Sam grabbed onto Delores and pulled her back from the man she was married to. Dean stepped up close to Castiel and studied the confused man.
"What do you mean tainted Cas?" Dean asked.
Castiel glanced at Dean. "Perhaps Sam should take her into the other room. It would be best if we took him to the panic room until I can explain."
"Come on Delores." Sam said turning the magi toward the kitchen and glancing at Dean as if to say I've got this. "Let's make some coffee."
Dean and Castiel each took one of Dan's arms and guided him downstairs to the panic room where they tied him to a chair as Castiel placed two fingers to his forehead knocking him unconscious.
"Okay Cas, What do you mean he's tainted.?" Dean demanded.
"His soul is like Sam's, tainted." Castiel said.
"Whoa! I thought we had gotten past the whole Sam is an abomination thing?" Dean said.
"My apologies. I do not mean to imply that there is something wrong with Sam. But his soul is tainted with a trace of Lucifer's grace, just as Jimmy's soul is tainted with a trace of my grace." Castiel explained. "It is a result of acting as a vessel."
"This guy is a vessel?" Dean asked.
"He was used as a vessel, yes." Castiel said. "And the grace is somewhat like the grace that remains in Sam's soul. An Archangel's grace."
"But Lucifer and Michael are in the cage. Gabriel is in there too now." Dean said.
"And Raphael is dead. However Dagon was once the Archangel Kemuel." Castiel pointed out.
"But doesn't that mean he had to say yes?" Dean asked. "Angel's can't just possess someone."
"In the beginning, we could. At least until father created the Rule of Permission." Castiel said. "And the Fallen are no longer angels. Their grace is corrupted. Remember, Azazel was fallen. They are more like Demons, only as hard to kill as angels."
So Dagon possessed this guy?" Dean asked.
"It is the only logical explanation. As you said Michael and Lucifer are locked in the cage. Gabriel already has a vessel, one he created for himself a long time ago. He has no reason to enter this man." Castiel said. "That leaves only a fallen Archangel, Dagon."
"So why did he let him go?" Dean asked.
"You, are a most ungrateful child." The elderly woman said to the man sitting in the rocking chair.
"Father." Dagon sarcastically replied. "Have you come to smite me? Oh that's right. You can't can you? Something about an oath to Gabriel?"
"As I said, ungrateful. Most would be thankful to a brother who abased himself before me to beg for their life." God said.
"That was Gabriel's choice. Perhaps you should have gifted him with a spine instead a soft heart." Dagon snarled. "The youngest Archangel, and the weakest."
"Weak? I watched him cast you into Purgatory. I watched him battle the Leviathan. Gabriel is much stronger than you give him credit for being. His very name means my might and my strength." God replied. "Gabriel will be responsible for your death. He may not wield the blade, but he guides it."
"So you will break your oath." Dagon said.
"No, I will not lift a finger against you." God said. "I will simply stand back, and watch. It has never been my desire to see my children die, any of them. But they have died and I will simply have to witness the death of another. A small price to pray to protect all that I have created."
Delores sat back in her chair. "I should have considered this possibility. I think that I should explain the relationship that I have with Dan."
"When I was in town talking to the Police chief, he kind of let slip that Dan tends to...wander." Sam said.
"It's not really his fault. Dan was my late husband Randall's best friend. They had grown up together." Delores said. "It was 1972 and Randall was working on a case that started in Ilchester, Maryland. It was a sign that all of the Magi knew to look for.
Randall was teaching Dan to become a hunter and took Dan with us to Ilchester. While we were there Dan became possessed by a demon. I was able to exorcise the demon but it was stronger than any demon that we had come across up until then. Dan shot Randall before I could cast the demon out.
Dan hasn't been right since then. He was grief stricken at killing Randall. But Randall asked me with his dying breath to watch over Dan. Since then Dan has been open to the demonic. They will possess him from time to time. When they do, he wanders."
Sam, Dean and Castiel all looked at each other.
"St Mary's Convent." Sam said. "Let me guess the demon had yellow eyes."
"Yes, how did you know?" Delores said.
"Azazel. He's why our Dad started hunting." Dean said. "If it makes you feel any better we ganked the son of a bitch a few years back."
"If Dan is open to the demonic it may be why Dagon chose him." Castiel said.
"So the question is what do we do about it?" Sam said.
"Normally I would rebuild the wards around him, but I'm not sure that any wards I put up against Dagon will be effective." Delores said.
"He is unconscious and should remain that way. Say nothing in his presence and lock him in the panic room." Castiel said. "I must consult with Gabriel."
"How exactly do you plan on doing that when Gabriel is on lockdown with Michael and Lucifer in the cage?" Dean asked. "You gonna just waltz right in to the most secure prison in the entire cosmos and ask him?"
"I do not believe that dancing will be of any assistance to us." Castiel said. "I will however enter the cage, it was built to contain Archangels, not Seraphs. I will ask our Father to assist me."
"It appears that your cage is quite comfortable." Castiel said looking around at the furniture and electionics.
"Oh for Daddy's sake! I don't need anymore roommates!" Lucifer said with disgust. "The place is overcrowded already!"
"I will not be remaining long." Castiel said. "Father has allowed me a limited amount of time to talk to Gabriel."
"So talk. Then go back and tell Fonzi and Chachi to get off their asses and do what we're all waiting on them to do." Gabriel snarled. "Smite Dagon into tiny little pieces!"
"That is their intention Gabriel, however we need to know if it is possible to block Dagon from possessing a human." Castiel replied. "The Magi's husband has been used as a vessel."
"So he's beyond redemption." Gabriel said heavily sitting down on the couch.
"You were already aware of this Gabriel." Castiel said. "You are the one who told me that our Brother was long dead."
Lucifer moved to sit down beside Gabriel and put an arm around his shoulder in comfort. "What you're telling us is proof that Dagon has passed the point of redemption. Without proof there's always room for hope, even if you suspect the worst." Lucifer looked over at Michael. "Mikeyl, you remember the old Sigil that identified me, back before I became known as the Morningstar?"
"Yes I remember it. It won't get you out of here though." Michael warned.
"I know it won't. But it will put a good scare into Dagon." Lucifer said "It will remind him of the days before the wars."
"And of how jealously protective you can be of Gabriel when you wish to be." Michael said grace to grace.
"Yeah that too." Lucifer replied through grace and then spoke out loud. "Knowing I have a prior claim on that one through Azazel won't hurt either."
Michael produced a scroll handing it to Castiel. "Use this sigil. You'll be invoking Lucifer's protection against Dagon. Out of all of us in this cage, Lucifer is probably the only one that Dagon still fears."