I'm back! For however long my crippling anxiety will let me stay and not worry about homework or anything. This was a fun chapter to right so please go ahead and enjoy everyone.

Chris woke with a start to the sound of water running, the sunlight assaulted his eyes and with a flick of his wrist he shut the blinds. He stretched with a yawn directing his gaze to the almost closed bathroom door in Bobby's room. With great effort he directed his sore body to stand on the floor and he walked over the bathroom hearing heavy humming (Possibly to the tune of Thunderstruck by AC/DC) and opened it.

"I really hoped you took off your bandages or else I'm going to be really mad that I'll have to reapply them."

The curtain was drawn back by Dean with a heavy amount of soap in his hair as well as prominent scars running down his chest, "I've been cut up enough to know not to shower with the bandages, relax Doc." He retorted but didn't bother closing the curtains as he knew Chris would want to join him to get cleaned up, especially after last night.

His assumptions being correct when the witch smoothly walked over and entered the shower before closing the curtain. Dean took the opportunity to gather some body wash and lather Chris in soap so they could both wash the stink of the last few nights, "Well I'm so glad my patient decided to listen to me, now if only he'd listen to me about bringing me along when he's facing powerful bitch-demons." Chris made a point of poking the scar causing Dean to wince.

"Well I couldn't very well let this happen to you too could I?" He gestured to himself and his scarred up body, multiple slashes across his torso, huge slash on his right arm and slashes all over his legs, "Hell, Chris I did die,"

Chris shook his head, "I don't want to talk about that," It was way too depressing for the two of them, they had already declared their love for Pete's sake which they had still yet to talk about.

"But it did," Dean nodded, "Now we need to be out there hunting Lilith down and not cooped up in here licking our wounds."

"But I thought you liked it when I licked your wounds?"

Dean smirked and licked his lips, "Not in the shower, now wash my hair," He poured a good amount on Chris's hands and the boy proceeded to run his hands through his lovers hair, the man loved it when people ran their hands through his hair and Chris had the magic touch with anything it seemed so it wasn't really his fault when it caused him to-

"Are you purring?" Chris asked incredulously

Dean stopped instantly

Sam knocked on Bobby's door with a tray full of food, "Chris, you awake yet?" He heard no answer so he put his ear to the door and heard the shower running. He realized Chris needed this time to himself so he put the tray on the ground, Chris would pick it up eventually since he had done so many times before.

He went back downstairs to where Bobby was putting up the food he had cooked for them, when he entered the kitchen Bobby shot him a look, something that he had only seen a few times before. It wasn't a good look that's for sure, there was a tyrannical demon at large, their man (or woman) on the inside was in hell and currently they weren't in any shape to try and save anyone.

"How is he?" Bobby spoke up, just barely startling Sam

Sam looked away again, "He's...dealing, I'd have to assume the best way he knows how but as long as I've known him I've never seen him like this."

"Reclusive?"

Sam shook his head, "It's more like afraid,"

Another day or two passed in relative silence, Sam and Bobby downstairs looking for ways to kill Lilith or at the very least find her, and Chris was upstairs in his own little world with Dean.

Chris was putting on a fresh new pair of underwear and Dean was lying on the bed with his own pair on, watching the man, contemplative, "Why don't we leave the room for today, go help Bobby and Sam downstairs, maybe go hunting, my legs have been stiff from lack of running of my life."

The witch huffed out a laugh, "I think you get plenty enough exercise already, you're wearing me out," He jumped on the bed next to Dean and lied directly next to him, "You Winchester's, always so eager to plunge to your deaths." Chris shook his head atop the pillow, he closed his eyes ready to fall back asleep but felt Dean move to hover over him.

He looked up into the man's eyes seeing nothing but himself, he choked when he saw no emotion there, "Can I ask you something?"

"Shoot," Chris said confidently

Dean cocked his head to the side curiously, "How did you save me?"

