Sam and Crowley hadn't even come into the garage before they had left. He could sense Dean's anxiety as his little brother took off with Crowley. I cannot fault him for that. Castiel felt the burning in his chest build, and he leaned heavily against a wall. Peeling paint stuck to his shoulders as he rolled them forward. He stared at the clean but old carpet and took in a few deep breaths. He could hear Amelia in the living room, she was knitting last he had checked.

She knits. Calm.

Jimmy? If you are still here… please, don't keep doing this. Leave, or… find a way to reconnect fully. Please. A familiar dribble of blood came, but this time it was accompanied by a shockingly intense headache. Castiel clutched his head as it seemed to be sending thoughts off like a box of lit fireworks.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, what you doin'? You still vertical?" Dean's arms tried to pull him up, and Castiel shook in his arms. Seizure. The split second after identifying the sensation, Castiel locked up completely. His brain felt like it was on that pause button during movies. Nothing changed. Eyes open, but unseeing, he was aware that Dean must have still been there. After a moment the burning took over, and Castiel was unable to warn Dean as the bright light burst out of his chest.

For a moment, in his weakness, there was peace and clarity.

His eyes opened, and he saw the cloud-like energy of Jimmy's soul floating over him. It stayed there. Shaky, Castiel got up on his elbows, and realized what was happening. Amelia was standing in the doorway. She must have heard the commotion. She was gazing at the soul, her hand slowly outstretched. "No!" Castiel's throat felt shredded, and he tried to sit up further. "Don't, Amelia. He will burn you. Unintentionally, but he will. He's not in control."

Amelia's palm flattened out, and still hovering there like a hand in front of a fireplace, she did not look away from the soul. "Is this Jimmy?"

"Yes." Castiel glanced around, the damage was minimal, Dean was already getting up and brushing himself off. The release had been less powerful than he had anticipated, nothing was incinerated. Perhaps the seizure was him attempting to hold on as well…I should have found a safe place sooner.

The soul curled out a wisp of energy, and stretched it out, Castiel's eyes widened as it formed into something similar to a hand. "Don't." Castiel rolled to his knees, and stared up at the glowing mass. He put a sleeve to his nose and wiped up blood. "You will hurt her."

Whether she did it consciously or not, Castiel saw Amelia's hand continuing to move towards the light. If he was capable of controlling the energy, it would do no harm. As Dean mentioned, he and Sam have hosted secondary souls for short periods… but they did not integrate them into themselves as I did, and those souls were not native to the host body.

Dean was a few feet away, he looked a little knocked around, but not seriously hurt. He looked to Castiel for guidance in what to do next.

"Amelia." Castiel said calmly, although he could feel his heart racing. "Amelia, don't touch him...but he might listen to you. Tell him he is free to go. I will finish business here with you and Claire. He does not need—"

"You don't get to tell me what happens to my family." Amelia instructed in a stiff tone, looking at the tendril of a finger that was reaching for hers. She leaned down, and the cloud followed her height. Castiel lowered himself as well, and began trying to scoot out from under the soul. Amelia got to her knees, and he flattened himself onto the floor as the soul mimicked her. Castiel hit the wall, and realized there was no place to scramble further. Amelia tenderly almost brushed the glow, and he saw tears in her eyes. "Jimmy, it's me. You're home. You're okay. If you're ready to leave… I can't keep you here."

The glow pulled away from her, and slammed into him. He gasped and convulsed as the soul drove in deeper, and he felt himself black out.