Gabrielle and Castiel had played in the park until Ellison had given the signal for the Hunters to move in. As soon as they came into view, the two terrified kids came to a stop and stood in the middle of the playground staring at the surrounding grim faced Sentinels, the little boy holding tightly onto his sister's leg, his head buried in her waist.
They could see the soothing gentle motions of her hand in his silky black hair, and even though her terrified eyes had scanned the area instinctively for escape, they had all seen how she had forced herself to stay, to submit to their will and there had been a slight lessening in the aggressive tension displayed by most of the Sentinels. Despite her shivering fear, she had found the courage to drop her eyes and concentrate on her scared baby brother, as the Alpha Guide moved away from the restraining hand of his Sentinel and walked jauntily towards the pair of them with a big happy smile on his face as if he had just met his favourite people unexpectedly whilst out for a stroll.
Gabrielle wondered briefly if Guides actually went insane when they were older after bonding with an arsehole Sentinel, and this one had to be especially troubled, definitely one wave short of a shipwreck because he was the frigging clan guide so had more than one Sentinel Neanderthal to deal with.

Guide Ellison added an extra bounce to his step just before he dropped to his knees in front of an appalled Castiel. The look on her little brother's face when he had peered up at her from behind her knees where he had fled to escape that incredibly bouncy adult nearly had her giggling with nervous hysteria, actually laughing for the first time in ages. Castiel was so not impressed bless his heart. He obviously had the same doubts about the Alpha Guide's mental health; Cas was studying him as if he was an alien who had fallen to earth. His little face was confused and almost disapproving.

He looked back up at his sister and said in a solemn whisper, which was still loud enough for the Guide to hear and all the surrounding Sentinels. "He's just like Tigger, he's over excited, he needs a nap Elle"

She murmured something, she couldn't remember what she said because she was so busy trying to stifle her giggles. It was a reaction to the situation. She knew if she started to laugh, it would deteriorate to hysterical sobbing and pleading in no time at all and she couldn't frighten her brother like that. She closed her eyes once then looked into Guide Sandburg's startling calm amused blue eyes, letting him see the fear and tears, but she wouldn't let them fall.

Her voice had wobbled slightly but stayed strong as she introduced the frightened little lad to the Guide who had tried to reassure the pair of them despite the stern faced Sentinels surrounding them, until the Guide had finally glared at them and told them in a ferocious whisper Castiel couldn't hear, to loosen up because they were frightening the little boy.
Elle thought wryly it wasn't just the little boy they were frightening. She was absolutely shitting herself. She had to concentrate on Cas.
For a powerful guide Sandburg didn't seem to grasp the fact that Castiel wanted nothing to do with him either, or it was more likely he was ignoring it as irrelevant.

Castiel had clung to her like a limpet, sobbing his refusal to go without her until she had knelt down and whispered gently into his ear. She knew that all the Sentinels could hear her but she didn't let it stop her. "Remember what we talked about Cas baby? Remember I have to go away for a little while, and Guide Sandburg and Alph.. Alpha Ellison will look after you for me" she stumbled with fear over the Alpha's name, but only the Sentinels could hear that in her voice. "Please Castiel will you do this for me, so that I know you are safe?" The tearful little boy stared up into his sister's eyes, drew a deep breath and slowly took control of his sobs,

When he had finally stopped crying, he patted his sister's face lovingly, and then craned his neck to stare warily at the Guide. Blair's kind smile and calm demeanour didn't change. Castiel drew a deep shuddering breath and took one last long and loving look at his sister's face and then slowly walked, dragging his feet towards the smiling man who had knelt down to face the little boy. Gabrielle stood up.
"So proud of you Castiel", the girl had whispered to herself as she watched him. As she saw Sandburg take his hand and gently turn him away from his sister to lead him towards a vehicle. Gabrielle couldn't help herself; she had taken an instinctive step towards the Guide but had been stopped by the heavy hand of the Alpha. The Alpha Sentinel she hadn't heard come closer to her and she nearly jumped out of her skin with fright. His hand didn't move but the fingers pressed slightly almost in reassurance for a second before his hold became impersonal again. She had turned to look at him in shock but the expression on his face made her quickly drop her eyes.

It took a few seconds for her breathing to get under control and then she found her voice again.
"Please Alpha" she whispered, her head bent submissively "There are some things that the Guide needs to know to look after Castiel" but she stood obediently under his hand making no move to follow Castiel and the Guide and waited for his decision.

