Supernatural Fan Fiction ❯ Angels and Demons: A Supernatural Fanfic ❯ Mark of the Witnesses ( Chapter 2 )

2. Mark of the Witnesses

Israel, the apartment 3:45 a.m.

“I have to admit. I'm more than a little surprised that the Winchesters agreed to help us. Sam seemed willing, but I'm not so sure about Dean.” Grace said as she took a seat at the kitchen table. Rachel sat next to her Castiel sat opposite of them.

“Dean might not be forthcoming right now, but I think he'll warm up to us. He just doesn't have a lot of faith.” Castiel murmured. Ruby walked in, took one look at the angels, and turned away. She walked over to the breakfast bar that separated the kitchen from the living room, making sure that there was plenty of room between her and Castiel, although to him, it looked like she was trying to avoid Rachel who was sitting quietly and looking intently at the nervous demon. Ruby stood there wide eyed and breathed heavily, almost as if she was having a panic attack. Rachel surveyed her coolly with one eyebrow raised. What's gotten into her?

Grace got up and pulled a beer out of the refrigerator, tossing it to Ruby. “Hey Ruby, what's up? Why are you all the way over there? You can sit with the grown ups you know. We don't bite.”

“You may not bite, but she does. No offense, but I don't trust her.” Ruby nodded her head in the direction of Rachel and took a big swig of her beer. Rachel sighed and pursed her lips. It really got on her nerves that Ruby was scared of her. She had known Ruby for awhile now and had never taken any action to harm the rogue demon. Clenching her hands together in her lap so as not to lose her temper, she spoke. “I'm the one you can't trust? That's a little bit melodramatic, don't you think? Look, if I wanted to toss you into Hell, I could've done it by now. We have a world to save and mortals to protect, so stop being a whiney girl and do your job, after all, the Apocalypse is coming. If I scare you that much then don't bother coming around. Every time I've met you, I've been nice. I didn't say anything about how evil you are or how I'm going to destroy you, that's archangel stuff. So, man up or get out, I don't have time for this. Oh, and if my saintly vibe is going to make you puke, there's a bathroom down the hall.”

Ruby made a mad dash to the hall. Grace looked over at Rachel with wide eyes, more than a little surprised. Her friend didn't normally lose her temper with anyone, even low level demons, which was highly unusual for an angel to begin with. Angels with a caliber of power like Rachel's were notorious for striking demons where they stood and asking questions later. Rachel, however, had always been the exception to the rule, in more ways than one. Outside of the infamous relationship between the two, there was no way that angels or demons would be caught within a hundred meters of each other unless it was all out war.

“I take it she made you angry?” Castiel said, looking over at Rachel curiously. Grace rolled her eyes. “No dip Sherlock. In case you haven't noticed, she's kind of pissed about it.”

Sighing, Rachel got up and walked over to the bookshelves that lined one wall of the living room. She grabbed an old, worn out looking book off of the shelf and sat down on the couch, reading. “Grace, tell Ruby when she's done retching that she's off the assignment. She can show herself out.”

“Aye Captain.” Grace said, giving her a mock salute. She threw her the empty beer bottle away and went to check on Ruby. Castiel came and sat down by Rachel. Placing a placid hand on her shoulder he talked quietly, so Grace and Ruby wouldn't hear. “Are you alright? You don't normally get so angry.” Rachel bit her lip in concentration, thinking hard. Castiel removed his hand and sighed. “Well, I'm here if you need to talk anyway.” The clock on the wall ticked with the seconds that measured out a minute. After a few moments of strained silence, Rachel whispered, “I'm sorry. I need to get a better handle on my emotions. It's just, I'm worried Cas. What if we fail? What if Lucifer gets free? There's already unrest, and it will just get worse and turn into a civil war if it goes on much longer. The fight to win lost souls is hard enough now, but when the Apocalypse starts, it will be almost impossible. That's not even addressing the issues with Lilith and Anya. I've heard that Lilith is starting trouble again, and I'm afraid of what will happen if Anya finds me. She'll be madder than Hell that I chose to save Grace over her. And that's not the worst part. These last few days have been scary, and not just because of what's coming. Cas, I haven't heard anything from God. Before, if I ever needed direction or help, he spoke to me, but now I can't hear him, I can't even feel him. I'm scared Cas. It feels like he's so far away, and I don't know why. I just feel so lost.” She put her head in her hands.

