Supernatural Fan Fiction ❯ Angels and Demons: A Supernatural Fanfic ❯ Being Human ( Chapter 16 )

16. Being Human

For the next few days, everything was as close to normal as it could be, considering the circumstances. It was actually a nice little vacation for the hunters. For the first time in a long time they weren't hunting monsters constantly or driving across the country for hours on end. They actually got to live like normal people for a little while, minus Rachel's visions of course. Since coming to Israel, her visions would let up for a little while but then come back with a vengeance, being even more intense than before. Also, they had lengthened in time, going from only a few minutes to lasting for more than an hour. This took it's toll on Rachel, mentally, emotionally, and physically. Half the time she was awake, tired, but awake, and the rest of the time she was fighting an almost constant battle in her mind against Anya, trying to keep their current location a secret to protect herself and her friends. Everyone continued to worry about her, but she insisted that she was fine and told them to go on with what they were doing and to enjoy their mini vacation while it lasted.

They had been in Israel for little more than a week and on that sunny afternoon, Grace, as usual, found her friend lying on the couch and sleeping, oblivious to everything that was going on around her, completely absorbed with the battle going on inside her mind. Rachel would doze in and out of sleep most days. The almost constant and continual mental battle she was waging was exhaustive and took a lot out of Rachel. Even though she didn't really have to sleep, after her visions she would be awake for a while but then claim that she was tired, needing rest. Sleep seemed to be one of the only respites she got, and even that wasn't a sure thing. Sometimes the visions would start in her sleep, becoming terrifying nightmares by the time they were through. Knowing there was nothing they could do for her and because they all had a great deal of respect for the angel, they would most often leave her alone during a time like that, knowing that she would wake up eventually.

“How is she?” Dean murmured, a piece of pie in hand, sitting down on the adjacent couch and grabbing the remote, looking for something to watch because it was much too hot to be outside. Sam and Ruby sat beside him, looking intently at the TV screen.

Grace looked at her slumbering friend and sighed. “She seems to be okay. She hasn't woken up screaming yet, so I think she's alright. If anything weird is up, Cas will tell us.” She murmured, sitting down beside Dean, trying to distract herself by reading the subtitles on the screen that were translating the Arabic words into English. She was more worried about Rachel than anyone, save Castiel. He had been monitoring her dreams as she slept, keeping a careful watch on his wife, not willing for her to go through the somewhat personal battle alone. Even though he couldn't help her much, being able to sense his presence brought her a measure of comfort and inadvertently strengthened her resolve to never give in. Castiel had explained to the humans that angels, if they wished to, could look into each other's minds and see each other's thoughts and dreams.

Most wouldn't invade the other's privacy, knowing that it made them vulnerable as well, but it was just a common form of intimacy that the two shared. It brought them closer to each other, stimulated and strengthened their relationship. It amazed them both that even after all the time they had spent together that they were still learning new things. While Castiel was looking into Rachel's mind, he was alternately helping Bobby pour through her numerous ancient books, translations, and texts on demons, trying to find a definite way to defeat Anya without Rachel having to be personally involved. So far they hadn't found anything that could prove to be beneficial or useful, but Castiel wasn't giving up. He and Bobby still had quite a bit of research to do, because there wasn't only books that they had to look through, but also Rachel's laptop. Because Castiel was technology illiterate in many respects, Sam had taken over the job. Most of Rachel's files were password protected, but that hadn't proved to be a barrier to Sam. It also helped that whenever Rachel had been awake that he had asked what her password had been though. Even with the password however, there were still quite a few files that needed to be looked into.

“Damn, she has ancient Babylonian texts in here, Egyptian ones, even some Inca I think. How is that even possible?” Sam muttered, scanning the files for any relevant information.

