Killing Me Slowly

So, then, Cas did his thing and him, Sam and Dean went to go see Mr. Birch. It left me and Brit to just chill out in the room and wait for the guys to come back…and we were getting restless. We both just laid side by side on the bed, staring up at the ceiling. I took out a bouncy ball and tossed it into the air. She caught it, then tossed it and then I tossed it and caught it again. We kept going back and forth and then Brit finally spoke.

“Why haven’t you and Dean gotten married yet?" she asked.

"I don't know...no time?"

"I thought that was the excuse when we were on the road with them, I mean you two would’ve went to Vegas and all that if you had time...but you had a full year to actually do it...and I don't see a ring on your finger"

"Well, really, there's no point in doing it. We're together. We tell each other we love one another every day, what difference would it make if we just sign some stupid piece of paper?"

"I don't know. It would be more official. You’ll be Melissa Winchester"

"Umm no, I'm keeping my last name, thanks" She laughed lightly. "I don't know...I guess it just really never occurred to either of us..."

"Lies! You’ve thought about it before" she smirked.

I laughed as I just held onto the ball and turned my head to look at her. "Once or twice...but it's not like I'm just gonna go up to him and say, ‘hey, let's get married‘. If he wants to, he can ask me, himself"

She nodded. "But all of this brings me to another question...are you pregnant?" she asked, holding up the pregnancy test that I haven’t taken yet.

I just stared at her. "I don't know...I might be..."

"Why do you not seem more excited? You and Dean have a legit family with another member on the way!...unless of course it wouldn't be his cause then that just throws a whole new level of awkwardness into the equation"

"Of course it would be his!" I laughed as I took the test from her. "I just...I'm barely getting by with Jesse when it comes to my life. The supernatural has a way of finding no matter where I am or what I'm doing...how could I possibly bring another person into this world and make them go through what I’m going through…what I went through…and possibly have it end up like Jesse. I love Jesse and he was lucky enough to be adopted and know nothing about me or what I did for a while but a new baby would be thrown into it right away...everything would be different...I just couldn't do that..."

I looked back up at the ceiling and tossed the ball back up. I felt her eyes just stay on me as I caught it back into my hand. Then, I stood up and walked over to mine and Dean’s bag to put it away.

I felt them coming back and I spun around quickly as Dean and Sam appeared at my sides while Cas had a kid over his shoulder and he tossed him down onto the bed, beside Brit. I looked at the guys.

"This is Erin" Sam said. "Cas, you realize you just kidnapped a kid, right?" Dean asked him.

"If the angel we seek really took his soul, then when claim is made on living soul it leaves a mark, a brand..."

"Like a shirt tag at camp?" Brit asked.

"...no idea but I can read the mark and find the angel that bought the souls"

"An angel bought his soul?" I narrowed my eyes. "How are you going to do it?" Dean asked as everyone just ignored me. "Well it'll be painful for him. Reading will be excruciating" Cas replied as he started to roll up his sleeves.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Hold on" I said.

"Melissa..."

"He's just a kid, Cas"

"Yea, man, come on. Sam" Dean added.

We looked at Sam and Brittney to get them to at least say something about this. "Will there be any permanent damage?" is what he came up with.

"What?"

"Physically, it'll be minimal"

"Oh yea, then by all means, just stick your arm right in" I snapped sarcastically.

"Melissa, if I can get a name, I can track the angel down"

"And we're all for that but there has to be another way" Dean said.

"There is no other way"

"You’re going to torture a kid"

"I can't care about that dean…I don't have the luxury"

My stomach started to churn uncomfortably. Just the thought of a kid being tortured made me sick...but before the conversation to go any further, Cas stuck his hand into the kids stomach, sinking it in even deeper and the kid started to yell out in pain. I tried to jump forward and kick Cas' lily-white ass but Brit held me back as I stared at Erin in horror while his scream pierced my ears and cracks started to show in his face as a light began to burn bright in his flesh. Then, Cas pulled his arm back out and Erin went limp again.

"He'll rest now" he said, facing us and rolling down his sleeves. "Did you get a name? What is it?" Brit asked.

