A/N: Thank you guest Loreley for continuing to read and review! And speak of the King of Hell, here he comes. ;)


Chapter 5

Dean and Sam drove in the Impala to Ohio while Cas and Ryn followed in Cas's Continental. Dean tried not to read too much into that. It wasn't like the Impala would be crowded with four, though it was always a little awkward riding around with a stranger they didn't really trust. Cas may have vouched for Ryn, but she was still a phoenix. Maybe she didn't want to be stuck in a car with Dean's hostility; maybe Cas for some weird reason was being nice to spare her that.

Although, things between her and Cas had seemed tense when they were filing out to leave. Dean glanced in the rearview mirror, wondering what those two were talking about, or if the other car was fraught with as much silence as Baby was. Sam wasn't fully on board with this; he just didn't have a better solution to suggest, and they couldn't wait around for one. Besides, the sooner they killed Cain, the sooner they could try out this potential 'purification.'

The sooner he killed Cain, Dean mentally amended. Because even though they were all walking into this together, it would come down to him to see it through. And that was something he would have to do alone. Might even be his last 'good deed' on this earth.

"So…" Sam spoke up after hours of stewing in silence. "If this works and we capture Cain, then what?"

Dean's jaw tightened. Of course his little brother would have to echo the very thoughts roiling around inside his head. "We'll cross that bridge when we c…" He trailed off before correcting himself: "If we come to it."

The rev of the Impala's engine was like a beloved lullaby, making his chest constrict. He wasn't ready for it all to end. Oh, he'd made the sacrifice play before, or at least tried to. But this…he wasn't just risking losing his life this time. He was risking losing himself, everything he was, everything he ever stood for and believed in, washed away in the taint of the Mark. It was a fate worse than death.

The only light he saw was the faith he had in Cas and his brother not to let it go that far. If Dean didn't survive the fight tonight, one way or the other, if Ryn's cure didn't work, Cas would be there to do what was necessary, even if that was to kill the monster he would become.

Dean cleared his throat. "You know last week, when I said that I would go down swinging when the time came? I meant that I was at peace with that. I just didn't realize the time would come so soon, you know, like right now." Dean swallowed around a lump in his throat. "I'm scared, Sam."

His brother didn't respond, just looked out the window at the setting sun. Dean understood; Sam was scared too.

It was after nightfall when they finally arrived at the Reynolds' small farm. They parked the cars out on the darkened road and walked through a barren field until they came to the edge, several yards away from the back of a barn. A porch light cast a dim halo that barely reached where they'd stopped.

"I'll take a look around," Cas said, and slipped away into the darkness.

Dean tried not to fidget as his gaze roved over the impenetrable pitch of night surrounding them. Crickets chirped here and there, and the occasional firefly winked in and out across the field.

"Aren't you strong enough to take on Cain?" Sam asked, breaking the tranquility.

Dean furrowed his brow until he realized his brother was talking to Ryn. "Sam…"

"What? It's a valid question," Sam retorted defensively.

Dean scowled, though his brother most likely couldn't see it, nor could they read Ryn's expression in the dark.

"I might be," she finally responded carefully. "But in a fight to the death like that, I wouldn't come out unscathed." Ryn flicked a pointed look at Dean. "I'd certainly be too drained to attempt curing your brother of the Mark."

Dean didn't know whether to feel relieved or disappointed. This was his burden, after all. He'd taken on the Mark, consequences be damned at the time. Now he had to face them.

"But if Dean doesn't fight Cain, he can hold out longer—" Sam began.

"Would you leave it alone, Sam?" Dean interrupted. "Ryn is our only shot at curing the Mark. You really want to send her into a fight she's likely to get killed in? No offense," he quickly added.

"None taken," she replied lightly. "Cain isn't to be trifled with."

"Won't you come back to life?" Sam pressed. "I mean, the whole phoenix thing…"

Ryn snorted. "I've heard of the Winchesters' propensity for cheating death. Doesn't mean you should take second chances for granted." She paused for a beat, voice dropping lower. "Even I can permanently die."

