It was Castiel Novak's first day of kindergarten. He was walking, hand in hand with his big brother Gabriel through the hallways of Blake Elementary. Students were rushing to their classes so they wouldn't be late. Castiel was feeling nervous about going to school. He looked around him at the other students and the posters on the hallway walls. His ocean blue eyes shown brightly, full of curiosity and wonder of his surroundings. Usually Cas spent the day at Mrs. Norris' the frail, nice old lady who lived just down the hall from the apartment he and Gabe lived in. Cas and Gabe's parents had died in a car accident a few years ago when Gabe was nine and Cas was three. They weren't their real parents though but they were the only parents the boys had known. Cas only had a few memories of them. He still missed them though, they had been good parents.
"Don't worry little bro, you'll be okay" Gabe said sensing Cas' unease. Cas nodded and squeezed Gabe's hand tighter. They walked into a room marked Mrs. Ackerson. Cas looked around the room as if in a daze. There was a group of tables on one side of the room, a colorful rug in the middle that had a chalk board in front of it. There were bins on the floor full of stuffed animals and a bookshelf piling with children's books. Gabe walked up to the teacher who was greeting other children and their parents. "Hello Mrs. Ackerson" Gabe said to his former teacher."Ah good to see you again Gabe" she said smiling. "This must be Castiel" she said kneeling down to Cas' height. Cas looked at her shyly. Mrs. Ackerson smiled at him and stood up. "He's in good hands, no need to worry" She said to Gabe, while Cas continued looking around the room. Gabe nodded and smiled. He looked down at Cas, "Why don't you go sit with the other kids" he said smiling reassuringly. Cas nodded and let go of Gabe's hand reluctantly. He sat down near the back of the kids who sat on the floor.
"You better get to class, you don't want to be late" Mrs. Ackerson said noticing Gabe was watching his brother. She handed him a late pass, "Just in case" she said smiling "Thank you" he said gratefully as he smiled back. "See you later baby bro" he said saluting to Cas. Cas gave a small wave and his brother dashed out of the room so he could get to his 5th grade classroom on time. The boy next to Cas turned to see who had sat down next to him. The first thing he noticed was the boy's black hair and sky blue eyes. Cas was looking around the room again, he loved this room. There was even a pop up castle in the corner. He looked to his right and found the boy next to him was staring at him with curious emerald green eyes. "Hi.. I'm Cas" he said nervously as he remembered Gabe had said to try and make friends. "Hi, I'm Dean" the boy responded with a smile. Cas smiled back shyly.
The morning went by and soon it was snack time. Cas had forgotten his snack on the kitchen counter at the apartment. He frowned as he looked around at all the other kids eating with joy. "Sit with me Cas, I have apple juice and mini pies, I can share" The boy named Dean said seeing Cas had no snack. Cas sat next to Dean, "I love apple juice" he said happily. Dean handed him a juice box and a pie wrapped in plastic wrap, that was obviously homemade. Cas smiled gratefully and unwrapped the plastic straw and poked it through the top of the juice box. He drank the juice with glee. "Thank you" Cas said after a moment as he remembered his manners. Dean smiled at Cas as his cheeks were stuffed with with pie. Cas giggled "You look like a chipmunk" he said unwrapping the pie. Dean scowled at Cas once he had swallowed. "I do not!" He protested. "Yes you do!" Cas insisted puffing out his own cheeks with air so he to, looked like a chipmunk. Dean ignored Cas and drank his apple juice noisily. Dean noticed a bin of dress up clothes in the corner of the room. "Oooooh, we should play dress up, you can be the princess and I can be the knight in shining armor" he said excitedly, his green eyes twinkling. "Princess' are for girls!" Cas said as he didn't want to wear a pink dress or a tiara. "I wanna be a knight too" Cas said pouting. "I know what we can do-" Dean started to say but was interrupted by a girl who had walked over to their table. "Hi Dean" she said as she rocked on her heels shyly with her hands pulling at her dress. "Hi Laura" Dean said with a small wave. "I'm Cas" Cas announced, feeling less shy then before. He also didn't want to be left out of the conversation, when he was just making friends with Dean "Want to play dress up with us? You can be the princess and we can save you from the dragon" he added beaming. "Ah no," Laura said frowning a little bit. "I just wanted Dean to help me with my coloring. Laura stated with shyly. A few other girls came over and asked Dean for help too. "Won't you help us?" they asked batting their eyelashes at Dean. Cas was feeling jealous of Dean getting all the attention. "Dean is my partner!" Cas said grabbing Dean's arm possessively, he didn't want to lose his new friend. Dean was surprised at Cas' actions but smiled a second later. He pulled his arm from Cas' grasp and wrapped it around Cas' shoulders. "Sorry girls, I'm his partner" Dean said not sounding sorry at all. The girls glared and gave the two boys angry pouts. Dean removed his arm from Cas' shoulders and finished his snack as if nothing had happened. Cas smiled to himself and finished his juice box.
