On Borrowed Time

7. Old Friends

PART ONE: RUN

CHAPTER SEVEN: OLD FRIENDS

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TEAM WINCHESTER, STULL , USA

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Dean continued to eye the dog warily, glad Felicity was at his back to not see his nervous expression. The sky had turned dark, a grim shade of gray that signaled impending rain, almost too dark. Dean faltered in his steps to stare up at the sky as more and more dark clouds seemed to roll in. The words to a classic rock song sprang to mind and he couldn't help but hum it softly in an attempt to settle the unnerving feeling that something terrible was going to happen.

Felicity appeared at his shoulder, the blonde hair she had struggled so hard to put up was being pulled from its ties as easy as plucking a petal from a flower. "Looks like a storm's coming!" She shouted and Dean nodded before shouting back.

"Felicity, I don't know about this. Doesn't it seem a little too perfect to you?" A black dog, a storm, both Sam and Cas missing, their history here - all in this cemetery. Dean didn't believe in coincidence but even if he did, he knew this extended far beyond it.

"What?" she shouted back, leaning in closer. He just shook his head and shivered, trying to shake himself of the idea and the wet chill. He zipped his jacket up the rest of the way, glancing back towards the car - her shining black and chrome his beacon of peace in the middle of everything. They could ride out anything in that car, baby was special he just hoped that whatever happened here he'd get to see her again.

Dean jumped, expecting the dog to be paces away, not standing within arm's reach. He felt Felicity's hand find his arm again, but this time it wasn't to grab his attention but rather provide support- for which of them he wasn't sure but he didn't shake her grip. The blank eyes made Dean's skin crawl and he said nothing as the dog turned and began walking again. The drops started falling and Felicity curled in closer as the wind lashed icy pellets at them.

Dean held his hand out- hail, he confirmed in disbelief as the white chunks landed in his hand. Unconsciously he switched the knife for his gun, making the exchange without breaking eye contact with the dog. He heard Felicity murmur something about 'the grim' but he ignored her - wanting to get to where they were going and then get the hell out.

He kept looking further ahead, trying to figure out where they were being led. When he finally saw it, his blood ran cold. The gravestones were thrown back in a splayed circle that radiated outwards as if something had blown up in the middle of them all. As if - Dean choked on his own spit and his eyes went wide.

"No!" he said hoarsely, barely above a whisper and Felicity lunged forward towards it.

"No!" he shouted, looking for the dog, looking for some explanation but their guide was nowhere to be found. Nothing but hail and the howl of the wind accompanied them now. Dean turned and took in the haunting scene. 

Felicity had fallen to the ground beside it, her trembling fingers reaching for the tip of the scorched marking. The tip of a scorched marking on the ground - the shapes of which Dean remembered all too well. A grand set of wings now blackened marks on the earth, a set of wings that looked remarkably like the shadows of a missing angel's.

Dean felt as though the air had been knocked out of him as he stumbled forward, the sting of tears in his eyes as he looked around. There was no body to be found. "Dean, that's - that's not-" her voice quaked and broke off as she looked up at him for answers.

He looked away and pressed his hand to his face in an attempt to keep himself from breaking down. It can't be Cas, it can't be Cas, it can't be Cas, he repeated over and over before moving back to her. He crouched down beside her, looking across the scorched imprint of the wings. "They belonged to an angel," he said as calmly as he could manage.

"But not-"

"I don't know," Dean cut in, not wanting to say it.

"You said belonged, past tense Dean," she said quietly and Dean said nothing in response as tears began to well in her eyes. Dean tried not to let his own fall.

"Cas where the fuck are you," he asked, turning his face to the sky to send out a silent prayer for the millionth time, hoping that a million and one might give him a response.

"Awe, well look here - Winchester mini and his little sister," drawled a voice. Dean felt his veins pulse with hatred as his muscles stiffened. A hot burst of air breathed down his neck and Dean nearly let out a cry of fear as he felt Felicity jump and push her face into his arm. Her fingers gripping so tight to his jacket they were sure to bruise his arm.

Another burst of hot air ran over Dean's face and he didn't need to look to know he wouldn't see anything. To know that Crowley had his hounds on the hunt and they were here, now. Dean put his arm protectively around his sister. "It's not her time yet Crowley," Dean warned, the anger rising in his voice.

Crowley sat unceremoniously, ankles crossed and examining his fingernails on a large and still mostly intact gravestone. Dean matched his glare, his own fingers clutching tight to Felicity as she let out a small cry of terror, pushing herself further into Dean, her face hidden. "He's not taking you, not yet," he said confidently into her ear.

Crowley however, didn't seem so certain. He appeared to chew over the situation, eying the dog and the Winchesters and the scorched wings. "The deal was two years Crowley, she still has time!" Dean reminded him, though he wasn't entirely sure Crowley cared, he was the King of hell after all - not a saint by any means ever.

The look on his face said it was against his better judgement but he whistled and the hot breathing of the gruesome dogs he knew as Hell Hounds retreated. Felicity trembled in his arms as he kept holding on. He wondered whether it was his stories or if she was already able to see them coming for her - he hoped for her sake it was his own words that had caused this.

"You won't find your feathered friend here," Crowley finally said, patting the invisible dogs on the head.

"And what exactly are you doing here?" he asked, shouting over the wind again as it picked up. Crowley's eyes twinkled with a mischief that made Dean shiver.

"Cas has God, Sam has you, you have Daddy Winchester - we all have people we strive to please. I'm just doing mine," he said with a smirk.

"Lucifer is in the Pit - you are the one in charge downstairs," Dean growled. Crowley tutted, pushing off the stone and sauntering towards them, across the burnt ground.

"Whoever said this had to do with downstairs? Brothers, interesting buggers hmm? Yours, mine- they never quite do what we want them to, do they Dean-o? Everyone always trying to be the favourite, trying to be the better one." Dean forced Felicity to stand, pulling her up by the arm.

"What did you do with Sam?" he demanded and the hounds howled. His stomach dropped then as he looked around the clearing suddenly sick that he hadn't recognized the place before. The pit had been opened right where they were standing. Nothing good was about to come of this, he was sure.

"Run Felicity, run!" he whispered, shoving her towards the car and pressing his gun into her hands. She stumbled, a look of terror in her eyes as she turned to him for reassurance before running. Crowley rolled his eyes, but to Dean's relief did nothing to send anything after her.

"It wasn't me I'm afraid, but rather an old friend," Crowley said as a grin broke out across his face, his eyes trained on something behind Dean.

Dean whirled to take in a scene that had plagued his nightmares for years. Felicity lay unconscious on the ground, a figure bent over her immobile body. "Hey!" Dean shouted, running towards her only to stop dead in his tracks as the man looked up, his yellow eyes gleaming.

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A/N - Well that was unexpected. I must admit I love when random things I don't expect happen in a chapter - aka that ending! I'm hoping this came out okay, the sides will be joined back together soon so please bear with the two stories (Arrow and Winchester) for a few more chapters!

Let me know what you think! Am I channeling Season One too hard? Hope you guys like it!