Are You There, God? It's Me, Dean Winchester Part 1

Bobby was sitting at his desk with a pile of books in front of him. Sam was sitting in a chair in the opposite corner talking to Dean and Angela, who were standing.

"Well, then tell me what else it could be." Sam said.

"Look, all I know is I was not groped by an angel."

"Okay, look, guys." Sam said. "Why do you think this Castiel would lie to you about it?"

"Maybe he's some kind of demon." Dean suggested. "Demons lie."

"A demon who's immune to salt rounds and devil's traps… and Ruby's knife?" Angela asked. I mean, she didn't wanna believe it either, but she didn't have another option.

"Dean, Lilith is scared of that thing!" Sam agreed.

"Don't you think that if angels were real, that some hunter somewhere would have seen one… at some point… ever?" Dean asked.

"Yeah. You and Angie just did, Dean." Sam replied.

"I'm trying to come up with a theory here. Okay? Work with me." Dean said.

"Dean, we have a theory." Sam said.

"Yeah, one with a little less fairy dust on it, please."

"Okay, look. I'm not saying we know for sure." Angela said.

"I'm just saying that I think we—Sam started.

"Okay, okay. That's the point." Dean replied. "We don't know for sure, so I'm not gonna believe that this thing is a freaking Angel of the Lord because it says so!"

"You three Chuckleheads want to keep arguing religion, or do you want to come take a look at this?" Bobby asked.

Sam, Dean and Angela walked over to Bobby's desk.

"I got stacks of lore, Biblical, pre-Biblical. Some of it's in damn cuneiform. It all says an angel can snatch a soul from the pit."

"What else?" Dean asked.

"What else, what?" Bobby countered.

"What else could do it?"

"Airlift your ass out of the hot box?" Bobby asked. "As far as I can tell, nothing."

"Guys, this is good news." Sam said.

"How?" Angela asked.

"Because for once, this isn't just another round of demon crap." Sam replied. "I mean, maybe Dean was saved by one of the good guys, you know?"

"Okay. Say it's true. Say there are angels." Dean said. "Then what? There's a God?"

"At this point, Vegas money's on yeah." Bobby nodded.

"I don't know, guys." Angela said hesitantly. She was kind of on the verge of both sides.

"Okay, look. I know you two aren't all choirboy about this stuff, but this is becoming less and less about faith and more and more about proof." Sam said to Dean and Angela.

"Proof?" Dean asked.

"Yes." Sam nodded.

"Proof that there's a God out there that actually gives a crap about me personally?" Dean asked. "I'm sorry, but I'm not buying it."

"Why not?" Sam asked.

"Because why me? If there is a God out there, why would he give a crap about me?"

"Dean—

"I mean, I've saved some people, okay? I figured that made up for the stealing and the ditching chicks. But why do I deserve to get saved? I'm just a regular guy."

"Apparently, you're a regular guy that's important to the man upstairs."

"Well, that creeps me out. I mean, I don't like getting singled out at birthday parties, much less by… God."

"Okay, well, too bad, Dean, because I think he wants you to strap on your party hat."

"But it raises another question." Angela said. "Why was it God's mission to get me back to hunting with you two?" she raised a brow.

Sam looked at him. "Maybe you're just meant to hunt with us." He suggested, a small smile starting to tug at his lips.

She looked at him. "Maybe." She muttered.

"Fine." Dean nodded. "What do we know about angels?"

Bobby picked up a pile of fat and weighty looking books and put them in front of Dean.

"Start reading."

Dean looked at the pile of books, and turned towards Sam.

"You're gonna get me some pie. Angie you're staying with me."

"Okie doke." She said. She grabbed two books from the top of the pile and handed one to Dean.

~/~\~

The Impala pulled up to a stop. Sam was driving while on the phone.

"Yes, Dean, I'll get the chips." Sam said. "Dude. When have I ever forgotten the pie? Exactly."

Sam got out of the car and saw Ruby waiting.

"I got to go. Yeah, all right. Bye."

Sam walked over to Ruby.

"Ruby."

"So, is it true?" she asked.

"Is what true?"

"Did an angel rescue Dean?"

"You heard."

