Demon Seals

Chapter Four: Aftermath

So you know how it's canon in the show that time in Hell passes differently than it does on Earth? Well, I decided that it's the same for Heaven. We'll see more of that in future chapters, but I just wanted to give you a head's up now that ten years in Heaven = one month on Earth, just like Hell. I hope all my American peeps had an enjoyable Memorial Day weekend! My husband I went to my in-laws cabin in the mountains, and our kids had a blast!

The next two weeks after Dean's death were spent reviewing everything there was to know about demons and Hell (there had been no way to free Dad, but surely there's a way to free Dean), summoning Crossroads demons, drinking, and having nightmares of Dean being torn up by the invisible Hellhound. Soon, Sam had no leads, no ideas, and the last of his hope was dissipating quickly.

Lisa Braeden called during those two weeks to ask about Dean and Sam coming to Ben's ninth birthday party. Sam couldn't bring himself to tell her the truth.

"There was an accident," he said somberly, "with… a witch. Dean is… he's in a coma. I don't know how to wake him up."

"Oh God," Lisa whispered. "Sam I — I'm so sorry. Can I ask where…?"

"It isn't safe to tell you where he is," Sam told her quietly. "And I don't know how long it'll take to figure this out."

Lisa was silent for several seconds. "Will you let us know if you ever find a way to wake him up?"

"Yeah," Sam said, voice choked with emotion. "Take care of yourself and Ben, Lisa."

"I will. You take care of yourself, too."

It was easier to turn to drink at the end of those two weeks with that lie sitting sour at the back of Sam's mouth.

Dean is dead.

Two days into his drinking binge, two demons attacked. Sam barely fended them off and killed them both with Ruby's knife. Kurdish demon killing blade, his research told him. Whatever. Dean was still in Hell, special Kurdish blade aside.

Sam regretted not having the instructions to make those hex bags Ruby had carried around to cloak his location, but since he couldn't find a way to bring Dean back, maybe being killed was best.

What was the point of living without his brother?

There were regular demon attacks over the next two weeks. Despite being constantly intoxicated, he managed to stay alive. He didn't want to be. There was no point in any of it when Dean wasn't there.

Then, one night, Sam dreamed of Dean, strung up with chains and meat hooks, screaming under the hand of a demon as he was cut up into little pieces.

"Yes," the demon croons, "scream nice and loud for Alistair."

Sam woke up and retched all over himself, horrified by what his mind had created for him.

He hit the booze even harder after that.

"This particular soul was gifted, one could say, with abilities beyond that which the average humans were given by our Father," Sariah told Castiel and Balthazar a few days after Castiel had delivered Danielle to Jared's Heaven. "Most who have abilities exceeding the status quo do not have those abilities carry through beyond the veil and into Heaven."

"So this Danielle is unique," Balthazar said flatly.

"Yes," Sariah replied. "It would seem she is."

"Does she pose a threat to Heaven?" Castiel asked with concern. "If she was able to sense my presence, could she become more aware of her surroundings and try to escape her Heaven?"

"Well, why would she want to escape?" questioned Balthazar. "You said that she did a great service for our cause on Earth and was rewarded by being placed with her beloved even though they weren't soul mates." Castiel nodded, as did Sariah. Balthazar shrugged. "So, then, what cause could she have to want to leave when she's been given everything promised her?"

Castiel turned to face his fellow soldier. "You didn't hear her voice," he said. "She was most angry when she sensed my presence, almost as though she thought she had no reason to trust me or any other angel."

"My superiors are concerned because of this," Sariah cut in. "We have been asked to consider Danielle Palmer, and by extension, Jared Palmer, as potentially… troublesome." Her voice held distaste for the word. "Our garrison has been ordered to place periodic surveillance in their Heaven. We must be certain that Danielle will not attempt to do anything but enjoy her place in paradise with her life partner."

Castiel volunteered to take the first shift. Balthazar offered to partner with him, seemingly curious about this new soul. They flew off to the Heaven Danielle was sharing with Jared and stationed themselves some distance away.

Immediately, Castiel had the impression that Danielle knew they were there. She and Jared were eating food on a blanket in the middle of the valley Castiel had seen on his last visit, and upon their arrival, he was almost certain that her posture had changed from relaxed to stiff. However, there was no change in the conversation she was having with Jared, so Castiel thought maybe he was seeing things that weren't there to be seen. Maybe he had read too much into Danielle's entrance into this piece of paradise.

"So you think there's a bigger plot?" Jared was asking.

"I don't think," Danielle told him. "I know there's a bigger plot. And fool that I was, I played right into it."

"Why d'you think that?"

"Because I… I had told myself I would do anything to see you again," Danielle answered, voice low and sad. "And when I was presented with the chance to see you again, I took it. I went against every moral code I have because an angel told me it was my one shot at seeing you again, at being able to spend eternity with you." She looked down. "They said I was doing Heaven's work. I feel like I was a pawn in a political scheme."

