So I came up with this idea, didn't think I was going to write it, so I fostered it to Aini NuFire then I decided I wanted to write it so I stole it back from her LOL. Long story short, this is a S12 AU where the BMoLs approach Cas instead of Mary to work for them, and trouble ensues. I had way more fun than I thought I would writing Ketch and Mick who turned out to be such scum balls in this story, but hopefully not out of character. Poor Cas, but he gives as good as he gets, don't worry ;)

So without further ado, I hope you all enjoy :)

Family First

A Supernatural Fanfic

Chapter One

The Deal

Castiel trudged back to his truck, feeling annoyed and defeated after yet another false lead on the location of Kelly Kline. How hard could it be to track down a pregnant woman on the run with no apparent resources or family to help her out? He was tired of this seeming wild goose chase, especially since time was running out. He didn't know enough about nephillim to be sure the gestation period was the same as with a human child, so in reality, they could have even less time than he thought. Either way, he was on the verge of looking for help elsewhere. Even if it meant asking Crowley—and he really didn't want to have to do that. The last thing he needed right now was the demon tagging along, trying to be his partner again.

He reached into his coat pocket for his keys, figuring he might head back toward Lebanon and see what Sam and Dean were doing. He had run out of leads on Kelly for the moment and if he could help them out with a hunt while he regrouped, it would be better than wandering aimlessly without any real direction.

However, before he could cross to the place he had parked his truck, headlights flared up behind him and he turned, shielding his eyes in annoyance as he stepped out of the way for the car to pass.

But instead of passing, the car simply pulled around and parked in front of him, the engine turning off. Castiel's hand twitched, but he refrained from grabbing his blade yet. He wasn't sure who this was; it could just be a random person and he might be in their way.

But as the doors opened, revealing the two occupants, Castiel's guard went up instantly. Oddly enough, he wasn't surprised.

"Ah, the angel."

Arthur Ketch stepped out of the driver's side, leveling that seemingly blasé but all too intense gaze at Castiel, as he shut the door behind him and leaned against the car nonchalantly as the passenger door also opened and Mick Davies climbed out coming around the car with a pleasant smile on his face.

"Castiel, isn't it? Just the angel we wanted to see," Mick said and extended his hand toward Castiel. The angel just leveled a glare at him, not making any move to shake it. Mick pulled it back with a shrug, still smiling.

"What are you doing here?" Castiel demanded suspiciously.

"Well, you see, we kind of had a proposition for you," Mick said. "I was wondering if you might take the time to chat with us? We can go find a spot of tea somewhere; or coffee, if you prefer."

"Unless you have information on Kelly Kline, I am not interested and I must be going." Castiel started to move past them.

"Easy, halo," Ketch said, pushing off from the car and stepping deliberately into Castiel's path. The angel eyed him suspiciously. "We just want to have a civil talk. That's all."

Castiel cast a glance between them. He could take them both easily if he had to, and maybe they did have helpful information. Of course the reason behind their finding him here practically in the middle of nowhere was strange, he had to admit, but as long as he was cautious with this meeting, there shouldn't be any harm to it.

"Fine," he said finally. "If you want to talk, we can do it here."

"Perfect," Mick said, smiling again. "You see, this is about a job opportunity. We could use your help."

Castiel looked at the two British Men of Letters suspiciously. "I don't understand. Why do you need me?"

"We need someone with your particular skill sets," Mick said, that normal smile on his face that Castiel didn't trust at all. "Having an angel on our team would make a lot of hunts easier. For all of us."

Castiel narrowed his eyes. "Still. Why just me, and not the Winchesters as well?"

"The Winchesters are…how shall we say this?" Mick seemed to search for a phrase. "Well, let's just say that they have a…different way of going about things than we see fit. You, on the other hand seem more, well, conformable."

Castiel bristled at that. All his life he had followed orders, orders that he usually didn't even believe in, and had been bent to the will of others against his own too many times in the past. Mick Davies wasn't going to be the next person Castiel allowed to command him. He was done with that.

"I don't think I'm as conformable as you seem to think," he glared at the Englishman.

Ketch gave a small smirk at this. "Perhaps not. But angels will be angels."

