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Author's Note:
Dear lovely Reader,
Hello! I'm not as seasoned as most of the writers here but I'm passionate about the topics and stories I choose and I hope that shows through my writing. I hate the chapter and upload waiting so I'll just give it to you in one big slice. Like binge watching a whole season in a day. You know the deal, I don't own anything from Supernatural or anything else for that matter. I don't even technically own the car I lease! And FYI there's torture, swearing and blood, nothing that you wouldn't see in the show. Otherwise it's just filled with hurt and comfort, whump, bromance, no slash. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it!
Dean's smile stretched wider when he noticed the pie under the glass lid sitting precariously on the counter.
"How many today, boys?" A seasoned waitress cooed before the door even shut completely.
"Three." Sam replied with a pleasant morning grin. She grabbed menus and silverware from behind the counter and ushered the trio to a booth along the front windows of the diner.
"Coffee?"
"Yeah." Dean and Sam answered simultaneously.
Dean allowed his brother to sit down first before deciding to sit on the side with his best friend, Castiel.
Looking at the specials written on the chalk board over the busy waitress' heads Cas had to ask, "Do people in this area regularly consume toads?"
"What?! No!" Dean flicked his menu down to follow Cas' eyes to see the special of the day was 'Toad in a hole with bacon'. "It's just a name for toast with an egg that's kinda-"
He was cut off by the trill of the waitress who was pouring coffee into their mugs "What'll you have, boys?" Then she was expertly poised with her notepad.
Dean ordered "He'll have the special." He gestured to Cas with a thumb and a sly smile. "And I'll have three eggs, over medium, toast and a double order of bacon."
"You want to get the Big Man Breakfast then? It comes with hash browns."
"Sounds delicious!" Dean knew he was going to tip this lady well. And why not? This all goes onto their fake credit cards and waitresses deserve nice tips from nice people.
"And for you, Hun?" She adjusted her smile towards Sam.
"Um, a short stack of your pecan pancakes, please."
"Alrighty, I'll have that right out for you sweetheart. Just holler if you need a refill on your coffee." She turned around and began yelling back orders to the cook and Cas gulped when she said the word 'toad' to the cook.
"Dean, I don't have money to pay for-"
"Cas, we're buying you breakfast. Don't worry about it. Families eat together, dude.
"But I don't need to eat."
"You can try can't you? It's not going to kill you to eat, right? Besides you just saved our asses bringing us back from 'Clint Eastwood Gone Wild.'" Dean made a good point which put the angel of the Lord at ease, he could use a small rest. Cas was tired after sending them back in time, again. When he said he didn't want to do that again, he meant it. There was no point in returning to the battlefront now, his grace was far too weak. So Castiel carefully grabbed his coffee cup and gingerly sipped the hot bitterness wondering why humans have enjoyed this liquid for so long. Cas was just about to put the mug back down on the worn table when he vanished. There was nothing left to suggest he was ever there except his coffee cup that spilled across when it's holder was suddenly missing. Dean and Sam, looked up to see if anyone had noticed.
"Angels!" Dean yelled under his breath and started to mop up the mess with napkins from the silver box on the table. Sam turned in the booth, everything else seemed normal except their friend was gone.
"He could have waited till after breakfast to go zappin' off without saying a word!"
"Maybe he got an emergency call or something. He keeps mentioning the war." Sam tried to come up with a good excuse but Dean would have none of that and rolled his eyes. Dean wasn't about to deal with angel drama before breakfast.
The waitress came out from the kitchen doors with arms full of plates. "The pecan pancakes, the big man with double bacon and the special." She set the plates down before looking around for the third adorable man. Before she could ask, Sam spoke up.
"We uh, forgot to feed the meter."
Sam and Dean ate their hot breakfasts. Dean chewed with some anger while Sam perused through the tiny local paper of the town they thought there might be a case in.
"Ain't no rest for the wicked, huh?" Dean asked between bites.
Sam half smiled. "Well, yeah, but no. It's just I thought I saw something about a case and Bobby really wanted us out of the house. It's nice that Cas didn't want to teleport and he decided to come with us."
"Yeah, he looked beat. He must have saved enough juice and split." Dean finished the conversion when the waitress came back and he caught her glancing out the window down the street.
"He probably got in a fight with the meter maid. You know what? We'll just take some pie to go for him."
The two gentlemen paid the bill, including a well earned fifty dollar tip, grabbed the small box of pie and began to walk back to the motel. They didn't even drive the Impala there since the motel was maybe 200 yards away from the little diner with the most delicious pie. Dean unlocked the door to their room and tossed the now empty styrofoam box into the trash before telling Sam they should pack up, hit the road and find another case on the way.
Sam retorted "C'mon man, I want to take a shower before we leave. That's not fair, you hogged the shower all night!"
Dean remembered his glorious shower time with the massaging jets on the shower head. He called dibs just as they opened the door after driving straight from Bobby's.
"Alright fine, Sammy." He agreed and he slumped down onto his unmade bed before turning on the TV for a little daytime drama.
Later, a light wisp of wind, familiar to Dean as Castiel's landing, entered the room just as Sam turned the shower off in the bathroom. Without even taking his eyes off the screen Dean started his regular whining at the angel.
"I can't believe you left the Toad waiting in the hole! What was so important that you..." His words trailed off. He saw Cas. The angel was leaning his left shoulder on the door of the room. The arm against the door was dripping blood into the floor and hung limp. Cas held the arm against his body with his right hand gripping tight onto the sleeve of his trench coat. Dean could see his white knuckles from across the room. Castiel seemed like he could fall over at any moment. He was breathing heavily and there was a small cut on his face from what seemed like a ring from whatever person or thing had punched him.
Dean swung his legs off the bed and with three long strides made it to Cas just as the angel's knees began to give way. Dean caught Cas and came to a kneeling position with Cas cradled in his arms.
"Jesus, Cas! What the Hell happened? Did you go into battle already? You idiot you're too exhausted."
"Jesus... Had nothing to do...with it." Cas got out between breaths. His eyes shut and Dean noticed how heavy he became. Cas had passed out.
"Cas! Shit. Cas!" No response. "Sam!!" Dean called out louder over his shoulder for Sam to hear over the exhaust fan in the bathroom but also louder out of desperation. Sam popped his head out with a towel around his waist being held with one hand and was about to complain when he saw what had happened near the door. He burst over without hesitation and helped Dean get Cas onto the couch that was there next to the door.
