Disclaimer: I still don't own or profit from this in anyway
Summary: He just couldn't wait to get home. AU Cas/fem!Dean.
A/N: I usually don't write fem!Dean but I couldn't figure out a way I would rather do this fic. I heard the song 'Home' by Michael Buble and I couldn't stop this from being written. Remember: read and review.
Warnings: Some graphic imagery. Language
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"Novak! Get your ass moving!"
Sighing he rubbed his thumb once more over the worn picture he kept in his vest pocket and tucked it away before his CO came back.
"I mean it Novak!" He heard the harsh voice yell again before he stood up and grabbed his gun.
"I'm coming Michael." He hollered back as he past bunches of his comrades in their cots. Most dressed in only their uniform pants and undershirt or in some cases no shirts at all. Soon he was under the hot setting desert sun and next to his CO and friend, Michael Milligan.
"Follow me; we're on guard duty tonight." The older man answered as they trudged through the sand and even though it was nearing dark it was still uncomfortably hot causing a trail of sweat to drip down the small of his back.
He was counting the days until he could return home. Every night dreaming of perfectly shaped emerald eyes, long golden blonde hair trailing over his shoulder and those perfectly tan-, "You shouldn't think so much about your girl you got back home man. She's probably already banging another guy."
"Deana isn't like that we love each other." He answered with fire in his eyes and force beyond his words.
"That's what I thought about Kate too. Came back from my last tour and found her fucking the neighbor. Found out Adam isn't even mine."
It was quiet as they switched guard duties with two of their buddies and took their seats in the guard tour, "All I'm saying man is don't get attached because we Marines don't exactly have good track records with relationships."
"I understand and I'm sorry about Adam by the way." He added because in truth in the past eleven months they had become brothers and he was sorry that had happened to him or that it happened to anyone at all.
The night passed with small talk and taking turns pacing the perimeter until dawn when they were relieved of their duties.
"So what are you doing when you get back?" Castiel asked as they headed towards the mess hall and grabbed the fresh coffee.
"Girls, lots of girls, alcohol and who the hell knows maybe I'll spend some time with Adam because God knows I'm the closest thing that kid has to a father." The blonde man replied as he took a seat with his breakfast on one of the wood benches as Castiel sat next to him.
"What about Balthazar?" He asked hesitantly because the name had only been mentioned once or twice during conversation but always with fondness.
"Balth? I think last time I heard he was doing some soul searching or some shit like that. My baby brother always was one to do hippie crap like that. Kept our parents on their toes that is for sure." Michael answered around a mouth full of food, "What about you? What are you doing once we are stateside?"
"I don't have much family, except for my brother Gabriel. Deana is the only other person I have." He answered rubbing his vest pocket remembering the last night they had together.
"No need to get all hot and bothered Cas. I can tell where this is going just remember we only have a month left and then your back to your girl."
The raven haired man blushed before starting on his food, "Thank God."
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Wrinkling his paper he tossed it across the room hitting one of his bunk mates, "Hey watch it man."
Growling in frustration he tore out another sheet of paper and started again scratching it out when it become too impersonal. Deana wrote him without fail everyday of his deployment and he was lucky if he could get her a letter a month. Not because he wasn't able to write her, no it was that the letters always sounded too impersonal and fake. She deserved so much more from him. It was true that the beautiful woman he had come to love brought so much life to what had been a boring and dull lifestyle. Sure he lived a pretty active lifestyle but after his first tour it started to blur together the days started to become one big mess of war and gunfire. But when he had traveled to D.C on leave to first his brother Gabe and his boyfriend he had met Deana. It was completely by accident too, storming away from his older brother as he lectured him again about taking care of himself he ran into Deana as she stepped out of a cab. Yelling at him to watch where he was going and after that it was history.
There was never a dull moment with her around. Her letters were filled with her adventures with her team at the FBI where she worked on the BAU and as the team psychologist. Her letters always made him laugh and smile when sometimes the day had only been filed with the banging of guns and screaming of his comrades. Sometimes her letters were the only things keeping him going.
Looking back to the blank sheet of note book paper in front of him he started to write out another line, but quickly scratched out what he was writing leaving angry black scratches across the paper.
"The paper didn't do anything to you man," He looked up and saw Garth was looking at him from the Bible he was always reading, "Don't give me that look man. The poor paper doesn't deserve that treatment. Just write down what you're feeling I'm sure your special someone will understand."
Sitting up with the jingle of his dog tags he ran his hand through the unruly locks that Deana (or Dean as she liked to be called) had tried to attempt to control on their last night together, "It always sounds so blah. She deserves more than that."
"I bet she thinks the same about her letters to you Castiel. I'm sure you'll think of something." Garth answered and quickly returned to his book.
