Carthage, Missouri
The moment the Impala rolled past the town lines Cassandra could see them. Reapers. Hundreds of them and they were all lined up in the middle of the street going as far as the eye could see. She kept her mouth shut, instead focusing on the fact that Sam and Dean both held their phones out the windows as the Impala cruised down the street.
"You getting a signal?" Sam asked. Dean shook his head, flipping his phone closed before pulling it back into the car.
"No, nothing. Nice and spooky," he replied. Cassandra gulped, eyeing the streets warily. It was too deserted for her liking. Dean waved for the pickup truck behind them to stop next to the Impala as he pulled over. Ellen pressed her foot on the break. Jo rode shotgun with Castiel in the backseat.
"Place seem a little empty to you?" Ellen said, briefly glancing at the blonde in Dean's backseat. Much to Cassandra's dismay, Bobby had told Ellen and Ellen only about the note. Cassandra would rather Bobby be the only one to know but things never seemed to work out in her favor. The look Ellen gave Cassandra proved it.
"We're gonna go check out the PD. You guys stay here, see if you can find anybody," Dean ordered. Ellen nodded.
"Okay."
The Impala pulled out of its spot against the curb, the pickup truck taking its place. Dean glanced at Cassandra through the rearview mirror. He tapped his fingers on the steering wheel uneasily as he took a left. "You okay back there, Princess?" Cassandra looked up, meeting his gaze in the mirror.
"Nervous," she admitted, staring down at the Colt in her lap. Dean chuckled and nodded.
"You got this, Cassy. If we manage to pull this one out of our asses then I promise that we can go back to Bobby's and do whatever the hell you want, no questions asked. Sound good?" Cassandra managed a nod as she ran her thumb over the stock of the Colt.
"Yeah. Sounds perfect," she choked out, fighting back the tears. Sam turned in his seat and frowned at the girl, furrowing his eyebrows when she cleared her throat and sucked in a sharp breath. Suddenly it was as if nothing had ever happened. A poker face replaced the nervous expression that she showed the whole way to Carthage. Sam eyed her warily before his gaze landed on the police station that Dean had just parked in front of. Something was off about her
~*~
Ellen's pickup truck pulled up to the trio on the sidewalk, coming to a halt. "Station's empty," Dean said. Jo leaned forward from the passenger seat to see and hear better.
"So's everything else," she replied.
"Have you seen Cas?" Ellen added. Sam furrowed his eyebrows at the woman.
"What? He was with you."
"Nope. He went after the reapers," Ellen said simply. Dean's eyebrows rose in shock.
"Reapers?" Dean asked.
"He saw reapers? Where?" Sam questioned.
"Well, kind of everywhere," Cassandra said quietly. All four heads turned to her. "Well, I wasn't walking funny for no reason! I was avoiding running into them." Dean stared at her in disbelief and glanced around before leaning towards the blonde.
"You mean you can see them?" he asked. Cassandra nodded as if it were obvious. "And you didn't think to mention this before?"
"I didn't think it mattered! They're just standing there staring at absolutely nothing! They're almost like statues," the Nephilim hissed. Dean sighed and ran a hand through his hair, glancing over to Ellen and Jo before looking back to Cassandra.
"Alright. Well, why would they be here?"
"Cas said that only this many reapers show up before a massive catastrophe. Chicago Fire, San Francisco Quake, Pompeii," Jo chimed in. Everyone turned to look at the young Huntress. "Obviously something is about to go down with Lucifer. He's definitely here."
~*~
Cassandra, Dean, Sam, Ellen, and Jo all wandered the streets of Carthage armed with shotguns in search of Castiel. Dean rolled his eyes and scoffed, shaking his head as they crossed the street. "Well, this is great. Been in town twenty minutes and already lost the angel up our sleeve," Dean said.
"You think, uh, you think Lucifer got him?" Sam asked hesitantly.
"I don't know what else to think."
"There you are." Everyone stopped and turned at the new voice. It was feminine and Cassandra recognized it instantly. The petite brunette stared back at her with a smirk, her hands shoved in the front pockets of her jeans, glancing over the rest of the group.
"Meg," Sam growled.
"Shouldn't have come here, boys," Meg told them. The sudden wind whipped Ellen's, Jo's, and Cassandra's hair around and the Nephilim wanted nothing more than to pull her hair back in a ponytail. She discreetly handed the Colt over to Dean, knowing this was a shot he'd want to take.
