26. Chapter 26

Disclaimer: Supernatural belongs to Erik Kripke, Warner Brothers and quite possibly others who are not mentioned here. No money will be made from this fan fiction.

Summary: When Dean goes to sell his soul at the crossroads to bring Sam back, someone else steps in to negotiate the deal. Cas did get a sign and it sent him off into the past to change things. AU from The Man Who Would be King and All Hell Breaks Loose.

It's All in the Details

By Colleen

Chapter 26

"Move it buddy."

Dean jerked awake and looked blearily up at the police officer standing over him.

"You can't sleep here."

"Okay." Wait, just a moment ago he was in a motel room with Sam and Cas, now… "Sleep where?" He asked, needing to know where Cas had apparently zapped him.

"Anywhere but here." The officer said misunderstanding Dean's question. He continued his rounds, moving down the street, although he did keep an eye on Dean until the young man pulled himself up into a sitting position on the bench he'd been asleep on.

Dean looked the street over. It was vaguely familiar, but he couldn't place it. The few cars on the road were all older cars, some of them classics and all of them cherry.

His baby would fit right in. Too bad it was back at the Willow Tree Motel and not here.

With that thought in mind, he dug into the inside pocket of his coat, which had made the trip with him. He pulled out his father's journal and then dug deeper, pulling out his cell phone.

No signal.

"Perfect."

He checked his surroundings again, focusing on the diner across the street. Collecting his things, he crossed the street. He needed information…and maybe some coffee.

xxxxxxxx

Cas watched invisibly as Dean found out that he was sitting in a diner in Lawrence, Kansas, that he had travelled back in time to the year 1973 and that the man who had just bought him a cup of coffee was his father.

The first time he had done this to Dean, he had believed it to be necessary. Now, he was ashamed that he had put him through this, feeding him false hope along the way.

Still, he had his part to play.

xxxxxxxx

Dean followed John Winchester from the diner and around a corner, stopping abruptly when he found Cas standing in his way.

Eyes wide, he had to ask. "What is this?"

"What does it look like?"

Frustrated, Dean stared into the angel's eyes, and realized that Cas was equally as angry as he was and unable to talk about it. Dean shoved his hands into the front pockets of his jacket for a moment, and threw Cas an even more annoyed look as he realized that the hex bag he kept in there was gone. He looked past the angel, to watch the retreating form of his father.

"Is it real?"

"Very." Cas' voice was bland, but Dean could see apology in his eyes.

Time travel. Dean swallowed. Well, it wasn't like he didn't know that Cas could do that. He just hadn't really thought of doing it himself.

Deloreans came to mind, but his father was getting further away and he didn't have time to explain Back to the Future to Cas.

"How did I get here?"

Cas looked a little surprised, as if Dean had somehow gone off script.

"Time is fluid Dean. It's not easy, but we can bend it on occasion."

"Well bend it back. Or tell me what the hell I'm doing here."

"I told you, you have to stop it." Dean could read frustration in Cas' gaze again.

Apparently, there was nothing he could do but play along for now. "Stop what? Huh? Is there something nasty after my dad?"

The sound of tires screeching pulled Dean's attention to the road. He wasn't all that surprised to find Cas gone when he turned back to him.

Didn't mean he wouldn't complain about though.

"Come on. What, are you allergic to straight answers you son of a bitch?" Grumbling, he shoved his hands back into his pockets and headed off down the street after his dad.

It only took him a few steps before he noticed the scrap of paper in his pocket that hadn't been there before. A discrete glance at it showed that it was the recipe for a hex bag. The ingredients for it were fairly straightforward and even if a couple of them were a bit disgusting, they were at least things he could provide from his own body. He shoved the paper back into his pocket. He would have to deal with it later. For now, he needed to find out what was after his father.

xxxxxxxx

Cas hadn't actually left; he'd only disappeared from Dean's visual spectrum. Frowning, he watched as Dean talked John Winchester into buying the Impala. Frowned, because if that had not happened, then a very special car would not have played its part to allow Sam Winchester to wrest control of his own body back from Lucifer long enough to trap the Devil once more.

So, what else wouldn't have happened if Dean hadn't been here?

xxxxxxxx

Dean had had a full evening. He'd stolen a car, followed his parents, found out his mom had been a hunter and had dinner with the grandparents, who were also hunters. After that, he'd stolen the clothing he'd need to use to follow up on the job out at the Whitshire Farm that Samuel Campbell had spoken of at dinner. Then he'd collected the items for the hex bag recipe and found a condemned house to hole up in while he made it.

He had just finished tying the complicated knot on the thing, when Cas faded into view in front of him.

Dean gave him an annoyed look. "So, can you talk now?"

