My thoughts on this chapter: In my opinion, Zachariah is an arrogant son of a bitch (and a son of a bitch in general- I'm not saying anything bad about his dad!) but he is such an interesting character to write so I hope I've done him justice.
Thanks Daku Mauji, TABBICAT12, AileyReader, kyatariina, supreme dramon, watergoddesskasey, and hamithehamister for reviewing the last chapter!
The Road So Far…
"Isn't he your soul mate?" Sam demanded. "Save his ass from wherever the hell he is! Who kidnapped him?"
"Her name is Anna. She… was our superior before she… fell," Castiel said, glancing at Uriel.
"Dean, tell me where you are," Castiel insisted. "Sam and Bobby are worried about you. Come back to them. Come back to me."
"Zachariah," Anna said.
"Hello, Anna," the newcomer- Zachariah- smiled pleasantly. "Revealed quite a bit about us, haven't you?"
Chapter IV:
Zachariah
"What are you doing here? How did you find us?" Anna asked with a frown, moving in front of Dean. Dean frowned at Anna's action. Gender aside, he was used to being the protector, not the protected. Although the fact that Anna was a girl did nothing to help his ego.
The older man in a suit continued on smiling and it was beginning to piss Dean off. How much could one smile? Apparently, Zach could smile forever and there were no signs of it wavering anytime soon.
Really, no one should be that happy- especially that fake, condescending, happy.
"Now really, Anna. You used your powers for the first time in how many hundreds of hundreds of years?" Zachariah asked. "It's actually a wonder I didn't find you sooner, with you teleporting all over the world. But you're good, oh yes, you're good, I'll give you that. Now, how about you hand over Michael's vessel and we'll leave you in peace?" Anna looked at Dean, startled, her eyes widening.
"You're… Michael's true vessel?" she asked.
"You mean you didn't know?" Zachariah asked, tsking, "Anna, I think you're losing your touch."
"Castiel marked him. I saw the mark," Anna said. "He told me it was Castiel's."
"Yes, yes you did," Zachariah said, looking at Dean as if he were a specimen in a microscope. "Tried to take a bite out of him, too, didn't you?" Anna didn't answer and so Dean took his chance to get his two cents in.
"Who the fucking hell is Michael?" Dean asked.
"Michael, since Anna already spilled the beans, is an archangel," Zachariah said. "Basically, you need to say yes and he inhabits your meat suit for a little bit, fights with Lucifer, wins, and saves the world."
"And if he loses?" Dean asked.
"Dean, Dean, Dean, don't be such a pessimist! If he loses, humans are all going to die anyways. At least this way, you can say you did something, am I right? Well, of course I am!" Zachariah said.
"Do you trust him?" Dean asked Anna. Anna hesitated, looking between Zachariah and Dean.
"I think you should say yes," Anna said.
Dean blinked, looking between Anna and Zachariah. It wasn't a matter of whether Anna trusted Zachariah or not. It was a matter of the stopping the goddamned apocalypse. Houston, we have a problem in the form of an apocalypse.
"And did anyone tell you that if Michael takes you as a vessel, your brain will be a pile of goo?" a new voice asked and Dean felt his blood run cold. He spun around and in that few seconds it took him to spin around, Zachariah were in between Dean and the demon.
Azazel. Dean swallowed. He hadn't seen Azazel since Castiel did his freaky-angel?- mojo and made him go away. He was the reason Castiel had marked him. He was sent away by Castiel- he had almost killed Dean. And now Castiel wasn't here.
Dean swallowed, taking a step backwards. Azazel's eyes shifted towards him and Dean wasn't sure if they had ever left him. He didn't want to be anywhere near Azazel. He wished Castiel had killed him when he had the chance-
'"The only reason I'm letting you live is so that you pass on my message," Castiel said.'
He- he wanted to be anywhere but here. He wanted to be asleep. He wanted to be with Castiel. He wanted Castiel here.
