow dust. Sulfur. They were here.


The moment Bela saw Dean or the thing she thought was Dean, the veil began to tear itself down before her eyes. Upon hearing its voice, Bela could hear the shrieks of her fellow damned souls. That's when she realized her worst nightmare had been true. This had all been a big joke to make her think she was free and then pull the wool over her eyes to reveal the truth. Bela was still in hell and never going to escape. She screamed in terror and tried to run but was quickly overwhelmed by demons. They held her down until she felt a sharp pain in her neck then everything went black.

The next thing Bela knew, she was lying on a bed in what looked like the same hospital the demons used as a ruse. She tried to get up but her wrists and ankles were strapped down by leather restraints. So this was the new playground they would torture her in, a reminder that there was no hope down here. Bela expected her sadistic captors to arrive any second but no one came. This didn't make any sense. Was this the latest method of torture? Make her afraid until they finally arrive?

The doorknob to her room turned and Bela suddenly wished that was the case. Begging wasn't going to help. God why didn't she just trust Dean when she had the chance? The door opened and in stepped the last person she expected. Sam Winchester. No it wasn't him, it couldn't be. This was just another trick. "Bela you okay?" it asked her.

"Enough of these stupid games. If you're going to hurt me then just do it!" Bela snapped.

"Will you calm down? We don't have much time," the demon shushed her. He started undoing her restraints around her wrists then undid the ones around her ankles. The moment she was free, Bela swung her right foot up and caught the demon right under the jaw. It staggered back and Bela shot to her feet. She slammed him against the wall with her forearm into his neck.

"That was a big mistake," Bela said before trying to slug him with her free arm. The demon managed to deflect her punch away from him and spun around her, twisting her arm. Bela wrapped her leg around Sam's leg and then leaned forward, causing the demon to partially lose his balance. Bela used the opportunity to swing her arm backwards and elbow him in the face. The blow disoriented him long enough for Bela to take him down to the ground. Now she had her forearm on his neck again and he didn't have the leverage to throw him off.

"What kind of game is this?" Bela demanded. This wasn't like any other torture she endured before.

"Bela it's me…Sam. We need to get you out of here. There's…demons here," gasped the demon. Why was it still keeping up this masquerade? She'd just beaten him and Bela doubted a demon would allow something that embarrassing to happen to it in Hell. What if this wasn't Hell and she did escape? But how does that explain what happened to her earlier? Was she losing her mind? Was if she did escape but her time there damaged her mind? So many questions that Bela didn't know what to believe.

"Bela…it's really me," it tried to reassure her.

Bela didn't know if she really could believe it but something in his eyes convinced her just maybe this was Sam. She got off him and helped him to his feet. "How do I know it's really you?" she asked.

"I had dreams of us having wild sex," chuckled Sam. Bela couldn't help but laugh along with him. Maybe it was Sam. "C'mon we've got to go."

Sam headed towards the door and opened it to reveal Doctor Hayes standing outside. Bela remembered him from earlier but the smile on his face told her something was wrong. With a flick of his wrist, Bela suddenly found herself flying into the wall. With her trapped, the demon launched forward and tackled Sam to the ground. "Well isn't this a surprise. I came here for an escapee and found Hell's Most Wanted," he smiled with his eyes turning black.

He was about to punch Sam when the Winchester held up a hand as if using it to focus. The demons gasped and coughed before he started hacking black smoke out of his mouth. Sam used the opportunity to punch the demon and shove him off. Bela also suddenly found herself freed from the telekinesis holding her in place. Sam focused again and the demon gasped in obvious pain. More smoke poured out of his mouth until finally he collapsed to the ground. Bela could only stare at Sam in disbelief. What the hell did he just do?

"I'll explain later," Sam said before she could ask anything. They headed towards the door into the hallway but quickly stopped when they saw at least five nurses all standing at the other end, all with black eyes.

"Back inside," Sam said, shoving Bela back into her room. He slammed the door shut and almost instantly, something was banging on it trying to get inside. Sam pulled out a lighter and handed it to her. "Set off the sprinklers!" he said, trying to hold the door closed.

Bela didn't understand why he wanted to do that but she did as she was told and jumped onto her bed, using it to reach the ceiling. She ignited the lighter underneath the sprinkler head and waited. Sam groaned, barely able to keep them out much longer. Just as he was flung back and the door swung open, the sprinkler activated. Water shot out in every direction. Instantly Bela and Sam were drenched as were the demons who came running in. They all screamed in pain as steam poured off their skin. That's when Bela realized what had happened. The Winchesters must have put holy water in the hospital's sprinkler system. Bela couldn't help but admire their creativity.

The demons were forced to retreat into the hallway as Sam got back to his feet. "C'mon. We're going to need to jump," he told Bela as he pulled out a pair of bolt cutters and used it to cut the chain lock on the window. Bela wasn't too fond of the idea of running around in hospital garments but those sprinklers weren't going to hold those bastards off forever. Sam insisted she go first so Bela climbed out and hung outside her window before dropping. Landing on her bare feet wasn't pleasant but the pain was child's play compared to what she had endured for the past few months.

Sam landed beside her and the two took off running. "Now where?" Bela asked. They got to the nearby street where a familiar car pulled up beside. Dean Winchester's Chevy Impala. Bela couldn't help but smile as the passenger door opened.

"Get in!" a familiar voice shouted at them. Bela was about to get inside when she saw Dean's face for the first time and suddenly, the whole world around her began to change. Thunders roared overhead along with the sound of rattling chains. Suddenly Bela was back in Hell, chains impaled into her arms and legs.