"What happened to him? Did he.. Was he conscious when he got here? Did he say anything?" Sam was more concerned than normal, it wasn't everyday Cas was passed out on their couch, bleeding. And Dean wasn't paying attention after he got up to find the first aid kit he kept in his bag.
"Take off his coat, we have to find out where he's bleeding from." Dean played the cool, calm and collected brother poorly but he did try.
Sam struggled to get both the trench coat and the suit coat off of his friends limp body but was able to do it without losing the towel still hung around his own waist.
"Is he breathing?" Dean begged while he dumped out the first aid supplies on the table looking for quikclot powder. "Do angels have to breath???"
"Um, yeah? Yes he is." Sam answered.
Dean glanced over at Cas' face before calling out his next order and making his way over to kneel next to the couch. "Go to that drug store next to the diner and go get gauze and stuff." Dean wasn't good at making mental lists but he trusted Sam knew what to purchase.
"Okay. Alright." Sam took one step to the door before quickly turning around back to the bathroom to get dressed minimally and run fast enough but without causing suspicion at the drugstore.
After Sam left, Dean began subconsciously talking out loud to his best friend.
"Cas, hey Cas, you gotta hang in there okay bud? You can't leave us, okay? I don't know who did this to you but I'm gonna find them, don't you worry. C'mon Cas. Hang in there! Please, Cas, please." Dean went on reassuring himself with these little phrases while he quickly worked to stop the bleeding from the wound on Castiel's left forearm. It was so deep it went down to the bone. Diagonally cut, across the top of his arm by something that was expertly sharpened. Dean was pushing down as hard as he dare when Sam ran back into the room. Without words Sam worked aptly. Before getting out the tape he knew he should sew it shut first. Dean was holding onto the arm but was now looking at Cas' face, concerned. Sam wasn't going to ask his brother's permission he knew it had to be done. Over the years the brothers had borrowed a few items from ER supply rooms just for this sort of thing. Sam took out a sterile suture needle with suture, a pair of needle drivers and a set of pickups. Stitching began. When Sam was tying off the first stitch Cas winced and his eyes squeezed tight. Sam paused. Why wasn't this healing? Was his grace that depleted still? What kind of weapon could do this? An angel blade of course but that would not make a wound like this. The sharp tool used was thin. Sam's internal questioning halted by his brother's fearful raised voice.
"Cas!" Dean called. "Cas! Hey Cas! Hey come back to earth, pal!"
Castiel's eyes stopped their squeezing and opened looking more confused than pained up at his beloved friends.
"Dean?...Sam...?"
Sam smiled "Castiel," Sam had to stifle a smile, he was so happy his friend was awake. "Sorry for the rough wake up call but I really have to finishing stitching you up."
"No need." Cas grit his teeth and breathed in through them again determined to stand up. "I'll heal."
"Woah, I'm not so sure Spock, this is bad and you even passed out. We're gonna stitch it up. Captain's orders." Dean then nodded for Sam to start again.
"I don't understand- AHH!- that reference." Sam interrupted his sentence with another tight stitch. Cas' breathing was fast and shallow like he was fearful. Dean noticed his face was pale and his brow was moist with sweat. The blood on the floor was now soaking through Dean's jeans at the knees.
Sam was focused on his task but asked, "How did this happen to you? We were sitting in the diner and you just vanished."
Dean taglined with an angry big brother tone. "Who did this to you?"
Cas' eyes looked for the answer on the ceiling "I was summoned."
Dean was furious. An angel did this to his own brother? This had to have been done with an angel blade or maybe even one of those relic things.
He asked again. "Who?" His anger could be heard through one word.
"A human." Cas didn't believe the words as they came out of his own mouth. The brothers shared glances of unbelief. "A teenager." Cas added.
"You're telling me a teenager did this to you? I'm sorry but I find that hard to believe." Sam said.
Cas met Dean's eyes. Sammy was now placing gauze and wrapping tape around his arm.
"He said...he said I killed his parents. Then he started hitting me. His punches we unrealistically strong. And he cut me with..." Cas had to pause, again out of disbelief, "with a simple knife." Cas looked back and forth between his friends' shocked faces.
Neither brother could believed it. The words hung in the air like an awkward bad joke. Until Dean broke the silence.
"Well, you're back here with us now and we're gonna patch you up and take good..."
Gone. He was gone again. Cas vanished and not with the normal flush of fresh air but like someone switched the channel.
"No. Cas? No! Son of a bitch!" Dean rose to his feet and turned around to look at the rest of the empty motel room. He turned back to look at Sam. Sam was still kneeling on the ground with opened gauze packs on his lap and blood on his fingertips.
"Do you think… Maybe, that kid summoned him...again?" Sam questioned. Dean didn't want to answer. That's obviously what happened but there was nothing he could do about it. Where did he take him? Why did he take him? How? Sam and Dean decided they would clean up the blood, request another night at the motel and wait to see if Cas would return to them. Dean hated the waiting and furiously paced.
Cas found himself standing upright but because of the blood loss he fell to his hands and knees, dizzy and confused. The floor under his hands was smooth, cold and gray. The room was long, windowless and gray. The ceiling had exposed piping, was ugly and also was gray. There was a flight of wooden stairs to his left and a table with small metal weapons, candles and bowls in front of him. To his right ran a gray cement brick wall. Cas was so tired he felt as if he was in an angel's trap but there was no ring of fire around him. Nevertheless he was trapped and even more unsettling, powerless and so so weak.
"Welcome back." A voice came from the other side of the candle lit table. A young man clapped his hands together to remove the particles of chalk used to draw a summoning circle.
"I guess I made a tiny mistake so I had to redo it. What's this? A costume change?" He chuckled slightly, under his breath and referred to his bandaged arm and missing trench coat. The angel he had only just sliced open had received medical care during his sabbatical. Someone had removed his coat and jacket and actually nursed his injury.
"Was there an angel hospital nearby? I didn't think your kind cared about anyone's wellbeing?" He mocked. Cas didn't have to ignore his bullying, he was too busy trying to focus his eyes and maybe stand, God willing. Cas first became aware of his kidnapper's presence as he circled around behind him.
"Who are you?" Cas used his lowest voice. He didn't know what was happening or why but the more information he gathered the better the likelihood he could escape and get back to peacefully drinking coffee with his favorite companions. He held onto that feeling of being included as family in his mind.
