January 27, 2016

    Cassandra Moore screamed as she pounded her fist on the Cage walls, desperately trying to break it. She blocked out her father's crazy mumbles and continued to assault the warded iron. He wouldn't leave her. Lucifer wouldn't just leave her to rot in the depths of Hell. He needed her.

    "You son of a bitch!" she screamed, kicking the wall. Her blonde locks were wild and her eyes, once bright blue and full of hope, were now dull and green. The woman who once wore a smile now wore a scowl, a murderous glint in her eyes whenever someone spoke of the humans up on Earth's surface. Anytime there was mention of freedom she would go completely ballistic, her temper resembling that of an animal's rage. Over seven-hundred years. It had been over seven-hundred years since she had last seen a face other than her father's and her uncle's. It had been over seven-hundred years since she had last walked the Earth, tasted food, basked in the sunshine, taken a shower or a bath. It had been over seven-hundred years since she last kissed Dean Winchester.

    "Give it up," Michael finally said from his corner, looking up to stare at his daughter with dead blue eyes.

    She let out a growl and spun around to see his gaze locked on her.

    "Did you really think Lucifer would come back for you, Cassandra? He's gone. He's not going to risk letting anyone stop him."

    "Unlike you, he wasn't playing me," the blonde spat. "I could see it in his eyes. He meant what he said. Trust me, I won't let myself get deceived again." With that being said, the Nephilim turned back to the wall and continued to pound at it, screaming out her uncle's name along with a string of curse words.

    After what seemed to be half a day, a bright white light glowed over the father and daughter. Cassandra stepped back from the wall and squinted as she stared up at it, shielding her eyes. Michael pushed himself from the ground and stood next to her, cocking his head to the side.

    "What is it?" Cassandra questioned.

    "The same spell that pulled Lucifer out," Michael said in realization. The two celestial beings exchanged glances before Cassandra disappeared. Michael screamed out, now alone in the Cage. He could only pray that something would let him out, too, but his gut told him that he was trapped there forever.

    Dean Winchester paced the length of the room, ignoring the trickling sound of the liquid as they prepared the spell to lock Lucifer back in the Cage. He stopped at the edge of the table. "So this spell is supposed to slam Lucifer back in the box. How long's this gonna take?" Dean questioned.

    The redheaded witch—Rowena MacLeod—looked up with a murderous glint in her eyes. She wanted revenge on Dean Winchester and the King of Hell. They were making a fool out of her and her pride was too strong to let that happen.

"About five minutes," she replied, her Scottish accent thick and proper. It made him want to cringe.

Dean checked his watch.

"Unless Sam says yes."

"And if he does?" Crowley questioned.

"If Lucifer finds a vessel, he'll be anchored to earth. The incantation won't work," Rowena explained, smirking slightly.

Dean rolled his eyes and threw his hands up in the air before letting them fall back to his sides. "And then we're screwed."

Footsteps echoed throughout the room before a demon entered, grabbing everyone's attention. The trio turned to see the demon, frantic, before a man in trenchcoat entered behind him. His chest heaved as he struggled to catch his breath. His shirt was halfway unbuttoned and his tie hung loosely around his neck.

"I'm sorry, my lord, I tried to—"

"Cas?" Dean questioned, rushing over to the angel as he slumped forward.

"Oh good, the angel is here," Crowley announced sarcastically.

Dean shot a glare in the direction of the King of Hell before returning his attention to his best friend. "What happened?"

Castiel straightened his posture, panting. "Amara. She... she's alive. She... she sent this message." Castiel pulled open his trenchcoat and shirt to reveal three words carved into his chest—I AM COMING. Upon seeing the words carved into his skin, Dean's mind flashed back to a particular blonde. A woman with similar scars on her torso who could help them if pulled from her eternal damnation.

"I am coming," Crowley read, furrowing his eyebrows in confusion. "Is that a threat?"

