Chapter 01 - Lazarus Rising

Addison watches as the curl bounces before settling amongst the other curls. It had been years since she had used her curling iron. Normally, it sat at the bottom of her duffle bag next to the small cosmetic bag filled with makeup other than black eyeliner, foundation, and powder. A hand lightly touches her back and she looks up. "I wanted to do something different," Addison softly explains.

"I like it," Sam tells her with a smile. She didn't know if it was a fake or not. They had gotten used to putting on fake smiles, pretending that they were okay when they weren't. She still missed Dean terribly and the pain of his death had barely lessen over the past four months.

Someone knocks on the motel room door. Sam glances at the motel door. "I ordered some pizza. Extra cheese and Canadian bacon."

Addison smiles. "You know what would make—"

"I picked up a bottle of wine earlier." Sam presses a kiss to her cheek, then walks out of the bathroom. Addison slowly wraps some more hair around the curling iron. She had chopped most of her hair off, to where it just fell below her ears. It had been years since she had cut her hair that short.

Addison hears sounds of a struggle and steps out of the bathroom. Sam had a man pressed against the wall, with a silver knife to the man's throat. A man who looked exactly like Dean. She barely noticed Bobby standing in the doorway. "Who are you," Sam demands.

"Like you didn't do this," the man counters. His voice sounded exactly like Dean's. Her gaze roams over him. The image of Dean lying on the floor, with his chest and stomach ripped open was at the front of her mind.

Sam presses the knife harder against the man's neck. "Do what?"

Bobby steps forward and pushes Sam away from dean. "It's him. It's him, Sam. I've been through this already, it's really him."

Sam stares at his big brother with disbelief written on his face. "But…"

"I know, I look fantastic, huh," Dean comments. Sam tightly embraces him with tears in his eyes. Addison glances at Bobby, who was watching the exchange with tears in his eyes. They break apart and Dean finally notices Addison standing near the bathroom. "Ads…"

She rolls her eyes and walks over to him. Addison blinks back the tears as she hugs him. Dean firmly holds her. "I missed you," she softly says. He presses a soft kiss to the side of her head and she closes her eyes.

Dean pulls back and she softly smiles at him. "So, tell me, what'd it cost," he asks, turning to his younger brother.

"Pizza hasn't gotten here yet, Dean," Sam amusingly answers, closing the motel door. He ignores the dark haired young woman at the end of the hallway, with a confused look on her face.

"That's not funny, Sam. To bring me back. What'd it cost? Was it just your soul or was it something worse?"

"You think I made a deal?"

"That's exactly what we think," Bobby answers and Sam rolls his eyes.

"Well, I didn't."

"Don't lie to me," Dean coldly says.

"He's not lying," Addison says, moving to stand net to Sam.

"So what now, I'm off the hook and you're on, is that it? You're some demon's bitch boy? I didn't want to be saved like this."

A frustrated look crosses Sam's face. "Look, Dean, I wish I had done it, all right?"

"There's no other way that this could have gone down. Now tell the truth!"

"I tried everything. That's the truth. I tried opening the Devil's Gate. Hell, I tried to bargain, Dean, but no demon would deal, all right? You were rotting in Hell for months. For months, and I couldn't stop it. So, I'm sorry it wasn't me, all right? Dean, I'm sorry," Sam tells him.

Dean nods. "It's okay, Sammy. You don't have apologize, I believe you."

"Don't get me wrong, I'm gladdened that Sam's soul remains intact, but it does raise a sticky question," Bobby says.

"If we didn't bring Dean back, then what did," Addison asks and Bobby nods. Sam gets up, moving over to a small refrigerator and grabs four beer bottles from it. He hands beers to each of them, then sits back down on the bed. Addison sets her bottle on the coffee table, not drinking from it.

"So, what were two doing around here if you weren't digging me out of my grave," Dean asks, looking between his brother and best friend.

"Well, once I figured out that we couldn't save you, we started hunting down Lilith, trying to get some payback," Sam explains.

"All by yourself. Who do you think you are, your old man," Bobby asks him.

"Uh, yeah, I'm sorry, Bobby. We should have called. We were pretty messed up."

Dean stands up. He reaches between the nightstand and the couch to pull out a black lace bra. "Oh, yeah, I really feel your pain."