"Hell, I could say the same thing for you," Dean told her before aiming the Colt at Meg. The demon only smirked and chuckled, causing Cassandra to furrow her eyebrows. She had a gun pointed at her face. Why was she laughing?
"Didn't come here alone, Deano." The puddle near Meg's feet splashed and suddenly Cassandra could see them; Hellhounds. The growling and barking grew louder and she gulped as everyone glanced around for the source of the noise. Dean did his best to hide his fear but it was clear in his eyes. Then it hit Cassandra. Hellhounds were what killed Dean and took him downstairs.
"Hellhounds," Dean said simply. Meg's smirk grew.
"Yeah, Dean. Your favorite," she taunted. Cassandra's breathing shook. The hounds were ugly, their faces almost as horrifying as Meg's true face. They were definitely going to be in her nightmare if she made it out of this alive. "Come on, boys. My father wants to see you."
"I think we'll pass, thanks," Sam yelled out. Meg shrugged, fine with either option that the Hunters picked. She was just itching to kill someone.
"Your call. You can make this easy or you can make it really, really hard," Meg told him.
Dean glanced back at Ellen who nodded. He looked at Cassandra, meeting her gaze. She looked towards the snarling Hellhounds before returning her attention to her boyfriend, nodding as she replaced the shotgun with her angel blade. Dean glanced back at Meg.
"When have you known us to ever make anything easy?" Meg shook her head just as Dean shifted his aim of the gun, firing at the Hellhound next to Meg. Blood spurt from nothing to the Hunters, but to Cassandra she could see the hound collapse. The growling grew louder and suddenly they all lunged towards them.
"Run!" Cassandra screamed out. Everyone turned and took off down the street, Meg smirking as she watched the retreating figures.
Dean only made it about a hundred feet before he was tackled to the pavement by a Hellhound. His yell alerted Jo and Cassandra and they both whipped their heads around to look at him. "Dean!" Jo yelled out.
"Jo, stay back!"
Jo fired her shotgun in Dean's direction. The shots from Jo's gun had grabbed Ellen and Sam's attention and they stopped running, turning to watch in shock as Jo fired multiple rounds into the Hellhound. He was knocked back further and further, blood flying from nowhere to her eyes. Before Cassandra could even yell out and warn the blonde, a hound attacked Jo from the side. Sam and Ellen yelled out, rushing towards the three Hunters.
"No!" Ellen screamed just as the Hellhound clawed Jo's side. Both her shirt and skin tore, the blood seeping through as more splattered onto her neck. Sam and Ellen started firing, giving Dean the chance to scoop the Huntress up. Cassandra spun around and drove her angel blade through a hound just as it lunged for her.
"Cassy!" Dean yelled out as they ran to the nearest store, glancing over his shoulder at the blonde who fought off the Hellhounds. She turned to face Dean.
"Go! I'll find Castiel!" Dean handed Jo off to Sam and pulled out his shotgun, shooting a the hounds that Cassandra swung her blade at. "Dean, go! I'll be okay!"
"They can kill you, Cassy! I'm not leaving you!"
Cassandra screamed out as a hound latched onto her side and she sliced at it, the Hellhound falling to the ground. Cassandra plunged the blade through its chest before turning back to Dean. "Jo needs you more! Save her, Dean! No one's dying today!" Dean licked his lips and stared at her blood-splattered face almost as if he were memorizing every detail one last time before turning and rushing into the hardware store.
Distracted from making sure Dean got in safely, Cassandra was thrown to the ground by a Hellhound and she let out an ear piercing scream as he dragged his claws down her back. Suddenly a round of whimpers sounded out and Cassandra stopped, glancing at all of the Hellhounds who shook their heads. Her scream. Locking eyes with Meg, Cassandra let out the loudest, highest, scream she had ever managed. Windows around them shattered as Meg fell to her knees clutching her ears while the hounds whimpered and retreated. It was only a matter of minutes before they recovered and came back to finish off the group of Hunters.
Cassandra pushed herself from the ground and glanced around the town, following Meg's gaze to what seemed to be an old warehouse of some sort. Meg's eyes widened once she realized what she had just done.
"I wouldn't go in there if I were you," Meg warned, quickly jumping up from the pavement. Cassandra locked eyes with the demon just as she disappeared into thin air. Meg let out a string of curse words and glanced around the remaining Hellhounds. They knew what to do once they recover.