"Or a promise." Dean glanced around frantically. They were running out of options. They knew they couldn't use Lucifer as it'd be too much of a risk and all of the other Archangels were dead. Archangels. Even half of an Archangel would work. Dean whipped his head around and slammed his hands down on the table, gaining Rowena's attention.

She looked up, arching an eyebrow.

"You summoned Lucifer from the Cage which means you can summon Cassandra Moore," Dean told Rowena. "Do it. Now."

    Rowena eyed the Hunter and slowly shook her head, turning towards Crowley before returning her attention to the blond Hunter. "I wouldn't suggest doing that. It could weaken the wardings on this little cage of his," Rowena replied.

    Crowley cleared his throat. "Also, I'm pretty sure the girl you lost all those years ago isn't the same one you'll get back," Crowley chimed in.

    Dean narrowed his eyes at the King of Hell.

    "Lucifer and Michael have had hundreds of years to mess with her and corrupt her. You could be unleashing something worse than Amara."

    Dean scowled and stepped forward, grabbing Crowley by the tie of his suit. "We're getting Cassy out of there. She's been in there long enough," Dean growled. If they were going to risk their lives then something good may as well come out of it. "Cassandra's coming, too." Dean roughly let go of Crowley and stepped back.

    Hesitantly, Rowena started to chant again, the words slightly altered from before. After a moment she slowly looked up, nodding.

    Dean turned to run out at the sound of Sam's sudden yell when Crowley grabbed onto his arm. "I wouldn't go out there," he warned.

    Dean only yanked his arm from his grasp and raced out of the room adjacent to the cage Lucifer was in. Castiel raced after him in an attempt to stop him, an attempt that would fail very quickly.

Lightning struck and suddenly a blonde woman appeared next to Lucifer. She was slightly dazed, slowly spinning around in circles before her gaze landed on Lucifer next to her. He narrowed his eyes at the blonde and she nodded curtly, gulping. Sam hadn't caught the gesture that had obviously been planned out years before.

    "Princess?" Dean asked warily, stepping as close as he possibly could to the cage.

     The blonde tensed and turned around, her eyes widening at the sight of Dean. A smile worked its way onto Dean's lips, but it quickly disappeared at the snap of Lucifer's fingers when he and Castiel suddenly appeared in the cage next to Sam.

    "Lucifer, what are you doing? What kind of game is this?" Cassandra demanded, turning to face the fallen Archangel.

    He focused his gaze on the blonde, smirking as he reached out and cupped her cheek.

    Dean could see that the little hope that Cassandra used to bear had vanished ages ago. Her once bright icy blue eyes were now dull and looked almost as if they were green. Could eyes change color? She seemed stronger physically, but mentally it was as if she had reverted back into the scared young woman she was when Sam and Dean first found her.

    "My dear niece, I'm just going with the plan," Lucifer said.

    "Stop your mind tricks. I'm tired of them," she hissed.

    Lucifer raised his eyebrows. "Mind tricks?" he asked with a laugh. "Cassandra, I promise that this isn't a trick."

    Her gaze drifted over to Sam who pressed himself against the corner of the cage. "Cassandra?" he asked, his hazel eyes wide.

She cocked her head to the side, studying him. This really was Sam. His hair was longer, tamed, and he had obviously matured. He looked the same but completely different. His body was more built, almost as if he had gained muscle over the past six years, and she could see that there wasn't as much hope in his eyes as there had once been.

"Sammy," she breathed. "You're real. I-I know it. I can see it." Sam managed a small smile at her words, but Cassandra tore her gaze from him and back to her uncle at the sound of his voice.

"And Dean?" Lucifer questioned.

    "He's not real," she replied with a shake of her head. "It's the same cruel, heartless, hallucination every time. I'm not falling for it again."

    "Ah. But this is no hallucination." Lucifer turned to Dean who stared back at him with wide eyes. "Right, Dean?"

