A/N: Sorry for the delay, again! Some already know this but my grandma, who was my best friend, passed at the beginning of the year, totally derailing a lot of plans I had because everything got put on pause while I grieved. I started posting prewritten chapters to another story but hadn't written anything new in a long time, until now.

So, for everyone who still wants to read this, here's chapter 122, and I apologize for the OOC, I've got to get back into the swing of things.

Set during Season 6, Episode 21: Let It Bleed. Anything you recognize is from the show, except Jane. Also, I totally skipped out on the ending of that episode because Ben and Lisa don't exist in this story.

122: Ever Changing

"You know, we wouldn't be here now if Castiel would have listened to me."

It was amazing, Jane mused, how genial Crowley sounded given he had literally threatened to dissect her only moments ago. "Oh?" Her hand was trembling as she raised her teacup from her saucer, taking a slow sip. She had gotten over her fear of eating or drinking anything from him, Crowley wasn't about to slip her something or any other such nonsense, he was a businessman and to him, this was simply business.

"I begged him to kill the Winchesters," and it chuffed his ass to no end that he had begged, for absolutely nothing. "I told him I'd do it and that self-righteous nancy wouldn't let me."

That was a small mercy and maybe a small point in Castiel's favor. Her hand was still trembling as she returned the cup to its saucer, hating the sound of the fine china giving away her nerves.

"He told me not to worry, not to worry… and you know what, it was then I realized that I am the only sane being, demon or angel, because I am the only one who does not underestimate the Winchesters."

Given only moments ago he had been implying they both were idiots, that took her by surprise and she couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"Just that. The angels, Alastair, Azazel, hell, even Lucifer, they all underestimated those boys of yours and how many aren't either dead or locked up in a cage, hmm?" He had finished his tea and stood up, setting his empty cup down on the service before wiping his hands together, removing some invisible dirt as he stared down at her. "Think about my offer, Jane. Willing pet psychic or a science experiment, it's your choice."

He was gone before she could even finish processing all that, leaving her alone in the dingy little area he had locked her in with the tea service and a bunch of questions. Jane was on her feet, automatically moving to the walls to begin feeling for a door, a way out. He had moved her here, which implied that something was going down soon and he was expecting 'her boys'. Dean… it was a silent prayer, letting her head drop to rest against the cool wall, eyes closing. She really wished that her psychic ability wasn't whatever it was besides a lure for the new king of Hell but like, telepathy. THAT would have been more useful than this crap she had now.

Wait…

Jane pulled away from the wall and inhaled, her mind racing as her brow furrowed. Her ability, her 'psychic handicap', it had changed, had been changing. She had made it stronger when she had trained with Pamela and then Lucifer himself had done something, was able to block the painful side effects while allowing her to use the ability. Of course, he had also taken that away but her control had been better. When Castiel had regained his mojo, she had KNOWN what he was planning. She didn't just have a niggle, or a feeling, she had known. He was opening Purgatory, with Crowley's help, because he planned on absorbing the souls and for all intents and purposes, become God. She had known. It wasn't telepathy but it was something new with her ability.

With that thought, she dropped the shields in her mind, reaching out to feel for those spots. The ones she knew shouldn't exist, it was never with normal people, always something supernatural. Guards, she was being guarded, but she couldn't make out a pattern in the way they were positioned. No, they weren't for her, they were to stop Dean and Sam, she was the bait luring them here, luring Dean here. She knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that he would come, he would find out where she was and he would come.

"Screw this," she muttered, resuming feeling along the wall with new determination. She wasn't going to be a damsel in distress, again, not this time. While she felt, she began replaying everything she had known prior to Castiel putting her in a coma and Crowley freeing her from it. She hadn't had overly much time to really think about it all, what with being a 'guest' of Crowley's, but now that's all she had. Time to think.

Castiel had started this with the best of intentions… she knew that and she knew why, to protect Dean, to protect them, and to stop the angels from restarting Armageddon all over again. Something had gone wrong though, somewhere along the line, Castiel had become arrogant and set on his actions, even though they were foolish. Opening Purgatory to absorb all those souls, all those monster souls, that couldn't be healthy. Jane smiled grimly when she felt the hinge. "Damsel in distress, not today…"

It was a stupid mistake. Dean knew it was too, it was a rookie mistake. He had been taking a moment to monologue, which wasn't a smart idea in any action movie or real life as it turned out, and hadn't noticed that he had smudged the devil's trap on his way back in. Or maybe the alcohol he had been downing had finally started to hit him, he had been drinking it steady ever since he had willingly walked back into the role of torturer. Torture… something he had never wanted to think about, something he wanted to put behind him after his stint in Hell as Alastair's protégé but when it came to finding his wife, he had learned that there wasn't a damn thing he wouldn't do to save her. Which included staining his soul and threatening to rip back open a lot of old wounds.

