Someone reviewed (thanks SM) so have this chapter today! I haven't even started the next chapter and I'm not entirely sure what's going to happen so you really will have a wait this time.

Chapter 9

Dean didn't think he'd ever stop. John took hit after hit, no matter how many times Dean cried out, or how Sam begged him to stop. Why did he always do this? Why did Dean always let his Dad hurt him like this? He tried to will himself to fight back, but he couldn't do it. Dean couldn't take it, he couldn't take this abuse anymore. He had to make it stop.

Help me Cas.

Charlie and Bobby were just about to return to bed when they heard a chair screech back across the floor and a bottle smash to the ground. They looked in the direction that Cas had been sitting in two seconds ago. He was gone.

"Damn it!"

Dean had barely finished his prayer when the punching stopped, and he heard the sound of wood being shattered across the room. Then there was a cry from Sam as a recently familiar, rough hand touched his face causing all physical pain to stop. But it didn't stop the pain that Dean felt inside, and so he curled up and cried.

"Get away from him monster!" John shouted.

"I'm an angel you ass!" Cas yelled back, "What do you care anyway?! You just beat him into the ground!"

"I'm his father!"

"I DON'T CARE!" Cas bellowed, blasting out a wave of energy that smashed the windows and hurled John back again. Making sure John was temporarily out of action, he leaned down to talk quietly to Dean, "Please come with me?" he asked in a soft tone, making sure that Dean felt safe, "For a little while at least."

"I can't leave Sammy," Dean replied in a hoarse voice. Cas looked over to Sam, considering his next words carefully.

"Will you come?" he decided to just asked Sam directly.

"No." his voice was certain and left no room for argument, but Cas tried anyway. He got up and walked over to Sam, making sure that John was still down.

"If you don't come, Dean won't either," he began in a hushed voice, "And if Dean stays, I am sure that your father will kill him one of these days, do you want that?"

"Of course I don't!" Sam snapped, "But I think it's best if Dean goes away alone for now, until he's better, before we make contact again."

"I think Dean fears more about what will happen to you if he leaves you alone with your father."

"I'm a grown man, I can look after myself," Sam protested, "Dean has been experiencing this all his life, he knows no different, and so won't fight back. I will," Sam stopped here to look Cas straight in the eye, to try and determine what he could of Cas's character, he didn't get a lot, but he got enough, "You take him back with you to Bobby and look after him."

"You trust me with your brother?" Cas questioned, slightly surprised by this turn of events.

"No," Sam stated, "But I trust Bobby, and if you dare hurt him, I will kill you."

"I never would."

"Then we have come to an agreement?"

"Yes."

"Good," Sam finalized the conversation just as John began to get up, "Go, before he tries to kill you."

"Pray if he tries to kill you."

"I don't think so Castiel, but I'll call Dean."

"You better."

Before Sam could make any sort of reply, Cas had gone back over to Dean, picked him up bridal style, and vanished. Sam hoped he made the right decision with trusting his brother with him (which he obviously did because of the bond thing but he didn't know about that at the time), and turned to his father, preparing for whatever punishment his father would plan for him.

No punishment came.

The first thing that told Bobby and Charlie that Cas was back, was the sound of Dean openly whaling.

"Take me back, take me back, take me back!"

"Dean stop," Cas asked Dean more than told, "Just listen."

"Takemebacktakemebacktakemeback!" Dean screamed franticly. He had to go back, he had to look after Sam, he couldn't leave him alone with him.

"Dean listen," Cas lower Dean to that he was sat on the edge of the bed, and then kneeled down in front of him, holding his arms firmly, but not harshly, keeping him still, "Sam told me to take you, he told me that he'd be fine and he promised that he'd fight against your father if he tries anything and that he'll call."

"BUT WHAT IF HE HURTS HIM!" Dean shirked.

"Dean I would not have left him there if I thought that was going to happen," Cas replied, trying to stay calm, "Now can you please calm down?" Cas begged.

Dean carried on with his heavy breathing, but stopped fidgeting. After the longest minuet in the world, Dean started to sob, rather than cry, until only silent tears were left. All energy seemed to drain from Dean, and he lent forward and rested his forehead on Cas's shoulder. Cas manoeuvred himself so that he was sat on the bed beside Dean, and pulled him so he was curled right up into Cas's side.

"Charlie, Bobby, can you go get the car ready, we're leaving," Cas said very quietly.

"What about Sam?" Dean questioned quietly.

"He'll be in touch," Cas replied.

"Will you check on him?" Dean asked, voice quite but full of hope that Cas would.

"Whenever I can," Cas confirmed, and that seemed enough to settle Dean.

"This un-questioning trust thing I have in you is really rather huge isn't it?" Dean asked, trying to make light of the situation, even though he refused to move away from Cas, and even tucked himself farther into him.

"Yes, it certainly is," Cas chuckled in reply. Cas looked down at Dean the best he could, considering the fact that Dean was trying to get his head as far into Cas's neck as he possible could, "I'll look after you Dean, I promise."

I feel that I need to illustrate just how important this promise was. You see, Dean's never had people look after him before. I mean he was provided for as a child and John and Sam help him out on hunts and stuff but, no one had actually looked after him. No one had stopped John from doing the things he did, no one ever asked him how he was feeling, no one ever put their life completely and utterly on the line for him. Dean looked after other people, people didn't look after him. So the fact that Cas, an angel of the lord he met yesterday, that Dean was certain had better things to do all day than watch over him (he did not), wanted to look after him was a mind-blowing phenomenon.

"The car's all packed and we're ready to go," Bobby said quietly as to not startle Dean, "We'll head back to the house, take a break."

"Are you ready to go Dean?" Cas asked gently.

"Do you really think Sam will be alright? No lies."

"I honestly do."

"Then I'm ready."

Everyone then field out of the motel room and into the car. Bobby slipped into the driver's seat with Charlie riding shot gun beside him. Dean and Cas got into the back seat, Cas continuing to try and cover as much of Dean's body with his own as possible, in order to protect him from the horrors of the outside world. Dean did not complain, as he himself was trying to get as far into Cas's arms as he possibly could. Not far into the drive, Dean drifted off to sleep and, for the first time in his life, felt safe and warm in the arms of an angel.

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