Addison rolls her eyes and snatches the bra out of his grasp. "Anyways, uh, we were checking these demons down in Tennessee and out of nowhere they took a hard left, booked up here," Sam continues.

"When," Dean asks.

"Yesterday morning," Addison replies.

"When I busted out."

"You think the demons came up here because of you," Addison asks, causing Dean and Bobby to stare at her.

"But why," Sam replies, moving the discussion along.

"Well, I don't know — some badass demon drags me out and now this? It's gotta be connected somehow," Dean replies.

"How you feeling anyway," Bobby asks him.

Dean shrugs. "I'm a little hungry."

"No, I mean, do you feel like yourself? Anything strange or different?"

"Or demonic? Bobby, how many times do I have to prove I'm me?"

"Yeah. Well, listen. No demon's letting you loose out of the goodness of their hearts. They've gotta have something nasty planned."

"Well, I feel fine."

"We have no idea what they're planning. We need some help," Addison comments, stopping an argument from breaking out.

"I know a psychic. A few hours from here. Something this big, maybe she's heard the other side talking," Bobby replies, standing up.

"Hell yeah, it's worth a shot," Dean says.

Bobby nods. "I'll be right back," he tells them, then walks out of the motel room. Dean goes to follow him, but Addison grabs his arm.

Addison takes off the amulet that Dean always wore and puts it on him. She pats his chest, right over his heart. "There. It's back where it belongs. Like you," she softly says.

"Hey, Dean what was it like," Sam questions and Addison sends him a disapproving look.

"What, Hell? I don't know. I - I - I - I must have blacked it out. I don't remember a damn thing," Dean replies.

"Thank God for that."

"Yeah," Dean agrees and nods towards the bathroom. "You go ahead and head down. I'll catch up in a minute."

Dean walks into the bathroom and closes the door behind him. Addison hits Sam on the arm. "What was that for," Sam asks.

"You don't ask questions like that, Sam," Addison quietly replies. She takes a deep breath. "Do you think we should tell him? I mean, he's gonna figure it out eventually."

"No. We won't tell him about anything. At least not now."

Addison shakes her head. "Guess you gotta start being more creative."

The four of them head over to the motel parking. "She's about four hours down the interstate, trying to keep up," Bobby says, getting into his own car.

Sam tosses Dean the keys to the Impala. "I assume you'll wanna drive."

"Oh - oh - oh, I almost forgot," Dean replies. Addison rolls her eyes as Dean runs a hand over the back of the Impala. "Hey, sweetheart, you miss me?"

"It's a car. I bet it didn't even notice," Addison answers.

Dean glares at her, then gets in the driver's seat. Addison and Sam follow, getting in their respective seats. Dean stares at the iPod jack. "What the hell is that?"

"That's an iPod jack," Sam answers.

"You were supposed to take care of her, not douche her up."

"Dean, I thought it was my car."

Addison leans forward. "You should know that he also took your car to a mechanic. He let a complete stranger get all up in the engine."

Dean stares at Sam with an ice cold look. "I didn't have time to change the oil myself," Sam defends.

Dean starts his beloved car. "Quit playin' games with my heart," blares from the speakers. "Before you tear us apart." He grabs the iPod and tosses it at Addison, who just rolls her eyes.

Dean glances in the rearview mirror to see Addison curled up in the backseat. She was using his leather jacket as a pillow while Sam's jacket was draped over her. "There's still one thing that's bothering me," Dean starts.

"Yeah," Sam asks.

"Yeah, the night that I bit it or got it. How'd you make it out? I thought Lilith was gonna kill you."

"Well, she tried, she couldn't."

"What do you mean she couldn't?"

"She fired this, like, burning light at me, and…it didn't leave a scratch, like I was immune or something."

"Immune?"

"Yeah, I don't know who was more surprised her or me. She left pretty fast after that."

"Huh. What about Ruby, where is she?"

"Dead or in Hell."

"So, you been using your, uh, freaking E.S.P. stuff?"

"No—"

"You sure about that? Ah, well, I mean, now that you've got immunity, whatever the hell that is. I'm just wondering what other kind of weirdo crap you got going on."

"Nothing, Dean. Look, you didn't want me to go down that road, so I didn't go down that road, it was practically your dying wish."

"Yeah, well, let's keep it that way," Dean says and a tense silence falls over them. He clears his throat and takes a deep breath. "What about Addison? How she'd make it out?"