Castiel sat by his best friend and debated what to do. Rachel didn't normally get close to people, mortal or not, but she was obviously in distress and needed help. He had never seen her so openly vulnerable and a mixture of compassion, sadness, and pity welled up inside him. Rachel had always walked alone, even among the angels, and in a way, that's what had drawn him to her in the first place. She could take care of herself, was fiercely independent, and a deadly soldier in combat. She had a wonderful sense of humor, was passionate about and in her beliefs, and she always helped whomever she could whenever she could. Shy and quiet by nature, she was known personally by few. He however, was one of those rare individuals who knew her better than most. As he sat by her side, trying desperately to think of something to say or do, it occurred to him that he was genuinely concerned for her, which was more than he could say for most.

And that scared him a little. He hadn't felt close enough to anyone in so long that caring about another being's feelings seemed almost alien to him. But he did care about how Rachel felt, and that was something.

Thinking of no better option than the thought already in place, he took her in his arms and just held her for a minute, careful not to hug her too hard. She just leaned into him, as if it was the most natural thing in the world. Castiel didn't move in those moments as he held her. He didn't even breathe. He could feel the tension in her body ease a bit, felt her trembling cease. He realized with regret that she was softly crying, not making a sound. If it wasn't for the tears he felt soaking through his thin white button up shirt, he wouldn't have known. He murmured a few words in the ancient language of the angels to calm her. It was the only thing he could think of to do. He sensed Grace watching a few feet behind him. He vaguely remembered hearing Ruby close the front door as she left, but he couldn't remember for certain. At the moment however, he didn't care. All that mattered to him was Rachel.

Rachel allowed herself a few moments of respite in Castiel's arms. She hadn't cried in so long that she had almost forgotten how the salty tears felt sliding down her cheeks. I don't know what in the world is wrong with me. Castiel must think I'm nuts or hysterical. I have got to stop crying. It's weakness, it's mortal, and I'm neither. Angels aren't supposed to cry, it's not natural. Get a hold of yourself Rachel Anderson. You'll be fine, everything will be okay. She tried in vain to make herself believe that, if only for a moment. Rachel felt the fear, anger, sadness, and tension leave her as Castiel murmured a calming spell. As she leaned lightly against his chest she could hear his heart beat, feel him tremble. She wanted to stay with him like this forever and never let him go, but the end of the world was looming, and she had work to do.

A barely audible sigh escaped her lips as she moved away. Castiel relinquished his hold and looked at her with sympathy and something else shining in his grey eyes, something she couldn't identify. She wiped the tears from her face and gave him a sad smile. “Sorry about that. I must look awful.” She gave a shaky laugh as she reached for the tissues on the coffee table.

Castiel gave her a smile so warm that she felt her heart melt. He lightly caressed her cheek with his thumb, wiping away a stray tear. “Even when your eyes are red and puffy and you look so brokenhearted, you're always beautiful to me.” Rachel felt herself blush and averted her gaze for a few seconds. Grace, who was standing behind the couch, smiled at her and gave her a thumbs up before walking down the hallway to her own room. Rachel felt herself smile and looked back at Castiel, who was watching her intently.

“Are you better now Rachel?” he sounded concerned, worried. She nodded. He looked a little relieved, and then he looked nervous again as he took her hands in his. Rachel blushed even deeper but forced herself to meet his gaze. He looked a little uncertain but spoke. “I can't say what will happen in the future, but I believe that we will win this war. I know that this won't be easy, staving off the end of the world, but I'll be beside you every step of the way. If Anya does find you then call me and I'll help you. I'd give up my life before I let her hurt you. As far as our father, God, goes, I can't say what's going on. I've felt the distance too, and it frightens me just as much as it does you. But we have to keep believing, we can't lose faith. I know you've heard rumors about Lilith, and unfortunately, I can confirm them. She's trying to break the seals that bind Lucifer. So far, we've been successful in stopping her, but I don't know how much longer we can hold her off.”

Rachel's eyes widened. If Lilith manages to break even one of the seals then that's going to spell trouble for Dean and Sam, not to mention us and the rest of the human race. “Is there anything I can do to help?”

Castiel shook his head. “As far as I know, you're doing everything you can to help by keeping watch on the Winchesters. As long as they're on our side, we have a strong chance of beating this.” Castiel stood up, still holding her hands in his. “I have to go now Rachel. There's a few of us who have the charge of tracking down Lilith, and I'm needed to lead it. Just because I have to leave though, doesn't mean I want to.” He said. She gave him a small smile. “I know, I don't want you to leave either, but you have to. Don't worry about me, I'll be fine.” She replied back softly.

