An update? *le gasp* I can't say that these will be more frequent, but I can say that now that I have internet on my main computer, which I type all of my stories on, I will be updating a earlier than before. I promise you guys at least that much.

The next morning was even more awkward than Dean had predicted. Gabriel had not moved from the couch, Sam was trying to cook breakfast, and Castiel stood stiffly in the corner. It was like everyone was ignoring the giant problem sitting right in front of their faces, and no one was willing to acknowledge it. Dean made himself the first to speak up.

"Okay, this elephant in the room is being discussed now. Sam and I have school in an hour, so everything important is coming out now. And no long complicated stories either." Dean demanded, his arms crossed indignantly. He focused his glare on Gabriel in specific, mainly because he found the mutant to be the least trustworthy and the most obnoxious.

"Well, if you want it laid out simple…" Gabriel moaned from the couch. "Then, I'll tell it. Cassie doesn't know the meaning of simple."

Castiel fixed Gabriel with a look, but he didn't respond.

"Dean, they don't have to tell us about anything! They're powerful and they're dangerous, let's not piss anyone off…" Sam warned from the kitchen, his back turned on the breakfast he was preparing for a quick minute.

"We're not going to hurt anyone." Castiel said, his tone flat and unquestioning.

"We helped you find Castiel and we gave you a place to stay for the night. Gabriel, you owe us." Dean stated. "So tell, stop putting this off. We're wasting time."

Gabriel stood up, and finally took off his coat. His wings, the massive things, unfurled from his back and spread out to encompass the entire living room. They were brown and white, like Falcon's wings, and one could just take a quick peek and see how dangerous Gabriel was.

Those were the wings of a hunter.

"Hi, I'm Gabriel. I'm an Archangel class mutant, recently turned 18 and gained adulthood in the reserve by graduating the Crucible Academy for mutants. My power is my mind, I can speak to anyone no matter the distance, and I can influence people by commanding them. I ran away from the reserve because I discovered something I never wanted to know. And I left my little brother there alone."

He made it seem so simple.

Castiel spoke up next, pulling off his own coat. His wings shone in the morning sunlight, and Dean had to tear his eyes away from where his fingers had carded through only the night before.

"My name is Castiel, and I do not have a class specification. I am a powerless mutant who attended Crucible Academy for mutants only until they discovered my lack of ability. They told me that since I have no power, my wings are useless and I would have them removed as to keep the mutant gene pure and to separate me into a position of work that befits one of my status. I left the Academy and reserve only to realize that I was not safe. I found an appropriate hiding place, and I waited to die."

Sam gasped and dropped his kitchen supplies to run over to the dark winged mutant. "You waited to die?" He repeated, shocked.

Dean stared at Castiel again, really looking this time. He was the same height, the same age, pretty much same build as Sammy. He was 11 years old. No one that age should ever think they want to die. What if that had been Sammy hidden underneath that bridge, starving and terrified and lost and hopeless, only to be found by strangers? What if he'd been Gabriel, and he'd left Sammy alone somewhere that drove him to that point?

"I'm so sorry. But if you had known what I did… you'd get out of there as fast as you could." The other mutant choked out, his golden eyes fixed on the floor. Gabriel shied away from Castiel's look, his wings curling in around himself.

"We know enough, then." Dean butted in. "We have about 10 minutes to eat and get off to school. If you have somewhere to go, then scram, but if you don't… then stay here in our rooms and keep your coats on at all times."

Sam dashed back to save his neglected food, while the two mutants stared at Dean like he was crazy.

"I'm not kidding. Our dad's a hunter. If I could figure it out, then he will as soon as he sees you. If you stay in our rooms, he probably won't check, and if he's out running town, he'll run into you. Try not to leave." Dean stated, walking over to pick up Castiel's coat. He helped the kid into his, watching in awe as those big black wings tucked in on themselves and pressed against his back enough that they only looked like an odd bump.

Sam handed everyone a plate of burnt eggo waffles, having been left inside the toaster for too long. They all ate in basic silence, until the clock ticked and the two school boys had to run.

