#abaddonshalo

Chapter 3

Taking in the view

They were taking things slowly for once, they hadn't had a hunt of any kind. They did keep an eye on the lights on the cemetery and convent, waiting for Lucifer and Michael to break free, unless they found a way to return all the angel's to Heaven, but so far they didn't have a clue of how to do it.

For the first days, the mood at the Bunker had improved a lot, Cas had been adjusting well and Sam had recovered the color in his face. But not much time later, Cas started to have nightmares, guilt and pain were the perfect ingredients for them. Looking for a cure for Sam had kept the fallen angel busy and when night came he was just too tired. But then he became restless and his human mind liked to torment hm with his worst memories and fears. As the nights passed Cas dreaded more the time to be alone in his room with his thoughts. And with the days, he started developing a taste for coffee. Something that would help him being more active, a bit less human.

Dean observed Cas' progress in silence. He didn't know what to do. He had no words of comfort, he had nothing to give that could help the fallen angel. Besides the upcoming 'Apocalypse II: The Return' had him worried. Apparently, Lucifer was right, no matter how many things he changed, everything ended up the same way. Even taking Cas shopping for clothes had been gloomier than what it should.

Cas at first only bought the clothes that Dean gave him, that was all jeans and plaid shirts. At first, it had been all about ignoring how the new jeans fitted around Cas' ass, which was something pretty normal. Considering... After all, the hunter had long since admitted his attraction towards the angel, he also knew about the true extension of his feelings, and that was what scared him. If he acted upon his feelings, then, what would he do when he lose him, because he knew his life, so the end was clear, sooner or later, it would happen. Maybe, even Cas returned his feelings, but even that didn't matter, the angel had made his choice clear several times before.

No, that hadn't been it, that was normal. That hadn't been what had scared Dean and made what was a rather pleasant evening to go downwards. It had been when Cas chose clothes by himself for the first time.

"That one," he said pointing at a gray loose cotton shirt.

Dean's eyes widened when he noticed what Cas was showing him.

"No!" he shouted and, grabbing the angel by the arm, started walking away from the shop, "Those are for hippies, and you're not a hippie!" he said angrily, "Wait outside while I pay for the clothes," he instructed him, shopping was over for the day.

Cas couldn't understand what he had done wrong. He didn't know, because Dean never told him with so many details, that those were the kind of clothes that his future self used. And the hunter was scared, scared that the fallen angel could end up as broken as he had seen him, scared that Lucifer was going to be free, so he was scared that Sam could end up saying yes again -or worse that it didn't matter because he had already said yes once. Dean was scared about the world and about his world. However, Cas didn't know that, he just thought that Dean was angry at him. So it only helped him to sink him further down. It was in moments like this that he missed the feeling of flying.

When they returned to the Bunker they barely talked to each other. Cas was hurt and Dean was fearful. Sam tried to talk to both of them, he even tried several ways, together, alone with each one, but neither of them would give in. Finally, when he got tired of trying, he buried himself in the books and his computer.

Two weeks had passed in that fashion when Sam found the omens. It was in Phoenix and the whole thing just spoke demon activity. It had been a long time without action for them, and they all needed a hunt. Sam brought up the topic and now they were all in the Impala. Dean was driving, Sam on the passenger seat and Cas in the back. The fallen angel was not a pleasant company for car-traveling. He got easily bored and fell asleep fast. The previous times that he had traveled in the car with the boys it had always been an option. He had chosen to be with them, regardless the purpose of the ride, and besides he could always flip his wings and be gone. But now this was his only way of travel and that got him pissed.

Eventually, after eighteen long hours -with brief stops for going to the toilet or to buy a small something to eat in the car- they arrived at Phoenix.

"I'm starving," said Dean as soon as they entered the town.

"Yeah, me too," replied Sam.

"I am also experiencing hunger," added Cas to the conversation.

"Okay, let's first get something to eat, then find a motel to sleep and tomorrow we'll see what's happening in this town," said Dean during the car through the city searching for somewhere to dinner.

They ended up at a Big Anderson's, they ate in silence for the simple fact that they were to hungry for chatting. Maybe, that's why they were able to hear the screaming that came from the parking lot.

"What the..." said Dean sharing a look with his brother right before his instincts kicked in.

He dropped a twenty dollar bill, and the three of them ran outside. A young woman was standing next to their car. She was dressed in a way that clearly was out of place, the jogging was fine even the hoodie -that clearly needed a wash-, but the pink slippers stood out. Her face was locked in a panicked expression, and when she noticed them, her eyes widened even more.