"Who hasn't?" she raised a brow.

"We're not 100% sure, but I think so."

"Okay. Bye, Sam." Ruby said.

Ruby started walking away. Sam grabbed her arm and turned her back to face him.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. Wait." He said. "What's going on?"

"Sam, they're angels." She replied. "I'm a demon. They're not gonna care if I'm being helpful. They smite first, and then they ask questions later."

"What do you know about them?" he asked.

"Not much." She answered. "I've never met one, and I don't really want to. All I know is that they scare the holy hell out of me. Watch yourself, Sam."

"I'm not scared of angels."

Ruby walked away, leaving Sam alone.

~/~\~

Sam pulled up to the house. Bobby approached the car window.

"Keep the engine running."

"Why? What's going on?" Sam asked.

"I got a friend one state over, Olivia Lowry." Bobby replied. "I've been trying to reach her for three days on this angel thing. It's not like her to ignore this many calls."

"Olivia Lowry, a hunter, right?" Sam asked.

"Yeah. We're gonna go check on her. You guys follow me."

Dean and Angela approached the Impala and got in as Bobby headed to his own car.

"Scoot over." Dean told Sam as Angela got in the back.

Dean grabbed the bag of food Sam brought back and looked inside.

"Dude?" Dean asked.

"Yeah?" Sam replied.

"Where's the pie?"

~/~\~

Bobby entered the house, armed with a gun, followed by Dean, Sam and Angela who were also armed. They searched for Olivia.

"Olivia?" Bobby asked.

They saw Olivia dead and covered in blood on the floor. Bobby walked away, out of the room.

"Bobby?" Angela asked.

"Salt line." Sam pointed.

Sam, Dean and Angela looked around the room.

"Olivia was rocking the EMF meter." Angela said as she picked it up.

Sam nodded. "Spirit activity."

"Yeah, on steroids." Dean replied. "I've never seen a ghost do this to a person."

Bobby entered the room again, his phone in his hand.

"Bobby, you all right?" Angela asked.

"I called some hunters nearby…" Bobby said.

"Good. We can use their help." Dean replied.

"…except they ain't answering their phones either." Bobby continued.

"Something's up, huh?" Sam asked.

"You think?" Bobby replied.

Bobby walked out of the room and Sam, Dean and Angela looked concerned.

~/~\~

"Yeah, this is Jed. I'm not around. Uh, leave a message." A male voice said from the answering machine.

"Jed, Dean Winchester again, friend of Bobby Singer's." Dean said. "Look, we think something's happening. We think it's happening to hunters. Just want to make sure you're okay. Call me back."

~/~\~

Dean, Sam and Angela were walking down the stairs, exiting the house. Dean was on the phone.

"We're in Jackson." Dean said. "It's not pretty. He looks even worse than Olivia. What about you?"

Bobby was in his car, driving, also on the phone. "R.C. I checked on Carl Bates and R.C. Adams. They've redecorated… in red."

"What the hell is going on here, Bobby? Why did a bunch of ghosts suddenly want to gank off-duty hunters?"

"I don't know, but until we find out, you three better get your asses to my place."

"We're on our way." Dean replied.

Dean, Sam and Angela were driving, and pulled up to a stop at a service station. The car stopped, and Sam put a gas pump in the car. Sam walked to the restroom while the gas was pumping. Dean was asleep in the passenger's seat and Angela was asleep in the back. Sam was washing his hands in the bathroom, when he breathed out and his breath was visible. The bathroom mirror covered with foggy mist, which Sam wiped away with his hand. He was startled to see Henriksen's reflection.

"Hi, Sam." Henriksen said. "It's been a while."

"Henriksen." Sam said. "Are you, did you—

"I didn't survive… if that's what you're asking."

"I'm sorry."

"I know you are."

"Look, if we'd known Lilith was coming—

"You wouldn't have left half a dozen innocent people in that police station die in your place." Henriksen said. "You did this to me. It was your fault. She was after you and Angela, and I paid the price. You left us there to die!"

Henriksen attacked Sam, grabbing him hard, and threw him around. Sam noticed a small brand on Henriksen's hand. Sam was thrown against the mirrors and Henriksen knocked Sam's head on the sink. Sam fell to the ground. Dean and Angela entered and shot at Henriksen, whose ghost disappeared.

