Rocket Brothers

Dean turns the seemingly innocent piece of wood between his thumb and index finger. Except for the bluish shine, looking very much like angelic grace, it feels and looks just like normal wood. He tries not to think too much about how the grace reminds him of Cas, of the times where Cas would let his grace shine through and show just how powerful an angel he was. IS.

He knows that Rowena said that the Amulet is pumped with power, but in his rough, human hands it might as well just be a splinter. How is this going to help them get Cas back? How can something so small beat the oldest being in the universe? Hopefully, the remaining three pieces will turn it into a Transformer or something. Something big and badass that will kick the Empty's ass.

It's not until Sam comes down the stairs that Dean realises that the sun is slowly rising above the horizon, and he hasn't gone to bed all night.

Sam stops short on the stairs when he sees his brother on the couch. "Funny, I could've sworn that's exactly where I left you last night when you promised to go to bed soon."

"That's your idea of being funny?" Dean mumbles. His throat is dry, and he suddenly feels how heavy his body is from the lack of sleep. He puts the Amulet on the table, and Sam takes the gesture as an invitation to join him.

When Sam sits down next to Dean on the couch, Dean nods his head towards the Amulet and asks: "What do you think the glowing angel means?"

"I don't know. We need to do some more research," Sam admits.

"And we need to find out how to get to the other Amulets." Dean runs his hands down his face.

"First, you need to sleep." When Dean is about to argue, Sam continues: "Nope, I'm not having you all grumpy and sleep-deprived in the bunker. I might be used to it, but some of the others may kill you for being an asshole. Go get a few hours, and then join me at the bunker."

"Fine," Dean sighs, running his hands down his face. "But you better not take Baby. I'm not driving your soccer-mom-car."

-.-.-.-.-

Dean wakes three hours later, and after munching down on two pieces of burnt toast, he happily finds Baby in the garage.

The drive from Sam's and Eileen's home down to the bunker is quickly becoming familiar, and Dean is slowly understanding the appeal of driving to work. Even though the bunker felt like home to him once, he was always also surrounded by work. To get to go home to a place away from all the supernatural… well, it isn't too bad.

Dean finds Sam in the library together with Morgan, surrounded by dusty, old books. The moment he locks eyes with huntress, he sends her an apologetic smile. She still looks like sin in high heels, but he's still not feeling it, and that makes him what to apologise because she was clearly on. He once again has to ask himself: What the hell?

It doesn't work though, as Morgan just gets up from her seat with an insincere smile on her face. "Excuse me, Sam." She sends Dean a look that clearly states that he's blacklisted.

Sam looks between Morgan and Dean. He claps a hand down on the table before sighing: "Oh Dean, you didn't…"

"No, I didn't," Dean grumbles and sits down at the table.

Sam's expression changes from exasperated to confused. "You didn't?"

Dean huffs: "No, I didn't. And don't look at me like that, I don't get it either." But at least this leaves him and Sam alone to talk about their next step. He clears his throat and gestures to the books. "Found anything?"

"Maybe." Sam turns one of the books to show the text to Dean. "I've been thinking about how to get to the other Amulets in Heaven, Purgatory and the Veil. We've got the old spell for getting to Purgatory-"

"-But no Archangel," Dean finishes.

"Nope," Sam confirms. "And except for you slipping out the cracks, Jack has closed Heaven off. Plus, as far as I know, we would have to be dead to get in. So that leaves us with the Veil."

"I could pass over with those meds again, remember?" Dean suggests, thinking back of the creepy ghost doctor's hunted house.

"Or we could not kill ourselves and use astral projection instead." Sam points to the book. "I found the spell that Pamela used all those years ago."

"Great." Dean claps his hands together, thinking back at the memory. Hopefully they'll all make it out alive this time. Poor Pamela. It had been a great relieve for his conscience to meet her in Heaven and get her forgiveness. "Damn, that's a long time ago, huh?"

"Yeah," Sam agrees with a small smile. "Now we just need to know where and when to use the spell."

Dean leans back in his seat. "You're thinking that the Amulet is in a specific spot in the Veil, like the Amulet in Hell."

