Setting: AU up from Season 13, Episode 21 "Beat the devil"
Dean, Sam, Jack, Castiel and Gabriel are back from apocalypse world. Mary decided to stay back with the other fighters to stand against Michael. Though it was hard to accept, the Winchesters honor her decision. When they finally came to the rift, Michael tried to stop and kill them, but Lucifer unexpected defended his son's life and was killed by his older brother. They were able to close the rift before Michael could step through.
© I do not own the character or the plot of supernatural. This story is just fanfiction and noncommercial work. You can find more art of uddelhexe on .
I would be sooooo happy about feedback. Even if just a little and short one!
„Dude, your phone's ringing."
Dean was standing in the kitchen. Coffeepot in the one hand, newspaper in the other. He looked far from awake and gave is brother an annoyed glance. Without his coffee in the morning there was no use in talking to Dean Winchester at all. It totally escaped the older hunters understanding how is brother was able to arise in the morning mostly before the sun does and eventually got outside for some silly running around the bunker. That was healthy in an abnormal level for someone coming by the name Winchester. Almost close to blasphemy.
Sam already had his breakfast with Jack after going for a Jogging-tour and buying gems and today's newspaper. An eyerole later Sam grabbed for Deans Mobile-phone and answered the unknown Call.
He listened to the phone very concentrated and shared a surprised look with his brother. Dean shrugged his shoulders inquiringly as a sign for his wish to know about the person at the other end. But before he got the chance to ask, Sam laid the phone down again.
"What's it?" Dean asked grumpy.
"This was Sayriel. The decision was made."
Dean hated to pull out every word out of the nose of his brother.
"And?"
"We have schedule for a big meeting. And by big I mean: really big."
"Did she say anything else?"
"Yes. The decision was concordant. Surprisingly. They all want to hear us out and apparently they tend to give the request a chance."
"This's actually good news. First time this all would not go sideways at once. Who tells Cas?"
"I give this honor to you, since you mostly seem to bring him the bad news. Would be good to surprise him once."
Dean sighed in relief but pointed his finger towards his cup. First things first. Sam gave it a grin and Dean his Coffee-time.
"And then you twist the ankle like this and the opponent has to stay down. If done right, you don't hurt the person, just fix. Dean told me I' m a pretty fast student."
"I guess so, Jack, " Castiel told Jack after the representation of the martial art tricks he just learned during the past lesson. Jack really seemed to enjoy the training with Dean .Castiel had hoped he would have been able to teach the young man the same way Dean did. After being with Dean, Jack was full of joy and his mind blown away with ideas, hope and confidence.
All Castiel could teach him was about Enochian language and writing. Also about some spells. Not that Jack didn't listen or didn't get everything very fast, but the lesson were lacking of the spirit Jack seemed to need to really fall in love with the material.
While thinking about how to improve the studies of Jack to a level more interesting Castiel totally missed, that he just was staring blankly. And his student sitting next to him watching him do so. A question kicked him out of his thoughts: " Castiel, I asked myself if you could teach me more about flying."
Castiel considered the request but then looked down to the table with a sad look in his eyes. He remembered the times when he was able to fly wherever he wanted and the time, when he caught first sight of his broken wings. The feeling of loosing feather by feather and how the pure flesh was touching the air around them like it didn't …ever.
"I'd love to do so, Jack. But you know I cannot use my wings anymore. They're broken. Only bones and flesh."
Jack had never watched his chosen father to show his wings. Castiel kept them hidden all the time. There was no use for him to bring them out on this plane. But Jack would have loved to see how they must have looked like, when Castiel was Captian of a garrison. Full in his armor and flying to the battle without fear. Or when he flew to hell to rescue Dean. How precious they must have been!
"Would you show me?"
"I would prefer not to reveal them. It is not a nice sight to watch. A young one like you should not witness such paltriness.
"If I asked you to?" Jack looked him right in the eyes. His request was honest and Castiel guessed that the boy must have seen worse in Apocalypse Earth. With a deep sigh he stood up and placed himself in the middle of the room. His eyes began to glow light blue and his true form began to break through his mortal shell. The cells began to shine bright as if everyone of it was a micro little spot. His chest rose and fell visibly and he began to unfold his wings. For mortals they showed themselves as thin shadows brought to the wall by the bright light of the body, but for Jack they were touchable like the rest of the vessel, that his father called his body. Jack glanced at Castiel's true form with wide opened eyes and slowly he approached Castiel. The older angel wanted to step back, but Jack shook his head. Castiel gave up to make the border between them remain and allowed the young man in his personal space bubble. Jack reached out his hand and touched Castiel's left wing, which twitched back a little as touched by an external source. Slowly his hand feld up right to the place where one of the last feathers was still attached to the wing. Thewing span was amazing and Jack had moisture in the corner of his eyes.