~/~\~

Dean was driving, on the phone. Sam was in the passenger seat with bruises on his face and Angela was in the back.

"Dammit, Bobby! Pick up!" Dean yelled at his phone. "How you feeling, huh?" he asked Sam. "How many fingers am I holding up?"

"None. I'll be fine, Dean."

"Henriksen?" Angela asked.

"Yep."

"Why? What did he want?" she asked.

"Revenge, 'cause we got him killed."

"Sam." Dean said.

"Well, we did, Dean." Sam replied.

"All right." Dean said. "Stop right there. Whatever the hell is going on, it's happening to us now, okay?" he raised a brow. "I can't get a hold of Bobby, so if you're not thinking answers, don't think at all."

~/~\~

Dean, Sam and Angela entered the house, guns cocked and ready.

"Bobby?" Angela asked.

They found an iron poker on the ground.

Dean gestured to the stairs. "I'll go. You two check outside."

Sam and Angela walked through the junkyard. Bobby was in a car with two girls, who were keeping him quiet.

"Bobby?" Sam called.

"Bobby?" Angela asked.

Dean was upstairs, searching.

"Bobby?" Dean asked.

A door opened, slowly, no one was visible.

"Come out, come out, whoever you are." Dean said.

A young woman with shoulder-length brown hair appeared behind him.

"Dean Winchester. Still so bossy. You don't recognize me?"

Dean flashed back to Meg when she was blonde and possessed.

"This is what I looked like before that demon cut off my hair and dressed me like a slut."

Dean flashed back again to Meg when she was blonde and possessed.

"Meg?"

"Hi. It's okay, I'm not a demon."

~/~\~

"It's okay, I'm not a demon."

"You're the girl the demon possessed."

"Meg Masters." Meg replied. "Nice to finally talk to you when I', not, you know, choking on my own blood." Meg held up her hands. "It's okay. Seriously, I'm just a college girl. Sorry, was. I was walking home one night and got jumped by all this smoke. Next thing you know, I'm a prisoner…" she put a hand to her head. "In here. Now, I was awake. I had to watch while she murdered people."

"I'm sorry." Dean said.

"Oh, yeah? So sorry toy had me thrown off a building?"

"Well, we thought—

"No, you didn't think! I kept waiting, praying! I was trapped in there screaming at you! 'Just help me, please!' You're supposed to help people, Dean. Why didn't you help me?"

"I'm sorry." Dean said again.

"Stop saying you're sorry!"

Meg slapped Dean and knocked him onto the floor.

"Meg. Meg…"

Meg kicked Dean.

"We didn't know." He said.

"No… you just attacked. Did you ever think there was a girl in here? No. You just charged in, slashing and burning. You think you're some kind of hero?"

"No, I don't."

Meg grabbed hold of Dean's jacket. Her hand has a brand on it.

"You're damn right." She replied. "Do you have any idea what it's like to be ridden for months by pure evil… while your family has no idea what happened to you?"

"We did the best we could."

Meg shoved Dean and kicked him again.

~/~\~

The girls still held Bobby captive.

"Are you scared, Bobby?"

"We were scared, Bobby."

"When the monster came for us… and grabbed us tight."

"And we couldn't even scream. You were right there, Bobby."

"You were in the house."

"You were so close."

Sam and Angela were outside searching for Bobby. Their breath became visible.

"Bobby?" Angela called.

"You could have saved us, Bobby."

"We're here, Bobby?" Sam asked.

"You walked right past the door."

"The monster had us. And you didn't fine us."

"And now they won't find you."

~/~\~

Dean was still on the floor, Meg standing over him.

"It wasn't just me, Dean." She said. "I had a sister. A little sister. She worshiped me. You know how little siblings are, right? How they'll do anything for you. She was never the same after I disappeared. She just… she just got lost. And when my body was lying in the morgue beat-up and broken…"

"Meg."

"Do you know what that did to her? She killed herself!" she kicked Dean in the stomach. "Because of you, Dean! Because all you were thinking about was your family, your revenge, and your demons! 50 words of Latin a little sooner, and I'd still be alive. My baby sister would still be alive. That blood is on your hands, Dean!"