Castiel gave a glance upwards and then nodded. "Yes. I'm sorry I had to disappear the original bag, but my superiors insisted."

Dean gazed at the bag he'd just made distastefully and set it down on the kitchen counter next to him. "Is this the same as the ones we normally use?"

Cas shook his head. "No. I gave you the instructions for this one because you'd be able to find the ingredients. While it is very good at blocking all supernatural creatures, including angels and demons, its effects are temporary. It will probably wear off by tomorrow evening."

"Okay, so… why am I here?"

Cas hesitated for a moment. "Originally, I was ordered to move you through time so that you might find out about what Azazel did to your brother. Also, Ruby was still alive and goading your brother into using his powers. I believe that my superiors felt the need to make a show of trying to stop Sam. "

"Azazel's here?" Dean asked, focusing on the first part of what Cas had been saying. "He's what I'm supposed to stop?"

"You were never expected to succeed."

Dean had to ask. "Do I have a chance? Can I stop him?"

Cas sighed. "The first time this happened, you did not. I told you that you shouldn't be too hard on yourself. That destiny can't be changed."

"And now?"

The angel gave him a half smile. "I'd say that was … Cowshit?"

Despite the situation, Dean had to grin. "Close enough."

"Besides," Cas continued. "I have come to believe that some of the events that shaped your future may have only happened because you came to the past."

"Wait, you mean if I had never travelled back in time, then the fire, mom dying, all of that may not have happened?"

Castiel shook his head. "I can not be sure. It may still have happened without you, just differently."

Dean gave him a narrow eyed look. "But you're not exactly buying it."

Cas sighed again. "No. And I very much hate what I may have unknowingly done to you."

"They'd have just used someone else to send me back here."

"Yes, but…" Cas' eyes flew wide as every surface in the house started to vibrate. Dean winced against the sound, which was loud, but not as bad as an angel's speaking voice.

"What the hell is that?" Dean yelled.

"I think my…boss has someone shadowing me as backup." Cas yelled back. "They must have become concerned when we disappeared from their senses."

The hex bag suddenly went up in flames.

"Crap!" Dean quickly used a broken piece of cabinet to shove the tiny flaming bag into the sink before using it to smother the fire.

"Oh good, I found you."

As Dean turned toward the angelic newcomer, who thankfully had arrived in a vessel, he caught a glimpse of Cas' face, which held an expression he usually saw on people who had just seen a ghost.

"Rachel." Her name was said quietly and with some wonder. The new angel was a young blonde woman who looked starched and business like.

"Castiel." She said, nodding to the other angel slightly. "We could not feel you. Thankfully, I already knew where the righteous man was staying for the night." She frowned at Dean. "You should stop trying to hide from us."

It took a moment for Dean's mind to catch up with the situation. Once it had, he remembered what Cas had said about the hex bag. "Actually, I wasn't trying to hide from you guys. That," He pointed at the burned mess in the sink. "Was supposed to keep me from being noticed by anything that might want to eat me or kill me."

She looked confused.

"You know, like vampires or ghouls or ghosts or what have you. Squatting in an empty house is dangerous and salt lines can only do so much."

"Oh." The angel looked surprised, as if she hadn't thought there would be a reason for the things a seasoned hunter might do.

"Oh." Dean answered back.

Cas reached into one of the pockets of his trench coat and pulled out a handful of crumpled bills. "Here, there should be enough for you to get a motel room for the night."

The female angel frowned at the money, and then her face lightened. "That's why you were doing that earlier."

Oh, Dean so wanted to ask, but he swallowed the question when Cas gave him a slight shake of his head.

"I don't need your money dude."

Cas shrugged. "You may as well take it. It is of no use to me." He dropped it onto the kitchen counter and glanced at Rachel, before turning back to Dean. "We have to leave. I will contact you should the need arise."

Then both of them were gone.

Dean made an annoyed sound that was mostly an unsuccessful attempt not to yell. Once he'd calmed down, his practical side gave him a poke and he collected the money from the counter where Cas had left it. It would only take him a moment to gather his things and he might as well go get a better place to sleep even if he'd probably end up spending the night worrying about the things Cas hadn't gotten the chance to tell him. It looked like he'd be going into this just as blind as he apparently had the first time.

xxxxxxxx

Turned out there had been eighty-seven dollars in that handful of money. In 1973 that was more than enough for a motel room, breakfast and gas for his stolen car. The Whitshire Farm was a few towns over after all.

Even with all that, he even managed to beat Samuel and Mary there.

While Gramps took over talking with Whitshire's widow, Dean joined his mom, who was outside talking quietly the with the dead farmer's son. From the sound of it, the kid had struck a crossroads deal without even knowing it.

And why was it that everyone else gets ten years and he was only offered one?

Mary pulled Dean aside. "What do you think?"

