Until We Meet Again, My Angel

Chapter 13: Sacrifices

   Cas tackled Claire's assailant to the ground, filled with fury. Straddled by Castiel, Mallius managed to gain ground by knocking the Angel off of him with a well-placed blow to the jaw. Dean shouted, "Castiel!" as he saw his savior skid across the hard, grey floor. Anger burning inside him, Dean charged at Mallius, but stopped in his tracks to keep from colliding with the figure that had suddenly appeared in front of him.
   Backing up half a step, Dean came face-to-face with the blonde Angel called 'Adriel'. Her eyes crinkled with a wicked smile, the deep blue irises dripping with malintent, as she swung her left fist. The manicured weapon found it's mark, and Dean's head turned to the left in order to soften the blow to his right cheekbone. Adriel struck a second time, once again hitting home. Dean, however, spit a small amount of blood onto the blonde's face and growled, "You have no idea what you walked into, do you, sweetheart?" Adriel replied in an unexpectedly raspy voice, "I think I can manage one little Hunter." The Angel threw her fist, aiming at Dean's temple, but he was ready and caught her fist with ease. Smirking at Adriel, the Hunter said, "I have a rule: I don't hit chicks. But, you see-" he paused to catch the blonde's other fist, which had been aiming for Dean's other temple, then resumed, "Rules were made to be broken, you evil bitch!" Adriel hadn't realized she was still pushing against Dean's palms... but Dean had. He released the Angel's hands, while simultaneously dropping into a crouch, causing the beautiful attacker to slam her own fists together. Adriel shouted in pain, which gave Dean enough time to slam his fist, first into her ribs, then her stomach.
   Sam, too busy watching his brother's struggle, was caught off guard by Samael jumping onto his back. Sam was knocked face-first to the floor, which took the breath from his lungs. Gasping for air, the young Hunter rolled over as hard as he could, throwing the proud Angel from his back and onto the cold stone floor. Sam, regaining control of his breathing, kicked his opponent hard in the stomach, the satisfaction far worth the effort. Sam aimed his leg for a second kick, but Samael clasped Sam's ankle in his hands, grunting, "I never thought you the type to kick a man while he's down." The challenger grabbed Sam's other leg and pulled it out from under him, but Sam was trained in these situations, and twisted as he fell, softening the impact and wrenching his legs free. He smiled and corrected, "But you're not a man, just a dick." And punched Samael square in the jaw. Out of the corner of his eye, Sam saw Cas slamming his opponent's head onto the stone floor. He smirked as the Angel pulled out the blade his older brother had given him, but his happiness was short lived, as Mallius' open palm smacked the dagger out of Castiel's hand, sending it flying across the floor. Sam's attention was returned to his assailant by a well-placed blow to his lower abdomen.
   The blade stopped about two feet from where Dean and Adriel were engaged in combat. Grabbing her by the hair, Dean banged Adriel's head against a metal rack, and she crumpled to the ground. Dean, his competitor incapacitated, lunged for the blade, grabbing it by it's divine hilt. Yelling, "Sammy!" the elder Winchester ran to his baby brother, who was currently being overpowered by the tawny-haired Angel, Samael. Without a second thought, Dean shoved the dagger clean through the attacker's spine and into his heart. Samael screamed, a powerful blue light pouring from his eyes and mouth, then silenced and fell onto his back, a blue wisp of air flowed out of his mouth. After Dean had pulled Sam off of the ground, they realized Samael's body was flanked by black burns on the ground shaped like Angel wings. The brothers turned to where Dean had left the limp Adriel, but she was nowhere to be seen. Dean shrugged and offered a brief, "Must've ran off." Both Hunters turned to see Castiel on top of Mallius, punch after punch finding their marks, his speed fueled by fury. Dean and Sam were debating on whether or not they should interfere, when Mallius moved his head to this side, causing Castiel's clenched fist to plow an entire foot into the ground, shattering the rock and causing him to scream in pain. The sound was grating, both Winchesters felt their hands fly to their ears, wincing and cringing. Each window shattered, letting in the faint light of the sunset. The noise seemed ineffective only to Castiel and Mallius, the latter shoving the fugitive Angel to the ground- but Dean was ready.
   Sparing no time, Dean leapt over Samael's corpse and buried the Angel blade deep into Mallius. Mallius' scream, however, was drowned out by a different voice- a woman's voice- screaming, "NO!" Sam, Dean, and Cas all turned to see Adriel, the Angel who'd sparred with Dean...
      Holding a knife to Claire's throat.