"I brought healing potions I found in one of Bobby's books, I took it with me when I went to go save your asses," Chris's mouth quivered

Dean smirked sadly, "You know nothing could heal me, my guts looked like shredded pasta, I was as good as dead." He glanced away before frowning, "I am as good as dead, Chris,"

Chris laughed with a shake of his head, "But you're not dead idiot, you're right here," Dean sat up on the bed causing Chris to as well. He brought up his knee and rested his arms on that and rested his head on his arms, "I know I healed you,"

"You couldn't have healed me Chris, even if you had actually brought those potions , I know you know that," Dean touched Chris's stubble the boy still had yet to shave off, he remembered how much Chris hated facial hair on himself but loved it on Dean. There was that one holiday where Dean hadn't shaved and Chris couldn't keep himself from touching his beard.

"I could make a deal," Chris suggested

"No demon is going to make that deal," Dean laughed, "You know Sam is the key in the big picture and me out of the picture is only going to ensure that." He drew the smaller man closer in his lap and rested his chin atop of his head, "And I'm way more important than you to those black eyed bastards anyhow so not like they'd take your soul."

Chris scoffed, "Asshole,"

"It's just the truth, baby," He cooed, Chris held on to him tighter than before, "I think it's time you step out of this room, I'm sure Sam and Bobby want their chipper cheerleader back."

"You were the only one who thought that,"

"Yeah and you smacked me hard for it too."

Chris shook his head slowly, memorizing the warmth Dean brought, "I don't want you to go yet, I need you Dean, you've turned my life upside down since the first day we met and I just can't imagine you gone. Even when you left me for a year I knew you were alive, something inside assured me that you were alive but when you died it was like being stabbed through the heart, stomach, and head all at the same time."

"How do you think I felt being that mutt's chew toy, huh?" He joked but neither of them were in a joking mood, "Now if I was a ghost do you really think I'd want you to sit up here the rest of your life and create these," He gestured to his body

Chris smirked ruefully, "You'd probably haunt me or something, well after your anger at me being a witch passed."

"Right, but you have to leave this room Chris, I need you to go out and face the world,"

"Without you?" He looked up into his astral projection's eyes.

"Now you know that even though I'm dead I'll always be with you in spirit, not here," He pointed to Chris's heart, "But here," He went to grab Chris crotch but the boy swatted his hand away but Dean tried again with his other hand which ended up in the two of them tussling on the bed until they landed on their back side by side, "Who knows, maybe if you get out of this room you can save me one day?"

Chris looked at him, really looked at the manifestation of the messed up, insane state he was in and blinked.

And when he opened his eyes his astral projection was gone.

Sam brought up a fist and swiped at the old man's face but missed as the creature dodged his fist before bringing up a jab of his own and hitting Sam in the nose. It momentarily caused the Winchester to back off but he regained his standing and tackled the old man to the ground. He fought to keep the man there however but the creature was especially strong for something that took the guise of an elderly man.

Even with his strength he lost control and ended up on his back with the creature straddling him and hands around his throat choking him, "You shouldn't disrespect your elders, sonny!" Sam could feel himself losing consciousness fast, the added strength worked in the creatures favor and he could feel darkness swimming at the edge of his vision.

The creature looked down at the man with a sinful smile, he enjoyed the look of death that would soon be in the hunters eyes, it's too bad it wasn't a woman or he'd gladly enjoy his next meal. He was just about to laugh when suddenly his vision changed from looking at the hunter to looking at the ceiling.

Sam took in a deep breath when he felt the hands at his throat leave, he looked up to see Chris with a lead pipe and a headless monster, "Aren't you glad to-," The witch's taunt was cut off when the body erupted slime on the both of them.

Once it stopped the both of them spit out whatever slime had found its way into their mouths

They went back to their hotel desperately wanting to shower, "That is the last time we hunt kappa's," Chris said grabbing a towel and rubbing the kappa slime from his hair, "Slimy duck bastards," he mumbled to himself

"Well it's not like there's any other way to kill one," Sam was mentioning to the fact that you had to literally knock its head off to kill it, "There's no other way to get it off except for taking a home run to its head."