"Yup. And I'm thinking there might be some kind of test or something as well."

"Great. That's just great. So, I suggest we go kick Chuck's ass until he spills the beans," Dean smiles wickedly.

"That would be a great idea, but he's M.I.A. Now that he knows he's under surveillance, he's being more careful," Sam explains.

"Damn that cockroach!" Dean hisses. Then he closes his eyes. "Alright. We'll figure it out ourselves. In Hell, he hid the Amulet where Lucifer couldn't get to it. Who would he have to hide it from in the Veil?"

"Death? The reapers? The souls?" Sam suggests. "All of the above?"

Dean sits up straighter as a thought strikes him. "Death's library. Billie had full control of that place. It would keep the Amulet away from prying eyes, right? I mean, he might even have hidden it right under Billie's nose, being the sleazy scum that he is?"

Sam perks up as well. "That would actually be a great hiding place."

"And you know the best part?" Dean smirks.

Sam smirks back. "We have the key."

-.-.-.-.-

The brothers quickly move down the familiar hallways to the storage rooms. They burst through the door and abruptly stops when they almost run into Morgan. There's a moment of awkward silence before Sam turns to Dean.

"I'll go get the key." Though Sam sounds casual, the look he sends Dean screams Fix this! He doesn't have the time or patience for his brother and his techie to do this awkward dancing around.

Before Dean can stop him, Sam disappears between the bookcases. When he looks back at Morgan, she's watching him with a raised eyebrow. She definitely caught Sam's look as well. She turns back to a box of crystals, pretending to look for something specific, but her body language is zoomed in on whatever Dean is going to do.

Dean clears his throat. "Hey, listen… About what happened, or didn't happen…" He starts awkwardly. "I don't know why… I mean, you're clearly… It just-"

"It's fine!" Morgan interrupts, rolling her eyes before turning back to look at him. She slowly smiles forgivingly. "Sure, I'm not used to a guy turning me down when I turn on the charm, but hey, I'm a big girl. And I was just looking for a bit of fun anyway, so hey, your loss."

Dean can't stop himself from letting his eyes make a one-second-quick travel down her body before agreeing. "Definitely my loss."

Morgan lets out a small laugh, and that only makes her even prettier. But still, Dean is fine with his lack of action. Damn, he can't figure out what's wrong with him.

Sam comes around the bookshelves carrying the familiar box with the Key to Death. He looks back and forth between the two.

Morgan rolls her eyes again. "Jeez, you guys! We're fine, okay?"

"Okay," Sam smiles before looking back down at the box and then back up at Morgan. "Actually, we could use your help."

-.-.-.-.-

Morgan gets back on her feet, looking down at her supernatural art piece. "There you go." The dungeon floor is decorated with a blue spray paint star-like symbol. "One first class reaper trap."

"Thanks, Morgan." Sam looks over her impeccable work. "And you're still okay with guarding the door?"

"Sure thing, boss." To demonstrate her point, she sits down on a chair in the corner of the room with a rock salt loaded shotgun. "I'll shoot anything that comes through that door. Even you guys."

"I thought we were cool?" Dean raises an eyebrow at her, sending her a smile to let her know he's joking. "Where's the love?"

"I'm a tough love kinda girl." Morgan smiles back predatorily.

Sam clears his throat, picking up his duffel of weapons. "Alright, you guys. Are we doing this?"

Dean follows his brother's example and picks up his own duffel. He takes out his own shotgun. "Let's go."

Sam picks up the box and takes out the Key to Death. Walking up to the wall, he starts reading the Latin inscription. As the last syllable falls from his lips, a door appears on the wall in front of him.

Dean raises his shotgun, just a little, ready in case anything comes through the door. He can sense Morgan doing the same behind them.

Nothing pushes through the door.

Sam puts down the box and digs his own shotgun out from his duffel and steps up to the door. He looks at Dean, and at the small, affirmative nod from his older brother, Sam opens the door. They move quickly inside, scanning their surroundings for movements.

But the library is quiet.