Cas and Dean played dress up and slayed the big stuffed dragon that they put in the pop up castle. At the end of the day Cas was waiting, for his brother with Dean. Gabe entered the almost empty classroom, apologizing for being late. "C'mon Cassy, let's go" He said taking Cas' hand. "Bye Cas, thank you for helping me" Dean said with a smile. "Bye Dean" Cas said waving to his new friend. Gabe cocked an eyebrow at his brother as they left the room. "That your boyfriend?" he asked bluntly. Dean and his dad walked passed them and to a black Impala. Dean waved to Cas as they drove out of the parking lot. "Nooo" Cas said giggling at the thought of it. "That's Dean, he's my new friend" "Mhmm" Gabe said as he was sucking on a lolly. "Little bro, you are full of surprises" he said looking at Cas "What's that mean?" Cas asked looking up at his older brother. "Oh nothing, lets get home, I've got homework to do" Gabe said and the two of them walked home to their apartment, down the road.
The week progressed, it was now Thursday and the school week was almost over. Dean and Cas were finger painting on easels positioned next to each other. Dean was painting with green paint and Cas was using red. Cas noticed that Laura and the other girls from the the first day of school were looking at Dean and giggling from the dress up corner. They were all wearing princess dresses. An idea popped into his small brain. He dipped his whole hand into the paint so the palm of his hand was bright red. He then reached over and pressed his hand onto Dean's arm, leaving his hand print behind. "Now the girls know you are mine" he said happily. Dean smirked at the girls, then smiled at Cas and moved closer to his friend. "You're mine Cas, now and forever" Dean said firmly. Cas liked the sound of that and he smiled. "Best friends forever" he agreed and Dean nodded still smiling. "Snack time!" Mrs. Ackerson said loudly enough for everyone to hear.
Cas and Dean washed their hands in the small sink on the side of the room. The water coming off their hands was a swirl of color. Mrs. Ackerson clipped their paintings on a clothes line to dry. Dean didn't wash off Cas' hand print, which made Cas smile absentmindedly. They sat down at their table to have their snack. Cas brought out a container of goldfish and a cup of apple juice from his backpack. Dean had apple juice and mini pies again.
Mrs. Ackerson was on the phone, she nodded her head to whatever the other person said then put the phone back onto the receiver. She stood up from her chair and walked over to Dean and whispered something in his ear. "Really? He's here?" Mrs. Ackerson nodded to Dean's question and ruffled his hair with a smile. "Who's here" Cas asked curiously. "My baby brother, he's four years younger then me. His name is Sammy" Dean replied as the classroom door opened and Dean's two year old brother waddled in holding his dad's hand. Sam saw Dean sitting at his table. "Dean!" Sam cried happily seeing Dean at his table. He let go of his dad's hand and ran to his brother.
"Hi, Sammy! Come over here buddy" Dean said beaming. Sam giggled and ran into Dean's open arms. Dean and Sam's dad, John chuckled. He walked over to Dean's table, his hands stuffed into his jean pockets. "Hello, Mr. Winchester" Cas said smiling a small smile. "Hi, you must be Castiel, but it's Cas right?" John said as he squatted down to their level. Cas nodded shyly. Dean hugged Sam protectively and peppered his head with kisses. John smiled and turned to Dean, "I'm picking you up early today kiddo, get your backpack so we can go" he said in a firm yet friendly voice. "Oh yay! But wait, what about Cas? Can't he come to?" Dean said with a frown. John shook his head. "I've got a job to do so I need you to watch Sammy for me. Cas can come over after he's done with school, if it's okay with his brother" he said. "Awww, okay." Dean said as he packed his backpack and slipped it onto his back. "Bye Cas" Dean said as he hugged the smaller boy. "Ask your brother if you can come over later, kay" Dean said as he held his brother's hand. Cas nodded "I will, bye Dean" he said waving. "Bye Cas" Dean said again, and the three Winchesters went home.