   Sam and Dean inhaled sharply, while Castiel simply whispered, "No." Adriel had tears in her eyes, her furious expression mingled with grief as she said, "It didn't have to be this way, Castiel!" Dean took a step forward, his hands raised in a gesture of peace as he pressed, "Adriel, this is between you and us. Please, let Claire go." Dean took another small step forward, but Adriel took a sharp step backwards, tears spilling down her face as she sobbed, "You killed Mallius! He was our leader, our brother!" Sam mimicked Dean's previous approach, pressing, "Adriel, the girl is innocent." But Adriel wasn't listening, she merely went on, whimpering and shouting, "All we wanted was Castiel! That was all we wanted! But you refused," Castiel's heart skipped a beat as Adriel finished, "So you must pay."
   Castiel yelled, "NO!" But it was too late, Adriel sliced the blade across Claire's throat, and blood poured from the wound onto her clothes. Castiel screamed. It was louder and higher than anything Dean had ever heard. He and Sam covered their ears and fell to their knees. Every light bulb in the building grew as bright as the sun, then shattered, sending shards of glass and illuminating sparks everywhere. As soon as the sound had subsided and the boys had opened their eyes, Gabriel appeared behind Adriel. A single tear escaped Gabriel's eye as he whispered, "I'm sorry, sister." And stabbed her in the back with an Angel blade, the wing-shaped burns appearing as soon as she hit the ground.
   Dean turned away from Gabriel and saw Castiel kneeling next to Claire, crying and holding her in his arms. Sam gasped, putting his hand over his mouth, eyes already watering. The Angel put two fingers on his daughter's forehead in a desperate attempt to heal her, but her wounds remained fresh and bleeding. Castiel sobbed over his daughter, hugging her tight with no regard for the large amount of blood that was now soaking his clothes. He didn't care, this was his daughter, for God's sake! She was the only thing that mattered! Dean walked to stand behind Castiel, but did nothing to comfort him. I don't have to comfort him, because she's going to be alright, Dean told himself. But as Claire opened her eyes and stared at her father, without fear, with nothing but love, Dean couldn't deny it any longer. Dean began to sob, pulling at his own hair while he tried to stifle his grief-stricken breaths. Claire sighed lightly and whispered, "It's okay, Daddy."
"Claire, please," Castiel begged.
"I'm a Hunter, Dad," Claire ignored her father's pleas, "We all knew it would end this way."
"Claire, my princess, please don't go!" Castiel begged and pleaded, "I love you so much, baby girl. Please, please just don't go."
   Claire's eyes shifted slowly to Dean, but her gaze was fierce as she ordered, "Take care of him, Hasselhoff. He needs you." Dean couldn't hold it in, he fell to his knees and sobbed, but help eye contact with Claire, his girl, and swore, "I will. I'll take care of him, I promise." Claire smiled faintly, and returned her attention to Castiel, whose body was shaking violently as he fought the urge to cry out. Claire lifted a shaking hand to Cas' cheek, and whispered, "I love you." Claire's hand fell, and she let out a deep, shaking breath... but did not take another breath in.
   Cas hugged her closer, sobbing, getting louder with every word as he cried, "No, no, Claire, don't! Claire, baby, don't leave me, please don't go! No, no, you can't! PLEASE, CLAIRE, PLEASE!" Dean put a hand on his boyfriend's shoulder, but Cas shook him off, shouting, "No, no, let me go!" Dean held tighter, and yelled, "Cas, Cas you need to let go of her! Castiel!"
Castiel couldn't loosen his grip.
   Still, Dean pulled Claire from his arms, grabbed both of his shoulders, and pulled him into a hug. Dean and Cas knelt there, sobbing, one of Dean's hands on Cas' neck, the other in his hair. Cas stopped fighting, and went limp in Dean's arms, wailing out for the daughter who would never wake up.