"I hope they're all right at home…" Sam worried, his bottom lip nibbled on. Dean shrugged, pulling his brother into the bus stop tirelessly.

"I hope I'm making the right decision. I still think we should report them to the reserve and get them both dragged back before someone who's a lot less nice decides they both don't deserve their lives as servants of Lucifer." Dean grumbled. It was risky and stupid, but he saw Castiel and he just related him to Sammy. Dean wouldn't let anything bad ever happen to Sammy, and dammit if he was going to let Castiel get hurt too.

The school silenced Dean's thoughts, as he turned back into the usual pull of the day, mutants and angels far from the forefront of his thoughts.

Bobby woke up a part of Dean's brain that had fallen silent, the part of him that saw mutant and saw enemy and couldn't differentiate between the two. The elder hunter gave him a look, and he had no choice in remembering their deal.

Jo gave him an odd look. She waved her hand in front of his eyes before class had begun to get his attention, but he continued to stare off into space. Sighing, she finally punched him in the chest.

"Hey. Wake up, loser!" She snapped her fingers right in front of his eyes and Dean turned to focus on the tiny blonde now that she had finally shook him out of his trance.

"Yeah?"

"You're totally zoned out. I thought you had to pass this class in hopes of getting a hunter's permit. You can't hunt mutants without one, and we all know how much you want that." Jo nodded, confirming something in her head. "There's something you're not telling me."

Dean laughed a little, scared about how observant she had proven to be. "No worries, it's nothing. Sam and me just got into a spot of trouble last night with the old man."

Or they would be, if Gabriel and Castiel were found by their father. Either way, it wasn't a complete lie.

Jo pursed her lips. "What'd you do this time?"

"Hey!" Dean protested. "Nothing, we just stayed out way late. Hung out with some of Sam's friends, lost track of time. Came back after sunset, Dad got pissed, nothing too bad. But I'm not in his good books, not when he's out working a case and we're not safe at home like he told us too."

Jo accepted that answer better, and she turned to the front as Bobby started class. Their teacher was giving Dean a look, and Dean tried not to read too much into it. Whatever Bobby thought he knew, now wasn't the time to go pursuing paranoia. He didn't do anything bad, and nothing the former hunter could find on him would prove it.

Today's lesson was about mutant's eyes.

"Now listen here, y'all. Second step in identifyin' a mutant is the eyes. If they don't have no visible wings and ya can't tell if they're mutant or not, look to the eyes."

A close up of a vibrant golden eyes appeared on the screen. Dean blinked… that eye… he knew that eye… Gabriel! That was definitely Gabriel's eye! He tried not to show his surprise, or flinch as Bobby zoomed in more on the iris.

"Look at the patterns. They look normal, just vibrant and pretty, eh? But this twistin' and turnin' right here in the iris is somethin' all mutants share."

Dean looked carefully. Bobby was right, there was a distinct pattern in Gabriel's eye that one had to get real close to see. He hadn't thought much of it, in fact it was barely noticeable. Only under scrutiny and close up did he notice it. The bright gold strands were woven into what looked like a braid, with a dark hazel underneath in the holes that the gold did not cover. It wasn't very alarming, but his eye was kind of uniform, with the braids of gold and the strands of hazel layered underneath.

"In comparison, it's a lot clearer. The normal human eye is very twisted, the fibers and many colors in the iris are arranged what looks like haphazardly. This is why eye scannin' as a protection works, because every normal human has a unique pattern in their iris."

With a side by side comparison, the contrast was astounding. Gabriel's eyes looked alien, and threatening, in comparison with the duller brown of the normal human's eye.

"Bobby?" Dean asked. "Isn't it kind of dangerous to go up to a mutant and look them in the eye? Wouldn't they not let you get so close?"

Gabriel and Castiel never had let him close enough to tell that about their eyes, and he'd been inside a cramped shower with one of them. How the hell did one look into an actual dangerous one's eyes without dying?