“Well, Rachel has a good memory and she just types stuff down as she remembers it. An elephant never forgets, and neither do the angels I don't think. If you encounter any files in a different language you're out of luck though, I can't help you there. You might actually need to teach Castiel how to use a computer.” Grace said laughingly. Sam gulped nervously at her suggestion. Castiel doesn't even understand the concept of voicemail, so how would he ever learn to use a computer? Sighing, he turned his attention back to the task at hand.

“Good lord, how many books can one person have?” Bobby grumbled, grabbing half a dozen novels and setting them down alongside the others on the floor. He heard Castiel laugh softly beside him.

“Believe me, compared to her last apartment, this is nothing. A whole room was filled with books. Thank goodness we don't have to go through all of those.” He too grabbed some books and after looking at the titles and concluding that they were unhelpful set them down on the floor. They were about halfway through the number of books in Rachel's room and had been looking through them for the last two hours. Deciding to take a short break, they wandered into the living room and while Castiel sat beside Rachel, Bobby sat in a recliner a few feet away, across from him.

“So, she hasn't woken up yet?” Bobby murmured, looking at Rachel's sleeping form with mild curiosity and a little apprehension. He was still a little nervous around her, especially after she had been branded with Anya's death mark. He had no desire to repeat that experience.

Grace shook her head. “No, she's been asleep the whole time. She hasn't even made a sound, not a sigh, nothing, much less moved. I hope she wakes up soon though. How is the vision? Is there anything out of the ordinary going on?”

Castiel sighed and shook his head. “No, nothing that I've noticed, except that her dreams are becoming more realistic. For now, it's just the usual violence, mental and emotional jabs. Nothing out of the ordinary. She should awake within the hour however. Anya seems to be letting up.”

“Well that's good I guess. Anya still hasn't found us yet then?” Dean asked him. Castiel shook his head. “No, she still hasn't found us, but in retrospect, neither Rachel nor I have found any definitive clues as to where Anya is hiding either.”

“Well, I'm sure we'll find something. We have to keep looking, we aren't giving up.” Sam murmured. Castiel gave him a grateful glance and turned his attention to his seemingly sleeping wife, stroking her hair and making sure she was still breathing, monitoring her vital signs as well as her disturbing dreams, wishing there was something more he could do for her. For awhile the conversation lapsed into silence as everyone watched the evening news, reading the English subtitles with something akin to apathy. Hearing a soft sigh they all looked toward Castiel, who was looking down at Rachel. Her eyes fluttered for a few seconds and then slowly opened. At first her deep brown eyes were hazy but gradually cleared. After a full minute had passed she sat up and surveyed them all with an expression of weariness, giving them a small smile.

“Hey, you're awake. Can I get you anything?” Grace asked, happy that her friend was awake. In the back of her mind, she was secretly afraid that one day her friend would be asleep, slip into a vision, and never wake up. Irrational though it was, she was afraid of the possibility none the less. Rachel nodded her head. “Yes Grace, if you could get me some painkillers and ice water, I would greatly appreciate it. I have another headache.” She murmured, absently rubbing her forehead. Grace bolted up and into the kitchen.

“So, anything new?” Dean asked softly. He felt bad that he couldn't help his angel friend, especially after everything she had done for him and his brother. As if reading his mind, she gave him a warm smile, and even though it didn't reach her eyes, it still sent a jolt of warmth through him.

“No, sorry, but there's nothing new to report. It was the same. Nothing has changed.” She replied softly, murmuring a soft thank you to Grace as she took the Excedrin and gulped down some ice water.

“We haven't found anything helpful in your books so far, but we'll keep looking. I read through a few of the titles you gave me, but I don't think they'll help us either.” Bobby said. Rachel shook her head, knowing that most of her books only contained useless information but also seeing that Bobby would quickly go crazy if he didn't have something to do. Castiel knew this as well, but they both agreed that it was best they kept that little tidbit of information between them.

