"Alright, now it's time to use that bond you've made," Mrs. Milton strode back and forth in front of the campers. Breakfast was long over and they had to trek back to the middle of nowhere, or fly. Of course, Mrs. Milton and Rachel were the only ones doing that, much to Castiel's dismay. "Once mastered, this is the most effective way to communicate with your partner. Whether you're just telling them to pick up milk or you plan on fighting in the arena with the pros, it's the best way to go about it."

Dean swallowed anxiously, excited to get to the parts of the training that helped in his overall goal. He glanced at Castiel who could clearly sense his excitement. Dean smiled, for a moment they seemed in sync. Then suddenly he felt a backlash of negative emotion all aimed toward the idea of the battle arena. While Mrs. Milton babbled on about technical things that Dean wasn't entirely sure he understood in the first place, he focused on his angel's thought process and tried to find why he was so against the idea.

'You know why, genius.' Dean scolded himself, 'Cas doesn't want to fight his brothers and sisters for human amusement. But that's not what this is, I have to find a way to make him see it.' Dean placed a gentle hand on Castiel's shoulder who only glanced up warily. A reassuring smile spread over his features, "Hey, it'll be fine." Dean whispered.

Castiel's eyes narrowed and he pulled away from Dean's touch, "If Sam weren't such a nice boy I'd say I hope you have to fight him someday." Castiel hissed back and stepped away from Dean entirely.

Anna raised an eyebrow at Dean, wondering what he could have done to upset Castiel, an angel she remembered to be fairly mild-mannered and kind. Dean looked about as perplexed as her, telling everyone he had no idea what he did or what to do next.

"Now let's try a simple task, you should have enough concentration to be able to get your angel to fly." Mrs. Milton continued, either oblivious or ignoring the small issue between two of her campers.

"Can't they already fly on their own?" Dean lifted his hand to address a nagging question.

"When you're connected by that bond every action is different, for the bond to be successful the two of you must be in sync and on the same wavelength. If you can't concentrate it won't work, Mr. Winchester." Mrs. Milton explained as politely as she could.

Dean furrowed his brow, "So how is it better to do it this way than to just give them orders?"

"It's faster, more efficient, and they understand what you mean right away. There's no time lost between you thinking of the action, speaking it, and them trying to understand what you want. But it's only better if you can manage to get along." She looked between Castiel and Dean for that last comment; their argument clearly hadn't gotten past her. "If you two can't put aside your differences this task may be too much for you."

"We can do it, right Cas?" Dean huffed, glancing hopefully at his angel.

Castiel stood with his arms crossed and shrugged, "Depends on your mental capacity."

"What's that supposed to mean!" Dean protested.

"It means 'I know how to fly' and if I can't fly with this bond then it's obviously your fault." Castiel snapped back, his blue eyes icy with a cold stare.

"Boys, boys," Mrs. Milton shuffled forward, "It's not a 'fault' if it doesn't work. It means that you both need to find that connection again."

"It doesn't stay?" Dean turned to look at her questioningly.

"Well of course the connection stays, but it takes practice to be able to do it without thinking. Your focus and concentration at this stage is key, Mr. Winchester. And Castiel, you must be patient and do your utmost to keep him on the right page."

"How is that my job?" Castiel sneered. "He's the one who can't focus. And again, how is that not his fault?"

"Because you aren't keeping him interested, and you're his angel." Mrs. Milton nodded curtly.

"But why is it I have to keep him interested! I don't even want to be here!" Castiel fumed violently, his teeth clenched and hands balled into fists.

Dean closed his eyes and did his best to focus before touching Castiel's arm again. "Hey," he whispered, a voice Castiel could hear deep within him. "It's okay, Cas. You can trust me, all right? I said I'd never hurt you, and I meant it."

Castiel visibly relaxed and nodded, remembering the way Dean had spoken that time and feeling his intent now. "Alright," he spoke calmly, looking firmly into Dean's eyes. "Then let's do this."

Dean smiled, "Right on!"

Mrs. Milton clapped her hands and then ushered them on, "Well go for it! Let's see some flying."

Chuck took a deep breath and looked at Anna seriously, his stance said he knew what he was doing and determination seemed to flow from him. For that brief moment everyone thought he'd do it on the first try.

