Chapter 2
‘Seeing is Believing’
And in those days shall the earth
also give back that which has been entrusted to it,
And Sheol also shall give back that which it has received,
And hell shall give back that which it owes.
~LI. The Resurrection of the Dead, and the Separation by the Judge of the Righteous and the Wicked~
Dean’s head was pounding and as the ringing in his ears subsided he heard the soft strings of music from somewhere in his general vicinity. He blinked a few times and heard Sam calling his name.
“Dean…Dean…hello, we’re in the middle of a conversation here. What’s going on?”
Dean’s eyes focused in on Sam sitting in front of him. He frowned. What the…before he could even finish his thought he looked past Sam and his eyes widened. Not twenty feet in front of him stood Jo. She got up from her chair and walked to the fridge as Ellen drank with Cas.
Dean had been leaning back in his chair. He lost his balance and crashed to the floor. Everyone turned in his direction as he stood slowly afraid to believe what he was seeing. Sam frowned and moved forward towards his brother.
“Dean…you alright?”
Sam couldn’t pinpoint one emotion on Dean’s face. He watched as a myriad of emotions swept over him, none of them staying for too long. Awe…disbelief…skepticism…pain…and finally relief. Dean practically pushed Sam out of his way as he strode with purpose towards Jo.
Ellen watched him with a raised eyebrow, as he stood in front of her daughter, leaned down, cupped her cheek, and captured her lips all in the span of a few seconds. Sam and Ellen’s mouths dropped open in shock and Castiel stood up.
There was a sound of warning in his voice.
“Dean…”
But Dean didn’t hear him. He pulled Jo closer to him and when he finally broke apart from her, he felt her step back out of his arms. Dean frowned and opened his mouth to speak, but before he could he felt flesh hitting flesh as her fist connected with his jaw.
The punch caught him off guard and he tripped and fell on his ass. Sam, Ellen, Castiel and Bobby were all quietly standing around the two of them. Dean stayed on the ground and held his jaw. What the fuck just happened?
Had he really just kissed Jo? Holy hell…he hadn’t been thinking clearly. He saw her…alive and in one piece…and he just reacted. Yeah well, he wouldn’t be doing that again anytime soon. Dean glared up at Jo as he moved his jaw around trying to ease the pain.
“What the hell Jo!”
He saw the anger on her face as she looked down at him.
“Really Dean? What the hell were you thinkin’?”
He grunted before pulling himself up.
“Apparently I wasn’t. Jesus…you don’t just go around punchin’ guys…”
“You don’t just go around kissing girls for no reason…”
Dean nodded and rubbed the back of his head as he glanced around the room and winced. He grumbled softly.
“I had a reason…”
Jo motioned around the room.
“Well we’re all waitin’ to hear it princess…”
He glowered at the sound of her mocking voice and opened his mouth. Castiel was quick to cut him off.
“Do not say anything. I need to speak with Dean alone. It is of the utmost importance.”
Everyone exchanged looks before heading out of the kitchen. As Jo walked past Dean he caught her arm and she raised an eyebrow. His voice was gruff.
“Sorry…”
Jo was more surprised than angry. She socked Dean in the jaw because he’d startled her. It had been a while since they’d been in the same room for more than five minutes…and Jo thought she’d gotten over all her overly warm feelings for the elder Winchester brother.
Apparently that wasn’t the case. When he kissed her, she kissed him back and that was what had made her angry. She nodded, pulled her arm back, and left the room. When Castiel was sure they were all out of hearing range he turned to Dean and appraised him.
“You accepted Gabriel’s offer.”
Dean’s eyes widen.
“You remember? Why don’t they?”
“Because for them the last two days have not happened. Dean…you must be careful with this…gift.”
“So it’s real?”
Castiel nodded, but there was hesitation on his face.
“It is real. This is not something that Gabriel could have done himself though. He must have had contact with his brothers…”
Dean was quiet while he took everything in. Gabriel told the truth. Jo and Ellen were alive and he had another chance to save them…
“Why would they do it?”