"I think he just pimped his soul to a demon and he doesn't even know it."

And wasn't that an uncomfortable thought. Bad enough that you could go out and do it on purpose, but by accident?

Mary didn't look any happier with the situation than Dean felt and it took him a moment to remember that demon possession and deals had been a fairly unheard of until a few years ago his time. What with the gate opening and the whole trying to break Lucifer out of his box, demon sightings had gone from a few incidents a year to a free for all.

They headed back to the kid, Charlie, and Mary asked him what the stranger he'd been talking to had looked like.

Of course, the only part Dean cared about was anything that was strange.

"The light hit his eyes in a weird way. For a moment I could have sworn…"

"What, that they were black, or red maybe?"

"No, they were yellow. Pale yellow."

Dean took a deep breath. Deals, the yellow-eyed son of a bitch really was here and he was making deals. Worse, he was near his family.

His eyes widened as he realized that tomorrow would be exactly ten years before Sam would be born. A deal made now would give Azazel access to baby Sam when he was six months old.

And the only two people who could have made that deal, were John and Mary.

xxxxxxxx

Time travel and hunters he'd never worked with were a pain in the ass. His explanation for why his dad's journal had future events written in it sucked, and he couldn't get Samuel on board with getting the Colt and going after Azazel.

So he'd have to do it himself.

Dean stopped on the way out to say goodbye to Mary. Talking with her and hearing how she felt that the worst thing she could imagine was her children being raised as hunters as she had been, well… he had to take the chance. If there was nothing else he could change, maybe he could at least keep her from dying.

"Hey Mary. Can I tell you something?'

She smiled at him. "Sure."

"Even if this sounds really weird, will you promise me that you will remember?"

Laughing slightly, she nodded again. "Okay."

Dean had to gather himself for a moment. "On November 2 1983... Don't get out of bed. No matter what you hear or what you see, promise me you won't get out of bed."

He blinked, feeling the slow slide of a tear as it escaped his eye.

Mary swallowed, her eyes wide. "Okay."

Dean gave her one final look and then he left.

He had a gun to collect.

xxxxxxxx

The first time around, Castiel had popped into the passenger seat of the car as Dean drove to Daniel Elkin's place to borrow the Colt. This time he didn't bother. He couldn't speak the truth to him and he already knew Dean's thoughts on the situation at hand. Unhappily, he watched the events he remembered unfold as they had the first time.

Dean got the gun from Elkin's and headed to the Walsh's in Haleyville. Samuel and Mary beat him there, shooting the doctor that Azazel was wearing. Dean arrived with the Cole and the demon smoked out of the body before the hunter could use it on him. Sadly, while he and Mary were speaking outside, Azazel managed to possess Samuel Campbell. All of them returned to the Campbell home. Mary left with John and Dean stayed with Samuel.

He told him everything. Or rather, he told Azazel all about being from the future.

In short order the demon had Dean pinned to a chair, with Deanna Campbell trying to sneak up behind the demon. Cas himself was ready to say screw it as far as keeping his connection to Heaven went and step in to stop what would come next…when something changed.

xxxxxxxx

"'Cause you know what I'm going to do, to your sibling? I'm going to stand over their crib and bleed into their mouth…" The yellow-eyed demon broke off and gave Dean a closer look. "But you already know that…how?"

"Future boy, remember? Hell, I even know what your end game is."

"Sure you do."

Dean smirked. "I'm 'cagey' that way."

The demon narrowed his eyes at him, and then snorted. "Ah, you think you know, but you don't. I've covered my tracks good."

Dean gaze could have melted steel. "You can cover whatever you want, but I'm still going to kill you."

"Right. Now that I'd like to see." Azazel gave him a grin so smarmy it oozed.

"Maybe not today. But you look into my eyes, you son of a bitch… Because I'm the one that kills you."

Azazel slimed out another smile and a laugh. "So you're going to save everybody, is that right. Is that it? Well, I'll tell you one person that you're not going to save." He pulled out the knife that Samuel kept on his belt. "Your grand pappy. He pointed the blade at the stomach of the body he was possessing.

It was as if the air shattered around him and Dean was suddenly moving, tackling the demon before he could thrust the blade home. At the same time, Deanna lunged for the Colt, scooping it up from the floor and falling into a shooting stance in one flowing motion.

The demon shoved Dean off him, flinging magic at him once he was free with the intention of pinning him to a wall. Only instead of a blast, the thrust buffeted Dean's body like a tired wave.

"Huh, so… You're not one of my psychic kids, but you're somebody's." Dean and Azazel both got to their feet, eyeing each other. The demon spared Dean's grandmother a glance and chuckled when he saw her pointing the Colt at him.