Cassandra stumbled as she landed, just managing to avoid stepping on a ring of fire. Castiel stared at her in shock as she backed up. The Nephilim flashed him a small smile and turned until she saw Lucifer watching her with a smirk. She took notice in his vessel's face. It was deteriorating. Whoever this man is wasn't strong enough to hold him. Soon he'd explode and Lucifer would need to find another vessel. Another innocent human life to waste
"Cassandra, what a surprise," Lucifer greeted. "I'm shocked that boyfriend of yours let you come."
"He had no choice," the blonde growled. She reached into her jacket to pull out the Colt but stopped and clenched her eyes shut when she remembered that she had given it to Dean. It'd take her hours to find Lucifer again if she went back to get it from the Hunter. Lucifer's smirk only grew at her expression. "Dammit."
"Missing something?"
"Just my dignity, it would seem," Cassandra grumbled before opening her eyes to see Lucifer. The ring of holy fire reflected in her eyes, giving them a fierceness that Lucifer hadn't seen the first time he met the Nephilim. It was something that he didn't expect to see in Cassandra for months, maybe even years, but when he looked deeper into her blue eyes he could see how determined she was to kill him.
"Why are you here, Cassandra?"
"You know why."
Lucifer rolled his eyes and nodded as if it were obvious.
"Well, duh. You were corrupted by those Winchesters and your father." She frowned slightly. "But I mean why are you going against him? Hm? Say you do somehow manage to kill me and you survive. What do you expect will happen? You think Heaven will give you a pat on the back and leave you alone? You think Michael will tell you that you did a good job and that he's proud of you? Are you expecting God to return from wherever the hell He ran off to and give you a gold medal?"
Cassandra stayed silent, her hands curling into fists at her sides. Lucifer stopped and smirked, pointing at the blonde.
"No. No, you don't even want any of that. No, you want to run off with Dean Winchester and build a normal life. Get that job as a therapist that you've always wanted; get married; adopt a dog; buy a house; have a couple of kids." Cassandra's expression faltered at the last few words and Lucifer caught it immediately. He grinned in realization. "That's why Michael's offer was so special to you. He was offering you the ability to have kids if you helped kill me."
"Shut up," the Nephilim snapped, her glare hardening on the Devil. Lucifer laughed and threw his head back, letting out a sigh.
"Who would've thought that Michael's daughter isn't as perfect as everyone assumed? No, you're broken just like everyone else. Broken mind, broken body. You're just as screwed up as the rest of the humans, maybe even worse. Is that why you're so attracted to Dean? You both hate yourselves so much that you just clicked?" Lucifer let out a low whistle as he started to circle around the ring of holy fire, Castiel watching his every movement while Cassandra just stared straight ahead. Her nails dug into her palms and Lucifer's gaze fell to her hands as blood started to drip on the floor. She was trying to control her anger.
Lucifer stopped behind her, leaning forward so that his lips were next to her ear. "I can fix that for you," he whispered. Cassandra's heart pounded against her ribcage. "I can heal that little problem of yours. You could have as many kids as you desire...if you help me with one teeny tiny thing."
"Cassandra, don't," Castiel warned. She glanced over to him but listened as Lucifer continued on, circling around the blonde.
"All you have to do is help me with the ritual here." He shrugged. "That's it. Help me with this and I can release you from your Heavenly duties. You'd be human again. You'd have everything you've ever wanted. And just because Dean and your father are a pain in my ass, I'd let you have Dean, too."
"It sounds too good to be true," Cassandra admitted in a strong voice. Lucifer pursed his lips in thought, nodding his head to the side.
"But I can make it happen."
"How?" Cassandra furrowed her eyebrows. "I figured you would've been cut off from Heaven the moment you fell. Your wings gone, your powers dormant. You were cast out as an abomination," Cassandra said. Lucifer nodded.
"They all see me as an abomination, just as they see you. The three of us, Cassandra, we're more alike than you think."
She followed his gaze to Castiel.
"Castiel and I both rebelled, we were both cast out. You're not even supposed to exist, my sweet niece. Imagine what the three of us could do. Imagine the power we'd have. Michael would be off of our asses, Heaven would cease to exist, Hell would be destroyed, and we'd all be happy," Lucifer said. Cassandra licked her lips and nodded, glancing away with a slight chuckle. Lucifer furrowed his eyebrows. "What's so funny?"