“Are you sure?” she nodded. He squeezed her hands lightly before letting them go. “Be careful.” She whispered.

“Always.” He murmured, kissing her lightly on the forehead. He walked away, giving her one last look before closing the front door.

Rachel picked up the book that had fallen out of her lap off of the floor and turned as she heard Grace's soft footfalls grow louder as her friend walked toward her. She plopped down on the couch beside Rachel and was grinning from ear to ear, her blue eyes shining with joy. “I can't believe he held you like that! He never gets close to anybody! I am so happy for you! You two looked so cute cuddled up here like that!” she squealed jubilantly. Rachel felt herself blushing again and told Grace everything that had happened. After hearing the story, she put a comforting hand on Rachel's arm and told her that she would personally kick Anya or Lilith's assess if they harmed her. After all, if Grace wanted to, Rachel had no doubt that her friend could take on either one of them.

And win.

“So, you'll be okay right? I mean, I worry about you. Stuff hardly ever gets under your skin like this.” Rachel waved a dismal hand in front of her face and rolled her eyes. “Oh, don't worry about me. I had my emotional freak out for the year. I should be ready to handle whatever comes my way now.” Grace grinned. “Well, you definitely have perfect timing, falling in Cas's arms like that. Being emotionally vulnerable turns a guy on if you're the silent and strong type you know. Then again, you were probably turned on, being held like you were.”

Rachel let out a squeak and got up, playfully throwing a pillow at Grace and rolled her eyes. “Oh, shut up Grace! I was so not thinking that when he was holding me.” Grace just laughed and got up. “Okay fine, deny it all you want to, but I know that there's a naughty side to you that's just screaming for some action. But hey, you don't have to admit it, I already know it.” Rachel threw her hands up in the air. “Ugh. You're hopeless, you know that? Next you'll be telling me how to make out with him.”

Grace's eyebrows flew up. “Do you need help? I've got plenty of books on the that subject, and pillow talk, and intimacy, and sex. Oh, and if you need a visual, there's always YouTube.” At that point Rachel stuck her thumbs in her ears and started saying, “La, la, la, la, la. I can't hear you Grace!”

Grace laughed and teased Rachel, who was trying her best to ignore her, for a few more minutes before the conversation turned serious.

“Alright. I heard Castiel telling you about Lilith and breaking the seals. He said that we were doing our part by keeping tabs on the Winchesters. They're going to need help with biblical lore, so why don't you get some books and write down some stuff they might need to help them? You're a hell of a lot better at the researching and translating thing than I am. In the meantime, I should probably go check on them and see if Ruby's going to drop by. Will you be okay if I leave you by yourself for a few hours?” Grace asked.

“Yeah, I should be fine. Keep a close watch on them okay Grace? I have a feeling that one of the seals is going to break soon, and they'll need all the help they can get. Call me if you need anything, and be safe.” Rachel responded.

“Of course, safety is my middle name. Try to relax okay? Oh, and if Castiel drops by, give me a holler so I don't walk in on you two.” she responded, giving Rachel a smirk and a wave before disappearing.

Rachel walked over to the bookshelf and got a few more old and battered books down before retrieving her laptop. She sighed, laughing softly, and couldn't help but smile. No matter how much Grace embarrassed or teased her she couldn't help but love the woman. Grace made her laugh, was a good listener, and at the core of it all truly had a heart of gold. As she began translating a passage from a book that was so old that even the angels didn't speak the language contained in its faded and crinkled pages, she couldn't help but think that her life would be completely different without Grace.

Bobby's House 1:33 p.m.

“Look Sam, I don't know what to believe. All I know is that I don't trust Castiel to say who he really is. He could be a demon for all we know. Angel of the Lord my ass.” Dean grumbled as he stood in Bobby's living room.

“Dean, you shot the guy with rock salt and it did nothing. You used Ruby's demon knife and it didn't even faze Castiel. He walked right through your protective circle. How can he be anything but an Angel of the Lord?”

“I don't know what the hell he is, but I don't think he's an angel sent to save me. And why the hell would God save me anyway? That is, if there really is a God.”