"You don't know yet?! I said, you let my parents die! Well, I guess you wouldn't know everything, you're not God. But you and all your angel pals failed to carry out God's will. And if the Almighty won't punish you for your transgressions, I sure as hell will." Cas had finally met his kidnapper's eyes. They burned with a strong need for revenge. This subcategory of one of the most common of the seven deadly sins, greed, was not hard for Cas to recognize.
"What are you...talking about?" Cas asked while he stood up, using the gray wall to steady himself. The boy didn't give Castiel the option to stand up for long. He shoved Cas against the wall. Cas' forehead hit the bricks and was lightly bleeding by the time he fell back to the ground. His hands slapped on the smooth concrete.
"My parents! You forgot my parents!" The boy yelled then grabbed Cas by his blue tie and punched him across the face, leaving another ring mark on his cheek. Sending an almost limp angel to the cold floor again. The boy walked away, to the table, much calmer now. "My dad, was a preacher and my mom did everything for our church. Before they left for a mission's trip we prayed for them to have safe travels. We prayed for God to protect them! But what happened?!? They were killed in a car accident before they even got to the airport!! What were you doing, you lazy ass angel!? God listens to our prayers and you failed your mission to protect them!" The teenager, who was nothing but a child in Castiel's eyes, was now kneeling in front of Cas bending his face to meet his.
"I understand you're upset but...There is an unsolved variable with prayer due to free will. I can show you the equation, if you like." Cas tried to sound empathetic and informative but nothing would get through to the boy. The child's face was red and raging. His eyes were wide as he grabbed a knife off the table. He stomped back over to Cas and stabbed under his shoulder blade between ribs. Cas didn't understand the strength of the pain, it just didn't make sense. How was this happening? His thoughts were interrupted by his own screams. The boy removed the knife with a huff and backed away once more. He placed the knife on the table and traded it for something else metallic, a large nail, like a railroad spike almost, except that it was a brilliantly clean silver colored.
"Stand up." The boy seethed.
Cas wasn't in a situation to argue so he complied as quickly as he could. He used the wall for balance. He was looking at the blood he had left on the ground when the boy came over to him. Before Cas could do anything about it the teenager grabbed Cas' left wrist, forced it against the wall then violently stabbed the palm of Cas' hand. He then grabbed a hammer that hung by a belt loop and pounded the nail through Cas' palm, past his bones, and into the concrete wall that now had drips of red sliding down.
Cas' eyes wanted to squeeze shut with every pound of the hammer but he couldn't stop watching what was happening. He screamed through his teeth at first then yelled with his chin raised. It seemed hot. The burning alone was incredible. One last pound with the hammer sent sharp tiny pieces through the air. The hammer had shattered, sending shrapnel into both angel and boy. The teenager was taken aback and he grabbed his now closed eyes. Cas, somehow wasn't that affected by the dull bits of cheap metal.
"Ah! What the hell!" The boy yelled. "What did you do?"
Cas decided not to answer because he was in far too much pain to reason with an unreasonable person.
"Damn angel blade metal broke the hammer!" The boy started blinking and looking at his own hands. His eyes were fine but his face and neck had caught some of the tiny splinters and some were bleeding a bit. Cas was losing blood and was confused but he definitely heard right, 'angel blade metal'. Still, he decided to try to understand more.
"How did you get an angel blade young man?"
"Found one stuck in this bitch at a warehouse. I took it to shop class, melted it down and made all kinds of things. Impressive, right? God! I have to go buy a new hammer now. I'll get a better one. You stay here. I'm just getting started with you. There's another nail and a few other things I want to try." Cas looked over at the table. He was now upright and able to see what else was on it. Arrowheads, another large nail, a bloody knife and two other knives. They were thin and simple, nothing like the elegance of the weapon they came from. All had the same familiar gleam of an angel blade. The teenager took off a shiny ring and placed it down. He used this to be able to deal punches to the angel. The boy started up the stairs and left Castiel alone.
Cas grabbed his right shoulder, the pain from the nail being in his hand was never going to end till it came out. The burning traveled down his arm towards his body that he could barely keep up. If he lost balance the nail ripped at his palm even more. He had to keep standing. With no strength to do so. He needed help. He needed the Winchesters to come and save him. But how could he ask them to save him, he was their guardian angel. It was his job to protect them not the other way around. When Sam and Dean needed him they would pray but how could Cas contact them? It was then that he heard Dean's voice clear as if he were in that basement.
"Cas, Castiel..." Dean used Cas' full name in prayer and only in prayer. "Hey, man. Listen, I don't know if you can hear me right now. We don't know what happened and I'm about to start punching the freakin' walls here. Just please, if you can hear me right now call me on your cell phone. I'm getting gray hair here and I'm worried like a mom after midnight. You know I wouldn't admit that out loud. So, true prayer here."
Cas almost rolled his eyes like he had seen Sam do multiple time before he reached for the phone in his pants pocket. He speed dialed Dean, he was number one, and it only rang once till a voice answered.
"Cas? Cas where are you?"
"I'm not certain." Cas wheezed at the pain of simply forcing breath to speak.
"Are you okay? What's going on?" Dean was panicked and asking too many questions at once.
"I'm... I'm not certain."
"Well, okay." Dean could tell Cas was in bad shape he needed to take control and calm down. Cas' heavy breathing came through the phone clearly. "I'm sorry. I know you probably don't have enough mojo to zip back here. Where are you? Still on Earth? Hey, it doesn't matter we're gonna get you back. Sorry, one thing at a time. Are you hurt?"
Cas looked at his impaled palm. "Yes." He was dizzy and it took so much concentration just to keep standing so short answers would have to do.
"How? Is it that punk teenager? How is he able to hurt you?" Again, too many questions, Dean was unable to focus after Cas had admitted so easily that he was hurt.
"He said he found... An angel blade and melted it down into-" He couldn't continue. The stab wound in his back wasn't helping but the nail was just unbearable. Cas grit his teeth and seethed nearly dropping the phone.
"Cas! No, Cas! Hey! Cas! Tell me how to find you! Tell me something about where you are. Has the kid said anything about why he took you? Please, Cas!" Dean raised his voice over the cries of his best friend. Dean couldn't stand not being able to do anything about this and he tightened his free hand into a fist.
