Chapter 5

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All it had taken was a look at Sam, his brother nodded slowly, he knew what the screech meant as well. Not much they could do about it now. Turning around Dean surveyed the hospital, like before the place looked a bit transparent and glowy. Not surprising given that it was all apparently fake. "Any idea's on how to get out?" Sam asked, Dean shook his head.

"No, looks weird but there aren't any invisible exit signs Sammy." Sam rolled his eyes and they headed down the hall, point blank ignoring anyone who tried to talk to them. This was great until Dean finally snapped at one of the tricksters 'actors' and got shot for his trouble. Dean heard the click of the trigger and twisted while shoving Sam out of the way. The bullet slammed into his arm, earning a snarl of out Dean as he turned around tore the gun out of the fakes hand and threw him into the wall. Sam watched, incredulous as the man actually cracked the wall before sliding to the floor.

"Dean?" He demanded racing over to the still glaring hunter. Sam yanked him around by his good arm and pulled the sleeve of the white coat up inspecting the injury. The bullet had gone clear through the lower part of his upper arm. Missing the bone and leaving a messy hole. Sam stared, shocked. But it wasn't the bullet hole itself that had made him grind to a halt. It was the fact that Deans blood looked like someone had gone and dumped glowing silver glitter in it. "uh, Dean?" Dean's head snapped around from where he was still glowering at the man on the floor even as several other 'nurses' talked him for security.

"What?" he demanded. Sam gestured wordlessly at his blood. Dean craned his head to get a look and blinked in surprise. "Well that ain't normal." He muttered.

"You think it's?" Sam trailed off. Dean snorted and tugged his sleeve down before making a beeline for the nearest storage room for a roll of gauze

"You honestly think it's something else?" he asked dryly. Sam sighed and shook his head and followed with a resigned look on his face.

X X X

Gabriel watched the exchange with wary interest. Making sure to hide himself far better this time. Deans little stunt had actually shocked him, and more over had done so badly enough to give himself away. That had pissed him off, thinking the two idiots had done some spell or something to let them spot things they shouldn't, but this….this was unexpected.

Dean was bleeding Grace. Not much, just tiny sparks of it, but no human should be doing that. He was absolutely sure that Michael hadn't set up shop in the older Winchester, and neither had any other angel. Even if he had been temporary possessed by one of his siblings Deans blood would be normal after the fact.

So….

This was going to require some hands on investigation. He popped in right behind Dean with a smirk. Sams eyes widened in a distinctly 'oh shit' expression. "Sorry Sammy, I need to barrow your brother for a bit. Mind keeping yourself out for trouble?" he flashed another grin even as Dean spun around. Grabbing the hunters shoulder he whisked them both away to a separate part of his construct.

Dean swore internally as he found himself frozen, he couldn't even blink. The room they were in was blank white with no visible entrances or exits. Loki stared at him unblinkingly for a long moment, a faint frown marring his face.

"Interesting, Dean-o. what's a human like you doing with all that Grace?" he looked over at Deans arm which he hadn't gotten a chance to wrap up. Stepping forward he tugged the sleeve up and inspected the wound. "Hm...Can't say I'm surprised, your half healed already!" he commented poking the bullet hole. Dean could look down to see if he was serious or not.

After a moment Loki let go of his arm and looked back at his face. Frowning heavily the trickster finally spoke again.

"You realize that the amount of Grace hanging out in your body should have killed you without the angel it belongs to controlling it right?" no, no he hadn't known that…and apparently Cas hadn't either. "Oh, little Castiel is just a kid, he doesn't know everything Dean-o. Probably didn't think it could hurt you being Michael's vessel and all." Loki answered with a shrug. Dean wanted to glare, he hated the fucking mind reading thing. Loki stared at him for another long moment before huffing. "I admit! I'm curious as to what the hell you soul seems to be doing, but with that Grace causing such a fuss I can't really see it clearly. I'm going to have to take a more in depth look the hard way." He smiled wryly. Dean felt dread pool in his gut. Fuck, what the hell was he going to do to him? Loki 'expression softened a hair.

"Look kid, this is going to hurt, but I'd like to think I'm above intentionally damaging your soul. You may be a bit of a fuck up, but you don't deserve that. So try not to squirm and i'll even tell you what I find out ok?" Dean stared at him, startled. The Trickster had never shown any kind of concern before for how much he hurt them in his 'jokes' why start now. Something flickered in the tricksters expression.

