Chapter Three

Three weeks had passed since Dean had knocked on Bobby's door and neither he nor the older hunter had come up with anything useful. The books gave out the same information as before-no more-no less.

The chair scraped across the wooden floor as Dean pushed back from the desk. 'This is useless, Bobby,' he snarled in rage, throwing the book he'd been browsing across the room, gratified when it thunked hard against the far wall.

He'd been patient up till now but this was getting him nowhere. He'd have to come up with something different in order to rescue his sibling.

:

'Dean,' Bobby said gently, recognising the kid's frustration. ' You knew this wasn't going to be easy. I don't know what else we can do. Maybe your angel friend can suggest more. He does have a better insight into the goings on of heaven and hell, after all.'

Dean had tussled with the idea of calling Castiel but he'd never gotten around to actually praying.

A growing resentment towards the angel for never having shown his face since Stull Cemetery had prevented him from doing so.

He felt the same way towards Crowley.

While it was Sam's ass on the line, everyone wanted to contribute but now that his baby brother was paying the price for them all, no-one gave a fuck anymore.

'I'm leaving, Bobby. There's nothing here I can use. You were right about that. We couldn't come up with an answer back then and nothing's changed. Thanks for the hospitality.'

'Son…' Bobby began, but Dean was already heading for the stairs to gather up his stuff.

:

Ten minutes later he was in the Impala, leaving Bobby to watch at the window, a sorrowful expression on his face.

He'd wanted to suggest to Dean that maybe he'd never manage to rescue Sam; that getting his brother back was impossible but he didn't want to be on the receiving end of Dean's anger if he even hinted at the idea.

All he could do now was wish Dean good luck. He wondered if he'd ever see the young man again, or if the older Winchester would end up sacrificing his own life in the dubious effort of trying to get Sam back.

He made his way back to the kitchen, his heart heavy.

:

Dean's anger was cooling; being in the Impala always had a soothing effect on him. He felt a pang of remorse for having been so brusque with Bobby but words could always be smoothed over whereas the torture Sam was going through in the Cage would be imprinted on his baby brother's mind and soul for eternity.

He himself still had nightmares of his time in Hell. He continually pushed them down as was his wont, but he could never get completely rid of them; of the feel of being skinned alive; of having one's organs ripped out of one's body…. He shivered as he made a herculean effort to push the memories back into the strong-box in his mind where he kept all the bad things locked away.

Barely paying attention to the direction he was taking, he found himself drawn toward the Mountain rest area where he and Sam had parted ways before Zachariah's vision of how terrifying the future would be for them all, had made him call his brother back to his side.

He acknowledged the terrible mistake he'd made in agreeing to let Sam go off on his own. Not that it had helped his baby brother out in any way, he mused in irony. Sammy had ended up as Lucifer's vessel just the same.

Yeah, the apocalypse had been averted but Dean was wondering if the cost had been too much, for him and especially for Sam.

Having parking the Impala, he made his way to the picnic table where he'd been that last time. He breathed in the cool mountain air, its freshness a balm to his tortured soul.

What to do now, he asked himself but 'himself' had no answer to give.

He closed his eyes against the glare of the sun, but as if there was a movie playing on the inside of his eyelids, he saw his sibling, saw Sam chained face down to a rock, saw the evil grin on the devil's features as Lucifer loomed over him.

:

:

'Dean. I hope you'll appreciate the food I brought. It came from the best pizza parlor in Chicago.'

Startled out of his personal horror film, Dean backed off the bench and jumped to his feet, only to see the scheletrical form of Death happily chewing down on a mouthful of food.

'Did I alarm you, Dean? That was not my intention, I assure you.'

'What do you want?' Dean's tone was scathing, but inside he shivered. Death had the power to scare the living daylights out of him. 'You come to gloat that my brother's in the Cage and that Destiny is proceeding as it should? It's all that's important to you lot, right?'

'You will treat me with respect, Dean. I know you are upset about Sam but if you continue to be rude and offensive, you may not be around much longer to carry on with your crusade of freeing him from Lucifer's grasp. Now, sit down!'

:

Death lifted his eyes to gaze at Dean who with a shrug slipped onto the seat across from the Grim Reaper and waited. Whatever Death had come for, he'd soon tell.

'First of all, while I AM a rigorous upholder of keeping to the dictates of Fate, I wish to offer my sympathy for the necessary demise of your brother. While I do not have a heart as such, I can still appreciate the sense of Sam's sacrifice.'

'That all you've got? How about giving me a hand to get him out?' Dean grimaced.

:

Death continued chewing thoughtfully, before replying.

'As I stated, I cannot interfere with the path of Fate, but I sense there has been some kind of glitch in the fabric of the universe.'

Dean snorted. 'The apocalypse not big enough for you guys, now we're talking about the 'fabric of the universe?'

Death glared at him and Dean quickly pressed his lips together, annoyed that the being could still make him crap his pants just by staring at him.

'This is serious, Dean. It's not an event to be taken lightly. I do not even have any valid evidence to go on other that a sensation of wrongness.'

'So, what do you want from me? I wasn't able to save my baby brother from the clutches of Lucifer and you come to me with something far more complicated. I don't know whether to feel flattered or laugh my ass off!'

:

Ignoring Dean's outburst Death continued. 'You wish to rescue Sam? Is that not so? I am inclined to help you with your quest.'

Dean's eyes widened in shock before his heart began beating like a drum, hope making it resound joyously with the possibility of getting Sam back.

'You'll get my brother out of the Cage?' His words were whispered, he didn't want to speak too loudly in case he was mistaken about Death's unexpected offer.

'I shall.' the Grim Reaper tilted his head in acquiescence.

'As I said, something is wrong. I cannot grasp what it might be as it's no more than a feeling but I believe the Winchesters are the best for the job of investigating my fears. As I need you on your toes, Dean and not moping around trying to get Sam back, I'll 'cut to the chase' and get you back to full capability.'

:

Dean was at a loss for words. His longing for Sam; the need to have his brother back at his side and out of the clutches of Satan was about to be fulfilled and not by any creature but by Death himself.

'Thank you,' he managed to whisper before Death disappeared and the body of his baby brother materialised itself on the nearby ground.

'Sammy…..?

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Castiel

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More than three months had passed and Castiel decided the time was right to pay Dean a visit.

He'd been in Heaven parleying with Raphael. This time though, he was keeping a low profile, throwing in suggestions and logical reasons for thinking twice about restarting another Apocalypse as the archangel was intending to do.

Castiel had all the information of the future at his fingertips, well the future that had been, and he'd vowed to himself not to make the same mistakes as before. To his surprise Raphael had started to listen to his advice, a fact which convinced Castiel ever more of having made the right decision in accepting Chuck's offer of saving the Earth by instigating an alternate time-line.

:

He knocked at Lisa's door.

'I'm looking for Dean,' he said as the pretty brunette appeared. 'I'm an old friend.'

'Sorry! You missed him by a good few weeks,' was the flat reply. 'He doesn't live here any longer.'

With that Castiel found the door closed in his face. This was something he hadn't anticipated. Where had Dean gone?

TBC