"Look at me" the Alpha ordered coldly, she swallowed and raised her head, her eyes wide with the effort to stop the tears falling. Miserable wet hazel eyes looked up into icy blue and she flinched as if he had physically struck her but she didn't hide her gaze.

"The boy is no longer your concern" the words were as uncompromising and hard as his eyes and she paled, finally tears slipped down her cheek. He had been furious with her since he had seen that empty hospital room and his stomach had hit his toes with fear for their safety. He would have cheerfully put her over his knee for this stunt and made sure she couldn't sit properly for the rest of the week, hell for the rest of the month. She deserved it, because the pair of them could have been hurt, hurt badly the way she had driven the truck, and he was still having flashbacks to the sight of her terrified face in the vehicle which had turned into absolute unthinking panic when he and Winchester had taken off towards her and the boy.
But he was well aware of the precarious hold that Winchester had on his sentinel urges and his temper so even though it would have satisfied his need for her to understand just how dangerous her stunt had been, and ensure that she never did it again, spanking her was out of the question. He was damned sure that just keeping his hand on her shoulder was driving the boy insane, but he hadn't claimed her yet so he would have to wait until Jim completed his business with the little Guide. Self control was important for a Sentinel and this wouldn't take much longer.

"Please Alpha he's my brother, he's never been apart from me" she whispered miserably. "I'm sorry I'm so sorry, please don't take him away from me forever, please I couldn't bear it" she was literally shaking with fear and misery as she begged.

Ellison's free hand came up to her face and he collected a tear between his forefinger and his thumb, gently spreading it between the two, taking in her essence through his pores. His heart softened at her words, she thought they were taking Castiel from her permanently. So that was why she had fled, or at least one of the reasons, he considered as he remembered her anxious glances at Winchester.

The foolish child had believed that she wouldn't see her baby brother again. That wouldn't happen with Winchester, family was too important to him, and even if she had been imprinted with another less family friendly sentinel, Jim would not have allowed the separation.
The kids needed each other. What sort of fucking Sentinels had she come across?

He had been furious with her for running; she had just made things ten times worse for herself by stealing his truck for Christ's sake. And to top it all off, he had been furious with her when he heard that comment to her brother, "Word of a Messenger."
It meant that the kids had come from a pack and a clan which they were running from. They were living off her wits and her ability to duck and dive and lie, when they belonged to a clan, where they would have been cherished as the treasures they were, where they would have been fed regularly and sent to school and allowed to play and been loved and protected. The clan they belonged was not just any clan; they had mentioned the Messengers who were a minor but important pack of the Host Clan. The bloody Host clan, who were powerful, strong and secretive, who ruled their sub division with the iron fist of Michael Archangel, the Alpha Prime of the Host clan. So now he had a runaway from the Messenger clan who was going to be bonded to a Panther Sentinel, to all intents and purposes without her full consent, and her little brother had been claimed as family by the Alpha pair of the clan pack.
The diplomatic repercussions of this were going to be horrendous. Why in the name of God had the girl not just told him what was going on, instead of just running, again?

Running, she'd been running with a child since he was a baby and she barely a teenager herself, what the hell was she so afraid of that the well connected Messenger clan and its powerful and dangerous partner the Host clan couldn't protect them from, and why hadn't he heard of any missing Messenger or Host children as Alpha Prime of the largest sub district in what used to be the old state of Washington. Missing clan children were always a priority, children were the lifeblood of the clans, and there were too many of the Western Sentinel Republic's so called allies, let alone enemies, who would be only too happy to have their own captive sentinels and guides to alleviate any so called imbalance in power.
Though they were precious to the clans but they were a priceless treasure to be pillaged by friends and enemies alike. Missing children were given priority over everything else, unless there was a reason to keep it secret. The hard truth hit him between the eyes, dear god, that's why she had asked for the promise not to harm her brother, that's why she avoided anything to do with Sentinels. For the love of God she was running from her clan, she was running from Sentinels, she was running from her family because she thought they were going to hurt her and the kid, but it couldn't be just hurt could it?
Not to cause that level of paranoia and fear, she believed that they were both in danger, mortal danger. The knowledge pulsed through him enraging him. His Sentinel need to protect outraged, he heard his spirit animal roar with fury and immediately felt the concerned mind touch of his bonded Guide. He calmed and sent reassurance through the bond to his guide, but he knew his partner would seek answers later.

