Castiel and the Phantom of the Opera [Destiel]

Chapter 18: The Final Lair

          Sam had taken Meg halfway through the labyrinth and gave her instructions to get to the gate. “I’m going to go back and get Balthazar and a few other men,” Sam explained. “Go to the alcove and try to talk Dean down. Try to get Castiel to come with you.”

          Meg looked at him, dubious. “I’m not going in unarmed,” she informed softly, showing Sam a pistol she had tucked in the waistband of her skirt. “If that monster tries anything—”

          Before she could even finish her sentence, Sam grabbed her hand roughly. “No,” he told her firmly.

          “But—”

          “No,” Sam said again. “Dean . . . Dean might be crazy – he might have really gone off the deep-end this time . . . But he’s still my brother. And I don’t want him to die, okay? So can you . . . Can you not?”

          Meg nodded to make Sam happy, but she knew what she had to do. She knew that she had to put an end to this once and for all. Dean Winchester was not going to come out of this alive. She would make Castiel hers and hers alone at long last . . . even if that meant she had to kill the Phantom of the Opera.

- - - -

          Dean put on a grim smile as he observed Meg standing behind the gate. “This is indeed an unparalleled delight!” he purred, wrapping an arm around Castiel. “I had rather hoped that you would come. And now, my wish comes true! Mademoiselle, you have truly made my night.”

          Meg grabbed the bars, her brown eyes glued on Castiel. “Free him!” she shouted. “Do what you like only free him! Please, Monsieur Ghost! Have you no pity?”

          “Your lover makes a passionate plea!” Dean laughed, looking down at Castiel by his side.

          Castiel shook his head. “Meg, it’s useless!”

          “I love him!” Meg tried again, shaking the bars the best she could. “Does that mean nothing? I love him! Show some compassion!”

          That seemed to be the complete wrong thing to say, for Dean’s arm left Castiel’s shoulder and his hands clenched into fists. He took a big step toward Meg, his lips curled in a snarl. “THE WORLD SHOWED NO COMPASSION TO ME!”

          Meg seemed unintimidated by Dean’s roars. “Castiel, Castiel! Let me see him!”

          Dean stalked over to the side of the alcove and pulled a lever. The metal gate began to rise upward slowly, water dripping from the bars. “Be my guest, Mademoiselle.”

          As the gate began to rise, Meg rushed underneath it, not minding that she was getting drenched from the falling water. Castiel didn’t move, instead he watched Dean’s movements closely. What are you planning? What are you going to do to her? he wondered. Even if he didn’t love Meg, she was his friend. That would never change. She was the last tie he had to his past, after all. Don’t make me hate you, Dean . . . Please.

          Dean entered the water with his arms held out as if he were welcoming her. “Mademoiselle, I bid you welcome!” Dean began with a chuckle. His voice was higher than usual, and sounded almost unhinged. He didn’t sound . . . himself. He sounded like he was slowly breaking – or perhaps already broken. “Did you think that I would harm him? Why should I make him pay for the sins which are yours!”

          Castiel’s mouth fell open and he gasped as Dean leaned down and picked up a lasso out of the water. Before Castiel could even shout a warning to Meg, or ask Dean to stop, he had secured the rope around her neck and pulled it tight. He looped the end of the rope through the bars of the gate and proceeded to pull it even tighter.

          “DEAN!” Cas shouted. “DEAN, STOP IT!”

          But the Phantom of the Opera wasn’t listening to his angel anymore. He grabbed Meg’s hand and tied it to the metal bars. “ORDER YOUR FINE HORSES NOW! RAISE UP YOUR HAND TO THE LEVEL OF YOUR EYES! NOTHING CAN SAVE YOU NOW, EXCEPT PERHAPS CASTIEL!” With that, he turned back to the boy, his eyes blazing with what looked like the fires of hell. “YOU CARE FOR HER?!” Dean roared.

          Castiel started to shake his head, but Dean cut him off. “I will give you two choices! Either you start a new life with me and buy her freedom with your love, or you send your lover to her death! This is your choice! This is the point of no return!”

          He stared at Dean in shock. Things had been going so well . . . or at least they seemed to be given the circumstances. But Meg’s presence seemed to infuriate him to no end. Why did you have to show up, Meg? Castiel wondered angrily. But even then, he could not excuse Dean’s behavior. He shook his head. “Dean . . . You don’t have to do this! Please, don’t do this! Meg is my friend!”

          “SHE RUINS US!” Dean screamed. “YOU LOVE HER! YOU LOVE HER MORE THAN ME! YOU CHOSE HER OVER ME! I CAN’T—” his voice abruptly broke off. Dean’s eyes closed and when they opened, they had tears in them. “I cannot lose you to this . . . this WHORE again!”

          “Castiel!” Meg cried out. “Please, don’t let him control you! Say you love him and my life is over! Don’t you get it? He is brainwashing you – using you to his own advantage! Either way you choose, he has to win!”

          Dean shook his head and pulled the rope around Meg’s throat even tighter, making her gag. “You’ve past the point of no return! There’s no point in fighting it anymore, Castiel! Come to your Angel!”

          “Dean,” Castiel sighed, shaking his head. “We had such hopes, and now those hopes are shattered!”

          Ignoring Castiel’s words, Dean went on. “So do you end your days with me or do you send her to her grave?! WHICH IS IT, CASTIEL?! IT’S TIME TO CHOOSE!”

          Meg let out a low growl and struggled against the ropes. “Why make him lie to you to save me?!” she hissed at Dean, her eyes bright with rage.

          Castiel took a deep breath before wading into the lake toward Dean. His Angel of Music still clutched the rope that held Meg’s noose tightly in his hands. Dean watched warily as Castiel approached him, his green eyes full of tears and also fearful of what would happen next. Castiel did not yell, or scream, or shout. Instead, he did what he knew would calm both him and Dean down. He did what Dean had always taught him to do: sing.

“Angel of Music . . .

You deceived me!

I gave my mind blindly.”

          Dean’s face seemed to soften at his words. He looked away from Castiel and down at the water that was lapping at his legs. “Blindly,” he whispered to himself, shaking his head.

          “Castiel, no!” Meg shouted at him. “Please, don’t give in to this creature’s torment! I fought so hard to free me!”

          Finally, Castiel looked to Meg. He shook his head in distress. “Meg . . . you don’t understand – you never did. I don’t want to be free! I never needed to be free! I don’t want to leave him, Meg! I . . . I love him.”

          “Castiel . . .” Dean breathed.

          The boy continued toward Dean, his blue eyes shining with sadness and pity. He sang again, his high-pitched voice ringing throughout the alcove.

“Pitiful creature of darkness,

What kind of life have you known?

God give me courage to show you

You are not alone.”

          Castiel stood right in front of Dean now. He gazed upon his Angel’s face without fear and gave him a small smile. “I choose you, Dean Winchester,” Castiel breathed before stretching up to kiss him.