The surge of pain passed. Dark floating circles entered his field of vision so he decided to squeeze his eyes shut so he could answer Dean. "His parents died in a car accident. Dad was a preacher. Both died going to the airport for a mission trip. Dean, he said it's my fault." Cas could hear Dean repeating what he just said to Sam. He told Sam to search for a news story online.
"The idiot doesn't know what he's talking about, Cas. Hey, how come you were able to call us?"
"The hammer broke and he went to purchase a new one."
"Okay. Wait. What the hell? What did that douche bag do to you?!"
"I heard your prayer, Dean. Thank you." Cas said with a hint of hope in his voice changing the subject.
Dean was surprised by the thanks and after a second or two he replied. "Yeah, man. Of course. I'm glad it worked."
"Got it!" Sam yelled loud enough for Cas to hear him through the phone. Dean turned on speaker phone.
"Cas, you're only one state over!" Sam had found the kid's local paper with the story of the parents' death. He then used the family name to find an address.
"Pull it up Sammy. Hey, are you in a house?" Dean asked Cas.
"I think...I'm in the basement of one, yes."
"Let's see," Dean read out loud. "Built in 1974, about four thousand square feet not including an unfinished basement! Perfect! That's gotta be it! We're-" Cas didn't get to hear the rest of what Dean had to say. The angel had to hang up and put his phone back in his pocket. The teenager had returned and was coming swiftly down the stairs. He was mumbling something to himself as he lightly played with a rubber hammer before tossing it on the table.
"Hello, Castiel! Good news. Good old Dad had another hammer in the garage. Those splinters were a bitch to get out though."
"I'm sorry to hear that." The teenager glared at Cas but before talking back he noticed that the angel might actually be sorry and wasn't trying to be sarcastic. Didn't change anything.
"Let's get started." The boy picked up the hammer and the second nail. Cas tried to struggle against the unnaturally strong grip of the child but the ring on his finger, made of angel blade metal, made it impossible. The stab wound in his back was pressed against the rough surface of the gray bricks. First, the cool, quick sensation of being stabbed in the palm followed by the fiery pounding of the hammer. Cas' screams were long with a few quick intakes of air between them. His eyes were squeezed shut while he cried out and his head pressed backwards. The boy went straight for a new unbloodied knife. He carefully opened a few top buttons of Cas' once unpatterned white dress shirt leaving the tie under the collar and hanging down. Shallow, straight slices adorned his arms. Then Castiel received more of the same on his chest and abs. Anywhere the teenager thought was good. The whole street experienced a surge of electricity. Lights became slightly brighter, televisions got slightly louder, computers became slightly faster. A few circuits blew but folks waved it off. The prisoner received no respite from the torture. The boy absolutely glowed with excitement. He looked once again at his prey's face so to further enjoy the agony only to find the angel's pained expression to be unmoving and slightly softened. Castiel, angel of the Lord, had passed out. Both from blood loss and agony. Currently, Cas had only the strength that his human vessel could give him against the raw power of an angel blade. The teenager grabbed Cas' short bangs with a fist to look at him straight then unsatisfied with his toy he let go allowing Cas' chin to drop to his chest. Cas' small amount of dead weight pulled on the nails in his hands which added more streaks of blood to the wall.The child sighed with disappointment, tossed his beautiful blade onto the nearby workbench and stomped up the creaky wooden stairs.
Dean risked high speeds on the highway. Using his inner Jedi powers to sense when a speed trap might be coming up. Nothing was going to get in the way of him saving his best friend before it was too late: not triple bed trucks, soccer mom mini vans nor the slowly driving elderly.
"What's the GPS say, how much longer?" Dean didn't take his eyes off the road he was expertly weaving in and out of other cars with ease since he had both hands on the wheel, for once.
"Just two hours and fifty five minutes." Sam checked to get the exact amount.
"What time is it?" Dean asked without skipping a beat.
"It's half past three."
"We'll get there by five thirty then." Again, Dean's eyes fixed on the road only. Sam wasn't going to retort but he did slightly tighten his seatbelt hoping his brother wouldn't see it as a sign of disapproval.
The teenager hummed to himself while he waited for the microwave to finish. He sifted through some mail, all adorned with his parents' names on them, 'Mr. and Mrs. Peter T. Millet'. He grimaced at the stupid credit card offers and local ads that had not caught up to the fact that his parents were dead and buried. There wasn't any mail for him, addressed to Tyler Millet, except from an army recruiter. How they got his name and address he had no clue. He tossed it in the trash along with the rest of the junk mail. The microwave heralded the completion of another hot pocket dinner. Tyler walked across the kitchen glancing out the window just in time to see a black car parking crooked along the curb in front of his house. He waited to see which neighbor the driver of the car was going to visit. He was surprised when not one but two men began quick for his kitchen door but not before they concealed guns within their jackets.
"Shit." He whispered before running out of the kitchen in the direction of his best defense.
The brothers didn't say anything to each other before they bolted out of the car and toward the house. Sam was right behind his brother when Dean kicked down the door, splitting the wood between the handle and the rest of the door. It was surprisingly quiet in the home. The brothers stood in the kitchen, guns poised. They took a few more steps down a narrow hallway when out from behind them Tyler had already hit each man in the back with both wires of a pair of tasers. Tyler continued to depress the buttons until each man was flat on his face. He dropped both tasers on the floor and ran to the door to close it as best he could in hopes the neighbors wouldn't notice. He only needed till the morning. The demon would be back at three in the morning for the angel. She promised to complete the deal then. She was the one that told him how to melt the blade down precisely after he expressed a deep desire to punish the beings responsible for letting his parents die. After he sold his soul for the information on where to currently find an angel blade and how to have fun with it the demon decided to sweeten the deal.
"How about I give you a way to summon the very angel that was closest at the time of your poor mommy and daddy's demise? Don't kill the angel, dear, torture him as much as you like. Then I'll come and get him at three the next morning. No loose ends, I'll clean up everything. And if you hand over the angel when your done, all bruised and bloody but alive, I can bring your parents back for you." Of course, Cas wasn't to blame even if he was the closest angel at the time, which he wasn't. The demon was just using the kid and it worked like a charm.
Alertness was not pleasant. Cas tightened his eyes before opening them. The dark circles were still there. He didn't need to look to see that his hands were still nailed into the wall. Much like his Father's true Son. This was the first time he could get an inkling of understanding of that epic sacrifice he witnessed was like. At least he still had his feet to bear weight on.