"They must have been beautiful, Castiel."
"They were. And a rare color they had."
"Raven black with a light shine of blue inside."Jack said when he watched the feather closer.
"Yes. You might not know, but most angels have white or at least whitish feathers. Gabriel has a golden tone in them and they are much bigger, Lucifer's were like the color of the sun. So bright that even for other angels to look at them completely unfolded was hurtful sometimes. Michael's had a soft blue tone like the sky at a clear day. He had the biggest wing-span of all angels."
"And you have black ones?"
"Yes. There are some other Seraphs I know…have known," Castiel sadly added," that had brown color and some grey. But I know no other who had them deep black like mine."
"You were different then?" Jack declared.
"I was told so several times. I always was kinda different."
"How was that?"
Castiel folded his wings again and withdrew back into his vessel. When the light disappeared he thought about the Nephilim's question and didn't find a right answer:
"I don't know. I always asked questions. I wanted to understand what I do and why it is the right thing. And I was told that I often disobeyed, even if only a little."
Jack began to smile a bright smile.
"I was born different too. Maybe this was for a reason .Maybe God created you exactly the way you were because only a rebel could rescue the world. Someone with a big heart that wanted to come out and fight it's way through heaven's rules."
It was a nice thought that Jack had. To think that Chuck had in mind that Castiel would rescue the world. Free Dean from perdition, stop the apocalypse…and bring down Metatron. But Castiel doubted that intensively. How would God have wanted all this suffering in heaven and on earth that was caused by the black winged rebel? But then again: Chuck brought him back more than once knowing exactly what Castiel's mind was about to tick. Could it really be…?
"You know Dean says that your stare is awkward? I kind of understand what he is talking about now."
"Dean finds a lot of things awkward that I do. But you're right. I didn't concentrate well enough on our talking. I do apologize for that."
"You know….I might be able to heal your wings when I'm older and my powers maybe increase. If I ever learn how to heal with them, your wings will be the first thing to fix. I see how you feel about being grounded to the earth. You miss flying, right?"
Castiel's sad answer was: "Yes. I do."
"This is really the right place?" Dean watched the coordinates again and the plain he was standing on. There was…well nothing here. No buildings, no hidings, not damn nothing. And a street that barely could be called for one. If he had known about this road of perdition he had refused to take Baby down here. Why the hell didn't they fly down here together with Jack? After all this he would have to give the Impala a close look underbody. And a nice wash. Maybe polish.
Sam studied his phone and checked the coordinates again. He nodded: "This is the right place. Very right on the spot." He showed his brother.
"So...if it is: where are they? Is it the right time? Where the hack can fifty people hide that well? Huh? I think they just wanted to make fun of us and have a nice laugh in some restaurant with a nice cocktail standing in front of them." Or not…for angels don't eat at all.
Sam's eyes widened. Castiel and Jack exchanged a short glance and looked virtually surprised.
"What? It's not that they are hiding right behind me, right?"
A very short and somehow amused nod was Sam's answer and Deans eyes began to sideroll. Sure as fuck, they were!
"If I had known you wanted Cocktails at our little Powwow than I had brought some."
When Dean whirled around to face the man who's voice he just heard way to close to his skin, he just looked at a good looking guy in the midtwentys who was giving him a amused grin.
"Fuck! What is that with you angels living in my ass, huh?"
The brows of the man twitched in even more amusement.
"Dear, if I ever was in your butt I'm sure I would remember."
"Would you just stop this? That's…"
A few steps away Castiel had his very special "AH-"moment and a little laughter escaped his throat.
"In your ass…now I get it! It was an innuendo that the two of us …" Dean stopped Castiel instantly: "We all understand it, ok? Not funny! Never was. Sam, stop laughing! I can see you."
Only Jack remained puzzled about what all the older ones were the heck talking about and nobody was likely to explain. Perhaps he should ask his father about that "in the ass" thing later.
"So. We had a meeting with your big bossy lady. Where is she?"
"Oh, HE is right in front of you."
