Brother's Proverb [Supernatural Fanfiction]

Done Dealt Deal

Dean and Laurel slipped through a door and found themselves in the back of Hell's kitchen. There were huge stoves and boilers that glowed a deep red. Smoke laddered to the ceiling and various smells circulated the huge room. Dean was tugged out of view behind and vat and told to sit down.

"Usually demons know when a human's around," Dean whispered, peeking through a slit at a passing demon.

"Not when I'm around," Laurel replied. "Now, I have to go-- I heard Akuji calling me."

"What is he going to do to you?" Dean's voice was low, quiet, and very concerned. His hazel eyes were fogged with worry and his lips parted slightly, almost as if he was going to say something that would make her change her mind.

"I'll be all right. You're going to be fine. My handprint has made you invisible to everyone." Laurel started to her feet before Dean reached out and grabbed her hand. She jumped and stared back at him. "What are you doing?"

"Where's Sam?"

"I don't know what you mean." Laurel tried to jerk her wrist away but Dean's grip was overpowering. "Don't make me reveal you."

Dean's sassy smile pulled the corner of his mouth. He gave her a quick wink. "I don't think you'd do that, sweetheart, you know why?" Dean pushed himself off the ground, moving his hand further up her arm until he had her firmly by the shoulder. "Why hasn't Castiel ever mentioned you to me?"

"There are some things you just don't tell other people. You wouldn't tell everyone about Sam if you were trying to keep him safe all the time."

"Castiel trusts me." Dean's voice came out in a growl and his fingers tightened so hard around her flesh he left marks.

"Dean, not everything is against you. Just let go of me."

"You stupid bitch. You think you could bat a few eyelashes, say a few words and then lead me innocently to this Akuji?"

Laurel felt a mad rush of panic whirl through her and she tried once more to escape. But all she succeeded was a hard yank of her arm and she was pressed against Dean with his hand over her mouth. The hot moisture from his breath coated her ear.

"You're a liar. You killed Sam and now you're trying to say Castiel doesn't trust me. You picked the wrong day to mess with me!" Dean looked around his surroundings and soon found a cleaver hanging above him on the hook. Without leaving the ground, he stretched a hand up and carefully lifted it from its hook-- he didn't care if any of the cooks noticed it was missing -- he had a mission he wanted to complete. Pinning Laurel down, he knicked her neck with the edge of the crudely built instrument. "Are you going to tell me the truth?"

Tears streamed down the woman's face as her throat began compressing from Dean's constriction. She grabbed at his arm and tried to free herself, but it was near impossible. Choking, she cried out, "Please! Leave him alone! Let him go!" Sobbing and fighting for what little breath she had, Laurel mouthed in a hoarse voice, "He's done nothing wrong..."

With those last words, the darkness in Dean's eyes fled and, like a fish caught by a hook, Dean's body was pulled forward by the mouth and a black whisp of smoke streamed out from him. When it had left and vanished, Dean fell backwards, gasping.

"Dean, it's okay. He was here."

Squeezing his eyes shut, Dean asked feebly, "Who was here?"

"The Seer. You weren't possessed-- he's not like a demon. He was only trying to take over your mind like he's done with Sam and Akuji. He's trying to find a place to hide."

"Hide? From who?"

"My brother."

"Castiel's here? What is he doing here?" Dean, knowing he was invisible, jumped up from the sitting position, squeezed past Laurel (against her suggestion) and ran through the maze of cooks and kitchen staff. With the combination of an angel's imprint and the pendent he wore, he was certain no one could see him except The Seer. As he jogged down the kitchen aisle toward the dining room, he caught sight of a figure standing with his back to him. Dean slowed down until he was standing. Breathing heavily, Dean narrowed his eyes at the figure and said under his breath, "Sam?"

Castiel, who was only wearing Sam's clothes, did not sense Dean from the other room. Though, if he wasn't trying to convince Akuji Sam had never made a deal, the angel would have known Dean had entered the moment Laurel had brought him inside.

"Tell me again, Castiel, how do you know The Seer is real?" Akuji asked, hardly amused, but tolerating the discussion modestly. "Have you seen him?"

"I've seen God....I think...but I've seen Satan. So, yes, I have seen The Seer, regardless of what legends say about him. He's a passing phantom whose hosts live in dust-mites, actually. You know, what you see when you stand in front of the door and the sun streams through?" Castiel renacted the picture by holding one hand up and, with other hand, wiggling his fingers away from it to illustrate sunlight. "Well, whatever. That's where he is. Sometimes he's called, Doubt. And I hate doubt."

"And why is that?"

"Because doubt forms into a lie. And a lie because as true as the mind makes it. You've been deceived and Sam's been deceived. And unless you tell yourself the deal was never made, you will always be under the bondage of The Seer."

Akuji shrugged and chuckled. "Even if I was under bondage, The Seer is harmless."

"If you say so. But The Seer will drive you insane."

"This is Hell, Castiel, no one's sane. We live and rot with one another. I don't care about control down here. All I care about is killing the Winchester brothers so that they leave us alone."

"What, you don't like co-existing?" Castiel giggled at his own joke. "Oh, well. Since I can't convince you, I will make a new deal with you."

Excited at this offer and being a somewhat fair creature, Akuji's attentions perked and he walked up to Castiel. "What is it?"

Castiel didn't even have to think, he just said it as if he had been planning it all along. "I'll give you Dean Winchester in trade for my sister and Sam's sanity."

"Isn't Dean your companion?"

"Do you want him or not? Because if you say yes, he's right over there." Castiel turned his head quickly to where he knew Dean was. With a stern expression and an outstretched hand, he peeled his sister's handprint off the back of Dean's neck, revealing him instantly.

Dean dropped to the ground, clutching his neck. Looking up through watering eyes, he seethed, "You son of a bitch."

Castiel lowered his arm and looked up at Akuji, "He's all yours."

"I can give you your sister, but not Sam," Akuji boomed, stepping over to Dean. As if Dean was injured game, he rolled him over with his foot and examined him. "I just 'messaged' your brother. He's on his way. And when he gets here," Akuji raised his eyes slowly, meeting Castiel's, "I'm going to watch them kill each other."