'Tell me where you are,' Castiel's voice floated through his head, spreading warmth through Dean.
'Dude, what the hell are you doing in my head?'
'Dean,' Castiel said, annoyed. Dean could guess what Castiel would have said if there was more time. 'That is what you worry about when you are in the midst of danger?' He could hear the disapproval from however many miles away from Castiel he was.
'In a field. There's a tree. A really big tree-'
'Dean, did one of my kind use their powers?' Castiel interrupted.
'Yeah-' Dean blinked and there was a bright flash of light that forced him to cover his eyes. When he uncovered them again, Castiel was in front of him, standing tall. His back was to Dean. Dean wanted to reach forward and touch Castiel but he held himself in check. He was not a girl and he was definitely not a damsel in distress.
'You and I will talk later,' Castiel said, sending a glare over his shoulder. Dean couldn't bring himself to care that Castiel was treating him like a child at the moment. Plus, it didn't seem like a good idea to let everyone present know he knew that Castiel was stronger than him or that he wanted to be protected- not that he was incapable of protecting himself.
'Is… Azazel lying?' Dean asked. 'Are Anna and Zachariah lying?' Castiel paused.
'What did they say to you?' he asked.
'That I'm some dude's true vessel and if I let him take over my meat suit, my brain's going to turn out how meat does after it goes through a grinder,' Dean said. Castiel paused, mulling over Dean's words in his head. Dean was pretty sure that the angel(?) was confused by his words more than anything else.
'We'll talk more later,' Castiel said. Dean frowned for two reasons. The first reason was because Castiel wasn't answering him now and Dean had never been a patient person. Dean wanted answers but now, with Azazel so close, wasn't the time to push for answers and even his impatient self knew that. The second reason was because there was going to be a later. Dean didn't like how he was anticipating the later- happily.
But after he had almost died last time because of Azazel, Dean found that it was okay to be happy that there was going to be a later. Because later meant living.
'Cass?'
'Yes, Dean?'
'Are you an angel?' And the sad thing about that line was that it wasn't even a pickup line. It wasn't even said like it was a pickup line- and it was supposed to be a pickup line! But that was only surfacing in Dean's mind because he didn't really want to know, didn't want to face it, didn't-
'Yes, Dean. I am an angel of the Lord,'
-want to show his sinning self in front of an angel.
"Castiel, you've finally decided to join the party, I see," Zachariah said. Castiel didn't answer. Instead, he frowned at Anna. Dean had moved to the side a bit so that he could see everyone on the field instead of everyone being blocked. It wasn't the smartest move since everyone present could kill him quickly but he wanted to see what the hell everyone was thinking.
And Castiel didn't look happy- not that he had when he had arrived but now he looked downright furious. Dean could feel the emotion that wasn't his spilling out of Castiel's body and he was beginning to feel some of it himself.
Anna had to have been lying to him. '"What I was, what Castiel and Uriel are… they don't feel.' Castiel was definitely feeling something now and hell, Dean was feeling it too. The thought didn't really do much for Dean right now, seeing as Azazel was smirking and that could never be a good thing. Zachariah was looking on with a smug expression and Anna looked apprehensive. Dean couldn't help feel that he was being left out of something big. He didn't like the way that Castiel was concentrating on Anna instead of Azazel. Did he really expect Zachariah to protect him from Azazel?
"How dare you?" Castiel growled. "You told him to say yes! You didn't even explain to him!" Anna avoided Castiel's eyes and Zachariah remained smiling, not looking concerned at all. Azazel was grinning, like he was a part of some big joke.
"Of course we explained Castiel. Michael will- what would your human say?- 'wear him to the prom' and they'll stop the apocalypse. Everyone wins. Michael and Lucifer fight, the apocalypse is over, and the Earth lives," Zachariah shrugged. "It's as simple as that."
"And it took a demon to inform him how his brain will turn out in the end, not being able to function," Azazel smirked.