It seemed that most of his bleeding had slowed down or clotted, that meant he must have been passed out awhile then. But when Cas shifted his weight it tore open the scabs on his palms adding new tiny streaks of fresh blood to stain the cuff of his white shirt on one arm and the carefully placed and wrapped bandage from Sam and Dean on the other. He looked at the bandage, what he wouldn't give to be back with the men that treated him like a brother. Not like his angelic brothers who would call after him like a nuisance, but in true camaraderie like the Winchesters did. He tried hard to focus his eyes on his forearm. Maybe Sam should have been in school to be a doctor instead of a lawyer. His arm barely hurt from that deep cut of angel blade metal. Cas was almost about to smile at the thought when it was then that he finally noticed them, Sam and Dean.
"No." He gasped. Cas quickly checked them over for visual injuries. Seemed fine. The brothers were hanging by their wrists, and their arms pulled straight from baring their weight. Duct tape was wrapped around a thick pole that ran along the ceiling of the basement and then strewn around their hands, wrists and forearms. Also their mouths, from their upper lip down over their jaws, were taped shut so tightly that the thick silver tape went around their whole heads twice, maybe three times. Cas could hear their hearts still beating and the sound of their breathing through their noses, but they were passed out and their knees barely lifted off the ground and feet limp and splayed back. Sam's knees could almost touch the floor he was that much taller than Dean. Both men were bare chested and bare footed wearing only their jeans. Dean was closer to Cas and both were hung specifically to be able to face Cas not ten feet away from him.
Castiel felt utterly helpless. His brow furrowed and his eyes were heavily worried. There was nothing he could do for his friends. Cas yelled at himself in his head. 'No. What have I done?! I put you in danger, again! I'm so worthless. How could I do this to you. I shouldn't have called you for help. It's my job to help you to guard and protect you both. What kind of guardian angel asks his own charges to rescue him. This is all my fault. What have I done to you. No. This can't be another nightmare for you, Dean. No more torture. You can't possibly endure more torture. I didn't want this. I just wanted-'
"Hellooo?" Tyler's voice lilted the moldy basement air and forced Cas to be alert to his solid surroundings again. The kid stepped off the bottom stair and blocked his view of Cas' beloved friends.
"Let. Them. Go." Cas demanded as strongly as he could in his low, hushed, threatening angel voice. It would have scared anyone except for the young man who had nailed the angel down himself.
"Oh, good! You do know them then! I was worried they were undercover cops but they must be in the shitty business of helping shitty angels do shitty jobs. I'm also assuming they're the ones who did this to your arm?" Tyler gestured at the cuffed sleeve above his elbow and the bandage on his forearm. Cas answered only with a grimace and an angry furrowed brow.
"I need to know if I need to charge up my parents' tasers again. Are there more coming for you? Do you have a homing beacon of something?" Tyler pressed the edge of a handmade knife against Cas' cheek forcing him to turn to the side and look at his friends. Cas didn't care if the boy cut him again, he wasn't going to give him any more information. Unhappy with the lack of response Tyler gently applied pressure to the knife into the cheek just enough to draw a little blood. Cas did well to only take a quick breath through his nose and show no other signs of pain. Tyler then took three long strides over to the brothers.
"Eenie-meenie-miney-moe." Tyler grabbed at some of Sam's long hair from the top of his head and yanked his chin up. Sam was still out cold. "This one is Sam, isn't that right? I checked their pockets. What do you think will happen to Sam-Sam if I poke him a bit with this mini angel knife? I know he's not an angel but..." Tyler teased.
"Please! Please, no." Cas was trained to endure torture on himself but he simply could not watch his friend get hurt more. It hurt Cas enough just to see them in this state let alone tortured. "These are my only... My only friends. There are no more coming. No one else cares about me."
"Oh, Castiel, how cute!" Then Tyler changed his tone from sweet to harsh. Then I hope this hurts you, Castiel." Tyler deftly stabbed Sam in the stomach and just as quickly pulled the shorter of the two knives he made back out. He never broke eye contact with Cas. He wanted to watch his reaction. It was everything he wanted.
"No!!!" Cas yelled gutterly. So loud it woke Dean with a jolt in time to hear his little brother's stifled grunts. Dean tried his best to turn only to see a fresh stab wound steadily leaking. Sam's eyes were wide open now and colored with confusion mixed with shock.
"M-MMY!" Dean called out Sammy's name underneath the duct tape.
"Nooo! No stop!" Cas pleaded loudly. Dean twisted back to see Cas' state. The angel and his best friend met eyes. Dean then looked Cas up and down, at the glittering nails in his hands, the blood on the floor and finally at the fresh slice on his face. Dean breathed heavily through his nose and panted with worried eyes. If Dean had any color in his skin at the time, he lost it then. What was he going to do. How was he going to get them all out. Sam had four hours tops to survive a belly wound, depending on how deep it was. And what the hell was he supposed to do with his broken angel buddy. It was then he noticed he was topless and therefore no hidden blade in his sleeve to cut the, he looked up to check, yup, it was shit tons of duct tape. Perfect. Just great.
"You're not gonna wiggle out, Dean." Tyler leapt out from hiding behind him. Dean couldn't keep his body from jumping slightly. Tyler was out of his field of vision until now and this whole scene was shocking enough. Tied to a pipe with duct tape, in a basement filled with his family cut up and bloody. Oh yeah, and waking up from being tased was rough enough with or without a shirt. Dean angrily eyed the kid as if to wish the punk into hell right then and there. If looks could kill. Tyler only got in Dean's face and squinted back at him. Then, Dean skillfully jolted his head forward and hit their enemy perfectly in the nose. Tyler swore and cupped his nose taking steps back. Dean took the opportunity to kick his feet around and trip Tyler making him fall backwards onto his ass.
"You, son-of-bitch!" Tyler scooted back, out of reach of crazy legs and nursed his bleeding nose. Dean kicked his feet trying to get one hit in but finally rested his bare feet on their heels upon the cold slick floor. Standing up on them were not an option with the way the tape was around his arms. Dean cursed and yelled at the bastard.