"Lilith was more focused on me. Ads didn't even have a scratch on her. By the way, that was a pretty dick thing you to her." Dean shoots him a confused look. "Yeah, she told me what happened before you died."

Dean glances at Addison. "She did, huh."

"Yeah. Dick move, Dean."

The four of them walk up the steps of a house in the suburbs and Bobby knocks on the door. A woman in her late thirties opens the door and gives them a bright smile. "Bobby," the woman greets and pulls Bobby into a tight hug. "You're a sight for sore eyes." The woman looks at them and she gives a cautious smile. "So, these them?"

"Sam, Dean, Addison. This is Pamela Barnes, best damn psychic in the state," Bobby tells them.

"Hey," Dean greets. Addison shares an amused look with Sam.

"Mmm-mmm-mmm. Dean Winchester. Out of the fire and back in the frying pan, huh? Makes you a rare individual," Pamela comments and Dean shrugs.

"If you say so."

"Come on in." Pamela opens the door wider and they walk into the house.

"So, you hear anything," Bobby asks Pamela, who closes the door behind him.

"Well, I Quija'd my way through a dozen spirits. No one seems to know who broke your boy out or why," Pamela explains.

"So what's next?"

"A seance, I think. See if we can see who did the deed."

A cautious look appears on Bobby's face. "You're not gonna summon the damn thing here."

"No. I just want to sneak a peek at it. Like a crystal ball without the crystal."

"I'm game," Dean comments and Addison holds in the sigh.

Addison is sitting in between Dean and Sam at the table covered in a black doth and candles. "Right. Take each other's hands," Pamela tells them and Addison grabs Dean's and Sam's hands, trying to ignoring the uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach. "And I need to touch something our mystery monster touched."

Pamela's hand slides up Dean's thigh and he squeezes Addison's hand. "Whoa. Well, he didn't touch me there."

"My mistake." They watch as Dean takes off the outer shirt he was wearing and pulls up the sleeve of his t-shirt to reveal a handprint scared on his shoulder. Pamela places her hand on the handprint and nods. "Okay." Everyone closes their eyes and Addison takes a deep breath. "I invoke, conjure, and command you, appear unto me before this circle. I invoke, conjure, and command you, appear unto me before this circle. I invoke, conjure, and command you, appear unto me before this circle. I invoke, conjure, and command…Castiel? No. Sorry, Castiel, I don't scare easy."

"Castiel," Dean repeats. The TV turns on with static appearing on the screen.

"Its name. It's whispering to me, warning me to turn back. I conjure and command you, show me your face. I conjure and command you, show me your face. I conjure and command you, show me your face. I conjure and command you, show me your face."

The noise from the TV and the table that had started to shake grow worse and Addison opens her eyes. "I think that we should stop now," Addison says and Pamela shakes her head.

"I almost got it. I command you, show me your face! Show me your face now," Pamela demands and the candles in the middle of the table flare up. Pamela starts to scream and her eyes shoot open with a white fire. Everything goes back to normal and Pamela collapses, Bobby quickly catching her.

"Call 911," Bobby tells them and Sam releases Addison's hand before running out of the room. Addison lets go of Dean's hand and she looks over his shoulder to see empty holes where Pamela's eyes used to be.

"So, you and Sam are fuck buddies," Dean asks. Addison shoots him a curious look as they walk down the street towards a small diner. It was the first time they had been alone together since he came back. "Why else would your bra be where it was? Other than the fact that your a slob."

"I'm not a slob," Addison weakly argues. She shakes her head. "For the record, I'm not sleeping with Sam."

Dean nods, unconvinced. "And you told him about…"

"I was drunk." She sighs. "Look, Dean, about what happened—"

"Hey, we both know that the only reason that it happened is because we thought it was gonna be the last time."

Addison nods as they enter the diner. She tries to ignore the pit in her stomach. "That's exactly what I was thinking. So, we'll just put it in the box labelled things to never mention."

They sit down at a table, facing each other. "Sounds like a plan to me."

Addison gives him a soft smile as the waitress walks over. "For the record, I am happy that you're back."

"What can I get you," the waitress asks.

"Couple of slices of pie," Dean orders.

"Be up in a jig," the waitress replies and walks away.

"Yeah, you bet," Sam says, walking into the diner and over to them, taking a seat next to Addison.