"Well, that's why ya look for the wings first. Eyes come next; if they want to blend in with us normal humans, then they'll let us get real close. They'd try to get right where they could cause the most damage, and hide themselves among us. To not arouse suspicion, they'd let ya get really close. Especially if ya are of the opposite gender, and ya seem attracted to them. All the more power they can gain that way." Bobby explained in his gruff voice. Dean scribbled down notes as quickly as he could, thinking about Gabriel and Castiel.

If they were trying to hide, and get into better positions, they wouldn't have revealed themselves as mutants. Maybe Gabriel had attempted to do so, but Castiel threw that all off for him. Gabriel might not be safe, but Castiel was. Dean frowned. He still couldn't go trusting either of them, no matter how innocent.

"Well, next is a thing ya can tell from a distance! Their eyes will be very bright, supercharged, vibrant, all sorts of things, and they'll stand out. There is a variety of color, and any unnatural colors that aren't from contacts should alarm a person right away. Darn those colored contacts."

Jo laughed. Bobby's death glare silenced her half-giggled, and she settled back down in her seat.

"Little lady, ya have no idea what those goddamned colored contacts have done to the huntin' business. They can make a mutant's eyes look completely normal, and they can make a human's eyes look mutant. Now, they can slip past yer defenses and trick ya in all the visible ways that could tip a hunter off and mean the difference from life… an' death."

Bobby's last words were chilling. Dean shivered, and stayed cold for the rest of the class.

At the end of class, Bobby pulled him aside again. "What'cha been up to, kid? Now, we haven't learned 'bout no smelling stuff, but ya better not be off tryin' to hunt them mutants yet. I can smell it right on ya."

"What?" Dean gulped. "No, you've got it all wrong, I took a shower this morning, how do I smell funny?"

That didn't stop Bobby's eyes from taking on a hard glint. "So ya didn't know about that mutant that rubbed it's scent all over ya?"

"O-of course not!" Dean protested, his eyes widening in fear. Scent? Mutants had a scent? Castiel was in his house, and if his dad came home and smelled freaking mutant, then everyone could be dead! "They have a scent?"

"Did yer Daddy teach you nothin'? Mutants have a distinct smell, that's tomorrow's lesson for ya. I have a few bottles of their musk to show ya kids, to get a good grip on their scent. At first I though one of 'em was leaking and that's why I smelt it, but no, it's definitely coming from ya, ya idjit. Don't get yer panties in a bunch, I'mma trained hunter which is why I can smell it."

"I didn't go hunting for mutants, I haven't even been…" Dean trailed off as Bobby saw the lie clear in his eyes. "Okay, so I've been near some, don't shoot me."

"Where, ya idjit?" Bobby hounded on him. "Tell me where before they kill someone! I'll get 'em taken care of for darin' to go after one of my students!"

Dean shook his head. "You don't get it, they're not bad! They're not even adults, they're kids!"

Bobby froze up. "Fledglings, ya say? How did Fledglings get out of the reserve? The only fledgling that's gone missin' is that Castle kid an' everyone's freakin' out over…"

They both seemed to realize what the other was thinking, and Bobby gave Dean a hard look.

"You're comin' with me, an' we're pickin' up that fledgling from wherever ya stowed him. Ya couldn't hide a mutant to save yer life. In this case, it will be savin' yer life, so come with me. Hurry, kid!"

"But you can't hurt him! You can't! He's just eleven!" Dean chased Bobby out through the halls and into the parking lot. Bobby thrust Dean into his truck, and slid into the driver's seat.

"You're not gonna tell me what to do, idjit. Now, gimmie directions before that fledglin' of yers gets himself killed! I'm not gonna hurt no kid, not one who's innocent." Bobby snapped back, and there was no lie in his eyes. He knew he could trust him.

Dean didn't hesitate in giving directions to his house.

"Ya put angels up in yer house? Are ya dumb?" Bobby grumbled, climbing up the front doorsteps after Dean, who was fumbling to get his key into the lock. Dean just shrugged, more focused on getting them inside without alarming or frightening either mutant.