"But why do they have to eject slime?" Chris whined, "Why can't there ever be a monster that ejects rainbows or candy or money, you think if we fought a leprechaun it would give us its gold?" Chris looked at Sam excitedly and the hunter had the decency to look amused.

Sam shook his head and stood up while grabbing a towel, "I'll go get the shower started, want to share?"

Chris looked around the room noting all the cracks, chips in the paint and the shaking of the pipes, "Yeah sure, cold showers is definitely not something I want tonight." Sam nodded before heading into the bathroom to get the warm water running.

Chris took off his shirt and was about to take off his pants when he heard a knock at the door, he wondered who it could be since they had already received their pizza and technically no one was supposed to know where they were. He had a thought it might be the neighbors, a cute elderly couple who once suggested that Chris and Sam could join them for...certain events that might take place.

Sam looked mortified while Chris was holding back his laughter at the entire thing.

Chris walked towards the door with a shake of his head, "For the last time Ethel, Sam and I aren't going to Eiffel-," His voice stopped dead in its tracks when he saw who was on the other side.

Chris expected a lot of thing when he opened the door, he expected a naked elderly woman, maybe the kappa's lover to come seeking revenge but what he didn't expect was Bobby Singer at his doorstep and in tow with him happened to be, "Dean," He said in surprise, he should be feeling surprised, happy, distraught, but the only thing he felt was indifference.

The man looked as good as he did four months ago and Chris stood believing for a long moment that he was dreaming or maybe the kappa had killed him somehow.

Maybe the slime was hallucinogenic?

"Chris," Dean replied back with unmasked relief, he didn't even bother holding back and immediately grabbed the boy in his arms. It felt like centuries since Dean had last held Chris, everything was slowly coming back to him, Chris's scent, how soft his hair was, the feel of his body.

Chris reached in his back pocket, pulling out a silver knife, and tackling Dean to the ground. What followed was a lot of yelling, Chris trying to kill Dean, Bobby trying to pull Chris off of Dean, and Sam running into the room in nothing but a towel to see what was going on.

"Dean?" Sam expression mirrored Chris's when he saw Dean, the three men stood up and Dean finally got to face his brother again.

"Hey Sammy-," Dean was cut off when Sam threw a handful of holy water, he pulled from seemingly nowhere, in his face, "Goddammit, it's really me guys!"

Eventually the four men calmed down, Bobby reassuring that he already performed the tests and that Dean was really Dean. Though Chris initially felt something off about the entire thing, it was as if his ex-lover seemed...brighter.

Not in the emotional sense but his body seemed physically brighter, to Chris it looked as if Dean was possibly glowing?

Chris and Sam sat down at the table with Dean in between them while Bobby stood up, the undead hunter scrutinized the both of their expressions, now that formalities were out of the way he wanted to get down to business, "So, how much did it cost?"

The two of them raised an eyebrow at him not having the slightest clue what he was talking about, "I'm not sure-," Sam started but was interrupted

by Dean

"To bring me back," He sat back with his arms crossed, "Who gave it up and what exactly did you give up?"

Sam actually looked hurt that Dean would even imply that, "We didn't make any deal to bring you back."

"Don't lie,"

"He's not lying," Chris defended Sam calmly, he knew that Dean wouldn't believe them, but Chris was just as curious to know who raised him from hell.

Dean slammed his hands down on the table startling the both of them, "So what, I get off the hook and you get back on it for me?" He looked at the two of their faces, Sam wouldn't look at him while Chris examined him, especially his arm, "This was not how I wanted to be saved!" He yelled angrily at the two of them

"I already told you, Dean, it wasn't us, but I'm not going to pretend as if I didn't want to alright?" Sam's restraint broke, "I tried, but no demon would make the deal, the devil's gate wouldn't open, there was nothing I could do."

