Beta: None. WILL have spelling and grammar mistakes. (Please don't complain as I've just warned you.)
Sex: No
Swearing: Minimal.
Main Title: Afterlife by Avenge Sevenfold.
Chapter Title: Touriquet by Evansence
As usual, I would like to say thanks to my Beta Reader, Don'tCallMeSammy, Your the best. :D with her help there should not be any mistake, if there are, well I apologise on behalf of us both. :D Enjoy the chapter.
I TRIED TO KILL THE PAIN, BUT ONLY BROUGHT MORE
Gabriel watched, dumbfounded, from the shadows at the scene; his mouth hanging open. He hadn't thought it possible - he'd known angels could desire humans, he'd still been in heaven at the time of the fallen; but what he witnessed now wasn't lust or desire, it was love and not the chick-flick sappy kind humans seemed to adore so much - it was the pure twin-soul kind, which was so rarely found on earth any longer. In fact he hadn't seen it in centuries. He had never seen that bond form between soul and grace. It was… unheard of.
He turned his confused gaze on Anna and noticed the glistening of tears on her lashes but there was no regret in her features. A cold shiver rushed down the archangels spine, the uneasy feeling that he'd been played. Gabriel didn't appreciate being the one to be tricked; it didn't sit right at all. "Anna?" his tone was harsh and threatening. "What is this? What have we done?"
The copper haired angel straightened her spine in defiance, a clear show of bravado. "Saved the world."
Gabriel's eyes shot back to Castiel and the spirit of Dean Winchester. He watched the pain flicker across his brothers' face as he spoke in an agonized but gentle voice. 'I had no intention of changing things Dean – not unless you truly wanted me to.'
The archangels gut clenched, his grace sparked with anger - at Anna, at himself. He'd helped her kill a man - almost killing his own brother in the process - for nothing. Castiel was never going to change this world. He simply wanted to be with the hunter. Gabriel could feel the truth of his brothers' feelings as he reached out with his grace and touched the others.
His eyes shot around to Anna but she was gone. He'd sensed her fear and knew why, as much as he could feel Castiel's love, he could feel his hate, his anger and his need for vengeance. It was no wonder Anna had wanted him dead too. Because Gabriel knew there was nothing more furious than an angel's wrath.
~SUPERNATURAL: AFTERLIFE~
The air smelt of roasting flesh. The rancid smell clawed at their throats. The gold and orange of the flames danced against the early evening light, blending with the sky above them; a thick black smoke tainting what many in the world outside Singers Auto Salvage would see as a beautiful sunset. But to those gathered around the funeral pyre it was the last sunset any would see, and it was far from beautiful.
Castiel stared blindly into the flickering flames, his dimmed blue eyes glistening with unshed tears in the light of the fire that was slowly eating away at the empty shell of Dean Winchester.
His human heart was pounding against the lining of his throat. He'd never expected to lose the hunter. Not in this world. Anna's interference would have the opposite effect than what she'd planned, because now Castiel had every intention of putting things right.
"This is your fault." An angry female voice said harshly from the angel's side, but Castiel ignored it. His pain was too great to care or sympathize with the mourning mother, though he knew she was right.
If only he had stayed away. If only he had served heaven and left Dean to live his life, the hunter would be happy now. But his own needs had tainted his actions. He had needed to be with the hunter, be close to him. He had placed him in this danger. Anna and Gabriel were not the only angels responsible for the death of Dean Winchester.
~SUPERNATURAL: AFTERLIFE~
"Angels!" Mary spat furiously. "First you kill my husband, now my son."
"Mary, he had nothing to do with this." Bobby said trying to calm the woman.
"Didn't he? He brought this to our door. There was no need for any of us to know about this other world! We were happy. Dean was happy."
"That's not true." Bobby snapped. "Dean has not been happy."
Mary's angry eyes turned on her old friend.
"Face it Mary, you turned that boy into a warrior before he was even older enough to know what a warrior was. You had him hunting monsters when he should have been playing cowboys and Indians. You have him hating angels when he should have been going to bed dream they were watching over him. Jesus Mary, how could he be happy when you weren't – your need for vengeance was all you cared about and Dean knew it."
Mary stood physically shaken by her old friend's words, unable to believe he was say anything so hurtful and at such a time. But Bobby wasn't finished.
