Saving Grace

The Rapture -- Castiel Returns

~*****~

Jimmy explains what had happened to us. "All right, they're expecting you to come alone," Dean mentions as we pull up to the warehouse they'd instructed Jimmy to arrive at. "That's exactly what you're gonna do."

"We'll work our way through the catwalks." Sam says. "We'll be right behind you."

"All you got to do is stay calm and stall and let us do our job." Dean says.

"You want me to stay calm?" Jimmy asks nervously. "This is my family we're talking about!"

"This is exactly why we need you to stay calm." I retort quickly. "This will work. You understand? Nobody's gonna get hurt."

"Yeah, whatever," Jimmy huffs. He glances back at the warehouse and sighs. "Give me a minute, okay?"

Jimmy saunters off, his posture stiff and unyielding. "There's no way they're expecting him to come alone, guys," Sam comments. "You know this is probably a trap."

"Yeah, I know." Dean nods. "Thats why I have a plan."

I rolled my eyes irritably. "Yes, because your plans always work out." I comment.

Dean beams at me and pinches my cheek playfully. "This time it will!" I roll my eyes again and follow after them.

Dean's plan falls through very quickly, and all three of us are being tugged into the small room where Amelia is holding Claire and Jimmy.

"Nice plan, Dean," Sam grunted irritably.

"Yeah, well, nobody bats a thousand," Dean retorted.

"Got the knife?" Amelia asks. The demon holding Sam just smirks and holds it up. "And you know what's funny?"

"You wearing a soccer mom?" Dean says.

"Is I was actually bummed to get this detail," Amelia shot back, ignoring Dean's comment. "Picking up an empty vessel? Sort of like a milk run. Now look who landed in my lap."

"Yeah, well, you got us, okay?" Sam snorted. "Let these people go."

"Oh, Sam... it's easy to act chivalrous when your wonder girl powers aren't working, huh?" Amelia chided. "Now for the punch line--" Amelia lifts up a gun. "Everybody dies."

At the last second, she shoots Jimmy in the gut. "No!" I shout.

"Waste little orphan Annie," Amelia orders to one of the demons.

I break the demon's hold on me and slam my palm against his head. A bright light envelops his body. I turn around to stop the other demon from killing the girl, but she's got her hand against his head. I gape as she kills the demon easily. I hurry over to Jimmy and put pressure on his wound as Claire stands up.

"Castiel," Jimmy murmurs softly.

"Go, I'll take care of Jimmy," I say urgently. Castiel doesn't respond and moves towards the demons beating on Sam and Dean. I glance back as Claire begins to walk back over. She brushes her hand over Jimmy's head.

"Of course we keep our promises," Castiel says softly. "Of course you have our gratitude. You served us well. Your work is done. It's time to go home now-- your real home. You'll rest forever in the fields of the lord."

"No," Jimmy pleads.

"Rest now, Jimmy," Castiel hums softly.

"No, Claire," Jimmy gurgles.

"She's with me now." Castiel says as if that would make him feel better. "She's chosen. It's in her blood, as it was in yours."

"Please, Castiel," Jimmy pleads in a broken tone. "I mean, just-- just take me. Take me, please."

"Castiel," I warn softly.

"Jimmy needs to understand," Castiel says softly. "He won't die... or age. If this last year was painful for you, picture a hundred-- a thousand more like it."

Jimmy grasps onto Castiel tightly. "Doesn't matter. You take me. Just take me."

I feel tears ebb into my eyes as Castiel nods. "As you wish." There's a high-pitched ringing as Castiel takes hold of Jimmy's face and transfers over. Claire is back in her original body, and Castiel is once again in Jimmy's. I stand up and wipe my hands over my jeans as Castiel stands and walks away from Claire and Amelia. I follow after him silently.

"Castiel, wait please," I say softly as I grasp onto his sleeve. He turns around slowly, staring at me with a strange new look. As if the emotion he'd begun to start feeling vanished. "What were you gonna tell me?"

Castiel stares at us long and hard before speaking. "I learned my lesson while I was away, Carlotta. I serve Heaven. I don't serve man. And I certainly don't serve you." I stare after him. There's a sense of loss beginning to surface in my belly.

~*****~

The ride to South Dakota was rough. The silence between us all felt suffocating. Sam sat in the backseat, and I occasionally felt his gaze on my back. "All right, let's hear it." Sam suddenly says.

"What?" Dean asks.

"Drop the bomb, man." Sam states. "You saw what I did. Come on. Stop the car. Take a swing."

"I'm not gonna take a swing," Dean says softly.

"Then scream. Chew me out." Sam snaps.

Dean shakes his head. "I'm not mad, Sam. Lottie and I had our suspicions for weeks now." Dean admits.

"Oh, come on. You're not mad?" Sam scoffed. We both shook our head. "Right. Look, at least let me explain myself."

"Don't." I say firmly. "We do not care."

"You don't care?" Sam asks in astonishment.

Dean sighs. "What do you want me to stay? That I'm disappointed?" Dean glances back at his brother. "Yeah, I am. But mostly, I'm just tired, man. And I'm done. We're done."

Sam grunts as his cell begins to ring. "Hey, Bobby," Sam greets. "What's going on?"

I glance down at my phone and swallow thickly. "What'd he say?" Dean asks, making me shove my phone back into my pocket.

"To get back to his place, pronto." Sam retorts.

Dean and I share a subtle glance before he presses on the gas.

When we arrive at Bobby's, I make a beeline to the baby. I sighed softly as I finally inhaled that sweet aroma from Mary's hair. She was fast asleep, but I still managed to get her in my arms without waking her. I smiled to myself as I rocked in place with her. "Well, thanks for shakin' tail," Bobby mentioned as he led us downstairs. "Glad you got here." He opens the door and gestures to it. "Now, go on inside. I want to show you something." Bobby mentions.

I hang back and curl a hand over Mary's head when I feel her stir. Sam steps in. "All right? So, uh, what's the big demon problem?" Sam asks.

We stare at Sam as he stops in the middle of the room. "You are." Bobby hums. "This is for your own good."

"Guys?" Sam tries calling out, and slowly begins to panic.

Zack grunted from besides me and rubbed at his head. "If it's any consolation, man, it ain't so bad in there."

Dean huffed through his nose and turned an irritated glare on him. "Yeah, thanks Don Yesso."

"That's enough." I say softly. "Thank you for watching Mary for us, Zack." I mention. "Take a break."

"Will do," Zack yawns and trails up the stairs.

"Are you coming?" I ask Dean as Bobby follows Zack up the stairs.

He offers me a soft smile and kisses my head. "Yeah, I'll be up in a minute. Go get comfy."

I nod and begin peppering kisses onto Mary's head. She stirs a bit more and clutches onto my shirt tightly.