"You actually think I'd fall for that shit?" Cassandra inquired, returning her attention to the Devil in front of her. "I don't give a fuck about power or happiness. I can't remember a time where I've had either of those things. You can offer me children, Lucifer; you can offer me the perfect job and the perfect house and the perfect husband. You could offer me the perfect life and I'd still never help you. It's immoral and it's stupid," she spat. Lucifer's lips curled into a scowl and he narrowed his eyes at the blonde. "You can offer me the world and I will still choose Humanity. I will always choose Humanity."
"You say that now, Cassandra, but when they turn their backs on you you'll see how right I was all along!" Lucifer roared. She never flinched or blinked. She only stared back at him. "I've always been right! We're not the monsters here, the humans are!"
"I think you forget that I'm also part human, Lucifer," Cassandra said calmly. Lucifer arched an eyebrow.
"You think I forget that? Your true face to me is your soul. Your true face to me is what it is to Dean and Sam and all of the other humans. I've been able to look past that because you are so much more than just some human, Cassandra. You're powerful."
"I'm weak according to you five minutes ago," she retorted. "And no matter how weak I am, I would never help you deep-fry the planet." Lucifer recoiled at her words, staring at her shock.
"Why? Why would I want to destroy—
"—this stunning thing? Beautiful in a trillion different ways. The last perfect handiwork of God," Cassandra finished for him, crossing her arms over her chest. Lucifer's lips parted slightly. "That's what you were going to say, right?"
"How did you—"
"We've tangoed before, Lucifer. You may not be able to remember it but I sure as hell do." Cassandra stepped forward until they were inches apart. "You can promise me anything, Lucifer, but you will never keep your word. I watched you kill Dean. I watched you rip my Grace from my throat and give me a fate worse than death. I watched you prove everything I already know you are. Even if I work with you, you'd never give me what I truly wanted because what I want is something you hate. What I want is a threat to your very existence. So you can take your offers and shove them up your ass because I want no part in it," Cassandra hissed quietly.
"You've obviously seen something you weren't supposed to see," Lucifer muttered, locking gazes with the blonde. Her stone-cold expression never faltered. "It's a shame. We would've made a great team."
Suddenly Meg rushed in with a grin on her face and Cassandra turned towards the brunette, stepping back from her uncle. "I got the Winchesters pinned down. For now, at least. What should I do with them?" Meg asked.
"Leave them alone," Lucifer ordered, finally tearing his gaze away from the Nephilim in front of him. Meg's face fell.
"I—I'm sorry, but are you sure? Shouldn't we—"
"Trust me, child." Lucifer stepped towards the demon, leaving Cassandra next to the ring of holy fire and Castiel, and stroked Meg's face. She stared up at him in awe and Cassandra watched in disgust. "Everything happens for a reason."
Castiel started to examine his surroundings, his gaze landing on a pipe not far from the circle of holy fire. Cassandra furrowed her eyebrows and followed his gaze in realization.
"Well, Castiel." Cassandra and Castiel both looked back to Lucifer mutely. "You have some time. Time to change your mind?" Lucifer smiled at Cassandra. "You, too, Cassandra. You're both family and I want us all to work together."
The loud echo of an explosion rang out in Cassandra's ears and she ducked, turning to the window with wide eyes. She could see smoke rising in the night air and the faint glow of fire in the distance. "Dean!" She screamed out. She turned to race out of the building when Lucifer grabbed onto her, stopping the Nephilim. "No! Let me go! Dean!"
"You're not going anywhere," the Devil growled, his grip on her torso tightening as he pinned her arms to her sides. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she struggled in his arms, screaming out Sam's and Dean's names. "It's time to go." Before Cassandra could ask what he was talking about, Lucifer pressed two fingers to her forehead. Cassandra's world went black and her body fell limp. Lucifer caught her before she could hit the floor.
~*~
Sam and Dean approached the field, lurking in the bushes as they watched a swarm of men surround Lucifer who hastily threw shovels of dirt into a large hole. They couldn't make out what was in it but the brothers knew that it definitely wasn't good.
"Guess we know what happened to some of the townspeople," Dean said. His gaze wandered until he stopped, his sight locking on an unconscious blonde lying in the middle of the field. Her torso was exposed and Dean could make out the scarring he knew all too well. "Cassy," he whispered. Sam followed his gaze, his eyes widening.