"I thought he died in war"

"What, was he friend or something?" I asked.

"A good friend"

"Yea, well, frat boy is moon lighting as cross roads demon" Dean said.

"Balthazar"

"So we can find him now, right?" Sam asked.

I started to get a weird presence feeling but this one was very unwanted. I grunted slightly as a hand flew to my stomach and my other hand went to the chair so I could stay standing.

"Mel?" Dean immediately put his hands on me to make sure I wouldn't collapse. "What’s wrong?"

"I don't know...angel?" I questioned.

Then, out of no where some dude popped into the room. "Balthazar. Thanks Castiel, we’ll make good use of name" he said and lunged at Cas with an angel-killing sword. Cas whipped his out as well and they started to fight. "By the way, Raphael says hello"

But, then, Cas kicked him back but the angel got both swords in his hands. Then, Cas kicked both swords out of his hands and threw himself at the dude, tackling him as they both flew out the window. There was a loud crash followed by an alarm going off. We all looked at each other and then raced to the window and looked down. There, Cas and the other angel were laying in the dents they made in Sam’s car. Cas got off without a scratch and turned but the other angel was gone.

"My car" Sam pouted slightly. "Okay...there’s a silver lining" Dean said as he started to smirk down at the totaled car.

Cas popped back into the room and we spun to face him. He eyed me at first…but then he started to walk around the room at a fast pace grabbing random crap out of the kitchen and putting it on the table. “He’s gone”

“Well who was he?” I kind of snapped.

“A soldier of Raphael. He must have followed me when I answered your call”

“Raphael the arc angel…I’m sorry what’s going on here?” Dean asked.

“I can explain later…”

“No not later. Now. Stop, alright. There are too many angels. I don’t know what’s on first, who’s on second” he said, stopping Cas in his tracks.

“What is second?” he asked but I could hear the annoyance and irritability in his tone.

“Don’t start that”

“It’s simple, Raphael and his followers want him to rule heaven. I and many others, the last thing want is to let him take over. It’ll be catastrophic”

“You’re talking a civil war” Brit said.

“Technically yes. Which why we have to find Balthazar and his weapons before Raphael does. Whoever has the weapons, wins the war” he said as he walked over to Sam’s hunting bag to go through it.

“Help yourself” Sam muttered, sarcastically. “And what happens if Raphael wins? What does he want?” I asked.

“What he always wanted. To end the story the way it was written”

“The apocalypse. The one we derailed?” Brit asked, not sure what to think.

“Yes. Raphael wants to put it back on the rails”

“Why?”

“I need mur” he said and just vanished. “Friggin angels” Dean and I both grunted.

Then, he came back and started to draw on the table with some of the mur. “Why does he want to bring back all this crap?” she repeated.

“Hes a traditionalist”

“Why didn’t you tell us this?” Dean demanded. “I was ashamed. I expected more from my brothers. I’m sorry….I need your blood” he said and without asking, he grabbed Dean’s arm and sliced his hand with a knife.

“Whoa. Hey, why don’t you use your own?”

“It wouldn’t work. I’m not human” he said and the blood dripped into the bowl that hes been pouring ingredients into like no tomorrow.

He poured some holy water into it and some rocks and it started to steam a little as he began to chant. I snapped my head toward the window as I heard a police siren. “Cas, how long does this spell take?” I asked quickly.