Castiel listened to all of this and frowned. How could doing the work of their Father feel like less than what it was?

"What did she do?" Balthazar asked.

"I do not know," Castiel answered, noticing that Danielle's shoulders were now ramrod straight, "only that it was the work of Heaven."

Balthazar frowned at the female. "Then why isn't she pleased?" he asked. "Unless she had to take a life…"

"Why would she take a life?" Castiel asked.

"It's just…" Balthazar trailed off. "I heard rumors of a steady stream of souls coming into Heaven that had been killed on Earth due to unusual impurities."

"Impurities," Castiel echoed. "What sort of impurities?"

"I don't know," Balthazar said. "I suppose I am just… speculating that she was the source of the deaths. Unless she tells Jared what it was that she did, we may never know." He tiled his head, watching the couple as they turned the topic of conversation to something simple and light.

Still, Danielle never seemed to truly relax for the duration of Castiel and Balthazar's shift.

When their shift ended, the two angels reported to Sariah. "She is most cognizant of her surroundings," their leader said thoughtfully. "Most souls do not realize they are in Paradise."

"Could she have an effect on her life partner?" asked Castiel. "Could he, too, become more aware of the passage of time and his place in Heaven?"

"I am afraid so," Sariah answered, "but separating them permanently is not an option as it goes against the promises made before she did what was asked of her. Perhaps if she becomes troublesome, it might become necessary to…" She trailed off and shook her head. "Thank you both for your report. You may return to your usual duties."

Castiel left Sariah's presence, but his thoughts kept straying to the strange soul in their care. What could Danielle have meant about political schemes?

His next shift guard-watching the soul was done alone about two weeks later. Danielle and Jared's Heaven was different this time. Jared was involved in a memory and Danielle was silently watching. Castiel remained hidden as always, but then —

"I know you're there."

Danielle turned away from Jared's memory to face Castiel directly. "D'you have a form I'm capable of seeing?" she asked, raising her eyebrows and placing her hands on her hips.

Castiel considered his options very carefully. His orders were to observe only, which meant he should leave and report this attempt at interaction right away.

And yet…

This soul intrigued him. Castiel couldn't identify what it was exactly that drew him to this female, but he found he didn't want to leave. So, he carefully formed the visage of a nondescript human form without his majestic wings, and allowed it to appear to Danielle. "Hello, Danielle," he said.

Danielle gave a little sound from her throat and stalked forward. "Got a name?" she asked impertinently.

"My name is Castiel," the angel answered.

Danielle's eyes narrowed. "You're the one who brought me here," she said.

"That is correct," Castiel answered, "but that is not something you should have been aware of."

"Seriously?" Danielle scoffed. "I wasn't supposed to be aware of the bright lights, o-or the blinding presence of angelic power standing over me, holding me so close I could burst into flames right then and there? How could I not notice any of that?"

Jared let out a loud bark of laughter from his memory. "Why is your life partner not involved in this conversation right now?" Castiel asked curiously.

Danielle glared at him. "Because I made him," she said dismissively. "I have questions, and I'm guessing you have answers."

"But what you have done to Jared is manipulative and shouldn't be possible."

Danielle laughed. "Wow. You're really gonna say that? To me?"

"Why would I say anything else?"

"After how manipulative your bosses were?" Danielle snorted and crossed her arms over her chest as she threw the word right back at him with nothing less than venom in her voice. "It's hard to know where the line is after the shit I went through."

Castiel considered the human before him, and her shoulders grew more and more tense as the seconds dragged on. "What wrongs do you believe were done to you by my superiors?" he finally asked.

Danielle's face contorted into a most unpleasant expression. "They abused my faith," she snarled, "twisted it so I'd do their dirty work and set a — a damn chain reaction into motion that included me sacrificing myself… All so they'd get what they want!"

Castiel shook his head. "This does not sound like the work of my superiors," he told her. "I'm certain you were and now are mistaken in their intentions."

Danielle burst out laughing. "What was I thinking," she finally said, "hoping that a damn angel would believe the words of a lowly soul!" She turned and started walking toward Jared. "You'll never believe me so long as you're so certain that angels can do no wrong," she tossed over her shoulder. "Now get yourself all invisible again, I'm done talking to you."

Castiel obeyed the command without even thinking about it as Danielle stepped up behind Jared and said in a strangely compelling tone of voice, "Remember me."

Jared's head snapped up and he immediately turned, looking baffled at his surroundings. "Did I…? Was I lost?"

Danielle threw her arms around Jared and hugged him tightly. "You were," she said, voice shaky and body trembling against Jared's. "I wasn't sure if I was gonna find you!"

Jared wrapped his arms around Danielle and pulled her even closer. "You'll always find me," he said softly. "I know it."

Danielle had lied to Jared.

Why? Just in the hopes of speaking to an angel? To him?

And he had broken protocol to speak with the soul.

This would not look good to his superiors.