Before Castiel could demand what he had meant by that, Mick stepped in again, once more being the one to smooth the ruffled feathers. "Look, Castiel. What we're trying to do is a good thing. Surely you can agree with that? It will not only make a safer country, but it will keep your friends, the Winchesters, out of harm's way. They may even be able to retire and live a normal life."

"Hunting is their life," Castiel said, repeating what he had heard Sam and Dean say themselves. "Saving people from evil."

"Come on, everyone wants a chance at normality," Mick said, that smile flitting over his lips again, cajoling. Castiel hated being cajoled. "You have to understand, that they are literally the only ones getting in the way of our plan. And we will see our plan to fruition eventually."

"No matter who tries to stop us," Ketch added.

Castiel looked between the two men, anger flaring even more brightly inside of him. "Are you…threatening Sam and Dean?" he demanded.

Mick didn't reply right away. "Not as such…but, let's just say that we were expecting them to turn around on their refusal of our offer after we helped spring them from the government facility. And the fact that they haven't, well, we've been having some…regrets…about aiding in their escape."

Castiel's grace flared as he stepped toward the two men with a dangerous glint in his eye. "If you dare harm the Winchesters, I promise I will make sure you never do anything else."

Ketch shoved past Mick, his fingers suddenly wrapped around one of the sigiled pairs of brass knuckles that he must have been keeping in his pocket. Castiel wished Ketch would try something so he had an excuse to take him on there. He had not so long ago killed a reaper to save the Winchesters, after all. An Englishman, even with fancy toys, wasn't going to stop him.

But Mick grabbed Ketch by the sleeve. "No need for the posturing, boys. Castiel, I think you see where you stand on this. There's really only one option."

"From where I stand, I see two," the angel said darkly. "I could always kill you both."

Ketch smirked. "No, you couldn't, actually." He pulled his coat aside and showed a strange sigiled contraption hanging from the inside. "This is a sort of angelic knock-out bomb. Harmless to humans, as it happens, but you…well, you wouldn't have a chance to land a blow before I can activate it. And once it starts working, well, you could wake up just about anywhere."

Castiel clenched his fists, knowing he was standing between a rock and a hard place. But still…

"Another thing for you to consider," Mick said, "is that if you don't take this opportunity, we'll just go to Mary Winchester with the same offer. And, considering recent events, I don't think she would really be willing to refuse, now, do you?"

"You stay away from Mary," Castiel growled.

Mick held up a hand. "We won't go near her as long as you comply." He cocked his head to one side. "So, what will it be? Are you in? Or out?"

Castiel ground his teeth together. He didn't want to do this. Every fiber of his being said not to, but at the same time, his job was still to protect the Winchesters. At least how he saw it. When Sam and Dean had been taken by the secret service, he hadn't known what to do. All he had known was that if he didn't get them back, he would have lost his family and he couldn't allow that to happen. He didn't owe the Brits anything, but he did owe Sam and Dean everything. For being his family when he had thought he had lost any right to family at all. And Mary had just come back, fighting to fit in, much like he was. She was just now getting more settled into her new life, and Castiel knew that if something happened to her on a job, or if she started working for the Brits behind her sons' backs, it would break Sam and Dean all over again. And Castiel couldn't allow that. He couldn't let that happen. He had to protect his family in any way he could, and if that meant working a few jobs under the radar for these insufferable men, then he would just have to do it. Until he found a valid loophole, anyway.

"Well?" Mick asked, cutting into his inner musings.

Castiel glowered at him, but gave a jerky nod. "Fine. I'll do it."

Mick grinned and clasped his hands together. "Brilliant! I will be in contact with you as soon as I have a job where your expertise is needed."

"Great," Castiel said blandly.

"Oh, and Castiel," Mick added. "Don't tell the Winchesters about this."

"And what if they wonder where I am while I'm out running errands for you?" Castiel demanded. "I've been hunting with them lately."

"Then lie," Ketch said blithely. "I hope that's not too much for you."

Castiel glared at him. "I will not lie to them. They are my family."

Ketch seemed to find this amusing. He chuckled. "My, you are an oddity aren't you? An angel who calls humans his family."

