He wakes up in his room later, with a fuzzy memory of what happened. His mother is beside him. Sitting in a chair, staring down at him with a clear expression for once. He can feel her hand, cold against his chest. Dusting softly against the finger shaped mark just under his collar bone. He feels tired. Wants to go back to sleep. Eyes drift closed for a moment, then flutter open again.

It's dark around him, in his room. It's dark outside his window when he turns to look. Rare to see his mother out of her room this late. She doesn't normally dally with the children. Her fingers move left, skim outside the fresh scratch by his armpit. The wound is raw, he flinches.

"Why do you do this to yourself?" She says, voice quiet.

He swallows against his dry throat. Wills himself to talk, "...I didn't."

"Castiel," voice just barely above a whisper. Her fingers move again. To his forehead, free of scars, and pets him softly.

"It wasn't me," he croaks, "Was them."

Her fingers tread through his hair. He closes his eyes again, lets the feeling float over him.

"They hurt me," Feels a knot clog his throat, "I didn't-"

"Shh," she whispers when he can't finish. It sounds shaky. He creaks his eyes open and sees hers. They're glistening in the dark. His lower lip quivers.

Sit in silence for a while. He's skittering in and out of sleep as his mother caresses him, just like she used to. The nostalgia is bittersweet.

"Don't send me away again."

It's the last thing he breathes before falling out again. Doesn't know what her response was. Doesn't know if she even managed one.

...

He wakes up with Anna and Gabriel for school the next morning. His mother isn't there to stop him. Probably went back to her room after he fell asleep. They don't argue with him when he gets in the car, just kind of glance at each other. Gabriel fills him in on the drive. Tells him how they went looking for him. How they found him half way across the neighborhood passed out on someones yard. The sprinklers had turned on so he'd been drenched through. Gabriel snickered, but it sounded drier than usual.

...

Al finally notices his return that day.

After lunch, they'd made eye contact. He'd been filing out of the cafeteria, Castiel was coming from the courtyard. His face remained straight as Al's eyes touched his. Al's predatory smile stretched in what he supposes could've been a menacing way. He can't bring himself to care. Al always did think himself scarier than he actually was. As far as Castiel was concerned he was an inconvenience.

He sighs as he treks to his next class. He'll be lucky if he makes it through the day without contact.

...

He doesn't make it the day. As it happens, Al chooses the worst possible moment to reacquaint himself.

While walking back to Gabriel's car he finds himself stopped by a crowd in the carpool. He never liked walking that way for the very reason. It was too full, lots of people. He contemplates waiting out the crowd, it wouldn't last too long, but the gaunt figure leaning on a sleek, black car stops him. It's Dean Winchester. Popping up randomly as usual.

He's parked in the carpool, causing an inconvenience for other cars. Logic stands to show he's there for Sam. He's not looking either. Castiel wonders if he should run before it's to late. He's not ready to see Dean again. Especially since the guys got a bruise across his jaw about the size of South Africa. He wonders if Dean still thinks he's normal. Doesn't seem likely. He clenches his teeth.

That's when a hand catches his shoulder and he nearly jumps out of his skin. It's Al and a couple of his friends. They're all leering at him. Al in particular.

"Well, I'll be damned!" He says voice obnoxiously loud. Seeking attention as always, "Kookie Cassie, back in town!"

Castiel tries to calm himself. He's not scared of Al, he's scared of Dean. Well, Dean seeing.

"Yes, I'm here," he answers, keeping his voice even.

"That's just great!" He chides, rolling his R.

"Yes." A couple people nearby look like they're trying too hard not to notice. He hopes Dean's in that group.

"Nice to see you all in one piece, Cassie," his snake-like eyes scream the deeper meaning behind his words. Castiel nods to him. Doesn't care what Al thinks.

"Come on people!" Castiel cringes. He's getting even louder. Others near by look over, "Let's give Cassie a round of applause for comin' back to us safe and sound!"

He leads the clap, and his friends quickly join in. Several other boys are game, and start clapping as well. Most everyone else looks uncomfortable. Despite himself he can feel the heat in his face. Hasn't felt properly embarrassed in a long time. It's almost like he's on 's no way Dean hasn't noticed by now. As hesitantly as possible, acting against every nerve in his body, he turns his stiff neck to look back in Dean's direction.

There eyes meet immediately. Dean's entire body is frowning. His shoulders tense beneath his t-shirt. His eyebrows knitted. His eyes flaring. His mouth a thin line. Castiel can see the questions forming on his face, but he can't determine the specifics. Doesn't know how to respond to Dean. Doesn't know how his own face looks. He's worried though because Dean looks like he wants to get involved. And that would make things worse.

As always Gabriel saves him. Flashes up behind Castiel from nowhere and roars at everyone in the vicinity. Yells a collection of 'Fucks' and 'Cunt Muffins' before grabbing Cas by the shoulder and peddling him away. He catches one more look from Dean before finally moving along.

...

There mother's car is in the driveway when they pull in. She usually doesn't leave work early so she must have spent the day at home. Castiel hates it when she stays at home, she gets too much time to think. Too much time to try and save him.