"You know, the reason you don't remember that whole mystery spot thing is because you were never there. I kept you stashed all safe and sound in a pocket dimension while I killed a construct repeatedly. You never died. Not even the last time where Sam spent months hunting me down, it was all one of my little sets." Dean was kinda dumbfounded at this. He admitted when they first met the guy Dean had actually liked his style. But that had worn off after the whole mystery spot thing. With an internal sigh Dean agreed. Loki flashed a grin. "Thanks Dean-o. Now like I said this is going to sting like a bitch, I'll try to be brief, right?"

With that Loki reached out placing a hand over Deans heart and pushed. The sudden agonizing pain would have had him recoiling if he'd been able to move. Loki's hand was glowing bright white as it sank into him.

Gabriel carefully ignored Deans pain as he tried to get into contact with the humans soul. It took him a moment to but then he had it. Looking carefully over the soul he could help but stare. Deans soul was solid white shot through with bright blue veins. The blue Grace was shocking enough but Deans soul was just so damn shinny all on its own. Kid amazed him sometimes, not even an angel could come out of hell this untainted. It was obvious that Castiel had used his Grace to heal Dean, but the Grace shot though the soul didn't feel like him…it felt like Dean. The human soul was actually absorbing the Grace. And more over it wasn't just changing the soul as such, the soul was also changing it.

Gabriel grinned to himself suddenly, if this little transformation kept up….well, no vessel for dear old Michael. He wasn't sure just what Dean was turning into, not an angel – or at least not really. But he doubted that whatever it was would be able to act as a vessel. Well…this changed the game a bit, didn't it?"

X X X

Dean woke up abruptly not really aware that he had lost consciousness. "Good you're awake! I was beginning to worry." He looked up to see the grinning face of Loki. He groaned - hell of way to wake up in the morning. Loki pouted. "You're no fun!" he complained. Dean snorted and sat up, he was sitting on a hotel room bed. A hotel room that was far more high end then he'd ever stayed in. a quick glance showed Sam snoring away on the other bed. "Don't worry, he's just sleeping. I'll wake him up when were done chatting." Dean glanced over at him, still wary. Even if the little revelation about the tricksters attitude had cooled his outright hatred of him, he wasn't about to trust the bastard just yet.

"So, what did you find out?" Dean asked flatly. Loki rolled his eyes.

"Right to the point, hu?" he sighed and leaned against the wall studying him for a long moment. "Well, first things first – you're not human anymore."

"WHAT?" Dean yelped, a horrified look on his face. Loki rolled his eyes.

"It's not like your turning into a demon, don't get your panties in a twist sweetheart." He deadpanned. "You're soul is…odd. The Grace you got from Castiel is changing you, but you're also changing it. So whatever your turning into isn't quiet an angel. But nor is it something like a Nephil, you're looking to be something new Dean-o" Dean stared at him, dumbfounded. It was one thing when he was just picking up some wired angelic senses and stuff, but – to not be human anymore? "On another note, this is actually really good for you!" Dean blinked, and gave him a blank look. Loki sighed in exasperation. "You humans, one problem at a time, try multitasking sometime!" he huffed, a smirk on his face. "If you're not human kiddo, you can't be a vessel. If either Michael or Lucifer can't get their TRUE vessels then the apocalypse can't happen as it was written. Now, if this was Lucifer this wouldn't really make a difference, but Michael…well. Michael kinda big on doing it by the book." Dean continued to give him a blank look.

"Why would he care? He'd probably just say it was something we did and change me back or something!" Dean countered. Loki shook his head grinning.

"Nope! You weren't listening Dean. I said you were changing the Grace not just the other way around. Grace, well….how to explain this.. it's like, uh..with computers! Read only files? You can look at it and it can do things, but you can't alter it in anyway even a fallen angels Grace is still Grace. Grace is like that, it should be impossible for your soul to be altering that Grace. But it is, and there's only one person that can make that happen." Dean was wide eyed at this. Most people seemed to always think he was an idiot, but he was not in any way stupid – he just enjoyed the simpler things in life. Dean knew exactly what Loki meant with that.

"You're not saying…." Dean trailed off not sure if he really wanted to say it. Loki was grinning now, he looked about five seconds away from outright bouncing in glee.

"Yup! While little Cas was running around trying to find God, it looks like he paid you a personal visit and tweaked your soul a bit! And Michaels going to know exactly what I do! Archangels are the only ones that do! Only Dad can modify grace like that! Looks like God doesn't want the apocalypse any more then you do!" Dean blinked and slowly raised an eye brow.

"You called him Dad." He pointed out mildly, a faint smirk curling at the corner of him mouth. Loki blinked. "I think you also just admitted to being an Archangel….but I could be wrong there."

"Fuck"

X X X

Quetzal – oops, somebody got a little to excited there. Poor gabe. And Dean! Just what are you turning into my adorable pie loving fiend?