"They are my family," Castiel snarled at him. "Family does not end with blood. Sam and Dean are the closest thing I have to brothers since being cast out of heaven." He glanced at Mick. "I will work for you, if that's what I must do to protect them, but I will not betray them by lying. Never again." He felt a pang as he remembered his partnership with Crowley back when Raphael had tried to restart the apocalypse and all the pain that caused both him and the Winchesters. No, he would never do that again."

"Then we may have a problem," Mick said. "You know they would never agree to let you work with us if they knew."

"I make my own decisions," Castiel growled, bristling.

Ketch's mouth quirked in amusement again. "Really? Because I think you're just their attack dog. A pet angel who is more loyal to them than they are to it. You do realize that if they try to stop us, try to get in our way, they will have to be removed. Forcibly, if necessary. And from what I know of them, it will be necessary."

Castiel wanted to hurt the man right then, but Ketch moved his hand toward the inside of his coat again and he stopped, knowing it would be pointless if he tried anything. They may just try to remove the Winchesters again if he refused them now.

"Fine, I won't tell them. But I can't help if they become suspicious. Let me know when you need me." Castiel turned on his heel.

"Looking forward to working with you," Mick's chipper voice sounded behind him.

"Likewise," Ketch added.

Castiel didn't even bother looking back. He just strode to his truck and slammed the door as he got inside. He swallowed hard.

What on earth had he gotten himself into?

It was after midnight by the time Castiel got back to the bunker. He almost didn't go in, afraid to wake the brothers, but chances were that someone was usually still up at this time of night, so he opened the door and clumped down the iron stairs.

As expected, Sam was sitting up in the library, on his laptop. He looked up as Castiel came in and offered a small smile.

"Hey, Cas, did you get anything from your lead?"

Castiel pulled out a chair and slumped tiredly into it. "No. Nothing, it was a dead end," he grunted, and rubbed his hands over his face tiredly. "Now I have no idea where to look."

Sam closed his laptop and leaned on the desk, hands clasped in front of him. "Look, Cas, don't worry about it right now. We'll find her."

"Sam, we don't have much more time," Castiel insisted.

"We're bound to turn something up though, we always do," Sam assured him. "We just need to know what we're looking for." He shrugged. "In the meantime, why don't you hang out here for a few days? You look exhausted. You've been putting in a lot of hours."

Castiel couldn't argue with that. "I know. But this…Sam we have to find her. If Lucifer's child is born…I don't even know what that would mean."

Sam nodded. "I know. Trust me, it gives me nightmares." He chuckled wryly and rubbed his eyes tiredly. "But we can't run ourselves ragged either, Cas. If we do, then we won't even have the strength to fight the next evil that comes out way."

"You're right," Castiel admitted, too tired to argue anyway. His vessel had felt very heavy of late. Lucifer had taken a bit of even the small amount of grace he had left, and he found he couldn't even get that strength back. And without his wings, he was spending long days on the road tracking down leads. It was exhausting and he found himself craving a few days of rest where he didn't have to drive anywhere. Maybe use them to clear his mind and start his search for Kelly Kline over again. With Sam and Dean's input, they may actually be able to come up with something.

"Well, anyway, I'm going to turn in," Sam said, and stood up. "Get some rest, Cas."

"I'll try," Castiel said. "Sam…" he opened his mouth with every intention of saying something about the Men of Letters, but yet…he couldn't. He hated them, but he also knew they could make good on their threats. And he couldn't put Sam and Dean in danger. Not again.

Sam was still looking at him expectantly and Castiel sighed. "Um…thank you for letting me stay here. You and Dean have been very accommodating."

Sam's face softened. "We never should have been anything different. You're family, Cas. You belong here."

Castiel's mouth turned up in a small smile that was probably just a bit too sad. Sam didn't seem to notice, though. "Goodnight, Sam."

"Goodnight."

Castiel watched the younger Winchester head toward the dormitory wing as a knot formed in his stomach. Yes, the Winchesters were his family, and that was why he had to protect them.

He just wondered how long he was going to be able to keep this from them. If they found out he was working with the Brits, then…well, Castiel wasn't sure they would be so accommodating anymore. But no matter what, he would continue to make sure Mick Davies and Arthur Ketch stayed far away from his family.

Now he just wondered how much time he had before he would be called in for his first mission.