"Oh god. Please tell me he didn't—"
"I don't know," Dean choked out. He felt his pocket for the Colt, sighing with relief when he found that it was still there. "It doesn't look like she found Cas but maybe she found us a shot at winning, alive or not." Dean sucked in a sharp breath. Cassandra was alive. She had to be. She was stronger than Lucifer could ever imagine.
"Last words?" Sam asked. Dean turned to look at Sam for a moment in thought before shaking his head.
"I think I'm good."
Sam nodded in agreement. "Yeah. Me, too."
"Here goes nothing," Dean muttered. He and Sam exchanged glances, Sam's almost sad. There was a chance that they wouldn't be making it out of this alive. This could very well be the last time they see each other. Before they could think twice, Sam rushed through the bushes and made his way around all of the mindless men standing there, cocking back the hammer to his shotgun as he yelled out:
"Hey!"
Lucifer turned at the sound of Sam's voice. The Hunter briefly glanced over at Cassandra's body where Dean rested two fingers on her neck, breathing a sigh of relief when he found a pulse.
"You wanted to see me?" Sam asked. Lucifer dropped the shovel and eyed the shotgun in his vessel's grasp.
"Oh, Sam, you don't need that gun here. You know I'd never hurt you. Not really."
Sam never replied. He only watched as Dean approached the Devil, aiming the gun at Lucifer point-blank to the forehead. "Yeah? Well, I'd hurt you," Dean growled. "So suck it." Dean pulled the trigger, the Colt firing out a single bullet into Lucifer's head. He collapsed to the ground just as Cassandra shot up from her position in the middle of the field, wide-eyed and panting. She scrambled to her feet and rushed over to Dean, standing behind him and watching in anticipation as the three Hunters all stared down at the corpse. Cassandra's breath hitched in her throat. None of the men even moved. They were all demons, so why weren't they attacking when they just killed their father?
Suddenly Lucifer inhaled sharply and shifted position on the ground. "Owww," he whined. Sam, Dean, and Cassandra all watched in horror and shock as he rose to his feet, looking to Dean. "Where did you get that?" One backhand across the face sent Dean flying into a tree. Sam watched mutely before turning back to Lucifer. Cassandra quickly rushed over to Dean's side, shaking him back to consciousness. Dean didn't wake up.
"Now, where were we?" Lucifer asked Sam. Sam's chest rose and fell heavily in fear, adrenaline coursing through his veins yet his feet stayed glued to the grass. "Don't feel too bad, Sam. There's only six things in all of creation that that gun can't kill, and I just happen to be one of them." He held up his index finger. "But if you give me a minute, I'm almost done."
Lucifer picked up the shovel and dumped two scoops of dirt back into the hole while Sam rushed over to Dean and Cassandra. The blonde nodded at him, letting him know that his brother was alright.
"It's okay. I've got him," Cassandra assured the Winchester softly. Sam sent her a grateful smile and she returned it. Her gaze drifted over to Lucifer who leaned on his shovel and her smile fell.
"You know, I don't suppose you'd just say yes here and now?" Lucifer asked. Sam turned and stood up, glaring daggers at the Devil. "End this whole tiresome discussion? That's crazy, right?"
"It's never gonna happen!" Sam roared. Lucifer shrugged and continued to fill in the hole.
"Oh, I don't know, Sam. I think it will. I think it'll happen soon. Within six months. And I think it'll happen in Detroit." Cassandra lowered her head guiltily. She had slipped up about the future which meant there was a chance she screwed everything up. If she did return to Sioux Falls with them, Dean would kick her ass and probably leave her.
"You listen to me, you son of a bitch," Sam yelled out breathlessly, his hazel eyes welling with tears. Cassandra's heart broke at the sight. "I'm gonna kill you myself, you understand me? I'm going to rip your heart out!" Lucifer turned towards the Hunter.
"That's good, Sam. You keep fanning that fire in your belly. All that pent-up rage. I'm gonna need it." Lucifer continued to shovel dirt into the hole and Sam took this as his chance to study the men who stood still, just watching.
"What did you do? What did you do to this town?"
"Oh, I was very generous with this town. Why don't you tell him, Cassandra?"
Sam turned and stared down at the blonde in confusion, his eyebrows furrowed. The Nephilim sighed and shook her head.
"One demon for every able-bodied man," she told him softly.
"And the rest of them?"