Most of the texts on her laptop wouldn't prove to be beneficial either, but like with Bobby, Sam needed something to keep him distracted. All of the immortals knew that the only sure fire way to defeat Anya was to have Rachel kill her, but none of them felt that it was necessary to share that with the humans, because it would only worry them more. Even Dean was a little apprehensive when it came to the idea of Rachel taking on a demon like Anya by herself. The whole situation was eerily familiar, seeming to play out like the whole battle between him and Sam over the whole Lucifer/ Michael thing.

“I just wish there was some easy way to get this over with and go back to the way things used to be, before the world was ending and all.” Dean muttered. Grace slipped an arm around him, giving him a sympathetic glance. Rachel did as well. “I know Dean, I wish for that too. When everything is said and done though, we'll have turned out alright. This will all be over, soon enough I hope.”

Turning the conversation to something less dark or uncertain, she asked each one how their day had been. For the next hour the conversation was light as they all took turns telling her what she had missed and what news they had heard. After a good hour Grace and Ruby got up and went to the kitchen, preparing dinner. Rachel murmured that she was tired and wanted to take a nap, and seeing as everyone else was still talking, she went into her room to lie down after Bobby had reassured her that he didn't have a problem with her doing so.

“Poor Rachel, I don't know how much longer she can keep doing this. She's been exhausted more than half of the time we've been here.” Grace murmured, seasoning some chicken with lemon and pepper.

“I wish we could help, but I honestly don't know what to do. It's looking like Rachel is the only one who has any chance of defeating Anya. You know just as well as I do that there's no other way.” Ruby said, putting some dinner rolls into the oven. They both felt a little helpless, not being able to help their friend. The only thing they could do was believe that she would have the strength to defeat the demon, because if she didn't, Hell on Earth would be the least of their problems.

Suddenly a bright light flashed outside, shining through the windows and momentarily blinding everyone. The building started to shake and the girls hit their knees, the cold tile floor pressing into their legs as they hung onto the countertop. Their eyes widened as they exchanged scared glances, hoping they were wrong about what was happening.

The building stopped shaking and they scrambled up, running for the living area that was only a few feet away. Grace opened her mouth to speak but then the archangel Raphael suddenly appeared in their midst. Dean, Sam, and Bobby looked shocked and Castiel looked worried. Looking over at Ruby, Grace could see that she looked just as terrified as she herself felt.

Raphael said nothing, glaring at them menacingly. In the next instant he grabbed Bobby, flinging him out of the way before he could react. Castiel made a move to help him but the archangel hit him so hard that he skidded across the island that separated the kitchen from the living room and hit the cabinets. Grace winced as she heard wood shattering. She and Ruby exchanged glances, seeing the way that Raphael's eyes burned into Sam and Dean with utter loathing and hatred. They pulled out their blades, knowing it was a futile, stupid move, but not knowing what else to do.

“Grace, Ruby, get out of here before it's too late! Raphael will annihilate you! Go, now!” Dean yelled, ducking and barely missing that the archangel had aimed for his head. Neither one of the women thought twice. Praying that Dean and Sam would be alright, they vanished.

Letting out an enraged yell, Raphael lunged for Sam, grabbing him and throwing him across the room. Sam hit the front door of the apartment, crashing through it and hitting the wall of the hallway outside with a sickening thud. Before Dean could react, Raphael had him by the throat. Dean gasped, choking, knowing in the next few seconds that his windpipe would be crushed and he would be dead. The room started spinning and everything grew dim as his body cried out for oxygen. A gurgling sound came from his throat as he tried to get a breath. He heard the archangel's triumphant laugh as his eyes closed. Then, just as suddenly as he'd been grabbed, Raphael dropped Dean Winchester onto the floor, stepping over him. Ignoring Sam and Castiel as they scrambled to their feet, his gaze settled on the visage of the angel standing in the hallway.

Rachel looked annoyed, holding her sword in her hand as angry flames licked the edges. Looking at Raphael in defiance she walked into the living room where he stood. Anya's laughter echoed in her head as she stood her ground, waiting for the archangel to speak.

