Hi guys! Sorry for the late update, like really late! Anyway, Henry14 has helped me considerably by advising me to have someone look through this and fix the grammar and spelling problems. Hopefully this is a lot better than my previous and shameful chapters. :). I had my best friend, Erin, look through this and 'edit' it. Hopefully its a lot better! Thank you all for the reviews, they warm my heart! XD. Now I KNOW GABRIEL IS SO BROKEN DOWN IN THIS... I'M GONNA CRY CAUSE OF IT! I thought to myself before I started this what a broken Gabriel would look like, and this is what I got. He is way OOC, I know, but yeah... I wanted to experiment with the guy. Eventually everyone breaks, right? Anyway, I wrote the idea down on one of my worse off days and here's what I got. Therapeutic for me at least. LOL! I write broken people well. Anyway, lruby101, sister dear...you could have just told me my writing was ok at home. We do live together, and school together, and we have freaking band together. Just saying... now go do your homework you darn junior. This freshman's got work to do! :D Anyway, review please, but no flames. I don't do well with really negative comments right now...so yeah. Enough chatter! Oh, there's going to be a really cool surprise next chapter!

Disclaimer: I do not own anything in this chapter but sorta this plot here. Sort of. I don't own any of the characters and stuff. _

Chapter 4: Castiel

The car ride home with Gabriel was awkward, to say the least. Castiel was curious as to why Gabriel had changed his mind about the whole friends thing that day. Castiel had already made lovely best friends; Garth, Jo, Charlie, Kevin, and Dean's younger brother, Sam. He hadn't had a best friend for a long time. Castiel had thought that the transition to be complicated, what, with him being so in inexperienced in friendship? The last time Castiel had had any friends was when he was eight, and that was when he only had the little stumps in his back. That was before Momma died, Castiel thought. Before everyone became afraid of me. Anyway, Castiel had warmed up to it rather quickly. They were nice, awkward, funny people, and Castiel absolutely loved them. He felt that since they were best friends now, that Castiel could trust them with his secret. They couldn't fear him or reject him now, right? Best friends didn't do that, or that's what Castiel was told.

"I'm sorry, Cassie," Gabriel said after awhile.

Castiel looked over at his remaining brother. "For what, Gabriel?"

"For making you feel like a freak, and I feel like shit for it. I made you feel absolutely pathetic.." Gabriel started.

"Gabriel.." Castiel tried to interrupt.

"No, Castiel. Let me finish. I've changed, I know that. I used to joke around like a kid.. but its been hard on me to. I miss them so, so much Cassie. I didn't know I could even break. I was the Trickster, and I broke. Our family has been reduced to just you and me, Castiel. I've treated you terribly, like you weren't even my brother…" Gabriel's voice cracked and Castiel knew he was crying.

"I've treated you differently because you are different, and I can't live with the knowledge of that fight. What I've called you, what I've forced you to undergo, alone. I left you on your own to deal with losing everyone we've ever known. I can never take those years back, or the things I've called you, or the things we've sacrificed. I'm so sorry, Castiel and I'm done making you walk this road alone. Its not fair that I have friends, girlfriends.. or boyfriends in your case, and you can't," Gabriel weased out.

"I am a freak, Gabriel. It's a fact we both need to get over," Castiel deadpanned.

"Castiel Jimmy Novak, momma told me to take care of you. She reassured us, Balthazar and I, that you wouldn't be a freak, and you aren't. You're special, Cassie, and Momma saw it. I had no right to call you what I did," Gabriel hissed angrily.

"But it's true Gabriel, you know what I am, and you're disgusted. Even afraid of me, and I have to get use to it," Castiel answered, his voice wavering at the mention of their deceased family.

"Damn it Cassie. I'm fucking jealous of you. We all had stumps, and they never grew out. Momma and dad then decided to remove them. You, though, you got the feathers. You get to fly, I can't. I'm stuck walking Earth. Castiel, I was jealous, still am, because you're a good kind of special. You're better, and I'm sorry for ever making you feel different."

"We all were born with the beginning of wings?" Castiel asked. "We really were a bird-brained family."

Gabriel smiled, no, he full out grinned. "Could we possibly be brothers again?"

Castiel turned and grinned back at Gabriel. "Of course, as long as my feathers are black. I never stopped being your brother, though. Like Zuko at the crossroads of Ba Sing Se, I just thought that we both lost our ways. I'm glad you're back with me Gabe."