Cas was lonely the rest of the day as no one wanted to play with him. So for the rest of the day, he sat at his table and drew pictures in crayon. Gabe came and got him at the end of the day. This time Cas wasn't the last one to leave. "How was school today buddy? Did you make any new friends?" Gabe asked as he looked around. He was now 16 as angels have a faster growth rate then humans. "Dean had to leave school early so I was lonely, but I drew pictures, see" Cas said showing Gabe a picture of a house with Gabe and Cas standing in front of it. "Ooh, nice drawing kiddo, I love it" Gabe said as they left the parking lot. "Can I go to Dean's? His dad said it was okay" Cas asked looking at Gabe with his puppy dog eyes. "Oh god Cas. Ugh fine, fine little man" Gabe said as he headed toward the Winchester's home. Cas beamed all the way there.
When they arrived, Cas got out of the car quickly and ran up to the door numbered 221. He rang the doorbell and jumped up and down excitedly. Dean opened the door. "Hi Cas" He said with a smile. "Hi Dean" Cas said happily. "Come on in" Dean said as Gabe watched from the car. Cas bounded in happily. Dean remembered the conversation he had had with his dad before John left.
"Now I don't know Castiel so if he does come over make sure to put holy water in whatever he drinks. He is unlikely to be a demon, but we need to know for sure. If he reacts, make sure you have my rifle handy. So you can shoot him. It's already loaded and cocked. Don't let Sammy out of your sight, that means no leaving the apartment. You can open the door to let Cas in, and that's it. Make sure the door STAYS locked. And what's the rule if something attacks while I'm gone?" "Shoot first, ask questions later" Dean replied, knowing the rule well.
Cas looked around the apartment "It's like the one I live in only different" he said. "Would you like some apple juice Cas?" Dean asked as he entered the small kitchen. Dean had mixed holy water in the apple juice before Cas came over. He poured some in a glass and handed it to Cas. "Thank you" Cas said and drank the apple juice with glee. Dean watched for any major differences or resistance to the drink but saw none. He's not a monster.. I knew it. Dean thought to himself. Cas knew there was holy water in it though, he was an angel after all. He could tell, holy water had a distinct taste. Cas frowned and said nothing about it.
"What do you want to do Cas? Sorry we don't have much. We can't afford as much as we want. We have TV And that's basically it." Dean said as he led them to the living room. A TV! Cas thought. That was much more then he and Gabe had. "We don't have a TV" Cas said sounding embarrassed as he looked at his feet. "Oh well when you can come over, you can watch as much TV as you want" Dean said smiling. Cas beamed then, knowing Dean was a good friend.
"Your brother is Gabriel right? He grew up fast" Dean said stunned. Cas wasn't sure how to explain it. "Um well we're angels, so we grow faster then humans" he said deciding to tell the truth. "..Whoa..so..so, my mom..she said angels were real.. that is so cool" Dean said baffled. "Do you have wings too?" Dean asked cautiously. Cas nodded, "I can't show you them though" Cas said. "Wow..My best friend is an angel, awwesome. I won't tell anyone about you or your brother" Dean said, a twinkle of honesty in his green eyes. "Pinky promise?" Cas asked extending his pinky. "I pinky promise" Dean said extending his own pinky and looped it around Cas'. He then leaned forward and pecked the angels cheek. Cas blushed at the kiss. "Why did you put holy water in my apple juice?" Cas asked knowing he wasn't the only one with secrets. "Because.. because" Dean stammered. "Because, um, because my dad is a hunter and he says we should always be careful with new people that come to our apartment. He wanted to make sure you're not a demon" Dean said finally able to form his thoughts into words. "Ohhh" Cas said understanding now. "I won't tell anyone either" he added. "Okay" Dean said "So what do you want to do? My brother's still sleeping so we have to be quiet for a while" Dean said to Cas. Dean saw something out the window and looked out, "Hey, isn't that your brother outside? Does he want to come in?" Dean asked Cas. Cas looked out the window. "Yeah it is" he said seeing Gabe get out of the car and walk to the door. The doorbell rang and Dean opened the door a crack. "Password" Dean said to Gabe through the crack. "Let him in Dean" Cas said opening the door wider. Gabe came in and ruffled Cas' hair. "Hey little bro" he said smiling. "Did you come to get me already? I just got here" Cas said pouting. "No, I have no friends so I would crash here with you fine people" He said simply. Cas giggled then looked down at his shoes in embarrassment. "Um.. I told Dean about us" he said quietly. Gabe put his hand under Cas' chin and pulled his head up so Cas was looking into Gabe's eyes. "Hey, Cas, I'm not mad" Gabe said truthfully. "You're.. you're not?" Cas asked baffled. "No, I already know all about the Winchesters and their legacy" Gabe said letting go of Cas' chin.