"I've only seen that boy smile a handful of times in his live and I'd lay
money that he…" Bobby pointed to Castiel. "…was responsible for all of them."
Mary looked at the motionless angel with disbelief.
"That's impossible; he's only been here a few hours."
Bobby rolled his eyes and stared at the woman, wondering if she was an Idjit or merely playing one on TV. "Don't you remember Dean used to tell us about his imaginary friend?"
Mary's mouth fell open. Cas flinched ever so slightly.
"You?" She breathed.
The angels nod was barely visible but it was enough to answer the grieving mother's question.
Mary stared open mouthed at the man who had brought so much pain and happiness
into her dead son's life. He had been two years old when he'd mentioned his friend, the angel. Of course Mary hadn't known then that it had been an angel that had killed her husband, and so she hadn't disillusioned the boys. Not until his fifth birthday and he'd come to tell her that the angel had given him a rainbow for his birthday. It was three days after her meeting with the demon, and she was still angry and hurt.
She had snapped that angels weren't friends - they were enemies just like any other supernatural creature, and that this so-called angel friend of his was just in his imagination and he was too old for imaginary friends. It was time for him to grow up.
And he had. The angel had never been mentioned again and had seemed to completely vanish alone with her son's childhood and happiness. And Mary Winchester had been too wrapped up in her hate to see what she'd done to her son.
She stepped closer to Castiel, her eyes never leaving his face. "Y-you… you always watched over him didn't you?"
Cas couldn't speak, so he once again nodded.
"Why?"
The angels' eyes and throat burned with unshed tears, his ears rang with the sound of Mary's question. What could he say that would explain the bond the angel shared with the hunter? The man who was willing to give up everything he had ever wanted for an angel he barely remembered. Then he knew what to say. There was only one word that would answer that impossible question.
He swallowed hard at the rawness of his throat and forced air into his lungs before trying to speak.
"Beca… Because I love him." It was as simple as that.
~SUPERNATURAL: AFTERLIFE~
The words were lightly spoken but the wind carried them through the air in seemingly every direction. In the gathering darkness of the metal maze two angels heard those words and quilt swiftly followed.
For one they meant that he was not alone in his love and pride of humanity. He'd made a mistake trusting a sister that he barely knew past her name. They meant that although he was a messenger and a trickster and an archangel, he was no better than his brothers who put their desire for paradise over the world their father loved.
For the other they meant that she had made a critical error that would no doubt be her undoing. Of course, for her, the error was not killing the hunter, but not killing the angel in his stead. Castiel was the threat, not Dean. If any should have died that night it should have been him.
They both knew what would come of their mistakes and when Castiel turned away from the pyre they could see the ice in his gaze and feel the determined fury spark in his grace.
~SUPERNATURAL: AFTERLIFE~
Cas was staring up at the sky, his mind working over what to do now. Anna was his first port of call. She had to pay for killing Dean, even if changing history would make it redundant, he wanted at least the satisfaction of destroying her grace.
Then there was Gabriel, he had to pay too. If he hadn't been distracting him, Cas would have sensed Anna's presses, sensed the danger to Dean and been able to stop him.
"I didn't know." Announced a familiar voice from behind Castiel.
He turned swiftly to meet the amber gaze of the archangel who was currently hiding behind a pagan name. "Gabriel." Castiel growled, his angel blade sliding into his hand, murder in his eyes.
Gabriel's hands flew up in self-defence. "Woo bro' – calm it – I said I didn't know."
Castiel took a step forward, Gabriel one back. "Come on, Castiel. – At least let me explain."
"There is nothing to explain Gabriel. You helped Anna kill Dean."
"Well yeah…" he glanced regretfully at the pile of ash some distance away.
"But I swear I didn't know about the… you know." Gabriel met the younger angels gaze again. "…the love thing." He saw Castiel physically flinch at his words and his brows knitted together.
"Whether you understood your actions, or not, Gabriel, is of no importance." The angel's voice was harsh, tear-raw and filled with vengeance; which made Gabriel suddenly very concerned for his own welfare.
"Listen bro…" he breathed, taking another step back. "I screwed up ok, isn't the first time and probably won't be the last – she told me that you wanted to change things back to how they should be, that you wanted to see daddy dearest grand plan back on track, well what was I supposed to do - stand back and let you do it? I don't think so buddy. I happen to like my life and this planet, and I don't want Mickey and Lucy shitting all over it."