Castiel turned back to the window and saw the familiar sight of the cemetery where Samandriel, Balthazar, and their parents were buried. Castiel knew that Gabriel had never been able to drag himself here, even when Castiel came. That was only once a month though, and Castiel flew there in the dark of night. It was better. Castiel felt his throat closing up.

"I'll take your stuff home, just leave it in the car. Since your friend will be over at 6:30, be home at 6:00," Gabriel said, not able to face Castiel as he got out of the car.

"You're letting me fly home?" Castiel asked incredulously.

"Yes you'll need the time after the family meeting," Gabriel answered.

Castiel nodded and dropped the trench coat, leaving the tight undershirt and the brace. Gabriel and Castiel trekked to the Novak plots, where their family lay. Castiel noted Gabriel with four red roses and one white in his hands. A red for each of their parents, a red for Balthazar, and a red and white for Samandriel, since it was his birthday. Both boys walked on unsteady feet, tears pooling in their eyes as they approached the graves. They slowly sat down, placing the roses in the respected places. Castiel told everyone of what was going on so far, and let Gabriel speak as well.

It almost felt like when Castiel was seven again, the entire family sitting at the table. Each family member would talk about their day without interruptions. Balthazar died that year from a car accident. Or so Castiel was told. Gabriel always fidgeted when he lied.

Soon though, it was too much. Castiel got to his feet shakily, wiping the dust from his pants and helped Gabriel up as well. Both he and his brother were shaky, and it would always shock how broken they actually were. Deep down, Castiel knew what Gabriel had said was true. Both of them missed their parents and brothers. Castiel remembered when Gabriel was still the Trickster, before all the misfortune, and it made this trip worse. Gabriel broke worse than Castiel. The fun, loving side of Gabriel had disappeared, hopefully, not forever. If Gabriel was working hard to be what he was like before and this was definitely the first step to it. Castiel turned towards Gabriel, and pulled his broken brother into a tight hug. They'd never hugged as kids, Gabriel was too hyped up on sugar to ever stay in one place long enough.

"We'll get through this together, Gabe. You just wait.. things will be a lot better," Castiel mumbled into his brother's shoulder.

"I know..I just haven't been here.. since Samandriel's funeral," Gabriel answered, pulling away. "Damn, I wasn't going to cry.."

Castiel smiled weakly. "Sometimes its okay to cry, brother."

Gabriel sighed, turning and walking away. "Not when you're a manly man like me. Crying is for women and nerds like you."

Castiel glanced one last time at the graves, and ran to catch up to his brother. Sometimes it was ok to walk away from the things that make you sad. That's called letting it go, Castiel thought. This time, Castiel was going to let it go, because now he had Gabriel. Or at least, Gabriel was going to try to be Castiel's brother again and not just his legal guardian or something. Castiel was smart, and he knew the road ahead was tough, even for family, but they were the last of the Novak family, and they had to let go of that past. Castiel felt the hole in his heart fill slightly, and he smiled. Today was the best day of his life, even though it was Samandriel's birthday, Castiel had been gifted. He had his brother back, he had friends, and Castiel was no longer, utterly alone. Castiel was dying, he was. Slowly.. like Hazel Grace Lancaster.

Gabriel and Castiel met back at the car, where Castiel knew this is where they parted. Gabriel leaned against the driver's door, pulled a sucker from his jacket, unwrapped it and popped it in his mouth.

"I'm going to guess your wings are numb, and you need to stretch them," Gabe said and scanned the grounds. "As soon as you drop the shirt and brace, take off. Your stuff will be in the back yard. Be back by 6, alright?"

Castiel nodded and checked the time. He had an hour and a half to fly, and Castiel attempted to smile. Not here though, he thought. Castiel slid his shirt off quickly and tossed it to Gabriel. Then he reached his hand around his back and started pulling the leather straps loose. Once they were loose, Castiel's wings expanded slowly, like a butterfly's straight after coming out of the cocoon. He stretched his muscles, dwarfing the car with his wingspan. When Castiel felt it suitable enough to carry him, he turned, pulled his wings to his back once more and ran. He picked up speed quickly, his lithe body, of course, was built for running, and flying. He extended his wings, flapping them a few times before he left ground and shot for the clouds.