"No one asked for your input, demon abomination," Castiel snarled. "But why did it take a demon to tell Dean the risks?" He turned to Anna then, his blue eyes blazing. "And you- you touched him!"
"I didn't know! Castiel, I swear I didn't!" Anna said, taking a step backwards.
"And you didn't bother to question why he was with Uriel?" Castiel demanded. "You didn't bother to wonder why he was under my protection? Why he bears my mark?" Dean swallowed. Castiel wasn't saying much- he was saying more than he usually did- but even though he wasn't having a monologue, he was still getting his point across.
Castiel, angel of the Lord, was furious.
"The rumors were right- you are different from your kind," Azazel chuckled. "But you're growing weak, aren't you? The bond with your human hasn't been sealed and its taking oh-so-much of your Grace to keep you two linked. But you're still stronger than the little slut angel who-" Dean didn't see any of the angels move but Zachariah had pinned Azazel to the tree.
"You're more trouble than you're worth," Zachariah smirked.
"Now, Mr. Angel, you didn't really think I came without backup, did you?" Azazel smirked. The smirk was wiped off of Zachariah's face when two demons plowed into him, taking him off of Azazel.
"Get Dean out of here," Anna ordered.
"You are no longer my superior," Castiel snapped.
"No, but if you don't then I will," Anna snapped back. Castiel took one last glance between her and Dean and he pressed two fingers to Dean's forehead and when Dean blinked, they reappeared in a- well, Dean didn't really know where they were.
"Where are we?" Dean demanded.
"New Zealand," Castiel said.
"New what?" Dean demanded.
"Dean," Castiel sighed, exasperated, reminding Dean that New Zealand was not the issue.
"Of all the places you take us too, Cass, you take us to New Zealand? I'm sorry, but why New Zealand?" Dean demanded. Castiel threw his hands up, the exasperation clearly showing through.
"Would you rather I chance bringing the fight back to Bobby and Sam?" he asked. Dean frowned. He couldn't argue with that, but really- why New Zealand? Although a look at Castiel told Dean he should keep that thought to himself.
"We should keep moving," Castiel glanced up at the sky. "The use of my powers will not have gone unnoticed. We want to be gone before someone decides to track us." He held his hand out to Dean and Dean looked at it, wanting to touch it but wanting to keep his distance. His pride won that fight.
"Dude, I'm not a damsel in distress. I don't need you to hold my hand," Dean snapped, pushing past Castiel. Castiel watched Dean push past him with a solemn expression. "You coming or what?" Castiel waited a moment longer until Dean was getting to far ahead for his liking and he followed Dean into the forest.
Dean wasn't a happy camper. It wasn't that he didn't like the forest- his dad had practically raised him and Sam in the forest during the summer when Sam didn't have to be in school and Dean had dropped out of high school. The forest was like a second home to Dean.
What he didn't like, was the fact that Castiel was getting on his last nerve. It was quiet, except for the animals in the forest- which was good, it meant there were no supernatural creatures and Dean really didn't feel like dealing with a supernatural creature because he had no weapons- and Castiel wasn't offering any topics for conversation. Once in awhile, he would lay his hand on Dean's shoulder and point in a different direction. Dean would follow obediently or be the one to head in that direction first.
Dean wanted the silence to be broken but he didn't want to be the one to break it. Breaking the silence would mean that he wanted to talk to Castiel. He didn't. He wanted Castiel to talk so that there was no more silence. Talking to Castiel would mean accepting Castiel more than he already had. Dean did not want to do that and pride won out. Again.
At least, it did, until Dean found himself so caught up in his thoughts that he didn't noticed the root in front of him and he tripped. He expected to hit the ground but a pair of strong arms caught him. Dean frowned up at Castiel who was watching him attentively but he didn't look like he was waiting for a thank you- which was good, because Dean wasn't giving him one.
