Author's Note: This isn't exactly the first fanfiction I've ever written... but it is the longest and most complex. It'll flash to several characters throughout the story, but I feel like everyone can keep up. Expect lots of Dean/Castiel, Sam, and Gabriel. I love comments, like everyone else. Italics = and thanks for reading! Oh, and it's suitable for teens, 13 years and older, with some violence, minor coarse language, and minor suggestive adult themes. And I don't own any of this SPN greatness. I certainly wish I did!
Dean and Castiel:
Castiel peered out the window of the Impala as Dean drove silently beside him. Sam had been gone for a week, taking Bobby's car he had borrowed, and Dean hadn't said much since he had decided to go. Memories rushed into Castiel's mind as the trees outside the wind blurred by. He remembered the night clearly.
"I can't stay here!" Sam said. He was yelling at Dean, his face blood red. "Dean, you don't get it. I'm done with all of this. I just can't do it anymore."
Dean stared at Sam in shock. "This is our life, Sammy. You can't just quit. Man, I know life is crap right now. Hell, things have never been worse. But the world, literally, depends on us. You can't run away now."
Sam paused for a moment before answering. "No, Dean… the world depends on you. I'm no help. I'm emotionally screwed up and I'm no help. I'm the bad guy. I mean, I'm the vessel for the freakin' devil. The farther away I am from you, the safer you'll be."
"Sammy, we tried this already. I already know exactly how this ends. Lucifer gets you, I've seen it. Please don't make this mistake." Dean answered.
Sam shook his head, at a loss for words, and headed for the door.
Dean shouted at Sam as he walked out the door. "We're not gonna just let you go, Cas and me. We're gonna look for you."
Sam looked back at Dean, his eyes filled with sadness. "I'm sorry, Dean. I just have to do this."
"We'll find you, Sammy." Dean replied, feeling helpless. "No Dean… you won't." Sam walked out the door.
Castiel watched the fight from the corner of the shabby motel. And later, when Dean's few tears had fallen, Castiel had tried to comfort him. He was new to human emotions, but when Dean had hugged him in that long, mournful hug Castiel felt what he fully understood to be sadness.
Castiel shook his head to clear his thoughts. He needed to pay attention to the present. Dean sat beside him, still silent. They were following a lead on Sam. Bobby wanted his car back and he had asked hunters around the country to keep a look out. The large, blue van was difficult to hide, and a hunter in North Carolina had called Bobby saying he'd seen it parked near a small motel. That's where Dean and Castiel where headed now. And Dean hadn't said one word since the left. Castiel knew and understood that Dean felt responsible, but the silence worried him. Even in the worst of times Dean was able to joke about his problems. Castiel had actually grown accustomed to Dean's nonchalant attitude, and now, he missed it.
"Dean, are you… ok?" Castiel said, trying to sound as caring as possible.
Dean glanced at him, cleared his throat, and replied. "Yea, Cas. I'm fine."
Castiel peered at Dean. He cocked his head to the side. "You're lying?" he asked, questioningly.
Dean chuckled a bit to himself. "Good catch. And quit doing that."
Castiel felt confused. "Doing what?"
"That head tilt thing you do. It's weird. You look like a puppy."
"Are puppies considered bad," Castiel asked, genuinely curious.
"No puppies are… Uh, they're cute." Dean laughed at himself.
This only confused Castiel more. "Why are you laughing? Are young dogs also considered funny?"
"No, Cas. It's just that I'm, uh, calling you cute. It feels a little odd. Ok, it feels like the weirdest thing I've said in a long time. Maybe forever."
Castiel nodded in understanding. "So you think I am cute."
Dean stopped laughing and glared at Castiel. "You trying to make me declare love here, Cas? Sure. Whatever you want. You're pretty cute." Dean, obviously feeling uncomfortable, reached to turn the radio up.
Castiel looked out the passenger side window. Dean Winchester certainly was a strange human. Nonetheless, Castiel was pleased. He assumed it was because he had helped Dean feel better. But deep down inside it was also because he had just been called cute by Dean. In this moment, Castiel felt content. They would find Sam and everything was going to be alright. Castiel was sure of this. Unfortunately, he was wrong.