“I do not know. Turning back the hands of time is difficult process. It takes more power than one Archangel has and as you’ve seen does not affect the memory of Angels. What was the meaning of the gift you received? Were there instructions?”
Dean nodded and moved to the right so he could lean against the kitchen table.
“I have to let the days play out the way they’re supposed to. Go to Carthage…pretend I think the Colt will work…so on and so on.”
Castiel’s brows furrowed.
“I do not understand…what have you received then?”
Dean met Castiel’s eyes.
“A second chance. He said I can save Jo…”
Dean’s voice trailed off and Castiel took a deep breath.
“And you accepted that gift? Do you not realize there must be a balance in the order of things? Jo’s life was taken…if you are to save her, than someone must die in her place.”
Dean could feel his throat go dry. He knew it was too good to be true.
“Who?”
Castiel gave him a blank look.
“I do not know. It has not already been chosen. As long as a life is taken tomorrow, order will be preserved.”
Dean squinted his eyes as a thought ran through his head.
“Any life?”
Castiel nodded. Things were looking up. As long as someone died tomorrow, Dean wouldn’t have to worry about upsetting any stupid cosmic orders and he’d be able to save Ellen and Jo. It was simple, he’d just shoot Meg. It wasn’t like he didn’t have the chance last time around.
Dean shrugged.
“It shouldn’t be an issue. Any other surprises I should know about?”
Castiel frowned.
“I am not sure, but I do not think so.”
Dean nodded and glanced in the direction Jo went. He needed to talk to her, straighten some things out. He hadn’t meant to kiss her like that in front of everyone, but she’d kissed him back. He started to walk out of the room when a thought occurred to him.
He turned back to face Castiel.
“Cas…what happens if someone doesn’t take Jo’s place…if no one dies?”
The look on Castiel’s face was grave.
“I am unsure. Either a person will be chosen and sacrificed or Jo will meet her fate, just in a different way.”
Dean swallowed hard. No…that wasn’t acceptable. He was going to make sure that he killed Meg, and if not her than some other son of a bitch demon. He wouldn’t stand back and watch Jo die again. He couldn’t.
‘Seeing is Believing’
And in those days shall the earth
also give back that which has been entrusted to it,
And Sheol also shall give back that which it has received,
And hell shall give back that which it owes.
~LI. The Resurrection of the Dead, and the Separation by the Judge of the Righteous and the Wicked~
Dean’s head was pounding and as the ringing in his ears subsided he heard the soft strings of music from somewhere in his general vicinity. He blinked a few times and heard Sam calling his name.
“Dean…Dean…hello, we’re in the middle of a conversation here. What’s going on?”
Dean’s eyes focused in on Sam sitting in front of him. He frowned. What the…before he could even finish his thought he looked past Sam and his eyes widened. Not twenty feet in front of him stood Jo. She got up from her chair and walked to the fridge as Ellen drank with Cas.
Dean had been leaning back in his chair. He lost his balance and crashed to the floor. Everyone turned in his direction as he stood slowly afraid to believe what he was seeing. Sam frowned and moved forward towards his brother.
“Dean…you alright?”
Sam couldn’t pinpoint one emotion on Dean’s face. He watched as a myriad of emotions swept over him, none of them staying for too long. Awe…disbelief…skepticism…pain…and finally relief. Dean practically pushed Sam out of his way as he strode with purpose towards Jo.
Ellen watched him with a raised eyebrow, as he stood in front of her daughter, leaned down, cupped her cheek, and captured her lips all in the span of a few seconds. Sam and Ellen’s mouths dropped open in shock and Castiel stood up.
There was a sound of warning in his voice.
“Dean…”
But Dean didn’t hear him. He pulled Jo closer to him and when he finally broke apart from her, he felt her step back out of his arms. Dean frowned and opened his mouth to speak, but before he could he felt flesh hitting flesh as her fist connected with his jaw.
The punch caught him off guard and he tripped and fell on his ass. Sam, Ellen, Castiel and Bobby were all quietly standing around the two of them. Dean stayed on the ground and held his jaw. What the fuck just happened?