They move a bit further, scanning the nearby bookcase aisles. They are in section W, which seems to be their regular landing place. The seemingly never-ending bookcases make it impossible to get a proper overview of the entire room.

Still, nothing.

"Seems a bit too quiet, doesn't it?" Dean whispers.

"Maybe," Sam agrees but dares to hope. "Or maybe Death is just busy. We should move fast."

"Easier said than done. What the hell are we even looking for?" Dean counters, checking another couple of W-aisles for potential enemies. "E for Empty? S for Shadow?"

"Maybe…" But then Sam remembers something. "Or maybe not. Remember Chuck's book? It didn't have a name, but a symbol. The Alpha-Omega."

Dean nods. "Alright, let's find the Greek section, then." He looks back and forth. "You think it's before or after our alphabet?"

Sam nods to the left. "I think we should check out Death's desk."

They move quickly and quietly past the bookcases. For a brief second, Dean wonders if his shelf has been filled again. He's not sure if he wants to know. Right now, he's not sure if he wants to stay alive or if he would prefer to go back to being dead. Something about being back again just feels wrong. But if being alive can bring Cas back, he'll make sure to stay alive for as long as it takes.

They reach the desk, which looks surprisingly humble in these surroundings. Luckily, the table is unoccupied.

"We're still in the W section," Dean states the obvious. How big is this place anyway?

Sam walks around the table, trying to find anything that could give them a clue. "Here's nothing."

"Great…" Dean mumbles, looking up and down the endless bookcases. "So, we split up?"

"It'll take forever. We're almost eight billion people on Earth, and each of us have multiple possible deaths," Sam sighs and leans against the edge of the table.

"Then what?"

"I don't know," Sam admits with a small head shake.

Dean drags the hand that is not holding the shotgun through his hair in frustration. God damnit, there has to be something they can do. Did Death ever tell him something useful, or did Tessa? Or how about…

"We bind Death," Dean suggests.

"What?" Sam looks up in surprise.

"Remember when we used a binding spell to summon Death to kill Cas, back when he was high on Leviathans? We do that and get Death to bring us the book."

"And then what?" Sam counters. "The moment we let Death go, it'll kill us."

"So we keep it trapped."

"And keep people from dying? Remember how well that usually goes?" Sam asks with a raised eyebrow.

"Fine!" Dean relents. "Then we catch a Reaper. Like Preacher Roy's wife. We catch a Reaper and get it to bring us the book."

"And then the Reaper kills us when we release it, like it did with Roy's wife," Sam repeats exasperatedly.

"Yes, but we can keep it hidden for longer than Death, and people will still die, like they should. I'll bind it, and when we release it…" And here comes the hard sale, "… I'll let it kill me."

"What?" Sam jumps up. "You can't be serious."

"We both know that I'm not supposed to be back, Sammy," Dean states calmly.

"No, we don't know that. Maybe you're meant to be here," Sam stresses.

"Sammy…"

"Don't 'Sammy' me!" Sam almost shouts. "We don't know what's going on here. You think that you're back to save Cas, but maybe you're also back to live the life you didn't get to live. Why is it so difficult for you to even consider that?"

"Because it would be too good to be true!" Dean shouts back.

"Ahem…"

Dean and Sam turn in unison to the voice that suddenly comes from behind Dean, shotguns coming up to point at what looks like a young, Asian woman. They both know that she is not as weak and innocent as she looks, not in a place like this.

"What are you doing here?" She asks, looking annoyed by their presence.

"Who's asking?" Dean counters.

"I asked first." She's like an antagonistic teenager.

Before Dean can come up with a just as antagonistic answer, most likely in the form of a round of rock salt, Sam quickly says: "You're a Reaper, aren't you? We're here, looking for a special death book, to save our friend. Can you help us?"

She stares between the brothers for a while. "Why would I?"

"Because if you don't, we'll bind your ass and make you," Dean sneers. "You know who we are. You know we'll do it."

Sam looks exasperatedly at his brother and hisses: "Dean. Seriously?"

Still, Dean's threat makes the Reaper worry her lips in a nervous tick. "Even if I did help you, only Death can read the books."