Castiel didn't level his climb until he knew that he was concealed by the puffy clouds. He reached a hand out and ran it through the misty substance and smiled to himself. Castiel relaxed his whole body, flattening it out, and skimmed the very tops of the clouds. His large black wings were scattering the molecules below him. Castiel then turned and shot up even farther, where his lungs struggled with the lack of oxygen and the pressure.. gods, the pressure.

There was one thing Castiel loved more than just flying. He loved to dive, a steep dive. He loved to wrap his feathered appendages around his body, spin, and just drop. Castiel was in love with the feeling of falling from the sky. Of course, he pulled up before it got dangerous. It thrilled him like it was nobody's business. That's what he did to. He tilted his body so that his head was facing the ground, wrapped his feathers around him tightly, and forced himself into a deadly spin. He dropped like a sack of potatoes. The wind clawed at him, as if trying to catch their friend, and his eyes watered like hell. That feeling in the pit of his stomach though, it made it worth it. The world spun around him violently, and Castiel fucking loved it. That was because his mom taught him to never fear the fall. She taught him to fly, because she herself had wished that she could fly like Castiel. Flying was his mom's passion, and this was the only living piece Castiel had of his mother. It made him feel alive.

Castiel glimpsed a bird falling with him, and he smiled to himself. The winged creatures were kinder to Castiel than the Humans, because, in a way, they were kin. Castiel and the birds. They really were. Castiel loved the birds, sure, but he personally thought that Bees were the best. He called out with his second voice, the box that was a bird call, and he greeted his new friend. A hawk called back to him.

Castiel heard the world below and he threw his wings out, spreading them, and skimmed over the lake that was located in the country. He tripped one of his wings, causing it to move beneath the surface. His new hawk friend called to him again as he flew above Castiel. Castiel called back with his beautiful bird voice. Then Castiel leveled out and dipped his other wing to the water. Castiel twisted and climbed once again.

Castiel's breath was labored, the muscles connecting the wings to his back strained under the pressure. He hadn't flown that hard core for a week and a half, and he knew he'd regret it later. Gabriel called it Rough Flying, and Castiel had no idea why. Gabriel also had said that regular wings were not made to catch someone from such a steep dive. Diagonal to the ground, sure, but straight down, a long fall backwards? That was taxing on Castiel, and extremely dangerous. It was an amazing rush, of course. Castiel then stilled, hovering above the clouds where the sunlight glistened off his bare back, and pulled his phone out of his pants pocket. Of course it was 5:45, which was just Castiel's luck. Castiel put the phone back in his pocket, cried out a farewell to the hawk, and turned for home.

Castiel stayed in the low cloud cover all the way to his house, which was down an old, closed up neighborhood. Castiel dived quickly to his backyard and landed without a noise. He grabbed his clothes and brace, which were sitting on the steps. Castiel reached back to run his hands through his feathers when four of his primaries floated to the ground. Castiel immediately knew that that was bad, because he was molting.

"Gabriel!" Castiel cried out.

Gabriel came stumbling out of the door, clutching a spatula in his hand. Castiel picked up his feathers and held them out to his brother.

"Oh, shit," Gabriel muttered. "We have less than a half hour to pull your weak feathers out before your company gets here."

When Samandriel had been alive, he had proposed that when Castiel molted completely, that if you pulled every other feather one day, and the remaining feathers the next, they'd grow back faster. Plus, unlike the other birds, Castiel's molting cycle lasted eight days from pulling them and them growing back. Samandriel had also invented a device that did the work for you with less pain and less time wasted. Samandriel had been inhumanly smart like that. Castiel and Gabriel raced into the house and settled in the kitchen. Gabriel uncovered the hidden machine, setting to work as Castiel turned towards him to extended his left wing. He clenched his teeth as Gabriel ran it through his wings, pulling the feathers out like teeth.

Twenty minutes later, Castiel found himself with semi-bare wings and a giant feathery mess at his feet.

"Get yourself suited up, I'll clean this!" Gabriel said hurriedly, and started stuffing feathers into an empty garbage bag. They'd have to burn it later.

Castiel pulled his wings to his back once again and started clumsily strapping them. When Castiel was running the last leather strap through the buckle on the small of his back, a knock sounded from the front door.

"Cassie, go upstairs! Finish the strap, the shirt, and the trench coat," Gabriel ordered and went for the door.

