Chapter 18

Dean lounged under the shade of a scrub tree and watched the hunters practice against the rock outcropping he and Cas explored the night before. It was muggy, and Dean had long since thrown his jacket in the car without it yet reaching mid-day. He felt like crap, he slept like crap, his breath tasted like crap, and a somewhere a shower was screaming for him to fill it.

A flash of light drew Dean's attention and he watched Donna attempt to draw her bow or whatever the hell it was, and the thing flared up in her face. This was Castiel's big plan? Looking around, he noticed Sam still had not joined the others and wondered what the hell that meant. No matter, the angels were running the show now. He just wanted to get a shower before the big finally started.

"Dean," Castiel said flatly and Dean jerked a little in surprise. The angel was sitting next to him, seemingly oblivious to the heat with his jacket and trench coat and whatever the hell else he wore all layered on him.

"Hello Cas," Dean said and offered the angel a tight smile, "things are looking good for the big angel plan you got set up here?"

"I found the nest, Dean," Cas said, and Dean turned to him, surprised.

"Oh yeah?"

"Dean," Castiel turned and their eyes met, "there are ninety three vampires currently residing in this nest. They have nearly killed everyone in the town closest to here to feed their lot and I fear they are turning just as many to their numbers." Dean felt as though an ice pick was lodged in his balls. Ninety three vampires? And growing?

"We're gonna die," Dean said breathlessly.

"Dean…"

"No, Cas. This is it! There is no fucking way we are going to get out of this alive."

"Dean," Cas reached out and placed a hand over one of Deans. "We are going to survive this."

"How can you be so sure?" Dean asked, his hand turning and lacing Castiel's fingers through his own.

"Because," Cas said with a sigh, "Sam said yes."

His eyes were closed, but he could sense the world around him. Eros circling him, the wind whispering through his hair, a dog barking miles away. The Recurve, as Eros named it, felt a part of his hand. He did not remember his life before the Recurve now.

"You have heightened your senses, look how quickly you learn," Eros crooned in his ear, "Now… find a target." Sam sent out tendrils of thought. He didn't know how he did it but it just seemed to come to him naturally. As soon as the Recurve connected with his hand, he knew everything that he needed to do to use it. Eros was just walking him through a practice run. About half a mile away, Sam could sense a squirrel scavenging in a neighboring woods.

"Got it," he said coldly. His mind was fathoms away.

"Good, now look inside yourself for the Angel fire flame." Sam searched inside his inner void for his core and found a tight coiled ball of fire churning within there. Softly, he let spirit fingers brush its smooth molten surface.

"Got it," Sam whispered, a little awestruck.

"Now…"Eros whispered into his ear, "take the shot." Sam lifted the Recurve in his hand and pointed it out before him. Then, to help channel his thoughts, he knocked an unseen arrow in a string that wasn't there, and pulled back until the string was taught. Without opening his eyes, Sam found the squirrel's life essence and fired. An instant later, the life was extinguished as though it had never been there. Sam opened his eyes and the world swayed a little in his vision. Inside him, he felt a pang of emptiness that tightened his chest.

"Very good!" Eros said delighted, "You are an amazing Marksman. You will be ready when the time comes, come help me get the others prepped. The poor fools can't even knock an arrow."

"Eros," Sam said, worried, "Why do I feel like my pet dog just died?"

"Ah." Eros turned and looked to where the other chosen hunters practiced far in the distance. "That is the burden you bear to channel through your soul, Samuel. But this shouldn't be anything new to you should it? I have seen your story. I have searched your life. How many demons did you eject from hosts when you fevered on their blood? Your soul is so tarnished from the way you have used it, this tax upon it should be like snuggling up with an old friend." He turned back to Sam with a smile. "Is it really so bad, having a dog die, Samuel, with all that you have done?" Sam glared at the angel, but could not argue with his words. "Come along," Eros said in a sing-song voice, "we have a band of hunters to save."

Eros worked with the chosen hunters over the next two days to help them get better at their skills. Slowly, steadily, even the youngest, Kim, was able to progress and learn how to use her bow. Sam also practiced his craft, trying to fire larger or smaller arrows, and multiple arrows from his mind. Everything came so naturally to him he hardly understood why the others struggled.

Each day they practiced, more humans died which Eros noticed drove Dean crazy with frustration. Not only this, but the vampire numbers had swelled to one hundred and three. They were running out of time. Discovering that the vampires had laid the town of Rexpoint to waste, the hunters agreed to travel there for supplies and much needed reprieve before the main event.

Eros, Castiel, and the human brothers agreed that the Chosen were as ready as they would ever be and that the Fist was armed enough to flank a small army. They would go to the cave in the morning, the entrance to an enormous nest of vampires within, and lay waste to the militant party. This was, in Castiel's words, the tossing of the gauntlet for them all. Eros couldn't help but admire his brother for how dedicated he was to these humans. And this was the true beginning of the war. With a plan in place and all hunters poised to follow Dean's lead, they took the night to, in Dean's words, get lit and cause some trouble. Eros couldn't agree more. It was past time for a party.

"The fire is burning, Dean, and the dancing has begun. You are missing all of it," Castiel called from downstairs and Dean nodded urgently.

"Yeah, I know, I know just…give me a minute." He searched the drawers of a dead man's house to try to find a decent shirt since all his were gross beyond a passable sniff test, and settled on a nice white t-shirt. It would have to do cause he would be damned if he missed out on the most fun he's had in months. Maybe he'll even get lucky… this gave Dean pause.

He couldn't even recall what any of the ladies in their Fist looked like. Old Dean would have rated them on scales of do-ability and acquiescence by now, but new Dean seems so focused on chasing after an emotionally constipated angel that he's forgotten to take notice to the finer qualities of life.