He laughed at her, seeing how weak she was, how tired and weary she had become. “I know all about Anya, how she's escaped and is looking for you. She wants your blood and she won't stop until she has that.” He laughed again, seeing Rachel's dark eyes widen in shock and dismay. Her face paled at the demon's name and she involuntarily took a step back as Raphael stepped toward her. Before she could react his hand snaked out, backhanding her across the face. She dropped her sword and winced, tasting the metallic flavor of blood as the warm liquid seeped into her mouth. She hit the wood floor and looked up at him, the shock in her eyes being replaced by anger, unmoving.

“You're so weak. The Guardian is supposed to be strong, unyielding, emotionless, and yet the position belongs to a stupid, inferior woman like you. You, who have lived longer among the humans than your own kind. They've rubbed off on you. It's so revolting. In the beginning you were a true warrior, a force to be reckoned with, and now look what you've become. You're pathetic, forming attachments to mortals, protecting them and living with them as if they're your friends, your family. You're a dismal angel at best. You care for humans, befriend demons, you've taken a mate who is even more inferior than you are. Neither Castiel nor you are even worthy to take the place of the dirt under my shoe. That however, is still not what makes you so pitiful, so weak, so wretched. You believe that you can defeat Anya all by yourself. You're not strong enough, not good enough. You'll fail.”

Rachel glared up at him. “Anya will battle you for supremacy. Surely you know that. Just as Michael and Lucifer battled for the fate of the Earth, so shall you and Anya. You however, are not in a favorable position. Anya has almost all of the demons under her command and you can barely control half of the angels. Even if you do kill me, you can't win. She'll slaughter you.” She yelped as Raphael kicked her hard in the stomach. Gasping as another vision threatened to overwhelm her, she squeezed her eyes shut, her stomach pain momentarily forgotten as the screams started resounding in her head again. She bit back a scream of agony as he picked her up by her hair, lifting her so that her feet didn't even touch the ground. She felt his warm breath on her face, could smell his foul breath, fear jolting down her spine as she felt the level of power he possessed.

“I should strike you down for your insolence.” He hissed, his voice full of hate and loathing. Rachel held her breath. He hated to admit it, but Raphael knew full and well that she was right. It would be nigh on impossible to defeat Anya with his current number of forces. Even with Michael and Gabriel being gone, most of the other angels didn't want his leadership, saying that he wasn't as strong as Michael had been. He smiled as an idea came to him, knowing there was one surefire way to gain more power than at the current rate he was going.

He dropped Rachel onto the ground as watched as she scrambled to her feat, grabbing her sword and feeling a tinge of amusement as fire lit up her face and eyes. She murderously glared at him. He took a step back, holding up his hands. “I have an idea and I think you'll be interested. Yes, you could fight me and probably severely injure me, maybe even cause me to have to find another vessel, but you can't kill me. You may have grown soft and weak, but you're not stupid Rachel, you know how powerful I am. If I truly had come here to destroy you then I could have already done so. I have an offer to make you however. I will spare you, as well as Castiel and your friends, if you give me all of your power. That includes your sword. You see, besides saving the lives of your friends, this should help you with Anya. If you're mortal, it will be incredibly difficult, almost impossible, for her to track you down. So you see, I'm doing you a favor.”

Rachel's eyes narrowed suspiciously. “What's the catch? Nothing save salvation is free anymore. You must desire more than that.”

“I do not. If I have your power then I can convince the other angels to follow me. That is what I want. You and your friends will obviously benefit from this, so I don't quite understand your mistrust or hesitation.”

Rachel still didn't believe him. “Say it in our native tongue.” She snapped. Raphael looked a little annoyed but did as she asked, knowing that she knew he couldn't possibly lie in Inokian. Once he had done so she looked uncertain but agreed to his terms. Murmuring the proper incantation in the angel's ancient language, she surrendered her power and the sword to him. Gasping as she suddenly felt lightheaded and weak, she fell to the floor and watched as a triumphant and arrogant looking Raphael disappeared.

