Chapter Text
Waking up
Dec 2024
It was a sunny day in heaven, but it was always a sunny day in heaven unless, of course, the soul wanted to sit cozily in a window seat and read or be out in the crisp evening air setting off fireworks or deep in the snow building snow forts. The souls seated around the picnic table however were fine with the slightly crisp but sunny day as they argued. Cas sighed; content that the quantum mechanics had been tweaked well enough so that the wants of their charges, in terms of the weather at least, was going well. However, Cas reflected, that even in heaven, arguments were going to happen. It may be that people just liked to argue or that is how they ‘got to know’ one another, but he suspected that arguments happened more frequently in the part of heaven he usually lingered in since he was assigned to the ‘hunters’ and those who knew of ‘the supernatural’ in heaven and more specifically, the Winchesters and those they considered family. In order to serve a particular soul, an angel understood the encountered soul to the smallest particle, the crackle. He, having served the Winchesters, in particular, Dean and Sam, of course knew of their obstinacy. Theirs was an obstinacy not encountered in all of literal time. So obstinate that this point in time of all of creation, came about just because of their insistence on free will. Other angels who’ve encountered them in the past, wrongly assumed that it made them an anathema to God’s plan. Other angels didn’t like the doubt their successful actions and attitude wrought in them and termed it a disease and he, the infected from touching Dean’s soul. He, however, thought if anything, it was a cleansing of his own thoughts.
“We cannot have the players become in ‘reality’ fairies, orcs and elves. It would freak out the angels,” Bobby said, trying to be the voice of reason. “I cannot believe you pulled me into this ridiculous scheme Dean.” He glared at the man sitting across from him, grinning in wicked delight. Bobby heard a snicker to his left and turned his head, pointed to Charlie’s smirk and said, “You need to stop encouraging him. You will both break heaven and we’ll get locked up in memories again.” Cas looked at Bobby earnestly, “I assure you that will not happen, unless, of course, someone tries to interfere in reality again. Then it will just happen to the soul who broke the rules.” He deliberately didn’t look at Dean as Bobby snorted and looked pointedly at the man Cas loved. “However, while it won’t ‘break’ heaven if people participating in LARPing become the characters they choose, it might change the calculations and have a rolling effect in the other spheres of heaven. It will be best to have people don costumes though the costumes can be more ‘real’ than fake teeth.”
Dean grinned and said, “The idea of LARPing and using fake ear tips and/or teeth while doing so in heaven cracks me up.” Charlie grinned back at him, “Can you imagine? I was just hoping that it would be a great selling point to get others to join. You know, come be a fairy for a day!” Cas looked at Dean, sure he was about to have an opinion and noticed that Dean’s soul, represented in heaven as his physical body, was starting to fade, he grabbed for Dean’s arm, alarmed. Charlie noticed the phenomenon too and grabbed Dean’s other arm, “Dean!” Bobby started, looked at Dean who was totally transparent now and saw the same thing happening to Charlie and Cas and started to grab onto them as well. His hands met the table. “Ballz!”
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All three hunters went from sitting around a picnic table to falling from sitting positions to a concrete floor. Dean was able to pull Charlie a bit so she landed on him as he landed ass first on the hard concrete. Hopefully, she had a softer landing. Cas was the first to get up and immediately, his angel sword dropped from his sleeve. Dean met Charlie’s eyes and squeezed her arms, “You okay?” She was nodding as he gently put her to one side of him in order to get up. He checked the small of his back, no gun. Charlie got up as well. Automatically, they all stood back-to-back facing outward and assessed their location. “Dean…Dean what is happening?” Charlie questioned, trying to calm herself down. Suddenly a loud mechanical voice came over a loudspeaker, “Is one of you Dean Winchester?”
Dean asked back, “Who are you, where are we? Despite the theatrics, I know we’re not in Oz.” However, Dean shot a quick look at Charlie to make sure. She shook her head. “Are you Dean Winchester?”
“Look dude. We aren’t answering any questions until you show yourself and explain how you got us here.” Before he finished his demand for an answer, Charlie suddenly started falling to the floor. Dean’s quick reflexes caught her but he too suddenly couldn’t feel his legs and dropped to the floor. Cas looked at both of them while, at the same time, tried to keep an eye out for the areas around them. He saw a small dart sticking out of Dean’s and Charlie’s necks and then felt a pinch in his own neck. He identified the substance on the tip of the dart as a strong analgesic. His grace cleansed his system of the drug when he felt a second and a third dart hit his neck. He located the shooter and while pulling out the darts started towards the location of the shooter. However, he heard the scuffling of running feet and then a door squealed open and shut behind him. Cas took a moment to assess himself, Dean and Charlie before starting after the assailant. Before he got too far, however, he thought it better of it. He wanted to wake Dean and Charlie so they weren’t vulnerable while he hunted. Cas went back to where they went down and noticed they had landed in a large circle with sigils. It would have trapped a demon, a vampire, a Prince of Hell and a small god. It was good it didn’t trap angels. Cas bent down and pressed two fingers to Dean and Charlie’s foreheads. They both woke gasping for breath.