    Dean turned towards Cassandra who eyed him warily, brushing Lucifer's hand from her cheek. She went to take a step forward but stopped, almost as if she were scared. Her mind flashed back to all of the times she had to watch Dean die; all of the times she had to watch him hurt her or kill her.

    "No. No, it's not Dean. Dean's dead for all I know. Hell, Dean got out of the life!"

    "Princess, it's me," Dean said, his voice cracking as tears threatened to fall. It had been so long since he had seen Cassandra and all of the emotions of watching her fall into the Cage came rushing back, breaking through the wall that he had put up. Dean reached out and grabbed her hand, placing it against his chest. "It's really me. I promise."

    "I don't know that," Cassandra whispered, flinching away.

    Dean never dropped her hand.

    She looked to Castiel who nodded before turning back to Sam. She frowned at the blood dribbling out of his mouth from Lucifer's blows and her heart clenched in her chest. "You'd never poke at the Cage. You're not that stupid."

    "We had to," Dean said.

    Cassandra's head snapped back towards the Hunter who still held her hand against his chest.

    "The Darkness—she's been unleashed and we need help stopping her."

    Cassandra's eyes widened and she went to tug her hand from Dean but she couldn't. His grip was too tight, almost as if he were scared to let her go. Cassandra cocked her head to the side and studied the Hunter.

    He was older, anyone could tell you that. After six years it was a given. His voice was deeper; gruffer. The bags under his eyes seemed to be almost permanent now and a dark shadow of scruff lined his cheeks and chin. Dean's once piercing green eyes were dull; hopeless. They matched Cassandra's. The only difference was that his hopelessness was real and it wasn't all an act.

    "If I wasn't Dean then how would I know that you were listening to Night Moves by Bob Seger the first day we met? If I wasn't Dean then how would I know that I held you tight and constantly reassured you that I wasn't mad when you told me about your first suicide attempt? If I wasn't Dean then how would I know that every year on the anniversary of Jessica's death and her birthday you add another cut to your wrist as blame for not being able to save her?"

    Cassandra's expression faltered and Dean saw the slightest bit of hope light up in her eyes.

    "Those are all things that you've never told anyone before. Things that only I would know." Dean stopped and nodded his head to the side. "Except for the Night Moves part. Sam was there, too." He managed a chuckle through his tears. "I promise that I'm not just some hallucination, Princess. I'm real."

    "Dean?" Cassandra asked softly, cocking her head to the side.

    Dean nodded.

    "Dean, oh my god!" The blonde reached forward and threw her arms around him in a tight hug, gripping the back of his jacket as she nuzzled her head into the crook of his neck. Somehow they managed to turn to where Cassandra could see Lucifer watching them. She looked up at him, her eyes pleading him. No one knew what Cassandra and Lucifer knew, not at that moment.

    Lucifer nodded; a nod that one would give when reassuring someone that their deal was safe and wouldn't be broken.

    "God, it's so good to see and hear you; to touch you and hold you. I've missed you so damn much," Dean whispered. His grip on the Nephilim tightened before he pulled away, quickly swiping away his tears. "No matter what happens here, you are coming home."

    She nodded and smiled, wiping away her own stray tears.

    "Welcome to the party," Lucifer finally said.

    Cassandra's gaze hardened on the Devil and any heartfelt moment that she and Dean shared was now gone.

     "Scared?"

"Not even a little," Dean growled.

Castiel's angel blade fell into his hand from his sleeve, ready to fight. Cassandra's gaze shifted over to Sam hunched over in the corner, still struggling to recover from his attack.

Lucifer held up a hand, stopping the angel, Hunter, and Nephilim in front of him. "Ah, ah, ah...moments like this, it's all about ambiance." Lucifer snapped his fingers and music started to echo out from nowhere.

Dean and Castiel exchanged glances, Cassandra giving the fallen archangel a 'what the fuck' look as he started to dance and mock them. Castiel lunged for Lucifer, giving Cassandra and Dean the chance to rush over to Sam.