Sam:
Sam Winchester sat on the bed of the cheap motel, feeling ashamed. He knew that leaving Dean and Cas the way he had was wrong, but it was his only option. He tried not to think of what they were doing. It was hard not to. Dean was probably pretty messed up, and Castiel was probably awkwardly attempting to comfort him. He wasn't sure they'd actually try to find him. In fact, he prayed they wouldn't.
Neither of them would approve of his plan and there was no need for them to be involved. Besides, Sam knew that they would do anything to stop him from doing something what Dean would call a "freakin' awful idea". Even Sam knew the idea was risky. Hell, it really was crazy. Gabriel was an angel, but not one that he trusted. Sam had known about "the plan" for a long time, and discovering Gabriel gave him the power he needed to accomplish it. Even Castiel was, or had been, powerful and Gabriel was like an angel on steroids.
Sam had thought of many ways to prevent Lucifer from getting him, but they all had major flaws. His first, and most simple thought had been offing himself. He decided that it would be too hard on Dean and besides, Lucifer would only bring him back. Creating, and living in a "panic room" was an option. But it seemed impossible to keep Lucifer away, even if he made the room as demon proof as possible.
It was a TV show that actually gave Sam the idea for the perfect plan. While channel surfing he had found a show about people with special abilities. One man had trapped another inside his own mind. It was a crazy idea, but Sam believed that Gabriel was capable of it. After all, he had trapped them in TV land and that seemed an easy task for him. The only problem Sam had was finding, and convincing Gabriel before Dean and Castiel tracked him down and stopped him. Sam was sure he could talk Gabriel into helping him. He could be very persuasive when necessary and this was obviously a big problem. Gabriel may say that he doesn't care who "wins", but he's an angel who enjoys toying with humans as a Trickster. He obviously didn't want Lucifer to win. Nobody liked demons, especially angels.
Being trapped in his own mind was, in Sam's opinion, the only way to keep Lucifer from his vessel. Sure, Lucifer could jump in his mind. But in a world that Sam controlled, how much damage could he really do? Sam was sure that he'd never say yes, but he didn't even want to have the option.
Dean and Castiel:
Dean and Cas stopped in a little town after over 6 hours of driving. Dean was exhausted and Castiel, well, he was just ready to get out of the tiny car. He felt confined. Dean stepped up to the desk in the cheap motel to get a room.
The woman standing behind the desk eyed them and smiled. "One room, king bed. Right?" She said, still smiling.
Dean shook his head and muttered to himself "You've gotta be kidding me." Then he spoke louder, to the woman. "Uh, no. We definitely need two separate beds."
The woman blushed and giggled awkwardly. "Oh, sorry! I thought you two were…"
"Yea, I know. We're not." Dean interrupted quickly, cutting her off. Dean got the keys and walked to the room. Castiel followed behind him.
When they got in the room, Dean laid back on one of the beds and Castiel stood awkwardly in the center of the room. "Dean, what did the woman at the front desk say about us?" Castiel asked, slowly.
Dean winced at his words. Castiel was always curious and Dean knew he would ask about the moment in the lobby. He had been dreading it. "She thought we were together." Dean said, simply.
Castiel nodded. "We are. I'm here and you're here. And we're traveling together." He was trying to be logical.
"No, Cas. That's, uh, not what she meant." Dean said, quickly.
"What did she mean?" Castiel asked, curiously.
"Um, like a… couple." Dean answered, awkwardly.
Castiel's face filled with sudden understanding and then shock. "Why would she think that?" He asked, quickly.
"Look Cas, I know you're innocent and angelic and all that crap, but come on. Do you really have to ask all these freakin' questions?"
Castiel pondered his thoughts for a moment. "I am merely trying to understand. I have betrayed my brothers. I am, stuck here for now. I would like to understand how humans think. Dean, I have done all of this for you. You should…"
"Ok enough!" Dean interrupted. "Will you stop trying to smite me with guilt, here?! The reason people think we're a…" Dean paused and shuddered, "couple, is because of the way we talk to each other, I guess."
"I do not understand." Castiel said.