Sam's green eyes widened. “Dean. How can you not believe in God and Angels? I mean, look at all the other things we've fought, you believe in those. How can you believe in demons and not angels? It doesn't make any sense.”

“If God really does have a plan then why did he choose me? Why not somebody else? It's not like I'm a good guy. Besides, maybe it wasn't an angel that got me out of Hell, maybe it was something else.”

“I don't know bro, I can't think of anything else.” Sam said shrugging.

“Well, do we have any info on angels? If Castiel is an angel anyway.”

“Hey, would you two chuckleheads quit arguing like an old married couple and come take a look at this?” Bobby said, looking up from a book on his desk. Dean and Sam walked over.

“Any luck Bobby? Is there anything else that could have plucked me out of the pit?” Dean asked.

“No Dean. I've looked at everything I've got and the only beings who are capable are angels.” Dean let out an exasperated sigh. “Well, I guess we'd better brush up on our biblical lore and start reading, considering Cas mentioned the Apocalypse and all.” Dean grabbed a book off of the stack on Bobby's desk and pointed at Sam. “Go get me some pie Sammy. It's going to be a long day. Oh, and pick up a few nudie mags while you're at it.” Sam rolled his eyes and walked out.

A Gas Station 2:05 p.m.

“Yeah Dean, I know. Oh come on dude. Have I ever forgotten the pie?” Sam finished talking to his brother and looked out the car window. He saw Ruby standing to the side of the convenience store and walked over. “Hey Ruby.” He said smiling. “What's up?”

Ruby took a deep breath and sighed. “Look Sam, I want to help you and all, but those two angels, Castiel and Rachel, well, they make me nervous, especially Rachel. Angels with her power tend to smite first and ask questions later. So, sorry Sammy, but this is goodbye. I have to look out for number one, you know? But don't worry, Grace is good. She'll keep you guys safe, and Rachel probably will too, even though I don't trust her.”

Sam stood there for a moment, too shocked for words. He had never in a million years expected this to happen. “well, I understand Ruby, I do. Before you go though, could you tell me anything about angels?”

Ruby shook her head vigorously. “No Sam, I can't. The only thing I know is that they scare the holy hell out of me, so I'm going to stay as far away from them as possible. I didn't want it to end like this, but oh well. Take care of yourself okay?”

Sam nodded. “Yeah, I will. You be careful out there.” Ruby gave him a hug and a light kiss on the lips before walking away. Sam went inside the convenience store and got what he needed. Driving back to Bobby's, he felt a slight jab of disappointment over Ruby, but pushed it aside. There were plenty of fish in the sea after all.

He pulled into the driveway and found Bobby, Dean, and the blonde from the night before, Grace, standing outside.

She and Dean must have been having quite a conversation, because they were both laughing and smiling. Dean, always have to be flirting don't you? Sam turned his attention to Bobby.

“I've been calling a hunter who's a friend of mine, trying to get some answers as far as angels go, but Olivia hasn't answered her phone for the last three days. That's not like her. You, Dean, and Grace follow me over there so we can check on her.”

“Hey Bobby? Is it really a good idea to let Grace come with us? I mean, she's a demon.” Sam asked, looking suspiciously at her. Bobby looked doubtful but said, “Well, if Dean trusts her then she can't be too bad. But, if it will make you feel any better, keep your gun handy.”

Grace and Dean got into the car and they made the trip over to Olivia's house. On the way there, Sam made it a point to ask Grace some questions.

“So, Grace, where's your angel friend?” he asked.

“Rachel? Oh, she's back at our apartment in Israel looking up some stuff that might help you guys in the future.”

“So, what's it like, you being a demon and sharing an apartment with an angel? Do things ever get weird?”

“Oh, you mean do we get on each other's nerves because we're supposed to be enemies? We don't, because Rachel's my best friend. She saved me from Hell you know.”

Dean looked over at Grace, obviously surprised, and Sam's jaw dropped. “Why would she do that?”

Grace shrugged. “Well, it's a long story, so I'll give you the short version. You know how Lucifer thought he could be greater than God and that some angels chose to follow him right? Before that, Rachel and I were friends, really good friends, but I was stupid and decided to follow Lucifer because I wanted power. All of the angels that followed him were called demons, because we rebelled. I was going to be cast into a pit in Hell, but Rachel managed to strike a deal with God and get me out of that bind. She basically pledged herself as my escort and Guardian. As long as she was with me and I used my powers to benefit others in some way, I would be free to walk the Earth. Rachel had to give up being in Heaven to watch over me, so she came to Earth and we stayed together. Now, that's the simplified version. If you want more details, you'll have to ask Rachel herself.”

