Forbidden Fruit
Chapter 11
Raphael stared at Castiel with intensity and was about to punch him in the face again when suddenly the rebel angel glared up at the archangel with his blood smeared face and reared back his head and smashed it into his face. Stunned, Raphael finally let Castiel go and dropped him onto the ground in a heap. Meanwhile, Cas made for his sword and immediately the two angels began to duel in a furious sword fight.
However, from the concern of Castiel's eye he saw that Viola was preparing to cast an Enochian spell. She had her hand raised and she was already muttering the first few phrases of a chant that would render Raphael powerless for a short time like she had done to him the first time they met. It was a good plan and if she was able to hit her target than they would be able to make their escape, but unfortunately the archangel heard her chanting and turned to attack her instead. Castiel was afraid of what his foe would do to her and stepped in front of him to shield her from harm, but it was too late. Raphael knocked Viola unconscious and she fell to the ground.
Enraged, Castiel retaliated by pushing Raphael over and pinned him up against a tree. He snarled and knocked his head back into the bark. Cas then spoke to him in a dark tone and said, "I won't let you take her, Raphael. I won't let you crush her just so you can use her for your gains."
"You don't have a choice!" growled the archangel.
He then raised his arms and knocked Castiel's hold away. Afterwards, he punched him in the stomach and in reaction the rebel-angel coughed out a mouthful of blood. And then with prideful glee, Raphael thrashed him across his head and knocked him out. He then calmly stepped over Castiel's unconscious body and picked up Viola from the floor.
"We'll meet again, Castiel and then you will see what I can do with this unholy abomination."
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When Cas woke up he saw that it was nightfall and that he was alone. He saw no trace of Viola or Raphael. The two had left and he was fearful that perhaps Raphael had slain her, but then he recalled what that bastard had said. He said he wanted to place her into his garrison and train her. It was a fate worse than death. Frantic, he called out to her.
"Viola! Viola!"
Yet, even to his own ears he knew he sounded desperate. However, he had to be sure that she was really gone—that she had been taken away. Frustrated, he raged against his damn human emotions. It torn him in two to know that moments before he had been blissfully enthralled in her embrace, but now he was alone, bloodied and bruised and praying against the odds that she would be ok.
In a flash, he transported himself back to Bobby Singer's home. He felt his knees wobble and his vision spin as he approached the kitchen. Determined, he strode forward in the darkened room and called out to Dean.
"Dean!"
Then, in a rush the elder Winchester ran in from the study and flipped on the light and saw that Cas was covered in blood and blooding. Shocked, he pulled a washcloth off a rack and handed it too him.
"Jeez, Cas! What the hell happened to you? Where's Vi?"
Cas wiped the blood off his mouth and nose and replied, "She's been taken, Dean. She was captured by Raphael."
Suddenly, Sam and Bobby entered the room. They were also surprised at the angel's state. Bobby winced at his busted up nose and said, "Good Lord, what the hell happened to him? And where's Viola?"
Yet, Dean saved Cas from repeating himself and answered, "She was taken by that bastard, Raphael."
"You mean the archangel?"
Dean replied, "Yeah, he's got it in for Cas. So, why'd he take her? Can you get her back?"
The angel stiffly pulled out a chair and sat down. He gave Dean an intense look and then stared off into space and coldly said, "No. I can't get her. Raphael most likely took her to Heaven. He wants to train her to be a soldier in Heaven's army, but I can't let that happen. I have to save her."
Sam glanced at Dean and said, "Well, I guess we figure out a way to spring her loose."
In reaction, Bobby scoffed and shouted, "Hey, this isn't some walk in the park, Sammy. This is Heaven were talking about here and last I heard only angels and dead people can get in."
Sam replied, "Yeah, I know that Bobby, but Viola's our friend. And she's important to Cas, so we've got to do something."
Castiel raised his head and looked at Sam when he said his name. He gave the younger Winchester a hard look and glared at him. They didn't know that Viola was more than just important to him—she was someone dear and someone he cared about deeply. In the back of his mind he could still remember the feel of her lips and the smell of her hair. It made her adduction nearly painful to take.
Suddenly, Cas threw the dishcloth onto the table and placed his hand over his head in misery. What was he doing? He had failed her. He wasn't able to protect her from the angels or the demons. Though, gently he heard Dean approaching. He stood right in front of him and said, "Cas…what aren't you telling me?"
The rebel-angel lowered his hand and met his gaze and said, "They are going to break her, Dean. They will do all they can to burn away her humanity. She will no longer be gentle and kind and caring. They will make her into an angel of the Lord and—"
"No! Vi would never play on that snob's team."
Cas closed his eyes and said, "She won't have a choice. She won't be Viola anymore, Dean."
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Meanwhile, up in Heaven Viola found herself at Bobby's house and she was lying on her back in the kitchen. She got up startled and looked around and saw that she was alone. She quickly got up and remembered Cas and the fight with that jerk, Raphael. He was hurting Cas. She had to find out if he was ok.