Cassandra blocked the brothers out, discreetly listening in on Castiel's and Lucifer's conversation. The Devil had Castiel pinned. "I can beat the Darkness. Me. Only me," Lucifer hissed in his ear.

"Are you okay?" Dean asked his little brother.

Sam nodded. "Yeah."

Cassandra clenched her eyes shut and struggled to block them out, all of her senses heightened from the sudden change in location.

"You know I'm right, Castiel. You know it."

Castiel continued to struggle against Lucifer and Cassandra bit back the urge to help. She had a duty to fulfill.

"You wanna play that way?" Lucifer threw a punch, sending Cas into the bars of the cage.

"We can't win," Sam gasped out.

Dean shook his head. "We don't have to win. We've just gotta last a few minutes," Dean told him.

Cassandra sent a questioning glance Dean's way.

"Trust me."

"I always have, haven't I?" she asked with a small smile playing on her lips.

Dean scoffed and shook his head. "That's the reason you're here now," he said sadly.

Lucifer continued to beat Castiel mercilessly. Cassandra dug her nails into her thigh, locking her focus on Sam. The Winchesters were all that mattered at the moment.

Sam and Dean, now recovered, joined in on the fight. Sam managed to grab onto Lucifer and restrain him, letting Dean get in a few punches. Cassandra hesitated before lunging, landing a blow to the gut. No one caught the apologetic look she sent him.

"You hit like a human," Lucifer said irritably, jumping up and kicking Cassandra across the cell.

She quickly regained her composure just as Lucifer turned to punch Sam, bringing both of them down to the ground in the process. Castiel ran forward, only getting in one punch before he, too, was sent to the ground. Sam sprung up to his feet but was greeted by an elbow to the face by the Devil.

Lucifer turned towards Cassandra. "You wanna swing again?"

Every memory of the past seven centuries of torture came flooding back and rage filled Cassandra's eyes. "Gladly," she growled, pushing herself off of the cell wall and grabbing onto his arm, flipping him to the ground.

Lucifer quickly snatched her arm and threw her off, the blonde rolling until she landed next to Cas. Dean didn't even get in one punch or kick before he joined Sam on the ground. Just as Sam rose to his knees, Lucifer kicked him in the stomach which sent him to land next to Castiel across the cage. Dean bounced back up but Lucifer wrapped his hand around his neck, slamming him against the bars of the cell. Dean grimaced as he lifted him from the ground, clawing at Lucifer's hand as he gasped for air.

Lucifer turned towards Sam. "Alright, Sam, I'm gonna make this real easy for you. You say the magic word or your brother dies...and we both know you won't let that happen," he said.

Castiel charged at Lucifer, letting Dean drop from his clutch. Cassandra quickly crawled over to the blond, completely blocking out the punches that Lucifer threw at Castiel repeatedly. Out of the corner of her eye she could see Lucifer step on Castiel's angel blade, keeping him from bringing any harm to the Devil or Cassandra.

"So, last words—"

Suddenly, in a bright white light, Lucifer disappeared into thin air. Dean rushed over to Sam in the corner while Cassandra sat back on her calves, grinning at Castiel. Only she and Castiel knew what that light truly was.

"We did it," she mouthed in relief.

Castiel nodded before turning towards the Winchesters, his face bloody and swollen from the hits he took on from Lucifer. They were free.

~*~

    "You're welcome...anyone?" Rowena asked, leaning against the wall as Team Free Will all made their way back to the King of Hell and his mother.

    Cassandra furrowed her eyebrows at the Scottish witch but ignored her. Dean went to pull her against him when she flinched away. He frowned but left her alone.

"Bite me!" Dean snapped at the witch.

"I can make her do that," Crowley said. His gaze drifted over to the blonde and his smirk fell into a frown. She looked horrible. Her hair was wild and matted with blood; her pale skin stained with dried red blotches and patches of dirt; her clothes torn, giving her the image of someone sending the outfit through a wood chipper. She literally looked like Hell.