"M MM MM!! M MM M M? MM! MM M-MM!!! Mm mm mmm...m m-m MMM!!!" Dean's threats to torture him with everything he had learned in hell and more were not as effective if he had the use of moving lips but Dean acted as if they did. He huffed out of his flared nostrils and stabbed the teenager with death glares. The kid stood up feebly then quickly grabbed a new taser off the workbench. He flicked on the blue line of the taser at full power and made clear contact with Dean's exposed throat. He shook from the shock maybe ten seconds before blacking out and still Tyler Kelly the flow of power driving into him. Dean's neck was now angled back and his face looked at the ceiling with closed eyes.
"Mmm!"
"Dean!" Cas yelled what Sam tried to, simultaneously.
"Awesome. Now back to business." Tyler turned back to Castiel and Cas was thankful and ready for the coming torture.
"This. None of this will bring back your parents, young man. You're making things worse for yourself. I don't know who taught you to summon me or melt the blade, but if it wasn't a demon, you will attract one soon. And they only want to ruin your life. Demons know only how to sow pain and true agony." Cas was running on adrenalin now otherwise he wouldn't have had the strength to get all that out.
Tyler was standing at the table deciding which tool to use with his back to Cas paying no attention to the warning. He only chuckled at what Castiel had said and how wrong it was. After he chose the new torture tool to cut with he turned to face Cas with a grin.
Sam's eyesight was blurry at times, probably from blood loss but he watched as Castiel was tortured further. At first he tried shouting at Tyler to try to get him to stop making Cas scream. His muddled sounds did nothing to stop the assault. There was nothing he could do but knit his eyebrows together with worry and reluctantly watch his friend be tortured. Small cuts all over his body bled fresh through his skin and soaked Cas' clothing. Cas could barely keep his head up, he was just so tired. His breathing was heavy and he barely kept balance on his feet. Cas couldn't be sure but he thought he might be shivering. Perhaps from the blood loss. Sometimes he looked up in between cuts to meet Sam's eyes.
"It's okay, Sam. Please don't watch." He'd whisper but sounds barely left his lips.
Finally after maybe forty-five minutes or so Tyler decided to put down his toys and head upstairs. Cas didn't catch what he said. But he had a moment to rest. Cas raised his head and angled it just so as to look over at Sam, he was barely conscious too. His blood was still trickling out of his torso like someone let a faucet running. He needed to be healed right now. It was then Cas heard Dean, gentle and calm.
"Cas. No, Cas. What did he do to you? Oh, God make him stop. Please, just this once help us, help Castiel." Cas locked eyes on Dean. He was still out with his head tilted back and dangling lifeless. He must have been praying in his mind. "God, we've been so good. The three musketeers, doing the best we can. Your son, Castiel? He's so awesome. You better be proud. But look now. Look what you could do to help. Listen, I know you haven't shown your face for awhile now but, don't we deserve a little help here? You have so much power, couldn't you lend Castiel a little more so he can break free? So he can save us. He's so good at that. He's so important to me, to me and Sam. We've lost so much family please don't let us lose more. I couldn't bear it."
Cas couldn't believe it. Dean actually told God that he was his family. He even said he was a fantastic guardian angel. He didn't even believe that about himself but his charge did. Amazing. Dean was stuck here because of him and yet he told God how great he was.
Castiel thought to himself "Dean, no. I'm not worth saving. I'm fallen, I'm so very broken. I'm not worthy to be one of your beloved brothers. I know what that means to you, to be a brother of yours. Don't lower the title to encompass me. I've failed you so often, why do you refuse to see that? Time and time again I've failed to keep you and Sam safe and I-"
"You're wrong, Cas, you are my brother in every sense of the word." Dean replied clearly.
Cas shot open his praying eyes, Dean was not conscious.
"Dean? Dean!" Cas called out to him but not loud enough to attract attention from upstairs. There was water running through the pipes, the teenager was taking a shower two floors up from the basement. Sam's attention was brought back to the room. He was still with them for the time being.
"Sam! Thank God." Cas paused to cough, speaking was painful. His newfound excitement brought on the sting of the particularly deeper wounds. During his most recent onslaught of torture the boy had pierced each finger with an arrowhead, in the most vulnerable and painful way, under the nail, and they all drew blood now. That was a torture technique that Cas had seen in old wars dating back through the centuries. He had to work past the sting.
"Dean! Dean, wake up!" Cas begged. Dean breathed in quick, lifted his head but regretted the quick shock back to the world so with a grunt he let his sore head roll down resting his chin to his chest. "Dean! Wake-up, dammit!" Cas thought maybe if he used Dean's vernacular it might work. Cas dropped his own head, in defeat. His closed eyes began to fill with warm moisture that he didn't understand when he heard something wonderful.
"MMM!" Dean huffed Cas' name through the tape. Cas was so happy that he jolted his head up to see his best friend, awake.
"Did you mean it, Dean?" He begged but Dean didn't understand what he meant. "When you said that God should be proud of me, and that I'm your... an actual brother of yours."
Dean didn't try to understand how his prayer actually reached Cas. He was praying mostly to God not specifically to Cas, but he didn't let that hesitate his solid positive affirmation made with clear eye contact. Sam also shook his head yes and mumbled happily. It was then that Sam lost hold of consciousness. His last thought was at least he was dying with his brothers at hand. At least he wasn't alone.
"Sam!" Cas called out one last time to him before he made up his mind.
"Mm? MM-MM!! M! M-MM!!!" Dean tried to rouse his little brother. He couldn't be dying. Not now, not like this, not here. Not after everything. Dean's concern for one brother adjusted to the other. This couldn't be happening. Cas arched his back, pushed the back of his head against the gray bricks and began to forcefully pull his hands along the shaft of the nails. Cas' stifled his screams through gritted teeth. He inhaled a few times during a quick break and came back to the task with new force. He gained another half inch. The hard part was going to be the nail heads. Thankfully they were not that much wider than the nail itself but it would still be difficult. Dean watched in awe, if it wasn't taped shut his jaw would have dropped. Dean heard glass shatter somewhere in the basement which gave him a chance to refocus.
Dean prayed. "Cas, can you hear me? Cas!"
Cas stopped pulling, tilted his head and locked eyes on Dean. "Yes." He breathed and clenched his jaw. He stopped the pulling for a brief moment and tried to catch his breath.
"Good. You can do this Cas. I'm so sorry if I ever made you feel anything but welcomed among us. You are our brother. Please hurry, I can't tell if Sam is breathing."