“Wow. That's an amazing story. So, you guys were such good friends that she saved you from Hell huh? That's unbelievable. You must be close.” Sam murmured.

“Yeah.” Dean said, looking at Grace and grinning. “So, are we talking best friend close or lesbian close?” she rolled her eyes. “ we're just friends, but believe what you want to. For all I know you guys could have a bromance and your flirting with me would just be an attempt to cover it up Dean.” She retorted, grinning.

“Ouch. You just got told Dean.” Sam said laughingly. “Whatever Sam. You forgot my pie.” Dean replied. They pulled into Olivia's driveway and got out of the car. They walked inside the house and found her body in the living room floor, gutted. There was salt spread out across the entry way and along the windowsills.

“Well, whatever spirit did this isn't like any spirit I've ever seen.” Sam murmured.

“Yeah, how could it make it past the salt? That's just weird.” Dean said.

Grace looked at the mutilated woman's body trying to find evidence of what type of spirit could have done the job, but came up with a blank. She had an eerie feeling that is was tied to Lilith somehow, but she couldn't think of how Lilith could have pulled something like that off. Hmm, maybe Rachel would know. Bobby walked into the room. “Well, I need to warn the other hunters in the area. I'm going to have you boys make a few calls for me.” He gave them some numbers and addresses. They went their separate ways to check on Bobby's friends and found them all dead and similarly mutilated.

“Alright, I'm getting freaked out here boys, so let's all go back to the house and try to figure out what could have caused this.”

On the way back to Bobby's house Grace, Sam, and Dean had to stop at a gas station to fill the car up with gas. Sam filled it up and went into the bathroom. He splashed some water into his face and noticed he could see his breath. As he looked up, the mirror in front of him turned to ice. As he turned, he saw the ghost of Henrickson, the black cop who he and Dean had helped survive when a horde of demons had surrounded a jail house. The ghost looked at Sam with anger in its eyes. “Sam, why didn't you save me?” he asked coldly.

“Henrickson, we didn't know that Lilith was coming. If we had, we would have stopped her.” Sam said.

“But you didn't, and now I'm dead.” Before Sam could move, the ghost had reached into his chest and began squeezing his heart. Sam's vision blurred and he almost passed out. Then Dean came barging in and shot the ghost with rock salt. “Was that Henrickson?” Dean asked. Sam nodded as Dean helped him up. They both sprinted out to the car and drove as fast as they could to Bobby's.

Bobby's House 4:56 p.m.

Bobby had made it home a few minutes before the boys had and was just about to sit down at his desk to do more researching when he heard what sounded like small girls giggling. His eyes widened as he saw his breath. Grabbing an iron bar, he walked from room to room, following the creepy laughter of the children. He found them in his living room and stood there, dumbstruck. The girls were twins and had been dead for years. They couldn't have been older than five or six. On that particular hunting trip all those years ago, he had tried to save a family that was being terrorized by a monster. Before he could kill the beast it had killed the girls. And now, it looked like they were back to haunt him. But how was it even possible?

“Why didn't you save us Bobby?” they questioned in unison. Bobby was speechless. They spoke again. “You were in the house Bobby, you were so close to it, but you still didn't kill it before it got us. Why didn't you save us Bobby?” before he could strike at them with the metal rod, one of them stuck her hand through his chest and grabbed his heart, squeezing so hard that he was certain it would burst. He felt himself growing weaker, and as he faded into unconsciousness, he could hear the girl's hollow laughter echoing in his head.

Bobby's house 5:12 p.m.

Sam parked the car while Dean and Grace got out. Walking inside the house, Dean met him at the door.

“I can't find Bobby.” He said. “Grace is checking downstairs. I'll check upstairs. You go outside and look.”

Dean went upstairs and checked all the rooms. He didn't find Bobby in any of them. He walked out in the hallway and saw a ghost standing in the middle, blocking his path. “Hello Dean.” She said. “Don't you remember me? You threw me out a window a few months ago.” Before Dean stood Meg, the way she had been before she had been possessed by a demon. Her hair was longer, light brown. She looked at him as anger flashed on her face. “You know, while I was possessed by that demon, I kept screaming in my head for you to save me, but you didn't. Instead, you killed that demon, and me too. You think that makes you some kind of hero don't you? You know, I was just a college girl. I had a little sister who adored me, and you know what she did when I went missing and my body was brought to the morgue, so badly beaten that my own family didn't know who I was? She killed herself. She killed herself and it's all your fault!”

