Remember me
A hiss issued from the bloody lips of the man in the chair. Thick ropes wrapped around his wrists, securing them to the arms of the wooden chair he was sat on – his legs were equally tied at the ankles. He hissed again, words catching in his throat as he coughed and wheezed.
Before him, Dean glowered, a small dagger in one hand and a silver container of salt in the other. The dark form of Sam could be seen pacing in the background. Dean stepped forwards, raising his hand to toss salt towards the restrained demon once again. He was stopped by the forceful words that the creature snarled:
'The angel will be ours!'
Dean lowered the salt and glanced at his brother. The taller sibling stopped his pacing and frowned slightly, stepping forwards to join Dean before the demon – he was careful to avoid the well-drawn pentagram surrounding the demon.
"What angel?" Sam asked at a nod from Dean. The demon let out a strangled laugh – blood foaming at the corners of his mouth.
'That angel you Winchesters value so highly – the one you think is a friend. He will be ours!'
"He means Cass." Dean said in a low growl, turning away from the demon. Sam nodded once in agreement. What other angel could he mean? In Dean's words 'The others angels are even bigger dicks than Castiel.' The demon hissed again, enjoying the confusion of the two brothers – and also, the slightly strained expression on Dean's face.
'It is coming. The angel will be ours and the apocalypse will destroy this land – then my father can return to his rightful place as the ruler.'
The demon crowed victoriously, then his head lurched forwards as his laughter dissolved into a fit of coughing. The remains of his blue shirt was speckled with blood when he finally managed to catch his breath and stop.
'And there is nothing you can do. The demons will rule and the angel will help to…'
His words trailed off, he gave a violent cough and then his head drooped forwards lifeless. Dean let out a frustrated grunt and slammed his hand against the wall. His brother eyed him cautiously.
"Dean…?" he ventured.
"Why are we always the ones saving his back?" Dean ranted. "That Son of a Bitch is going to get us both killed."
Sam waited for his older brother to calm down and start to talk sense again. It only took a few minutes surprisingly for Dean to turn back to Sam.
"What do you think he meant?" Sam asked.
"He meant that we need to find Cass and find out what the hell is going on, before the demons get to him and do whatever it is they are planning to do." Dean replied. Sam nodded, not wanting to infuriate his brother again. He'd been on the receiving end of Deans' anger before and he wasn't in a rush to revisit it. He subconsciously rubbed his left arm – the one Dean had 'accidently' broken when he was about 9 during one of his angry outbursts.
Instead, Sam turned and began to make his way towards the door that led out of the warehouse they were in.
"Where are you going?" Dean called after him.
"To the car. If we need to find Cass we need to get back to the motel."
Dean shrugged slightly and followed his taller brother as he strode out of the building. The pair got into the Impala with Dean behind the wheel as normal.
*~Remember Me~*
The sound of rock music heralded the arrival of the Winchester brothers to the Blue Moon Motel. Dean parked the Impala and finished singing the final lines of the current song:
"We're off to Never-never land!"
Sam grimaced as Dean warbled the words of the Metallica song, but he did not complain. With the song now finished, Dean got out of the car and made his way to their room. Sam clambered out of the car, pushing his long hair out of his face before following a few paces behind.
The inside of the room was fairly plain – dark brown wallpaper; cream bed sheets; a plain divider between the door and the beds. Nothing out of the ordinary for a cheap, run-of-the-mill motel.
Dean slumped down onto his bed and proceeded to munch on a burger he'd stowed away in his jacket pocket. Sam raised an eyebrow but said nothing. He moved to the low wooden table that stood by the window and sat down. Lifting the lid of his laptop, he clicked open a new tab and began to search for a new job – or a lead of Lilith if he could.
Dean munched away happily for a while, seemingly oblivious to what his younger sibling was doing. Sam looked up at him every now and again, awaiting the barrage of questions about what he was doing – and what they were going to do about what the demon had said.
It was Sam who broke the silence that had descended upon the room.
"Dude, would you please just say what you're thinking about?"