He flopped down on to the couch and turned on the TV. Cas was still baffled but he let it go, and sat down on the matted carpet floor next to Dean. Spongebob was on. "What is this?" Cas asked tilting his head to the side. "Oh this is Spongebob" Dean said and then he explained further. "It's about Spongebob and his daily life under the sea. There's Patrick Star, Sandy Cheeks, Gary the snail, Mr. Krabs, Squidward and the evil Plankton" "Oh" Cas said pondering the show.
Gabe was staring deeply at Sam who had apparently woken up and climbed out of his crib. "Oh, Sammy, you're awake buddy" Dean said to his baby brother. "Hi Dean" Sam said running over and plopping down next to Gabe on the couch. Swinging his legs over the edge. "This is my brother Sammy" Dean said introducing the two of them. Gabe was struck by Sam's innocence, it was as if he had been struck by lightning. He knew right then that Sam was intertwined with his future, he just didn't know how. Sam giggled and climbed onto Gabe's lap. "Hiii" he said happily as he looked at Gabe. It took a moment for Gabe to find his voice. "h-hi, um.. I'm Gabriel, but you can call me Gabe kiddo" Gabe said smiling. He was trying to figure out how he and Sam were connected. "Hi, Gabe" Sam said hugging Gabe around the neck. Gabe was shocked at the sudden embrace, but gave in and hugged Sam back. Dean and Cas were watching the TV with interest. Sam smiled at Gabe and plopped down on the angels lap and watched the TV. The night drew to a close and Gabe made the boys dinner. After they finished they watched some more TV, till John came back home.
"Boys I'm home" John said walking in. "Dad!" Dean said carrying sleepy Sam over to his dad. Cas and Gabe disappeared in a blink of an eye before John could notice their presence. John took Sam in his arms and took him to his crib. Dean noticed Gabe and Cas were gone but said nothing about it. "Did Cas come over?" John asked as he tucked Sam in. "Yeah he did, he's not a demon" Dean said. "I didn't think he was, better to be safe though" John said "Come on, time for bed, brush your teeth" he added firmly. Dean nodded and went to the bathroom then off to his bed.
The next day arrived and Dean and Cas were outside for recess. They were swinging on the swings, Cas was seeing how high he could get. Dean smiled at Cas as he was swinging slowly. "Come on Dean" Cas said giggling. Dean giggled softly and swung higher. "Cas giggled as he swung higher. "I can fly" he yelled. Dean giggled and slowed his swing to a stop and sat down on a bench next to the swing set. Cas followed suit. "What's up Dean?" Cas asked concerned as he sat down next to Dean. "Nothing..My dad went on a long trip so he won't be home for a week or so" Dean said as he pulled at the ends of his shirt. Cas put his arm around Dean's shoulders, "He'll be back" Cas said reassuringly. "Thanks Cas" Dean said giving his friend a small smile. "Hey wanna have a sleepover?" Dean asked, his smile getting bigger "Sure!" Cas said excitedly, "no ghost stories though" he added returning Dean's smile. "Okay" Dean said laughing "Don't worry about bringing blankets and stuff, we have all that at home" "Okay" Cas said smiling "Yeah, so PJ's and stuffed animals are all you need" Dean said as the bell rang, signaling that recess was over. "Let's go Cas" Dean said standing up and holding out a hand for Cas. Cas smiled as they walked back into the school hand in hand.