Before Dean could react she kicked the gun out of his hand and punched him so hard that he hit the floor. Before he could get up she kicked him again, and again, and again. She kicked him in the ribs so hard that he felt a couple of them break and it became difficult to breathe. Everything started to go dark. Then he heard a gun go off and Meg scream. He tried to move but couldn't. Hearing boots clank against the wooden floor, he tried to crawl away, but was too weak to do even that. He felt warm breath on his face and a soft hand caress his face as a female voice whispered, “Lie still Dean. The ghost is gone now. I'm going to heal you, but it might hurt a little. Just bear with me okay?”

He felt a pair of small delicate, feminine hands slip under his shirt and glide over his belly. They stopped over his chest for a moment while Grace murmured a healing spell. Dean groaned as he felt a flash of pain but then breathed in deeply. The healing had only taken a second and she had melded the broken bones back together and put them in place. He opened his eyes and found himself staring into the face of Grace. She looked absolutely beautiful with her blonde hair framing her face and her blue eyes shimmering. Her skin was barely flushed and a nice light peach color. Her lips, full and luscious, formed into a breathtakingly beautiful smile as he sat up. Her light blue eyes sparkled with warmth, happiness, and relief. “Are you okay? Anything else I need to heal?” she asked.

It took Dean a moment to gather his thoughts, considering he couldn't stop staring at her. “Um, no, no I'm good now. Thanks for healing me Grace. Oh, and for shooting the ghost. I guess I owe you for saving my life.”

Grace offered a hand to help him up. “Oh yeah, you definitely owe me. I don't go around saving mortal lives all the time you know.”

“I guess I'm the exception then.” He said. She nodded. “Yes, you are, and I'm glad.” They walked down the stairs smiling.

Sam meanwhile, was outside looking for Bobby. After looking through a dozen or so cars, he saw Bobby's reflection in one of the trucks mirrors. He climbed the stack of rusty vehicles and swung the iron bar at the ghosts as he opened the door. Once he got Bobby out, they went inside. They met Dean and Grace, and while Bobby grabbed a few books and Sam grabbed some weapons. Grace and Dean helped Bobby carry some other things and they all went down to Bobby's safe room.

The room itself was completely encased in iron and covered in salt. It was the ultimate spirit proof room. They at once set to work on trying to figure out what to do about the ghosts.

“Well, they're obviously vengeful spirits of people we didn't save.” Sam said.

“Yeah, but they're killing hunters. Rock salt only deters them for a little bit, it doesn't take care of the problem. Iron does the same thing.” Dean groused.

Sam's eyes lit up. “Hey, I know something that might help.” He grabbed a pen and paper. “I saw this symbol on the ghost's wrists. It must mean something.” He showed it to Bobby, who didn't have a clue what it meant.

Grace saw it and her yes widened. “Hey, I've seen that before! I know that it would take a very powerful demon to use that and also that it's binding. These spirits were witness to some peculiar supernatural event and didn't die normal deaths. I forget what it's called though. Hmm, if you guys want, I can call Rachel and find out the specifics. Believe me, she's good at this sort of thing.”

“It sounds good to me.” Bobby said. So Grace called Rachel and explained the symbol. After a couple of minutes of chatter she hung up. “Okay guys, that symbol is called The Mark of the Witnesses and it's spoken of in Revelation. It's one of the seals apparently.”

“Is there any way we can stop it?” Dean asked.

“Well, Rachel said that you would have to reverse it. She gave me the directions on how to do that. I'll write them down for you if you want.” After Grace had written them down it was determined that they would need to go to the library, because it had a fireplace and that's what the counter spell required. While Dean and Sam got the ingredients, Bobby started the ritual. Even though the boys encountered some more ghosts during this time, they either shot them or hit them with iron to get rid of them. Once the spell was complete, Bobby tossed the ingredients into the fire. A flash lit up the room as all the ghosts were vaporized. “Well, I'm glad that's over.” Sam said. They all breathed a sigh of relief. After they had cleaned up the library it was nearing ten at night and they prepared to go to sleep. Sam slept on the couch in the living room and Dean decided to sleep on the floor. Sam began to read a book but soon fell asleep. Dean on the other hand was eating pie in the kitchen and talking to Grace about everything from his favorite music to his favorite movies. They found that they had a lot of things in common. They liked the same music, cars, had the same philosophies, the same sense of humor, etc. after talking for a couple of hours Dean yawned and Grace took it as a cue to leave, considering the fact that mortals had to sleep.

