Supernatural: leapfrogging

Dean

The battle had been so close. I thought we had it in the bag when Cas stepped up to the plate, he thought they had a chance to finally tank Lucifer, once and for all. But the devil is always two steps ahead of you. No matter who you are or how hard you try to deceive him. By the time we had realised that cas was in danger, it was far too late. Lucifer's blade had gone straight through his chest, the poison laced into its tip already burning its way through the veins of his vessel as he dropped to his knees on a final surrender. 

"See ya round, boys!" Lucifer had called out, waving a cheerful hand in the air as he turned and began to fade away. Sam and I rushed to grab onto him, clutching nothing but handfuls of air as he zapped out of sight. "Son of a bitch!" I scowled, vowing to catch him next time. But then I remembered Cas, my best friend. I caught sight of his broken and bleeding body in the ground, and I began to fight tears as well as the bitter and frightened thoughts swirling through my mind.

"Cas, what do we do?"

His skin was rapidly paling with every single laboured word he spoke, and every single breath he took seemed to sap once after once of strength from him. He motioned for me to hand him the angle blade lying limp at his side, I gave it to him, initially confused as to what he might need it for, but then, at the last moment,  realisation dawned on me of Cas' intentions. With the last of the muscle power in his right arm, Castiel slit his vessel's throat and silver-blue grace began to pour from the wound. 

Sam lurched forward, placing his hands up to try, in vain, to call a halt to the scene unfolding in front of him. "No! Stop...Cas what are you doing?!" 

"This vessel..." Cas managed to croak, every word burning and scratching at his throat. "I cant hold it, it's too damaged..." 

"But, Cas, you've told us before, it's far too dangerous for you to travel on earth for any length of time without a vessel...the damage you could cause, to yourself and to the innocent people around us..." 

"I have to do something, Dean...you have to help me...find another vessel...strong enough..." As he spoke, each word became thinner and more and more strained until they barely made any sound all, besides a whisper.

"To contain you..." 

suddenly Sam found his voice once more. "But, Cas, Dean and I are vessel bloodlines," he began, offering Cas a hand to prop him up against his shoulder. "Couldn't we be strong enough to hold you, even temporarily?" 

"Potentially both of you could be, but obviouslyI'd need your consent, you know the drill. "

Dean looked down at his friend solemnly. "How long do you have, Cas?" 

"In this vessel? I don't know, I can feel whatever was on the end of that blade eating away at Mr Novak's body, you'd best let me out of here, I don't know if I can hold him together much longer...it's killing me!"  

"Ok, ok, calm down Cas," I made every effort to calm him, and in doing so, begin to calm myself. I refused to believe this was the end of the line. I held both hands under his arms and pulled him to his feet as he shook from sickness and fear. "Easy tiger, I got ya." 

Suddenly I knew exactly what had to be done, "Time for a shot of the angle pimp ride experience! I guess I better take one for the team, huh Sam?" 

To his credit, Sam said nothing, he simply nodded sully, he didn't have to speak for me to know what was going on in his mind. 

Cas gave me a serious look then, seeming to regain his own strength for a moment."I warn you, this isn't going to be the most comfortable arrangement, for either of us." 

"Well, it's only temporary...Til we find you a proper vessel." I leaned in closer to my fading best rewind, suddenly frighteningly nervous. I steal a glance his way and come to the realiseation that he is even more afraid than I am.

I laugh awkwardly, "remind me, I'm a little rusty, what is it we're supposed to say again?"

Cas regained an inexplicable burst of strength once more, and took hold of my arm, his firm grip doing wonders to steady my nerves. "For the greater good of heaven and earth, will you let me in? Just tell me yes or no."

All I could do in that moment was feel myself bind to him as the light erupted from Jimmy Novak's mouth and flowed into me, coursing through my veins and changing me as gradually, as I temporarily ceased to exist.