Viola ran into the den and called out to him. "Cas! Castiel!" She then ran into the study and shouted, "Dean! Sam! Bobby!" yet there was no one there. She was alone. She began to feel unnerved by the silence and ran outside to see if the Impala was in the drive or Bobby's car, but inside of seeing the countryside she saw surrounded by a bright light.
"Oh gods, this isn't real."
Suddenly, Raphael appeared behind her and said, "Very good, fledging."
Viola gasped and turned around to face him. "It's you. What have you done to Castiel?"
The archangel cocked his head to the side and peered at her curiously. "Interesting, you seem to care a great deal for him, but he should have taught you that real angels don't feel lust or any other petty human sins."
Viola in response rolled her green eyes and turned to walk away from the house and shake her head. "Great Spirits, if I have to hear another angel rant away again I'll do something drastic. Just shut up and leave me alone!"
Yet, unexpectedly Raphael appeared in front of her again and stopped in her in tracks. "I understand. You're still clinging to your pathetic humanity, but soon you'll obtain true ascendance and become a true angel of the Lord."
Irked, Viola shouted, "I don't want to become an angel of the Lord! I like who I am. Now leave me alone. Jeez, at least Cas was the strong silent type, but you, you just don't listen."
Raphael grabbed onto her arm and yanked her close. "Don't talk back to me, fledging. You will listen and you will obey and I will burn every last ounce of humanity in you until there is nothing left, but the ideal angel."
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Elsewhere, Castiel was desperate to figure out a way to get Viola out of Heaven and away from Raphael's clutches. He decided to ask for help from his brother, Gabriel. He wasn't sure that he would help, but as Dean would say, it was worth a shot and frankly, he was running out of options. It took Cas a while, but he was finally able to track him down.
He found him in Los Vegas playing the slots and using his powers to tamper with the machines. He caused an entire row of slots to sound off at the same time and a herd of delighted players crowded around and started cheering. Gabriel laughed at loud and then spotted him. With a grin he strode up to Castiel and threw his arm around his shoulder and shook him playfully.
"Hey, there Castiel. How are you, little bro? Where's Sam and Dean?"
Cas uncomfortable removed himself from Gabriel's one arm hold and straightened up sternly and said, "I am alone. I have come to ask you for a favor. I need for you to help me free someone from Heaven."
"Whoa, whoa, whoa hang on. Let me get this straight. You want me to help you spring somebody from Heaven?"
Intensely, he nodded his head. "Yes, than you understand."
Gabriel sighed. "No, I don't. Come on, let's go."
He then led Castiel out of the casino and into a small vacant wedding chapel. Castiel felt odd stepping around the pink and white pews and heart shaped decorations, but Gabriel just ignored it all and picked up a discarded bouquet off the altar and smelled the roses leisurely.
"So, what's the deal bro?"
"I want you to help me get someone out of Heaven."
"Ok, I get that. Who? And what for?"
Uncomfortably, Castiel replied, "She is an angel. Her name is Viola. She was taken by Raphael to become a part of his garrison."
Gabriel narrowed his brow and said, "Ok, well that sucks, but what does it have to do with you?" Then, suddenly the archangel paused and began to laugh and pressed his hand over his mouth and grinned at Castiel in a knowing way. "Oh shoot, she's that girl that you've been stashing away isn't she? Viola Landon, Temeriel's old pet human."
Annoyed, Castiel said, "She is not a pet. She is a friend. Now, will you agree to help me or not?"
Gabriel held his hands up defensively. "Hey man, this is no small favor. I haven't been back home in years, but if it'll piss off Raph then I'll look into in it. I'll swing by and let you know when I've got something good."
"Thank you, Gabriel."
"Hey, that's what family is for."
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Cas zapped back to Bobby's house and scared the crap out of the old hunter as he stumbled around his kitchen for a snack. Bobby jumped and screamed before rolling his eyes after seeing who it was.
"Holly shit, Cas! You nearly gave me a heart attack. We're going to have to put a bell around your neck or something."
"I apologize, Robert. Where are the Winchesters?"
Bobby grumbled that Cas wasn't really sorry since this was the millionth time he'd scared somebody by sneaking up behind them, but sat down and began to eat the last piece of Viola's apple pie. Meanwhile, Cas stared at the pie almost longingly. He remembered that Viola smelled overwhelming like apple pie the day she was taken. She always managed to smell like cinnamon. He began to feel her absence greatly.
Bobby noticed Cas' staring and pointed to the plate politely. "Do you want any?"
"No…thank you."
The old hunter sighed. "Listen, Cas. Dean and Sam took off to do some hunting. They were getting stir-crazy look through books and sitting around waiting. I think they're looking to find some way help Vi too. And I know that this sucks, but you just got to hang in there and believe that she's going to be ok."
In an intense voice, Castiel replied, "You don't understand" and in a burst of air he was gone.
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TBC
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