Dean jerked out of Castiel's arms, all earlier thoughts of wanting to touch Castiel out of his head as he walked away from him. Right now, he just wanted to get as far away from Castiel as possible. He didn't want to be marked. He didn't want to be Castiel's. He didn't want to be in a situation that dealt with the apocalypse.
He didn't want any of it.
"Dean. We should talk," Castiel said.
"So talk," Dean snapped. He took another step and found Castiel in front of him, hands reaching out to grip him around the waist when he took a step back only to stumble on another root. He tried to step out of Castiel's grip but Castiel refused to let him go so he tried removing Castiel's hands on his waist with his own, to no avail. He even tried pushing against Castiel's chest but Castiel took it all in good stride.
"I have let you sulk long enough, Dean. Now we talk," Castiel said.
"Fine. Let's talk. You say you're an angel- because I don't believe it for a second, what are you doing on Earth?" Dean demanded.
"We are here to find Michael's true vessel so he can inhabit him and stop the apocalypse," Castiel answered. Dean didn't like the way Castiel sounded- he sounded like a soldier, and not in a good way either. He sounded as if he'd do anything a superior told him to because he was trained like that.
"Why the fuck am I his prom dress?" Dean demanded.
"It was decided long before you were ever born. It is your destiny-"
"Fuck destiny! Fuck everything!" Dean growled. "Fuck you and your goddamned-" Dean felt the pressure on his wrists increase and his knees almost buckled in pain.
"Do not use my father's name in vain," Castiel growled. "I understand you are scared and confused Dean, but what right do you have to be angry at me?"
"You dragged me into this whole mess," Dean snapped.
"Did I? I did not choose you to be Michael's vessel. I did not tell the Cupids to bring your mother and father together so you and your brother would be born. You take your anger out on me but who is it that should be rightfully angry?" Castiel demanded. "You reject me even though you want me; even though it makes me weaker the longer it takes for us to join. You reject me out of nothing more than your stubborn pride. You were the one who left with Anna. You are the one who is to become Michael's vessel and you're mine! You were the one who let Anna kiss you and touch you in ways that only I should! Now tell me Dean, who is it that should be angry?"
"Well if Michael's going to wear me to the prom, does that make you his date or mine?" Dean shouted, backing up enough to punch Castiel. Castiel's head moved to the side but it didn't show any sign of bruising and Castiel didn't show any sign of being hurt. But he seemed to get the message and he let him go.
Dean began to wish Castiel hadn't let him go because it was hard to be mad at Castiel now. It was hard to be mad when he wasn't being trapped by someone stronger than him. It was hard to be mad at someone who was truthfully answering his questions even if he didn't like the answer. It was hard to be mad at someone who was telling him who and why should be rightfully angry- especially if he had good points, which, Dean loathed to admit, he did. It was hard to be mad at someone whose arms he just wanted to throw himself into.
It wasn't, however, hard to be someone you wanted to fuck. That was easy. It was where the term 'angry sex' came from, after all. And Dean didn't want to have sex with Castiel and so it was easy to be mad at that. So Dean began focusing on that.
Only he didn't get to focus on that long because every thought flew out of his head when Castiel shoved him against a tree, pressing their mouths together desperately. All he could do was respond physically. He couldn't even remember what he and Castiel had been arguing about until Castiel allowed him to breath for a split second. After that split second was over, Castiel kissed him like there was no tomorrow again and again and Dean couldn't remember anything all over again.
He moaned when Castiel's erection grinded against his own and moved his hips to get more friction. He heard Castiel moan and that drove Dean into an even crazier frenzy, desperate to feel Castiel. He began attempting to shove off Castiel's trench coat and trying to get Castiel's dress shirt out of his pants all at once and-
"Dean," Castiel moaned, lips attaching to Dean's neck. Dean moaned and rutted helplessly against Castiel. "I'm yours. Only yours." Dean stared into Castiel's blue eyes and he attached his lips to Castiel's, kissing him furiously.
