A/N: Apologies for not updating as fast as I normally do, it's been hectic around here. With Christmas rapidly approaching, updates will probably still be on the slow side.
The Secrets We Keep
"Sam, don't!"
"Sam! Wait, it's Castiel!"
Sam looked stunned and Jane felt nothing but relief. She didn't think a bullet would do any harm, Cas was an angel but he might take offense at being shot. Maybe. He was a bit weird, definitely not what she had expected from an angel.
"The angel."
No duh, Dean. She thought, her heart returning to its usual pace as she shifted her gaze back to Castiel.
"Him, I don't know."
Now she was following Dean's gaze, frowning slightly at the man at the window. Though man was probably a subjective term. She could hear Sam doing a slight stammer as he greeted Castiel, realizing this was his first time meeting the angel. She, personally, had had enough of Castiel. He had bugged the ever loving hell out of her.
She remained silent as the conversation went awkward at the mention of Sam's demon blood and then moved into alarming as Castiel announced that the rise of Samhain –who they had already figured was a serious baddie- was also one of the 66 seals. If he was allowed to rise, the seal was broken and they were one step closer to Lucifer being released from his cage.
Now there was a thought to make a girl squelch.
"Enough of this."
Mystery man spoke, and he didn't sound all that happy. He sounded rather disgusted and annoyed actually.
"Okay, who are you and why should I care?"
Jane instinctively moved towards Dean, wondering if he ever thought before he spoke. She smiled up at him, hoping it didn't appear too nervous, when he glanced down at her.
"This is Uriel," Castiel sounded like he was trying to diffuse a situation. "He's what you might call… a specialist."
Uriel was walking towards them.
Whatever came next, Jane didn't want to hear.
"You need to convince them to leave."
"Damn it! You can't just pop in like that, Castiel!" Jane hadn't been happy about being left behind while the brothers went to check out a 'hunch' of Sam's, which had occurred not too long after the angels had left. But, left behind she had been, so she had tidied up the room, sorted stuff for laundry, and now had another mini-heart attack courtesy of the being before her. "You have to give me warning!"
"Jane, this witch, if Sam and Dean don't kill her immediately-"
"Then a seal is broken, we know this. We know what's at risk." Jane didn't know what else to say or do to make him feel better about letting Sam and Dean handle this. Honestly, if she was truthful with herself, she agreed with the angels. She'd rather sacrifice the thousands for the billions, but it wasn't her choice, and she'd never say it outside her head. But it was easy to make that call when it wasn't her, her family, and she wasn't looking at any children. Was she a horrible person? "This is Dean's decision to make, isn't it?" She asked quietly.
"Yes." He near whispered, his usual monotone riddled with uncertainty. "It is."
"What about your orders?"
"Our orders are to do whatever he tells us too."
"Castiel! Why didn't you tell-" She stopped, giving the idea a really good think and then sat down, burying her face in her hands. "He's being tested, why? Why?"
"You know I can't tell you."
"You are so goddamn vague!"
He merely stared at her.
"I can't tell him either, can I?"
"…No."
"Has Dean spoken about his time in Hell to you?"
"No Sam, he hasn't." Jane was a bit curious about where Dean was. Sam had returned to their room, Dean had not. Sam had muttered something about Dean needing some 'space' before going to grab a shower. She had finished up what she had been doing, which was stuffing all the dirty laundry into one of the extra-large bags she had started carrying, and walked down to the laundry mat. Sam must've seen the note she had left behind because he joined her about halfway through the dry cycle. "Why?"
"I had a visit from Uriel."
"Oh?" She peeked up at him from the corner of her eye. He was watching the clothes going round in the dryer.
"He's a dick."
"I got that impression too. But why, Sam?"
"Because… he asked me…." Sam hesitated, finally looking down at her, searching her eyes for a hint of a lie. "He never said anything at all?"
"No."
"Uriel told me to ask Dean about what he remembers."
"He said he didn't remember anything." Jane said instantly, automatically going on the defensive on Dean's behalf. "And even if he did, it's probably nothing good, why ask him to relive it?"
"But why would an angel say that?"
"Sam, what did Uriel want with you?"
He didn't care for the tables being turned and shifted, looking back at the dryer. "To warn me."
"About?"
"Myself."
That night Jane did not sleep, at all. She couldn't. Every time she tried closing her eyes, Castiel and Sam were both talking in her head. Sam was keeping secrets. The angels were keeping secrets. She was keeping secrets on the angel's behalf. Or had been. Dean had told her about seeing Castiel in the park. It had been a test, to see how he would do under 'battlefield' conditions. So now she was laying on her side, her elbow on the bed, head propped in her hand, watching Dean's fitful sleep.
He had probably failed. But he had saved the town, which was what was important to him. Dean wouldn't sacrifice anyone, he would try to save them all. She had a feeling that would be his downfall, that or Sam.
She had noticed he was very frosty towards Sam, and didn't ask. Sam had quietly asked him something and the look Dean had given his brother could have melted ice. She didn't want to know. She knew more than she wanted to already. Her heard was going to burst.
66 seals, and there were already so many broken. Would the devil really rise? Would there be Hell on earth? The apocalypse? She hadn't read the Bible in quite a long time, but she felt the need to brush up, to prepare herself. Though… from what she did remember, the Bible seemed a bit more fairytale-ish in retrospect. Angels were messengers of God, she knew that. She knew some angels even did seriously dirty work –like killing firstborn sons. Reading about it and then seeing it though, two very different things and she wished she were an atheist. Then all this could be attributed to the fact that she was insane.
Her musings were interrupted by Dean suddenly lashing out, his closed fist connecting with her upright wrist. Jane recoiled away from him, clasping her wrist to her chest and waited to see if he woke up.
He didn't. Instead, he began fighting something that wasn't there, and muttering some word she couldn't make out. It almost sounded like a name. When she nearly got hit again, Jane reached out with both hands to push down on his shoulders. "Dean, wake up."
"No… no, I won't… no…"
"Dean, please…" She shook him, wincing when his palms gripped her elbows. "Dean!"
He shot upright and nearly bashed his face into hers, missing only because she suddenly pulled away. Sweat was pouring down his face, his hair soaked with it, and his green eyes were wild as they stared at her. It took several long moments and multiple deep breaths before he could finally rasp her name. "Jane?"
"I'm here, Dean." She whispered, gently wrapping her arms around him, feeling herself getting damp just from holding him. "I'm here."
He pulled her to him, clinging to her, and buried his face in her neck.
Jane wasn't sure if it were sweat or tears anymore.