Once school ended Gabe took the two of them to the Winchester's apartment. Dean carried Cas' bag into his room. Cas followed him in and flopped down onto Dean's bed. Dean giggled softly. "My room has a lot of blue in it, it matches you're eyes" Dean said with joy in his voice. Gabe was in the living room playing with Sam. John was very happy to have Gabe watching over his two sons. Cas smiled at Dean "Mine is green like your eyes" he said giggling. "Really? That's cool, what do you want to do?" Dean asked Cas thought for a moment, "hide and go seek, I'll hide first" Cas said sliding off the bed. "Okay" Dean said and covered his eyes with his hand. "1...2...3...4...5..." he counted. Cas dashed out of the room looking for a place to hide. He only had about 30 seconds to find one. He went to the first closet he came to, and curled up under the bottom shelf. He shut the door quietly and waited silently to be found. 50!
Ready or not here I come!" he heard Dean yell. Dean ran out of the room after first checking under his bed and in his own closet. "Cas, where are you?" Dean said as he frowned at not finding Cas. Gabe cocked an eyebrow as he was holding Sam in his arms. He pointed to the linen closet where Cas was hidden. Dean nodded eagerly as he snuck quietly and opened the closet door real fast. "ah ha, found you" he said, but Cas didn't appear to be there. "Gabriel!" Dean yelled at the angel thinking he had lied as to Cas' whereabouts. "What? Angels can teleport" Gabe said simply. "I give up.. I want pie" Dean said heading to the kitchen.
"I found you Castiel" A boys voice said in his ear. Cas tried to scream but a hand clamped over his mouth. "Shh Dean will find us if you aren't quiet" the boy warned. "We're playing sardines so I'm hiding with you" the boy added. Gabe was tossing Sam in the air as the two year old giggled. Gabe was wondering where Cas was but he wasn't worried. Cas would come out of hiding once he realized Dean wasn't looking for him. Dean finished his snack and continued looking for Cas.
Cas was still in the linen closet, although he was being made invisible by the boy hiding with him. "Shhh, he's coming" the boy whispered and then quietly giggled. The door opened and Dean checked all the shelves but couldn't find Cas. "He's not there" Dean said to Gabe disappointed. Gabe smiled faintly "Watch this" he said grinning as he made Cas appear in his lap.
Cas was shaking and when he realized he was on Gabe's lap he wrapped his arms around his brothers neck and buried his face in Gabe's shirt. "Cas.. kiddo what's wrong?" Gabe asked concerned as Cas hugged him tightly around the neck. "There was a.. a boy in the closet with me" he said his lip trembling in fear. "Shh, it's okay now" Gabe said holding Cas close to him. Sam was playing on the floor totally oblivious to what was going on.
Upon hearing Cas' words Dean had dashed away. He came back with the gun, his dad had left with him. He looked at Gabe expectantly. Gabe stood up and set Cas down. He took the gun from Dean and led the way to the closet.
Gabe opened the door slowly and heard giggling from inside. Dean threw salt into the closet and the boy screamed. "Not...not the salt" he said in a frightened voice. "I just want a friend" Dean tilted his head, Gabe held the gun steady and aimed at the bottom part of the closet. "How long have you been there?" Gabe asked taking charge. "What's your name?" Dean asked as he could stop his curiosity. "My..my names Billy, I have been here a long time" the boy said quietly as he made himself visible. Gabe held the gun steady and Dean looked at him. "Billy.. do you know why you have been here for so long?" Gabe asked. "They locked me in.. my friends..we were playing hide and seek and they left me here.." Billy said sadly. Gabe and Dean frowned and Gabe began thinking about what to do for Billy. "Could you move the salt so I can come out?" Billy asked as he was still at the bottom of the closet. Cas moved out from behind Dean and looked at Billy curiously. He appeared to be about 9 or 10 years old. Gabe slid his foot over the floor, pushing the salt to the side so Billy could exit.
