Five Years Later

Chapter Thirteen: The Fire

"Dean, we have to get out of here." Cas lowered his voice as he heard someone pass them in the dim light of the basement, their shadow flitting in the background. "They said you don't have long left, and I don't want to spend your dying days here."

"Cas, listen—" Dean began, but he had to pause for another fit of coughing. "I'll be fine. Let's plan the escape when we're ready and can get Jess to come with us. We haven't told her the news about Sam yet."

"We need to do it now." Cas whispered. "Tonight."

"What do you suggest we do?" Dean asked, pressing his hand against his chest as it burned, likely due to the coughing. "There's no way I'm going to make it past the gates alive in my condition, as much as I hate to say it."

"We could start a fire or do something to distract them so that it's deadly to Negan, but also lets down his guard." Cas suggested, glancing away as another person passed. Dean knew they had no other option than to stand down here in the dark and try to evade the ears of those who might be listening for fear that Negan would accuse them of being in a relationship, but it didn't make it any easier.

"Sounds good to me. Let's say we do it tonight, right after curfew ends. Most of the women will still be in the kitchen and that has the exit doors, so they will be safe in case it gets out of control. The soldiers will already be in their rooms, God bless them, but the smart ones will make it out." Dean nodded, taking a deep breath that sent a searing pain surging across his chest.

"I hate this." Cas rubbed his forehead, which was lined with worry. "I don't want to hurt anyone every again, not after all the times I've had to because of this damn place."

"Most people here won't be innocent in the least, if they have been with Negan." Dean reminded Cas. "They will be able to escape. We can't live our whole lives for other people, not anymore. You see how that worked out. We wasted our lives, Cas, and we don't have much time left. When I'm gone—"

"Don't you dare say that."

"Please, Cas. Let me finish." Dean cleared his throat. "When I'm gone, which will happen someday whether you like it or not—I might get bitten by a walker tomorrow, die from this sickness, or live another fifty years, I don't know. No one really knows. But when I go, whatever time you have left after me you can spend caring for other people and loving them the same way you used to love me."

"Dean, I lo—"

"Not yet, Cas." Dean shifted uncomfortably. "We're not ready. I told you, we have to wait for the right moment. Whatever happens, we're in this together, but this is the only way we can be happy. We can take Jess with us."

"She won't want to come."

"We can't force her, but it won't hurt us to try. Now, I know where a thing of gasoline is. I saw it passing the dining hall yesterday. Do you happen to know where any matches are?"

"Sure."

"Meet me here at eight."

***

The flames spread like the pain as it surged through Dean's body. He meant to control the fire, but he dropped the matches into the gasoline and flames flickered in the darkness that reigned supreme in the dimly lit hallway by Negan's door.

It took him a moment to register what he had done, but when he tried to step back and move away, a combination of the shock from the fire and the pain in his lungs caused him to freeze in place. If Cas hadn't been standing beside him to pull him away, Dean wasn't sure if he could have done anything while the flames engulfed him.

Cas took Dean by the hand and dragged him forward, slinging Dean's arm around his shoulder to give him the support he needed to run. Dean felt as though the fire he had just lit had already spread its way to his lungs and was consuming his entire being, but he was powerless to stop it. It was only by the grace of Cas' help that Dean made it as far as he did.

The blaze lit the hallway where shadows had gathered before, and as Dean and Cas reached the end of the hall, they could hear Negan cursing from inside of his room. Smoke began to billow against the walls until the air was thick with it. Dean began to gag, unable to find enough air to cough. Cas paused for a moment, seemingly unsure of what to do, and with only a brief hesitation, picked Dean up in his arms and began carrying him toward the exit.

As they were on their way there, tracking through the dining hall in the hopes of escaping through that exit door before the flames spread to them, they passed Jess sitting by one of the tables with a glass of water in her hand. Cas hesitated, glancing at her, but Dean was the first to speak.

"Jess—" Dean motioned for Cas to set him down, and the latter did so begrudgingly. Dean staggered over to where Jess was sitting, staring listlessly into her water.

"Jess, this place is going to burn down. You have to come with us." Dean reached out a hand to her, which incited no reaction. "Please—we need you."

"You don't—" Jess started, eyes narrowed, but a thunderous roar from above interrupted them. Dean glanced upward to see what it was, only to be met by a monstrous chasm of a crack that was quickly forming on the ceiling from the pressure both the fire and mass amount of people trying to escape it.

The ceiling collapsed, and the charred pieces of carpet and furniture began to ignite into a larger blaze that began to consume the entire room, flickering madly as they rose around Jess and Dean. She fell to her knees, crying out as the flames singed her and began to creep up the edges of her dress. She desperately attempted to snuff them out, but it was no use – they resisted all the way.

Dean couldn't save himself, much less Jess. He faltered and leaned back against the table, closing his eyes as the fire began slowly engulfing the two of them – he could feel the heat simmering on his skin.

"Cas!" Jess screamed, and all fell into darkness.