Cassandra opened her mouth to reply but stopped, hesitating. She choked back a sob and turned towards Lucifer. He nodded for her to continue. Cassandra sucked in a sharp breath. "In there," the blonde croaked, nodding her head towards the hole that Lucifer was currently filling. Sam stared at her in horror before turning back towards the Devil.
"I know, it's awful, but these horsemen are so demanding. So it was women and children first," Lucifer explained as if it were nothing. He stopped shoveling dirt and leaned against the tool, letting out a sigh. "I know what you must think of me, Sam. But I have to do this. I have to. You of all people should understand." Sam recoiled at his words and stared at him in shock and disgust.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Sam demanded.
Lucifer threw the shovel down and started to approach Sam, gesturing to him as he spoke.
"I was a son. A brother, like you, a younger brother, and I had an older brother who I loved. Idolized, in fact. And one day I went to him and I begged him to stand with me, and Michael—Michael turned on me. Called me a freak—a monster—and then he beat me down. All because I was different; because I had a mind of my own. Tell me something, Sam. Any of this sound familiar?" he explained. Cassandra looked up and shook her head.
"Don't listen to him, Sam. You see, there's a difference between you and Lucifer," Cassandra said. Both the fallen archangel and the Hunter turned to look at the blonde on the ground next to Dean's unconscious body. "Dean loves you. Dean would do anything for you. He'd risk the world for you and he did. But Michael?" Cassandra scoffed. "Michael didn't care. He followed his father's orders like a good little bitch and cast his brother into Hell. Tell me; does that sound like something Dean would do?"
"You have quite the knowledge of biblical history for an Atheist," Lucifer mused, smirking slightly. "I'm sure those visits to Heaven helped." Cassandra rolled her eyes at him.
"Just shut up. I've had enough of you for a lifetime. I can see why God had Michael cast you out. I'm starting to see the good and intelligent side to my father," Cassandra spat. Lucifer clenched his fists at his sides, biting back a retort. He didn't have time to argue with her.
"Anyway, you'll have to excuse me." Lucifer raised his arms. "Midnight is calling and I have a ritual to finish." He pointed to Sam and Cassandra. "Don't go anywhere. Not that you could if you would."
Sam turned back to Dean and Cassandra, doing his best to block out the chant that flowed out of Lucifer's lips smoothly. Dean squinted and managed to sit up, relief flooding through his veins to see Cassandra up and alive. He gave her a sad smile and it was in that moment that Cassandra noticed that Jo and Ellen were nowhere to be found. Dean's face said it all and the Nephilim hung her head.
Lucifer turned towards the demons standing before him. "Now repeat after me. We offer up our lives, blood, souls—"
"We offer up our lives, blood, souls—"
"To complete this tribute."
"To complete this tribute."
One by one then two by two each demon glowed a bright gold before collapsing to the ground; dead. Cassandra, Sam, and Dean all watched in horror as each body fell limp to the ground until there were no more demons. Lucifer turned towards the Hunters, taking notice in their expressions.
"What?" he asked innocently. "They're just demons."
Crowley was right. Demons are nothing but scum to Lucifer.
The ground rumbled and shook and the Hunters all looked around with wide eyes before Castiel appeared, holding a finger to his lips. They all nodded and Cassandra grabbed onto Dean's shoulder while Cas grabbed onto Sam's. Drawing just the slightest bit of power from Castiel, Cassandra managed to get them all to the Impala where they hauled ass out of Carthage and back to Bobby in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
~*~
Cassandra had been hesitant to move from the Impala once they pulled into Singer Salvage Yard. She stared back at the house, almost shaking, and had a mental war with herself. Did she leave and protect the Winchesters, Bobby, and Castiel like she had planned? Did she stay and hope that Dean never got in her journal?
Dean had noticed her hesitation and stopped, gesturing for Sam to go on in without him. Sam nodded and did just that. Dean leaned against the Impala next to Cassandra who stared down at the ground, rolling her bottom lip between her teeth in thought.
"There's something you should know," Dean said, staring straight ahead at the house. Cassandra hummed in reply. "I kissed Jo." The blonde never looked up. "There was always something small between us that we couldn't act on, and this was the last time I was going to see her. She wasn't going to survive the Hellhound attack so she volunteered to stay behind and blow up the remaining Hellhounds once they got in. Ellen also stayed behind with her." Cassandra shrugged.