"Hmmm?" Dean looked up; chewing on the mouthful he had just taken. He swallowed noisily. "You know what I was thinking about, Sammy. Those dicks need our help again."
Sam sighed softly and closed his laptop with a sharp click.
"Have you called him?" he asked.
"I can't. He never calls from the same number twice – and that son of a bitch leaves no clues." Dean replied, scowling slightly. "Bobby could probably get hold of him."
"Bobby's on a job, you know that Dean – remember you asked for advice on this last lead and he threatened to kill you if you interrupted him again?"
Dean grunted slightly and lay back on his bed, arms behind his head. "Then we wait until he finds us."
Sam nodded and left it at that – Dean was clearly not in a logical mood. They needed to get a message to Castiel now if they wanted to speak to him before something happened –especially as the demon had seemed to hint that it would happen sooner rather than later.
*~Remember Me~*
That night Dean prayed.
Not to The God or A god. But to an angel. He prayed to Castiel.
"Cass, buddy, where are you? Are you ok?" He whispered. He had slipped out of the room him and Sam were sharing and was stood on the small veranda just outside the door.
"Cass, we need you to be ok. You're the only connection we have to the heavenly host – well, you're the only one that doesn't want to use me to flame grill the whole world any way. Could really do with an answer right now. Just let me know you're ok?"
He fell silent, closing his eyes and continuing in his head. A sudden wind picked up and the sound of flapping fabric filled the air. As quick as it had come, it disappeared again. Dean opened his eyes and turned to go back into the room.
He jumped as he saw the handsome face of Castiel staring back at him, head tilted slightly to right as was his normal fashion.
"Dude! Quit sneaking up on people already." He snapped, but he was secretly glad to see the angel.
"You prayed to me, Dean." He replied "I heard your prayer and I came. Do not worry – I am fine."
Relief flooded through Dean at Castiel's words. "That's good then."
"But I - …" He trailed off and frowned, then grimaced as if in pain. His shape seemed to flicker. "Dean, I –"
What he was about to say was lost to Dean as the angel flickered and disappeared.
"Cass!" Dean exclaimed. Sam, who had been listening from just inside the door, appeared outside.
"What happened? Dude, where'd Cass go?" Sam asked his brother.
"I don't know. He just disappeared. Do you think the demons took him?"
"I can't be sure. There's no sulphur so probably not. Maybe the angels summoned him back or something?"
Dean shrugged, but his heart was racing. He knew what this was. The demons words were coming true. The demons had Castiel.
*~Remember me~*
"Dude, please. Just stop with the angel crap already."
Sam groaned. He was inches from banging his head against the nearest solid object. Dean gave a disgruntled sigh and fell silent; he had been in the middle of a rant about angels. The words had washed over Sam – but still, the constant noise was irritating.
"Cass is gone, Sam." Dean replied "and we're doing nothing about it."
Sam let out a soft sigh.
"What can we do, Dean? Right now, finding Lilith is our biggest problem – not the location of one angel."
"But it's Castiel. Not just some random angel" Dean replied "You know, the one who's been helping us."
"Fat lot of good he's been." Sam muttered to himself, earning a glare from Dean. There really was something more than a friendship between those two –Sam wouldn't be surprised if he came across the pair of them banging one night in the bunker. He shuddered at the thought, maybe he shouldn't try picturing his brother's sex life.
"Look, Dean, we need to focus on Lilith right now, but we can look for Cass to, ok?"
Sam told his brother, giving up on the 'no hunting for the angel' frame of mind. Dean nodded once, careful not to show any emotion on his face.
"I have a feeling that it won't be too difficult to do both." Dean said softly.
The pair of them were currently sat in the Impala, and if it were not for the fact that they were currently doing about 50mph, Sam would've jumped out of the car at this point. Dean always seemed to get soppy when Cass was in trouble. And soppy Dean was probably worse than emotionless Dean.
The car had fallen silent, so the older brother leaned forwards and turned the radio on. A random rock song began to blare out of the speakers, drowning out both of their thoughts. Dean mouthed the words as he drove, occasionally closing his eyes which gave Sam the creeps.