"You-? But how-? Pero si-" she stuttered jumping from English to Spanish and back, not forming a proper sentence in either of both languages.

"Hey, hey, calm down," said Sam slowly getting closer to her, "Everything's fine," he said resting a hand in the girl's shoulder while his brother and Cas checked out around them to see what could have possible attacked the girl, and most importantly if the threat was still there.

"Do you speak English?" asked Sam.

"Yes," said faintly the girl.

"What happened?"

The woman seemed to start panicking again and after swallowing down several times she spoke.

"I was about to get in my room... and then I was here," she said with a strong latin accent.

"Okay," agreed Sam, "I believe you," he said trying to reassure her.

"I know," she said and her panic grew even more, "but you're not real, and I've gone nuts, because you're fictional characters."

"Great," exclaimed Dean who had been listening, just what they needed another obsessed fan as Becky.

"No, you don't understand. There's no books, it's a TV show. You're supposed to be actors. There is no Apocalypse, not Leviathan, no nothing," she said in a rush, "Was," she then corrected herself.

"What do you mean?" questioned her Dean incredulous.

"Are you saying that you come from that reality?" asked her Sam removing his hand from her.

"Well, not that reality because everyone ended up dead in that one, but yeah," she answered.

"I do not understand," said Cas.

"Remember that universe where your friend Balthazar sent us?" said Dean looking at Cas sideways.

"Oh," exclaimed the fallen angel.

"All right," said Sam, "then who are you?" he asked her.

The girl stared at the hunter, her expression had gone from hysterical panic to fear.

"My name is Eugenia Victoria Antoni, I'm 23 years old, I'm studying in the university to be a licentiate in Molecular Biology, but outside Argentina it would be like a Master degree. My parents name are Carla Gonzalez and Abel Antoni. And they're human just as me. And I started watching Supernatural because of Tumblr, it's not my fault. Well, maybe it is, I don't know. I'm not a supernatural being," said Eugenia with almost no pause.

"Okay, okay," calmed her Sam, "we won't hurt you."

"Nevertheless," said Dean and threw holy water from a flask at her.

Eugenia dried her face with the sleeve of her hoodie unperturbed.

"Sorry, standard precaution," apologized Sam to the girl.

"So what do we do now?" asked Dean.

"I don't know but demon omens and..." said the youngest hunter pointing at Eugenia slightly with his head.

"Both things randomly happening at the same place and time is highly improbable," argued Cas.

"So I guess then Trinity here is stuck with us for now," said Dean.

.

They booked two rooms in a motel. Considering that Sam was the one with the most empathy and who had gotten closer to the woman, he and Eugenia would share a room, and the other one was for Dean and Cas. And just because he was tired in all the drama in their lives, Sam didn't hide his smile when he handed the key to Dean.

The oldest hunter and the fallen angel had already settled in their motel room, when they heard a knocking in the door.

"Dean, it's me" said Sam through the door.

"For God's sake, just open the door!" complained Dean while he opened it to let his brother in.

"One never knows," said Sam casting a short glance at the two men.

Dean decided to ignore him. However, Cas gave a long stare to Sam, thinking what the other meant by that, was he just trying to put Dean under an awkward situation? Which raised the question of why it would be awkward for Dean, or did Sam knew about how he felt about Dean? Had he meant the mockery to be directed towards him? And maybe, most important, what if it hadn't been a mockery. Was it something that his friend assumed for all pair of people who shared a room or was it just for Dean and him? If being around humans was frustrating, being one was even more, he thought.

"So how's our new Becky?" asked Dean.

"She's resting," said Sam, "I think it's just starting to sink in her that she is most likely stuck in this reality."

"Isn't that every fangirl's dream?" inquired Dean.

"Yeah, maybe" commented Sam, "But she has just lost everyone she ever loved or even knew, so I don't think so, not so much."

"Careful with what you wish," warned the hunter.

"So, guys..." started Sam, clearly trying to find a way to start what he thought was a sensitive topic, "you... you don't think she could be a fallen angel, right?"

"Nah..." disagreed immediately Dean, "she isn't, right, Cas?" he doubted.

"If she's telling the truth, then I don't think so, I can't remember any reason for a fallen angel to have memories from another reality," he reasoned.

"And if she's lying?" asked Dean.

"Then I don't know," sighed Cas.

"Guess we'll have to find out," said Dean.