"NO!" she screamed before a sharp pain in the neck made everything go black.


There was a moment in Dean's life when he felt completely worthless and useless. He had failed people before that but he understood that you can't win every battle. But the moment Dean found out that his father had sold his soul to save his life, Dean had never felt more self-contempt in his life. For nearly a year, knowing that Dad was suffering untold horrors made Dean wished he'd never been born. He'd have traded places with him in a heartbeat but he had orders to follow. Protect Sammy, he was all that mattered now. He failed that too once the demons got their hands on his younger brother and made him go through Azazel's Survivor Psychic Children edition. Dean couldn't save Sam so he sold his soul, believing he deserved any torture he would get in hell. Then Dad broke out and helped them kill Azazel, avenging Mom's death before disappearing. From that moment on, Dean had hope. Hope that maybe they could find a way out of the deal and save himself. Dean failed and failed to save Bela as well.

She should have trust him earlier then maybe they had a chance but trust wasn't in her nature. The Colt was out of their hands and time ran out for them both. They both suffered in Hell but the big difference was that one of them was the one inflicting the suffering. Every night, Dean would dream of the things he did in front of the cheering demonic crowd. Most of his victims pleaded, others spat and cursed him. Bela did the same thing the first few times but the last time he did, she didn't say anything at all. Not a single word as he made her suffer in ways no human being should ever endure. It was if her soul had died in those moments and she had become an empty shell. That was the memory that made Dean feel more worthless than ever before. God may have had him rescued but there was no way he'd forgive him for the things he'd done. Dean wouldn't blame the big guy when he couldn't forgive himself.

For the moment, Bela was asleep in a motel room with Sam keeping an eye on her. After she starting freaking out, Dean's younger brother was forced to inject her with a sedative. They drove for nearly an hour before stopping at a motel to get separate rooms. One for Sam & Bela and one for Dean by himself. They didn't exactly have much choice. The moment Bela laid eyes on him, she freaked out. Sam thought she was experiencing some kind of memory flashback by seeing Dean as they were both victims in Hell. Dean knew differently. She was having flashbacks because she saw the face of her torturer.

"I see you've found her," said a familiar voice. Dean turned to find Castiel had appeared in his room. He didn't know whether to be angry that the angels left Bela in this state or happy that his assumptions that Castiel had died freeing her were wrong.

"Just once could you show up when we actually need you?" Dean groaned.

"I was guarding a seal from demons. I couldn't leave my post," explained Castiel.

"What happened to her?" asked Dean.

"The angels assigned to retrieve her encountered heavy resistance. None of them survived. The angel who raised her out died after completely his task," Castiel said grimly. Dean felt a mix of relief and guilt. Happy that the angels were the ones who raised her and guilt for getting a bunch of them killed.

"I'm sorry," Dean sighed.

"They knew the risks," Castiel stated.

"Bela keeps having flashbacks whenever she sees me. Can you fix her? The same way you fixed me?" asked Dean.

"The memories of her time in hell must not have been completely suppressed. I can finish what was started," nodded Castiel. Dean got to his feet and stared the angel dead in the eye.

"Thanks Cas. I know I haven't exactly been the easiest person to deal with and that we didn't exactly get off to the best start. But I want you to know I'm grateful for everything you've done. So thanks," Dean said, holding out his hand.

Castiel stared at him, almost baffled. The angel didn't seem to know what to say. He still managed to take Dean's hand and return the shake. "You…are welcome," Castiel said. "Remember our deal Dean. Your allegiance now belongs to us. Now and forever."

Dean didn't get a chance to say anything before the angel disappeared.


Castiel finally understood a word the humans often used. Guilt. It was eating up inside his grace ever since his meeting with Dean Winchester. The human looked up to him as a paragon of virtue and yet Castiel wasn't worthy of such an honor. He had lied to the human as he was ordered to by Zachariah. After speaking with Dean, Castiel teleported into Bela's room and suppressed the memories of her time in Hell. He also tried to search for the ones of her escape but they were gone. Something powerful had erased them. Sam had stepped outside to get a drink but the angel was gone by the time he returned.

Castiel then rejoined with Balthazar, Uriel, and Adriel in a forest far from human ears. "I scanned her memory but whatever raised her wiped any useful information from her mind," he told them.

"Demons raised her," Uriel suggested.

"Impossible. We made our intentions clear. Deal with Dean Winchester and suffer our wrath. They are cowards and wouldn't risk it," Adriel shook her head.

"Not to mention every ugly puff of smoke I've come across said the same thing. That angels sprung her lose," said Balthazar.

"Then whatever is responsible is deceiving them. A hand mark was left on her, the same as Dean Winchester when I raised him from the Pit," stated Castiel.

"Does he believe we are responsible?" asked Uriel.

"Yes," answered.

"Good. That'll make him more cooperative," commented Adriel.

"That still leaves us with a big problem," pointed out Balthazar.

"Who did this and why?" nodded Castiel.

"Something powerful if it can raise a soul from Hell," commented Adriel.

"And deceive entire legions of demons," added Uriel.

"We'll need to keep an eye on her. For now our orders are to stay back and observe. Bela was raised by this thing for a reason," said Castiel.

(One problem I had in other Bela resurrection stories is that she never really seemed to be really important to the plot. She was just usually along for the ride with the Winchesters. That's not going to the case in this story. Next chapter Bela joins the boys in a hunt for a trickster whose making people die in ways inspired by music videos. The case becomes too much for them to handle and they are forced to accept help from a certain angel in witness protection. He'll help out but not in the way they expect. Hope you enjoyed and please review.)