Dean looked at Sam still in disbelief, the only thing that rose from hell were demons and hell hounds and seeing that he was neither there had to be some foul play, "Well there's no other way this could have gone down,"

Chris chuckled, though it lacked any humor, the three men turned to him, "You still don't believe us," He gave a sigh, "Sam tried to bring you back, I tried to bring you back, but there was nothing any of us could do. You were stuck in hell and we couldn't save you," He stood from his chair, his stare at Dean was cold, unfeeling, "Sorry Dean, but it wasn't us," He shook his head before walking away, he could feel strings pulling on his emotions and would never let that happen.

Dean had died and had stayed dead for four months

Once Chris was left the room, Dean having watched him walk out feeling the smallest amount of guilt, Bobby coughed into his hand, "Well don't get me wrong, I am glad that you two weren't foolish enough to sell your souls to bring Dean back but that raises a sticky question."

"If they didn't pull me out what did?" Dean finished for Bobby

Eventually the three of them migrated to the sitting room and Sam handed each of them a beer, "So," Dean started capping off the beer, "What were you two doing around here if you weren't trying to dig me up?" He started

"Well once we figured out there was no way to save you, we decided..." Sam trailed off patting his beer, "To get some revenge, for you, we've been tracking down Lilith-,"

Dean scoffed, "Just you two?" He asked incredulously, he didn't fail to notice Chris's shirtless state and Sam's nakedness when he came in earlier. Usually Sam was prudish even around him so to be naked with Chris, it just made him a little suspicious.

"In all that revenge neither of you couldn't pick up a phone?" Bobby chastised

"Sorry Bobby," Sam apologized for both boys, "Just in a bit of a messed up place,"

Bobby bit his tongue from saying anything else, he decided he could forgive and forget as all three of them were in a bit of a messed up place.

"Anyways, um, we were checking these demons out near Tennessee and, out of nowhere, they took a hard left and headed up here."

Dean thought to himself for a second, "When?"

"Yesterday morning," Chris answered leaning on the door into the room, "It was around noon when they just up and disappeared." he came inside to lean on the counter instead.

"When I busted out," Dean finished

"You think these demons are here for you?" Bobby asked

Dean couldn't really answer that question because he didn't know himself but it seemed like too much of a coincidence to really just pass by them.

"But why?"

He shook his head as his mind was filling up with hundreds of questions, "I don't know, some badass demon drags me out the pit, and now this?"

"How are you, anyway?" Chris crossed his arms and looked at Dean, he was still spooked by the weird glow around the man's body, "Now that you're out do you feel..." Chris left the next word hanging in the air

"Demonic?" Dean finished, "I've already proven it's me-,"

The witch hummed, "Well it's not like any demon raised you and repaired your body out of the goodness of its heart alright?" Chris interrupted when Dean started to raise his voice, "Though I don't think it's demonic at all," He cast a look to Sam, the man nodded confirming he understood this wasn't a normal matter.

Though Bobby and Dean looked to him confused, "What else could have raised Dean?" Sam asked

"Well the demons had him right where they wanted him so why bring him back?" Chris asked rhetorically, "Unless he's some kind of ticking time bomb to finish us all of there would be no reason to bring him back healthy and control free."

Dean also thought It was a good thought but it was missing one thing, "Only a demon can go into hell and bring back a soul, unless there's some new kind of monster or a good reaper out there then only a demon could have raised me." He kept thinking to the burnt hand print on his shoulder, he wondered if a demon could have made that or a new monster he should be looking for.

"I know someone who could find out," Bobby spoke up, "A psychic few hours from here who's damn good at her job, if the other side has been talking then she'd know about it."

Dean thought it over, remembering his last run in with a psychic, considering it wouldn't hurt, "Hell yeah, it's worth a shot,"

Bobby nodded then stood, "I'll be right back, I'll go give her a call,"

The rest of them stood together in the sitting room, Sam reach around his neck where Dean's favorite necklace sat, "I'm guessing you'll want this back," He handed it to Dean who took it immediately.