With a sigh, Sam leaned back in his seat and closed his own eyes. If Dean wasn't going to say anything else, he might as well get some sleep.
*~Remember Me~*
"Well, well, well, the little sleeping angel awakes."
Castiel opened his eyes, grimacing at the pain in his whole body. He looked up at the door to the small cell he was in. A pair of pitch black eyes stared back.
"Welcome back to the land of the living, angel."
The demon cackled, then stepped away from the small barred window – a hatch was flicked over the opening and darkness descended upon the cell. Castiel didn't mind the dark, but he didn't like being in the small room. He glanced from side to side, trying to spot anything that might help him to escape. Nothing.
He frowned and attempted to teleport from the room. Also nothing. He was cut off from Heaven it seemed. With a sigh, he sat himself up on the small, bunk that he had been laid on. He frowned at the manacle that encircled his right ankle, and attached to the bed. Did they really think that that would hold him… then he remembered his lack of powers. He was pretty much a human at this moment in time.
He sighed again and shifted his position. His back ached. It felt as if someone had just ripped his wings from his back and he was just recovering from it now. But no one except another Angel could do that. He realised his trench coat was gone and frowned – he must have misplaced it at some point, because what would demons want with a dirty old trench coat?
The hatch opened again, revealing the barred window and a face. Castiel squinted his eyes at the sudden light, and looked up at the person outside. The door was thrown open and the figure outside for a moment was framed in light. When Castiel's eyes adjusted to the extra light, he took in the demon before him.
"Who are you?" He asked.
The demon chuckled quietly. Its eyes flicked to White for a brief second, before returning to the dark brown of his vessel.
"They call me Ajax." He replied, a grin on his face. He snapped the fingers on his left hand and two demons appeared at his side. He nodded to Castiel. The pair moved into the cell and detached the chain from the bunk, then led the angel from the room. Ajax turned and lead the group down the corridor.
Castiel found himself unable to keep track of the route they took through the building. It seemed like a huge maze – with his angel powers, he would probably have been able to do it, but in this weakened state he was helpless. Every step sent pain rippling through his body – the cause of which he was still not able to locate.
The demon, Ajax swung the doors to a large room open and led Castiel inside. The two demons holding his chain, moved to a chair in the centre and attached the end to its leg. Castiel sat down in the chair without waiting to be spoken to. He tracked Ajax's movements around the room as the demon paced before him.
"What do you want?" Castiel said after a short silence.
Ajax looked at the angel chained to the chair and tilted his head slightly.
"Lilith is set to break the final seal in the next few weeks," He replied, smiling. "And we need you to help with one of them."
"You want me to help you raise Lucifer?"
"Yes." Ajax said bluntly.
"Why would I want to do that?"
"You won't, but you don't have a choice."
Castiel frowned. So what if this was a higher 'white-eyed' demon, he was still an angel. Torture didn't really work on an angel. They had a rather high pain threshold.
"You cannot force me to comply." Castiel replied slowly. Ajax interrupted him.
"And that is where you are wrong." He said with a cruel smile. Castiel's frown deepened slightly.
"And what will you do?"
"This." He responded, then touched his palm to a symbol drawn onto the wall.
Castiel let out a gasp as white hot pain ripped through his body and his vision turned white around the edges. The pain in his back increased tenfold – it felt as though someone had hold of each wing and was tugging it in the opposite directions. He screwed up his face, trying to control the pain.
Suddenly, as quickly as it had come, it was gone. Castiel opened his eyes to find Ajax's face a few inches from his own.
"Will you help us?" The demon hissed, white eyes emerging again. Castiel shook his head.
Ajax straightened and returned to stand next to the symbol. "Fair enough." He replied, before slamming his hand onto the symbol again. Castiel once again dissolved into the white depths of the pain.
*~Remember Me~*
Sam looked over the top of his laptop at his brother who was just taking a bite out of a huge burger. The older man seemed oblivious to Sam's gaze and made a slight groan of pleasure as he tasted the burger.
"Dude, please?" Sam said, causing Dean to look up.
"What?" Dean asked around a mouthful of burger.
