Chapter Nine: Hunter's Choice.

Then two men walked through her, fast-paced. And as she stared after them, she realized.

"I'm dying, aren't I?"

.

She raced behind them, after her own body. "Hurry up, Sam!" she saw a car idling near the door, as Sam lowered her body. Sam – Sam Winchester. The Roar of the car engine suddenly flashed a set of images – A laptop screen, a garden path, Dean Winchester at the Bunker Door, Dean's face as she – she stabbed herself.

"Oh, Damn it!"

She sunk down as the car peeled away, memories of her recent moments crowding her.

"I am such an IDIOT! Of course, this is real. This is NOT a hallucination. And now I'm dying." She felt herself shake, uncontrollably.

And then, like mist, she disappeared.

Her vision collapsed; everything was dark. Panic rose to her throat and threatened it rip it out. "Am I dead?"

And just as suddenly as it had gone dark, everything came back into focus. So fast it hurt her.

She was in the moving car, sitting at the feet of her body. Sam sat in the back, her head – her body's head in his lap. She felt a little bittersweet at that – at being cared for like that.

"Why did – why did the little fool have to do it!" Dean bellowed as he pressed the pedal, and the car picked up even more speed. "Dean. She believed she was in Djinn's world. You would have done the same thing in a Djinn's world," Sam said. "I know. I know."

"It's crazy. If she really were in a Djinn's hallucination, she would have broken free." Bobby looked at the back seat, at her face. She wanted to go back into her body so much, but it just didn't seem to work. Dean was about to retort, but Sam's phone rang. "It's Cas." He told them before he answered the call.

"Hey, Cas. Yeah, how do you - Oh okay. Okay. We're at the_ Yeah, wait there." Sam nodded and tapped Dean's shoulder. "Stop at the next turn. Cas is waiting for us there. He says he can help with the girl."

"How does he know?" Dean asked, swerving the car towards the turn. "He says you called him, and the call was on. He heard it all. He was on his way to the bunker."

"Okay. Good. Maybe he can heal her." Dean brought the car to a screeching halt in front of a yellow-golden car.

Reina floated out of the Impala, instinctively, towards Castiel, who stood leaning near his Car's doors. She looked at him, barely bothering to take in his and Dean's conversation. She tuned in to the talk when Castiel began to walk towards the Back seat of the Impala, towards her body.

"I don't know, Sam. Maybe I can heal her, bring her back from – the coma, but –

"But what, Cas?" Dean stood behind him, peeking at Reina's body. "But I may not be able to completely heal the physical wound. I can feel her soul hovering nearby. I can put it back in her body, to wake her, and heal some of the wound, but it will be incomplete, as though done by a human doctor. She may have to heal the wound the normal way."

"That- that's fine. Just, don't let her die."

"Who is she?" Castiel asked as he stepped near the body, preparing to heal her.

"She's – Sam began to answer but Dean finished it – "A Case."

Reina stared at Dean's face when he said it, as though there were something bitter in his mouth. Reina knew at that moment, that this, her action, her being here – was a big mistake. Before she could do anything else, she felt herself contract, as if she were shrinking.

She tried to shout and spread out her hands, but in a flash, she was gone.

And then she woke up.

That's really the bluest blue color, she thought, as her vision focussed and the world around her solidified.

"Hey, Cas." She said, weakly, staring at the angel's eyes, recognizing him as his face sharpened into her view.

"Hey, uh – "Reina." Sam supplied her name. "Hello, Reina." Cas lifted his fingers from her forehead. "How are you feeling?"

"I -uh. I'm okay. I – OW!" Reina clutched her stomach as she tried to sit up. "It hurts a little bit. I'm alright." She said, not looking at anybody. "I'm Sorry –

"We should get back to the bunker." Dean cut in the middle of her apology, and Sam shook his head.

Reina closed her eyes, from both the physical and mental pain.

"Alright Boys - I'm going to hitch a ride with Cas. Let the kid lie down." Bobby looked over at Dean, who was looking away, his expression neutral. But Bobby knew the boys from when they were boys - Dean's stance gave away his fury and uncertainty of what to do with the anger. Bobby sighed, knowing the boy would fume for some time and then simmer down. "Dean, come here a second." Bobby, Dean, and Castiel walked away from the Impala. "What?"

"Don't be mad at the kid. She just tried to do what was best for her." Bobby said, laying a hand on Dean's shoulder. Dean pinched the middle of his eyebrows, sighing towards the ground. "How can I not? She could have died."

"She's been through something strange for the first time, Dean. She just got teleported to a different universe, apparently the universe of her dreams. You and Sam, you're her idols. She looks at you like she worships you." Bobby said, holding Dean by the shoulders. The kid really needed to be made to believe in himself sometimes.

"That's another problem. Why? Why does she – find any kind of solace in this sad story?"

"That's for her to answer, boy. All I'm saying is, don't go scolding her. She ain't lived this life."

Dean chuckled; sarcasm evident in his laugh. "For a girl outside hunting life, she sure made a hunter's choice."

"She did."