"Let us worry about that," Dean answers with more confidence than he feels. She's right. If the Amulet is kept in a book, they might not be able to open it. They might actually have to bind Death like he suggested five minutes ago. And then someone, if not both of them, will end up dead.

The Reaper looks around, as if looking for someone before looking back at the brothers, her voice barely audible: "Which book?"

"The book of the Empty," Sam whispers back, as if it were a secret.

The Reaper frowns. "I've never heard of that."

"Damnit," Dean grinds out.

"Okay, okay," Sam acts quickly before Dean gets too frustrated. "How about a book with Greek letters on it, like God's book?"

"Hm... There's a section of special books down at the end." The Reaper points to her left.

"Great!" Sam jumps at the opportunity. "That's probably where it is. How far is it?"

Now, the Reaper smirks. "Oh, this Library doesn't work like that."

She barely finishes the last word before the bookcases start moving. They somehow become incorporeal and with a whoosh, they fly through the Reaper and the Winchesters at a sickening pace. Sam and Dean keep expecting to be knocked over by the bookcases flying from left to right, but somehow, they just fly through them, and then the next, and then the next. It's like someone is flicking through a book, and they are three small ants caught among the pages.

As quickly as it starts, it stops again. On one side, they have a bookcase like all the others. But on the other side, they now have an old wooden bookcase on what appears to be the end wall of the library. The wood is dark, almost black, and carved in ancient patterns. There's no light on this bookcase, only what reaches it from the aisle next to it.

"What the hell was that?" Dean supports himself on the modern looking bookcase, feeling a bit dizzy from the flickering display.

"You wanted the special books section. Here we are," The reaper just states, gesturing half heartedly at the old bookcase.

"Alright." Sam starts looking at the books. "This is great. Thanks, we really appreciate this." Sam hopes that their gratitude will be enough.

"Whatever." The Reaper looks back down the hallway. "Just don't mention it to the boss. And don't bind me."

The last sentence is aimed at Dean. "You got it. Thanks."

"And hurry." And with that, the Reaper disappears again.

-.-.-.-.-

Dean walks over to the end of the modern bookcase and looks down the hallway. There are bookcases as long as his eyes can see, and no sign of the W section. "Damn. How are we going to find the door back to the bunker again?"

"Let's cross that bridge when we get there," Sam answers, walking closer to the wooden bookcase.

There are fewer books than on any of the modern looking bookshelves, and the books carry symbols more than names, in languages that Sam has only been able to study due to living in the bunker. Some even seems to be in languages that he has never seen before, and there's a few where he's not even sure if they are titled in actual languages.

Dean walks up next to him. "Something in Greek, right?"

"Maybe. I can't read the names on all of them," Sam admits, still skimming his eyes from book to book. Then, he sees something that might be promising. "Maybe that one."

He points to a book by Dean's head, and Dean points to the book as well, the name Ἔρεβος seemingly stamped into the black leather. "This one? Epebock?"

"Erebus," Sam corrects him. "It's the God of darkness and shadow in Greek. Might be related?"

"Shadow, huh?" Dean has to admit that it sounds possible. He reaches out for the book, but the moment his fingers touch it, the world tilts again.

Dean grinds his teeth, thinking that the bookcases are moving again, and he desperately grabs to hold on to the shelf for support, but his hand goes straight through the wood. Before he can process the fact, he hears a heartbreaking yell from Sam.

-.-.-.-.-

"Dean!" Sam drops to the floor, next to Dean's unmoving body. He shakes Dean's shoulders and checks his pulse, and the lack of response heightens his panic. "No, no, no, no. Come on. Not like this. Dean!"

"Sam!" Dean tries to call out to his brother to let him know that he is okay, or as okay as he can be in this situation, but apparently, Sam can't hear him. "What the hell?"

"Not quite." The voice is dark and almost booming in the small, dark corner of the library.

Dean turns around to see an old man. His skin is an odd shade of dark grey, almost like a shadow taking form. His clothes seem to almost be one with his skin, except for a hood that covers his hair and eyes. Only his lighter grey beard gives him any kind of structure.