"She was dying, Dean. I knew that there was something between you two. Anyone could see that. I didn't really care," Cassandra replied. Dean's eyebrows rose and he turned to look at Cassandra in shock. She met his gaze, rolling her eyes. "Oh, come on, Dean. You don't honestly think that I didn't know there'd be other women? I'm broken, not blind. Anyone with eyes and a working brain could see it."
"I don't know if your reaction is good or bad," Dean said slowly.
"It's neither. It's whatever," she snapped. Cassandra pushed herself off of the car and started to walk away when Dean reached out and grabbed her arm. Cassandra tried to tug her arm out of his grasp but his grip was too tight.
"What's going on with you? You were silent the whole ride back. Even Cas knew something was up," Dean said. Cassandra shook her head and let her arm fall to her side when Dean released it. "Talk to me. I mean what happened last night after the journal and everything...it's like you just reverted back to the old you." She stayed silent. "I want to help you, Princess, but you've got to let me in. You have to let someone in," Dean pleaded. She sighed and looked up, hesitantly meeting her boyfriend's gaze.
"I wasn't supposed to come back tonight." Dean stared at her in confusion. "I was either supposed to die or leave and continue this on my own." Her voice cracked. The Hunter's eyes widened and he recoiled at her words in shock. "I didn't want to put you guys in anymore danger and Heaven's on my ass and—" Cassandra broke down into a sob and Dean stepped forward, pulling her into his arms. "Ellen and Jo are dead because of me. If I had just said yes to Michael then maybe this could've been stopped." Dean shook his head, stroking her hair in an attempt to calm her down.
"Cassy, none of this is your fault. It's obvious Lucifer had been planning this for a long time. There was nothing you could've done, even with Michael on your side," Dean assured her. She shook her head and clutched his jacket in her fist. "None of this is your fault. You hear me? None of it."
"I'm sorry."
"You have nothing to apologize for. Ellen and Jo made that decision on their own. You stayed back and fought off the Hellhounds. You risked your life for us."
"I can see Hellhounds, Dean. If I had warned Jo then she could still be alive," Cassandra choked out. Dean sighed, his hand resting on her back.
"Cassandra, none of us were able to stop that Hellhound. Even if you could've warned her it still would have gotten to her. They're too fast to outrun. Warning Jo wouldn't have done anything," Dean told her. Cassandra didn't reply. "Let's go inside. I think we need something stronger than beer tonight."
~*~
"Just received an update that the governor has declared a state of emergency for Paulding County, including the towns of Marion, Fetterville, and Carthage. The storm system has reportedly touched off a number of tornadoes in the area."
Sam, Dean, Cassandra, and Bobby all gathered around the fireplace, the flames roaring as the four Hunters all stared down at the photo that they had taken the night before. They blocked out the sound of the TV in the next room over, focusing on two faces in particular: Ellen and Jo Harvelle. A silent tear slipped down Cassandra's cheek. She and Jo had grown close in the short time they knew each other and they never even got to say goodbye.
"Death tolls have yet to be estimated, but state officials expect the loss of life and property to be staggering."
Bobby leaned forward in his wheelchair and tossed the photo in the fire. Everyone watched the photo paper curl up as it quickly burned away, Jo's face being the first to go. Cassandra stared blankly into the fire as her heart hammered in her chest. She knew she could've saved them. If she hadn't gone after Lucifer then maybe, just maybe, Ellen and Jo would've gone home with them. But now they were just piles of dust mixed in with rubble and soot in a town that was wiped off of the map.
After a while Cassandra excused herself and snuck into the kitchen, grabbing a bottle of whiskey from the counter. She eyed the shot glasses from Castiel's and Ellen's drinking competition from the night before, her heart clenching at the side. Deciding against a glass, Cassandra simply unscrewed the cap and took a swig straight from the bottle. She enjoyed the burning sensation as the liquid rushed down her throat and her mind cried out for more. It cried out for something to numb to the pain.
"Help me with this and I can release you from your Heavenly duties. You'd be human again. You'd have everything you've ever wanted. And just because Dean and your father are a pain in my ass, I'd let you have Dean, too."
Cassandra brought the bottle to her lips and took a long drink, practically chugging the alcohol.
"It sounds too good to be true."
"But I can make it happen."
"How? I figured you would've been cut off from Heaven the moment you fell. Your wings gone, your powers dormant. You were cast out as an abomination."