Cas adjusted the angle of his head and squinted at the younger but larger of the two.
"He's barely breathing. I don't have much time. I need to heal him now." Cas held his breath at the end of his sentence, calmed and refocused his gaze on an invisible spot in front of him. It was with all his might that he yanked out both hands from their prisons simultaneously. He curled on his side on the newly found cold basement floor. He held his hands close to his chest writhing in agony. The nails stuck out from the wall and no longer had their silvery gleam but were now a flat, deep red.
"Cas!!" Dean called out in his prayer. Only that, would urge Cas onto his feet unable to walk a straight line. He focused past the pain and stumbled, catching himself almost in an embrace onto Sam's wide shoulders. He gripped on only to keep from falling. Cas' breathing was intense he was going to pass out again any second because the dark circles threatened his vision. He took two bloody fingers in his right hand and winced to close the others into a loose fist. His hand shook as he reached with all his strength just to barely touch Sam's brow between his eyes to heal him and disintegrate the bonds. Both fell hard into the blood damped floor with the unpleasant sound of a belly flop in a pool. Cas still had one arm wrapped around Sam's neck that protected Sam's head from hitting the ground. It just happened to be the one with the cut that Sam had fixed earlier that same day. Sam was now, totally fine. It didn't even hurt when the tape came off when it vanished. His head was clear like he had a full night's rest. He looked over at his friend, face to face with him on the floor. Torn to shreds, bloody all over and his face was still twisted up with pain even in his unconscious state. Sam quickly but tenderly removed himself from Cas' weak grip to leap up and grab the jackets that laid on the floor nearby in a pile. He soon found Dean's switch blade and turned to cut his brother out from the wasps' nest of duct tape. While Sammy worked on the tape Dean was actually very patient but never removed his eyes from Cas. He was praying intently. Telling Cas to hang on. Saying that everything was going to be okay. That they were going to get him out of here and take him home. As soon as his hands were free Dean ripped the looped tape off his own face and lunged to Cas' side. He gave an order to Sammy to grab what he could off the table, anything that looked like it was made of an angel blade. Sam did as he was told and filled the pockets of his jeans and coat. He then grabbed a hammer and pried the two nails out putting them into his pocket with the recently used arrowheads. Dean was working on lifting Cas' limp arm across his own shoulders and standing up. Sam heard his big brother struggling and turned to come and help with Cas' other arm. Sam lifted the arm above his shoulder but had to bend over slightly to match Dean's height. Cas' legs were dragged across floor by the two only a few feet when Dean's bare feet slipped on wet blood and he fell pulling the other two down with him. All three landed in a heap. Cas yelped.
"Cas?" Dean and Sam looked and begged his eyes to open. Dean grabbed Cas' cheek and turned his face towards his. Tired eyes slowly opened halfway. His brow looked puzzled as if Dean had made another reference from the Disney channel again. Sam quickly explained.
"Cas, we're gonna get you outta' here. Just outside, is the Impala. We'll get you home. That kid is taking a shower upstairs we just need to get you outside."
Cas looked at Sam, studying his every word. He squinted then grunted in his throat. After the familiar sound of coattails in a light breeze, the three brothers were laying on cool grass in the same position they were in on the basement floor. Cas glanced up at the dark sky and beautiful stars. The corner of his mouth let out a quick grin before he himself blacked out. Dean and Sam quickly got to their feet, pulled up Cas and only needed to take a few steps to get to the Impala. Dean opened the back door, hopped in and reached out to catch Cas in his arms as Sam leaned the mostly dead angel into the backseat. Sam tucked his feet into the well and closed the door. Sam got into the driver's seat and put the car into drive. The brothers wouldn't be there when Tyler came back down the creaky stairs. They wouldn't be there when the demon came and took her own revenge beating Tyler bloody. She didn't kill him. The angel delivery was icing on her cake. The deal of information for the soul was still intact. However, Tyler wouldn't live another ten years waiting for his reaping. He died by his own volition within a month. But Dean, how he did want swift revenge for his family, never pursued Tyler until it was too late.
About an hour after that escape from the gray and red basement Dean had found a comfortable way to sit while still holding Cas' head in his lap. He had torn up some strips of clothing from their bags they had tossed in the trunk after running out on the hotel room. They also had some gauze, paper tape and a few other medical supplies left over from their last spree. They had to stop and get it out from the trunk quickly after noticing Cas was leaking his white light out of the wounds about fifteen minutes into the drive. It was hard to see, but in the dark car all the marks glowed like a night light.
Dean started with Cas' hands. He snuffed out his best light source using squares of gauze on either side and using the medical paper tape to wrap around the width of his palm. Dean worked silently as Sam tried to keep his eyes peeled for deer and raccoons jumping onto the road in front of him. They were always more active at night. After that first hour had passed Cas was no longer leaking angel juice or blood or so Dean thought. He had missed the gash in his back since Cas was laying chest up. The blood flow from there was slow, but Cas was still losing blood and his grace was leaking out instead of trying to help heal his wounds. The poor tortured thing wouldn't wake up until the Winchesters noticed this.
Sam rolled the Impala into an oasis of a gas station at a crossroads with no traffic light to fill up, hoping to make it back to Bobby's on this last tank. He went into the shop, grabbed some bottled water, hydrogen peroxide to clean wounds and later get blood stains out of the backseat upholstery, as well as a handful of protein bars. Cas still had shown no signs of healing on his own so Sam decided to grab more gauze, bandages and medical tape. He had no idea what was going to happen to his friend but Sam was determined to help anyway humanly possible. How do you fix a broken angel? The pit stop was small so Band-Aids would have to do for now. He grabbed a multipack of some before sauntering up to the cashier to pay.
Outside, Sam disconnected the fuel line, hung it up and dropped down into the driver's seat placing the bag of do-it-yourself angel repair kit where a passenger normally sat.
Sam held up a bottle of water for Dean and passed it to the backseat. "Here. Hey, um, do you think... Maybe Cas needs some?"
