Steam rose from a caldron the size of a bathtub, rattling the hanging strung-up rabbits feet. "Aaand truth serum should have kicked in. Now, tell me something, angel," the witch taunted as she circled Castiel. Cas followed her with his squinting eyes, with the rest of his body made imobile from a freeze spell.
"When you dabble in witches affairs, do you always go at it alone or is there someone that I should be looking forward to meeting?" her dark eyes held with Cas' until he looked away. "I am not alone," he said, unable to keep her from knowing Sam and Dean were looking for him. "Is that by choice?" she asked, picking up her voodoo doll. "No.. " Cas said. "Do you want to be alone?" she prompted. "No..I don't...No one wants to be alone," Cas replied, glaring at the witch who was now finding the needle she wanted to use. If it was up to him, he wouldn't even be responding to her. With the amount of manipulation and evil this witched had wrecked havoc with, Cas felt the last thing she deserved was answers from him. But the truth serum was taking a hold of him.
The black haired woman calmly drifted her eyes to the two new visitors appearing in her doorway. Dean met Castiel's weary eyes. "Dean," Cas mustered, growing weaker. "Well, do come in. Make yourselves comfortable," the witch said with a flick of her wrist-flinging the hunters inside her hut, pinned against the walls. "Okay, now I am getting some weird juju in this room.. Lots of tension. So before you all die painfully, choking on your tongues, let's play my favorite game. Truth or consequence," she told her guests.
"Cas, did the crazy witch bitch hurt you?" Dean asked worriedly, ignoring her. "She knocked me out and gave me truth serum. And she's done something.. Something with my grace, " Cas grunted through gritted teeth, wanting to hunch over in pain. "What'd you do to him?!" Cried Dean. Sam stared down the witch as Dean and Cas remained looking at each other. "Castiel, who is this man?" she nodded at the scowling older brother. "Dean Winchester, " said Cas. "Mr. Winchester, would you like to go first?" "Go to hell." "Are you sure that is your final answer for this round?" Dean kept his jaw locked and his eyes flickered to hers. Happily, the pale witch poked the doll's arm and Cas cried out in pain as blood began running down his arm. "Cas!" Dean exclaimed, panic washing through him sent him jolting against the spell. "Let him go," Sam demanded. "Answer the questions and speak the unmasked truth or suffer the consequences. The winner gets a running headstart before I kill you," she explained. "Why are you doing this?" Cas asked, barely able to keep eyes open.
"Because it's fun," the witch answered, smiling at the injured angel, nearing him threateningly. "No! Cas!" Dean called. The witch stopped and turned to look at the hunter, whose gruff voice was on the verge of breaking. She fully faced Dean and smirked. "This game is for you, Dean. If you don't answer truthfully, I will injure you. And any answer that is only part of the truth will hurt coming out." she announced. "Who is Castiel to you?" Dean bore holes into her head as his own chest pounded. He could feel Cas' worried expression watching him, but he didn't waver from the witches stoney eyes. "He's family." Dean responded. The witch tsked and took a forceful stab at the dolls heart, sending Castiel into screams. "Cas!" Sam called. Guilt and adrenaline pumped through Dean's body hard and fast as he tried to jerk out of the spell that kept them pinned to the hut. Cas unclenched and ceased screaming.
Dean watched him catch his breath as his eyes started to burn. Anger erupted from him, "So much for injuring me!" Dean growled.
The witch smiled colyly and wandered over to Dean. "But I did hurt you, Dean. Your almost in as much agony as the angel. Now why is that?" She bent down, presenting the voodoo doll and threatening needle to Dean. He barred his teeth, and halfway rolled his eyes. She stood and walked over to Castiel.
Fear flickered across Dean's face, seeing Cas about to pass out. She started drawing the needle closer to the doll, "Why Dean? Why do you care so much?" The witch taunted. "Because he's a part of me, okay?" Dean confessed, feeling a burning cramp in his throat, sending waves of pain through his chest. Grunting, he met Castiel's eyes, which were looking at him sadly. Unrelated to the consequence of the spell, Dean's face also started to burn. "Hmm seems like that hurt coming out, Dean. Sam, tell me, does Dean have something that he's hiding from us? Please share with the rest of the class," she asked, pleasantly watching Sam grunt through his response too, "Yes." The witch chuckled and began circling Cas again. Dean shot Sam a look. Sam was in pain now because he hadn't told the whole truth.
Panic shot through Dean again, making it hard to breath as he realized what was about to transpire. This was happening, Dean decided, and he prepared by squaring out his jaw and puffing out his chest. "What are you hiding with so much bravado, Dean?" She asked, needle hovering over the dolls chest. Tension filled the air and Dean let go of a long held sigh, lowered his gaze and met her beady eyes. His green eyes flickered to Castiel's, fear scattered across his face, "Because.. I'm in love with him." Castiel's eyes widened and his brow furrowed, somehow still gazing at him, but he was too shocked to talk. Sam looked down in solidarity, feeling badly that thats how the air got cleared. Dean now had his jaw squared at the witch again. "Ookay, now we're getting somewhere. So you won't mind if I do this?" she smiled and placed her hand over Castiel's chest, his white grace being pulled from his vessel. Cas screamed in agony.