Looking back he started again and continued without pause.
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It was quiet as the humvee caravan he was riding in rode through the small village looking for suspicious activity. They had been through the village numerous other times and hadn't found anything, but today everything was suspiciously quiet and empty.
"Stop"
Turning from his perch on the top with his loaded machine gun he saw Michael tapping the driver on the shoulder and motioning for him to stop. As all the machines came to a stop as the Sergeant came to stand in front of them, "This is our last sweep of this village. Don't pull any stupid rookie moves keep each other's sixes and be back here in twenty. Got it?"
"Yes Sir!" Echoed through the air around them as they divided into their teams and started through the empty buildings.
"Novak you got point. Uriel and I'll be right behind you."
Sighing he knew the risk that came with point, but he turned around to face his two team members. Uriel was a big black man, muscles rolling under his uniform and he proudly displayed to anyone that would listen a picture of his newborn daughter and wife he had waiting back home. Michael was tall, taller than him and blonde. He imagined that had the man not joined the Marines fresh out of high school he could of made a living as a model, "Yes sir."
Raising his rifle he started towards the house designated to them. This was always the worst part, not knowing what was behind those doors. During his tours he had found numerous things behind them. He had found himself on the business end of guns more times then he would like to recall, but he had also found miracles happening behind them. He remembered one time as he pounded on the door commanding them to open he found a terrified mother who ushered him to the back room where her daughter was giving birth and he helped the girl deliver a healthy baby boy. It was one of the memories he would remember.
Coming up to the door he clicked the safety off before pounding on the door, "United States Marines open your doors!"
No sooner had he yelled then all hell broke loose. The door swung open and before he had a chance to yell gunfire broke out around him and he was knocked to the ground as one of the bullets hit him square in the chest, he was lucky he was wearing his vest. Scrambling for his gun he turned to see Michael staring back at him with half his skull gone and Uriel trying to stop the blood flowing from his throat.
He was shooting before he felt himself being pulled away. He got the fucker he knew that, but he couldn't remember much after that.
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He blinked a couple of times before finally opening his eyes. Sitting up he rubbed at his chest that was aching like he was run over by a truck.
"It's good to see you awake kid. We thought we lost you for a minute there."
Turning he found himself facing the Corpsman, "What happened?"
"Got yourself caught in a firefight; lucky you were wearing your vest or you might not be here right now. Came in with shock and covered in blood. Had your friends worried." The doctor answered, she was a petite red head dressed in her Navy uniform, "I'm sorry about your friends."
Yeah he was too, "Thank you. Can I go now?"
"Yes. I'm supposed to tell you that your platoon is getting shipped back early due to the casualties. Get your stuff packed you're gonna be stateside by tomorrow solider."
Getting up he wandered through the sick bay and out the tent flaps and back into the desert he had called home the past year of his life. As he came back to the tent he found the rest of his friends packing the rest of their belongings or at least the ones that had made it out alive. He noticed with a gasp that it was the Chaplain cleaning out Garth's rack, poor kid hadn't made it home.
Moving over with much more stiffness then was expected in the 25 year old he pulled out his box of letters from Deana and his belongings and packed them into his sea bag. Looking over his rack and foot locker he made sure nothing was left behind before he sat down next to his brothers in arms in silence waiting for their ride to the airport.
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Waiting for their flight back was a somber event. They were debriefed by the Captain who assured them that the attackers were killed in the attack and survivors were being interrogated. They were also alerted to mandatory psych evaluations that would take place after their leave was over. Soon their plane arrived and they were on their way back stateside and he was on his way towards Dean.
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"Sammy are you sure this looks alright?" Deana asked as she tried on yet another long sleeve shirt with her jeans.
"It looks fine Dean. You look wonderful now we need to get going or otherwise we are going to miss his flight." Sam assured his little sister as he walked into her bedroom where she was examining herself in her mirror.
"You don't think it makes my ass look to big?" She asked turning around to see for herself.
"It looks fine little missy. Now come on." He urged picking up her pea coat from the bed where she had flung it, "Gabe is waiting in the car for us."
"I just nee-"Deana answered trying to make her way to the connected bathroom when she was steered away and out the apartment door.
"You are fine. Come on." Sam whispered and got her into the back of Gabe's Camaro and he in the front as they traveled to Ronald Regan International Airport.
"What if he doesn't want me anymore?" The 23 year old asked as they maneuvered through the busy January traffic, "he barely wrote me."
It was silent as the Gabe looked into the backseat and saw the girl his brother had fallen in love with all those months ago. The one he had spent hours trying to comfort when they found out Cas's squad was attacked. She was like the little sister he never had and truthfully never wanted. He knew what Cas had in store for her and he felt his coat pocket just to make sure, "Dean he loves you and I don't want you to ever forget that."