Castiel lifted his chin, his jaw still clench tight with fury, but a small part of him softened. Something in Gabriel's eyes reminded him of Sam and Dean; their determination that this was their world and they weren't giving it up without a fight.
"I was not going to return this world to the brink of destruction Gabriel – Dean was happy here."
"Yeah, well... I didn't know that an hour ago, now did I?" he said with a hint of sarcasm.
"But you're going to now, aren't you?"
Castiel nodded and stared at the archangel, waiting for his attack.
Gabriel rubbed the back of his neck. "Guess we kind of deserve it - I guess the jokes on me this time." There was no amusement in his voice. "Ironic right, I help kill your boyfriend to stop you from changing the world, only for that to be the reason you do." He chucked emotionally to himself. "I always hated irony." "Dean was not my boyfriend." Castiel said matter-of-factly.
"Oh?" Gabriel smirked, his eyes lighting up. "Could have fooled the hell out of me bro." he winked.
Castiel turned the subject away from his relationship with the now dead hunter. "Where's Anna?"
Gabriel hung his head and shrugged. "Wish I knew, bro, but she took off after that reaper took your… took Dean."
"And you have no idea where she's gone?"
"Nope, she always found me."
Castiel stared at him with a silent warning that if he didn't start to be helpful, he would feel the sharp end of an angel blade.
"Why bother with Anna, just go fix this. Once time is reset she won't exist."
"For two reasons Gabriel. Firstly I know Anna; she'll follow me back and try to stop me again. Secondly, I want her head." The last reason was given with an uncharacteristic growl that sent a shiver through the archangel's grace.
Gabriel sighed and thrust his hands in his pockets. "I…" was he really going to do this? Sadly beneath that smart-ass, trickster, demi-god ego of his, there was still a noble archangel with a deep sense of right and wrong. What he'd helped Anna do was wrong, now he'd have to help Castiel put things right. "I might be able to find her, if I tap back into to heaven…" his amber eyes met the younger angel's with amusement. "Of course, you know that once I do that I'll have the host-patrol on my arse but hey, what do you care right?"
Castiel met his brothers laughing gaze and refused to feel sorry for him. He only had himself to blame for all of this.
"She's been hiding herself with Enochian but I think I can get around that, after all that shit only works on angels, and I have friends in high places – With their help and my juiced up grace, we'll find her – then you can have your platter princess."
The two angels watched each other for a moment and Castiel couldn't fight it any longer, couldn't hold on to that anger. "Thank you Gabriel."
The archangel scoffed. "Whatever – you go and destroy the world kiddo."
Castiel took a step toward his older brother, who flicked ever-so-slightly as he raised his hand and placed it on his shoulder. "They will not consent Gabriel, you do not know Dean and his brother Sam, they will fight till the last, I have faith in that." Gabriel raised a brow. "That guy must be a hell of a kisser." He smirked and was gone before Castiel could rebuke him for the comment.
~SUPERNATURAL: AFTERLIFE~
"What are you going to do now?" Mary asked suddenly from Castiel's side. The angel turned and looked down at the woman who only minutes ago hated him.
"I will do what Dean asked and fix this."
"You mean change history, so that John never died but I did."
Castiel didn't look away; he met those red rimmed blue eyes. "Yes."
Mary sighed and walked over to sit on a large oil barrel. "You know Dean was right, if I had known then what Azazel's deal meant, I probably would still have accepted it." She hated herself for thinking it, but she knew it was true. "John was my life; the idea of losing him destroyed me - I hadn't cared about what it would mean for the future."
Castiel stood at the woman's side. "I understand." He said matter-of-factly. Mary raised her eyes to him. "Yeah, you do don't you?" She sniffled. "I guess it's only fair that things are put right…" she swallowed hard. "I – I just wish I would be there to watch them grow up, to protect them." Tears started to fall. "I wish I could tell them I loved them."
"You have." Castiel said gently.
Mary wasn't sure she wanted to know how; Castiel didn't give her a chance to.
"As for watching over Dean, I can promise you he was watched over."
Mary met the still glistening gaze of the angel. "You have always watched over Dean, haven't you?"
Castiel gave a brief nod. "In this reality and the other, since before he was even born I watched over him."
Mary smiled sadly. "I should have told him that."