“But I don't want you to go.” Dean said glumly before yawning again. Grace smiled. “Oh, don't worry Dean, I'll be back in an hour or two. I just need to go check on Rachel and make sure she's okay. Besides, I can give you something to keep you happy until I get back. You didn't forget the fact that you owe me right?”

Dean shook his head. “Of course not. How could I? It's not every day a beautiful chick saves your life. So, what do I owe you?”

“Okay, all you have to do is close your eyes and don't open them until I tell you to. Fair enough?” Dean nodded and closed his eyes. Grace waited a few seconds, making sure that he wasn't peeking, before placing her lips on his. She heard him suck in a breath as she traced his bottom lip with her tongue. He gladly let her in, and she kissed him hard and fast, hot and heavy, memorizing every crevice and the way he tasted. She let him kiss her back and their tongues melded, fighting playfully for dominance before she won. She broke the kiss, giving him a chance to breathe while she softly panted to catch her own breath. Their first kiss had been better than she had imagined, and she had been imagining it for oh-so-long. Grace smiled in satisfaction and took a couple of steps away before whispering, “You can open your eyes now.”

Dean's eyes flew open and he found himself in an empty kitchen. He sat there for a long time with the taste of Grace in his mouth and her laughter echoing on the fringes of his mind before he went in the living room to sleep.

Bobby's Kitchen 3:57 A.M.

Dean lay on the living room floor, coming up from the edges of a dream that he couldn't remember. He heard a noise, like the rustling of wings, and turned over. He felt a presence in the area that he didn't recognize and sat up. Looking around suspiciously, his gaze focused on Castiel, who was standing in the middle of the kitchen. Dean quietly got up, being careful not to wake Sam, and padded across the floor to where the angel stood.

“Nice job helping us with that seal today.” Dean mumbled.

“I'm sorry Dean. You aren't the only ones who have to deal with these things. There were others who were marked that arose and started terrorizing both hunters and non hunters alike. We did everything we could to stop it.” Castiel murmured.

“Yeah? Well, you and God did a bang up job with that. One of those ghosts almost ripped my heart out of my chest you know. I could have died. You know what? Where was God when those people needed him? Is he even real?”

Castiel looked slightly annoyed. “Yes Dean, God is real. The Lord works-…”

“If you say -in mysterious ways- I will kick your ass.” Dean said. Castiel sighed, willing himself not to lose his temper with Dean, who was only human.

“Look, the seal was broken, we did everything we could to stop it. Lilith evaded us and is planning to open other seals as we speak.”

“Oh, so you guys let her slip away huh? Good job. Oh, and the more seals Lilith opens, the closer we get to the Apocalypse right? Well that's wonderful. Tell me, will God be around? He wasn't there when those innocent people who needed him died. I almost died, and where was he then? Bobby almost croaked and I didn't see him then either. Why doesn't God do anything when innocent people die? Why is he leaving us to fend for ourselves if he's supposed to help us?” Dean said scoffing.

Castiel's jaw clenched. “Try to look at the bigger picture Dean. We have other problems, more important issues, than just this. If Lilith opens all the seals, then Lucifer will bring Hell on Earth and Armageddon will be upon us. I and the rest of Heaven, including God, are trying to prevent that. You are not the only one who has suffered here. I lost six of my comrades this week. So you see, this isn't just about you.”

Castiel took a step closer to Dean, and his voice dropped low, a tone that meant business. “Our numbers are not unlimited. Do you think the armies of Heaven should just follow you around?” his face was only a few inches away from Dean when he spoke next. It was low, authoritative, almost menacing. Castiel was dead serious when he said, “You should show me some respect. I dragged you out of Hell. I can throw you back in.” Dean felt a trickle of fear and looked away for a split second and Castiel was gone. As he went back into the living room and attempted to fall asleep again, images of Grace and his own thoughts of what the coming days would bring filled his mind. That night, for the first time in a long time, sleep eluded Dean Winchester. It wasn't until dawn broke a few hours later and Grace reappeared and lay by his side that he was able to relax and sleep.