Sam was about to suggest that they started brainstorming what possibly connection Eugenia had to the demon omens when they heard a scream coming from the room next door. In a rush, the three of them run in Eugenia's aid. The door was half open. Bad sign.

They found her lying in bed with a man in his thirties lying over her and chocking her. When he noticed their entry, he turned his face to them and his eyes were black.

"Fuck," cursed Dean and took from his shirt's pocket the flask with holy water.

The demon hissed when the water hit him and took away his hands from Eugenia, who as soon as she was free rolled from the bed to the floor on the opposite side of where the demon was standing. The creature from Hell charged against Dean and gave him a punch in the stomach that sent him flying towards one of the walls. Cas and Sam went to attack him, angel blade and Ruby's knife in hand, but the demon deflected Sam, taking the knife from him and throwing the big man against the fallen angel, making them fall. He was going to jump on them when suddenly he couldn't move any more from where he was standing.

Eugenia had taken out her cell phone, and grabbing it with both hand, she was pointing it in the demon's direction with the image of a demon trap.

"Good thinking," congratulated her Sam once he had untangled himself from the top of Cas.

"You had your cell phone on you when you were sent here?" asked Dean.

"Well, yes," she answered, "I was about to read some fanfiction,"

"About?" asked her Sam.

"Eh... I don't thing that you want to know," said Eugenia blushing.

"Oh," exclaimed Sam putting one of his bitchfaces, mixed with disgust when memories of Becky came to his mind.

While Eugenia continued holding her phone, the boys made a demon trap on the floor and with iron chains, held the demon in a chair. On the near table, they put a big bottle of holy water, Ruby's knife, a syringe and rock salt.

"If I were you, I'd start talking right now, otherwise things are going to get pretty ugly for you," threatened Dean.

The demon spitted the hunter in the face. Without saying anything, Dean threw some holy water on the man, making him hiss in pain.

"You're going to have to try harder, pretty boy," answered defiantly the demon.

"As you say," said Dean, his eyes hard as steel, remembering his time in Hell.

Wetting Ruby's knife with holy water, Dean started to slash slowly the demon's leg. When he paused to see if the creature of Hell was going to speak, the demon turned to Eugenia who was watching the whole scene with an unreadable expression on her face.

"What are you looking at, bitch? You know what, I'm going to get free and when I do, I'm going to kill you, but first I'm going to ride you like the bitch you are."

Something in the woman snapped. He got close to the demon, ignoring Sam who tried to stop her. She first wet his hands with holy water and then hold the demon's arms, making sure of piercing his skin with her nails.

"You know what, I could handle you trying to kill me. But spending too much time on Tumblr made me intolerant of your misogyny," she said slowly.

She grabbed the syringe from the table, filled it with holy water and stabbed the demon's groin with it.

"You were saying about riding me?" she said unloading the syringe's content.

The demon screamed, but as soon as he could, he spitted Eugenia in a eye. The woman cleaned herself with her hand and with a dangerous look he spoke.

"Eye for an eye, goes the expression," she said and stuck the needed in one of the demon's eyes.

The three men saw dumbstruck how what at first had seen like an innocent looking woman now was deviously torturing the demon.

"All right, I'll speak! I'll speak!" shouted the demon.

At that Dean focused back into action, with Ruby's knife still in hand, he took Eugenia out of the way and approached the demon.

"What are your kind doing here?" he asked.

"We came to kill her," explained the demon pointing at Eugenia with his eyes.

"Why?" inquired Dean.

"The Father will come through the Mother," he said, "she's the one prophesied."

"For what?" asked Dean impatiently.

"I don't know," he answered and to that Dean stabbed the demon's leg, "I don't know, I swear," he cried, "I only know that she's bad for our plans."

"What plans?" asked Sam from behind his brother.

"Restarting the Apocalypse," smiled the demon.

Dean made sure to erase that smile by stabbing the other leg of the demon.

"Where are your teammates?" continued interrogating him Dean.

"They're coming," panted the demon, "tomorrow afternoon."

"Okay, thank you for your service," said Dean and stabbed the demon in the heart.

He then turned to face Eugenia.

"Who the hell are you?" he asked her, pointing at her with Ruby's knife that was still bloody.

"I've already told you," she answered.

"The fuck you did," said Dean angrily,"What the fuck is the prophecy thing and all that shit?"

"I don't know," she said, and Eugenia seemed honest. Seemed being the keyword here.

But Dean had seen her enjoy the whole torture thing, so he wasn't buying her crap anymore.

"Bullshit," he called.