Dean again exchanged a surprised look with his brother and then glanced at Castiel questioningly. The angel nodded.
"This is Gajael. It seems he has a new vessel. The question is: why?"
"To know that…you could ask me. I'm standing right in front of you and besides: I can hear you, Castiel. And to answer your question: I tend to change my vessels from time to time. So what?"
"What? Are you an angelic fashion victim, or what? Isn't destroying one person's life enough?"
The amusement that had been drawn to Gajael's face only a second ago suddenly vanished.
"Don't speak of things you know nothing about. I could explain, but perhaps you'll figure it out on your own. I'm not in the obligation to render in account of my actions to you, human. To gain our trust you just should stop to judge and start to talk before making silly conclusions without reasonable facts."
With this Gajael turned his back at Dean and began to speak what the hunter guessed was Enochian. A moment later the air began to wobble and a single house appeared right in front of them. It was made of containers and surely not built for looking nice. Three persons were standing right in front of the main entrance and seemed to be waiting the whole time. But like all angels…just standing somewhere and waiting awkwardly appeared to be something all angels were capable of.
"Follow me. I assure you: no harm will come to you or your team."
Sam was the first to pass his astonished looking brother and walking behind the leading angel. The others right on the step behind him. When Castiel reached Dean, the older hunter began to walk again as well.
"What do you think about this? Cas?"
"I've no idea. But I don't think we're in danger."
"Yeah. Let's hope so."
"And Dean?"
"What?"
"Perhaps it would be better to let Sam lead the conversations."
"What?!"
"You are prone to show your hot temper and Sam is mostly way more thoughtful with his words. We shouldn't offend Gajael or one of his followers too much. We have to build up some trust here."
" 're you telling me I'm lacking diplomatic skills?"
Cas overheard the pissed note in Deans voice and simply answered: "I'm happy you accept that Dean." As if it wasn't enough that Cas mistrusted Deans diplomatic senses, which he had, he was sure about that, he also patted his shoulder softly as if Dean needed comfort for what he just heard. Sometimes he could kick Cas in his uptight Casbutt.
Gruffly Dean followed the others into the odd building, right behind a proud smiling Cas. What they didn't see inside was, that the building instantly disappeared the moment they all entered it.
Curious eyes watched them closely the moment they entered the big assembly room in the middle of the building. The atmosphere reminded Sam of a gospel church. There was a little stage at one site of the room and a podium with a microphone in the middle of it. A big bundle of sigils was seen on a banner at the back of the stage.
Sam noticed them to be Enochian runes. He asked Castiel for translation.
"It says: Respect. ."
Gajael pointed them some seats in the first line. The room was completely filled with people from every age, gender and race. Some appeared open minded, some were whispering with a fearful look in their eyes. Some just seemed to wait what the humans would have to say.
The first fallen One went to the podium and switched the microphone on. By clearing his throat audibly he made the room become quite. Sam nearly expected the crowd to stand up and sing some swinging gospel songs and a joyful Halleluiah. But of course that didn't happen…
"My friends. I'm most honored that all of you decided to come here and listen to Castiel and his human friends. It shows how far we walked the new path and what it takes to make choices. First of all: you need information to build up your own opinion and find your own point of view to the things you witness. I'm very proud to see each and every one of you ready to open your heard and build something up out of your own perception. Strength and Choice come with great responsibility and it needs from us to first step back a little and just to listen and watch. "
The room was filled with hushed murmur and a nod here and there. Everyone was very concentrated and Gajael left his place with a friendly and encouraging smile. Castiel stood up. He was still a bit uncertain if it wasn't best to let Sam take this introducing. Though it were his sisters and brothers sitting in front of him, his own kind…he somehow began to grow nervous. He never spoke to a large group like this with an attitude like the one that was written behind him on the big banner.
"Uhm, " he cleared his throat, "me and my companions are most thankful for the chance to speak to all of you. Some of you may have heard about me in the worst way. Some may even have witnessed my darkest days back in heaven…some of you might have fought together with me to avert the apocalypse from earth and from humanity. To all that you heard: most of it is likely true. And the shame, the guild, and the blame, for the suffer I caused to my own kind, I will bare for all eternity. Even if I tried to do the right thing in the past, this will never leave my thoughts. I remember every life I had to end in every fight. Every life I ended possessed by the leviathans without any need and every harm done while Lucifer was inside of me. Every second I hear all the screams and …" Castiel stopped and grabbed for the podium desk in front of him. His voice had broken and one could see that he had to hold back tears running out of his eyes. He took a deep breath and raised his head again to face his siblings. Nobody spoke.