He felt no relief at the sight of Castiel, not like he would have in the past. He knew too much now, had knowledge of what Castiel was planning and who he was planning it with. His eyes narrowed as he took in the angel he had once considered to be family, the angel he had CALLED family and pleaded with to turn away from this path. "I didn't ask for your help, I didn't call for you," he rasped finally.

"You're welcome."

"Why are you here?"

"I had no idea Crowley was going to take Jane."

Dean snorted at that. "Yeah, right."

"You don't believe me?"

Hell no, he did not and his posture and facial expression made that very clear. Dean listened as Castiel spoke, hating the feeling of wavering that coursed through him, tears welling in his eyes. Castiel was like family, like a brother, and he had done a lot for them, came when they called most of the time, and looked out for all of them. Especially Jane, but it was his fault that Jane was in this spot now and that resolve steeled back up. Jane had trusted Castiel, she had always had a bit of a special relationship with the angel and look where it had gotten her. In a goddamn coma and then kidnapped by Crowley.

"I came to tell you that I will find Jane, I will bring her back. Just stand behind me, this one time."

Everything wavering in Dean halted then. "You want me to stand down? Stop looking for Jane, for my wife?" He was hardened again, eyes glinting dangerously and disbelief in his tone. Castiel wanted him to just sit on the sidelines while Jane was who knew where and trust him? "That's the same ransom note Crowley handed me. I'm not standing down, I'm not going to stop until I find her, do you understand that, Castiel? I love her, there's not a goddamn thing I wouldn't do for her, and after all this, there's no chance in Heaven or Hell that I'd trust YOU to do the right thing for her."

That stung and Castiel almost said something but stopped himself, there was nothing he could say that would be change Dean's mind, make him trust again.

"In fact, you can go back to Crowley now and tell him that I said you can both kiss my ass." Dean had to turn from the angel, his former angel, his former friend, and brought his clenched fist up to his mouth, biting on his knuckle. I'm going to find you, sweetheart, I promise. Heaven help anyone or anything that got in his way, Castiel included.

Jane had a feeling if she was caught sneaking out, she was going to be killed on sight. Crowley had angel proofed the place and threatened to take out the brothers, she doubted he was going to allow her to escape. He needed Purgatory just as much as Castiel did, though she was curious to know who was going to betray who. There was no way Castiel was going to just let Crowley have half of those souls. Castiel, she was betting Castiel betrayed the demon, even Castiel wasn't crazy enough to think a suped up king of hell was a good idea.

She had crawled her ass beneath a broken board, away from those spaces she knew demons inhabited and took a moment to breathe and assess her situation. She was aware something was going on, those spaces were frenzied and, on the move, which made focusing on where not to be a little bit harder. Obviously harder, she wasn't alone in this area and inwardly groaned, realizing two spaces were moving towards her before they both paused. She looked around, realizing she wasn't on ground level because there were some rickety stairs not far off to her right with an equally rickety door at the top, cracks in it revealing lighting from whatever was past that door.

The demons were heading for the stairs, she could see them properly now and she began moving opposite of them, hearing scuffling outside of that door. Dean. Her heart gave a lurch, knowing without a shadow of doubt that that was her husband. Pushing herself up, she headed for the stairs just as they opened the door and exited. Before she could do anything else, one came flying right back in, over the rail and onto the cement floor. "Seriously?!"

"Jane?!"

"In here, Dean!" She let out a shriek and jumped backwards when the second demon came flying back into the doorframe, followed instantly by that demon killing knife to the chest. It'd never get old, seeing the way they died and the only thing that made it better was the sight of Dean. She gave him long enough to pull the knife out before tossing herself into him, inhaling deeply. How long had it been, counting the coma? Days, five maybe, it was too long. They had gone weeks without seeing each other, months even, but never like this, never forced on them. "I was trying to get to you, from… when I was asleep, I was there but I couldn't-" she was rambling, not aware she was beginning to cry, feeling his hands caressing every bit of her he could reach, his own face was in her hair. "I couldn't make you see or hear me, Dean, I was right there until Crowley woke me up."

"It's okay, baby, it's okay," he whispered harshly, emotion making his tone coming out rougher than usual. This wasn't the place for their reunion, they still had to find Sam and get the hell out of dodge, somewhere safe. "I'm here now," he pulled away, cupping her face in bloodstained hands and began kissing her all over. "I got you."

Nodding, she reached up to wipe at her nose, trying to stop crying. "Where's Sam?"

"No idea. We're going to find him and we're leaving," he pulled her away from that doorframe, away from the body and reached into the back of his waistband. "Here."

She took the gun, it was hers, it was her gun, the one he liked to call shitty. "Let's go."

As if he were afraid she was going to disappear on him again, Dean took her free hand, lacing their fingers together tightly and squeezed.

Jane gave him a smile small before squeezing back.