June 2014
You had known Sam and Dean for half a year now, but in reality, the time spent together with them was far less. During the first few months you had known them, they had come and gone on their hunts regularly. And while you missed them when they were away, it was nothing compared to the way you missed them during the month of May and early into June, when they were hardly ever home.
Castiel, their angel friend, whom you still were yet to meet in person, had called them away to the state of Utah, in chase of Gadreel and Metatron. Which had ended badly in that they were still alive, Dean being unable to kill them.
The boys were also called to Sioux Falls, South Dakota, by their friend, Sheriff Jody Mills, whom Dean had once added into your phone's contacts list. Telling you that she would be able to help, if ever you couldn't contact him or Sam. She was having troubles with vampires and a young girl named Alex, who had been living with a nest of them, but had recently tried to escape.
In Chicago, a city you at least knew the name of, Sam and Dean became involved with a number of monster families that were running the city in the shadows. Rather than returning home from Chicago after they had sorted everything there, Sam had called you to let you know they were going back to help Cass as he had captured another angel whom had been working with Metatron.
During all this time, you continued the search for Abaddon on their behalf, using more material found in the archives and the internet. Looking for signs of any demonic activity, like Sam and Dean had shown you to do. Meanwhile ignoring your own search to find answers on your abduction. You were still determined to help Dean as much as you could. The worry that his demeanour had been changing, at least when given the chance to observe it, over the weeks had fuelled you on.
But your searching was pointless. As Sam and Dean found Abaddon another way. Crowley had come though, and you had found out, when Dean woke you up in the middle of the night, knocking on the open door to your room.
You had begun leaving it slightly open when you went to sleep at night, hoping that by doing so, you would be alerted by the boys returning. And on this mid June night, it hadn't failed you.
"Hey Sweetheart." You heard Dean quietly whisper as he nudged your door further open. Peeking his head inside. His knuckles lightly tapped on the wood.
Already awake, you sat up to look at him, your legs still covered by the sheets. You returned the greeting. "Hey..."
The room was dark, besides the light that filtered in from the hallway. And it was hard to see Dean's features as the darkness coming from the wall behind you covered them in shadows. He stepped forward slowly, seeming to question himself as he did so. But you smiled at him, hoping he could see your face due to the light and it must've been enough, because he moved over and sat next to you on the bed.
"Sorry for disturbing you..." He began. "It's just, it's been awhile... We've been so focused on everything else, and..."
You cut him off, before he could continue. "Dean... It's okay... You've been busy..."
Dean leaned in and gave you a hug, his arm wrapping around your back, his hand resting on your arm. "I missed you.." He whispered close to your ear.
Hearing those words were like music to your ears and you chuckled lightly in response. "I missed you too."
Dean cleared his throat and move back to look at you. "I, uh... I killed Abaddon..."
You were surprised by that statement. And you moved your own head to try and look at him better. "You, you killed her? When?"
"Last night... Crowley, she had Crowley in a trap... But he was able to tell me where he'd hidden the First Blade... And I used it on her..." You couldn't quite put your finger on it, but in his voice, there was a hint of shame to it and you wondered wether there was more to the story than just Dean killing the demon.
You'd never seen Dean kill before. Sam either. You'd never even seen them in a fight, only ever the aftermath of one. When they would come home with cuts and bruises on their face. The odd dislocation of a bone or swelling of an appendage. So you had no idea how they used their fists or weapons, or even if they were any good at it. But as you knew it was essentially their careers, so they must've been.
You tried to imagine what it might've looked like. To see Dean killing something that looked like another human. Abaddon as you knew it, was wearing a woman's meat suit. Had Dean plunged the First Blade where her heart had been? Had he cut off her head like Ned Stark in Game of Thrones.
"It's probably not the news you wanna hear in the middle of the night..." Dean chuckled, slightly awkward. "I just... I know you've been looking at the files still. And... Well, I wanted to see a friendly face..."
You moved your hand onto his right leg, gently squeezing just above his knee. "It's a bit dark for that." Trying to make the mood a little lighter. But your brow furrowed. "When was the last time you slept?.. Properly?"
Dean huffed at that. "Never."
You removed his arm from around your back and then shuffled over to the side more, patting the mattress two times. "Lie down with me... That way I know you'll sleep a little."
"You sure?" Dean hesitated.
But you had already laid back down yourself onto your side so you could see him and he followed suit, shuffling down onto his back. He reached his arm over to you and pulled you closer to him, your head snuggling into his shoulder. "Night Dean..." You whispered.
Dean didn't respond with any words, instead he kissed your head in the way you had grown accustomed to, months ago, before he and Sam were always away.
This was definitely new territory, but he certainly didn't seem to mind and neither did you. If anything it calmed you, knowing he was close and you hoped that perhaps your presence would do the same for him.
You fell asleep quickly after that.
When you awoke the next morning, you couldn't deny you were disappointed to find that the other side of your bed was now empty. You reached for your phone hoping that at the very least, he'd sent you something, anything to feed the new void you now felt in your heart. And there waiting for you, was a new message,
- Cass needed us in Missouri. -
It wasn't the message you were hoping for.