He stiffened as he remembered that he had issued the nationwide request for information from other law enforcement agencies so they would know where the kids were. Which meant that in the not too distant future, he could expect a visit from the Host clan or Messenger clan! Bloody hell, he really had to know what he was dealing with now.

Ellison knew the difference between courage and stupidity, he had seen plenty of both in his time in the army and law enforcement, but there was also an underlying fear which was so strong it focused on one thing only.
Gabrielle had been living on that fear for so long she didn't know how to deal with situations any other way now. He recognised that punch drunk, adrenaline fuelled desperation in her eyes. Well damn it she was just going to have to learn the hard way that this pack and clan looked after their own. And the only way for her and the kid to be fully protected now was for the mating bond to take, it didn't matter how scared she was, she had to bond with Dean. No-one, family or not, could interfere with a mated pair. She would be safe.

The little boy was now the adopted son of the Alpha Sentinel and Guide of the Panther Clan. Just let the fucking arrogant Host clan try to overturn that. He'd lead the panther clan against the bird brains himself he thought savagely.

His face softened "You should have trusted me kid" he admonished gently, "You aren't going to lose your brother now tell me what we need to know about the bo…about Castiel" he continued trying to reassure her, then had to hold her as her legs simply gave way beneath her, her relief so deep it had drained what was left of the blood in her face. "Truly" she whispered disbelievingly and took his raised eyebrow as confirmation. She had closed her eyes but the tears slid underneath her eyelids. She took a deep breath.

"Castiel is lactose intolerant; he can only take lactose free milk or soya milk. He'll get sick if you give him normal milk. He will eat pretty much of anything except carrots, he hates cooked carrots, his favourite is burgers, and he'd eat the restaurant out of them if he could, but he's good with his food. He just needs a bit of coaxing sometimes because he daydreams and forgets to eat. He needs his bear Bobby to sleep properly, it's in my backpack and you have to tell him a story every night before bed. He doesn't like bubbles in his bath because he likes to dunk his head and it stings his eyes when he does that if there are bubbles. He hates brushing his hair but loves brushing his teeth. He has a night light because he's scared of the dark and he needs lots of cuddles."

She was sobbing as she rattled out the words, hardly drawing breath, but not taking her eyes from the stern faced Alpha who stared at her, and then finally said.

"Neither I nor Winchester have any interest in keeping the boy from you, but you will not be allowed to see him until the bond is successfully completed, do you understand Gabrielle? You may not want it but this bond is your only hope of keeping your family together"

There was a horrified pause but then she nodded jerkily in acceptance, and her eyes left his face to home onto the stony faced Sentinel standing waiting for her. She trembled, her heart sank, she could sense his anger underneath that hard mask and she knew it was directed at her. He thought she had rejected him and now she was going to have to bond with him anyway. She was in so much trouble and she didn't know how to handle this, she was totally out of her depth. She looked back up at the Alpha still holding her in place. "I understand Alpha" she almost whispered, then seemed to abandon any attempt to pretend indifference, "But I'm scared" the words so quiet that only the super sensitive ears of a Sentinel would pick them up.
There was a collective exhalation of breath from the surrounding Sentinels who carefully refused to look at the seemingly patiently waiting Dean Winchester. Ellison was aware of it as well as of the fact that Winchester flinched but girl didn't notice it, any of it.
She continued quietly "I've never been to a Guide centre, I don't even know how to be a Guide so how do I do this, how do I bond with a Sentinel when I haven't been taught about Bonding, I don't know what to do or what will happen and I know he's very angry with me" her voice tailed off, as she looked up at him wide-eyed and vulnerable.

Fuck it, why wasn't Blair here? It was Ellison's first thought when he looked down into her pleading face. It should be a Guide speaking to her about this stuff not a Sentinel, and definitely not an Alpha Sentinel at that he thought embarrassed. He thought he could feel his guide's gentle amusement at his instinctive retreat from such a conversation.

One large hand cupped her face and turned it towards her Sentinel. "Trust him and submit. His anger will fade once the bond is complete. The bonding will be…intense because you ran but you are his mate, his guide and he will not hurt you deliberately. Do not run or give him cause to think you are resisting. Each of his senses will be imprinted upon you, some perhaps together but it will take as long as it takes and then he will cherish you"

The word cherish sank through her stomach like a stone. She knew what that meant; she knew she would lose her independence, her freedom, even her will would be bound to the Sentinel. They pretended the word cherish was a gift, such a pretty word but it was used to chain the Guide to the Sentinels side, trap them into obedience. Oh God she didn't want to be a cherished guide, panic flared deep inside her, but she buried it. This was for Castiel. She could do this for Castiel. Castiel, Castiel, Castiel.