Bobby wheeled into the kitchen and watched the Nephilim but she simply ignored him, pulling the bottle away and sighing. She stared straight ahead out of the window and into the night sky before raising the bottle back to her mouth.
"They all see me as an abomination, just as they see you. The three of us, Cassandra, we're more alike than you think. Castiel and I both rebelled, we were both cast out. You're not even supposed to exist, my sweet niece. Imagine what the three of us could do. Imagine the power we'd have. Michael would be off of our asses, Heaven would cease to exist, Hell would be destroyed, and we'd all be happy."
"Are you okay?"
Cassandra turned and stared at Bobby in confusion as she slowly lowered the bottle.
"You've never been through something like that before," Bobby clarified. "And I just wanted to make sure you won't—"
"Do anything stupid?" Cassandra finished with an arched eyebrow. "You mean like leave or kill myself?" Bobby stared back at her mutely. Cassandra scoffed and shook her head. "I could've stopped it, but no. I just had to go and find Castiel and Lucifer. If I was there then Ellen and Jo would be here."
"You could've been dead, Cassandra."
"I wasn't supposed to come back!" the blonde yelled. Sam and Dean both looked up from the fire towards the kitchen, watching with furrowed eyebrows. "I was supposed to die there or—"
"Or side with Michael?" Bobby interrupted. Sam and Dean exchanged wide eyed glances. Dean didn't understand what Cassandra meant when she said she wasn't supposed to come back. He figured it was just part of her rambling and that it meant nothing. "Girl, you really are nine kinds of crazy if you believe those boys would let you just walk off and side with your daddy. You know how much they care about you. You know how much I care about you, Cassandra." She shook her head.
"That's a lie. I'm just a weapon to you," she muttered. She went to take another sip of the alcohol when Bobby knocked it from her hand, the bottle falling to the floor and shattering into a million tiny pieces.
"You're family. You've been with us for almost ten months now and you honestly think that no one here cares about you? Are you that deep into self-hate to see that we all care for you and love you? You're not a weapon, Cassandra, you're a human being!" Bobby roared. "Maybe if you'd stop listening to all those damn archangels then you'd realize that!" Cassandra didn't reply. Her gaze only drifted over Bobby and towards the Winchester brothers who stared at her in shock and heartbreak. Neither of them realized that that was really how she felt? She was good at hiding her emotions, probably better at it than them.
"Cassy," Dean whimpered, his eyes glossy with tears as he watched her. She glanced over to Sam who held a similar expression to his brother. Cassandra shoved past Bobby and raced up the stairs, leaving the three men behind her. Dean went to chase after her when Bobby grabbed his arm, stopping him.
"Cassandra never planned on coming back from Carthage. Before she left she asked me to give you this if she didn't make it back," Bobby told Dean, holding out the white leather journal. Dean eyed it warily before looking back down at Bobby. "I think you should read it. The page is bookmarked." Bobby wheeled away, leaving Sam and Dean.
"Do you wanna—" Dean held up the journal. Sam cleared his throat and nodded.
"Uh, yeah. Sure. If you're okay with it."
Dean nodded and they both sat down on the couch next to each other, Dean unclasping the leather strap and flipping it open the bookmarked page. They started to read.
Dean had read it over a few times, Sam only once. By the time they were both finished and exchanged glances Dean was in tears.
Tucking the journal under his arm, Dean ran up the stairs to his room and threw open the door. Cassandra jumped and sat up in the bed, breathing a sigh of relief when she saw that it was only Dean. He held the journal up, no words escaping past his lips. Cassandra's eyes widened.
"You weren't supposed to read that unless—"
"I know, but Bobby gave it to me. Cassy, everything I've said to you has been the truth. I wouldn't be in this relationship with you if I didn't actually feel anything," Dean told her. He set the journal down on the desk and climbed in the bed next to her, pulling her against him. "Stop thinking that no one cares about you because it's not true. We've all come to love you as one of our own." Cassandra gripped his shirt and rested her head on his chest, silent tears streaming down her cheeks. "I know today was hard but we'll get through it. I promise. We always do."
Dean leaned forward and kissed the top of her head, her sporadic breathing slowing into a steady pace. She had fallen asleep.
"I think I love you, too. Maybe not in the way you describe it, not yet, but there's something stronger than a normal attraction," Dean muttered as he stroked her hair. If only Cassandra had heard him.