"So what now?" Sam asked, glancing over to the Nephilim between he and Dean.

"About the Darkness? No clue," Crowley replied.

Dean sighed and ran a hand down his face, shaking his head. "We'll figure it out."

"Or die screaming," Rowena added with a smirk.

Cassandra eyed the iron collar around her neck and followed the leather strap over to Crowley's hand. He was controlling her and somehow that piece of metal was the key. And she had a feeling she may need that control in the future.

"This has been a horrible train wreck, so we're done. Team up over," the King of Hell said, his gaze passing over each Hunter.

Sam, still breathing heavily, pointed towards Rowena. "What about her?"

Crowley eyed her in thought, pursing his lips. Rowena's eyes lit up a bit with hope, but quickly dimmed out at his reply: "She stays."

Dean and Sam exchanged unsure glanced.

"The rest of you lot...get the hell out of Hell." Crowley turned towards Cassandra. "You're welcome back anytime, Sweetheart."

The blonde wrinkled her nose at his offer and he simply shrugged. He wouldn't let himself get offended. She had just spent centuries locked in a Cage with Michael and Lucifer. Never coming back to Hell would still be too soon.

Dean turned towards Cassandra and sent her a comforting smile. She hadn't changed much since he had last seen her. She also hadn't aged one bit, but being stuck in the Cage for six years would do that to a person. Warily, the blonde reached out and took Dean's hand, intertwining her fingers with his. He smiled at her and nodded.

Sam, Dean, Castiel, and Cassandra all emerged from the portal down to Hell and stepped out onto the street, standing just a few feet away from the Impala. Cassandra's eyes lit up at the sight of the car and she grinned. She had missed Baby.

Dean turned to Castiel. "You alright?"

"I think so. I will be," the angel replied.

Dean gestured to the vehicle behind him, raising his eyebrows slightly. "You want me to give you a lift?"

"No, you three go on ahead. I'll catch up," Cas replied with a half-smile.

Dean nodded. "Okay."

The Hunter and the Nephilim made their way to the Impala and Cas watched them go. Cassandra glanced over her shoulder and eyed the angel, her eyes raking over his body. He nodded at her and she licked her lips, returning the nod.

Sam gave Cas a half-salute before climbing into the passenger seat of the Impala, Dean helping Cassandra in the back before slipping into the driver's side.

"Is he alright?" Sam questioned, glancing out the back window towards the angel.

Dean nodded and sighed. "Tough day."

Sam scoffed, nodding in agreement. "Yeah. Tell me about it."

Dean turned towards his younger brother. "You good?"

"I don't know. I mean what if Lucifer was telling the truth, you know, what if he's the only—"

Cassandra looked up at his words, fumbling with her fingers in her lap. She stayed quiet, too afraid to speak. She was still hesitant around the Winchesters. Yes, they were real and they wouldn't hurt her. She knew that. But every time she looked at them all she could see were the hallucinations that Lucifer induced and she could still feel the angel blades piercing her chest. She could still feel herself die at their hands.

Dean shook his head. "No, dude, the Darkness is bad. Her and the Devil, that's a nightmare." Dean started the Impala and twisted around in his seat, his gaze raking over the blonde. He grinned and stared at her in a loving way, a way he hadn't looked at anyone in a long time. He reached back and held his hand out.

Cassandra took it and returned his smile.

"Let's go home."

When Dean had told Cassandra that they were going home she had automatically assumed they were going back to Sioux Falls, South Dakota and meeting Bobby at the junkyard. She wanted to be pulled into a tight hug by the older Hunter and invited inside for a beer or some type of alcohol where they all would just sit and talk and catch each other up on the past six years. But that didn't happen.

Instead, Sam and Dean took her to Lebanon, Kansas without any explanation. Confused would be an understatement if you described how Cassandra felt she they pulled up to an old power plant.

