Building Rome: Symbolism

By: M14Mouse

Summary: Sam is given a chance to think and learn even if doesn't have blood on his hand…yet.

Disclaimer: Don't own them.

Sam just stared at the marking that he drew on the wall.

2 minutes and 45 seconds.

He needed to draw it faster.

He threw the chalk on the ground and moved toward the bucket. He took the wet rag out of the bucket and washed the markings off the wall. He stepped away and dropped the rag back into the bucket.

"You have been doing this for an hour."

He didn't need to turn around to know who it was.

"Practice makes prefect, Cas."

"You perfected it 30 minutes ago, Sam."

He almost wanted to laugh but he didn't.

"Not fast enough."

He leaned over and picked up the chalk from the floor. He hit the button on his watch to start the timer then started drawing again. He pressed the chalk against the wall and went to work. His inner "geek" as Dean liked to call it enjoyed the fact he was learning something new. He was fascinated by the curves and symbols. Sometimes, the Devil's Trap did the same thing for him for very different reasons. He stepped away from it once he was finished. He looked down at his watch.

2 minutes and 5 seconds.

Need to be faster.

He slipped the chalk into his pocket and repeated the process of cleaning the wall off. He dropped the rag into the bucket and then he reached over to reset his watch. He picked the piece of chalk out of his pocket and started again.

1 minute and 54 seconds.

Again.

"I don't see the purpose of this, Sam…"

He picked the rag again from the bucket and pause for a moment.

"The angels won't leave me alone forever, Cas…even with the protection symbol you carve into my ribs."

The silence answered his question. Castiel knew that he was right. He had time to think about it. On the chess board, he was the king. It was the highest prize piece on the board. Lucifer's meat suit. Through most of the game, it left alone…protected. Other pieces slowly knock each other out until the king was left alone. Then…the reminding pieces attacked the king, and then it is game over.

1 minute and 46 seconds.

"Is this why you are doing this?"

In retrospective, Dean was the queen. A smile played on his face. Dean wouldn't want to hear that but it made sense. It was the piece that everyone was after because its ability to attack from all positions. It was highly prized in its own right. Once the piece was taken out of the equation, the game was almost won.

"No."

Castiel was the knight. It was limited in some ways but flexible in others. It never moved in a straight line but always…always had a goal in mind.

1 minute and 35 seconds

"Your thinking…confuse me."

"Then you need to stop reading my thoughts."

There was no heat in his voice. He wasn't upset. He has long gotten over the fact that they could have stopped him. That they could have stopped this. The angels made their choices too. They wanted their heaven on earth.

The road to hell was paved in good intentions.

He should know.

"I apology."

"No need."

1 minute and 21 seconds.

The silence echoed through the air as he erased the marking again. As minutes pass, he felt the world was almost going too exploded in that silence. So he spoke. He spoke to get rid of the silence…or the uneasiness he felt in his stomach. It was the same feeling he got when he sense something was off. His mind shut down that line of thinking. His powers were gone.

Utterly gone.

"You know…I find this all very symbolic."

"I do not understand."

"A devil's trap protects…This…repels. Michael and Lucifer. Angels and demons. Me…Dean…Us…Them. Truths and Lies. Very symbolic and very pointless."

1 minute and 11 seconds.

"Again…I don't see your point, Sam."

He could hear the frustration in Cas's voice…even if he couldn't. Cas has become remarkably more and more human every day. He had no idea if that was a bad or good thing. Cas would know more than him…or perhaps, Gabriel.

"I think you do…but you don't see it. You aren't the same angel as you were a year ago. Neither am I the same person. How I view you and how you view me has changed."

"How do you view me?"

He dropped the piece of chalk on the ground and stared at the wall. He glanced at his watch again.

58 seconds.

They were working toward something….to tolerate each other…friendship? They lied down one stone at a time. He grinned slightly. It was like building Rome. Where it leaded….

"I have no idea."

End of Symbolism

Next Chapter: Beneath the Surface

A/N: Originally, this was suppose to be a funny chapter but as I started writing it. It didn't turn out that way. Funny, how things happens. Anyway, I am soo glad everyone is enjoying my madness. I want to thank everyone for the reviews, favorited, and alerts. They continue to brighten my day((especially during exams…blah)) Anyway, read and review if you wish.