New Mexico

2012

Running into the Winchesters in the middle of the desert was not how Castiel wanted to start the hunt. Shaking his head in frustration, Castiel returned to his observation of the site where the bodies of six young children had been found weeks earlier. When Sam Winchester's shadow obscured his view Castiel stood and began to walk away.

"Cas! Listen to me, Cas," yelled the oldest Winchester brother.

"The name is Castiel. You no longer have the right to call me Cas," replied Castiel, his deep voice devoid of emotion. He turned and gazed at the hunter standing before him, his blue eyes cold.

"Cas, please. Castiel, please, give us a chance to talk about what happened" asked the youngest Winchester with an earnest expression on his face.

"The knife in my back was enough Sam, there is nothing else to say," stated dryly the former angel of the Lord. Castiel turned to walk away from his former friends but stopped at the sound of Dean's weary voice.

"What are you doing here?" asked Dean carefully avoiding the use of Castiel's name.

"I am here to determine why children are disappearing. Did you think I was here for the wonderful scenery?" replied Castiel looking at the barren landscape.

"You have changed," stated Sam who had been staring at their former ally with interest.

Castiel no longer looked like the nerdy tax accountant the brothers had met in 2008.

Castiel had lost the trench coat and tie and replaced them with all black. Jeans, long sleeve Henley shirt, boots, and topped it off with a long, black duster. Castiel's once short hair now reached his shoulders and a scar ran from his left ear to the middle of his cheek.

He looked tough. He looked lethal. And he looked at them like they meant nothing.

"Everybody changes Sam." With that Castiel slipped on his sunglasses and turned his

back on the Winchesters.

Castiel strode to the Harley parked at the side of the deserted road. With practiced ease he

slung a denim covered leg over the seat and started the engine with a flick of the wrist.

Turning towards town Castiel remembered the last time he had seen the Winchester brothers.

He remembered begging Dean to trust him. He remembered Dean refusing.

He remembered being called family and having them turn their backs on him.

Most of all he remembered the look on the Winchester's faces when he declared himself to be God.

Castiel still could not believe that Bobby, Sam, and especially Dean would assume the worst of him. He fought beside these men, died for them, yet they could not tell that it was not him telling them to bow down before him or die?

Castiel hadn't seen Sam since that night. He had seen Dean alone only once, to tell him good bye one last time. But that is a story for a different time.

As Castiel turned into the parking lot of Molly's Tavern he recalled his final sacrifice for the Winchesters.

Castiel then closed his mind to the painful memories and focused on the task at hand.