"What I wanted to say is: I can understand, if some of you would not like to listen to what somebody like me has to ask, but I don't do it for myself. I do it for heaven…and for humanity. For all that God sent us to protect. His wonderful creation. This planet and the humans living on it. Just listen for what I have to ask and don't judge the embassy by the bearer."
Again he stopped to wait if anybody would say something. But everyone in the room was waiting patiently. Nobody whispered or gave him bad looks. He'd never expected such. He'd awaited some angels shouting at him, saying that he should leave. That he was not in the position to ask anything of them. But they didn't. There was no hate he could feel. Just waiting.
"Ok. Uhm…A few weeks ago I visited heaven for I wanted to ask for help to find Gabriel, who still is alive."
Now a big rumor began to spread in the group and Cas suspected that the most of them didn't know the last fact he just revealed. Perhaps it was good to begin with something like good news before he was going to tell how bad the situation in heaven was.
"Yes, I know. I was happy to hear that too. We all thought that Lucifer had killed him, but you know Gabriel: always when you think you've got him, he has another trick up in his sleeves. Anyway, I had to find out, that Naome was still very alive too. Nobody knew it besides a few trusted ones. She sort of ran the things in heaven. I cannot tell I was happy to see her and it might be that some of you had some experiences with her division, like I had."
Some people nodded slightly and didn't look very happy about that special news. Castiel continued:
"I was informed, that the known number of angels, me included, was about nine individuals left of all angels ever created and that heaven is about to fall apart about it."
Some hisses were heard among the angels. Two or three had tears in their eyes and some others leaned to their neighbors to get comforting hold on them. Castiel let the shock sink in and waited for the crowd to calm down a little. Some individuals began to shush the others for they wanted to hear what else Castiel had to tell.
"I suppose you all are very well warded against heaven's detections. Thanks to Gajael. And I still didn't inform heaven about you, for I was remembered that to show yourself is a matter of free will. But I ask you now: would you consider giving heaven your support? To return back to our old home and fill it with enough life to end the down-shut of the covens that contend the human souls? And with that rescue the earth from lost souls haunting the living ones? "
A young woman raised her hand like a child in a school class. Castiel didn't know what to do about that exactly but he guessed that, for he was standing in the front, he was supposed to give the speech to her. He nodded and hoped she would understand. The woman stood up slowly and folded her hands shyly in front of her lap.
"We all want to save the humans souls from falling. It would be horrendous for humanity if the covens open up. But I think the most of us still have one important question before we can deliberate on your request."
"You can ask any question."
"Is Naome still in charge? Did you find Gabriel?"
"That actually were two questions, " Castiel determined blandly.
Sam let his hand slip down his face with agony. Cas, really?! But he forgot that he was amongst angels because the next happened was:
"I apologize for being not precisely to that matter," the woman said very seriously.
"Not a problem. First: Yes, Gabriel was found and second: he is currently in charge in heaven with Naomi under his leadership and hopefully control."
An old man was raising his hand in the same manner as the woman.
"Yes?" Castiel asked politly.
"I dunno how the others think about that but spoken for myself: with Naome still in charge with anything I will not get a single foot upstairs, not speak of my grace-energy open to heavens control. No offence, brother."
"No offence taken. I think your point to be totally understandable. Is anybody else with our brothers concern for his safety with Naome in any duty?"
At first only a few hands were raised, but when heartened up by the bravery of the others nearly all angels had their arms up in the air.
Sam and Dean turned around to see what the crowd's opinion about that Naomi-bitch was and they couldn't tell that they weren't pleased by what they saw. It made everyone in the room instantly appearing more and more congenial by thinking that they shared their thoughts for this douchebag of an angel. Dean smirked by the thought that he would be the first to raise his hand when it came to the question who would like to kill that bitch.
"Who is Naome?" Jack's question disturbed Dean's thoughts about the multiple ways of shredding assbutt-lady into little pieces for everything she did to Cas. Luckily Sam was the first to answer the Nephilim: " We can't explain to you right now, but she was something like the chief of heavens CIA-squat. And she was kinda the "I do what must be done" type."
"Why is my father and all the others so upset with her? What did she do?"