Dean takes a step back. "Who are you?"

"You touched my book." The old man barely moves his lips, but his voice is still deep and echoing.

Dean looks quickly at the book on the shelf. "Erebus."

The old man just nods in answer.

"What…? Am I dead? Again?" Dean asks carefully.

"You are in between."

"In the Veil?"

Erebus nods again, and then lifts his head a little, but Dean still cannot see his face clearly. Yet, he feels the old man studying him. In the sudden silence, Dean notices that he can't hear Sam anymore either. He looks back to his little brother and finds him still kneeling on the floor, face caught in a desperate plea for Dean to open his eyes, but none of Sam's word carry any sound, like a TV on mute. It is the most awful display Dean has ever seen.

"You brother is fine. He is only beyond our dimension, existing in the space of the living," Erebus cuts through Dean's thoughts. When Dean turns back to the old man, he continues: "I am one of the watchers of the Underworld. Where your Reapers guide humans, I steer the creatures that are to be send to the Empty. I have seen many beings, and many souls, standing on the threshold to the beyond. Yet, it is rare to meet someone whose soul has passed through the Veil as many times as yours. And not only that. It has been touched by both Heaven, Hell and Purgatory as well."

When Erebus falls silent, Dean has a desperate urge to fill the suffocating silence. "Well, what can I say? I have a great miles membership."

The joke falls flat with the ancient being. Erebus only cocks his head to the other side, studying Dean even more closely before stating: "You are here for the Amulet."

"Yeah. You have it?" Dean perks up.

"I am its keeper."

Dean huffs a humourless laugh. "Let me guess. I need to pass a test?"

"Yes."

Before Dean can say or do anything, Erebus moves with lightning speed and digs his hand into Dean's chest.

The pain is worse than all of Hell's torture, combined.

Dean thought he had tried it all, but he has never had anyone touch his soul. His chest is bursting from bright light, and he feels his entire being seizure. And Erebus is not just touch it. The being's arm moves around, as if he were trying to find his lost car key in a sewer. Dean feels as if he might explode.

"You must be able to withstand the eternal darkness, or your human soul will be swallowed by the shadows." Erebus' deep voice cuts through the pain.

Dean screams.

-.-.-.-.-

All Sam sees is his brother reaching for the book of Erebus, and then collapsing on the floor.

He quickly falls to the floor next to Dean, and starts shaking him, trying to wake him up.

Sam desperately feels for a pulse but there are no life signs from Dean's limb body. He can't lose him. Not again. Not so soon. Sure, deep down he knows that Dean is right when he says that he's not supposed to be back, but Sam still can't help but hope that maybe they are getting a second chance at life after Chuck.

He looks up at the book that Dean had touched just seconds ago. It can't be a coincidence. But what does it mean? Did the book kill Dean? Would it kill Sam too if he touches it? Game over?

Or does it mean that they are on the right track? Is this part of whatever path they need to take to get to the Amulet? After all, they are looking for the Amulet in the Veil, not in Death's library. And they knew that they would be tested.

"Please, let this be right," Sam prays under his breath before reaching up and touching the book.

The room spins and he stumbles on the spot.

Next thing he knows, his body is laying on the floor, half on top of Dean's, and he's almost blinded by an unexpected bright light suddenly bursting in this dark corner of the library.

Sam shields his face, but he quickly has to force his eyes to open and look at the shining light when he hears Dean's screams of pain.

Through the blinding light, he makes out the shape of Dean and a hooded creature. Sam quickly recognises the almost forgotten sight of a creature with its hand digging into a human soul. He remembers how painful that process is and quickly steps forward. "Hey! Stop that!"

The figure, an old man, lifts a hand and stops Sam's movement. "He asked for it."

"What do you mean? Who are you? What are you doing?" Sam demands.

"I am Erebus, Keeper of the Gospel's Amulet, Watcher of the Underworld and Guide to the Empty. I am searching your brother's soul," Erebus calmly answers, dragging out Dean's pain. "If he is to be worthy of taking the Amulet, his soul must be pure and steadfast."