“Son of a Bitch! That motherfucker drugged us! Are you okay Charlie?” Dean asked, concerned. She nodded once again.
“Dean,” Charlie started gasping for breath. She needed to know what happened ASAP, “what did you and Sam do? Did you guys make a deal?” Dean looked at her in surprise. “Charlie, what are you talking about?” He looked at her face intently searching her features, seeing the slight panic and shock. Dean had a bad feeling. “What do you remember last?” He took a quick look at Cas, who indicated with a nod of his head, he would take a look around. Dean nodded in agreement. Cas left to reconnoiter. Dean focused on Charlie who looked increasingly worried and questioning.
“I was in a bathroom, trying to upload the clue, a break really, I found in the Codex for the Book of the Damned and another Gambit was banging on the door. The email finally got sent and I was able to break up the hard drive before the ass came in and killed me. We were on the phone.” Dean realized that she didn’t remember heaven. If she didn’t remember heaven – how did he? Charlie was undeniably smarter than him. Had to be linked to how they got here, where ever ‘here’ was.
Charlie examined Dean’s face, “Did we do it? Did we break the code and get the spell to get that mark off your arm?” She reached out for Dean’s right forearm, feeling for the raised Mark. It was clear; her confusion grew. “How am I alive?” Dean pulled her against him in a hard hug at the remembrance of her lifeless body sprawled in the bathtub. He suddenly felt the same rage as when he was wearing the Mark when he first saw that sweep over him. He took a deep breath. He reminded himself that he was not the same man, he was not a killer. “Let’s get out of here. I don’t have all the answers but I do know some answers to your questions. The last time I saw you, we were detailing out the rules of an RPG in heaven.” He gave her a quick smirk which she couldn’t help but return. “I’m hoping Cas will have more answers. But first, we need to get out of here,” Dean answered.
Cas walked up to them just then, “No one seems to be here watching us; I don’t feel any cameras or microphones. I think they all fled. There was definitely more than one person, I heard at least two people running away when the tranq didn’t affect me.” He only stopped when he was a handspan away from Dean and Charlie. “However, there are 4 people in single cells on the lower level – they all seem to be asleep. Your mother and father are two of them.” Dean quickly looked at him, Cas sometimes displayed a sense of humor he didn’t understand and to this day, Dean couldn’t always tell when Cas was “being funny”.
“Dude, not funny. Are you serious?” Cas looked puzzled at Dean’s question. “Dean, you should know by now that I am not the wittiest angel in the garrison. In fact, I never joke.” Despite the situation, Dean felt a bubble of laughter try to escape; “Cas, I meant, that it’s incredible that they are here – the same time I and you are; that we are. Who else is down there?”
Cas shrugged, “I didn’t recognize the other 2.” Dean let Charlie go and gestured for Cas to lead the way, “Let’s go get them and find out who else is here.” Cas turned towards the door that led downstairs to the cells below. As they passed numerous metal shelves filled with tools and other detritus, Dean picked up a heavy metal wrench and a long length of thick rope. He handed the wrench to Charlie. He looked back at her, following behind him and winked, “It was Col. Mustard in the warehouse with the wrench.” Charlie, slightly shocked that she was enjoying herself despite the situation and the lack of answers she needed, smirked at him. They continued on, “Cas, what are the rules? Will Jack come on down here since you’re here? Assuming we’re back on earth? Can you tell when or where? How limited are your powers? Are you human again?”
Cas glanced back at both of them, “I’m assuming you remember your time in heaven. Curious, most who come back don’t remember – the time differential makes it hard for your brains to process.” Charlie nodded familiar with the concept of time differential. Cas continued, “Jack foresaw that with free will, there might be instances where Angels would be on earth. They have free will now too. So, if we are to find ourselves on earth, it limits our powers greatly. We can heal – almost all diseases and wounds but not inherit genetic traits. We can transport but a limited distance and can only carry someone or something via transport in an even smaller jump. We are cut off from angel radio, however, our knowledge base is not compromised. Besides transport, our physical vessels will have to eat and sleep like other humans though we can still heal them from injury or aging. I’m essentially cut off and all my actions and decisions are mine alone – I cannot act as an emissary of Jack.”
