Losing Hope | {BOOK 4}

5| Human Again

I stalked through the halls of the Bunker, opening doors as I searched for Dean. Walking into the kitchen, I opened a drawer, briefly considering a butcher knife, before grabbing a hammer instead.

"Come on, Dean-o!" I called out. "Don't you want to hang out with your Ellie Bear? Spend some quality time?"

Continuing down the hall, I paused briefly to kick open the door to mine and Dean's bedroom, finding it empty like the other rooms. Suddenly, the power to the Bunker shut off, and red lights started flashing as an alarm began to sound.

"Smart, Dean!" I taunted. "Locking the place down. Doors won't open. I get it. But here's the thing: I don't want to leave! Not 'til I find you!"

There was a clatter in the distance, and I stalked down the hall in that direction.

"Dean-o! You're just making this worse for yourself, sweetheart! Oh, by the way, you can, uh... blame yourself for me getting loose. All that blood you pumped into me to make me human... Well. The less demon I was, the less the cuffs worked. And that Devil's Trap? Well, I just walked right across it. It smarted, but still."

I opened another drawer, finding the keys to the control room missing. When I reached the room, I flipped the switch to turn the power in the Bunker back on.

"Yeah, that's more like it," I muttered.

At that moment, Dean rushed over and pulled the door shut, locking me inside.

"That's your big move?" I called to him.

"Listen to me, Ellie!" he called back. "We were getting close, okay? I know you're still in there somewhere. Just let me finish the treatments."

I didn't answer, adjusting my grip on the hammer as I prepared to swing.

"Ellie?" Dean asked hesitantly.

He jumped back from the door as it splintered under the force of the hammer. I continued to break the door until I could see him more clearly through the hole.

"You act like I want to be cured! Personally, I like the disease."

"Ellie, stop that!" he pleaded. "Look, I don't want to use this blade on you."

"That sucks for you, doesn't it," I smirked, still breaking down the door. "'Cause you really mean that!"

"Look, if you come out of that room, I won't have a choice!"

"Sure you will! And I know which one you'll make. Isn't that right, Dean? But see... here's the thing: I'm lucky. Oh, hell, I'm blessed. 'Cause there's just enough demon in me that killing you? Ain't no choice at all."

As I finished breaking down the door, Dean took off running down the hall. I pushed my hand through my hair, then walked off in the direction he went.

"Dean-o?"

I gripped the hammer as I headed down the hall, watching for any sign of Dean.

"Come on, Dean! Let's have a beer, talk about it. I'm tired of playing. Let's finish this game!"

I finally reached Dean, who was peering around a corner, back to the wall. As he turned back, I swung the hammer at his head. He ducked just in time, the hammer lodging into the wall. Reacting on instinct, he pushed the demon killing knife against my throat, and I smiled.

"Well... look at you," I smirked. "Do it. It's all you."

He let the blade fall, and my smile widened as I flashed my demon eyes. I took a step forward, but then found myself restrained as two arms wrapped around me from behind.

"It's over," Cass said. "Eleanor, it's over."

I yelled as Cass held me, using his grace to keep me restrained.

"It's over."

⁘

I woke up back in the dungeon, tied up in the same chair as before. Dean and Cass stood in front of me, and Dean uncapped a flask of holy water as they both stared warily at me.

"You look worried, fellas," I said.

Dean flung the holy water at me, and I met his gaze as nothing happened.

"Welcome back, Ellie Bear," he smiled.

He untied me, guiding me to our room to rest while Cass went off to the library.

"Dean, I'm sorry," I told him.

"It's okay, Ellie."

"But it's not. What I did-"

"Hey," he cut me off, placing a hand on my cheek. "It's over now. Don't worry about it."

"Where are Maddie and Zep?" I asked curiously.

"Sam has them. I told him to keep them away until we'd cured you. Try and get some rest now, alright? I love you."

"I love you, too."

Pressing his lips to my forehead, Dean pulled away and left the room, I assumed to go talk to Cass and call Sam to let him know it was safe to come back with the kids. A few minutes later, there was a knock on the door.

"Yeah?"

Cass entered the room, staring at me.

"You look terrible."

I laughed, smirking a little.

"You know, it wouldn't kill you to lie every now and again."

"No, it wouldn't kill me. I just... You..."

"Forget it," I dismissed him, eyeing the broken wings flickering in and out of my sight on his back. "So... are you back?"

"At least temporarily," he nodded. "It's a long story. Crowley, stolen grace. There's a female outside in the car."

I stared at him curiously and he shook his head in dismissal.

"Another time."

"Well, thank you for, um... stepping in when you did."

The angel nodded in acknowledgement.

"What did Dean say? Does he want a divorce?"

"I'm sure Dean knows that whatever you said or did, it wasn't really you," he replied. "It certainly wasn't all you."

"I tried to kill him, Cass."

"Eleanor. You two have been through so much. Look, he loves you. It'd take a lot more than trying to kill Dean with a hammer to make him want to walk away."

"You realize how screwed up our lives are that that even makes sense?" I scoffed.

He laughed and I smiled back at him.

"I'm glad you're here, Cass."

Turning, he began to leave, and then faced me once more.

"Hey, maybe you should, um... take some time before you get back to work. Allow yourself to heal. It's, uh... I don't know. The timing might be right. Heaven and Hell- they seem reasonably back in order. It's quiet out there."