A second later she heard Dean's groggy voice mutter a few curse words as he shakily stood up. Castiel came out from behind the kitchen island and helped Rachel to her feet. After making her sit on the couch and checking her for any injuries, he walked through the hole in the wall where the door had been and got Sam, healing his minor cuts and bruises. Dean carried Bobby over and sat him down, collapsing in an exhausted heap beside Rachel. Sam and Castiel joined them, and once Dean had called Grace and Ruby to let them know it was safe to come back, Rachel explained what had taken place with Raphael. Everyone but Castiel seemed more than a little shocked.

“So wait a minute, you're human? For how long?” Sam asked. Rachel shrugged. “I don't know.”

“How does it feel?” Dean said.

“Like I have Mono. I'm tired and weak.” She responded dejectedly.

“Do you think that Anya will be able to find you now?” Bobby asked. Rachel sighed and looked uncertain. “I hope not.” She murmured softly. A second later however her eyes widened in surprise and her face was consumed in a mask of shock.

“What is it Rachel?” Grace asked curiously.

“I was having another vision as Raphael was talking, but now it's gone! In fact, I can't even sense your power!” she looked at Ruby and Castiel. “I can't sense yours either! Maybe Anya truly won't be able to find me!” she exclaimed joyously. Grace's face, along with everyone else's, melded into rapturous grins and smiles of delight, excitement, and happiness. Rachel's joy was infectious. For the first time in a long time, they all felt a measure of hope.

After that, Grace and Ruby, along with Rachel's help, fixed dinner. They all ate in the living room, talking about how happy they were for Rachel and hoping that Raphael would deal with Anya himself before it was all said and done. Eventually they found themselves watching the ten o'clock news and Rachel started yawning.

“Aww, the poor little mortal Rachel needs her sleeping time.” Grace said teasingly. Rachel rolled her eyes, growing more tired with each second that passed. “Where will I sleep though? I can't just kick Bobby out of my room. He has to sleep too.” She murmured, yawning again. Bobby snorted. “Don't worry about me. To be honest, this chair is more comfortable than your bed. I think I'll just sleep out here tonight.” He said, giving a doubtful Rachel a reassuring smile. She was too tired to argue. Walking into her room, she grabbed a few blankets and pillows out of her closet and took them to him. Then she walked back in and changed her clothes, stripping off her green tank top, jeans, bra, and underwear and slipping on a silk, spaghetti strap nightgown that hit her just above her knees. Crawling under her thick blue comforter, her body craving sleep like an alcoholic craves liquor, she closed her eyes and drifted into sleep.

Castiel stayed with everyone in the living room for a few minutes after Rachel had left, talking with them about what to do now that his wife was mortal. They all agreed that it would be best to monitor her for a few more days, to see if her visions were truly gone and to make sure she got better. After that, they would decide if they could go back to the states. Bidding them all goodnight, he walked silently into Rachel's room, smiling softly as he saw her discarded clothes on the floor. Shrugging off his trench coat, shoes, socks and tie, he laid down beside her, feeling a rush of warmth and tenderness as he slipped his arms around her and she automatically snuggled up against him, sighing in contentment. He could hear her thoughts, see the dreams swirling around in her mind. For the moment they seemed calm. He lay there in silence, content to hold her and let the happiness and peace from her long ago forgotten memories that she dreamt about seep into him. Looking into them, he found that they revealed new things about Rachel that he had never known, her odd little mannerisms and quirks that made her who she was. It both enlightened and amused him. For the rest of the night, well into the predawn hours he did this, seeing her dreams and memories as if he was actually there, experiencing every emotion right along with her as she slept.

“Well, I don't know about you guys, but I'm going to hit the hay. See you in the morning.” Dean mumbled, murmuring goodnight to Grace and kissing her before drifting down the hallway into her room.

“Get some rest Bobby, we'll see you in the morning.” Sam said. He too said goodnight to his wife, affectionately kissed her, and went down the hall to the room that he and Dean were sharing. They both took showers and went to sleep.