"Thanks,"

Sam nodded, "Don't mention it," He stared to walk away when he was stopped by Dean holding on to his arm.

"Where are you going so fast?"

Sam made a small 'o' with his mouth, "Just going to get the car started in case we leave," He yanked his arm out of Dean's grip leaving the two men alone together. They shared one look with each other before heading opposite directions, Chris going with Sam to the car while Dean went to the bathroom closing the door behind him.

The psychic was only a few hours away, the three of them were back in the Impala following Bobby in the man's rust junk. It wasn't the greatest welcome back mood but it was normal for the three of them, "There still one thing bothering me, the night that I bit it—well more like got bit—how did you make it out?" He looked at Sam expecting answer

"Oh, well, Lilith tried to kill me but she couldn't. She fired this weird, burning light at me, and...it didn't leave a scratch, like I was immune or something."

"Immune?" Dean asked with a raised eyebrow

"Yeah," Sam chuckled, "I don't know who was more surprised-me or her," Sam sighed as he remembered that night still vividly in his head, "She left pretty fast after that,"

"Huh," Dean said simply, it worried him a little that Sam was immune to burning lights from demons but it was on a long list of things that worried him, "Where's Ruby?" He followed expecting a lie, "Where did she run off too?"

"She'd dead," Chris answered from the back seat, he had been in his own mind for awhile now but when he heard mention of her the haze was lifted, "We killed her a few months back,"

Dean almost drove off the road in surprise, "What, why did you do that?"

"Found out she was triple crossing us," Sam said ruefully, "Leaving Chris at the house actually wasn't such a bad idea since he saw something rather interesting before he left."

-That night four months ago-

Chris ran out of the house towards the shack were Bobby kept some of the weapons he would need to fight demons. When he got close to the nearly broken down thing he heard people inside, thinking It was Sam and Dean he slipped inside and made sure his steps weren't too loud. When he got closer to the stairs however he heard that the voices were in fact feminine.

One even sounded like a little girl

"Someone's been a silly little girl, getting trapped in a devil's trap." He ducked down and looked through the railings to see a little brunette girl dressed in white talking to a tall blond that reminded him of Billy.

"Just let me out of here Lilith, I still have time to save Sam before he screws up and ruins everything. Keep Dean, I don't care, he's just a pain in my ass anyway,"

The little girl smiled but it lacked any of the childlike innocence that came with children, "I agreed with Azazel's plans as long as Sam did it on his own, I have no warmth in my heart to help him or that so called God."

Chris couldn't see her expression but her body movement let him know that she was anxious.

"Then what are you going to do?"

Lilith's eyes turned white and she held out her hand, "I'm going to need to borrow you for a little while, my dear," The demon Ruby was expelled from her host, black smoke violently spewing from her body and at the last minute Lilith's demon flowing in to the empty vessel. Once Lilith was all the way inside Ruby's old vessel she broke the devil's trap using her powers before heading to the stairs right where Chris was standing.

He chose that point to orb away.

Dean blinked a few times as he came to realization that Ruby might actually be dead and they might actually not be lying to him, "Wow, didn't think you had it in you to do it Sam,"

Sam narrowed his eyes at Dean, "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Well you were all buddy buddy with her before I just thought you'd be with her if I didn't stop you, at least I can trust Chris to keep you away from demon she-bitches."

Chris sat back in his seat, he could feel Sam wanting him to say something but he refused. It was way to weird for him now to say much of anything about that subject.

The car ride was silent as the three of them drove behind Bobby to his psychic, Dean desperately wanted to say something to Chris, even though Sam was in the car, but the way that Chris had stared at him at the table. The way he was barely surprised to see him alive, it was as if Chris didn't even care about him anymore.

And that scared him into silence.