Had he really just kissed Jo? Holy hell…he hadn’t been thinking clearly. He saw her…alive and in one piece…and he just reacted. Yeah well, he wouldn’t be doing that again anytime soon. Dean glared up at Jo as he moved his jaw around trying to ease the pain.
“What the hell Jo!”
He saw the anger on her face as she looked down at him.
“Really Dean? What the hell were you thinkin’?”
He grunted before pulling himself up.
“Apparently I wasn’t. Jesus…you don’t just go around punchin’ guys…”
“You don’t just go around kissing girls for no reason…”
Dean nodded and rubbed the back of his head as he glanced around the room and winced. He grumbled softly.
“I had a reason…”
Jo motioned around the room.
“Well we’re all waitin’ to hear it princess…”
He glowered at the sound of her mocking voice and opened his mouth. Castiel was quick to cut him off.
“Do not say anything. I need to speak with Dean alone. It is of the utmost importance.”
Everyone exchanged looks before heading out of the kitchen. As Jo walked past Dean he caught her arm and she raised an eyebrow. His voice was gruff.
“Sorry…”
Jo was more surprised than angry. She socked Dean in the jaw because he’d startled her. It had been a while since they’d been in the same room for more than five minutes…and Jo thought she’d gotten over all her overly warm feelings for the elder Winchester brother.
Apparently that wasn’t the case. When he kissed her, she kissed him back and that was what had made her angry. She nodded, pulled her arm back, and left the room. When Castiel was sure they were all out of hearing range he turned to Dean and appraised him.
“You accepted Gabriel’s offer.”
Dean’s eyes widen.
“You remember? Why don’t they?”
“Because for them the last two days have not happened. Dean…you must be careful with this…gift.”
“So it’s real?”
Castiel nodded, but there was hesitation on his face.
“It is real. This is not something that Gabriel could have done himself though. He must have had contact with his brothers…”
Dean was quiet while he took everything in. Gabriel told the truth. Jo and Ellen were alive and he had another chance to save them…
“Why would they do it?”
“I do not know. Turning back the hands of time is difficult process. It takes more power than one Archangel has and as you’ve seen does not affect the memory of Angels. What was the meaning of the gift you received? Were there instructions?”
Dean nodded and moved to the right so he could lean against the kitchen table.
“I have to let the days play out the way they’re supposed to. Go to Carthage…pretend I think the Colt will work…so on and so on.”
Castiel’s brows furrowed.
“I do not understand…what have you received then?”
Dean met Castiel’s eyes.
“A second chance. He said I can save Jo…”
Dean’s voice trailed off and Castiel took a deep breath.
“And you accepted that gift? Do you not realize there must be a balance in the order of things? Jo’s life was taken…if you are to save her, than someone must die in her place.”
Dean could feel his throat go dry. He knew it was too good to be true.
“Who?”
Castiel gave him a blank look.
“I do not know. It has not already been chosen. As long as a life is taken tomorrow, order will be preserved.”
Dean squinted his eyes as a thought ran through his head.
“Any life?”
Castiel nodded. Things were looking up. As long as someone died tomorrow, Dean wouldn’t have to worry about upsetting any stupid cosmic orders and he’d be able to save Ellen and Jo. It was simple, he’d just shoot Meg. It wasn’t like he didn’t have the chance last time around.
Dean shrugged.
“It shouldn’t be an issue. Any other surprises I should know about?”
Castiel frowned.
“I am not sure, but I do not think so.”
Dean nodded and glanced in the direction Jo went. He needed to talk to her, straighten some things out. He hadn’t meant to kiss her like that in front of everyone, but she’d kissed him back. He started to walk out of the room when a thought occurred to him.
He turned back to face Castiel.
“Cas…what happens if someone doesn’t take Jo’s place…if no one dies?”
The look on Castiel’s face was grave.
“I am unsure. Either a person will be chosen and sacrificed or Jo will meet her fate, just in a different way.”
Dean swallowed hard. No…that wasn’t acceptable. He was going to make sure that he killed Meg, and if not her than some other son of a bitch demon. He wouldn’t stand back and watch Jo die again. He couldn’t.
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