Summary: AU. Can Dean and Castiel escape their broken homes? They may have to get their siblings out too. Dean/Castiel, Sam/Gabriel in later chapters. PLEASE REVIEW!

Disclaimer: I don't own Supernatural or its characters. *Snuggles up to cookie tin*.


TALES FROM ANOTHER BROKEN HOME

CHAPTER NINE: REALISATION

Ellen Harvelle was a Godsend. That woman could help anyone. At first Dean though that he was completely helpless, but after six sessions with Ellen he was beginning to feel just that tiny bit better, which was a blessing for everyone. It was still same old though, nightmares and flashbacks (not as many of those though), but this was as expected. In cases like these, people do not heal just overnight and Ellen knew she had a tough case on her hands. Castiel and Dean saw one another more frequently, just keeping an eye on each other more than anything. Castiel had decided not to go to college, simply because he knew he couldn't focus on his work for worrying about Dean. His excuse was that he just didn't want to go. He didn't feel it was right for him anyway. Lucifer, Michael and Gabriel all accepted the excuse but they all knew the real reason behind it. Castiel now had to find himself a job, which hopefully shouldn't be too difficult. He, Anna and Crowley sat in the park one Saturday, waiting for Chuck and Becky. Dean was with Ellen, and Sam was helping Bobby in the salvage yard, neither of them in the mood for coming out today.

"So, I'm taking a class in business." Crowley said, keeping a tight hold of Anna's hand, "I've always been told I'm a quick thinker and smooth talker."

Castiel smiled and nodded.

"Indeed you are, Crowley." He said with a smile, "I'm just looking for a job. Don't wanna leave Dean to be honest."

Anna had an idea and smiled at Castiel, squeezing Crowley's hand before leaning towards the youngest Novak.

"You remember I was telling you that my grandfather left me the bookstore in his Will?" She asked, earning a nod from Castiel, "Well, come and work with me. Becky's gonna be there too, and Chuck's new novel's coming to us first because we're his sponsor so…"

Castiel smiled brilliantly at Anna and nodded.

"That would be fantastic! Thank you so much, Anna!"


Dean was under the hood of the '67 Chevy Impala he'd taken when his father was arrested, shirtless and sweating since he'd been under there for most of the day in the hot summer sun.

"Dean…?"

Dean turned to see Castiel stood by an old truck, smiling with his arms folded.

"Hey, Cas." Dean said softly, smiling and hugging Castiel tight, "You okay?"

"Yeah, Anna just gave me a job at her bookstore." Castiel said, releasing Dean and following him over to the car.

"Awesome." Dean said with little enthusiasm.

Castiel noticed he looked quite troubled and put a reassuring hand on his best friend's back. The hand moved to Dean's shoulder and the older Winchester gripped it tight, unable to look Castiel in the face. He shouldn't be thinking of Castiel that way. Castiel didn't want the same as he did…


Two Hours Earlier

"So what happened in this dream then?" Ellen asked as she sat with Dean in the living room.

"I was with Cas…and we were…" Dean trailed off.

"You were what, Dean?" Ellen asked, "It's okay to tell me, Sweetheart. If you want to get this off your chest you can tell me…"

"We were…ummm…" Dean looked to his knees and took a deep breath, "We were having sex…but it wasn't like the way I've known it…"

"You mean it was more than sex or it just seemed nicer?"

Damn, Ellen was so calm about this. She just talked about it like it was completely normal and nothing to worry about…but this was wrong right?

"Both…I could feel it…and it felt like we were making love…"

"So, you think you've discovered you're gay?" Ellen asked quietly, earning a bashful nod from Dean who hung his head, "Dean, that's okay. It's alright to be gay, Honey."

"It's not that," Dean told her, trying to stop the tears in his eyes, "I just…he wouldn't want me…and I'd have difficulty…well…"

"After what you've been through that's understandable, Dean." Ellen told him, "And you don't know whether Castiel feels the same for you or not. He's very understanding Dean."

"Are you saying I should tell him?" Dean asked, looking up at the woman with wide eyes.

"I'm not saying anything, Dean. You need to figure that out for yourself." Ellen said gently, "That's your choice, but its natural for teens to have dreams like that."

"He told me he loved me," Dean whispered, "But then it changed…and it was my dad again…"

Ellen took Dean's hand as the boy broke into tears again.

"I thought the nightmares were leaving you, Dean."

"He told me that I wasn't going to be able to be with anyone else…" He told her, "Like I wasn't able to…"

Ellen understood and she nodded.

"Dean, that's the imprint he left in your mind that you were incapable of anything without him…you need to let that go, Sweetheart, because it's not true."

Dean nodded and Ellen began to end the session when Dean stopped her midsentence.

"Ellen…don't go, there's another thing I need to get off my chest…"

Ellen closed her bag and listened intently to Dean who bowed his head again, taking a deep breath before blurting it out.

"I'm in love with Castiel."

Ellen nodded and smiled at Dean.

"Sweetheart, I know. No-one else does, don't worry, but I know."


"I'll see you later, Castiel." Dean said, completely rejecting his friend and turning back to the car.

"Dean?" Castiel asked, unsure of what was wrong.

"Bye, Cas."

Castiel was taken aback by the sudden change in Dean's mood, heartbroken that he'd been treated that way.

"Oh…bye, Dean."

Castiel turned and left through the Salvage Yard gates, trying to hide his tears from Bobby who passed him as he left.

Dean looked up from the car and saw Castiel turn before running back to his house. He threw his wrench down and broke into tears, collapsing by the car and whispering apologies over and over again into his arms. Bobby was by his side in an instant, pulling the crying boy into his arms.

"Shush, Dean…"

"No, Uncle Bobby! I just completely turned him away when he only stopped by to check on me," Dean sobbed, "I just can't look him in the face anymore…"

"Why, Dean? What's happened?" Bobby asked, "You know you can tell me anything."

"I'm in love with him, Uncle Bobby." Dean cried, curling in further on his uncle, "I love him…and I can't look him in the face because it's not what he wants from me…"

"He's gay too isn't he?" Bobby asked.

"So? That doesn't mean he wants me does it?" Dean countered, "I hope he finds a really nice guy who treats him well and looks after him because a failure like me can't do that."

With that, Dean got up and headed to his room, leaving Bobby sat in the yard, realising that Dean may have just taken a step back rather than forward…

-TBC-