"You're right." He replied.

Meg kicked at Dean again.

~/~\~

Angela spotted a reflection. "Hey." She alerted Sam.

They worked their way up to a pile of cars towards Bobby.

"Bobby!" Sam yelled. "Hold on, Bobby! We're coming! Bobby!"

Sam used a crowbar to pry open the doors to the car where Bobby was being held. The girls pushed him backwards and he landed on another car below, bleeding. One of the girls jumped on him. Sam used the crowbar and Angela ran over to Bobby. Bobby did the same to the other girl and they disappeared. Angela made sure Bobby was all right.

~/~\~

Dean was still on the ground. He took out a gun and aimed it at Meg.

"Come on, Dean, did your brain get French-fried in Hell? You can't shoot me with bullets."

"I'm not shooting you."

Dean aimed his gun and shot at the ceiling. A chandelier fell and landed on Meg.

"Iron."

~/~\~

Dean, Sam, Angela and Bobby were in the study.

"So, they're all people we know?" Angela asked.

"Not just know." Dean said. "People we couldn't save. Hey, I saw something on Meg. Did she have a tattoo when she was alive?"

"I don't think so." Sam replied.

"It was like a, a mark on her hand, almost like a brand." Dean said.

"I saw a mark, took, on Henriksen." Sam nodded.

"What did it look like?" Angela asked.

"Uh, paper?" Sam asked. Bobby offered him paper and he took it. He sketched the mark. "Thanks."

Sam held up the drawing for Dean to compare.

"That's it." Dean said.

"I may have seen this before. We got to move." Bobby replied.

"Whoa." Sam said.

"Follow me."

"Okay, where are we going?" Sam asked.

"Some place safe, you idiot."

Bobby picked up some books and lead Sam, Dean and Angela to a basement room, which was made entirely of iron and covered with pentagrams and Devil's traps.

"Bobby, is this…" Angela started.

"Solid iron. Completely coated in salt. 100% ghost-proof." He replied.

"You built a panic room?" Angela smiled.

"I had a weekend off." He shrugged.

"Bobby." Dean said.

"What?"

"You're awesome." Dean smiled. He saw a poster of a swimsuit model. "Oh."

Sam, Dean and Angela were making iron bullets.

"See, this is why I can't get behind God." Dean said.

"What are you talking about?" Sam asked.

"If he doesn't exist, fine." Angela said. "Bad crap happens to good people. That's how it is. There's no rhyme or reason, just random, horrible, evil, I get it, okay." She added. "I can roll with that."

"But if he is out there, what's wrong with him?" Dean continued. "Where the hell is he while all these decent people are getting torn to shreds? How does he live with himself? You know, why doesn't he help?"

"I ain't touching this one with a 10-foot pole." Bobby replied.

"Yeah." Dean said.

"Found it." Bobby said.

"What?" Sam asked.

"The symbol you saw, the brand on the ghosts…"

"Yeah?" Angela asked.

"Mark of the Witness." Bobby replied.

"Witness? Witness to what?" Sam asked.

"The unnatural. None of them died what you'd call ordinary deaths. See, these ghosts, they were forced to rise. They woke up in agony. They were like rabid dogs. It ain't their fault. Someone rose them… on purpose."

"Who?" Sam asked.

"Do I look like I know?" Bobby asked. "But whoever it was used a spell so powerful it left a mark, a brand on their souls. Whoever did this had big plans. It's called 'the rising of the witnesses.' It figures into an ancient prophecy."

"Wait, wait." Angela said. "What, what book is that prophecy from?"

"Well, the widely distributed version's just for tourists, you know." Bobby replied. "But long story short, Revelations. This is a sign, you three."

"A sign of what?" they all asked.

"The apocalypse."

A/N: Hey guys! I'm super excited for the next few chapters because of the Cas/Angela interactions. They're not exactly gonna start off as friends, so I think that'll be interesting. Also, in a few chapters we're gonna find out a few things about Angela's parents, her mother specifically, so be prepared for that.

Don't forget to review, review, review! Love you guys!

~Emily