Chapter Four

Castiel

The boys are still out of it. They lay, in the same bed, not moving or speaking. It's been two months and only Sam moves. Twitches once in a while, his hand moving to Dean's. Once in a while he screams, Dean's name, and Castiel wonders why. Wonders what's different with Sam than it is with Dean. Dean still doesn't move or speak. He lays, still and silent, and it tears Castiel apart. Worse, still, are Sam's screams. Sam's screams rip into Castiel's very soul, tearing a hole a mile wide.

Oh, he knows he hasn't always cared for Sam. At one point, he believed Sam to be an abomination, something to hate and fear. But now...now he loves him. Sam is a good man, a man who would die to protect those he loves and all Castiel wants is to help him, to make those screams go away. But he can't. He can't make the screams stop. What he can do is stay at the Bunker. Make sure the boys are fed and clean and safe. Hold them at night when his own loneliness gets to be too much. Once in a while, Sam's hand will contract around his own, soft and gentle the way Sam always has been.

Crowley shows up in the Bunker a week later, asking about the Demon Castiel still has locked in the basement. He sees the boys, notes their state, and raises one eyebrow. A question.

"Your Demon, the Hell-maker...he infected Dean. Sam went into Dean's Hell to save him. It's been two months." Castiel says.

Crowley growls, low. "He did what? He was under orders to leave the Winchesters alone." he says.

Castiel laughs, a hard, biting sound. "Well he didn't. He's locked in the basement just in case we need his help."

"How do you know he'll help you?"

Castiel smiles, a dark smile, and says, "Because if he doesn't, he knows I'll kill him."

"Ah Death. A good motivater." Crowley says with a low chuckle.

"Usually, yes."

"How are they? The boys, I mean."

Sam screams then, the sound agonized and pain filled. It fills Castiel with pain.

"Sam does that quite a bit. Dean doesn't move. Doesn't speak. Barely manages to chew his food most days. I have to force-feed them. Bathe them by myself. It's been two months and there's not a sound out of Dean."

Castiel closes his eyes against the prick of tears. He won't cry again. He does that too much as it is. When he can open his eyes without tears leaking out, he finds that Crowley is standing over the boys, examining them carefully. Crowley is quiet, face determined. He settles a hand over Dean's chest and Dean takes in a large gulp of air. He does the same to Sam and Sam too takes a deep gulp of air. When he's finished, he turns around to look at Castiel.

"I've made it easier for you to help them now. Dean will chew his food by himself and Sam should stop screaming so much. I'll be back to check on them...and you."

"Thank you." is all Castiel can say.

"Don't mention it. Do what you will with the Demon. He broke his orders, he doesn't get my protection."

"I will."

Crowley disappears, leaving Castiel alone with the boys once more. He goes over to lay between the boys, taking both of their hands in his own. To his joy and surprise, Dean squeezes back. A tear of joy escapes his eye and he smiles. Sam does the same, squeezing gently as if to let Castiel know that he's okay. And then Dean whispers his name.

'Cas. Cas. Stay.'

His face is still impassive, blank expression. But he knows that Castiel is there and that is all that matters. Castiel smiles staring into Dean's vibrant green eyes. It's the first time Dean has spoken in two months and Castiel is so happy he could cry. Is crying in fact.

On his other side, Sam is whispering the same thing Dean just said. Stay. Cas. Stay. Over and over again. Castiel sits up, whispering that he's staying. He's not going anywhere. Sam quiets as though that's all he needed to know.

It's getting late and Castiel heads to the kitchen to prepare a light dinner for the boys. He makes sandwiches - the only kind of food he can really make - and takes them to the boys. As Crowley promised, Dean eats pretty much on his own. Chews his food mechanically, swallows. Sam does the same and soon he's curling up between them to sleep. He's an angel...he doesn't need sleep. But he can if he wants to. And sleep passes the time between days. So he sleeps, lost in dreams of the good days. Back when it was just him and the boys and the open road.

Hey guys! So here's Chapter Four. I hope you don't mind Castiel's POV until the boys wake up. And they WILL wake up. I promise you. Castiel is just so...perfect to write and I like his point of view on things. Crowley will definitely be a key player in this so I hope you're ready for that. He's a good guy, here though. Definitely not a bad guy. Rowena, because I absolutely detest her, is not in this fic. At all. Anyways, I hope you enjoy and remember to review.