Authors Note: Wow, the idea of a one-shot with this has definitely been thrown out the window. This story will more than likely be about 5 chapters max (unless something else should come up knowing me), according to the outline I've drawn up. As for how Cas is currently, no one freak out please. I love Cas and there is no way I would keep his wings cut off for long. Human Cas is only something I like to explore, not keep permanent. That goes for this story, as well as 'When Our Prayers Go Unanswered'. So no panicking please. :)

Written: 24 May

Soundtrack: None

Word Count: 3100+

Chapter 3

They were trying to help him. He had to keep telling himself this. They were only trying to help. The pain he was experiencing right now was excruciating and it only got worse. No matter how many times Sam tried to tell him that it was okay and to just relax he could not seem to get those words to process for him. He was in so much pain and the only thing he could think of at that moment was to let it all go. He wanted so badly to just curl in on himself and rid himself of all the evils that were currently surrounding him but he refused. Or perhaps it was his pride that refused. It's what got him in this situation in the first place. If he was going to die then he would do so fighting. But he felt so incredibly weak, both physically and mentally and he began to ask himself why he should even bother.

He didn't seem to notice how his grip around the younger hunters forearms as he held him down seemed to slacken, but Sam noticed immediately the moment his screams started to die down. Bobby was almost finished with the second cauterization but Cas seemed to have had enough. Bobby had noticed the silence as well and his head immediately shot up, one hand still gripping the red hot blade inside the burning wound while the other lay carelessly on his stomach. The flesh around the puncture was angry and red but the blood was becoming less sticky and more clotty. The procedure was working for the most part, but there was still some stitching to be done to fix the internal organs that had been damaged.

"Cas?" Bobby stopped.

"Cas!" Sam moved his grip from the angels arms to the sides of his face, trying to get him to open his eyes. "Cas, come on. You gotta open your eyes."

"Please," he whispered, his voice cracking from the pain. "Stop."

Sam literally felt his stomach drop but knew that he couldn't let his emotions get in the way.

"I promise Cas we will, but you need to hang on just a little bit longer. Bobby's almost finished." Sam shot the hunter a look, the older man simply staring at the angel as he pleaded for mercy from the pain.

His hands lay still, the need to continue quickly dying as both his guilt and sorrow started to get a hold of him. This must have been what it felt like to torture and in all honesty, Bobby didn't feel up to it, even if it was for the right reasons.

"Bobby!" Sam continued staring at him as his gaze finally met the younger hunters. He had to finish off what he had started, even if it would be painful for the both of them. "Just do it."

"No," Cas breathed out, as the ache in his lungs and throat started to throb. He had been screaming non-stop and now it appeared as if the energy he had had all but left him, leaving his voice to sound small and weak.

"I promise Cas." Bobby's voice sounded almost just as broken. "I'm almost done."

He carefully repositioned himself over the wound and pressed the knife back down into the flesh. He expected Cas to scream again as Sam braced his hands back over his arms, but Cas had been completely drained and all that came out next was a pathetic whimper as heat met gun powder. This made Bobby's heart drop and the moment he knew that it had been enough he immediately pulled away.

Cas' arms finally dropped lazily to his sides and Bobby started to wipe away the excess blood that had pooled around the wound. Sam remained with his arms grasped around the angels but there was no reason to do so now. Sam just couldn't seem to let go as the angels half lidded eyes finally dropped completely closed. His breaths were shallow at best and Sam prayed that Castiel had simply slipped into unconsciousness after everything he had gone through. This was actually a welcome miracle in his mind.

Bobby was finished. Not just with the cauterization but completely finished, with all of it. He couldn't continue even if he wanted to, the weight of the situation proving to be a little too much for him. Thankfully however Dean showed up in the panic room, bag in hand and eyes glaring at his brother and older hunter standing beside the angel.

He didn't know whether to be angry or thankful, but either way he could see it in Bobby's eyes that he had had enough and thus decided to take over. Dean didn't even say anything. He simply took over the chair that Bobby had now vacated and picked up the suturing needle and thread as the older hunter left the panic room, more than likely to head to the kitchen for a much needed drink. He couldn't really blame him.

Sam slowly removed his grasp and sat down as well, his eyes refusing to move away from Cas' still and stark white face. Whether it was because he was afraid to look away in case something happened or because he couldn't face his brothers eyes right now, he didn't know. He knew this much though. Dean was less than happy with the turn of events but deep down he knew it just as much as Sam and Bobby did. It was necessary. Even if the glaring stare that Dean was burning into the back of his skull right now was intentional, he knew that deep down he would be forgiven. He had to be.