Castiel nodded and grabbed both, running up the stairs. Even though Castiel's wings were bent so far up his back, small pieces stuck out at the bottom and had to be covered. It was a very uncomfortable angle, but it work. That's all that mattered right? Castiel was just damn lucky that his wings were extremely flexible and not like the ones from the movie that had to stay in one shape or they'd break.

"Hi, you must be Castiel's friend!" He heard Gabe's voice say as Castiel was pulling the Linkin Park shirt over the harness and his chest.

"Yeah, the name's Dean Winchester," Castiel heard Dean's deep, mesmerizing voice say.

Castiel ran his hands through his hair to erase the 'just went flying' look as Gabriel so happily called it. He shrugged his bulky trench coat on, double checked everything dealing with him and flying, then headed downstairs. Before he reached them though, he caught himself checking his appearance in a nearby mirror, confusing the poor, socially awkward guy. Then Castiel turned and bounded down the steps.

Dean and Gabriel were chatting in the Living Room and Castiel felt his heart freeze and speed up at the same time. Dean hadn't changed at all, but in the dim lighting, Dean was a whole new different. Castiel mentally smacked himself for thinking anything about someone. To want friends was much more different than thinking that someone was hot, or mildly attractive. He didn't have to be close to be friends with someone, but a relationship was different. They survived on close proximity. Castiel was afraid what Dean would do or say when he found out about the wings on his back. He'd either try and kill him or run away and never come back. Castiel already had enough hunters on his tail. Castiel mused to himself, maybe he should quit staring at Dean Winchester.

"Um.. Hey Cas," Dean greeted awkwardly.

"Hello, Dean," Cas answered back.

"So what do you want to do for the project?" Dean asked.

"I thought about a powerpoint featuring Captain Nemo, Prof. Pierre Aronnax, the Nautilus, and the giant squid that attacked," Castiel said.

"Sounds good, Cas. Of course, you must realize that I didn't read 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, and I don't have any idea what you're talking about. Giant squid though? Cool man, real cool," Dean smirked.

Castiel sighed and plopped down on the sofa, Dean joining him.

"..traveled with them and did research at the bottom of the see in their suits. They wouldn't let him leave, and he became a prisoner," Castiel said, typing away .

"Wow, so interesting," Dean mumbled, his attention entirely on his phone.

Castiel sighed for the millionth time, wiped his sweaty hands on his pants, and continued working.

"You'd probably hate the water," Dean sighed. "I'm taking a guess that'd you'd love flying."

Castiel's fingers froze on the keyboard. Castiel desperately wanted to know if Dean knew about him. Did he know Castiel's secret of his mutation? Then Castiel scolded himself, of course he didn't. Castiel would never truly know the reason why the Novak family had kept him so hidden, but they did. Castiel wasn't even known to be a member of the Novak family. On his birth record, the only name there was Jimmy, but that was it. Castiel assumed it was because what people could do to him if they knew.

"Why do you always wear that damned trench coat?" Dean asked, meeting Castiel's eyes. "Is it to hide, uh.."

"My abnormally large back? It's comfortable and I like it, but yeah, to hide my back," Castiel lied, flinching when the metal piece shifted on cue into his shoulder blades.

Castiel was glad that Dean had not noticed at all. Castiel suddenly found himself wanting to tell Dean about what he was. He actually wanted Dean to be his friend, but Castiel couldn't trust Dean. Not yet at least. Castiel was still socially awkward, though…nothing made sense to him. Castiel hadn't had any friends since before he turned eight, and plus, there were barely any to begin with. Castiel didn't have any friends, but he sure had bullies. Lots and lots of bullies. People were always bent on hurting him after all, and only because Castiel was different. There were other people to, the one's that Gabriel and Castiel had to run away from.

See, when Castiel was 12, he'd been briefly kidnapped. As he was being dragged away, Gabriel had somehow materialized right there and got him out of the situation. Afterwards, Gabriel had explained to his little brother that because he was different, people would want to use him. Or kill him, or experiment on him, and really, the list went on. No matter what, if Castiel was caught he'd never come home.

"Cas, you ok?" Castiel heard Dean ask.

"Yeah, I'm fine, Dean," Castiel answered.

"Do you wanna watch a movie or something, I'm bored," Dean asked.

Castiel got up and went up to Gabriel's room to ask him, but saw that he had fallen asleep, clutching a family picture. Castiel laid a blanket over his brother, shut the lights off, and shut the door.

Castiel grabbed his favorite movie of all time, X-Men: Last Stand from his room, and rejoined Dean downstairs.