Charlie asked when Cas wound down, “Will you be punished? Like Lucifer – for falling?”
Cas looked back at her again, “All our actions are judged at the crossroads of life and death and dealt with appropriately. However, Jack has been restructuring the afterlife.” Dean interrupted, “It’s a long story. Let’s focus on getting my folks and getting out of here. We can all decide next steps when we’re safe.”
Charlie tightened her grip on the wrench as they neared the first door in a long hall of rooms. She took up sentry to the side of the door Dean indicated with a nod of his head and a look at her; ready to ambush whoever came out of the room. Cas took up the other side, ready with his angel blade. Dean nodded, took a breath and opened the door, ready to encounter anything. The door swung open. They saw a bed to one side, a toilet and sink to the other. There was a person sized lump on the bed. Dean stepped forward and was suddenly flung towards the far wall. His back slammed into the wall however, his quick reflexes allowed him to see who had flung him so hard and far.
As Cas went in for the kill, Dean shouted, “No! Don’t!” before he lost his breath. Cas, looking shocked, pulled his strike and instead put two fingers to the attacker’s forehead. She immediately went down. Cas went to Dean, helping him up and taking away his pain at the same time. Dean squeezed his forearm in thanks and took a quick penetrating look at Cas’ face, “Don’t waste your energy on me. Used to pain, remember?”
Cas grimaced not liking the idea that Dean was used to being in pain in his mortal life, “I’m fine. We can talk about the limits of power later. After.” Dean nodded.
“Why did you stop me?” Cas asked Dean. Dean looked at the girl crumpled on the floor, at the door where Charlie was coming in, then back at the girl. “It’s Emma, my daughter.” Charlie’s eyes widened. Cas looked puzzled – not at the startling fact that Dean had a daughter but that said daughter was here. He had assumed that Amazons went to purgatory when they died. She must have been brought here the same way he, Dean and Charlie were.
Charlie watched as Dean finally convinced Cas that it was okay to wake Emma up with Dean in the room. Cas wouldn’t leave Dean alone with her the way Dean wanted so it was a compromise. Dean brushed away the hair on her face and laid a palm along her cheek. “Emma, wake up. No one will hurt you here. Wake up, honey.” He felt tension move back into her body and knew she was about to strike again. She was very wary, on edge. It was the same feeling he had the entire time he was in purgatory. “No one here is your enemy. No one will attack you right now. We need to get out of here before whoever took us comes back. I don’t want to be here when they come back.” He moved his hand, stroking her head, stroking away her hair from her face. She slit her eyes open, evaluating him and his intentions. “No one here will hurt you if you don’t hurt them…well me.” He smirked. At that, her eyes opened wider, “Father.”
“That’s it. You good, honey?” he put his hand under her shoulders and pulled her to sitting. “How did you take me out? Why are you being nice to me?” Dean’s face tightened in pain. Emma continued on, “I intended to kill you. I’ve lived with my failure since then.” Dean nodded and still didn’t move away. At her words though both Charlie and Cas moved closer in case she struck. Charlie wondered how she lived with her failure.
Dean smiled softly, “Do you want to kill me now?” She remained mute unwilling to give away her intentions. Dean nodded, “Well, can you wait until we get someplace safer? Don’t even know when or where we are yet.” Cas spoke up, “We might be in Melrose Township in Minnesota.” Dean and Charlie looked at him. “In our earth? In our time?” Cas squinted and evaluated the air and light around them. “Yes, our earth – or one very close to it. I think the year is about 2024.”
Charlie and Emma gasped in shock, “2024? Wait, how do you know where we are and the time?” Cas looked at Charlie, “I am usually a wave of celestial intent therefore, I am intimately knowledgeable about light and light waves. Angels are very aware of the passage of time, though not in the linear way that humans perceive it. Because of the constraints you put on it, going so far as to break it down into seconds, I’m not quite sure of the date. Years are easier. For the location, I saw several boxes that had a shipping address of Melrose Township, Minnesota.” Charlie, looking fascinated, just nodded. Wariness crept back into Emma’s eyes as Cas explained.
Dean nodded and turned back to Emma. “You ready to get out of here with us? We have three more people to get out and we’ll all go together. Once we know more about what’s going on, you can make a decision then, even if you want to fight me.” He smiled at her and curled his hand in an unconscious gesture to come with him. She gave him a small nod; still not smiling.
