Title: What We Are is the Sum of a Thousand Lies
Series: Supernatural
Author: Alex Graves/frayed1989
Characters/Pairing: Dean/Castiel, Sam, and Bobby
Rating: PG
Warnings: Spoilers for 6.22 The Man Who Knew Too Much
Disclaimer: I do not own Supernatural. It belongs to its creators and the network that runs it. No copyright infringement intended.
A/N: Coda to 6.22
Feedback:Always welcomed and loved. Flames however are not.
Summary: Castiel tries to make Dean understand but it's not as easy to reach him as it once was.
"Cas-"
"It's simple Dean. I am not asking for much," the new being in front of him toyed with the angel blade, balancing it on his first finger before letting it drop gently back into his hand. He stared down at it, lids lowered as he pressed the tip to his palm, trying to pierce skin and finding, as he knew he would, that he couldn't. "All I want is your faith and your trust. Have I not earned that?" Castiel raised his gaze to Dean once more, a soft yet alien smile gracing his lips. "Have I not given you everything? Have I not given you all of me? I brought back Sam for you because I knew that you cannot function without him and I loved you."
He turned his gaze towards Sam who stood shivering, eyes wide as he gripped his chest and moaned as memories of Hell flooded his system. When Castiel took a step toward him, Sam took a shaky step back. "Your co-dependency on each other is worrisome though."
"Cas-" Dean began, his voice louder as if to draw Castiel's attention away from his quivering brother and back on him. But Castiel gave no sign that he heard Dean as continued to stare at the youngest Winchester.
"If I fix him, your brother's torn and battered soul, will you kneel before me?" Castiel asked softly. He paused for a second and then chuckled, a dark and humorless thing that made Dean's skin crawl. "I am sorry. I promised I would fix him, didn't I. As the new God I cannot, will not, go back on my promises." He turned and looked at Dean, blue eyes swallowed by his pupils and grinned. He raised two fingers and pressed them simply against Sam's forehead. Sam shuddered once, closed his eyes and then promptly fell to the floor, unconscious. Both Dean and Bobby surged forward, surrounding the fallen Winchester as Castiel stood back and watched them curiously.
"You son-of-a-bitch, what did you do?" Dean growled, glaring up at Castiel who tutted affectionately at him.
"That blasphemy will not be tolerated Dean, but I will let it go just this once. As for your brother, he is perfectly fine; his soul is simply mending. It will unfortunately take some time as I cannot mend it piece by piece myself currently like I did for you." Dean glared and swept his brother's hair from his face.
"Oh Dean, you just need time. It's alright, I understand better now how much time it takes for your simple minds to process. It is how my father made you, flawed." He lowered himself down to Dean's level and reached out, cupping Dean's jaw in his hand as Dean stiffened, too angry to move and too afraid to be defiant. "Do not worry. I will not change you. You are his creations and even though I will be and am the better God, I still respect his wishes. Especially you Dean. I could never change you." He traced his fingers along Dean's cheek who flinched back, clenching his eyes shut as he pulled away. He heard Castiel heave a put upon sigh and then felt rather than heard him stand.
"Time is all you need and you will have plenty of it, all of you. It would be prudent of you to use the next few days wisely however but I am nothing if not a merciful and understanding God. I will not abandon you. I will not forsake you. I will not leave you here to rot in misery and filth as my father has." Dean opened his eyes and looked up at the once angel, his once friend, and felt familiar pain and heartbreak blossom in his chest. Castiel's eyes locked with his and Dean knew that he could see it as his face softened into a resemblance of what it had once been when he had been an angel struggling with his love for Dean and what he thought to be right.
"Time. All you need is time and when you see what I have done, what I still have yet to do you will understand. You will understand that I am right, that I am righteous, and that my love for you and humanity and this world has not changed. You will have trust, you will have faith in me again." Dean grimaced and sneered, gripping at Sam's arm for some semblance of strength and determination that he had once. He looked up at Castiel and mourned the loss of his friend and cursed the being that had replaced him.
"No. I won't," he spat. Castiel frowned deeply and simply shook his head before reaching out and pressing two fingers to both Dean and Bobby's foreheads. The next thing Dean knew he was kneeling on the ground in Bobby's living room, Bobby next to him, breathing deeply and Sam still lying unconscious on the floor. He sat gasping for air, trying to hold back the wave of heartbreak that threatened to wash over him as he silently cursed God, the real one where ever he was, for letting things get so bad.
As he stood up on shaking legs, he motioned for Bobby to grab Sam's legs. The older man did, watching as both men lifted Sam and gingerly placed him on the couch. Dean stood back, rubbing his face as he stared at him brother. He felt Bobby move behind him, gently touching his shoulder as if to ground him to the situation at hand.
"I'm sorry son," the older man said gruffly. "Maybe there's a chance, maybe we can still" he paused, looking down at Sam who shifted slightly in his sleep, moving for the first time since Castiel hand pressed two fingers to his head. "Maybe he's still in there, maybe we can still save him." Dean shook his head and pulled away from Bobby, moving to the front door.
"No. Cas-" he paused, taking a deep breath as he clenched his eyes and willed the tears to stay away. "Cas is gone Bobby and the only way he's coming back is if God himself gets off his fucking ass and saves him." Dean sighed as he opened the door and looked to the heavens where Castiel was most likely punishing any who had gone against him. "I don't think that's going to happen anytime soon. We've lost him Bobby. He's gone."