"I'm trying to research, you're not exactly helping me."
Dean sighed and put the burger down on his plate and picked up the newspaper that lay besides it. He flicked through the first few pages, then paused on the next. His eyes darted from side to side as he took in the words on the page.
"Sammy, check it out."
He turned the paper around and showed it to his brother. 'Freak storms and forest fires' the title of the article read.
"That sound like demonic omens to you?" Dean said.
"You think it might be another seal breaking?" Sam replied.
"Only one way to find out." Dean got to his feet, picking up his jacket and slipping it on as he did. Sam followed suit, closing the lid of his laptop and putting it into his shoulder bag.
The pair left the money for the burger and drinks on the table and then left the diner. Dean got into the driver's side of the Impala, whilst Sam folded himself into the passenger side. Within moments they were on the road and heading towards the area that had experienced the strange weather.
The area in question was a the north of their current location, so the drive only took about 30 minutes – but still, it was 30 minutes in a car with a rock obsessed 36 year old man. Not something that is always pleasant. Sam was extremely glad when they finally arrived at the site.
"You know, for saying there was a fire here, you can't tell." Sam said as he got out of the Impala. Dean nodded, and leaned against the door on his side.
"It's too clean." Sam continued "You don't think this is … Dean!"
At the exclamation of his name, Dean whirled around. He managed to duck under the arm of the demon that had thrown itself at him and knock the blade from its hand. He danced away from the car, producing a gun from his waist band and firing two rounds into the demon. The demon bailed – leaving the human host from its mouth and billowing away into the air.
Dean looked over at his brother in time to see the taller man sink his knife into a second demon. The demon jerked back and forth as the strange weapon did its work and killed it – sparks emitting from the hole it caused. Sam let the body fall to the ground, and looked up at his brother.
"This is the right place." Dean said grimly, Sam nodded in response.
The pair made their way toward a series of old factory blocks that were before them.
'What was with demons and old factories?' Sam thought to himself as they walked. He carried the demon killing blade in his right hand, alert and ready for any attack that may come. He glanced at his brother who was holding his gun before himself.
On getting to the front of the buildings, Dean pushed open a door and the pair went inside. The inside of the factory building was cold and silent – it had been stripped, leaving nothing but empty structures. The pair stayed together despite the size of the building – demons tended to move in groups, staying together was a better idea than splitting up in the current circumstances.
Together, they scoured the building, looking for signs of demons or even for a sign of Castiel.
*~Remember Me~*
When Castiel regained consciousness again he found himself still chained to the chair. Ajax had continued with the torture for countless hours. His body ached all over still and he could barely lift his head from where he rested upon his chest. He managed to heave it up and look around the room. Ajax was not there. But two demons stood guarding the only door into the room – despite the fact that Castiel was in no shape to do anything, even if he had his angel powers.
Darkness tugged at his senses again and he faded back into the dark oblivion of his mind.
*~Remember Me~*
Dean let the body of the demon he had dispatched fall to the ground with a soft thump. Sam nodded to him and then opened the metal door before them. They emerged from a dark corridor into a large room – in the centre of which was a chair. A figure was chained to this, his head lolling forwards onto his head.
The pair paused in the doorway, looking around and checking that the coast was clear. Sam was the first to enter the room, he went straight to the figure in the chair. He froze when he was within touching distance.
"Dean!" He called "It's Cass!"
Dean was at his side within seconds and lifting the angels head with his fingers. A soft groan escaped his mouth and his eyes rolled beneath his lids. Dean swore quietly, then looked to Sam.
"We need to get him out of here." He told his brother, Sam nodded and moved around to look at the chains. Faint symbols could be seen etched into them.
"Dude, I don't think we can break these" Sam replied.
"We don't need too" Dean kicked the leg of the chair and it came off – unfortunately, it meant that the angel was dumped unceremoniously onto the floor. He groaned quietly, then slowly opened his eyes. On seeing Dean bending down to him, he cowered back slightly.
"Please… I don't…" the angel stammered.
Dean frowned. "What?"