The Winchesters called for Cas as he went limp and fell to the ground. "Our little game ended after you told the truth I needed. All that emotion let me zap your boyfriend of his angelhood. Isn't life fun?" the witched laughed. She stopped mid laugh and her entire expression dropped as a witch killing bullet shot through her head. Sam and Dean whipped their heads around to see Jody, gun in hand, looking wild. Her pixie cut had grown passed her ears, dirt, grime, and dried blood slathered her and she was nearly hyperventilating, she was breathing so fast. "Hey boys. Did ya miss me?" she asked, briefly smiling at her non biological sons. Finally able to stand, Dean rushed over to Cas and Jody to Sam. "Cas, no, please," Dean begged, dropping to his knees next to the former angel. Castiel was rolled onto his side, eyes closed, and not breathing. Dean placed his hand on his cheek and all pleas were stuck in his throat, on the verge of breaking out into sobs. His other hand cupped Cas' face as whimpers escaped.
Dean barely registered Sam and Jody behind him. Jody placed a hand on Dean's shoulder, "C'mon honey.. We can take him, but this cavern has got toxic air so we've got to go." Dean remained, frozen in despair. Dean's silent tears dropped onto Castiel's cheeks. Suddenly Cas' chest rose and his lips parted as he inhaled. Dean's hands left his face and then wavered above his body expectantly.
They all watched in awe as Castiel's blue eyes cracked open and met Dean's wettened ones. "Cas? Hey, hey," he nearly whispered, cupping his face again. "Dean," Cas groaned, and then sat up abruptly. Dean held his shoulders as Cas ' entire body shuttered while he violently coughed, bringing Sam and Jody to their eye level. After his coughing episode ended, he went flax in Dean's arms, lulling his head against him. Sam met Dean's eyes. Dean placed Cas' arm over his own shoulders and Sam quickly got on the other side to assist. They stood, pulling him up along with them.
When the brothers tried to walk with Cas however, his feet just dragged, catching on the grooves on the cavern ground as he groaned in pain. "Pick him up, Dean. C'mon boys," Jody urged. Sam lifted Castiel's arm off. Dean bent his knees and wrapped his arm around the underside of Cas' knees. "Hold on, Cas," Dean told him as he hustled out of the cavern with his family. Jody lead the way through a dark stench drenched hall.
The cold wind whistled through the leafless trees and chilled the boys' cheeks as they stumbled to the impala. Sam's mangled left foot dragged along the torn up side walk as he opened up the back rear door for his brother and the angel. Wincing, he made his way to the driver's side and stiffly sat down. Dean closed his eye as blood trickled down from his eyebrow from his forehead—his head and his stomach churning with fear. Dean now held Castiel's hand right hand and left waist tightly, practically carrying his entire body weight against him. Cas was deadly quiet; his feet were making feeble attempts to stumble along with Dean. Dean slowly sat Cas down into the seat, having to put his feet into the car. Jody watched Sam look in the rearview, watching his brother slide into the other side of the backseat, hip to hip with Cas.
Sam turned the wheel sharply, causing Cas to fall into the door, head smacking the dewy window. "Whoa," Dean muttered, using his hand to grab Cas' head and pull it away from the window. Dean took his hand away after sitting him back up.
Baby turned another harsh corner and Cas' head limply drifted toward the window and almost hit his head again. Dean pulled the angel into his chest, scowling at his brother. With his face and ears burning, chest pounding, and mind blanking, Dean took out the buildup of emotions on Sam,"Dude!" Dean exclaimed.
He looked down at Cas' pained expression worriedly and shot daggers through his eyes at Sam. "Sorry," Sam replied gruffly, pulling up to the bunker. "Help me take him inside," Dean said as Sam got up to open their door. The younger, taller brother pulled Castiel's other arm around his shoulders.
Upon entering, Sam abandoned Castiel's arm to shut and lock the bunker door. Dean silently walked them directly to his room, dread and desperation pulsed through his body. Sam found a chair and fell into it, solemnly watching them stumble away. He opened the laptop in front of him, not bothering to nurse his foot injury and decided to look up lore on how to cure Cas.
Dean slowly laid Cas down onto the right side of his bed and stood over him for a moment. He bent his knees slowly and hovered next to Cas. His body seemed frozen, his skin pale, and he nearly looked embalmed. The hunter's calloused finger tips touched the angel's chest, pressing his hand down on his heartbeat. Nothing. Dean quickly felt hot tears welding in his eyes.
"Cas?" his voice cracked at the angel's expressionless face. Dean stared at him, as if to will him to wake up and answer him. "Please, no..." he breathed. Cas did not respond, but his eyebrows crinkled.