Billy uncurled himself and got out of the closet cautiously "Are you going to shoot me?" he asked looking at the gun uneasily. Dean shook his head and Gabe lowered the gun. "I'm sorry I scared you Castiel" Billy said with honesty "It's been so long since anyone has lived here" he added looking down at his dirty bare feet in embarrassment. Cas could only nod his head. Gabe smiled at the boy. "What do you want to do now that you've made your presence known? He asked. "Can I show you my hiding spot?" he asked looking at the closet. "the wall moves aside ans there's a secret room" he explained. "I..I want to see it" Cas said and looked at Gabe for permission. Gabe was silent for a moment, "Okay, but I'm going with you" Gabe said as Dean chimed in that he wanted to go too. Billy grinned a crooked teeth grin "You'll need to take the sheets and towels out of the closet so you can fold up the shelves and push the wall back" he said and then walked through the wall to the other side.
They quickly emptied the closet and folded the shelves up. Together they pushed the wall back. Sammy had woken up and ran over to Gabe and latched onto his leg giggling. Gabe chuckled at Sam as he had the toddler climb onto his back so they could crawl through the crawlspace. Cas followed after his brother and Dean brought up the rear. Dean brought the gun just in case. They went a few feet and the tunnel opened up into a room just as Billy had said.
It was clear it was a boys room. There was a mattress on the floor with one of Dean's blankets on it. And a bin full of children's books and novels that had gone missing from the apartment. Cas looked around in wonder and curiosity. Dean gasped, shocked at the hidden room. I never knew this was here" Dean said looking around. Gabe was holding Sam as he too looked around. "Hi guys" Billy said coming into view. Gabe and the other three boys waved. "What year is it?" Billy suddenly asked, as he didn't know. "1985" Cas responded. Billy looked shocked and sat down on the mattress. "How long have you been here?" Gabe asked. "Since 1899" Billy said sadly as he looked at the floor.
Gabe frowned towards the boy and walked over to him. He set Sam on his lap and laid a reassuring hand on Billy. "Billy you can be at peace now.. you needn't be so alone" Gabe said saddened for the boy. Billy moved away from Gabe's hand. "I've tried to go, but I can't. It doesn't work" Billy said. "I can help you. I am an angel" Billy looked up at Gabe. "Really?" he asked baffled. Gabe simply nodded. "You can help me pass on?" Billy asked still baffled that Gabe was an angel. "Yes I can, you just need to give me a moment" Gabe said and he closed his eyes to search for a loophole. Sammy, who sat on Gabe's lap poked the angel. "Wake up" he demanded. "Shh, Sammy" Dean said as he shook his head. Gabe continued to search. Sammy pouted. He wanted his playmate to "wake up".
Billy sat on the bed patiently, while Cas looked through the bin of books Billy had "borrowed" from the Winchesters. Gabe opened his eyes which were now white instead of their usual chocolate color. Billy, Dean and Cas looked at Dean expectantly. Gabe laid his hand on Billy's shoulder, slowly sending his soul to Heaven's pearly gates, for Saint Peter to determine his rights to Heaven. Cas, Dean and Sam waved as Billy disappeared for good. Everything in the room burst into flames, and the small room was now left empty.
"So he's gone" Cas asked, sounding a little sad. Gabe nodded as he transported everyone to the living room. Cas sat down on the couch and looked at Gabe, "I miss him" he said quietly. "That's perfectly natural, he's in Heaven now" Gabe said rubbing Cas' back. Cas nodded and sat there quietly for a moment. He then looked at Dean and into Dean's emerald green eyes. Just as Gabe had experienced with Sam, Cas felt as if he'd been struck by lightning. He blinked his eyes in astonishment. Dean smiled as looking Cas' icy blue eyes, made him feel very happy inside. It felt amazing. Cas smiled back. This moment was magical for both boys. Gabe rolled his eyes "You guys are slow with your love" he said as both Dean and Cas blushed. Cas broke the eye contact and looked away from Dean. Gabe smirked as Dean walked over and kissed Cas. Cas' eyes widened in shock, he hadn't expected Dean to kiss him. Dean smiled "You're mine" he said. Cas smiled back,and nodded, his cheeks still red. Gabe chuckled and smiled at the two boys. Many years past and the two of them remained best friends and grew closer every day. Cas never knew what the connection between them ment but he would soon find out in the years to come.