"Who are you?" Castiel said in a soft voice. "The monster… Ajax, is he gone?"
Sam looked around, and then shrugged, he looked back at his brother who's frown deepened.
"Cass, wha –"
"How do you know my name?" The angel said suddenly, eyes widening.
"Dude, we're your friends" Dean answered "Sam and Dean? Ring any bells?"
Confusion was written across Castiel's face.
"Dude, I don't think he knows us" Sam said softly
"Awesome" Dean muttered. He held out his hand to the angel and pulled him to his feet. Castiel wavered, almost falling against Dean's chest as he did so. Sam took hold of his other arm and draped it over his shoulder so that both of the brothers were supporting the shorter man. Castiel whimpered quietly as they moved him causing Sam and Dean to exchange look. Something was really not right.
A slow clapping filled the room and the slender figure of Ajax emerged from the shadows. Dean cursed under his breath, Sam merely activated the bitch face and glared at the new comer.
"Did you really think that this would be that easy?" The demon chuckled, a smug smile upon his features.
"I take it you're Ajax?"
Ajax inclined his head "That I am. And you are Dean Winchester, and that is your brother Dean. Oh yes," He paused "I know all about you"
"If you know all about us then you'll know that picking on our friend wasn't a good idea" Sam replied, brandishing the demon-killing blade. Castiel let out a soft noise of fear at the appearance of the blade.
"A friend that doesn't even know who you are? Good friend he is" Ajax answered.
"What did you do to him?" Dean snarled, he let Castiel's full weight fall to Sam and stepped forwards.
"Have you ever watched a cat catch a bird?" The demon said, seemingly deveating from the topic. He held up a finger to stop Dean from interrupting. "They pin the bird down, the bird tries to fight back and what does the cat do? It doesn't go for the kill right away. The cat will break the birds wings. That way, it can let the bird go and the bird wont be able to fly away. Cat's like to play with their food, now the bird can't fly? The cat can play"
"What did you do you son of a bitch, god help me I will –"
"Temper, temper." Ajax scolded in a cold voice. "Dean, I am the cat and our little friend Castiel? Well, he had perfect little wings didn't he? And guess what, the cat wanted to play!"
At these words, Ajax abandoned ship. Vile black smoke erupted from his mouth and swirled up into the air. It formed a dense black cloud, before rushing out of a broken window. There was a faint thump as the empty meat suit fell to the ground; the original occupant long since dead.
Dean tucked his gun into the waist band of his trousers and whirled around to face Sam. The giant frowned back at him, still supporting Castiel (who by now was becoming fully conscious). The angel was shivering slightly, Dean removed his worn jacket and draped it over the thinner mans shoulders.
"Let's get out of here" He said gruffly, before turning and striding away. Sam followed and a slower pace, still supporting the angel.
*~Remember Me~*
The sound of running water stopped abruptly and a few minutes later, Castiel stepped out of the bathroom. Seeing as Dean was the shorter of the two brothers, he had given the angel a spare pair of trousers and a shirt to wear. Castiel's clothes were filthy and there was no way Dean would be letting him near the impala again if he insisted on wearing them.
Castiel's hair was stuck up in random directions from where he had dried it with a towel. The trousers were too long and the shirt was a few sizes too big – yet somehow he had managed to get the trousers and shirt sleeves to stay up.
"Feel better?" Sam asked, looking up from his laptop.
"Much better" Castiel responded. He looked around the small shared motel room. "Where are we?"
"Doesn't matter. But you're safe now" Dean answered, sitting up on the bed he had been lying on. "You ok?"
"I … guess so" The angel said, sitting down in the spare seat at the table. "I don't remember much just … What happened to the monster, Ajax?"
"He's gone." Sam said "And he was a demon"
"Demon, monster… what did he want from me?"
"Dude, you're an angel" Dean replied. He swung his legs over the side of the bed and leant forward slightly. "You're pretty much trying to stop Lucifer rising and all?"
"How … how do you know all this? My superiors … was it you that ordered my capture?" Castiel said quickly, frowning slightly.
"Cass –" Dean began.