Everyone was wrong.

Anna didn't even budge from the ground, her wings weren't out, nothing was happening. "Uh, Chuck?" Anna raised an eyebrow agitatedly.

"I got it, I got it." Chuck groaned through grit teeth.

"No you don't." She sighed heavily, "Let's make the bond again and try one more time."

Chuck's arms dropped and his shoulders slumped, "Okay…" he exhaled, defeated.

Dean smirked and looked at Cas, "We can do this, no problem."

Castiel was starting to feel uneasy the more often Dean tried to reassure him. He shrugged it off and nodded confidently, trusting that Dean wouldn't make complete idiots of them.

Moments after, Castiel felt his wings spread out behind him; Dean at least got that much right. He smiled through the stretch of his muscles and spread of his feathers, eyes closed and breath held he knew his command and knew what he had to do. A strong motion of his wings propelled him up; repeated downward thrusts had him airborne.

Castiel's eyes fluttered open and he found himself flying again, "You did it!" He called excitedly, swooping this way and that, feeling the wind rush by his face and through his hair. "I can't believe you did it!"

Dean let out a relieved laugh, "No way! I did it!"

However, just as Dean's attention pulled away from the act of concentration Castiel's wings seized up and he plummeted to the ground. Dean winced as he watched Castiel's crumpled form slowly rise up, shaking his head and stumbling to his feet.

"Close," Mrs. Milton smiled, "You'll have to focus, my dear. You can't just let go like that."

"But he was up," Dean frowned, "What do I do after that?"

Castiel stomped over to Dean's side, eyes narrow and flaming with anger. He grabbed his human's shoulder and spun the man around to face him, "That," he started, exhaling angrily through his nose, "That was wrong. What happened to 'it's no problem'?" He growled.

Dean shrugged, "I didn't think you needed my help after you were up in the air."

"I'm gonna-!" Castiel lurched forward though he was caught by both Anna and Rachel, his hands extended in a strangling motion. "Let me go!"

"Calm down, Castiel." Anna spoke soothingly, feeling her friend seethe in her grip. "He didn't know, you don't need to be angry with him."

"That's stupid!" Castiel burst out again, "If I needed his guidance with this bond to get up in the air, how does it make any sense that he could just let me go free while still bonded to him!"

Dean scratched the back of his head, "Sorry, I didn't think of it." He glanced at Mrs. Milton who smiled and shrugged.

"Of course you didn't think of it," Castiel snorted and pulled away from his sister's, "Well now that you know, you figure you could handle it? Is it still as easy as you thought?" His tone was far from sincere; a sarcastic edge laced his words well.

"Yeah yeah," Dean waved his hand at him, "I get it, I shouldn't take this so lightly."

"Well you have all day to practice." Mrs. Milton smiled again.

"Right," Dean walked over to Castiel and pat him on the shoulder, "I am sorry about that, forgive me?" He turned his usual charming smile on his angel who promptly scowled back.

Castiel looked him up and down for a moment, "Fine," he said reluctantly, "But you'd better not be this stupid if you want to do what I think you do."

Dean nodded, "Of course, I'll do my best."

The next several hours were spent in practice, in fact they spent the rest of the day working on it. Dean wanted to get their bond right, he wanted that closeness and to see the purity his angel held again.

Sleep came quickly to them, when they finally decided to go. Dean flopped into the dirty mattress and curled up, his tired eyes fell closed like solid metal doors and didn't open again until morning.

Castiel crawled in beside him and snuggled into the warmth of his human. They'd spent all day together, connected strongly, in the strongest way possible. Castiel could feel everything Dean felt, see it, taste it, hear it, experience it in every way Dean had. Their memories were linked; their ideas and minds couldn't be closer. Castiel felt it when Dean slipped into slumber, his unconscious mind drifting from their strengthened path. Castiel tried to be closer physically to make up for it but couldn't feel the same things as before.

He placed his ear against his human's chest, listening to the slow beating of Dean's heart, letting it lull him down into the same sleep his owner was in, as close as he could get.

Castiel stood in a dark hallway, his eyes slowly adjusting to the lack of light. He could hear a low rumble, as if there was a lot of noise going on somewhere a fair distance from him. He recognized the sound of his heart pounding in his ears, the feeling of adrenaline rushing through him. Was it excitement? Was it fear?