He went through hell and back on the belief that Chris still loved him, if he didn't have that he didn't know how he could continue on.

He heard Sam mutter about being in a box before he shook it off and tried to enjoy his music.

Chris could say that he actually liked Pamela, she reminded him a lot of his aunt Phoebe, she was fun, high spirited, and spry. Though Chris couldn't say he necessarily liked the looks she was casting too...well all over him, Sam's backside, and Dean's crotch. He couldn't see aunt Phoebe doing that, to him at least, and it made him shiver all over.

What they learned from her was that basically no ghost knew anything about raising Dean, and she thought the next best idea would be a séance, which Chris thought was a very bad one, "A séance?" Chris repeated with a hint of doubt in his tone, "I'm not sure if that's the best idea?"

Pamela looked at him, understanding his skepticism, "Why do you say that, Chris?"

Performing a séance was a dangerous thing if you didn't know who you were calling, that's how Chris ended up with thirty ghosts in the manor and no way to send them home, "I'd rather we find out what this thing is first before we try and talk to him. I don't want it getting pissed off and knowing where we live just yet."

Pamela gave a reassuring smile but Chris had a hard time believing everything would be alright, "Don't worry sweetheart, I'm a professional, I'll make sure we don't use our caller ID. I'm just trying to get a little peak at what we're dealing with." She walked past him giving him a hard pat on the butt, Sam gave a chuckle while Dean looked affronted.

Bobby just couldn't shake the feeling from his gut that something was going to go wrong.

They sat in usual séance position around the table, one person at each point of the pentagram, Sam was sitting next to Dean but he moved over forcing Chris to sit there. The man glowered for a second before it was washed away and he sat down near an uncomfortable Dean. They all grabbed hands with one another, some finding it difficult more than others, "I just need to grab something our mystery monster touched," She subtly reached under the table but Dean just barely stopped her.

He smirked, thinking back to the old Dean, "He didn't touch me there,"

She chuckled, "My mistake,"

The three other men rolled their eyes.

Dean rolled up the sleeve of his shirt to reveal a rather nasty burn mark in the shape of a hand print, Chris gasped when he saw it, seeing it as the source of Dean's glow. The mark radiated power, as much power as an elder even. Pamela touched the mark then completed the circle by grabbing Bobby's hand, everyone closed their eyes as Chris could feel a chill in the room.

"I invoke, conjure, and command you—appear unto me before this circle." Pamela repeated this mantra a few times, Chris feeling even more power building in the room, it was approaching his own at a fast pace. He could feel it, floating near his neck, rising towards his ear, he couldn't feel anything anymore, his stomach was churning having not been used to this power in a long time.

'You must stop her, before it is too late, brother,'

"Castiel?" The hunters opened their eyes once she said a name, "No. Sorry, Castiel, I don't scare easy-,"

"Castiel?" Dean repeated

Pam kept her eyes close, a vision of the creature almost upon her, "It's name, it's whispering to me, warning me to turn back,"

"Turn back," Chris said groggily, Castiel was using him, a conduit, he could feel the power inside him, it was familiar almost as if-

"I conjure and command you, show me your face!" Pam yelled at the force, Chris was grasping Dean's hard.

Chris shook his head for it felt like his brain was strapped to a comet, "Stop now, please!"

They didn't know where to look, Pam who had a visual on the spirit, or Chris who looked as if he was dying and regnerating at the same time.

"I conjure and command your, show me your face!" Pam repeated over and over, a visual just on the edge of her brain, "Show me your face!"

'I am sorry brother,'

Chris remembered what this feeling was, it was if he was in the realm of the Elders, magic school, in front of Wyatt again.

He was in the presence of an angel.

"I said stop!" The white-lighter yelled in a distorted tone before he broke the circle, causing a pillar of fire to rise from the candles and the table to break.

Almost immediately after he passed out from the angelic presence leaving his body with one final whisper.

'It begins soon,'