"My names Castiel, not Cass" The angel corrected him a soft voice.
"Yeah, whatever" Dean muttered before continuing. "You're our friend. You're the one who brought me back from hell, gripped me tight and all?"
"That … was me?" The frown upon Castiel's face deepened. "When we saved you the angels rejoiced, but I did not think I was a part of it"
The two brothers exchanged a glance, Dean gestured towards the door of the motel with a small movement of his head. The pair got to their feet and stepped out of the door. Castiel seemed not to notice, he was frowning out of the window.
"Dude, he doesn't know us" Dean said once the door was shut.
"He's still an angel Dean" Sam replied "That hasn't changed, he can still help is stop Lilith raising Lucifer"
"Drop the Lilith crap" Dean snapped "Right now, Cass is the problem. He doesn't remember us"
Sam sighed softly, then ran a hand through his long hair. "Alright, what do we do? Talking to him isn't doing anything"
"We find Ajax and we find out what that Son of a Bitch did to him" Dean said. "What was all that talk about cats and birds anyway. You can hurt an angels wings, they're like invisible right?"
"He's a demon. They can see hell hounds, wouldn't surprise me if they could touch angel wings" Sam replied in his matter-of-fact tone. Dean muttered a curse.
"So what do we have, an angel who doesn't remember whose side he's on, a missing, maniacal demon and literally no clue as to how to find him?" Dean muttered "Awesome."
*~Remember Me~*
What was going on? Castiel was very confused. These two strangers who knew his name, knew what he was and seemingly knew all about him… they'd taken him in. Provided him somewhere safe to stay and recover… but who were they? How did they know so much about him? He'd never seen them before … or had he? Something about the shorter ones eyes made him shiver slightly. Those eyes held such beauty and emotion, but they also seemed to show the broken mind inside.
He looked up as the pair came back into the motel room. He had not noticed them leave, so frowned slightly at the reappearance. He noted the face the shorter one was pulling
"What's wrong?" He asked.
"What happened to you Cass?" Dean asked, not answering the question directed towards him. "One moment you're with us, the next moment you with that demon and don't remember a thing about us"
Castiel was silent for a moment. What had Ajax done to him? He remembered the pain, endless pain – the feeling of something gripping hold of his wings and pulling … he flexed his back slightly as he thought about it. The movement sent waves of pain ripping down his spine and he let out a hiss of pain.
Dean's eyes widened in concern at this. "What is it? What's wrong?"
"My wings … Ajax he…" Castiel screwed up his face as he tried to get the pain back under control. After a few moments of excruciating pain, it faded to a dull throb and he was able to open his eyes again. "I don't know what he did to them… but they … they don't feel good at all"
"Can you heal them?" Sam asked.
"It is a slow process, but yes. I can, only, not with this on me" He moved the leg that still had the chain upon it. "The runes on it stop me from healing or access my full power"
"Can we remove them?" Dean asked
"No." Castiel responded. "And if you do, I think the actions of Ajax would become more visible. I am barely holding my wings in, the chain is helping – remove the chain and my full power would be unleashed into this room."
Dean frowned slightly. Add an angel who was only controlling his powers thanks to some magic chains to the list of things that had gone wrong today. He glanced to Sam, who shrugged.
"Alright, but is there some way that we can help? Maybe get you some angel mojo from somewhere else to fix you?"
"No. Its fine" He answered, closing his eyes again. "I will be ok if I rest"
The angel fell silent. Dean frowned, then leaned forwards and nudged his arm gently. Castiel's head lolled to one side and a rattling snore escaped from his mouth. Sam suppressed a laugh at this. Sighing, Dean hauled Castiel onto one of the two beds. The angel continued to snore without seeming to notice.
"I thought angels didn't sleep?" Sam said, still trying not to laugh.
"Well, apparently this one does" Dean replied.
*~Remember Me~*
Dean hummed absently to himself as he packed away the remains of their belongings – he'd just got off of the phone with Bobbie, the grumpy old drunk was in a foul mood as always, but he didn't turn them away.