"Cas?"
Blue eyes slowly peered up at the worried hunter, "Dean?"
"Yeah, hey, hey," Dean let out, scrambling to his feet to hover over Cas as his left hand cupped his cheek. "Dean...where's the witch demon?" Cas darted his eyes around and met back at Dean. "Where'd she hurt you?" Dean asked. Castiel squinted confusedly and then gasped heavily, eyes widening as his grace pulsed through his mouth and eyes. Dean pulled his hand back and watched in horror. Cas returned to his normal state and sunk back into the pillow. "What was that?" Dean nearly stuttered, heart sinking again.
"The spell..." Cas trailed off, squeezing his eyes shut and letting out a deep breath. His eyes met Dean's. "...It's causing me to lose my grace if I don't adhere to the regulations...but I think I just gained energy," Castiel explained.
"Regulations?"
After a few deep breaths and loosening his tie, Cas spoke, "She was testing weakening spells on me in pursuit of knowledge of how to get revenge on other angels...She pinned down my biggest weakeness and exploited it. Her intention was to deprive me of what I needed most to drain the life from me...I don't think she was expecting you to show up."
They stared at each other. Dean finally let go of the breath that he was holding, causing him to waver. He was still trying to process what he just said. Maybe he didn't mean to phrase it like that.
"What did she try to drain you of?" Dean asked, his heart thumping in his ears. Cas lowered his eyes and tightened his jaw.
"My connection to you," he admitted.
Realization dawned on Dean as tears again began welding in his eyes again, burning like the poision he believed himself to be. The growing tenseness in his shoulders was nearly audible as he sauntered away from Cas, running his hand over his mouth.
With each boot clunk away, fragments of Castiel's grace breathed out, sending agonizing pain through every fiber of his vessel, earning a robust whimper from said angel. Cas' hearty groan spun Dean around as he quickly headed back to the bedside.
"Cas?" he asked hurriedly, placing a firm hand on Cas' shoulder. Dean's touch caused his grace to pulse through his vessel again.
"You're freaking me out, man," said Dean. "I'm sorry, Dean," Cas replied.
"Let me get this straight," he began, taking his shoulder off of Castiel's shoulder. "If I walk away from you for a second, your angel mojo might blast out of you?"
Cas lowered his eyes again in shame, even turning his head a little away from Dean's incredulous stare. Dean set his shoulder back, searching the floor for answers. The silence between them was becoming more tense than Dean's shoulders. "Okay."
Castiel turned to look the hunter hopefully.
"So I just...need to stay close enough, right?"
A hesitant single nod was Cas's reply, which Dean barely caught due to avoiding eye contact. Dean squared his jaw and slowly sat down on the edge of the bed, causing Castiel's body to fall slightly into his back. Unlacing his boots, he pulled them off and placed them on the ground to his right. Meticulously, Dean took off his jacket, now standing. Cas watched him expectantly as he made his way to the other side of the bed.
Slower than normal operating procedure, the eldest Winchester lifted back the cover and laid down in his bed next to his best friend.
In his bedroom. On his bed.
The bed creaked, somehow intensifying his head sinking into the pillow. Both men stared at the ceiling with vastly different expressions. Euphoria and steady energy washed through Cas, causing his eyelids to droop. Panic zig zagged through Dean, giving him crazy eyes.
"Dean..." Cas moaned, his head rolling to face Dean. Most of the panic subsided quickly as Dean met his blissed out gaze. "Thank you," Cas whispered, closing his eyes. After a moment, Dean grew concerned. Angels don't sleep.
"Hey.." he prompted Cas softly. Cas' eyes opened slightly and a small smile crept onto his face upon seeing Dean so closeby.
"Am I going to have to have to keep one eye open the whole night?" Dean asked worriedly, rolling onto his side to face Cas more. "I'm fine, Dean," Cas reassured, drifting off. "Why are you falling asleep then?" Dean prompted.
"I don't know, Dean. Why do I always fall?" Cas responded grumpily. The truth serum had not fully worn off, and Cas was too tired to fight the pain when he lied or shadowed the truth at this point. Dean hadn't exhaled in the many seconds it had been since Cas' grumpy response. "For you," Cas answered his silent question.
Dean let go of his breath shakily. "Cas?" Dean prompted once more, causing the angel to open his eyes again. Dean leaned in and kissed him earnestly. Castiel kissed back hungrily, pulling his hunter's face toward him, nearly dragging his entire body ontop of his.
The righetous man pulled away, smiling down at the pink cheeked angel. He went back to his previous laying position, but pulled Cas in close. "Dean..." Cas groaned, running his hands up the back of Dean's shirt. Dean groaned back involunatarily, leaned his lower half away from the horny angel and kissed his forehead, "You're under the influence, sunshine. See if you want me in the morning."
Cas just buried his face in Dean's chest, "I will." For the first time, Dean went to sleep smiling.