Bobby stayed up for a little while but eventually grew tired. Grace and Ruby's attention was drawn to the game show on TV, but they looked over at him and found him snoring softly. Grace got up and took the remote out of his hand, turning the TV off. Ruby surveyed the slumbering mortal with something close to amusement. Turning off the light, she and Grace turned on the dim light above the stove and sat at the kitchen table, sipping beers and whispering quietly about what life had been like before Sam and Dean. For the next few hours they told many stories, softly laughing amongst themselves. About an hour before dawn Castiel joined them, refusing a beer of course, listening to their stories for a little while….

The screaming shrieks of agony were never ceasing and the smell of burning flesh and metallic blood was heavy in the air. The heat was sweltering, burning, unbearable. Hell was a place of torment, torture, agony. Rachel opened her mouth in a soundless scream as she fell downward, plunging headfirst into a pool of liquid fire, the scent of sulfur and smoke choking her as the fire burned her flesh, making her skin blister, burst apart, and bleed before it burned deeper, slowly incinerating her body and turning it to ashes. The pain was excruciating, horrendous. It blocked out the screams, the heat, everything from all of her other senses. Rachel felt demons grab her, their claws slicing into her, pulling her under the scorching flames of the lake. Still, she barely noticed in her agony induced state. Nothing mattered but the pain, the gut wrenching agony. It seemed as if it would never end….

Rachel bolted awake, her eyes wide, her skin clammy, her body bathed in a cold sweat, shaking. Her face was pale, drawn and tight, and the dark circles under her eyes hadn't left, in fact they had grown deeper, darker. Her lips were trembling and her heart was pounding in her chest. For a moment she was paralyzed with fear, unable to move.

Once her pulse had slowed down she felt the back of her scalp prickle and softly yelped as she saw a shadow pass in front of her door. Throwing the sheets back she leapt out of bed, her foot slipping on the wood floor, nearly falling on her face. A strong hand grabbed her shoulder and yanked her upright before she did a face plant. Looking up, she breathed a sigh of relief and sat back down on the bed.

“Don't scare me like that Cas! I thought you were a demon!” she said shakily, shuddering and shaking her head to clear it, mentally berating herself for giving into such an irrational fear. She was dismayed as she looked down at her clenched hands in her lap, finding them trembling. Her knuckles were white and her palms itched as her fingernails dug into them.

“I'm sorry to have frightened you but I sensed your dream pattern and sleep cycle change. You were having a nightmare. Was it about Anya?” Castiel asked gently, placing a calming hand on her trembling ones and slipping a reassuring arm around her hunched over shoulders. Rachel took a deep breath and shook her head.

“No, it was Hell.” She replied.

“Like in your visions?” he said.

Rachel nodded. “Yes, but it wasn't a vision, it was just a dream, a nightmare.”

“What did you see?” he asked, concern etched into the lines of his face. She sighed and told him, saying that it wasn't anything to be worried about.

“I should have stayed with you.” Castiel murmured, sounding a little guilty, like he was blaming himself for what had happened.

“You're not at fault here, there's no way you could have known.” Rachel said reassuringly, giving him a small smile. “ Besides, I'm fine now. I get the feeling I won't be able to go back to sleep for awhile though.”

“Is there anything I can do to help?” he asked.

Rachel opened her mouth to say no, but then paused as an idea came to her. An amused grin lit up her face as she looked at him, her dark eyes shimmering with heat. Within a couple of minutes their clothes lay on the floor and their bodies intertwined. Sleep came easy, almost naturally after good sex, and after they'd made love a couple of times, Rachel fell asleep in Castiel's arms, content and feeling safe.