Once the door clicked, he turned to Bobby and said, "I don't care if you won't listen to me about nothing, but this is important. You can't say anything until they both come down, because neither of them trusts me yet, and they definitely won't trust you, and I don't want to hurt either of them."

"Ya could'a just asked." The older man answered, not too irritated with the command. "But, they? Ya got more than yer fledgling holed up in there?"

"I've got his older brother too. And you don't want a fight. Because while Castiel is pretty much as harmless as a bunny rabbit, Gabriel is rather over protective." Dean admitted.

Bobby's eyes bulged. "Ya got THE Gabriel in there? He's an Archangel, he's one of the four most powerful mutants in the world, and you're sayin' he's in yer house?"

"He called himself Gabriel, not sure if he is or not… Those eyes we were examining today, they were definitely his. I recognized."

Bobby frowned. "Those weren't Gabriel's eyes, dumb boy. Those were the eyes of the most famous mutant, the one we call the original. The first discovered, his eyes were known as the Sun, and they shone like the stars. Mutants don't age like we do, not after they turn 18... those eyes were well over 500 years old. Those weren't Gabriel's eyes, they were his father's."

"What?" Dean's mouth gaped. "They looked exactly like Gabriel's! But… then, if Castiel is Gabriel's brother… why does he have blue eyes?"

Bobby shrugged. "Beyond me, now's not the time for mutant genetics. Let's get inside. I promised not to raise a ruckus."

Dean nodded, trusting, and he opened the door. Only to be met eye to eye with the gold eyes he'd just been discussing. He jumped back into Bobby's stout form, his heart pounding faster than before.

"So you figured it out before Cassie, eh? Now, we don't want that little secret getting out." Gabriel said cheerfully. His golden eyes sparked with mischief and danger.

"Uh…" Dean stared straight at Gabriel's sinister face before swallowing and glancing at the ground.

"So you're Gabriel." Bobby said, pushing Dean out of the way. "This idjit doesn't know what he's doing yet, and yer trail is all over town. John Winchester himself is out tracking you, and they've put a bounty on the fledgling's head. I can help ya, but ya can't stay here."

Gabriel sighed. "Good things only last so long. Well, don't stand outside… come in, come in. We can talk. But we talk quietly, for the little one is sleeping."

Dean nodded, dumbstruck, and he wandered inside like an intruder into his own home. He found himself making his way up the stairs, to find Castiel and perhaps give him a hug or something. He was supposedly sleeping, and if he was, then Dean would come back down and join in Bobby and Gabriel's conversations. If Castiel wasn't, then Dean could fuss over him and generally make himself feel needed.

Dean just didn't want to be caught in whatever crossfire that Gabriel and Bobby would start. In fact, Castiel felt like so much more of a safer choice that he was already up the stairs and down the hallway before he could convince himself it was a bad idea.

He crept into Sam's bedroom. The angel lay spread out, his wings draping on the floor like satin curtains. His eyes were wide open as Dean made his way inside, and Dean flashed him a smile.

"Why are you back so early?" Castiel whispered, turning over to get a good look at Dean.

"I came back with some help, to get you two somewhere safer. My dad's a hunter, so if he catches a glimpse, or apparently a whiff, of you, you'll be shot dead within the hour. He's good, he saves lives, but he sees everything as black or white. Either it's black and evil, or white and good, and something can't be both. He'll see you as evil right away, and he won't stop to ask questions."

"Then you're making us leave?" Castiel asked in a serious tone, showing little emotion. But what emotion Dean did sense betrayed that the angel was scared or lonely or perhaps both.

"I'm giving you a safer place to stay." Dean said, his hand reaching out to fix the mutant's unruly hair. "I can't let you get hurt, not if it's my dad."

The angel nodded. "I understand. But, for what it is, I… I think I should like it if I saw you again after we part ways."

Dean blinked. That was what Castiel had been down over? Really? He laughed. It was so childish and so innocent that Dean didn't even think of Sam- Sam had always wanted to off on his own, independent. No, the action was purely Cas.