They all slipped out from the car, slamming the doors shut behind them. Cassandra's gaze swept over the building before she shook her head, turning to Dean with furrowed eyebrows. "I don't understand. Where are we?" she questioned.

Dean sighed and rubbed his hands together as he and Sam started to make their way down the steps.

Cassandra followed.

"Welcome to the Men of Letters Bunker," Dean said.

"Men of Letters?" the Nephilim repeated, stepping through the doorway as Dean held the steel sheet open. She sent him a small smile and walked as far as the railing would let her, her eyes skimming over the first room. The door slammed behind them and she jumped, turning to face the brothers with wide eyes.

Sam frowned but cleared his throat. "Turns out we're legacies. Our dad was supposed to be a Man of Letters but they were all killed back in 'fifty-eight, including his father," Sam explained.

"Oh, but we got to meet Henry anyways about three years ago," Dean chimed in.

Cassandra's eyebrows rose and her lips parted slightly in shock. Dean grinned, bouncing on the balls of his feet. He stared at her but didn't say anything else. He still couldn't believe that they got her back.

"Okay," Cassandra replied slowly. "What exactly were the Men of Letters?"

"Sophisticated Hunters to put it simply," Sam answered.

Cassandra eyed Dean unsurely but looked back to Sam.

"Listen, Cassy, we know how hard this has to be for you. It's been a long time and you've been through a lot. We'll catch you up on everything you've missed, but you should really get some rest."

The blonde looked around the Bunker, frowning slightly. "Where's Bobby?" she asked.

Sam's face fell and he exchanged glances with Dean.

Cassandra immediately understood. Bobby was dead. "Oh."

"He was killed about four years ago," Sam whispered. "Leviathan."

"I'm gonna pretend I know what that is and nod," Cassandra said.

Sam laughed, shaking his head. "I see you never lost your sense of humor," he replied.

Cassandra smiled and shrugged.

"Alright, well, Dean will show you to the bathroom so you can take a shower and then you can pick out your room, unless you want to share with him."

Dean snapped out of his trance upon hearing his name and glanced between the two, nodding and clearing his throat. "Uh, yeah. Let's go."

Cassandra only smiled at Sam before following Dean down the stairs. The younger Winchester let out a sigh. He hated the fear he saw in her eyes. He hated that he was the reason she had been locked up for over six years, a sentence she didn't deserve. He hated that he loved her like a sister because it had made it fifteen times harder to deal with the guilt after he regained his soul.

Cassandra wandered the halls with Dean in silence, but spoke up after she caught the looks he snuck. "What?"

Dean grinned and shook his head. "I just can't believe you're here in front of me. I mean, you were gone, Cassy. Dead. You don't understand how hard it was for me after I lost you. That wasn't supposed to be how you went," Dean explained.

Cassandra nodded and stopped, turning to face the Hunter. "Yeah, about that," she started. "Did you ever get out of the life like you promised?"

Dean's face fell and he sighed, his gaze dropping to the ground guiltily.

Cassandra scoffed and looked away in disbelief. "Of course you didn't."

"I did for a while. Then Sam came back," he admitted.

Cassandra nodded and pressed her lips in a thin line. They were busted and chapped, a sight that Dean had missed for some odd reason. They had forgotten each other's voices quickly after Cassandra fell in, and they had forgotten their faces not long after.

Dean only held onto her voice as long as he did because of the video Sam had taken of them when Cassandra had driven the Impala for the first time. After two years he stopped rewatching and tried to let go.

"So you didn't get out," she clarified.

"I'm sorry," Dean whispered.

Cassandra shrugged and managed a small smile, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "I get it. This is your life. That's okay."

Dean pulled her into his arms and she tensed but quickly relaxed when she inhaled his scent of old leather, whiskey, and the Impala. In all of the hallucinations over the past seven-hundred years, not once did Dean have a scent. It was something Lucifer couldn't replicate as he didn't know what it was. Cassandra was safe in his arms. This was Dean Winchester. This was her Dean.