*****
You had been up late, reading in the library, once again working on your abduction case after weeks of helping Dean search for Abaddon. But the heavy door of the bunker slamming shut and footsteps trailing down the metal stairs pulled you away from the table you occupied and you stood up to greet your friends.
But it wasn't Sam and Dean who found you in the library. It was the angel, Castiel. You recognised him from the Ghostfacers YouTube video instantly. "Hello." His voice was gruff as he continued to address you by your full name.
Sam and Dean had stayed in the war room and you could hear them arguing. Something about apologies and Sam being an infant. You sighed. They hadn't been getting along most of the time recently, at least when you had seen them that was, and this was clearly going to be another one of those times.
"Cass... Castiel?" You replied as you reached out your hand to shake his.
He took your outstretched hand in both of his. "Cass is fine. I must apologise for not meeting you earlier."
"No... Um... Don't be silly." You brushed him off. "I've heard from Sam and Dean, how busy you are... I'm honestly surprised to see you here. I, I thought you were occupied with the ah, Angel war?" The last two words sounded so strange to say out loud.
"Yes, well... The uh, other angels, the ones who were working with me, they've sided with Metatron, so here I am...." Cass looked defeated and he quickly changed the subject. "About your situation... I'm afraid I cannot give you any more information than what you already know... We angels know many names, and unfortunately, I've never heard of yours. My, followers, they too knew nothing about you..."
"But I can confirm what Crowley told you to be true... Those cuts you received to your body, they're acting as a spell to protect your loved ones. And they most definitely came from heaven..." Cass trailed off as Dean's shouting filled echoed throughout the bunker.
"That blade's the only thing that can kill Metatron." Deans yelled from the war room. "And I am the only one that can use it.... So from here on out I'm calling the shots. Capeesh?"
Sam looked like he was struggling to keep his mouth shut as Dean continued his tirade.
"Look, until I jam the blade through that douchebag's heart, we are not a team. This is a dictatorship. Now, you don't have to like it, but that's how it's gonna be." Dean finished off. What the hell had happened between them you wondered.
"Are they, okay?" You asked Cass.
But before Cass could answer you, you were both distracted as you watched Sam stomp off into the hallway closest to the bunkers entrance. While Dean came in to join you and Cass.
He walked up and patted you on the shoulder in greeting, but did not address you. You hated to admit that hurt a little. Instead, he dropped his bag on the table and turning to Cass. "So batteries?" Dean asked the angel.
"I'm fine." Cass answered him as both men took a seat. You sat down next to Dean to join them.
"No, you're not. How long have you got?" Dean pressed the issue.
It turned out Cass was running on stolen angel grace and he was slowly dying. But he insisted that he would be able to help take care of Metatron, though he was slightly concerned that they no longer had his angel army. Dean was ever the over confident one.
Their conversation was interrupted when the second angel you were to ever see entered the war room behind an alerted Sam.
"I'm not here to fight." It was the angel, Gadreel.
Dean and Cass both stood up from their seats and you moved to follow them. However as you reached to step into the war room right behind them, Dean turned around and stopped you from leaving. "Stay here." He mouthed. His face, angry and tense.
"I thought about what you said." Gadreel continued. His hands up in a surrender. "You're right. Metatron. He's.... Something needs to be done.... I can give him to you.... I know where he is...."
Gadreel's words seemed to be getting through to Cass and the Winchester brothers and you were relieved to see Dean had moved to shake his hand. But faster than your eyes could acknowledge, Dean pulled the First blade out of his jacket and cut Gadreel across the chest leaving Sam and Cass just as shocked as you were.
Sam and Cass tried to constrain Dean as he roared in anger. But he was too quick for them. You had never seen either brother act like this before and it terrified you to hear Dean's voice tell Sam to move. Something was definitely wrong.
Sam and Cass luckily managed to drag Dean away from Gadreel and pulled him to the hall closest to the mess room. Before he disappeared behind the corner, Sam called out to you. "I need you to follow us!"
You looked over at Gadreel to see him still standing, bleeding onto the floor. He didn't seem dangerous, but you knew it was best to follow Sam and so you nodded at Gadreel and hurried over to the doorway to follow Sam and Cass down the long corridor to room 7B.
As Cass dragged Dean into the centre of the room, you could tell Dean was pissed by the way he held himself alone. "The hell if you think I'm riding the line on this one guys." Dean growled at Sam and Cass. "You're going to lock up the one guy who has a chance of killing the son of a bitch!.. Hell of a plan fellas."
"Something is wrong with you Dean. And until we figure out what, this is where you need to stay." Sam turned and took a hold of your arm, leading you back towards the hall before you could even begin to protest. He and Cass stopped to close the shelving back to their original position and the three of you exited the room in silence, bolting the door behind you.
Dean's muffled voice calling through the small opening made by the door and the floor. "Sammy!"
Sam grabbed a hold of both of your shoulders forcing you to look him in the eyes. "Don't go back into the room, no matter what you hear. Dean can stay there until Cass and I get back... Alright?"
But before you could do or say anything, Sam and Cass were already walking down the hallway, back towards the library and the entrance to the bunker. And you were left behind once again, only this time Dean was there, locked in the dungeon.
Dean's words repeated in your mind. "When we use this room, it's usually to hold someone dangerous..."