She doesn't approach him right away. Waits a while, he gets enough time to finish his homework. When she finds him her face is cold again, eyes no longer shinning. She's signing him up for therapy again. Not with Doctor Mills, she lives too far away. Someone new. He doesn't want someone new, but he's getting her anyway. Mother made that very clear. Her name is Tessa. He's not sure if that's her first name or her last name, but he'll find out soon enough. Sessions starts on Saturday. Tomorrow. He wonders if he'll see Dean before then.

They're just staring at each other now. His mother's said her piece, and Castiel doesn't know how to respond. He knows what she wants of him. Something normal, something capable of behaving, something that her friends won't frown upon. He knows what she expects of him. Basket case, shaking, sobbing, rocking in a corner. He won't give her either.

"I'm going outside."

He's not jogging, though he'd changed into his exercise clothes, routine be dammed. He's getting a new therapist so it doesn't really matter if he keeps up what Doctor Mills taught him. He's switched doctors before. They all want something different from him. All heave different ideas of what will make him better. Maybe he'll keep jogging, since he likes it so much. Not today though.

The turn towards the Campbell house is steadily approaching. It's making him feel nervous. He wonders if Dean will be there. He always seems to be there. But things are different now. Dean knows him now. Knows he's Kookie Cassie. He's not gonna want to talk to him, no one wants to talk to him. Parents teach their kids to stay away, don't want the illness rubbing off to them.

He misses Crowley and Meg. Having friends as crazy as he was, was easier. Not that Dean is his friend. He's just kind of there, barely known him for more than a week. He like his anyway. Castiel turns the street corner.

Someone's sitting outside the gate. As he makes his way closer he's not really surprised to recognize Dean. His clothes are different from what he was wearing earlier. Synthetic shorts showing the tan skin of his calves, and a tank top showing off his toned shoulders. He looks nice, bruise or no. Castiel feels his brows furrow at the thought, though his mind blanks the second Dean turns and looks right at him. He starts when he notices Castiel slowly making his way over, and shoots up from where he was on the ground, legs uncrossing from their pretzel shape.

"Hey!" He bounces over, and Castiel stops, lets him catch up, "Finally! I've been waiting for hours!"

"You were waiting for me?" His eyebrows furrow.

"Yeah," Dean shifts over from one foot to the other before cutting straight to the chase, "So you're Cassie?"

Castiel looks down to his shoes, "My names Castiel. You can call me Cas too. Sometimes people call me Cas."

"Why didn't you tell me?" Dean's asking.

Castiel looks up again, meets his green eyes. He doesn't look any different than usual. Lips still curved with an over assured smirk, face still lased with an unspoken challenge.

"You never asked."

Dean's eyebrow quirks in aggravation and he opens his mouth to talk, but stops. His eyes roll back in his head a little, and he looks concentrated on something.

"Yeah, that's true," he finally admits, "Why aren't you running?"

Castiel shrugs, "Was just trying to delay the inevitable."

"Oh yeah? And what's that?"

"You calling me a freak, then telling me to fuck off," he blurts without second thought. Then turns away feeling somewhat embarrassed. That's twice in one day.

"Is that what people normally tell you?" Dean asks he sounds resigned.

"I don't know. Most of the time people just refrain from talking to me all together. Crowley said it was 'cause I'm a freak."

"Well, Crowley sounds like a dick."

"No, no it's okay. He's a freak too. We met in the looney bin. That's what he called it anyway," Castiel explains. As far as acting normal goes he's doing a bad job. He'll be lucky if Dean finishes the conversation.

"Well whatever, dude. I don't give a fuck."

Castiel blinks in surprise, "Really?"

Dean gives a one shouldered shrug and smirks deviously, "As far as I'm concerned we're all freaks, you're just part of the unlucky bunch who got called out on it."

"Oh," he doesn't know how to react. Every logical part of him had thought Dean would be creeped out. Just like everyone else. This was a surprising turn of events that he was unprepared for. It felt pleasant none the less. He could feel himself smiling.

"Anyway, I was gonna go running with you, that's why I changed," Dean was still talking, Castiel forced himself to pay attention. Wanted to hear every word that came out of Dean's mouth.

"I'm not running today."

"Yeah, I noticed."

"You can come next time if you want," Castiel stated. He'd never run with anyone before, always preferred the solitude, but he doesn't mind Dean's company too much.

"Nah, I kind of hate running... You ever bike?"

"No." He didn't even own a bike. He'd rode on Michael's when he was younger, but that'd been taken from him when his older brother left for college.

"Well we should go sometime. How about tomorrow?"

He contemplates the proposition. Hadn't had any plans anyway. "Okay, it has to be after three though, cause I have therapy."

Dean laughs, and shakes his head, "Alright man, after three. Meet me here, bring a bike."

"Okay."

Sorry this chapter is so short, I just wanted the new therapy and the hang out to be in the next chapter and couldn't really think of anything to add for this one. Thank you for everything everyone, new and old! You're all so flattering and inspire me to write faster. Again, please leave a review, I'd very much appreciate it, cause I like to know I'm doing what you want. Thanks again for everything you've already given me too (favs and follows alike)!