She used his name as a talisman to hold back her rebelling emotions. She would submit to that Winchester, she could handle this, she could. It was for Castiel. The tiny traiterous whisper at the back of her mind about the beauty of her Sentinel was ignored.

The knowledge that she wouldn't be separated from Cas for ever, that she had one thing to accomplish before she could have him back seemed to have tilted her away from her abject fear and desperation and some of the kid's innate defiance found its way back into her posture and her speech. Ellison had to resist the unexpected surge of affectionate amusement, damn he liked this little troublemaker, and keep his face blank when she twisted herself back to look at him in angry disbelief and ranted:

"That's it, that's all you are going to tell me, that's what takes bloody six years in a guide centre, 'trust him' " the last two words were uttered in her attempt at the Alpha's deep voice. Ellison heard a few hastily suppressed chuckles from his surrounding men. The girl continued, her voice rising slightly "Seriously, that's it. I just bared my soul to you and you give me, what, five cryptic clues for some Sentinel Zen shit?"

She glared at him while he stared down at her impassively, her brain racing with options. How the hell did she deal with this? She knew Winchester was furious with her, she could feel his emotions pressing in on her and they hadn't even started a proper imprinting. He was so angry but there was also deep hurt hiding underneath the anger and it made her uncomfortable, her Sentinel should not be hurt, she tried to force that thought away but she couldn't stop feeling that she had to take his hurt away. She had caused this; she had caused his pain in public.
A stray memory from her childhood filtered through her brain. A ceremony that she had been forced to watch with all the other pack members, a ceremony which had made her independent little skin crawl and made sure that she had not been able to unclench her teeth for at least a month after witnessing it, but it was probably the only answer to her complete and utter screw up of this whole mess, and better that she initiate it and do it now instead of being forced to do it in front of the whole clan.

Ellison watched as her eyes narrowed and that clever little elfin face closed in as if to wipe away any traces of fear. Then she hissed something incomprehensible under her breath at him before stalking off in a temper towards Dean Winchester.

The other Sentinels watched with fascination and varying degrees of disapproval.

Dean watched her walk towards him, saw the anger and fear in the way her body moved, his eyes glinting with rage and resentment. She had rejected him twice in public, and ran from him. She had been touched by another Sentinel, the Alpha and had stood there making no protest and without trying to get away; she had even hugged the Alpha in the Hospital instead of coming to her own Sentinel for comfort. Then she had openly admitted her fear of him in front of all the other Sentinels.

Now she was finally submitting because it was the only way to retain access to her brother, not because she wanted to bond with him, her Sentinel, her bond mate, oh no this was only so she could stay with the little brat. Did she think she would get away with playing him that easily?

Winchesters didn't give a shit about the opinions of others, only the Alpha Sentinel and his Guide were important to him, but this humiliation caused by his destined Guide was eating him alive. He had to get her away from this place back to his territory and then he would deal with her treachery. He was so fucking angry he could punch a hole in his baby, his beautiful Impala and his spirit animal was almost insane with need and grief and anger.

The girl came to a halt a few feet away from him, the walk towards him seemed to have drained the anger leaving only her fear, those amazing eyes nervously searching his stern face. She made a strange little movement, almost as though she was nodding in confirmation at something. Then to his complete shock, she went to her knees in front of him, and without removing her eyes from his, she spoke clearly and solemnly using words in a ritual format he had never heard before.

"Sentinel, I have wronged you and your pack through my fear and ignorance, I have disobeyed your Alpha, I have lied to your Alpha and your pack and I have stolen from your Alpha and your pack," She took a deep breath and continued "my worst transgression is that I have run from your proper claim of bonding and I have run from you and your spirit animal. I offer you now my pride, and my submission in public as penance for my offences and submit my will to your punishment until such time as I am forgiven or cast off from the pack."

There was an astounded silence at her words and then the girl dropped her head into her hands and leant forward until her head was on the ground in front of the Sentinel's boots.

Dean looked down at her in total stunned amazement and then he heard the appalled comprehension and utter rage in his Alpha's voice

"Fucking Host clan bastards"

AN:

Second part of Angels Descending Series. You will need to read the Part I Echoes of Mercy for this to make sense. Hope you enjoy it.

Disclaimers: None of the characters belong to me, just having fun. No infringement intended.