About three weeks later while watching the noon news report, a frenzied meteorologist warned everyone to evacuate the city, showing evidence that the strongest and most violent storm of the century was headed straight for them. The projected damage was massive and the possibility of surviving it was slim. Residents had little more than 2 hours to pack up their belongings and get out of the city. Of course this really freaked everyone out and so they packed what they had originally brought with them and Castiel, along with Grace and Ruby, flashed all of them back to Bobby's place, first scoping the property out to make sure that no demons had been by. Once they had gotten everyone there they unpacked everything and started cleaning the dusty house while alternately keeping a close watch on the news. Rachel had her suspicions as to why the storm had suddenly appeared, fearing that Anya had found them. After a good hour and a half of cleaning everyone took a break, hearing Bobby's gruff voice calling them into the living room. What they saw on the TV screen shocked and horrified them. The news camera showed footage of their apartment building being utterly demolished, half of it being blown completely away. Unfortunately, most of the people in the city were already dead or dying. Their screams could be heard on the television screen. It was haunting. Given how little notice they'd been given, it wasn't surprising. The storm had virtually come out of nowhere. The news proved to be extraordinarily disheartening however, the same thought in the back of everyone's mind. They watched in horror as the crumbling buildings fell on top of running people, crushing cars in the street, some with people inside. The camera got hit by something and the screen went black. Bobby turned the TV to another news channel and lit a cigarette.

“Bobby” Rachel murmured softly once he was halfway through it, unable to take anymore, “can you put that out? Sorry, but it's making me nauseous.”

“Yeah” Grace replied, nearly gagging, “I can hardly breathe.”

“For the love of God put it out, it reminds me of the time I spent in Hell for some weird reason. Sorry, but right now it's giving me the creeps.” Dean said.

“Alright, alright. Sorry.” Bobby mumbled, putting it out and reaching for the bottle of whiskey on the small table beside his chair. They all thanked him and continued watching the news. For the next couple of hours flashes from various news stations around the world showed devastating natural disasters occurring, from hurricanes to wildfires to blizzards, to record breaking drought. It was more than a little depressing. “It's like the end of the world all over again.” Rachel mumbled.

“Well, at least the chain of storms isn't headed our way anymore. It seems to have dissipated.” Castiel murmured, speaking of the bizarre circumstances that had caused them to leave the area a few weeks previous. His comment helped to lighten the dark mood a little and so once they had gotten their fill of news, they watched Wheel of Fortune. Of course, Grace proved to be exceptionally good at it. Then they watched Ninja Warrior, marveling at how increasingly difficult each course was, wondering how anyone human was able to complete any of it. Eventually however they grew bored and restless, the same thought drifting to the front of their minds.

“I don't know about you guys, but I'm going to call it a night. See you in the morning.” Sam said yawning, going up the stairs with Ruby trailing behind him. Once inside their much missed room, they stripped off all their clothes and had some really nice sex, because they had been lacking the time and desired environment to do so during the last three weeks. Afterward, while cuddling, Sam started talking to her about his experience with the infamous yellow eyed demon and how he had attempted to make Sam kill other people with powers similar to his own. He knew the only reason he was talking about it was because he was worried about Anya finding them. After all, he explained, there was only so much Rachel could do.

Ruby confessed that the recent turn of events had gotten to her as well, because while Rachel had been immortal and received visions, she herself had been having some unsavory flashbacks of her time in Hell, her thoughts dwelling on the torture aspect of it. Sam eventually fell asleep, the yellow eyed demon chasing him through his dreams, but Ruby was unable to obtain the respite that sleep offered. Instead she stayed awake all through the night, images of fire and blood haunting her thoughts.

