A/N - Sorry for the long hellatus on the updates. Life .. pfht .. gets in the way everytime!

No one gets off easy

Dean remembered Hell. He relived it every night, the sounds, the smells, the pain. It was a Horror that couldn't be described in human words, thoughts, or actions. Thing is, when him and Sam rounded the corner of that alley, he almost wished he was back in Hell. Because this was worse. Maybe because he knew that Sam had set this all up, or maybe it was the gore splattered over his jacket, or maybe it was what was left of Nikki hanging in the razor wire.

Dean knelt on the asphalt, his nose gushing blood, glaring hard at his brother who currently held a knife to Jo's throat. To one side Cas and Raphael were caught in fiery circle of holy oil. Crowley was on the ground, a devils trap the likes of which Dean had never seen before glowed hotly around him. Pure pissed off evil radiated off Sam in a way that made Dean shiver. He still couldn't look straight ahead, mainly due to the bodies of the demon's Crowley had summoned to defend him, but had turned on him instead at one single look from Sam. An army of Angel's held just slightly off to Dean's left by hundreds of Hell Hounds, Meg of all demons, hanging just to the back of them armed with Cas and Raphael's angel swords.

They were all at a complete stand still, waiting on Sam to make the final move.

Sam's body was coiled and ready to explode, his muscles bunching, the knife twisting just under Jo's chin. Jo cast desperate eyes at Dean, a low whimper escaping every time the knife swiped at her throat, tears mingling with blood and leaving red trail dripping off her chin. Dean drew in a ragged breath. Bobby lay on the steps unmoving, blood pooling from a gash in his forehead, and though Dean could see the shallow movement of the rise and fall of his chest, he knew he was in trouble and maybe even dying. The dragon's stood quietly by, a small female hanging loosely between them who Dean assumed was the Warden, having no compulsion what so ever to step in one way or another. They knew an Alpha Power when they saw one.

Dean's gaze swung back to Sam again, carefully avoiding the spot where razor wire hung like a grotesque spider web from the second story window ledge to the ground and spread between the stoop on the right side of the steps. Shredded leather straps with mean looking spiked studs swung limply in the light breeze. Other things hung from the mesh of razor wire as well, but Dean couldn't focus on that, couldn't focus on the bloodied black hair that hung in clumps in the wire. Yes he knew this torture method well; it's why Sam had punched him. He had designed it, under Alistair's tutelage, and perfected it over and over again. Crowley had placed Nikki in it, had let her writhing cut her to pieces, then placed her here in order to torture Sam. All it had done was insight Sam to a murderous rage.

He now stood menacingly above Dean, knife still twisting in hands, Jo shaking in his arms. Sam's face continuously twisted, his body seemed to focus in and out of this reality, almost as if he were somewhere between here and Hell. Dean could hear whispering, see Sam's lips moving as if he was talking to someone, and the voices kept getting louder and louder.

"What now Sam?" he asked quietly. Sam's gaze didn't budge from the razor wire, but the knife did finally stop moving. He dropped his arms and Jo immediately leaped to the steps, shedding her coat and pressing it to Bobby's bleeding forehead. Dean let out a sigh and stood.

He was immediately assaulted with the whispering voices getting louder, more insistent. His gaze was drawn to Cas, who slowly glanced behind him and then back to Dean. The twisting visage of Sam's face finally came into focus as he watched his brother fight for control, win, and then turn to face the Dragons. He gestured to the jars of dirt and blood.

"Take Jo and the jars upstairs, open the rift and get the fuck out of here." They didn't hesitate to do what Sam said, but as the Warden started to help Jo to her feet, Sam stopped her. "If you can't control Purgatory, I'll replace you with someone who can."

Her eyes narrowed at him but she nodded and quickly led Jo into the building. Dean started to move forward but Sam reached out and caught his arm. Dean hissed in pain, Sam's touch seemed to burn white hot and freezing cold all at the same time, an echoing chorus of screams nearly split his head open. He pulled back and stared into Sam's mute gaze, noting that Sam's hand had reddened almost like he'd been burned where he had grabbed Dean's arm.

"I'll deal with my team you go deal with yours."

Cas didn't know if he should be thankful that Sam had spared him and his brother's or concerned that he'd left Dean to 'deal' with them. He'd always been able to see Dean's soul, knew that this man, this human, had the great capacity for loyalty, forgiveness, trust, and faith in family. But Cas had betrayed all that, and now as he watched Dean approach he knew that his brother's had been sorely mistaken when they had thought to defeat the Winchester's. They were a power the likes of which the Universe had never seen before.