Now that Castiel was back in their care, the brothers could focus on the whereabouts of Lilith again. Dean paused and looked out of the window of the motel room. Sam was busy doing a quick inventory of the weapons in the trunk of the Impala – Castiel meanwhile, was standing next to him watching.
As if sensing his brother watching, Sam looked up, and raised a hand in greeting. Dean nodded once in recognition of the movement, then returned back to the task at hand.
There has to be a way to help Castiel remember us Dean found himself thinking as he bundled up his spare jacket and tossed it into his satchel. He can't just be … this
But as he thought this, he realised how empty it sounded. He had no clue how to help the angel, and from the conversation he and Sam had had last night, neither did his brother. For now, Castiel was stuck with limited power, and no memory of the two brothers.
~*Remember Me*~
Castiel watched the taller man as he rooted through the collection of different weapons that were stashed in the trunk of the Impala. He was extremely confused; these two men said that they knew him. The older one claimed that it had been him who had pulled Dean Winchester from the flames of hell itself – but it hadn't been him. Had it?
He sighed softly and shifted his weight from foot to foot. Despite being in this vessal for a prolonged period of time now, he was still unaccustomed to the physical burden it put upon him. His movement caused Sam to look up at him, a frown upon his face.
"You ok?"
"I am …" Cass paused as he searched for the correct word to use "doing ok"
Sam raised an eyebrow and nodded, not really believing what the angel had told him. Despite his bad understanding of humanity, Castiel realised this and quickly looked back at the arsenal.
"Dean has a lot of weapons" He said simply. Sam glanced down at the trunk, then slammed it shut.
"You never know when you'll need what. Best to keep a selection around at all times" Sam responded. He glanced up at the sound of the motel door shutting and his older brother walking towards them.
Castiel frowned slightly as Dean walked towards them; the man had an odd gait, he didn't seem to lift his feet high enough and his shoes scrapped against the floor with each step.
Dean slung the duffle bag on his shoulder onto the back seat of the car before turning to the pair. "We ready to go?"
"Just about" Sam responded with a curt nod. Dean nodded in return before climbing into the driver's seat of the Impala. Sam folded himself into the front seat, whilst Castiel got into the back. The chain rattled quietly as he moved, reminding the group of his unstable power.
The angel settled himself in the backseat, folding his hands in his lap and staring out the window. Dean found himself watching Castiel in the rear-view mirror and quickly looked down at the stereo. With a flick of a button, rock music filled the interior and after a few moments, Dean's voice did too.
"As I was goin' over the Cork and Kerry mountains" he warbled, earning a frown from his brother. "I saw Captain Farrell and his money he was countin'"
Castiel found himself tapping his foot to the rhythm of the song, it was surprisingly catchy. Dean smiled slightly, glancing into the rear-view mirror at the angel on the back seat.
"I first produced my pistol and then produced my rapier, I said stand and deliver or the devil he may take ya" Dean continued to sing the song badly, with Castiel listening intently in the back of the car.
All too soon the song end and Sam leaned forward to switch of the radio. Dean made no move to stop him, his gaze was alternating from the road, to Cass in the mirror.
"So, do you really have no memory of us at all?"
"None, Dean" Castiel responded, turning his head so that he was looking at Dean rather than out of the window. "I have only heard your name once, and that is when some angel shouted 'Dean Winchester has been saved' a few months back. I presume that is when you dragged out of hell"
"And you were the one who did it" Dean said in response. "You told me so yourself … after you burnt one of our friend's eyes out that is"
"I burned someone's eyes out?" The look of confusion and guilt that flashed across Castiel's face brought a slight smile to Deans; somehow he managed to school his face back into its classic frown.
"Yeah. Good friend of ours"
"I am sorry, Dean" The angel responded, looking down at his hands again.
"Don't worry about it" Dean said mildly.
Sam suddenly turned to look at Dean. "Where are we going?"
"Bobbie's. It's the safest place for nuclear back there" Dean replied, jerking his head towards Castiel in the backseat; Castiel smiled apologetically at Sam when he glanced around.
"You sure it's the best place?"