"Hey, it's Bobby's! I'm gonna go there all the time, especially once I get my grades up, you'll see too much of me. No worries, I'll be around." Dean ruffled the mutant's hair and gave him a goofy grin. "Now let's go stop Bobby and Gabriel from killing each other-" At the look in Castiel's eyes, Dean amended his statement with, "-from their stuffy old people behavior."

"I see…" Castiel nodded slowly. "We should prevent this."

The angel trudged out of the room and downstairs, his wings trailing on the beige carpet behind him like a black bride's veil. Little black feathers were left stuck to the carpet, and Dean realized he'd have to do a lot of vacuuming before his dad got home, or he was so dead.

In fact, a full house cleaning might be needed.

Gabriel and Bobby were talking in low voices, but at the sight of Castiel drifting down the stairs, they silenced.

"Yo, bro." Gabriel walked over and smoothed down a few awry downy feathers on his little brother's wings. "Looking good."

"Dean tells me that you are here to help us, Mr." Castiel addressed Bobby sharply, looking him straight in the eyes, headstrong. Dean would've whistled, the little mutant was convincingly scary at the moment with his wings puffed up.

"That's my intention." Bobby answered in a gruff voice. "Ya need to come with me back to my house so ol' John Winchester doesn't put a bullet in yer bird brains."

"I take offense to that." Gabriel quipped.

"Shuddup." Bobby told him, before giving his attention back to Castiel. "So what're we waitin' for? Get in the truck everyone, quicker the better."

Bobby's house was pretty much what Dean had expected of it. In the middle of nowhere, on the outskirts of the city and with a large car park out front, it was once a white-picket fence kind of home. Obviously, it hadn't been treated with the respect of one, and now it looked like a messy country house that was barely still standing.

Castiel stared at it, looking partly repulsed and partly admiring. Gabriel just looked ticked, and Bobby grunted. Dean liked the place already.

He could imagine himself working on a car as Castiel sat out on the porch, talking about something aimlessly. Sam and Gabriel would be sitting on the hood of a nearby car, chattering just as aimlessly. Bobby would be inside, a big glass of lemonade in hand and a book in the other.

It just felt like home, and Dean grinned.

"Home sweet home now, for you two." He poked Castiel in the side, hinting at his vision of the future even if he knew that Castiel was unlikely to stay there long enough for such an image. It was safer, better for everyone if they didn't, even. Bobby would be in danger, Cas in danger, even Gabriel wouldn't be safe.

"We will be staying here." Castiel said softly, his blue eyes twinkling in an odd way. Like he was going to cry, and Dean really hoped that he was just imaging things.

Gabriel snorted. "For a while, anyway. Cassie, you're not getting attached to this place, you hear me? This is temporary. Until I can find a way to stash you back in the reserve somehow-"

"No!" Castiel's eyes had turned into a blue fire. "No! I don't have any powers, I'm not going back! I'm never going back!"

Bobby gave Castiel a look. Perhaps he hadn't heard of this before, and he looked Castiel over again, to see if he missed anything.

"That's impossible. You're a black wings with no power?" Bobby frowned. He stroked his beard, scanning Gabriel and then Castiel again. Dean wondered what exactly that would do, their physical appearances had been prancing in front of Bobby for the whole drive and ever since they arrived at the house.

"He's telling the truth, he really doesn't have a power." Dean vouched, trying to soothe the now tense fledgling. Castiel stood with his back straight, stiff and glaring at Bobby. His black wings fluttered a little in the wind, the feathers ruffled and out of place. Dean realized in an afterthought that he kind of wanted to mess them up a little more, to see how they felt under his fingers again.

Bobby shook his head in confusion, before grabbing Castiel by the hand and leading him inside. Gabriel and Dean trailed after, shutting and locking the door behind them.

Because if this was home, there needed to be a lot of adjustments.

So. Next chapter will take a spot longer, since I have a lot of work to do on it. But I hope you enjoy this one. Also, I am getting to the Crobby. Yep. Things start to go down next chapter and it will be awesome. I hope. Thanks for all the reviews, you guys, and I would love a ton more! Oh, and the favorites and everything else!