"Would you like to watch this?" Castiel asked quietly, holding up his most prized possession from his childhood.

Dean snorted. "I've never seen it before, but I've hear it's a cheesy movie."

Castiel was quick to defend his movie. "It isn't cheesy, Dean. Its.."

Castiel had been interrupted by Dean grabbing the movie out of Castiel hands and jumping over the couch and running to the kitchen. Castiel raced after him. He entered the kitchen and was knocked to the ground. Dean pinned Castiel to the ground and held Castiel's DVD above his face. Neither, however, were smiling though. No, not now. Castiel peered into Dean's emerald eyes and Dean peered into Castiel's crystal blue. Dean's hand, which wa spinning both of Castiel's above his head, was intoxicatingly warm. Their faces were inches away from each other and every coherent thought went out of Castiel's head. Castiel thought to himself about how adorable Dean could be, and , instead of desire running through Castiel because he really liked Dean, cold, piercing fear ran instead. For Dean was way too close to Castiel, and Castiel never had experienced that level of closeness. It scared the shit of him.

Castiel pushed Dean back forcefully and got to his feet. His whole body shook in fear.

"Get out," Castiel ordered, his voice ice cold. The exact opposite of what he was feeling in side. "Please grab your stuff and leave."

Dean glared at him. "Man, what is wrong with you?"

Why was Castiel's heart freezing up? Why did it feel like someone was running a blade through the vital organ? Why did Dean's words affect Castiel so much? Why couldn't Castiel bury the feelings? These were all the questions running through Castiel's head at that moment. Castiel found himself wanting to be close to Dean, but instead of acting on it, he pushed him away.

Dean tossed Castiel the DVD, grabbed his jacket, and stormed out. Castiel sighed and put the disc on the kitchen table.

"Why do I have to be so damn different?" Castiel asked no one in particular, his voice quivering from unreleased tears.

Castiel's knees gave out from beneath him and all the events of the day flooded through him. His tears finally released themselves and spilt over, streaming down his face. Castiel pulled his knees to his chest, and pulled his trench coat off. His hands reached under his shirt and pulled the brace free, his wings coming out of the specified slits in his shirt. Castiel curled his wings around him as his body shook, because this had been the final straw. Castiel was done, he was out of the game.

"Cassie?" A sleep coated voice asked from up the stairs.

Castiel must have awoken his brother with his complications.

"I-I'm alright, brother. G-go back to s-sleep," Castiel said through gritted teeth, holding back the ocean of tears coming.

"No, you're not," Gabriel said as he quietly descended the stairs.

Castiel looked up at his brother with his big, blue eyes blinded by tears. Castiel couldn't do it anymore…he just couldn't. It was physically impossible to even function correctly. It had been too long, to long of being so alone. How did Gabriel think Castiel could change and accept people, and let them in? Castiel was not alright anymore, it didn't even matter.

"I-I can't do t-t-this anymore, I just can't," Castiel sobbed. "I-I c-can't. Make it s-stop!"

Gabriel wrapped his arms around his little brother and held him close. "I know Cassie. I know. I'm here. We'll get through this."

"I-I want p-people to accept me f-for who I am!" Castiel practically screamed. "I w-want to be normal, h-human. I-I want people to know about m-me, and still w-want to be my friend."

Gabriel closed his eyes and said a silent prayer. "Then I'll take that step with you. We'll tell people, the new group of friends you have, we'll tell them. If we have to, we'll run. We'll run away, Cassie, and we'll try again. Somewhere, someone will accept you for who you are. Wings and all, little brother. That's what momma would have wanted. We'll tell them tomorrow, right after school. Invite them over, little brother, and we'll tell them."

Castiel was too upset to say anything else. He just clung to his brother as if he were a life raft, and that day, maybe he was.

Gabriel kept Castiel out of school the next day. Partly because Castiel was molting and partly because Castiel couldn't function properly. When Castiel broke after the escapade with Dean, he broke for real.

The brother's, however, didn't know that a lone figure stood across the street, watching the house that they stayed in. She was covered from head to toe in black clothing, her face completely sealed. See, when Castiel went for his flight, he had been seen by the number one enemy. The one that has been chasing after him since birth. The mysterious figure put her hand to her ear and said, "Metatron, we've found him. We'll wait to move in as soon as he molts, that why he won't be able to get away this time. We've got him."