"Honest to God, I don't know, the closest thing I've been to the Apocalypse here is reading spoilers for season nine," defended herself Eugenia.

"Stop the innocent fangirl crap right now," demanded the hunter getting closer to her, "I saw you enjoying torturing that one," he said pointing at the demon.

"Yeah, I did enjoy it," she confessed, her eyes shone and she looked contemplative, "I just let my darkness out, I mean, we all have darkness and light inside all of us, right? As much darkness as light. And normally I write, do sports or listen to rock. And now, I just didn't hold it back and I-" explained Eugenia slowly, and a smile that on any other situation would look sweet appeared on her face, "I just remembered my strength."

"What?" asked Sam.

"Strength comes from darkness, and I just saw my darkness," she said with dreamy brown eyes.

"You're a psychopath," accused her Dean.

In all honesty, the hunter wasn't angry at the fangirl. It was because he saw himself reflected on her. He saw in her how he actually enjoyed torturing, how great it felt. And Dean hated himself, therefore, it was only logical that he hated Eugenia too.

"I'm not," answered back the woman, "I mean, tomorrow I'll feel guilty about the pain that the poor bastard being possessed felt, but now... I'm not scared anymore."

And in a weird way it made sense. Dean understood how it was like to feel scared all the time, like when his father took him in his first hunt. He remembered when he killed his first monster, the feeling of accomplishment, that no matter what came at him, he could kill it. So, okay, he was not going to kill the woman as he had planned doing so some moments ago, but just because she seemed to be involved into stopping Apocalypse II.

.

"Listen to me, Sammy," said Dean, "If she does the even slightest thing you call me, all right? Or shout or blow the ball or whatever and I'll go."

"Yes, Dean," complied Sam.

"Look, I don't trust her, "confessed the eldest hunter.

"I know, Dean" said tiredly Sam, "but she's only five-eleven, I think I'll manage."

"I know but-"

"He'll be fine, Dean," said Cas.

Dean knew he was being over-protective, but considering how he had rather recently almost lost his little brother, it was understandable. However, Cas reassurance calmed him down a bit. He trusted his fallen angel, even after everything that happened between them.

"All right, all right," he admitted defeat, "But even so, call me if something happens," he said with an accusatory finger.

"Bye, Dean," said Sam with a bitchface.

The hunter left the room leaving Dean and Cas alone. Dean stared at Cas for a while, their souls communicated through their eyes as always. But when the connection broke, he felt awkward.

"Okay, let's go to sleep," he said clasping his hands.

"I'll go to change myself," announced the fallen angel, taking his clothes from the bag that Dean had gifted him.

When Cas left to the bathroom, Dean threw himself in bed. He was not going to put himself into any sleeping clothes, not because he didn't want to be in nothing else than a T-shirt and boxers while being in the same room that Cas. It was just that he didn't trust Eugenia and wouldn't rest easy with she being in the same room that Sam, and he just wanted to be ready if something happened. That was it, there was nothing else to it.

After a while Cas got out of the bathroom with his suit and trenchcoat in a hand and wearing the clothes that Dean had first gave him. Dean didn't know how to take the fact that the former angel used his clothes to sleep in. He tried to ignore it and let the fact pass by, but for once he couldn't keep his thoughts in silence.

"You're wearing my clothes," he stated.

Cas looked at him.

"Sorry, I'll give them back to you, if you want," he offered.

"No, that's okay. It's just..." trailed of Dean unable to find the words to express his troubled thoughts.

"I find myself comfortable in them," informed Cas

"That's good," said Dean with a faint smile.

Cas tucked himself in his bed, and before turning around, he spoke.

"Good night, Dean."

"Good night, Cas."

.

If it hadn't been for the fact that he slept lightly because he was worried for Sam, he might not have heard it and woken up. For a few seconds, Dean had been confused, not sure of what had disturbed his sleep. That was until he saw Cas squirming and twisting in the other bed. His face was contorted in a frown, his hands were clutching hard to the sheets and he was saying something under his breath.

"Cas," called him Dean, rushing to his friend's side, "Cas!" he called him again gently shaking him by his shoulders.

The fallen angel woke up suddenly, a look of pure terror in his eyes. He grabbed Dean's face as if he was checking that the hunter was not hurt, that he was alive. And once he seemed satisfied, he stayed there just looking at Dean in the eyes. He was not crying, not this time, but it was probably worst than it. His eyes were filled with tears that would not fall and despair and sorrow filled his gaze.

"What happened?" asked Dean.