Shaking his head, he thrust his arms into the t-shirt and made his way downstairs. At the entrance to the outside, and where the night fire lay beyond inviting him to enjoy a shit load of beer, stood Cas looking up at him and Dean felt warmed to see him. He was okay with how Cas was, as long as he was in Dean's life. Let him be as cold natured as he wanted to be, Dean knew he cared in his own way and didn't expect more than the friendship they had. Dean made peace with that over the past two days, and planned on telling Cas not to risk taking the potion that Eros had given him. It just wasn't worth the risk or what it might do to Cas. Right after this battle was over, Dean planned on sitting Cas down and talking through the whole thing with him.

"Castiel," Dean said with a smile and softly patted the angel's scruffy cheek, "let's go get a beer. How many do you think it will take to get you drunk 'cause we got a beer store full and all night to find out."

"Dean," Castiel said gently in a way that made Dean ache for more from him, but he pushed the feelings down. Then stomped on them. "Dean, someone is here to see you." Castiel's eyes lifted and Dean followed his gaze to where a small figure was hidden by the shadows of the living room.

"Oh." Dean said feeling very awkward.

"I will wait for you outside," said the angel behind him and slipped out the door. Dean moved into the living room, and noted the firelight from outside cast enough light for him to realize it was Kim, one of the Chosen hunters, sitting on the couch. Her head was down and her hands balled into fists which squeezed tighter at his approach.

"Hey, Kim," Dean said gently, "what's going on?"

"Dean," came the girl's small voice and not for the first time Dean wondered how she had come to be who she was. She traveled with another hunter but he was not her family. Dean didn't know what happened to her family or how she even got involved with hunting in the first place, but she reminded him a lot of himself. She was only thirteen, and a lot of her haunted expressions and withdrawn social graces could probably be attributed to the things she has seen and done. Dean could definitely relate.

"Why did you want to talk to me?" Dean asked and Kim seemed to grow smaller.

"I…I'm scared Dean. I am not brave enough for this." Dean opened his mouth and then closed it again. He couldn't blame her for how she was feeling. Castiel told him the way the Recurve can destroy the soul over time, and Dean hoped that they will never have to use the damn things again after tomorrow. What was worse was that Kim wasn't even given a choice. Eros apparently used some mojo on her that made her agree without question. It made Dean feel violated. He hated that little shit all the more for it.

"Look," Dean said after a while, "I am just as scared as you are. But being here tonight, you are the bravest kid I know. Tomorrow it will be over for a while and you can go back to being a normal kid again. Just…stay back. As far back as you can. You'll be ok." He looked down at Kim but she didn't seem to be so convinced. "Come on." He said and she looked up at him then.

"What?" she asked shyly.

"Look, I can't make you feel better. You are never going to be not scared. All we can do is make the most of the night and try our best to forget about it. Tomorrow, you will do what you need to do. I know you are brave enough to do it. Let's just have fun tonight. Come on, Kimmy, let's go dance."

Castiel walked with Dean to the fire and found a vacant space next to Sam. He noticed that Sam's Recurve was resting next to him, glittering in the moonlight, but Castiel tried not to worry about it. Not yet. Although he has not seen Sam without it since he got it from Eros. Settling down, he turned his attention to Dean.

Dean, his friend that makes him feel that Gods purpose is justified, was dancing with a child hunter. They danced for a while together and Cas was glad to see the girl smiling. Good. He had sensed her soul quivering and vulnerable in the living room of the vacant house, and knew she would be the first to break under the will of the Recurve. It did not matter. Sam was what was important because he was what mattered to Dean.

"Are you ready for tomorrow, Cas?" Sam asked and Cas glanced over at the hunter. He seemed in good spirits. In fact, Sam seemed more jovial than Cas has seen him for a long time. He could not imagine what that meant.

"I will do my part, Sam. We must find the head of the nest and get what information when can about the plans of the monsters. Dean and I will be with you when we can, but it has to be you to lead the charge. You will be protecting us for a change."

"Yeah." Sam chuckled, "I guess so."

"Are you ready for this, Sam?" Cas asked with an edge of worry and Sam nodded casually. Of course he was. Turning his attention back to Dean, Cas noticed that other hunters had joined him and they hooked arms to form a line. The whole lot of them were kicking and staggering in some haphazard attempt to dance to the music blaring around them. Kim continued to dance with him as well; smiling broadly up at him the whole time and not paying attention to her footing. Castiel watched as her leg caught with his and they twisted around each other. The other hunters, still hooked arm to arm, staggered as well and soon the whole lot of them spilled out onto the ground. Castiel was to his feet in an instant.

"Dean!" He cried out, but then noticed that Sam was laughing raucously on the ground next to him. He examined Sam and then his eyes returned to Dean to see that the hunters out there were laughing at him as well. Dean, not so bemused was finding his footing and waiving off help.

"Why are you laughing?" Castiel turned on Sam in irritation. "He could have been hurt!" Sam looked at him bewildered.

"Oh come on, Cas. That was funny. You have to lighten up a bit, man." Castiel looked around him at the hunters laughing at Dean or ignoring the whole incident while they conversed with each other. No one seemed to care that Dean could have fallen into the fire. Or got a concussion. Or twisted his ankle. Or countless other things. "It's ok Cas," Sam called up to him reassuringly, "angels just don't get a human's sense of humor."

Slowly, Castiel returned to his place next to Sam and continued to watch the hunters at play. His eyes darted from face to face watching them laugh, or act surprised at something another one said, or hug and look at each other with adoration, or cry. He watched Dean smile reluctantly at his friends and accept a beer for condolence. He watched Sam smiling at the crowd as well, thoughtlessly stroking the smooth edge of his Recurve bow.

"Angels just don't get a human's sense of humor."

Castiel remained silent for the rest of the night.