Sam sighed. This really wasn't a slight talk for a short break. This was something requiring more time to explain. So he just told him:" Let's say: she forced people, angels, to do things they refused to do. Things that were wrong. And she did so with rude force and torture. She violated everything these people are believing in."
"Was Castiel one of the angels tortured?" Jack asked hesitantly and with a sorrowful look to his father. Sam only nodded and patted Jack's shoulder to sign him that he would give him the chance to ask more questions about that later. Jack swallowed. There still was so much he didn't know about Castiel. And most of it was about suffering, death and agony. He slowly became aware why his father so often had such a sorrowful look in his eyes when he thought nobody would give attention to him. As if there was a burden to his shoulders too heavy to bear but unable to shake it off.
Gajael walked up to the podium and released Castiel, who had started to shift his weight from one leg to another nervously showing he was uncomfortable with his position. Relieved he headed back to his seat and took place again. Gajael took a long gaze around her people and finally he began to speak again:
"So…we all heard what the situation in heaven is about and how desperately we are needed to keep at least the covens running. Before you decide I give you this: think for what reason father made us! It wasn't to rule the planet and surely not to enslave its inhabitants. It wasn't to kneel in front of the humans, like Lucifer got it all wrong. We were built to be protectors. To be guardians and companions! Our mission…our nature is to protect and to nurse. Even our warrior-class siblings only had the duty to protect the creation father made. Now we have the chance to create our own fate! To build up heaven like it was meant to be from the beginning. Not for the ego of some archangels or the fear of people like Naome. We can do this like a blossom coming new and raising with brightest colors of our own choice. Free and happy in a purpose, that gives us what we need to feel graced. Humanity shall never live in fear of heavens wrath again! That's not our duty. We're not here to judge the creation. We're supposed to be like older siblings. We watch the younger ones learn how to walk and to run. Sometimes when they fall we may help 'em up. When they pray to us their sorrows we listen and give comfort with our presence. Nor more killing in the name of heaven and no more mind-controlling. We choose our fate. I will do it! Who is with me?"
A noise of chairs scratching on the floor could be heard in the room. Man by man, woman by woman every person in the room was raising from his or her seat nodding. "Yes" , "I'll be with you" and similar speaking was whispered and then the angels began to grab for the hand of the one standing next to them. After less than a minute everyone in the room was holding hands with the people around and with that, the whole group was bonded as one. When it came to the Winchesters and a friendly looking old woman offered her hand Sam got hold on it without hesitation. He grabbed Dean's hand, who surely hated such emotional shit like hell, but walked the line. Next to him in line was Jack and beside the young angel was Castiel. Gajael came down to the first line and took Castiel's free hand in his own and closed the long circle by grabbing for the hand of an angel in the line behind.
A humming began to rise. It was very quiet but strange in sound. Dean and Sam realized that their ears began to hurt. Gajael at once realized that and decided to remind the others:"Human voice! We have guests!"
The vibration was changing and the pain was floating away. The hum changed into a singing tone and rose and fell in slow waves. Similar to the wave the people began to swing back and forth slightly and even Dean could not resist to close his eyes when the emotions that flew through the line of hands was reaching him. He was not sure if that only happened in his head but it felt like a warm and fuzzy trembling that was crawling up his fingers, walking up his spine and filling his heart with faith. That surely was the most chick flick moment in his entire life and unexpected it didn't feel invading. Holding hands with some angels and his brother and singing some love song around…if Sam ever would tell anybody about that he would kick his ass 'til next Monday.
At his site Jack began to giggle. Dean opened one eye suspicious at what the Nephilim was laughing about.
"Stop thinking so funny, Dean. That kinda tickles," Jack whispered without opening his eyes.
Fuck! Was he sending his embarrassment right through that line? He had wished Gajael had warned him about that. He calmed himself down and tried to think about his relief about that probably heaven would not let all souls fall down and create a nice "walking dead" experience for everyone on the planet. He thought about how proud he was that Cas had been talking to his siblings so openly and how sad it had made him to hear how haunted his friend's thoughts still were.
Castiel tightened his grip on Deans hand and somehow Dean was sure, that Castiel now knew how bad Dean wished that he was able to recover from all that emotional suffering.
Next chapter is already in the making. I also finished the skript for the next episode. I don't know how many chapers I will need to finish this episode. Maybe two or three.
Question: I would have an idea for a Destiel Episode a canon way. Place it in this series or make it an lonely standing one. What ya think?