Sam huffed in frustration, but at least didn't try to argue further.

Dean sighed. "You heard Cas; he'll bring me back if it comes to that." And yeah, maybe Ryn had a point about them taking the whole 'coming back from the dead' too lightly. "Easier to get my soul out of Heaven or Hell then a phoenix out of Purgatory," he pointed out.

Ryn folded her arms across her chest, looking irked at something. She probably didn't appreciate Sam suggesting throwing her to Cain like canon fodder when she had no vested interest in helping them in the first place.

Cas returned then, moving like a specter through shadow.

"Kid here?" Dean asked.

"He's nearby," Cas replied. "Upstairs in the barn. He's playing with a basketball."

Dean nodded, trying to fight the surreal fog settling over his brain. "Cain will strike soon. Maybe tonight, maybe tomorrow, but soon." He looked at Sam. "And when he does…"

"Yeah, I got it," his brother replied grumpily. "You charge in with the Blade solo." Sam made another disgruntled noise. "And the kid? What, we just watch and wait until Cain attacks? I thought this was a rescue mission."

"We save the kid after Cain shows," Dean said. He wasn't sure whether that was a tactical decision, or some weird subversion from the Mark hoping Cain succeeded before they could stop him.

"We know what Cain's after. That's our only advantage," Cas said, alleviating some of Dean's doubt. "We want to trap Cain, we use it."

Sam shook his head. "A twelve-year-old as bait. I can't believe what I'm hearing."

"Neither can I," Crowley's voice interjected.

They all turned to face the demon as he strolled up to them, hands casually stuffed in his pockets.

"What's the matter, Crowley?" Dean said. "You suddenly grow a conscience? Too good to put a minor in danger?"

"Don't give a damn about the kid. I'm talking about the risk to us." Crowley arched a brow at Ryn. "Who's the groupie?"

"None of your business," Dean replied. "And there is no us. You're here for one reason. That's to hand me the Blade."

Crowley skewered him with a mistrustful glare. "Yeah, about that. Seeing as this is shaping up to be one of those, uh, two-step capture then kill kind of deals, I think your buddies would agree it's better to keep the Blade out of your hands until we've got Cain sewn up, just to be safe."

Dean frowned. That wasn't what he'd had in mind, though…Crowley probably had a point. No need to push himself to the limit before Cain even got here. Dean glanced at Sam, who shrugged. Seemed the Mark and the Blade were two things his brother and the King of Hell actually agreed on.

"Fine," Dean ceded.

Crowley took his hands out of his pockets, looking pleased. "Now, back to this plan of yours."

They would set a devil's trap in the barn. It wouldn't hold Cain forever, but hopefully long enough for Dean to get the job done. And while they couldn't whisk the kid away until Cain showed, they also couldn't let Cain get close enough to actually hurt Austin. Crowley had a solution for that, though, some illusion spell they could use to lure Cain the rest of the way in and then spring the trap.

Everyone went to take their places, leaving Dean and Ryn standing on the outskirts in the dark, the two who couldn't be risked in the initial confrontation. Dean was a corked bottle of nerves and gut-wrenching trepidation. He tried taking deep, meditative breaths to keep his heart rate down. Getting worked up prematurely wouldn't do him any favors.

"If it's any consolation," Ryn spoke up quietly. "Castiel believes you can do this."

Dean scoffed. "Cas has always put his faith in the wrong horse."

She shook her head, almost in exasperation. "Do you know how much he cares for you? How much he's willing to give up?"

Dean blinked in surprise. "Cas? Uh, yeah, he's given up a lot for us."

Rebelling against Heaven the first time, being cut off and losing his powers, fighting a Civil War, which at the time Dean hadn't thought had anything to do with him and Sam, but later he had to admit it did. If Raphael had won, Michael and Lucifer would have been freed and they would've been right back at square one. And yeah, the Leviathan thing was a disaster, as was trusting Metatron…but looking back, Dean couldn't deny that one consistent part in all of those messes was Cas's determination to protect him and Sam.