Dean was careful with the angel, trying his hardest not to inflict any more pain than was absolutely unavoidable and passed his stitching as carefully as he could. He had never sewn a wound so gently before in his life. Not that he didn't think the angel could handle it. He just didn't want to have to put him through that, considering everything else he had already gone through. He took a lot longer than necessary but when he had finally finished he found his tense muscles finally unwinding. After carefully checking his work and applying the peroxide to disinfect and wipe away the little remnants of both fresh and dry blood that remained, Dean then carefully applied the gauze over it and then sealed it with tape. It looked so damn professional he could laugh at himself if he were in the mood to. His work would barely leave a scar. The ones around it however from the burning blade were ones he would never be able to take away. The angel was stuck with them.

Finally he was done and he let out a huge sigh of relief. His friend was now all patched up and the only thing left to do was to hook him up with the IV. Bobby had already had a drip available in case of emergencies and left it out on the coffee table in the living room for the hunter when he returned. Now they also had the blood and Dean reached down to the bag by his feet and started to take out all the contents. He grabbed the drip first and placed the bag of IV fluid on the bed. He then went about unwrapping the small tube and connected the needle to the end of it.

Sam finally looked over to him. "Do you need any─"

"No," Dean abruptly cut him off as he opened a small bottle of alcohol and started to pour some on a soft cotton ball, disinfecting the skin above the vein in Cas' left hand. "I don't need your help Sammy, I've got it." He whispered as he concentrated on his task.

Sam knew he was angry, even if his voice didn't say so and he attempted to cover it with his little nickname. Whatever was going through his head had obviously been a lot but Sam decided not to press on and chose instead to get up from his seat to escape upstairs. As soon as he turned around to leave however Dean spoke up, his eyes still not leaving his work as he carefully inserted the needle into Cas' hand.

"Can you do me one thing?"

"Yeah sure, anything."

"Grab me a pair of pajamas from my drawer upstairs. I don't think Cas is gonna wanna sleep in bloody clothes." Dean sounded so gentle it almost scared Sam, who spoke up after a moment.

"Yeah. Sure."

"Thanks." Dean went back to concentrating on the angel and had now taped the drip to his hand securely.

By the time Sam returned with the clothes he requested, Dean had already gotten Cas to lie on his right side, his arm tucked safely under his head and his eyes now partially open. He looked dead tired and was still paler than the sheets underneath him but at least now he was awake, if barely. Dean had just finished attaching the blood bag to the pole now holding the IV fluid as well and he gently checked the needle attached to it, now feeding the blood through the vein in his arm. Castiel simply focused on his breathing, his eyes locked to the floor as not to look at anyone. He purposefully tried to hide his gaze, his guilt from his recent misgivings plaguing him deeply. Sam could only look at him in sadness but Dean chose to ignore it as he taped the second needle securely in place.

Not another word was spoken as Sam handed Dean the clothes and quietly made his way upstairs.

He found Bobby right where he expected him. Sitting at the kitchen table finishing half a bottle of whisky and pouring himself another glass.

"Care if I join you?"

"Not at all." Bobby said as he picked up another glass from the counter behind him and filled it up for Sam, handing it to him from across the table. He sighed as he slumped against his chair and bit the bottom of his lip. "I don't ever want to do that again."

"Which part?"

"All of it." Bobby replied matter of factly as the younger hunter downed the shot in one gulp, the burn quickly aggravating his throat as he slammed the glass back on the table, the older hunter quickly filling him another glass. "How's your head?"

Sam scoffed at the question. He had almost forgotten about it considering everything that had happened in the past few hours. "Awesome."

He didn't know if that was him really talking or if it was the alcohol currently rushing through his system. There wasn't any food in his stomach so the beverage was already kicking in full swing as he downed his second glass. He kept it floating in front of his face as he exhaled, the burn of the liquid quickly passing. He finally managed to get his already slurring mind to focus again and put the glass back on the table.

"Another?" Bobby offered as he lifted the bottle, ready to fill him up again.

"I'm good."

"Suit yourself." Bobby then poured himself another glass and then sealed the cap over the bottle, swearing to himself that he had had enough for the night. He didn't even finish half the glass by the time he was satisfied. "How's he doin'?"

"Which one?"

"Both of them." Bobby replied matter of factly again. He didn't know when they would get to touch on the subject so he figured that they might as well start now.

Sam sighed as he tried to clear his brain. "Well Cas looks like crap, but that's to be expected."

"And Dean?"

Sam paused for a moment before he even bothered to answer. "Not even dealin' with it." He said sadly. Dean was feeling guilty, that much he could tell, but it was to such an extent that he could see right through him. Dean was blaming himself and Sam hated that.

"And how are you?"

Sam didn't even want to answer but figured that if he could tell anyone how he was feeling right now then it could be Bobby. "I drove a sword into his back, Bobby. How do you think I feel?" Sam replied somewhat miserably. "I nearly killed him."

"You didn't have a choice son. Cas went straight up AWOL."

