My take on what Castiel said briefly about his return to
the world of the living from episode 17 of season 7.
I do not own the world of SPN or any of its inhabitants.
Return from a Watery Grave
Chapter 1
He was wet, and he was cold. Shivering slightly from both sensations, he made his way out of the waters of the river behind him. His bare feet felt sand, then rocks and dirt, then grass and twigs as he moved up the bank. He ran his hands through wet hair, brushing the dripping tendrils from his eyes. Looking around, he scanned the surface of the river and the land around him. Where was he? The question would have been important if another, bigger question wasn't looming in his mind. Who was he?
Stepping over rocks and small limbs that lay on the ground, the man walked into security of the trees. He had realized, in looking down at his feet, that he was naked. Had he always been this way? If only he could remember. Visions flashed in his mind. There were faces, faces he didn't recognize. There was blood and pain. He felt surrounded by evil. But there was also a light in the form of three men, men who were...family? How he wished they were here now.
Wandering onward, he came upon a path that led away from the river. His skin had dried, but he still felt chilly in the shade of the trees. His feet hurt as he stumbled over broken stones. Why couldn't he remember his name or how he had come to be here.
Bending down to brush aside a painful wooden shard that had scraped his foot, he rose to find himself looking into the eyes of a woman, a very surprised woman. But she didn't scream or run away.
Finding a naked man while on one of her daily walks was something Daphne had never expected. But when it happened today, something in her heart told her not to be afraid. She found herself unable to look away. He was beautiful. Modesty finally made her move her eyes down towards the ground as she blushed pink. She asked, "Are you hurt? Is there anything I can do to help you?"
The man considered the question, knowing no answer was forthcoming. Was he hurt? Did he need help? Looking up at the darkening sky, he knew there was little time. He brought his eyes back to the face of the woman. Her innocence shown brightly in the twilight of evening in a way no human would be able to see, yet he did. How?
Daphne stepped closer to the naked man, whom she trusted instantly without knowing why. Being a woman of faith, she felt that God had sent this man to her. She removed her jacket and slipped it over his shoulders. It wasn't long enough to hide his modesty, so she took his hand, and smiling, led him to her car. Her motel wasn't far. Ending her vacation early didn't bother her, what with the special mission at hand. This stranger needed her, and God had led her to him for some unknown reason, but it was important, of that she had no doubt. "Come with me," she said.
He didn't know what else to do, so followed the woman in silence. As they sat in the car, Daphne finally asked, "What is your name?"
The man turned to her, and replied low, "I...I don't know."
"Well, we'll find one for you. Do you have any family?"
Seeing the faces dance in his mind, he answered, "Maybe. But I don't think so." Staring straight ahead, he said nothing more the rest of the trip.
Once they reached the small motel, Daphne, grateful for the darkness, led the man to her room. She showed him the bathroom where he could shower and get warm. He seemed so lost, so incapable of caring for himself. She thought about taking him to a hospital, but again, something inside her forced that thought from her mind.
While the man showered, Daphne left to run to the diner next to the motel, and returned with a couple of foil-covered plates. Once the man had dried off and put on a baggy old t-shirt and sweat pants, the only things she had that fit him, she set the plates down on the table that sat in the corner. She removed the foil, and indicated for the man to sit.
Seeing the plate of food before him, the man murmured, "Hamburger."
Sitting, Daphne said, "I hope you like hamburgers. It was the quickest thing they could make."
"I think I...like hamburgers." He had eaten one before. Somehow he knew this, as he picked up the warm burger and bit into it, grease dripping down his chin. It was very good actually.
Daphne chuckled as she handed him a paper napkin. He said nothing, so she let him eat in silence.
As it grew later, Daphne knew they would have to sleep, and there was only one bed. But it was king size, so she felt it would be ok. Her trust in her guest allowed this one time when propriety would be left aside. She allowed him privacy to prepare for bed, then went into the bathroom to wash up herself. She picked up a water-filled glass and drank deeply from it, when it slipped from her wet hands, breaking on the floor. She stepped gingerly around the shards, but one piece bit into the flesh of her foot. Blood splotched the floor as she cried out.
The man heard his benefactor, and went to the bathroom. Noticing the blood, he scooped her up into his arms, and set her on the bed. Lifting her foot, he wiped the blood away with a tissue, running his hands over the skin gently. When he had finished, he was astonished to find the cut healed.
Daphne couldn't believe her eyes. The man had merely washed the blood way, and the injury had disappeared. "Now I know you are of God," she said reverently. "We found each other for a reason."
"I don't know how I did that." He looked at his open hands, then up into her face. She was practically beaming, her joy was so apparent.
"You have a great gift, obviously." She touched her foot again, but there was not sign of the cut. "Come to bed," she said as she rose and went over to the other side. Seeing the man hesitate, she reassured him. "It's ok. I trust you. Tomorrow, I'll take you home, and care for you. Then we'll see if we can find your family."
Her trusting him wasn't the thought in the man's mind. He had no desire to hurt the woman in any way. But he felt he needed to be somewhere...somewhere else. He just didn't know where. The faces. It had to do with the faces he saw in his mind. Did they need him? Still, there was nothing he could do now, and he was tired. So much went unanswered as he lay in the dark. Finally, he gave up, and let sleep take him.
A/N: this will just be a short story, as in not a load of chapters. I was curious seeing the woman Cas called his wife, and wondered how they had met and how his life was before he was found by Dean. Man, I wanted that episode to be a three hour special. :-)
This short story may move into M realm should our angel insist I tell the tale of his growing love for the human female who becomes his savior. I'll warn you if that happens.