"Angels don't need to eat or drink, Sammy."Dean said calmly as if maybe there was a sleeping baby on his lap. Sammy glared down but decided not to argue so he simply started the car and drive off. Dean looked down at his best friend. Cas' face was cut open on his left cheek, Dean had cleaned the tiny cut in the dark but it still showed no signs of healing. Streaks of dried blood were still plastered to his graceful jaw bone. His normally soft hair was even more unkempt and wet from sweat. Cas' head was slightly angled to the side towards Dean's knee, eyes gently closed and mouth turned down in a soft frown. Cas' one arm draped over the edge of the seat into the floor while the other laid across his waist. Dean sat still, making sure the bumps of the road wouldn't upset Cas' wounds too much. Before they had driven a mile away from their pitstop Sam fished other things out of the plastic bag to pass back to Dean.
"Here," Sam passed back a brown bottle of hydrogen peroxide. "Dip his finger tips into this."
"What happened to his fingers?" Dean was out cold from his second electrocution when it happened and had no idea why there was blood under every nail. Dean's knuckles turned white in his fist as Sam reluctantly told Dean how Cas was made to suffer. Sam wanted to leave out as many details as possible, he could tell it was upsetting his brother like punches to the stomach. Dean was furious with rage but when he looked down at his best friend's face, depressed and wholly defeated, Dean refocused. He had to help Cas get better before he sought revenge. Not something the elder Winchester was good at, putting off revenge, but Cas wasn't out of the woods yet and Dean silently vowed not to leave his side. Dean poured some of the clear liquid into his cupped palm and gingerly picked up Cas' hand and placed four fingertips into it. After a few seconds Cas started to squeeze his eyes. His breathing gained speed and he took in quick breaths through his nose.
"Woah easy there, buddy. It's okay Cas." Dean placed his hand back down and wiped the extra liquid on his pants. "Cas, hey, Cas!" Dean gripped the shirt on Cas' shoulder and chest with two hands. Which let him hold Cas' head in the crook of his elbow. Cas mumbled something Dean didn't understand and groaned pulling his limp arm onto his waist meeting up to cradle the hand with stinging fingertips.
"Dean?" He blinked to check again. "Dean! Are you hurt?"
Dean cut back a grin. "Leave it to you be covered in blood and bandages and ask me if I'm okay. I'm fine, thanks to you, Cas."Dean offered a big smile and patted Cas' chest reassuringly.
Cas started to sigh then he suddenly remembered. "Sam! Where is he? He's going to-"
"Dude, Castiel, I'm right here. I'm fine. I'm just fine. You healed me, remember." Sam was pulling over next to farmland as he finished his sentences. He put the car in park, unbuckled and turned around in his chair to meet glances of a smiling Dean and Cas that looked at him happily.
"I'm glad you're both okay. I'm... I'm so sorry I dragged you into this, I shouldn't have..." Cas began to drift back into unconsciousness.
"Hey! No no no no! Cas stay awake! You need to tell us what to do here!" When Dean was satisfied that Cas was focused and met his aqua eyes with his own green ones, Dean continued. "How do we fix you?"
After a few huffs and moments of concentration Cas answered, "You need to stop my grace from pouring out."
"Where? I thought I got it all! Tell me where! Cas!" But it was too late, Cas' face fell to the side again against Dean's knee.
"Did you get the wound in his back?" Sam tried to get Dean's attention who was trying to bring Cas around again.
"What?! No! I didn't know!"
Dean struggled to roll Cas over so Sam pulled Cas by the shirt collar and sat him up and Cas' head rolled forward. There it was, a five inch long gash, glowing and bloody. It was then when Dean noticed the blood pooled on the seat too. Not an issue right now. Sam began to loosen his tie and fully unbutton his white, now blood soaked, dress shirt. Dean pulled it down past the injury. He rushed to clean and dress the wound as quickly as possible. After he covered it with gauze and taped it shut Cas let out a soothing sigh and the brothers eased him back to rest on Dean's leg. Cas' facial features softened as if he was no longer in pain and his breathing settled to a gentle rhythm. Dean and Sam shared a relieved smile and Sam turned around and put the car back in gear.
When they arrived at Bobby's house Sam pulled the car up to the side of the house, turned the key and looked to the backseat. It was mid morning by this time but both the righteous man and his angel we're fast asleep. Dean's left arm was loosely laid across Cas' shoulder and his hand rested gently on his chest. Cas' face was again turned towards Dean's knee as if he was cuddling into a pillow.
Sam grinned and wondered what it would have been like to have a little brother for themselves. One they got to teach their skills to and protect him from the dangers of this world. They would teach him how to take the bad with the good. Show him how to walk the line of a good man and how to get back up when he falls. That brother would know the true meaning of family, Sam would make sure of that. After his moment Sam decided to wake Dean by gripping his shoulder firmly. Dean responded accordingly and then tried to rouse Castiel by placing a firm hand on his shoulder, the same way Sam and just done but Castiel didn't respond similarly. Cas woke instantly with shock and he gripped the unknown hand on his shoulder by the wrist. Cas suddenly teleported himself and the owner of the wrist just outside of the car onto the dry dusty ground outside Bobby's house. Cas had the element of surprise on his enemy and he quickly flipped Dean onto his back pinning him down with a solid knee to the chest and pressure. Cas breathed heavily but maintained stern eye contact.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, Cas! Cas calm down!" Sam rushed out of the Impala and didn't even bother to close the door. But when Sam got too close for Castiel's comfort Cas held up a fist and looked at Sam as if to say he would punch to kill if he dare get any closer. Sam understood and stopped immediately holding up low hands of surrender. Cas seemed comfortable with his distance and turned his glaring back to Dean.
"Where are they?!?" Cas yelled in his not-so-calm voice.
"Who, Batman?" Dean replied calmly.
"What did you do to them?!?" Cas flexed his first back as if to cock a gun.
"Cas, who?" Sam tried to please.
"My...my brothers..." Cas lost some of his strength, then most of his balance. "Sam and Dean...where are they?" His words turned into mumbles as he began to faint. Luckily Sam saw it coming and moved quickly to catch him. Dean tried his best to break the fall as well.
"Cas! Cas!!" Dean tried desperately.
Cas at first looked off into the distance but then focused on Dean's concerned face and focused eyes.
"Dean." Relief washed over him. Cas felt there was a hand holding him up. He looked and followed it up the arm to find the other. "Sam."
There was a collective sigh from all three before Sam and Dean helped up their broken angel and began towards the front door of Bobby's house holding both of Cas' elbows for support.
"Dean, are you hurt?" Cas begged honestly but before he could answer he continued. "Sam, are you okay?"
Dean and Sam answered together. "Shut up, Cas."