"What's it to you, anyway?" Dean rejoined. He didn't like the accusation in her tone, like she was somehow defending Cas to him, when Cas was family to Dean and Sam.

"He's an old friend, and I'm not overly fond of seeing him get hurt," she returned sharply.

Dean bristled at the implication. "Funny how he never mentioned he was friends with a phoenix."

Ryn's mouth twisted in a wry moue. "Did he tell you about Naomi?"

Dean furrowed his brow. "That bitch? What does she have to do with anything?"

"Apparently, of the many memories she erased from Castiel, his meeting me in Ancient Egypt was one of them. When he tracked me down to ask for my help with the Mark, he thought I was just another monster." Her expression pinched with regret. "Clearing that up wasn't the most pleasant revelation for him. For either of us, really."

Dean stared for a moment in bewilderment. He hadn't thought about Naomi in a while. And wait a second, Ancient Egypt…that meant Naomi had been screwing with Cas's head for…shit, thousands of years?

"So, Cas trusts you because you told him you were friends way back when? How do I know you're not lying, trying to take advantage of him somehow?"

Ryn's eyes seemed to smolder briefly in the darkness, reminding Dean exactly what he was talking to. "The only reason I'm here is because Castiel asked. Even if he doesn't remember me from back then, I do remember." She seemed to catch herself, and the fire in her eyes dimmed. Her voice lowered, "I am too old to defend my existence to the likes of you, mortal hunter. After I cure you of the Mark, I'll be gone, and we hopefully will never cross paths again." She took a half-turn away from him to stare out at the night.

Dean's mouth turned down as he studied her tense posture. There'd been a slight crack in her voice for that, something that sounded oddly heavy with emotion. If Cas didn't remember her, then Ryn easily could have brushed off their past and told the angel to get lost. Monsters didn't help out of the goodness of their hearts, after all.

So why was she here?

Dean's eyes widened. "Wait, is there more to your history with Cas than you're letting on?"

Ryn didn't respond, didn't even move, like she was holding herself as stiffly as possible lest she give anything away.

Dean reeled back, stunned. There was more? But…Cas wasn't like that. He'd been a stick in the mud when Dean first met him. Taking him to that brothel had been like pulling teeth. The angel had been too shy and awkward to have possibly had some kind of romantic relationship in the past, with a freakin' phoenix, no less. That reaper girl, April, had been his first time…

Except…Cas had been brainwashed. More than once. Taken by Naomi to have his memories erased and reprogrammed to behave like her idyllic version of what angels should be. What if there was a whole other side to Cas Dean had no clue about? And if Cas had hooked up with an Alpha phoenix, Dean could understand why the angels would take issue with that.

He ran a hand over his hair. "Wow. You and Cas."

Ryn shot a dark glower over her shoulder. "It wasn't like that."

Dean frowned. "Then what was it like?"

She shook her head, tilting her chin up at the stars. This far from the barn, the only sounds were the cicadas. Dean knew Sam, Cas, and Crowley were out there, but right here it felt as though they were completely alone.

Ryn's voice dropped to just above a whisper. "He was curious, when we first met. He'd been watching the humans a long time. I think he was worried for their wellbeing when he decided to confront me for living among them."

"Sounds like Cas."

Ryn hummed in agreement. "We struck up a conversation. And then again. And again."

She half-turned toward him, and in the faint halo from the porch light, Dean saw her mouth curve upward in a small, reminiscent smile.

"Since the dawn of my existence, I have been hated and hunted by all things. Castiel was kind and open-minded. The intimacy we shared wasn't physical. It was deeper than that." Her expression morphed into one of sadness. "I have not had its measure since."

Dean shifted his weight in discomfort, regretting steering the conversation this direction. He wasn't even sure which part bothered him the most—that Cas had a life long before he met Dean? That someone else had managed to crack through that callous, soldier of God exterior? Or that there was someone out there who cared for Cas so much, that maybe the angel might leave to stay with her?

Dean cleared his throat. "Does Cas know all this?"

