25. "We Need You."

Our map turns out to be the miniature village in the Morton's basement. I keep an eye on Cas and Meg while Sam and Dean figure out exactly where this crypt is. Though I'm not in the same room as the angel and the demon, I observe them. There's some sort of bond there. It's a weird dynamic that I can't understand. Natural enemies coming together. I don't understand their past.

Meg is the one who catches me watching them, and then I can't escape the questions she asks me. They're all about relationships of course, a bit about my background. I keep most of my life to myself, as I still don't trust her. Just because she's helping us doesn't mean she's earned my trust. She keeps going back to the question of which Winchester I'm sleeping with, and I tell her neither. But I must give something away in my eyes, because she tells me she knows it's one of the two. I don't have to be sleeping with them, I just have to be involved. That'll be a mystery she'll never solve. Actually, there's no mystery to solve. What happened with Dean and me was a fluke, that's all it was. I mean the kiss, not me opening up a little bit to him.

Dean and Sam's find takes us into the night, with our destination being an abandoned warehouse. The five of us stare the old building down. Somewhere, below ground, is what we're looking for.

"So, this is it," says Meg. "Basement?"

"All right," says Dean. "Cas, Max, and I will head in and get our Indiana Jones on. Sam, you stay outside with Meg."

"What?" asks Sam.

"We got this."

"What are you talking about, Dean? I'm not letting you go in there alone."

"Um, excuse me," I but in, "but do Cas and I not count as people?"

"He won't be alone," Cas sides with me.

"That's not what I mean," Sam tells us. "Meg can hang here, watch our backs."

"Oh, what? Now you trust Meg?" Dean asks his brother.

"Hey, I got you this far," Meg says defensively.

"Shut up," Sam, Dean, and I all groan.

"Dean-" Sam tries.

"Sam, I saw your bloody rag in the trash can, okay? Max's seen it too."

"That wasn't-"

"Stop. Just stop. Sam, we don't know what's in there, okay? And you almost let a demon get the best of you back there."

Finally, he's taking action. Not at the best time, but at least it's not a secret anymore.

"Oh, so you'll take Max over me? Max, who's the least experienced."

"Thanks, Sam," I deadpan.

"I'm fine."

"No, you're not fine," says Dean. "You haven't been fine since the first trial. That's why I called Cas."

"Trial?" Meg inquires.

"Shut up, Meg," the three of us say.

"Dean, I'm telling you-I'm okay," says Sam. "Max, come on. I'm okay."

"No, you're not." This time it's Cas who speaks. "Sam...You're damaged in ways even I can't heal. Dean and Max are right. You should stay here and protect Meg."

"Since when do I need protecting?" Meg voices.

"Since you were held captive and tortured for a year."

"Touché."

"All right, we'll be back," says Dean. Cas takes lead, Dean hands Sam the knife, and I wait until he's beside me before we follow Cas.

Dean and I flick on our flashlights upon entering the warehouse. I nearly trip down the basement stairs on the way down. I hold onto Dean, which he doesn't appreciate too much ("If you take me down with you, Max..."). Thankfully, neither of us have a nasty fall.

"Hey, what did you mean back there about Sam?" Dean breaks our searching silence.

"It's difficult to say," says Cas. "It's something on the subatomic level and his electromagnetic field-"

"Okay, bottom-line it for us, Bill Nye. Is it lethal?"

"I don't know. Wait." Cas stops, feeling the cement wall closest to him. "There's a draft. There's something behind there. Stand back." Dean pulls me to his side as Cas blows the wall down with a burst of light from his hand.

"You got some powerful friends, Winchester," I say out of the corner of my mouth.

"'Friend' is a bit of a stretch right now, Max," he tells me.

We follow Cas into the nasty, dank crypt. We've found it. Now we look for the tablet. My eyes go where my flashlight goes: around, up to the vaulted ceiling. There are a lot of ancient artifacts lying around, collecting dust and spider webs.

"Dean, Max," Cas says softly, pointing towards something on the other side of the crypt. "That's it." Our lights shine on the wooden chest.

"How do you know?" I ask skeptically.

"It's the only thing in here warded against angels."

I follow Dean to the carved chest, watch as he puts it onto the table. He pulls out a small dagger and pries the lid open. I whistle lowly as he pulls out a huge chunk of stone. That's it, all right. The Angel Tablet.

"Winner, winner, chicken dinner," says Dean.

"For once, the bad guys don't get the victory," I say excitedly.

"Good," says Cas. "Hand it to me, and I'll take it to Heaven."

"No, we need to take this to Kevin so he can translate."

"Right. Of course. I'll take it to him right away. No time to waste."

"Well, he's not far," says Dean. "I've been meaning to...check on him, bring him some supplies."

"I can resupply the Prophet, Dean."

"You know, why don't uh, why don't Sam, Max, and I take it over to him, and you can get back to your mission? Finding the other half of the Demon Tablet-that is priority, isn't it?"

"I can't let you take that, Dean."

I feel my hand twitch for my shank. This is strange behavior to witness even for me, and I've only met Cas today.

"Can't or won't?" I ask thickly.

"Both."