"It is!" Sam begs. "I don't know anyone more loyal and caring than Dean. And he fights for everything he thinks is worth fighting for. He would give his life to save others, he has given his life many times, including for me!"

"He does not share your view." Erebus seems unfazed by Sam's insisting pleas. "He only sees the choices where he failed, the blood on his hands."

"Because he has too high expectations of himself!" Sam yells.

"He is not pure. Not enough. I cannot give him the Amulet." Erebus shakes his head.

"Then what?" Sam asks.

"Then I send him to the next life," Erebus starts pulling back his hand.

"Wait!" Sam screams. Erebus stops, looking curiously at Sam. "Search my soul too."

"Sammy! Don't!" Dean can barely grind the words past the pain.

"Search my soul and feel what I feel for Dean. I know who he is, I've seen it my entire life. If you want to judge his character, then judge it through me."

Sam steps forward determinately. Erebus tilts his head, studying Sam closely. Sam tries not to squirm, but he can't help the nervous twitching of his hands. What if the old man rejects his offer? What will they do then?

But Erebus finally says: "As you wish."

Before Sam can brace himself, a dark, wrinkled hand is digging into his chest. Somehow, it is worse than when Lucifer touched his soul. Maybe it is because that right here, right now, he is all soul. There is no body to contain everything he is or feels. Or maybe it is the way the old man not only touches his soul but seems to dig through every corner of it, studying and feeling and squeezing Sam's very essence.

Sam tries not to scream, but he can't contain the pain within himself. He stands his ground even though everything tells him to pull back, even if it rips his soul out. The seconds tick by and he fears it will never end.

Then he feels it. Something pocking at his left his hand.

He didn't realise that he had closed his eyes against the light and pain, but he squints one eye open, looking to his left. Dean is looking at him. Despite the pain written all over his face, there's also that defiant look in his eyes. Hey Sammy. No matter what, it's you and me against the world.

Sam realises that Dean is trying to grab his hand, to offer support and remind Sam that he is not alone in this, not this time. Sam takes the last step and grabs onto Dean's hand, showing that he's here for his big brother as well. Despite the pain, he feels Dean's grateful squeeze in return.

It's not until Erebus hums that Sam realises that he almost forgot about the pain. He still feels it, but for a few glorious seconds, Dean was his main focus. "Hmm… It is odd. God never defined worthiness of the Amulet, leaving it to my judgement."

"Meaning what?" Dean coughs out, panting through the pain.

Erebus lifts his head, finally enough for them to see his eyes. Except there are only empty, black holes where his eyes should be. "That I have made my decision."

-.-.-.-.-

Suddenly the pain is gone. The room is dark, and they are laying on the floor. Dean huffs at the weight of Sam on top of him and pushes at his legs to get him to move. Sam grunts but rolls to the side to remove himself from Dean.

"What the hell just happened?" Dean sits up, looking around as his eyes get used to the low light again.

"I think we passed," Sam says and points to the floor on the other side of Dean.

Dean turns and find the book of Erebus laying on the floor next to him, open. It's hollow and in the small cutout, there's a blue light. Dean carefully reaches for the small glowing wooden piece, careful not to touch the book that literally just killed him.

He's not surprised to find an Amulet matching the one they found in Heaven, except this one has the pattern of a lion's head carved in the wood.

Sam smiles, "Huh. It worked."

"Yeah," Dean agrees, but then remembers his brother's careless actions just moments ago. He reaches out and slams his hand on Sam's leg.

"Dude, what the hell?" Sam moves away, rubbing the place that Dean just hit.

Dean gets up on his feet. "I should be asking you that. What were you thinking asking the old man to touch your soul, you know how dangerous that is!"

Sam is back on his feet as well. "I don't know if you noticed, Dean, but he had his entire arm digging around in your chest!"

"So you thought 'let me have some of that'?"

"No, I thought I'd save my brother's life!"

Yet again, they are interrupted by a voice from behind them, this one all too familiar, deep and hopeful. "Dean?"

They turn around, and Dean almost drops the small puzzle piece that they just died for.

"Cas!?"