"You going to off old hubby?" The smirk on his face faded as Deanna's eyes went cold. He could almost feel frost in the air.

"Well, shit."

Black smoke streamed out of Samuel's mouth, whipped past Deanna and into the kitchen before it sifted itself through the window over the sink that was open just a crack.

Trembling, Mrs. Campbell relaxed her stance as her husband dropped to the floor.

xxxxxxxx

Invisible, Cas watched the unfolding scene, stunned.

This was not what had happened the first time.

xxxxxxxx

Deanna set the Colt down on the ground next to her as she knelt to check her husband over.

"I'm okay." He told her, trying to shake her off. It was something she might have believed if his voice hadn't been so hoarse.

Dean came up beside his grandmother and reached down for the Colt. If she and Samuel weren't quite so wobbly, they probably would have attempted to stop him. As it was they just watched dumbly as he picked it up.

"Mary left with John, where would they have gone?"

Samuel shook his head.

"Come on man." Dean's grip on the gun tightened. "You had that thing inside you; you've got to know he's going to go after her."

Samuel grimaced, but it was Deanna who answered.

"The river. I'm pretty sure John's planning to propose to her, and he'd do it at the river, near the bridge."

"Thanks."

"Hey." Dean paused at Samuel's word. "What did he mean; you're someone's psychic kid?

Dean shook his head. He did not have the time to explain about being the chosen warrior of an angel who was pretending to be a pagan god, which gave him an increased ability to fight off magic through an application of will. Though to be honest, he suspected that a good dose of dumb luck had been partially responsible for what had just happened.

"Let me get Mary back first, and then I'll explain." Rapidly running out of time, he headed for the door.

"When you get back you can explain the grandson part too." Samuel yelled out after him, slumping once the younger hunter was gone. Even being ridden by that thing for a short time had exhausted him. He looked up at his wife. "Help me stand.

She hauled him to his feet. "I take it we're going after him?"

Samuel laughed. "Was there ever any doubt."

xxxxxxxx

John was just proposing to Mary when black smoke poured into the Impala through the vents.

"No! John, get out!" Mary forced the heavy door of the Impala open and almost fell out of the car. She barely managed to kept her feet under her as she staggered a few steps away from the vehicle before turning back to look at it.

John hadn't gotten out.

She stood there for a few seconds, frozen, only moving to step back when the driver's side door finally creaked open.

John stepped out of the car and smiled at her. "Mary, it's okay. It was just a problem with the heater."

Shaking her head, she took another step back.

John sighed. "Not buying it, huh? Oh well."

"Get out of him."

John or rather the thing wearing John smiled at her. Her skin tried to find a safe place to crawl off to at the expression.

"Let's not be hasty, sweetie." He pulled open the jacket he was wearing and she could blood staining his shirt and the top of his jeans. "Nice thing about mechanics, they've always got tools around." He pulled a bloodied screwdriver out of his coat pocket to show her before letting it drop to the ground.

"No." The word was a moan, and held within it the loss of everything.

""Fraid so. Of course, I'd be willing to fix this and vacate your little boyfriend… for a price." He gave her another one of those smiles. "Heck, I'll even scrub his memory of this little incident. " He tilted his head, as if needing to see her face at a different angle. "It's what you want, isn't it. Happily ever after with the white picket fence, a station wagon and a couple of kids. No more hunting, no more fear."

Tears were running down her face and she didn't seem to be able to look away from the blood staining John's clothing. "What? And all it will cost is my soul?"

He shook his head. "Oh, no, you can keep your soul. All I need is permission."

A weird kind of hope seemed to clutch at her heart, even though she knew it was probably false.

"Permission?" She asked. "For what?"

"Mmm, in ten years I need to swing by your house for a little something."

"For what?" She asked again, emphasizing each word.

"Relax. As long as I'm not interrupted, nobody gets hurt." He winked at her. "I promise."

She swallowed, fighting the desire to start screaming. She had the feeling that if she started, she wouldn't be able to stop.

"Or you can spend the rest of your life desperate and alone."

Fresh tears came, along with the sound of a car racing down the dirt road towards where they were parked.

The thing wearing John looked toward the sound, disgust plain on his face.

"Better decide soon, 'cause it looks like this deal has a time limit."

xxxxxxxx

Dean pulled up to see his mom and dad kissing. For a moment, he thought everything was all right.

Then John turned to look at him, his eyes yellow and a greasy smile on his face.

"No!" He got out of the car, Colt in hand. Azazel's smile widened, just before he opened John's mouth and smoked out of the body.

Mary held John up, a panicked expression on her face. She'd started to lose her grip on him when he gasped and breathed in. A quick glance down at his now bloodless shirt told her that one part of the bargain had just been paid out.

Now she had ten years to worry about the other half.