"Bobbie's house is more warded than anywhere else I know" Dean said, then fell silent.
The older Winchester refused to speak for the rest of the journey.
~*Remember me*~
Bobbie didn't seem all too surprised when the Winchester's showed up on his doorstep. He raised an eyebrow as the sight of the angel that stood a few paces behind, a sheepish, confused look upon his face.
"Hey Bobby" Sam said in greeting. The old drunk pulled the taller sibling into a rough hug, but nodded curtly at Dean.
"What's up with Cass?" He asked
"He got Ajaxed" Dean said by way of explanation. Bobbie sighed softly.
"What did you idjits do this time?"
"They didn't do anything" Castiel said, stepping forwards. He looked at Bobbie, eyes filled with confusion, but also curiosity. "Have we met?
"Of course we have ya' idjit" Bobbie replied, frowning. He looked at Dean who made a gesture with one finger next to his ear. Ajaxed he mouthed.
Bobbie muttered something to himself, before turning and returning back into his home.
"Come on then, let's get him fixed"
"I'm not broken" Castiel said, frowning. Sam forced a smile, then followed Bobbie down the hallway. Dean patted Castiel's arm, before following his brother.
Castiel was left outside. He turned and looked up at the sky for a moment, then shook his head and went into the house. Why did all these people know him, but he did not know them?
~*Remember Me*~
"So, you're tellin' me that the son of a bitch was kidnapped by some crazed demon who tortured him so much he lost his memory?"
Bobby repeated the exact same sentence for the second time, causing Sam's eyebrows to descend further down his forhead. Castiel shifted awkwardly against the doorframe he was leaning against.
"That's what I said" Dean responded, also for the second time. Bobby muttered something under his breath, looking at the angel, who looked back at him with a confused look upon his face.
"And we somehow need to work out how to get his memory back, before Lilith raises Lucifer" Sam added.
"You two are still searching for that bitch?" Bobby was somewhat shocked at this, and it was obvious in his tone. He'd expected the two brothers to have found the first demon months ago – they were losing their touch, he'd have to get them to do some training regimes or something. He sighed softly.
"Alright, so you came to me because…?"
"You're the best there is Bobby, if anyone can get his memories back, you can" Dean responded.
"Eh, don't flatter me boy" The surly old man muttered, getting up from his chair. He moved to the bookshelf on the far wall "Best get researching. An' don't just stand there, you two are going to help"
Sam threw himself into the research, it was a chore that he oddly loved to do. Dean, meanwhile, was soon finding his eyelids drifting lower and lower as he turned the pages of a dusty old volume.
The trio seemed to forget that Castiel was with them; the angel stood in the doorway, watching them in silence. Wondering why these three strangers seemed so keen to help him. His eyes narrowed slightly as he thought about this. It really was odd.
Perhaps they are my enemies, He found himself thinking, And they want me to think they are helping, when really they are trying to find more ways to torment me. Or perhaps, this is all a hallucination – brought on by Ajax's torture.
He continued to watch the group for a few seconds, before moving to one of the chairs by the small table in the kitchen and sitting down. He flexed his back, wincing at the pain that rippled through his muscle. It wasn't as bad as it had been – he could actually sort of move his wings now – but it still hurt.
For a moment, his vision swam and he stiffened as he waited for the wave of pain to subside. When his vision cleared again, Dean was stood before him.
"You ok?" The older Winchester asked in a gruff but kind voice. Castiel nodded once.
"I'm fine, Dean"
"Yeah … anyway, I'm going on a food run, you want anything?"
"I don't eat" Cass reminded the hunter, who shrugged
"Just asking" He said absently, before picking up his keys and jacket from the kitchen table. Shrugging the jacket on, he turned back to look at the angel again.
"You want to come?"
Castiel hesitated. Did he want to go? He was bored after all … He got to his feet, mind made up and nodded.
"Yes"
A faint smile flickered across Dean's features, then faded away almost instantly. Castiel frowned at this, it was obvious that Dean was hurting inside – but why was this? Was it to do with him? He hoped not. He'd hate to hurt one so beautiful.