"How did you get out of Purgatory, Cas?" Dean asks softly. "Just tell me how you got out of Purgatory. Be honest with me-for the first time since you've been back-and this is yours."

I step closer to Dean, almost protectively, as I see the familiar silver blade slide into Cas's hand. I inhale deeply. I look to Dean, asking for guidance on this.

"Cas. Cas, I don't know what the hell is wrong with you, but if you're in there and you can hear me, you don't have to do this." I'm shoved out of the way as Cas attacks Dean. Dean uses the tablet as a shield, and blinding light flashes. I hear rumbles of thunder. I watch with bugged eyes, waiting for my opportunity to strike. "Cas, fight this! This is not you! Fight it!"

Again, Cas strikes the tablet. There's more lights and thunder.

"What have you done to me, Naomi?" Cas shouts.

"Who's Naomi?" I yell.

"Cas!" Dean puts a hand on Cas's shoulder.

Bad idea-Cas backhands Dean, forcing him off his feet, into a wall, onto the floor. I feel the adrenaline in my veins and face the controlled angel. All I have on me is my shank and a damn flashlight. I'm only human, I have no magical powers. Why am I doing this?

You know why, idiot!

"Max, get out of here!" Dean orders.

I yelp as I have to duck to avoid Cas's blade slicing my throat. I jump up, swinging my tiny blade at him. There's no familiarity in his dark blue eyes. Right now, there's no wrestle for control. Whoever this "Naomi" person is has total control, and it shows through his strikes. He doesn't fling me against the wall, yet.

I just graze his cheek, and he returns with a punch to my face. My head snaps back, and my body stumbles back with it. I focus long enough to parry Cas's arm, but I feel his strength overpowering mine quickly. I grunt, shoving Cas away.

"Snap out of it, Cas!" I scream. I lure him away from Dean, looking to the elder Winchester with frantic eyes. He's on his feet, keeping an eye on the fight with intense interest. "Whatever's behind this, stand up-"

The upper cut sends me to the ground on my back. Anytime now, Dean! I kick at Cas as he tries to strike.

I scream in agonizing pain as I feel the bones crunch under his iron grip. Hot tears spill down my face. I let out a cry as Cas throws my leg back down to the ground, kneels, and grabs my throat. My eyes fall onto the silver blade, the blade that's about ready to end me.

Dean throttles Cas with his entire body, letting me have my air back in coughing fits. I would be up and fighting, but the pain in my leg is too much. I'm crippled and out of the game. Now, I can't come to Dean's aid. Now, he's on his own.

If Cas doesn't come through, Dean is as good as dead.

I watch as Dean throws a punch at Cas. I cringe as I hear Dean's forearm break under Cas's grip. This guy has a knack for breaking bones, I think. Dean has dropped the stone in the process, and the stone shatters. Out from its shell, the real Angel Tablet shows itself.

I figure out my mission. Using what strength I have, I crawl, dragging my broken leg, across the uncomfortable rock ground, looking on helplessly as Dean is beaten by Cas. There's nothing I can do. The most I can do now is secure the tablet.

"You want it?" Dean spits at Cas. "Take it! But you're gonna have to kill me first. Come on, you coward! Do it. Do it!"

My tears blur the sight, but it doesn't make it any better. I can see Dean's face bruise and swell, and I can see some of the blood. Cas is too intent on beating Dean that I'm behind the elder Winchester and put myself over the tablet, panting heavily.

"Cas...This isn't you," Dean says softly. Another hit to the face. "Cas. Cas." I see him weakly reach for the angel. "I know you're in there."

"No..." I whisper as I see the silver blade rise, prepped to strike Dean's heart.

"I know you can hear me, Cas..." I can hear the break in Dean's voice. "It's me. We're family. We need you. I need you."

Really, Dean? If he's gone to Naomi, what makes you think talking is the best option? But it's the only option. The last resort. The hail-Mary. If this last effort doesn't pull through, Dean and I are both dead. I know I'm next. I can't go anywhere fast.

"Cas."

The most wonderful of miracles happens: the silver blade falls from Cas's hand. The loud clang is music to my ears. Cas moves away from Dean, and I show my blade protectively.

"Don't you even..." I begin to threaten.

I make a feeble attempt to keep the tablet for myself; Cas easily takes it from me. The moment he touches it, the tablet begins to glow, and the light consumes the entire crypt. I duck my head in my arms.

Once I'm sure the light is gone, the crypt is back to its dim lighting. I watch Cas with guarded blue eyes.

"Cas?" Dean pants. He's breathing so heavily it terrifies me. "Cas?"

"No!" I croak as Cas reaches for Dean.

"No," Dean chimes in. "Cas. Cas!"

I notice the swelling disappear in Dean's face, from what I can see. Any blood that I could see is gone now too. He healed him. Cas looks to me next. I try and scoot away, but a simple touch to my face sends a weird sensation through my body.

The pain is gone. Any throbbing. Any blood. It's all vanished. I test my previously broken leg. It's healed. He's healed me too. I scoot to Dean and jerk his face to see the proof for myself. I gasp in wonder.

Cas broke free.

"I'm so sorry, Dean, Max," says Cas.

"What the hell just happened?" I whisper.

**Brutal. Just, brutal.**