"I love you so much," Dean muttered into her hair, a single tear slipping down his cheek.

Cassandra stared over his shoulder blankly with guilty eyes as her own tears escaped no matter how hard she tried to hold them back. She knew what the future held and she dreaded its arrival. "I love you, too. No matter what happens, I will always love you."

Dean pulled away and smiled down at her, wiping away her tears with the pad of his thumb. "Let's get you cleaned up. I'm sure you'd love a shower right now." Cassandra's eyes lit up at the mention of a shower and he chuckled, nodding.

"A bath sounds better, though," Cassandra admitted, following Dean down the hall.

Dean grinned and slowed down so that the blonde could catch up. "Whatever you want, Princess. We're going to spoil you tomorrow. The Darkness will still be there the next day. I'm sure She can wait one day," Dean said.

Cassandra managed a small laugh and followed him into an open room. He flicked on the lights, revealing a pearl white clawfoot bathtub. Cassandra's eyebrows rose in shock.

"The Men of Letters liked to pamper themselves."

"Well, thank you, Men of Letters," Cassandra mumbled, her gaze skimming over the bathroom.

Dean chuckled and nodded, stepping further into the room. He turned on the water and let it start to fill, holding his hand under the steady stream to make sure it wasn't too hot. He looked up and raised his eyebrows just as she kicked the door shut behind her, peeling off her tattered leather jacket and her shirt.

"Don't you think it's time for a new jacket?" Dean suggested.

Cassandra's gaze snapped up to meet his.

"I mean, I know it has meaning to you and I'm not saying that you get rid of it, I'm just saying that maybe we should get you a new one. It'll help you blend in more."

Cassandra eyed the discarded clothing on the floor and sighed. Dean was right. "I guess. I mean, I don't even have any clothes as it is."

"That's a lie," Dean said, watching as she unbuttoned her jeans. He furrowed his eyebrows. She had been so jumpy around him just minutes earlier and now she wasn't afraid to undress in front of him? "Sam and I stopped by your apartment not long after he came back and we got everything that we thought would mean something to you in the chance that you came back. We also packed away your clothes from Bobby's and put them in storage."

"What happened to his place anyways?"

"Leviathans blew it up."

Cassandra arched an eyebrow.

"We'll explained everything later. I promise," Dean assured her.

She nodded and unhooked her bra, letting it fall to the floor. Dean's gaze lingered on her bare chest before dropping to her torso. The scars were still there. MONSTER stared back at him, surrounded by a few other tiny white lines that really held no meaning.

"You good there?" Cassandra questioned, sliding her underwear down her legs and kicking it aside.

Dean cleared his throat and his gaze snapped back up to her eyes and he nodded. She giggled and placed her hands on his shoulders hesitantly. She eyed his lips. They couldn't be just as she remembered. It had been too long. Dean even sounded different. He reached forward and gently grabbed her chin, pulling her towards him and connecting their lips. Cassandra's eyes fluttered closed and she sunk into the kiss. It was just as she had remembered.

"Is this okay?" Dean muttered against her lips.

She nodded, letting him slide his tongue over her bottom lip.

"Just tell me when to stop, Cassy."

"You're Dean. You're my Dean. I can trust you," she whispered, her words more to reassure herself than Dean. His heart clenched at her words. Lucifer and Michael had screwed with her head more than he could ever imagine.

Dean's hand slowly snaked around her waist, resting on the small of her back and pulling her against him. Dean kissed the corner of her mouth before moving over to her jawline, leaving a trail of kisses until he reached her neck. He brushed her blonde locks out of the way and planted his lips on the side of her neck, moving down until he reached her collarbone. Cassandra's lips parted when he started to suck on the skin and she moved her head to the side to give him better access.

