Hi! This is my first fic in English (I'm Italian) so try to be patient and forgive my grammar! hihihi
Rating: T, just to be sure… No violence, no sex. Just a little swearing…
Summary: Set after the season 4 finale. Dean is praying. Sort of.
Parings: None
Characters: Dean and Cas…ahem…Castiel
Disclaimer: Don't own a thing, really! Kripke and CW own it all!
TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN
Dean Winchester was sitting alone in an old church, right in the middle of nowhere. He had left Sam at Bobby's and had been driving around, aimlessly, for hours. He had been thinking about what happened, about what he was supposed to do, when he ended up near the church and decided to go inside. It was the middle of the night and the doors were locked, but a locked door had never stopped him, right?
So here he was, in one of the last rows, staring at the altar and at the statues and frescos on the walls. There was the full package put on display: Christ with his cross, angels here and there, the Evangelists and even several saints. Funny thing, angels didn't look at all like they truly were. Not that he have ever really seen them in their true form. But he guessed they weren't puffy and cheerful babies with little white wings. Far from it. They were warriors, the frightening kind of warriors, no matter whether or not you're on their side. They could really be some scary bastards, but he even saw kindness in them. Well, some of them, at least.
His eyes went back at the statue crucified on the altar. And he started praying. But him being him it wasn't your normal kind of prayer. He let the words come out of his lips, just barely above a whisper. But he didn't feel like screaming in this place. He wasn't calling for Castiel as he had done in Bobby's courtyard or in the parking lot at the Toreador Motel what it looked like years ago. This was a church and he wasn't here for the holy water or for the grave of some angry spirit. He was actually here to pray. So he had to be somewhat respectful. (He chose to overlook the B&E he had done to be inside the church. That was a whole different matter…)
«So, here I am, God. It's me, Dean Winchester. Aka The Chosen One, aka The Righteous Man, aka the biggest jerk on the face of Earth» he chuckled softly at that.
«You almost got me there, you know. You almost convinced me I would be able to stop the Apocalypse. And you know what? If those feathered jackasses of yours hadn't interfered with it, I would have. I would have got to Sam on time, I would have been able to stop him. Hell, I would even have stopped Lucifer from rising» he then waited to consider that scenario.
«Of course, keeping Lilith alive would have been a serious downside of that job, but I could have lived with that. But no, you had to bring my ass back at your weird safe house and leave me there to deal with Zack and Cas' evil twin.»
Now his words became bitter and harsh.
«Seriously, what did you do to that poor angel when you brought his ass back up there?! Did you brainwash him or something?! What kind of mojo did you cast on him, cause trust me he came back looking more as Uriel than his old self. And that is something I wouldn't wish to my worst enemy… Then again, considering that right now my worst enemy is Lucifer himself, becoming like Uriel would be a real improvement for him!» he chuckled at that.
«Of course, maybe you're not even responsible for any of this mess. Zack told me you left the building. Is it true? Am I just wasting my time sitting in this crappy old church on this crappy old and uncomfortable bench – man, you could at least put some cushion or something, they do worship you! – and trying to talk to someone who left us to ourselves? So, who am I supposed to pray? God, those dickheads that should be our last hope against Lucifer or the few decent angels still out there that actually give a damn about us humans? Towards whom am I supposed to address my prayers? Cas helped me find my faith, but now what?!»
He actually waited for an answer that, of course, never came.
«Ok, let's start again, shall we?» he then said with a sigh.
«To whom it may concern. Being you God, one of the so-called angels that are recently acting more like shitheads than the heavenly warriors they should be, or one of those few angels left that actually give a damn about the survival of the human race…» he paused a second to think about what he'd just said. Ok, maybe getting them angry calling them names wasn't the greatest idea ever. Too late for that, anyways.
«Well, hi! I'm Dean Winchester and you've probably heard of me, what with all the "Dean Winchester is saved" thing that went on last year and me being the one who broke the first seal. Anyway, I'm here, without the even slightest idea of what I'm supposed to do to help you guys stop Lucifer from making this planet his brand new playground. Zack…ahem…Zachariah told me I'm going to be crucial to Lucifer's defeat, but Sam, Bobby and I, we've been looking and searching everywhere for a clue on what to do. And nothing came up. So I'm here to ask guidance.»
He actually started at that. Yeah, he, Dean Winchester, was asking for guidance. That's right: world was coming to an end. Haven't you got the newsletter yet?!
«Ok, come on guys! I'm already praying. Don't make me beg!» but this time it sounded dangerously close to begging.
«Hello Dean» a voice said from behind him while a faint sound of ruffled feathers echoed in the church.
«Cas» the hunter said, not really needing to turn around to know who it was. «So there was actually someone listening!»
«Yes» Castiel answered simply.
«Well, uh, we went through all of Bobby's books, cover to cover, but we couldn't find a solid lead. So I was wondering if you could tell me, you know… what the hell I'm supposed to do?» Dean asked, suddenly not that sure this was a good idea. But this was Cas and he came to trust the guy. The angel risked a lot to help him.
«You can't find knowledge about this matter in any book, at least nothing factual and accurate. We have that knowledge but we were waiting for you to be ready. For you to ask our help.»
«We? As in "you and the other angels"?» Dean inquired, wondering if Castiel was still working with the same angels he betrayed to help him trying to stop Lucifer from rising.
«Of course» was all Cas said and Dean wondered, not for the first time, if he was answering the question he voiced or the one in his thoughts.
«So, they got you back?» the hunter asked, just to be sure.
«Yes, they weren't very pleased with my doing, but they understood that you felt the need to try and prevent the Apocalypse.»
Dean knew something was left unsaid right there: ok, maybe they understood his need to try to do something, but what about Castiel's actions? He had his orders and he disobeyed to help him in his attempt. How did the angel justify that? But of course Dean knew better than to press the angel or question their luck. Anyway, he was there in front of him, so it couldn't be that bad, right?
«So now what?» the hunter asked, somewhat happy that Castiel didn't get in too much trouble for helping him.
«Now we have a war to fight» Cas answered.
«Melodramatic much?!» Dean chuckled but went back at his serious self when he saw Castiel's worried face.
«It won't be easy, nor funny. Your life and the lives of those you care for and those you don't even know are at stake.»
«Yeah, well… Nothing new under the sun…» Dean commented. «So, where do we start?»
«We start from the beginning.»
«Uh, uh. Funny, Cas. Where do we start, really?»
«As I said we start from the beginning. From your family. You need Sam and Bobby on your side for this. They're your strength. And they're in this with you. Go back to Bobby's and I'll meet you there» Castiel explained.
«Not even a sneak peek, Cas? Pretty please?» he pleaded, doing his best imitation of Sam's well known puppy dog eyes.
«All in due time, Dean» and with that Castiel, the angel, was gone from the church.
«And here I thought him coming back as Uriel's little brother was bad. This secretive and spoiler free policy version of him is even more disturbing! Argh!»
And with that Dean Winchester stormed out of the church, mumbling about freaking angels spoiling all the fun.
That was it, just a little thing I've been thinking about the last couple of days. Hope you enjoyed it!
Reviews are more than welcomed, especially those that can improve my writing!