Ryn's mouth pressed into a tight line, and she looked away again. "Sometimes we keep things to ourselves to protect those we care about."

Dean frowned, indignation warring with his urge to leave well enough alone. "He deserves to know the truth."

"A lot has changed since then. He's changed since then." She lifted her solemn gaze to Dean. "It was another lifetime."

Maybe it was, but Dean couldn't help feeling as though Cas should know the truth. He'd lost so much—his dick siblings had taken so much from him. If he had a chance to get some of it back, especially if it was something good…shouldn't Dean stand up for that?

Or, would it cause Cas more pain to learn exactly what he'd lost? You couldn't miss what you never had, right?

A distant crash shattered the silence, jolting Dean out of his thoughts. Shit, was Cain here already? He and Ryn turned to face the barn, listening for any further sounds to give a hint as to what was happening. Dean clenched and unclenched his fist, the echoing thrum of the First Blade calling out to him, knowing it was almost time.

He heard the grating screech of the barn doors being closed. The trap was set. Now they just had to wait a few moments for Cain to walk into it… But then the man himself was suddenly standing in front of them.

Dean stumbled back, grasping Ryn's arm for balance as he gaped in horror. What the hell…this wasn't the plan!

"Hello, Dean," Cain said. "At a loss for words, my son?"

His heart felt as though it was about to hammer out of his chest.

Cain looked at Ryn. "Aderyn, nice to see you again."

Dean's hands fumbled at his waistband. He needed the Blade. Where was Crowley? And Cas? But all Dean heard was what sounded like banging from the inside of the barn and Sam's muffled shouting.

Cain arched a brow, tilting his head toward the noises. "You set a trap for me, Dean. But did you really think I wouldn't notice? Or, let me guess. This is the part where you tell me it's not too late and I can lay down arms, abandon my mission. 'We don't have to fight,'" he simpered.

Dean swallowed hard. Crowley had wanted Cain fully trapped before he'd hand over the Blade, and Cain was not trapped…which meant Dean was probably up shit creek.

"I'll spare us the formalities," he finally managed to say, proud of how level his voice came out. "You're past talking down, Cain, you're fully mental."

"Oh, I prefer to think I've finally gotten clear." He rapped the flat side of his large knife in one palm as he began to pace back and forth in front of them.

Dean exchanged a look with Ryn, but neither of them moved. They were both weaponless, anyhow.

"When I made my bargain with Lucifer, killed Abel," Cain continued. "I released a stain upon the earth, a stain deeper and far more lasting than mere precedence."

"Your bloodline's tainted, so you say," Dean ground out, narrowing his eyes to try to see past Cain toward the barn. Where the hell was Cas?

Cain stopped abruptly. "So I know. Not all killers are my descendants, and not all my descendants are killers, but enough are, enough for me to know that extinguishing them is the least I owe this world." He canted a knowing look at Dean. "Can you honestly tell me that humanity's not better off with fewer Tommy's and fewer Leon's…fewer you's?"

Dean's stomach clenched. That was a dangerous line of reasoning to follow, even if a part of him was inclined to agree. "And what about the kid?"

Cain shrugged. "He could go either way. I prefer to be thorough." He narrowed his eyes on Ryn. "I've figured out why you're here, Aderyn. They think you can remove the Mark. Purification and all that."

Dean tensed. Ryn had made it sound like it would be hard enough to do for one person, let alone two. But how could Dean deny Cain this? Were his crimes enough to hold against him? Because then Dean's certainly were. How much better off would the world be without him in it?

Cain took a menacing step forward. "But why remove the stain from one man, when you can eradicate it from the entire earth?"

Dean opened his mouth to ask what the hell that was supposed to mean, when Cain moved like lightning and clocked him across the head. He hit the ground, vision going even darker than the night. He heard a scuffle and Ryn shout something, but then it was eerily quiet. When Dean managed to blink the black splotches from his eyes, he found himself alone.

"Ryn?" He staggered to his feet and looked around. There was no sign of her, or Cain.

Shit.


A/N: Loreley, you were apparently right to be worried. ;)