Dean tried to clarify, without being too awkward. "The whole 'I did everything for you' thing. Most guys just don't talk to each other like that. At all."
Castiel cocked his head to the side. "I still do not understand. I did do this all for you, and Sam. We are… friends. Correct?"
"Yea Cas, that's right. We're just… closer than most."
Castiel finally began to understand. "Dean, it is understandable that we are closer than most. We have the closest bond that two people can have."
"Wow. That sounds, really gay. Whatever. What's this, uh, bond?"
"We have been to hell and back." Castiel replied, calmly.
Dean smiled slightly. "You know, you're right. Who cares what people think? Screw em'. Now I'm tired. I need to get some sleep."
Castiel sat down on the other bed, staring at Dean. "Goodnight." He said, still staring.
Normally Dean would be extremely uncomfortable with Castiel watching him through the night, but he was so tired that he barely noticed. Castiel stayed by Dean's side until about 2 A.M. Looking at him, he realized that they were lucky. Lucky to have each other.
Gabriel:
Gabriel, the archangel, sat alone in the small apartment where he was living. His life had become extremely dull since Dean, Sam, and their pet angel had made crazy threats against him. He had fallen deeply under the supernatural radar, and his life had been hella boring. He honestly was ready for the fighting to end. It was not entertaining sitting around, doing nothing all the time.
He was ready to start tricking some humans again. He enjoyed giving people what they deserved. That was just how he rolled. All this holy arguing really put a damper on the party though. He had considered helping Dean and Sam. Maybe things would end earlier if he did. Or maybe not. It was probably better to stay out of it all.
But he did like the Winchesters, especially Dean. The guy was cool, he had to admit and respect it. Honestly, he felt pretty bad for the brothers. They were… really screwed. They were stuck in the middle of the greatest war in the history of the planet. And it wasn't as if they deserved it.
Maybe he should help. Maybe he would. If one of them came asking for help… he would definitely think about it. He was pretty freakin' powerful, after all. He could get stuff done. But he wasn't about to reach and out help. If they needed him, they'd find him. He was an archangel. He had… more important things to do. With that thought, Gabriel flipped on the TV. Jerry Springer was on. Good stuff.
Sam:
"I'm sorry, sir. That is classified information."
"I just need to know the address. That's all. Then I'm gone." Sam Winchester had finally found a lead on the archangel, and now an annoying realtor was preventing him from following it. He was quickly becoming frustrated. Sure, the man was only trying to do his job, but finding Gabriel was of far greater importance than this man following rules and regulations.
Sam decided to try and convince the man one more time, reasonably. "Ok. Listen to me. The only thing I need to know is where this 'John Dean' lives. This is important. It is crucial to... to more people than you could ever guess. Please man, just do me a favor here. Look at the computer, give me the address, and I'll leave and pretend this never happened. I'm asking you nicely for the last time."
The realtor, who stood at least a foot shorter than Sam, eyed him with a smug smile on his rat-like face. "Is that a threat sir?" He asked, extremely sarcastically.
"Are you gonna give me the address?" Sam replied, calmly.
"Nope. Classified!" The realtor said, in a cheerful, yet somehow still rude tone.
Sam sighed and stepped toward the man. He hit him on the head and knocked him out cold before he could even yell. "Sorry." Sam said, stepping over the realtor. He definitely didn't mean it.
He sat down at the computer and searched throughout the records until he had found 'John Dean'. Sam shook his head, still surprised by the name. Gabriel; being witty even while using a fake name. The angel was a douche, but it really was impossible not to find him pretty smooth. Sam found the address and wrote it down. He glanced down at the realtor one more time before leaving. "I hope the prick has a headache." Sam thought, bitterly.
He rushed out the door and to Bobby's car. It would take a day or two to get to the angel. Sam had no idea why Gabriel would've asked this realtor, who obviously wouldn't know such a far off area to help. He had been trying to think of reasons all day. Maybe Gabriel had, or was planning to, pull some kind of prank on him. Sam had to admit, men like that realtor decided to be taught a lesson. Nonetheless, he had found the angel. He had found his ticket to freedom from Lucifer. Now all he had to do was convince Gabriel to help him. The plan was actually falling into place perfectly.