Dean gestured to Charlie, “This is Charlie and Cas.” They both nodded back at him. “Let’s find out who else is here.” He gestured to Cas again, who hesitated. He didn’t want to lead the way, he would feel better if he could watch Dean’s back. Cas suspected that Dean’s daughter had the unfortunate luck to inherit his anger with none of the large amounts of love to counter the rage. He gave Charlie a look which she interpreted correctly and agreed to. She would be on the look out for Emma to betray them. That look had to be good enough for him. Well that and his trust in Dean’s reading of the situation.
He turned back to the hallway. Cas opened the door across from Dean after ascertaining that Charlie was providing him back up. They needed to get out of this warehouse sooner than later. He took a quick look inside. Mary, in mid swing, suddenly stopped her action, only glancing Castiel's chest with the steel pipe she had managed to loosen from the overhead pipes. "Castiel!" Cas took a moment to absorb the blow and smiled widely at Mary. "Good to see you Mary." She smiled back, "Are my boys with you? Is Jack okay?"
Cas' smile slipped off his face and took on a questioning aspect, "What's the last thing you remember?" Mary took a breath, "Jack had just . . . taken care of Nick and I was trying to calm him down, letting him know that everything was going to be fine. He was starting to worry about Sam and Dean's reactions to what he had done to Nick," Her brow scrunch in thought, "then nothing. I woke up in a scribed circle, with a deep voice asking if I was a Winchester. Again, when I answered yes, I blacked out. I think it was a quick acting dart and then I woke up in this room. What's going on?"
Cas nodded, "Dean, Charlie and I got here similarly but the people left after finding out they couldn't put me under. We're on our way out but wanted to make sure not to leave anyone here. Coming?" Mary smiled and nodded hurrying out after him. She smiled at Charlie, surprised at her short hair. She was looking into the room across from her, on guard. Suddenly Charlie stepped back from the door and a young girl stepped out followed by Dean. He looked up into her eyes.
Dean smiled and opened his arms, stepping out behind the girl, "Mom!" She was swallowed in his arms. There was a clearing of a throat, "There are 2 more rooms to check and then we need to get out before reinforcements arrive," Cas interrupted. Dean let her go after a quick squeeze and nodded to Cas, "I'll take the left if you'll take the right? Charlie, can you cover Cas? Mom, you cover me while, Emma," he took a moment to meet his daughter's eyes, can you be rearguard?" Emma nodded briefly, surprised he entrusted her to guard his back as well as his mother's. If their situation were reversed, she wouldn't have turned her back on him. He was as foolhardy as Madeline surmised. She inspected her grandmother closely and approved; she looked tough, strong.
Mary was surprised at Dean’s assignments to others and was slightly amused, more touched that Dean was taking into consideration a girl's self-esteem and confidence into account; seemingly placing her out of harm’s way, as much as able, while still acknowledging her importance in the group. Then she noticed the girl, dirty and in threadbare clothing, was holding a short sword with confidence. More to the story she surmised, but when wasn't there not 'more to the story' with her boys.
Dean, relieved that Emma agreed to stay with them, at least until they got out of this location, moved quickly to the second door. Urgency was driving him; they had to leave sooner than later. Dean opened the door smoothly and made sure to swing the door all the way til the doorknob hit the opposite wall. A man in his twenties but dressed in a blue suit and tie sat up quickly. "Dean!" Surprised, Dean blinked, "Henry? Let's get out of here." Henry got up at the sight of Dean and quickly followed him out into the hall. He had been pondering the situation he found himself in. There were a lot of gaps in his memory. Mainly how he was whole and not lying in a hospital bed. He was sure Dean, if not Sam, would have the answers but wasn’t really surprised of find one of his grandsons opening his prison cell.
In the hall, he saw 3 attractive women dressed in men's work wear/overalls standing behind Dean, two holding makeshift weapons. He nodded at them in acknowledgement. The redhead, who’s hair color reminded him a bit of Josey’s, smiled at him brightly. The blond, slightly older woman, nodded back at him solemnly as did the younger girl. She was particularly dirty though the other two, while dressed unconventionally and more plain than he was used to, were clean and seemed ready to break into action – very much like Josie or his Millie. Then he heard an altercation coming from the other room. Dean quickly moved to the other door. "John Winchester, you cannot hurt me, but we must leave this place," a deep voice drifted out into the hall. The older blonde woman gasped softly and she moved to the door quickly behind Dean. Henry turned and followed, anxious to see his son’; if it was his son.
