Spoilers for Season 14, episode 19.
Out of the Box
Castiel marched into the bunker. Fear crept into the dark recesses of his mind. Duma had been using Jack. That was clear as day. Now he had to tell Sam and Dean and find Jack. He scanned the war room of the bunker and listened to the sounds of the Winchesters. The bunker carried sound strange but it was easy enough to tell where people where. He could hear Dean talking all be it fairly clear due to his celestial hearing.
"We didn't have a choice, Sam."
He raised an eyebrow. What did he not have a choice in? He walked into the small room they were sitting in. They were both at a table. Sam looked at him his eyes wide and distressed by something, Dean glanced over at him and regarded him with indifference. Castiel held his tongue eventually Dean would get over his anger and they would go back to the way things where.
"Cas?" Sam asked. He looked worried and troubled.
"I have been in heaven." He walked closer to them. "Duma was using Jack. He was not acting on his own." Castiel was happy to know that Jack wasn't willingly killing people. However, the boy was still soulless and it was a huge problem. "Duma lead him to believe that it would make you two happy if he did what she asked."
Sam's eyes went wide. He looked at Dean then back at Castiel.
The angel was starting to sense something was amiss. "Sam," he started
"Jack isn't a problem." Dean took a big swig of his drink and set it down. "We dealt with it."
"Dealt with it?" He asked. He frowned and looked to Sam. Guilt. Guilt was etched all over Sam's face. "What did you do?" He growled. Anger bubbled at the surface. He noticed that Sam looked like he wanted to disappear and Dean looked at him.
His green eyes flashed with anger as he looked at Castiel. A look of contempt, of anger and loss of feelings, left abused over the years between them. "We put him in the Ma'lak box." He stated flatly. His contempt for Jack evident in his voice.
"What?" Castiel demanded. Anger burst through his vessel. They sealed up his son the box? He slammed his hands on the table. The drinks spilled some, Sam jumped, and Dean looked at him. Dean's eyes were filled with equal parts of anger that Castiel was filling.
"We had to do something." Dean growled at Castiel. "He was out of control."
"He was tricked!" Castiel shouted. He wanted to punch Dean right in the nose. How could he do this to their son?
Dean stood up. "He killed mom! Or did you forget that?" He hissed at Castiel
Castiel felt a stab of guilt. He was upset by Mary's passing as much as they were. "I grieve over Mary's death as well but this is not the right way to deal with Jack."
"Bull shit!" Dean shouted his jaw ticked. He narrowed his eyes at Castiel. "Where you get off making comments like that? You're the one who didn't tell anyone about him being soulless!" He yelled and jabbed him in the chest.
"Mind your tone with me, Dean." He pushed his hand off of him.
"What are you going to do about it huh?" He asked his tone challenging.
Castiel clenched his fists. "You," He started when suddenly he heard.
"Cas, please help me."
His head snapped up. Jack was praying to him. He stormed out of the room. "Where is he?" He bellowed. He headed down the hall to where the box was, where they left it once they talked Dean out of his idiotic idea at a time when Castiel thought that he and Dean were in love. He had a vague sense that the two brothers were following him.
"Cas," Dean hissed. "Don't you dare!"
Castiel ignored him and flung the door open where the Ma'lak box was. He marched in and up to the box. He could hear Jack pounding on the lid of the box.
"Let me out. Sam, Dean, I don't like this." Jack begged from inside the box.
Castiel looked back at the brothers. He had never felt such contempt towards them. Not since the beginning and Sam was drinking demon blood and Castiel expected respect from Dean. "How could you do this to him?" He shouted at them. He knelt down to the locks. "Give me the keys!"
Sam looked at Dean and held out the keys to Castiel. "I'm sorry. I didn't know what else we could do. I,"
Castiel snatched the keys out of his hand and walked back over to the box.
"Don't you dare!" Dean shouted. He grabbed Castiel by the shoulders. "Jack is dangerous! Even you know that or are you too stupid to see it!"