"What'd Bobby say," Dean asks.

"Pam's stable and out of ICU," Sam replies.

"And blind because of us."

"And we still have no clue who we're dealing with."

Dean shakes his head. "That's not entirely true."

"What do you mean," Addison questions.

"We got a name. Castiel or whatever. With the right mumbo-jumbo we could summon him, bring him right to us."

"No way."

"We'll work him over. I mean, after what he did?"

"Pamela has no eyes and you want to go mono a mono with this guy? I, for one, happen to like being able to see with my eyes."

"You got a better idea?"

"Hell no, it's the best idea I've ever heard," Addison sarcastically remarks.

"Me and Addison followed some demons to town, right," Sam says before Dean has a chance to respond.

"Yeah," Dean says.

"So, we go find them. Someone's gotta know something about something," Sam explains as the waitress sets two plates of pie on the table. "Thanks."

The waitress pulls a chair over to the table and sits down. "You angling for a tip," Dean asks the waitress.

"I'm sorry. Thought you were looking for us," the waitress replies and her eyes go black. The cook and a man wearing a uniform reveal that they're also demons. The man wearing the uniform goes to the main door and locks it, before standing in front of it. "Dean. To Hell and back. Aren't you a lucky duck?"

"That's me."

"So you get to just stroll out of the pit, huh? Tell me. What makes you so special?"

"I like to think it's because of my perky nipple. I don't know. Wasn't my doing, I don't know who pulled me out."

"Right. You don't."

"No. I don't."

"Lying is a sin, you know."

"I'm not lying. But I'd like to find out, so if you wouldn't mind enlightening me, Flo—"

"Mind your tone with me, boy. I'll drag you back to Hell myself."

"No, you won't."

"No?"

"No. Because if you were, you would have done it already. Fact is, you don't know who cut me loose. And you're just as spooked as we are. And you're looking for answers. Well, maybe it was some turbo-charge spirit. Or, uh, Godzilla. Or some big bad boss demon. I'm guess at your pay grade that they don't tell you squat. Because whoever it was, they want me out. And they're a lot stronger than you. So go ahead. Send me back. But don't come crawling to me when they show up on your front doorstep with some Vaseline and a fire hose."

"I'm going to reach down your throat and rip out your lungs," the waitress replies and Dean slaps the demon twice, who just takes it with a nervous look on it's face.

"That's what I thought. Let's go," Dean tells them and the boys stand up from the table. Sam pulls Addison out of her chair and moves towards the door, watching as Dean tosses some money on the table. They exit the diner and quickly make their way across the street. "Holy shit, that was close."

"We're not just going to leave them in there, are we, Dean," Sam asks.

"Well, yeah, there's three of them, probably more, and we've only got one knife between the three of us."

"I've been killing a lot more demons than that lately."

"Not anymore — the smarter brother's back in town."

"We've got to take 'em. They are dangerous."

"They're scared. Okay? Scared of whatever had the juice to yank me out. We're dealing with a bad mother fucker here. One job at a time."

Addison lets out a soft sigh and rolls onto her side, burying her face in the pillow. The couch bed had been pulled out for Dean. They had fallen asleep while researching whatever had pulled him out of Hell. The TV turns on, static filling the screen, and Addison lets out a tired groan. "Dean, turn the TV off," she tiredly says.

"I didn't turn it on," Dean replies as the clock radio turns on. He stands up, grabbing the shotgun off the nightstand. He pulls Addison up, causing her to stare at him. "Same thing happened at the gas station after I came back."

Addison starts to ask something but a loud, screeching noise erupts through the room. She covers her ears, trying to block out the noise, but it just gets louder. The mirror above the bed she had been lying on breaks. Dean pushes her onto the floor, covering her as glass from the windows and mirrors breaks. The door opens after the noise stops to reveal Bobby standing there with a concerned look on his face. "Dean! Addison!"

Addison is sitting in the backseat of Bobby's car, with him driving and Dean sitting in the passenger seat, wiping blood off of her arms. "How you two doing," Bobby asks them.

"Aside from the church bells ringing in my head, peachy," Dean replies, pulling out his phone.

"I'm fine," Addison answers.

"What are you doing," Dean asks, who Addison is assuming Sam. "In my car? Well, uh, Bobby's back. We're going to grab a beer. Yeah, she's with us. Done. Catch you later."