"You were hurt and I could not heal you," his voice did not shake, no sob interrupted him, but his tone had reached a new level of deepness where his sadness and fear could be noticed, "And I had to see you d-," but he couldn't bring himself to finish the sentence.

"It's all right, it was just a nightmare," comforted him Dean while he got more comfortable in Cas' bed.

"It was not," argued Cas, "it could happen tomorrow when we face the demons, it could happen at any given time. And I wouldn't be able to help you," then he lowered his eyes before adding, "I'm worthless."

"Look at me, Cas," said Dean forcing the former angel to look at him in the eye, "If something happens and I die, it won't be your fault, okay? No matter how it happens, it won't be your fault, you listen to me?" and hardening his voice, he said, "And I don't want to hear you saying that you're worthless ever again, is that clear?"

Cas nodded. He would never voice those thoughts to Dean again, but that didn't change the fact that he would still think so. After all, he had learn the most about humanity from the Winchesters, and that meant not listening one's true worth.

Dean was about to go to his own bed, but Cas holding him slightly harder prevented him from it. No words needed to be exchanged. He arranged himself to be facing up in the bed more comfortably, and put his let arm around Cas. The ex-angel put his head over the hunter's chest and snuggling against him he soon found himself lost in dreamland again, but this time no nightmares came to him, no with Dean's heartbeat and rhythmical breathing to soothe him. Dean, however did not sleep easily again. He had pictured himself sleeping in bed with Cas several times, but it had always been both blissfully exhausted after some amazing mind-blowing sex. Not with him comforting the fallen angel after a nightmare, Cas broken in his arms. But then again, Dean should have known better than to expect his life to give him something different from a twisted version of his dreams. It was only several hours later that sleep finally claimed him into its reign.

.

Dean had suggested that they used Eugenia as bait. Sam had opposed, saying that it was morally wrong to use an innocent woman. Dean had raised one of his eyebrows when his brother decided to use the term 'innocent' to describe Eugenia and Sam had ignored him, only acknowledging his expression with a bitchface. When Cas argued that it was the best plan that they had so far, the youngest hunter knew it was a lost cause. He insisted, however, on arming Eugenia with holy water and salt, the only reason he didn't give her Ruby's knife was that in a fight, the woman was more likely to hurt herself than hurt others.

They decided to set everything in a dark alley. The plan was simple, Eugenia was going to wait on a street and when the demons started to appear she had to run to the alley, where traps painted with paint only visible to UV light were going to be set. Once the demons were in the alley, the boys were going to turn on the UV lights that they had specially installed -and by installing it was holding the lights with some screws and connecting them to a battery. Then it was just a matter of killing the demons that had fallen on the traps. Simple, right? But all of them knew better.

The demons appeared as expected. Eugenia ran as she had been indicated to. The boys turned on the UV lights and every demon was trapped. With Ruby's knife and Cas' blade they killed with little fighting every single one of the demons. And just like that, everything was done.

"That was too easy," said Dean.

"I know," agreed Sam while cleaning Ruby's knife, "But you know, don't look a gift horse in the mouth."

"Yeah, but knowing our luck it's going to come back and kick us in the ass," sighed Dean negatively.

"There's no horse," commented the angel.

"It's an expression, Cas," told him Dean.

"Oh."

.

"So long no see you!"

"Yeah, yeah," said Dean hugging Garth back awkwardly.

"Well, I'll be seeing you, I guess," said Eugenia after Garth had finished hugging everyone, including a very confused Cas.

"Bye," said Sam giving a short hug to the woman, "take care."

"Thank you, Sam," answered Eugenia and then she turned to Dean, "Goodbye, Dean" she said.

"Yeah, bye," dismissed her quickly the hunter, barely sparing her a look.

Eugenia tried to hide her disappointment.

"Bye, Cas," she said.

"Goodbye, Eugenia," answered cordially the fallen angel who had no kind of resentment towards the woman.

"Ready to go?" asked her Garth.

Eugenia looked at him.

"Yes," she answered and her mouth curved into one big honest smile.

"Great!" said Garth with a grin of his own.

They both climbed into the clumsy hunter's car and bidding farewell with their hands, they went off.

"So, Sam, please tell me that you didn't fuck her," asked Dean to his brother.

"What? No!" exclaimed Sam, "We just chatted and got along."

"Hey, not judging," said Dean, "It wouldn't be so bad actually, you have a killer dick after all."

"Dean!"

"Just saying..."

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 btw i think i tagged ya in something