This- whatever he was doing, with whom he was doing it with- this was his. What he was doing didn't belong to Michael or Anna or anyone else. This was his. Castiel was his. Michael and Castiel didn't belong to each other and Castiel was his.
"This is what you do in your spare time, Castiel?" Too soon, Castiel's lips were off of his and he found his front pressed to Castiel's back. It did nothing to help his erection.
"He is my mate, Zachariah," Castiel growled. "What he and I do is none of your business."
"Actually, Castiel, it is. Especially when it has to do with you denying Michael the right to his vessel," Zachariah said. "He's not very happy with you, you know." Castiel glared at Zachariah.
"Was there something you wanted, Zachariah, or are you just here to interrupt us?" Castiel asked. "And how did you find us?"
"Your grace is leaking out, Castiel. It's not hard to find you," Zachariah said. "You should really encourage your… human whore to say yes-"
"Dean. Is not a whore," Castiel gritted. "Now I suggest you take your leave."
"Yeah, I'm getting blue balls over here!" Dean snapped.
"Very well. I'll leave you to your… sin," Zachariah sneered before disappearing. Castiel turned towards Dean, framing his face with his hands.
"That… was very foolish of you," Castiel chastised.
"Why? Cause I let him know we're going to sin?" Dean smirked.
"Because you drew his attention towards you," Castiel corrected. Dean rolled his eyes.
"Blow me, Cass," Dean said. Castiel raised an eyebrow. "I'm not sure whether or not I want you to tell me that you know what that means. Cass…?"
"Yes, Dean?"
"Do you… want me, you know, to say yes?" Dean asked. Castiel's eyes hardened and he answered in a voice that sent a shiver down Dean's spine.
"We came to Earth to find Michael's vessel," Castiel said.
"That's not an answer," Dean frowned.
Castiel gave him a small smile glancing at the sky, "I should take you home."
"You couldn't have done that earlier?" Dean asked. "Cass?" Castiel frowned and looked up at the sky, eyes squinting as the sun shined in his eyes. He didn't answer Dean, instead holding his hand out for Dean to take. Dean gave Castiel a look, one that clearly stated that he wasn't going to take Castiel's hand like he was his prom date. Realizing Dean wasn't going to be giving his hand any time soon, he raised to fingers to Dean's forehead.
Dean blinked and found himself in Bobby's home with Sam, Bobby, an angel, his problems, denying his destiny, the possible impending fight between Michael and Lucifer, and-
"Is that a hole in the wall?" Dean asked.
And as Sam groaned, Castiel avoided everyone's eyes, and Bobby went into a rage about Castiel falling through the ceiling, Dean decided that all the crap about the angels, his problems, his so called destiny, the impending fight between Michael and Lucifer that could start or stop the apocalypse, and the explanations could wait a day.
"You understand what you need to do, Gabriel," Michael said.
"Yeah, yeah, bro," the man addressed as Gabriel smirked, chewing on a candy bar. "I got it down." Michael stared down at his brother with a frown.
"Earth has changed you, brother," Michael said. "You always were a hellion but…" Gabriel smirked at the distaste Michael eyed his vessel with. Out of the few things he had missed about home, watching Michael actually form facial expressions other than patient understanding was definitely one of them.
"My vessel for the past hundred something years… or maybe thousand. I lost count somewhere down the line," Gabriel said. "Loki's my vessel, Norse god, you know? Had to go big, had everyone else believing it too. I'm a pretty convincing trickster, demigod, whatever the humans are calling me. Hey, did you know you're an uncle?" He couldn't hide the delighted snicker that escaped when he saw Michael's face, no doubt wondering whether his status as an uncle was because Gabriel had taken Loki as a father after he donated his seed or because Gabriel had donated Loki's seed while inhabiting that body.
He took his leave then, because, in Gabriel's opinion, knowing when to leave was just as important as knowing when to arrive- sometimes even more important.