"Why the hell didn't you tell him," Bobby asks Dean.

"Because he just tried to stop us."

"Stop us from what," Addison cautiously asks.

"Summoning this thing. It's time we faced it head on."

"Dean, that's insane."

"Then give me a straight jacket. It's high noon, baby."

"We don't know what it is. It could be a demon, it could be anything," Bobby counters and Addison nods in agreement.

"That's why we've got to be ready for anything." Dean pulls out the knife they had stolen from Ruby four months ago. "We've got the big time magic knife, you've got an arsenal in the trunk—"

"Dean, this is a really bad idea," Addison interrupts.

"Yeah, I couldn't agree more, but what other choice do we have?"

"Uh, we should choose to see tomorrow for one."

"Ads, whatever this is, whatever it wants, it's after me. That much we know, right? I've got no place to hide. I can either get caught with my pants down again or we can make our stand."

"Dean, we could use Sam on this," Bobby tells him.

"Nah, he's better off where he is," Dean replies and a silence fills the car.

Addison is sitting on a table watching as Bobby paints a symbol on the floor. Dean was behind her setting up the weapons they had taken out of Bobby's trunk, cautiously. "That's a hell of an art project you've got going there," Dean comments.

"Traps and talismans from every faith on the globe. How you doing," Bobby replies.

"Stakes, iron, silver, salt, knife. I mean, we're pretty much set to catch and kill anything I've ever heard of."

"I still think this is a bad idea," Addison tells Dean and he looks at her.

"Yeah, Addison, I heard you the first fifty times," Dean says and she shrugs as he turns to Bobby.

"What do you say we ring the dinner bell?" Bobby reluctantly nods and walks over to the table across from them and starts the ritual that would summon whatever brought Dean back.

"You sure you did the ritual right," Dean asks after they had been sitting around the warehouse with nothing happening and Addison keeps in the laugh Bobby glares at Dean. "Sorry. Touchy, touchy, huh?" Suddenly, a loud rattling shakes the roof and they hop down from where they had been sitting on the tables, each grabbing a shotgun as they go to the other end of the warehouse.

The door bursts open and a dark haired man wearing a suit and trench coat walks into the warehouse. The lights on the ceiling shatter, as the man gets closer to them and they open fire on the man. Dean grabs the demon killing knife as the man gets closer to him. "Who are you," Dean demands.

"I'm the one who gripped you tight and raised you from perdition," the man answers.

"Yeah. Thanks for that." Dean shoves the knife in the man's chest. The man just pulls it out, dropping it to the ground. Bobby attacks the man from behind and the man grabs Bobby's weapons before anything can happen. He touches the older hunter on the forehead and she watches as Bobby falls to the ground. Addison drops the shotgun she was holding as the man nears her. He touches her forehead and she collapses to the ground, unconscious.

"We need to talk. Alone." Dean kneels down and checks Addison for a pulse. "Your friends are alive."

"Who are you?"

"Castiel."

"Yeah, I figured that much. I mean, what are you?"

"I'm an Angel of the Lord."

"Get the hell out of here. There's no such thing."

"This is your problem, Dean. You have no faith," Castiel replies and lightening flashes through out the room, causing Dean to see a pair of shadowy wings appear. The light goes out and he can no longer see the wings.

"Some angel you are. You burned out that poor woman's eyes."

"I warmed her not to spy on my true form. It can be…overwhelming to humans and so can my real voice. But you already knew that."

"You mean the gas station and the motel. That was you talking," Dean disbelievingly asks and Castiel nods. "Buddy, next time, lower the volume."

"That was my mistake. Certain people, special people, can perceive my true visage. I thought you would be one of them. I was wrong."

"And what visage are you in now, huh? What, holy tax accountant?"

"This? This is…a vessel."

"You're possessing some poor bastard."

"He's a devout man, he actually prayed for this."

"Well, I'm not being what you're selling, so who are you really?"

"I told you."

"Right. And why would an angel rescue me from Hell?"

"Good things do happen, Dean."

"Not in my experience."

"What's the matter? You don't think you deserve to be saved? Addison thought you deserved to be saved."

Dean casts a glance at Addison and looks back at Castiel. "Why'd you do it?"

"Because God commanded it. Because we have work for you," Castiel answers and Dean frowns.