She nodded and looked back out the window as they neared the airport she could see the incoming airplanes and she wondered which one her boyfriend was on.
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"We are landing at Ronald Regan International. Local time is 2:34p.m and temperature is 25 degrees Fahrenheit. Welcome home soliders and thank you for your service."
The announcement was met with cheers from the men and women as they felt the plane land and ferry towards the gate. Castiel was a bundle of nerves as he waited for the machine to stop moving so he could get off and see Dean. He hadn't seen her in a year and except for a phone call home on his birthday he hadn't talked to her except for in his poorly written letters.
He saw the door open and he quickly grabbed his sea bag and headed off the plane towards the gate and closer to his family.
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He could hear the cheering from the other side of the doors as his friends crossed through to their families and he took a deep breath before pushing the doors open. He scanned the room and his eyes finally fell on the love of his life.
Still dressed in uniform he started running forward and was met half way by Deana who launched herself at him swinging her legs around his hips as he held her close and kissed her right on those pouty, cherry colored lips.
"I missed you so much Cas." She whispered in his ear tears dripping onto his neck.
"I missed you to Dean. I love you so much I thought about you every day."
"I love you too. Dreamed about you every night wishing you were sleeping next to me."
Sadly he set her down but quickly grabbed her hand as they walked over to his brother and his boyfriend, "You look beautiful Dean." He whispered as he wrapped a hand around her curvy hips and could help himself but tuck his hand into her back pocket. Soon enough he was at his brother and Sam.
"Gabe, Sam it's good to see you." He dropped Dean's hand and wrapped his brother in a hug and felt the small box as it dropped into his box. He quickly turned to Sam and hugged him in return.
"Glad to see your home Cassie. We all missed you." Gabe answered pulling his suit coat open a little to let his suit show through.
"I missed you guys too." Cas answered suddenly nervous as he felt the small hand slip into his own calloused one.
Seeing the nervousness in his little brother's eyes Gabe smiled and waved his keys in the air, "I'll go bring the car around."
This was it, the moment he had been moving towards since he bumped into Deana two years ago. Turning her around to face him he slowly bent down on one knee and reached into his pocket for the ring he had picked out before he left on deployment.
"Cas what-"
"Deana Winchester you are the best thing to ever happen to me. Before I ran into you I was living a life that wasn't worth living. Going from mission to mission without a cause, no friends, nothing. Once I met you everything changed and it was like everything was right with the world; I had a beautiful girlfriend, who when I was around there was never a dull moment. You have given me a reason to live and live well. You gave me something to smile about and you are what kept me going in the desert all those months. You have done so much for me and now I want to do something for you. Will you Deana Winchester marry me?" He could faintly hear the click of cameras and the gasp of the crowd around them, but all he could focus on was the beautiful face in front of him.
Deana was looking at him with her tiny perfectly manicured hands to her mouth in shock, cheeks red with blush and tears welling up in her eyes. It seemed like an eternity before she nodded her head and held out her left hand.
They were surrounded with cheers from the crowd as he placed the diamond ring on her finger. He had barely slipped the ring on and stood up and when she launched at him landing her smooth lips on his chapped ones.
Breaking apart she smiled, "I love you so damn much Cas."
"And I more then you'll ever know."
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That night after Gabe and Sam took them out to celebrate their engagement they were back at Dean's apartment lying in her King size bed cuddled together.
"I'm so glad your back Cas I missed you." She whispered as he wrapped a muscled arm around her and pulled her close.
"What I said back there was true. You pulled me through everything Dean and I don't know what I would have done without you. I love you so much." He ended with a kiss to her forehead as the woman snuggled in closer and kissed his pec.
Realizing he had all but forgotten something he kissed her once more before pulling the feather duvet away introducing them both to the cold air of the studio apartment, "Fuck. Way to ruin the mood Cas." Deana joked as she pulled the blanket closer around her scantily clad body, "What are you doing anyway?"
"I have something for you." He answered scurrying across the hardwood floors clad in only his boxers as he reached for his still packed sea bag and reached in for his wood box and pulled out a stack of papers and jumped into the bed where the covers were quickly thrown back over him.
"What is it?" The blonde asked as she looked into her fiancée's stunning blue eyes, "I read every one of your letters, most of them to the point of wearing them out. But every time I tried to write you one it didn't sound right so I saved each one I wrote."
"Why?" Dean asked as she snuggled closer trying to get a hand on the packet of addressed envelopes.
"So I could read them to you." He answered with a kiss and pulled the oldest one from the bottom of the pile.
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