The Mercy of the Living

By thehoundandthebird

Author's Note: Wanted to put out there that this was written before Season 11's release. All of the ideas pertaining to the Darkness are those created by myself. If you would like to use this idea, please ask my permission first. Chances are that I will allow it :)

Best Wishes,
~Sandra

'The wicked flee when none pursueth.'
-Prov. 28:1

With a coldness unbefitting the Winchester brother, he turned to the angel and said, "You and Sam stay the hell away from me. Next time I won't miss." He left the bunker swiftly, leaving the bloodied angel where he was on the ground; his angel blade stuck out from where it had been rammed into a book.

A resounding slam of the bunker's door reached Castiel's ears like it was another of Dean's ruthless blows. He felt it through his entire body; vibrating painfully from his down to the very tips of his fingers and toes. The tears that fell from his eyes stung the open cuts on his face but he didn't care. No physical hurt could compare to the emotional pain and turmoil that ran through the ancient being. He toyed with the idea of going after his friend but quickly cast it aside: Although he knew Dean would never hurt him, would never truly want to hurt him at least, there was still something feral in his eyes. Something that wasn't Dean but the Mark of Cain on his arm.

Dean wouldn't kill him but the Mark wouldn't hesitate. He would not go looking for him.

Castiel sat up slowly and leaned himself against the closest sturdy surface—the leg of a table. Instead of healing himself like he would have done he wore his wounds to aid him in masking the emotional pain he now felt radiating so powerfully within himself. Now that Castiel had spent a good chunk of his current existence among humans, the emotions he never thought were there had been unlocked. And what pain he felt could never be paralleled—like someone had stuffed the emotional worth of 10 humans inside of him. It threatened to rip the angel apart from the inside out.

He let the tears fall freely then.

They streamed silently down his face and he made not a sound as they made their descent. His shoulder shook silently, small gasps escaping his lips. Castiel remained this way, slumped against the table crying until Sam burst through the door, his gun up in front of him and searching the room frantically for his brother. "Dean!"

"Sam..." Castiel said weakly.

"Cas!" Sam kept his gun low and by his side, always on the alert. "Where's Dean?"

The angel tried to sit himself up properly. He clutched at his side, pain shooting through his ribs. "Gone."

"Gone? Gone where, Cas? We have to find him!"

"I don't know," Castiel grunted as Sam got him to one of the chairs. "But he told me that we should stay away, that next time he wouldn't miss. He's dangerous, Sam. We can't risk going after him. I barely made it out alive."

Sam plopped Castiel down onto the chair and took a few steps away, running a hand through his hair. "My brother is slowly slipping away and you simply want me to do nothing about it?"

"I never said that," Castiel assured him firmly. "He still has the tracking beacon in the Impala—we can use that to keep an eye on where he's going. But we can't go after him. There was something in his eyes; a darkness that was close to taking over. Dean is barely there, Sam. There was a fleeting moment where he hesitated and left, stabbing my blade into a pile of books. He didn't want to kill me but the Mark did. Let's just stay here, keep an eye on Rowena and see if can help her get this spell going."

Sam was quiet for a moment. He looked around the room while pacing in front of Castiel as if an alternative solution would present itself. When it didn't, Sam turned to the ancient being and let out a resigned sigh. "Fine. But if we're going to help Dean we need to call in the cavalry. I'm calling her in."

Castiel's eyes widened and his head tilted up and slightly sideways as he considered the taller hunter who stared back with his eyes full of conviction. "Are you sure this is a good idea, Sam? She left for a reason. She didn't want to live this life."

"If there's one thing I've come to learn is that once you're in the life you never leave it. I'm calling her in. If there's anyone who could help Dean, it's her."