Their moment of bonding was interrupted but the sound of wings and the smell of honey. Mary jumped off the barrel and pulled the angel blade from her waist band, leaping without thought in front of Castiel.
Gabriel snorted at the protective stance. "Mother-in-law already fighting your battles." He joked.
"Gabriel." Castiel warned, placing a hand on Mary's shoulder in a silent acknowledgement to stand down.
Gabriel just laughed at the woman, who continued to glare at him with the same murderous look Castiel had given him a short while ago. "I've got her. But we'll have to move quickly; she's not going to stay in the same place for long, and she knows you're looking for her."
Castiel nodded and turned to Mary. "I must go."
"Go where?"
"Anna."
"I'm coming." Mary stated, leaving no room for argument.
"No! Dean would never forgive me if anything happened to you."
Mary snorted. "Once you fix it, I won't even exist, I want that bitch."
Castiel shook his head. "There is no guarantee that I will succeed, Anna may kill me, which would mean this world will stay as it is. I will not risk your life."
The angel and the hunter stared challengingly at each other, until finally Mary surrendered. Giving a brief nod, the woman sighed. "Kill that bitch for me, alright?" Without thinking she rested her hand on the angel's cheek and smiled. "Dean is lucky to have you, even if you are an angel." Then she kissed his cheek and whispered, "Good luck."
The moment was broken, of course, by Gabriel's snorting laugh and comment about Castiel being the only person in the world who got along with his mother-in-law.
"Let's go." Castiel snapped, ignoring said comment.
~SUPERNATURAL: AFTERLIFE~
The warehouse was practically buzzing; Castiel and Gabriel could feel it before they even landed in front of it. It was covered in Enochian shrouding sigils, very much like Castiel's house; it was no wonder heaven had been unable to find Anna. Within these walls Anna - or any other angel - was invisible; as if they never existed. Luckily for them, its only shrouded angel's from other angel's, not from other higher beings.
The angel's heart tightened; he should have thought to protect Bobby's house. If he had, Anna and Gabriel would never have been able to get to Dean. He swallowed hard at the intense grief that was still wallowing over him.
Would it ever fade?
"Afraid not, Bro." Gabriel answered the unasked question. "That kind of grief's permanent."
Castiel's head shot round to stare at his brother, his head hilted ever so slightly. "And how do you know?"
Gabriel smiled sadly. "I've been on earth a long time, kiddo. I've seen a lot of people come and go in that time, sure I've never loved them…" He paused, an uncharacteristic, sympatric look on his face. "… but I mourned a few. And I've seen how some humans mourn the ones they love…" he seemed to stare off into space for a moment. "… there was this woman, back in the nineteenth century, her husband was a right bastard - he made scrooge look like a saint. Well I thought he needed punishing after the cruel treatment of his wife…."
"He died." Castiel interrupted matter-of-factly.
"Don't they all…" Gabriel shrugged. "Course that was the point… turns out the wife loved him more than she should have. She never got over his death, never remarried… In fact she went and became a nun – never understood it…" he looked up at his little brother. "…until today."
"Is that supposed to reassure me Gabriel?"
"No, it's supposed to answer your question." Gabriel heaved a heavy sigh and pulled a candy bar out of his shirt, though he didn't eat it. For the first time in a long time, he didn't fancy something sweet, so he simply stared down at it. "You sure you want to do this?"
"I have to."
Another resigned sigh. "Alright, we may as well get this over with."
Castiel's gaze locked on his brothers. "I will do this alone, Gabriel."
"Like hell, kiddo." Gabriel snapped. "The girl's wacko, you didn't see her face when she…" He trailed off. "I know just what Anna is like, Gabriel. I will face her alone. This is my fight – I may never forgive you for aiding her Gabriel…" Castiel said. "…But I will thank you for aiding me in an attempt at redemption."
"Huh…" the archangel swallowed. Redemption? Was that what this was?
"…whatever kiddo." He forced an uncaring smirk on his face, though his eyes were shining. He unwrapped the candy bar he didn't really want and took a huge bite out of it. "Go get her tiger." He concluded with a mouthful of chocolate.
Castiel stared at him for a second, unconvinced by his show of bravado. It reminded him so much of Dean that he felt a sharp pain in his chest. He inclined his head; Gabriel feigned a smile then vanished.
Castiel turned to face the building. "Anna!" he yelled so loud that the windows a state away rattled.