Regardless of what it was, it quickly transformed into fear, a fear of uncertainty and the unknown. Castiel turned around in a panicked motion, his eyes wide and wild. The hallway was so dark, so long and so encompassing. His breathing increased, a cold sweat forming on his skin. The rumble grew louder when a crack of bright light split the darkness in half. Castiel spun around again, finding that the end of the hall was breaking open and he was standing right in front of it.

The angel shielded his eyes, his hands coming up with a strange weight that he wasn't sure he recognized or understood. The rumble turned into loud cheering, humans, thousands of humans, cheering in unison with one voice echoing above the rest. Castiel understood that this was an announcer; these people were fans. He lowered his arms and looked up, finding that the edge of the hall was actually a door, and it was now wide open.

The angel stepped out into the brightly lit area, an enormous room spread out before him with an even larger ring in the center. The ring, the fighting space, was only a formality. Even he knew this. Castiel felt his fear settle in full force as soon as he understood where he was. He was entering the battle arena for Angel Battles, heavy shackles pulling down his limbs and thousands of humans watching him walk across the threshold. All of them judging him, seeing him as a pet, an object and thing that gives them their entertainment.

"No." he whispered hoarsely, "No, no… I don't want to be here. Dean? Dean!" He turned around and found no sign of his human, nowhere to be seen. "DEAN!"

Castiel sat upright very suddenly, his eyes frantic, and breathing heavily. Dean didn't stir, too exhausted to move. Castiel looked down at him and shook his head, pulling himself from the bed and stumbling out the door. He covered his mouth and leaned against the cabin's outer wall, gasping through his frightened breathing.

"Castiel?" Anna stepped outside and peered around the building, "Castiel, what's wrong?"

"I…" he looked up at her fearfully, "I don't want to do what Dean plans to use me for."

"Angel battles?" Anna crossed her arms and tilted her head knowingly. Her brother's nod brought a smile to her lips, "Cas, it's okay."

His eyes narrowed, "How is it that every angel is so brainwashed by these humans?" His eyes widened further, "The collars?"

Anna shook her head, "No, Castiel. The collars don't do anything like that." She stroked the side of his face gently, "We've grown accustomed to this life, Cas. Our home was destroyed and we needed a place to stay, we owed them something for letting us. It just so happens that this was the price. It's not like we aren't immortal beings, things will change some day."

Castiel frowned and looked away, "How can you say that? What about the angels that have been tortured and used?"

"That happens, Cas," Anna sighed, "It's not like humans haven't suffered that way, or animals. We all have a certain kind of luck, some of us have good, others have bad. That's just life."

"And how can you believe that the battle systems aren't so terrible! They make us-"

"I know, I've been there too." Anna shook her head and glanced back at the cabin, "I used to fight in them and honestly? I enjoyed it."

Castiel's jaw slackened, "Wha… Why?"

"Because it's release. Frustration from being tied down, from being bored and doing nothing but their petty little tasks. Like get the remote, what the fuck is that? Go get it yourself." She flailed her arms to make her point, "But aside from all of that, do you remember back home? When, say, Raphael would pick on you purposefully?"

Castiel's expression hardened, "I know! He wouldn't leave me alone, I don't even know what I did!"

"Well he's in the Angel Battles," Anna smiled, "Situations like yours where fighting their brother would be impossible and unacceptable before, it's perfectly fine and encouraged now."

Castiel's hand came up to protest though his mind stopped him, considering that, "But that doesn't mean we're strong enough, even if I wanted to beat him up I can't."

"That all depends on the bond you have." Anna smirked and headed back inside.

Castiel nodded and looked up again, feeling his stomach settle again and his fear dissipate. Other angels enjoyed the fighting, it wasn't against their will, they wanted to be there. "I'll have to experience for myself to know." He decided and headed back inside, feeling quite a bit better. He slipped back into the bed and paused to take note of something, he'd been sleeping in clothing. A frown crossed his expression and he threw the items off his body into a heap on the floor. Castiel smiled and reveled in his nakedness for a moment before snuggling up to Dean again. Sleep came readily and this time without interruption.