Unbeknownst to her however, she wasn't the only one experiencing them. Grace and Dean had gone upstairs about half an hour after Sam and Ruby, having similar ideas about how to spend the evening hours. They had made love as well, being unable to resist the urge, and afterward Dean found himself telling Grace of his experience in Hell, including the details about how Alistair had made him torture souls in exchange for relief from his own agony. He left nothing unsaid, didn't leave the smallest detail out. For the first time in a long time, Dean was honest with himself about how awful Hell had been, confessing everything to Grace. Feeling an immeasurable sense of relief afterward, like the weight of the world had been taken off his shoulders, he encouraged Grace to talk about what she remembered, if she could. After some initial reluctance, she told him of the short time she had spent there, and it apparently disturbed her a great deal because she kept reiterating how grateful she was that Rachel had gotten her out of there. Dean too eventually succumbed to sleep, his body jerking occasionally as nightmare after nightmare assaulted him, disturbing his normally peaceful rest. Grace was unable to sleep and decided to read a book, hoping to keep her dark thoughts and worries at bay but the technique proved to be unsuccessful. Flashes of the heat and pain she'd felt kept resurfacing from the back of her mind where they were supposed to be buried, whispering of death and destruction with every broken thought or shallow breath she took. This made Grace apprehensive, trepidation mixing with fear as she lay in bed, unable to will her tense and tired body to relax until morning had broken, shattering the darkness of night.

Bobby was having his own odd experiences, having fallen asleep in his chair halfway through the Late Show. Rachel and Castiel hadn't had the heart to wake him and had turned the TV off, going upstairs and giving him a chance to rest. That night he had some highly unusual dreams, images of his long dead wife weaving themselves into his earlier and forgotten memories of grief and guilt that still continued to haunt him. His slumber proved to be uneasy and perturbed, leaving him anxious and on edge.

Rachel's nightmares continued, having grown more vivid with each passing night since she had turned mortal, the torture more vengeful, the rage more profoundly felt, until the images and sounds haunted her every waking step, making her tense and nervous. Being unable to alleviate Rachel's horrendous nightmares left Castiel ill at ease, but he knew that the only thing he could do was be there for her and offer comfort and support when it was needed. That night proved to be no exception and even with Castiel's constant, warm presence in her mind, she still suffered a horrible nightmare.

Waking up in a cold sweat and half terror stricken, Rachel bolted for the bathroom, barely able to make it to the toilet before puking, completely emptying the contents of her stomach. Even with it empty, she still continued dry heaving, gagging on the taste and scent of rotting flesh and blood. Castiel, having seen the dream for himself and feeling more than sympathetic to Rachel's plight, knelt by her side and comfortingly rubbed his hand on her back, trying with all his might to put her terrified mind, weary body, and breaking spirit at ease. Once she was done throwing up he got a damp washcloth, cleaned her up, and carried her back to bed. For awhile she didn't fall asleep, couldn't, and opted to stay awake and listen to Castiel's heartbeat and let the warmth from his body seep into her bones, allowing his steady, constant presence to calm her trembling spirit and bruised heart. His musky male scent helped her pulse to cease racing and as he held her she found her eyes closing, craving a restful sleep. She didn't know how long they lay there in silence but eventually giving up the fight to stay awake, Rachel succumbed to the tempting whisper of rest and fell asleep in her husband's arms. Thankfully she experienced no further nightmares, but Castiel was still uneasy. He didn't know how much more Rachel could take and even though her visions during the day had stopped the nightmares during the nighttime hours more than made up for them. Holding her in his arms, listening to her soft breathing and heartbeat, feeling her tiny pliant body pressed up against his, Castiel worried not only for his wife but for his friends.

Both the humans and Grace and Ruby had been good to them, promising to stay with them till the fight with Anya was over, but he felt a trickle of fear for their safety and lives. He could sense the troubled dreams and thoughts of his friends, and this didn't put his fears at ease. He had no idea what to do. He prayed that Rachel was strong enough to defeat Anya and save them all, because even though he hated to admit it, he was just as scared as they were. The angel didn't just fear Anya or the archangels however. He feared Fear itself, as well as uncertainty. The future unfortunately seemed to be abundant with these things, and he didn't know for certain if he could endure what would come in the days ahead. Like everyone else, that night Castiel was unable to fully put his mind at ease and rest, because he had a sinking feeling that what was coming was far worse than anything he or his friends had previously encountered.