"Dean, stop!" Sam shouted. He marched up to them and grabbed Dean. "Just stop." His voice cracks. "We can't, we shouldn't,"
Dean pushed Sam away and narrowed his eyes at Castiel. "Don't you do it." He growled
Castiel undid the locks. The locks hit the floor with an echoing thud and he lifted the lid of the box.
Jack is laying there phone in his hand and is blinking at the sudden light. "Cas?" He asked as he sat up.
"I heard your prayer." Castiel said softly. His anger melted some at the sight of his son. He reached in and took Jack's hand and helped him out of the box.
"Cas!" Dean shouted he looked at the two of them his green eyes wild. "You son of a bitch!"
Castiel put a protective arm around Jack. "It's okay, Jack, I got you."
Jack looked up at him his eyes wide. "Thank you, Cas," He looked at Sam and Dean. "I did not like the box." He informed them. He stretched his arms as if he didn't have a care in the world.
Dean looked at them his face red with anger. "Cas," He hissed. "Cas, he's dangerous." He warned.
The angel looked at Dean. Dean had been wary of Jack when he first came into their lives. The weariness was back now ten-fold. "Dean, Jack needs help he doesn't need to be locked away."
Jack tilted his head in confusion. "I thought you guys were helping me?" He looked at the Winchesters.
"We lied." Sam confessed and Dean shot him a look.
Jack squinted. "But why? Why would you lie to me? Is this because of the accident?"
"It wasn't an accident! Stop calling it that! You killed our mom!" Dean shouted. He shot Castiel a hateful look. "I can't believe you!"
"It was an accident." Jack shook his head. "I didn't mean to do it. I just wanted her to be quiet." He sighed. "I even tried to bring her back."
"There wasn't even enough of her left to even bring back!" Dean clenched his fists. "You vaporized her and you call it an accident!"
"I had no intentions to kill Mary." Jack said his tone mildly indifferent.
Dean's jaw tightened. "You need to get back in the box."
"No." Jack said. He crossed his arms. "I was hoping you would forgive me but I see that isn't going to happen."
"You're damn right it's not." Dean hissed
"Shame," Jack said flatly. He laid his hand on Castiel.
With a whoosh of air Castiel found himself standing on a mountain with Jack. He blinked. It had been a long time since he had flown and Jack's flying skills were getting pretty good. "Jack where are we?"
"The Appalachian mountains. I thought it would be a nice view." He shrugged. "Castiel, can I really be helped? I understand that… that this is wrong that I shouldn't feel like this but…" He wrapped his arms around himself. "Even… they will still hate me."
Castiel's heart broke at the last statement. "Jack, I," He sighed and laid his hand on his son's shoulder. "I do not know if you can be helped. But I will do everything in my power to help you."
Jack laid his hand on his and said. "Thank you, father."
He squeezed his shoulder before he removed it. "I have already tried to contact Chuck, er God. He can restore your soul… maybe… he'll…" He didn't want to fill Jack with false hopes and promises of an absent father returning to them. He felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. He pulled it out and looked. There was a text from Sam:
Going to hit the lore. May not find an answer but I'm going to try. Tell Jack I am sorry. Take care
He let out a breath and put the phone away. He caught Jack giving him a look. "It was… Sam he's going to hit the lore and he… said he was sorry."
Jack gave a nod. "I am glad… I like Sam." He stated.
Castiel sighed. "Jack, Bobby and his crew they are out there looking for you and," His words were cut off.
"I think we should return to heaven." He smiled a happy smile one of innocence. "I liked it." He placed his hand on Castiel's shoulder.
Next thing Castiel knew, he was in a white room. It was heaven. He let out a sigh.
"Come, Cas met the new angels I made." Jack said with a proud smile as he walked into God's room where he received prayers.
Castiel let out a sigh. He hoped that letting Jack out of the box was a good idea and that they could find a way to help Jack. He hoped and prayed that his father would return to them and restore Jack's soul the last thing he wanted to do was to try to put down his own son. His heart ached at the thought. He walked into the prayer room and Jack looked at him and smiled fondly and waved with childlike innocence. Castiel gave a small sigh. He hoped that he could mend the relationship with Dean but he would do what had to be done to protect his son.