Dean saw that John had honed a metal spring from his bed into a shiv and had stabbed Cas in the chest. "Huh, like father, like son," he grinned at Cas, who looked dourly at him while pulling out the spring. Dean continued on, advancing slowly towards his father, careful not to startle him further, to finally stand in front of Cas. "Dad! It's okay - chill! He's family. We'll get all this sorted but we have to move. Come on." John looked incredulous, "Dean?!" then looked towards the doorway, finally spotting Mary. "Mary!?!" He took an involuntary step towards her - she couldn't stop her forward momentum either and they ended up in each other's arms.
Dean's face softened as he remembered the Pearl incident. His parents behaved the same way, like the sight of each other filled a whole in each of them. They displayed a quieter love when he saw them again in heaven. Though they were still together, they also spent a lot of time apart. In heaven's endless chasm of time, the urgency of being together had eased and the unrelenting love generated by a cupid's arrow, shot on earth at Chuck's direction so long ago, had dissipated enough for them to start acknowledging their differences, seeing their real selves. They both sometimes had trouble with who each other was but both made an effort and room for the other in their afterlives.
“Mom, Dad, I’m sorry to break this up but we don’t have time for this. We need to get out of here.” John and Mary squeezed each other one more time and broke apart. “Lead the way son.” John gestured to Dean. Dean, in turn silently signaled Cas to take the lead, gestured for Charlie then Emma to follow then gestured the same to his parents. John looked slightly disconcerted, seeing his son’s much older visage and him effortlessly commanding. Mary just took the direction and walked on. Dean slipping behind the group to take up the rear.
As they headed outside, there was a stash of gardening equipment just inside the door. He grabbed a shovel, an ax, which he handed to John, and a crowbar, which he handed to Mary. John looked back at him smiling slightly, “A shovel?”
Dean, looking comically offended, “Norman Bates, the Miner man. Classic offensive weapon.” John smiled slightly, looking to Mary to see she was amused as well, soothed by the familiar dark humor like him.
Outside of the warehouse was a gravel parking lot, then a surround of trees. Cas headed straight to the nearest copse. He stopped the group when the overhead cover was deep enough and they were relatively far enough from the building they all woke up in. Dean caught up to the group and started quietly, “Cas, can you take a quick reconnoiter so we can decide what to do next?” Cas stepped back into a thicket, disappeared and then reappeared with some leaves in his hair. Emma’s eyes grew wide and she took a deep breath trying to scent the angel. Cas started his report quickly and quietly, “We have options. As I said, we’re in Melrose Township. Minnesota. About 10 miles east is the nearest town with a phone and people. 2 miles north is an isolated cabin, deserted but can house us all though we’ll be cramped. 5 miles south is a trailhead and the highway is about 15 miles west.
Dean closed his eyes briefly laying out the map in his head. “Cas, we’re about 5 hours from Stevens Point to the east right?” Cas nodded. John, impatient with the exchange between Cas and his son. and naturally taking the lead said, “Assuming the intel is correct, we should head towards the isolated cabin and hole up there til the heat dies down. We can figure out what happened there. The girls will be safe and we can defend the perimeter.” Henry was nodding his head in agreement, feeling proud that his son seemed to have a good head on his shoulders and priorities straight. Dean, seemingly ignoring what John proposed, clapped his hands, “I know where we can go. We need to head south to the trailhead and pick up a vehicle and, hopefully some supplies. I have a more secure location about 5 hours from here. It’ll be safe and we can stay off the radar.”
John was shaking his head. “Dean, we have civilians with us, they can’t take a walk that far. Best bet is to go to the cabin and see who we can contact to give us the scoop.” Dean was shaking his head, “Dad, I don’t know who you’re calling a civilian except maybe Henry.” Henry started to take offense to that, looking at the three women in the group. Dean went on, “But when the chips are down, he can take a hit; can’t dig a hole to save his soul but that’s not what we’re doing right now. If you’re talking about the ladies – all these women can kick ass and have on a number of occasions.” Dean pointed at Cas with his thumb, “Lastly, don’t let the suit fool you, he is a hell of a warrior.”
Cas, with no change in his expression said, “Thank you Dean.” Charlie’s smile slipped her control and flashed wide and Mary grinned. John, looked curiously at his son, his much older and no longer a grunt son. He took a quick look at Mary who was nodding in agreement with Dean and decided to shelve his objection to Dean’s tone and taking the lead. He nodded his head, “Then lead the way.” Dean, in turn, nodded to Cas and flattened his hand and gestured in a go signal. Cas turned and started toward the trailhead.