“Got him. Lets go” he headed for the door. “Wait, what about him?” Dean gestured to Erin, still on the bed. Cas looked over at him, then back at us. “Don’t you think the police will take him home?”

~~~~

Night fell and Cas led us to this big, fancy mansion and we had a plan. Cas headed on inside to confront Balthazar while we kept the guard angels distracted outside. But, the plans changed when I heard too many thumps to my liking and grunts that I knew belonged to Cas. I raced inside, ignoring Dean’s yells and I got to Cas who I saw had fallen down the stairs and was pretty beaten up at the bottom of the stairs. I saw it was Raphael and he was about to just continue beating the crap out of him. Raphael went to kick Cas in the face but I quickly ran, grabbed Cas, redirected Raphael’s kick so his foot went through the wall and I pulled Cas out of the way.

“So, you have a little puppet saving you, Castiel?”

“I’m no one’s puppet” I spat.

But before he could respond, I felt another presence and quickly spun around to see some other guy standing there. “You shouldn’t have came in so early” Cas whispered to me as we stood side by side.

“And risk having your ass turn into angel dust? No thanks”

The guy held up a stone and a beam shot out, hitting Raphael and in an instant he turned into a huge pile of salt. “Iodize the poor sucker and your stocked on salt for life” he smiled, mostly at Cas. “You came back” Cas said but I could hear some surprise to his tone.

“Well, now Raphael will need to go shopping for a new vessel. It’ll give you a nice, long head start on him. Till next time”

“Next time…”

“No time like the present” Dean said from behind and he dropped his lighter so a holy fire circle surrounded him. “You hairless ape. Release me” Balthazar demanded, annoyed.

“First, you’re taking your mark off Erin Birch’s soul” Dean said, sternly.

“Oh, am I?”

“Sam! Brittney!” I grunted so they both came out with jars of more holy water. “Unless you like your wings extra crispy…” Brit said. “I’d think about it” Sam added.

“Castiel. I stood for you in heaven, now are you gonna just…”

“I believe the hairless ape has the floor” was all he said.

He eyed Cas for a moment. “Very well” Then, he took a deep breath in, brought his hands to his center and then blew the air out. “The boys debt is cleared. He has his soul”

“Why you buying up humans souls anyway?” I asked.

“In this economy? Probably the only thing worth buying. You have any idea what souls are worth? What power thy hold? Now release me”

“Suck it, ass clown, nobody said anything…” Dean started but Cas lowered his hand and the fire started to go down as well. It disappeared. “Cas what the hell?!”

“My debt to you is cleared” he said to Balthazar. “Fair enough“ he replied and vanished.

“Cas, are you crazy?” I asked him. But, he just vanished as well. “Friggin angels! Come on!” Dean grunted for the second time today.

~~~~~~~

Morning came and we were all transferring Brit and Sam’s stuff into the trunk of the Impala. “I didn’t realize I had this much stuff back here” Dean commented, trying to make room. “Well need some space, picked up some stuff along the way…” Sam said.

“You thinking we might need another car?…truck maybe?” I tried to hint. I looked up at Dean and he grinned at me. “Possibly” he chuckled.

“What the hell is this?” Brit laughed as she took a mask our of the trunk. “Jesse’s Halloween costume” Dean answered.

Sam took it to get a good look at it. “Wendigo?"

“Yea”

“It’s accurate” Brit tossed it back into the trunk and Dean shut it.

“Hey, so, are you guys okay?” I asked Sam and Brit. They looked at each other and shrugged. “Yea, we’re great” Brit answered.

“Really? Because you got me wondering a few times…”

“Come again?”

“Well, where were you guys when Cas was giving that holy tazer treatment to that kid?” Dean questioned. “We were right there” Sam said, kind of confused.

"Really? Cause it felt like Mel and I were the only ones raising a card”

“Right…we were with you…but…” Brit started. “We needed the Intel” Sam finished, shrugging.

“I know but we tortured kid to get it…just feel like you two didn’t even care”

“…you’re wrong”

“Well, you know something’s different with you two, right?” I asked. “Yea, we know” Brit said.

“Really?”

“Yea…I mean, we’ve been hunting non stop for the passed year. Kind of on the wild so yea, I suppose we’re a little rough round edges” Sam said.

“Yea I get that. But don’t think we’re getting the whole scoop. You went to Hell, guys and believe me I know what that does to a guy…”

“To you. You know what does to you. It tortured you, ya know? I still think it does but Dean, I’m okay”

Dean looked at Brit. “Yea, I’m okay too…it’s just different for all of us…even you, Mel. Because in a way you were down there, even if it wasn’t literally…I remember how I would go see you while Dean was in Hell and you would wake up, sweating, breathing heavy and in so much pain…it’s really different for all of us”

Then, they both just got in the back seat of the Impala…Dean and I shared a look and then without another word we just got in the front seats and hit the road.