God's Gift of Hope (Supernatural Fanfiction )

Scene 3

"How long has it been?" Castiel asked the boys.

"A little over three hours now!" Sam replied as he checked his watch. The boys had caught Castiel up-to-date with everything they knew about Chayse, a.k.a. Hope, and the hellhounds that seemed bent on killing anybody who tried to help her. They had also told Castiel the stories of the 'hunter saviour' that Pete Montana had collected over the years.

Most interestingly, Dean had rung Pete to ask him about the latest story he had received from another hunter; it seemed it had slipped Pete's mind, that there had been a different hairstyle, Dean was flabbergasted.

Castiel seemed most interested in these stories, fully believing that this was indeed something that Hope would have done. He knew that Hope had trained in fighting and weaponry, growing up with the various hunters she had had as foster parents.

Castiel had no idea how or who would have put the hellhounds onto her. His only thought was that somebody needed her guarded. It was possible given her upbringing, that she had become valuable in some way, to a high-level Demon who could control hellhounds.

"How long does it take until the next hellhound comes?" Castiel was asking.

"No idea. She passed out before she gave us any real details. Speaking of which, maybe you could, oh I do not know... heal her?" Dean sounded surly as he spoke to Castiel. It had been a huge fight, after an already too long couple of days driving around the country, and he was sore and tired. Worse still, his sister was lying, mere feet away from him, in a world of pain, worried because some hound was going to come for Dean. Again.

"No." Castiel stated.

"No! What do you mean no?" Dean faced up to Castiel as if ready to take his head off, the tone he had used suggesting he wanted to.

"No. I will heal her when she says I can. I will not take the choice away from her." Castiel was trying to back away from Dean as he spoke.

"Okay. Okay. Just cool down." Sam was trying to bring calm back to the porch, "we are both really tired..." he said looking at Dean as he spoke, "and it has been a long night. So let's not do anything right now, that we will regret later..." Sam finished up with a pleading look on his face, eyes wide, and hands gesturing for an okay from Dean.

For his part, Dean merely nodded and turned walking over to the other side of the porch. He knew Sam was right and he knew he was not mad at Castiel. Dean was stressed, over what had happened and what was going to happen when the girl lying on...

There was a loud thud from inside the cabin. Dean made it to the door first. He threw it open and saw Hope. She was lying on the floor, between the bed and the kitchenette. Dean rushed over to her.

Hope was struggling to get back up when Dean reached her. He held her gently by the shoulders and then reaching one arm down to her waist, he helped her up, saying, "let us get you back to bed..." Dean carefully helped Hope back to the bed where she gingerly sat on its edge.

"What were you doing?" Dean asked her.

"I just wanted some water." Came the softly spoken reply. At hearing this, Sam walked over to the kitchen to fetch some water, which he then took over to Dean.

Dean passed the water to Hope, but her hands were trembling as she tried to take a drink. So instead, Dean held the water for her.

After a couple of sips, Hope motioned that, she had had enough and Dean put the glass on the small bedside table.

"How long?" she asked.

"Nearly 4 hours..." Dean started, "maybe they are not coming?" Dean sincerely hoped this might be true.

"They always come... Sometimes straightaway... Sometimes later..." Hope, deadpan, was merely stating facts.

"Wait... So, they come, even if no one has helped you. I thought they only hurt people who helped you?" Dean exclaimed puzzled by what she had said.

"They do... Only hurt people who help me, but they are always there... Never far away..." there did not seem to be any emotion in Hope's voice as she spoke, the whole thing was just normal for her.

"So... what is the longest time that they had not been with you? I mean... Is four hours unusual?" Dean asked.

"Thirty-two hours... Once they were gone, for thirty-two hours. That was to replace the one I killed." Hope said it so matter of fact that Dean had the blink the shock off his face.

"And how many have you killed? Other than the one tonight." Dean did not really want to know the answer but then again he had to.

"Six."

"Wow..." Dean let out the breath he had been holding while waiting for her answer. His sister was badass...

Hope started to cough; the effort bought fresh pain and distress to her face. Dean tried to support her, as she sat on the bed. He glanced over at Castiel and gave him a look that asked how he could just stand there, and let her suffer.

When the coughing subsided, Dean helped Hope to sit back up on the bed so that the bed's backboard and pillows supported her; she looked more comfortable but was still obviously in quite some pain.

Dean began, "Um... I called a friend while you were unconscious..." the look of fear and panic on Hope's face had Dean backpedalling fast, "it is okay, it is okay... He is cool. He understands these things... It is okay." Dean repeated this several times until Hope finally seemed to calm, "It is just... I knew he could help in a few ways. One of which is, he can heal you."

"He is a doctor?" Hope asked, looking up at Dean from her position on the bed.

"Of sorts..." was all Dean could think to say, "you see... He actually knows you. I mean... you have met before..." Hope looked confused as Dean was stumbling over his words, but just as Dean finished speaking she saw a face appear over his shoulder, and the confusion turned to surprise, then shock and finally despair, as her mind registered who it was...

"Castiel?" surprise

"but..." shock

"you are dead..." despair.

Fade out