Ready
-Bobby's right. Tomorrow we hunt the Devil. This is our last night on Earth.-
The house was silent. The only sound to be heard was the faint whistle of the wind outside, in the cold night. Everybody was asleep, or at least trying to get some rest before the next day. An almost surreal interlude between the chaotic events of those days.
But was he, Castiel, was he ready? He kept asking the question over and over in his head, like a chant. He found that he could not answer it, even to himself. Nothing unusual then, he thought with a bit of sarcasm.
Sarcasm. He learnt that from the humans. They could have taught him so much more…
Are you ready, Castiel?
He was outside now, standing on the top of a hill near Bobby's house. He raised his head and turned his blue eyes to the sky above him. The stars shone in all their splendor and the moon seemed to embrace them in her motherly smiling shape.
They all seemed so close to each other, like brothers and sisters, but actually it was only an illusion. Those celestial bodies were light-years away. That thought should have not reminded him so vividly of his own brothers and sisters, he realized with sadness. Still, he had no right to complain because he betrayed them as well. He left them. And now he was going to face an almost certain death. Was it worth? Was it right?
A light touch on his shoulder made him lower his head and look to his left. Dean sustained his glance, his hand still on the angel's shoulder. He raised his eyes to the sky and sighed, then looked at him again and gave him a feeble and tired smile.
«Let's go home, Cas.»
Cas nodded and turned, moving those first steps down the hill with Dean. A silent walk to the place he had started to refer to as home.
Are you ready?
Yes. Yes, I am.