"Yeah except it wasn't Cas." Sam said somewhat forcefully, his gaze now looking outside the window at the darkness hanging over them. He let out a sigh of frustration until he let his eyes meet back with Bobby's. "I didn't think twice about any of it, and I decided to kill him right then and there. I didn't consider anything. Anything that we've been through. How many times he's saved our asses or been there for us or even that we were friends Bobby. Family even." He paused as he tried to find his next words. "I didn't think about any of that. Because I was angry. I was angry for what he did, for breaking the wall and it turns out that it wasn't even him." Sam looked away again as he bit his top lip and looked down at the table, his next words coming out sad and broken. "I nearly killed my brother."

Bobby didn't really know what to say, the conversation becoming incredibly uncomfortable. "Technically he's not your brother Sam."

Sam just laughed as he took his gaze off his hands and looked back at the older hunter. "Aren't you the one who said that family doesn't end in blood?"

Bobby seemed a bit taken aback at those words and he gave a sigh of his own. "I did say that to you once didn't I?"

"Yeah, you did." Sam whispered somewhat sarcastically, trying to lighten the mood a little. "I could use another."

He picked up his glass and slammed it on the table in front of him, just out of reach of the bottle. Bobby slowly unscrewed it and poured the amber liquid for him. He then went to refill his own.

"I could use one more myself."

They both clanked their glasses together and poured it down their throats in one take, each one trying to numb the pain of their emotions.

By the time Sam made it back downstairs Dean had already helped Cas out of his blood stained clothes and changed him into the pajama pants that he had brought him. He had left the angel shirtless however for the time being, considering that he really didn't want to have to rip the needles back out of his arm and hand. He instead brought the blanket further up and now covered the angel up to his chest, his left arm laying above it on his hip as to not interfere with the IVs. Dean had even managed to get Cas to drink some water from the supplies they had stored down there and the angel quickly found himself falling asleep. Dean could finally breathe a little easier.

He left the panic room for only a minute, as he went to collect one of the dusty cots that Bobby had stored in the basement to sleep on. He wasn't leaving his friends side, not when something could possibly happen. He didn't want to take the chance.

As he dusted off the makeshift bed Sam sluggishly walked in, bracing his hand to the door for a second so that he didn't trip.

"Hey Dean."

He quickly looked back to see his brother and then turned around to continue dusting off the tarp like material he was going to sleep on. "Hey Sammy."

"Whatcha doin'?"

Dean didn't notice it earlier but if he was hearing right, he could have sworn that his little brother sounded a little off balance. He arched an eyebrow and looked back at him. "Sam." His head shot up to look back at Dean. "Are you drunk?"

"A little. Maybe a lot." He grinned widely as he chuckled.

"Nice, Sammy. Nice." Dean turned back around and collected his jacket from the chair he had draped it on, folding it to use as a pillow.

"Shut up." He slurred. "It was Bobby's fault."

"Sure it was." Dean couldn't help but grin a little at his brothers behavior, even though he did try to hide it.

Sam just smiled and left the room, going to get a cot of his own and placing at the foot of both his and Cas' bed. He didn't even bother with the dust like Dean had and simply swiped a hand through it, taking off as much as he could without going overboard.

"You're gonna sleep down here?"

"Why not? You're doing it." Sam replied innocently as he took a seat on it, folding his hands in front of him and looking back at his brother.

"How's your head?" Dean asked as he sat down as well, the cot just a couple feet apart from Cas.

"It's fine." Sam replied, raising his hands in the air as if to insist on it. "I'm okay."

Dean just eyed him for a good minute and shook his head in amusement. "Man you are so totally wasted."

"Yep." Sam smiled and laid himself down, resting his head towards Dean's bed and crossing his arms in front of his chest, his eyes quickly closing shut.

"You know that we're gonna talk Sam. Maybe not now but, later, we are gonna talk." Dean said somewhat seriously, not even knowing if his little brother could even hear him right now. Whatever was going through his head was obviously troubling him, if he was willing to get himself smashed like this. He figured that it was the remembering Hell part, but a feeling in his gut told him that this was something else entirely. He did get a response from Sam however, even if it did sound a little clumsy.

"Okay."

Dean just stayed up for a few minutes longer until he could hear the soft snores coming from Sam and the even breaths coming from Cas. It felt so much like a sleepover, except this one involved a nearly dead ex-angel and a drunk brother who would more than likely wake up with the world's biggest hangover. Story of Dean's life. He simply sighed, rubbing a hand down the side of his face and talking to himself.

"Well I don't know about you two but," Dean fluffed up his jacket a bit before laying down. "This has been a hell of a long day and I'm tired so, I'm going to sleep."

He lay their quietly, fingers intertwined and folded gently on top of his stomach, the hunter simply staring at the ceiling above him. This had been a hell of a long day and tomorrow would probably be just as long, knowing their luck. He simply allowed his eyes to close as sleep happily greeted him.

He could deal with it all tomorrow.

To Be Continued…

Authors End Note: Holy Hell! 595 hits for last chapter alone. I'm impressed. I honestly never expected this much feedback much less for me to actually carry this on past the first chapter. You guys are awesome! You know the rules. Reviews make me happy and help me to update faster.