She pushed the jacket off of his arms and to the floor before fingering the hem of his t-shirt, letting him pull it over his head and dropping it with the rest of the clothing. Cassandra moved back until the back of her knees hit the tub and she stepped in, moaning at the warmth of the water and the way Dean's fingers dug into her hips. The Hunter pulled away from the Nephilim and quickly kicked off his shoes and socks, sliding his jeans and boxers down his legs before joining her in the water. Cassandra straddled his waist and kissed his lips as he reached behind her to turn off the water. She moved onto his neck but stopped when a memory that wasn't hers flashed across her vision.

"Knife me. Smite me. Throw me into the freakin' sun, whatever. And don't let Sam get in the way, because he'll try. I can't go down that road again, man. I can't be that thing again," Dean said. He sat across from Castiel at a table. Cas' gaze was sorrowful, but when Cassandra looked down the Mark of Cain caught her eye. She wasn't exactly sure what it was, but she knew it couldn't be good.

Cassandra gasped and pulled away, a bit of water sloshing out of the tub from her abrupt movements. She stared back at Dean with wide green eyes before grabbing his right arm, running her fingers over his forearm. The skin was smooth. There was no Mark there.

"Princess? What's wrong?" Dean questioned, worry clear in his eyes. His eyebrows were furrowed in confusion and he cocked his head to the side slightly.

Cassandra whimpered when a sharp pain radiated through her skull and she ducked her head down, pressing it against Dean's chest as another unfamiliar memory took over.

"Sammy, close your eyes," Dean said as he stared down at his kneeling brother.

Cassandra recognized the weapon in his hand as Death's scythe and when she glanced over the Hunter's shoulder she could see the Horseman watching them. Both brothers looked exhausted, all hope gone. Cassandra could tell that they had just lost somebody close to them but she wasn't sure who exactly.

Sam hesitated. "Wait." He reached into his jacket pocket and stared down at a few photos for a long moment before spreading them out on the tile in front of him. "Take these. And one day, when you find your way back...Let these be your guide. And they can help you remember what it was to be good...what it was to love."

Dean pulled her head up before it could go underwater and he pushed her away slightly, creating space so that he could look her in the eye. He searched her eyes for something; anything. All he could find in her blank gaze was confusion and pain.

"Cassy? Cassy, what's wrong?" Dean asked. He smoothed her hair back as she continued to live the memory that wasn't hers. There was something that was triggering them. Something that she should fear but didn't. "Cassandra!"

She gasped and her head snapped up, her chest heaving as she tried to catch her breath.

Dean breathed a sigh of relief and rested his forehead against hers.

"W-what—Death—Sam," she sputtered, unable to form a coherent sentence.

Dean stared back at her in confusion. "What? What happened?"

She closed her eyes and breathed in deeply through her nose, trying to calm her heart rate.

Dean reached out and cupped her cheek in his hand as she took deep breaths. After a few minutes she managed to calm down and leaned forward, resting her head on Dean's shoulder. He wrapped his arms around her torso and held her against him, running his fingers through her hair to the best of his ability. "It's okay. It's okay. You're safe," Dean assured her softly.

Cassandra didn't reply. She only kept her eyes clenched shut as she tried to make out what she had just seen. It had to be the past. Dean didn't have the Mark on his arm. The Mark was the key to letting out The Darkness as Lucifer had explained to her during their time down in the Cage.

"You're safe here. I won't let anything happen to you."

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to ruin anything," the blonde whimpered.

Dean shook his head, frowning. "You didn't ruin anything. You have no reason to apologize, okay? You don't have to apologize for anything."

Cassandra nodded and pressed herself closer to him. But she'd have so much to apologize for. Even if her time in the Cage had turned her against most humans, she still loved Dean and Sam deeply. She still cared for them more than she cared for herself and she'd still do anything for them. So what would happen when they found out the truth? What would happen when they realized that the Cassandra they pulled from the Cage wasn't the Cassandra they had lost six years earlier?

So...yikes. Think she's just broken?

What would you guys think if I started posting original stories on here? Let me know. I'm curious.