The whispers in Dean's mind had calmed down to nearly quiet now as he passed between Cas and Raphael without even a glance. He walked calmly by Meg, past the Hounds who parted like a sea of black for him, and stopped at the Guff, which had been opened right on the street before them by Raphael in payment for the services he thought he was going to get from his deal with Crowley. For a moment Dean closed his eyes, turned his face towards the sky, and heaved a great sigh, gripping an Archangel sword tightly in his hand, his sword. He opened his eyes and looked thoughtful for a moment.

If he focused, he could hear each and every prayer being made by all the beings on earth, desperate pleas to stop the devastation that was going on globally due to the events taking place here. He knew each one of them, wanted to alleviate their fears, comfort them, and bring order to the chaos. He glanced out over the sea of Angels in front him.

"Clean. Up. Your. Mess." He ground out tightly between clenched teeth, his gaze narrowing on each one. "You were given a job to do, do it. Or so help me I'll rip the wings off all of you and show you what it's really like to be human! And the next time someone starts bitching about being bored, I'll smite his ass and have Sam put him to work cleaning out the Hell Hound cages!" Horrified, the angels dispersed, the whispers became prayers of thanks as the angels began their work. He turned and walked back to Cas and Raphael.

"What are you going to do with us now?" Raphael asked.

"For you?" Dean thought for a moment, looked back at Meg, then back to Raphael. Dean's smile raised hairs on Cas's arms. "I think some time here on earth with the "Mud Monkey's" should do you some good." Raphael's eyes widened. Almost instantly Dean held a glowing vial in his hands, which disappeared into this pocket. He patted Raphael's grace and smiled. The ring of holy fire disappeared.

"You can't do this … "

"Oh yes I can, douche bag. Now run."

"What .. run .. I don't understand." Dean smiled and flipped a thumb over his shoulder gesturing to Meg.

"He's giving you a head start, sweet cheeks, I'd do as he says." Meg sneered from behind them, patting an invisible hound. The sound of Raphael's shoes hitting the pavement was barely heard on her gleeful chuckle. "Thanks Dean. This should be all kinds of fun. I do love party favors." She started to leave but stopped and rounded on Cas. "But wait, there's more! What cha'ya gonna do with your ex-boyfriend here?" She smiled leeringly at Cas. "I'd love to have a Clarence doll for a parting gift." Dean grimaced.

"Go pound asphalt bitch." Meg giggled and walked off.

"She seems to be happy with the outcome." Dean glanced at Cas, lowered the fire around him, and ran a hand over his face. He caught sight of Jo coming from the building and sighed in relief when she sat heavily on the steps where Bobby was now awake and rubbing his head.

"Yeah, like a demon in a candy store. Creepy and all kinds of wrong." Dean started run his hands over his face again but stopped when he nearly put his eye out with his sword. "How the hell .. I mean crap .. do you put this thing away?" he growled. Cas simply reached into Dean's mind and showed him. Dean watched amazed as the sword disappeared then reappeared then disappeared again. "Cool."

"What now Dean? The angels are cleaning up, now that you've taken charge. The Warden is back and the rift is closed. The only thing left is me and Sam." Dean nodded, looking over shoulder at Sam who hadn't moved, but was still silently talking to himself.

"I should probably kick your ass," Dean said once again looking thoughtfully at Cas, "but I'm not sure if it would do any good. I know you did what you thought was right, and that in the end you fought against Raphael. But it doesn't change that fact that you betrayed Sam and me, Cas. You were like a brother, family, and I don't know if I can ever forgive what you did. Thanks to you I don't even know what we are now." Cas nodded and looked off to the distance.

"I understand."

"No, Cas you don't." Cas's eyes widened as he looked at Dean's serious ones. "This time Cas no one gets off easy." He reached out and touched Cas' forehead and the Angel was gone. He hated to send Cas to purgatory but not only did Dean want someone to keep an eye on the Warden and Purgatory but Dean was sick of him and Sam being the only ones who paid the price for someone else's mistakes. Cas need to learn a hard lesson and Dean was sure he'd learn it there.

Now all he had left was to deal with Sam. Dean sighed, again, turned resolutely towards Sam.

A/N: I really thought I had this story finished but ... nope ... Every ending I've wrote just didn't fit for me. So .. hopefully .. now that I've gotten past this part I can figure out what to do with Sam. And Bobby. Dean .. Ahhh crap .. how long can these stories be again? LOL