A/N: I'm sorry this is late. I got hit by school again and by a nasty cold. Still fighting it tooth and nail so I can be better for next weekend (TORONTO CON MOTHERFUCKERS). That being said, I will still be posting next week, so no worries there. And if you're going to be there, give me a shout. I would love to meet you.

Um, just one more thing. I have taken a few creative liberties with the medical system in this chapter. I don't know much about it, so I made things up... yah...

It took Castiel three days to wake up, Denathus never leaving his side for even a moment. Samthrian would sometimes stand outside the doorway and watch as his brother would carefully drip water into Castiel's open mouth as if handling a newborn, running a wet cloth over his lips to keep him hydrated. He remained focused the entire time, nothing drawing his attention from the man sleeping below him; the sense that Castiel was Denathus' responsibility driving him the entire time, not a fraction of a second taken by sleep.

It was Castiel's finger that twitched first, the sight fraction of life startling Denathus, the Spartan becoming more alert than he had ever been. He watched with an eagle's eye for the next several minutes, another movement the focus of every prayer that he sent up to the gods. Castiel's next motion was one for more proportion, a moan echoing from his mouth as his head turned to the side, one hand gripping at the cold floor below him. That had Denathus calling out, Samthrian and Castiel's entire family rushing into the room, eyes wide with hope. Castiel moaned again, his eyes fluttering open before he let out a gasp, shutting his eyes and turning violently away from the sunlight streaming into his room, causing another moan to escape his body. Denathus unconsciously moved to block the sunlight from hitting Castiel's face, giving the man some form of escape.

Castiel blinked several times, eyes struggling to focus on the people around him. "Gabe?" he asked, his voice breaking after disuse and causing him to cough.

Denathus was there to help instantly, helping the other man sit up, waiting until the violent expulsions of air were distant memories. Holding a bowl of water to Castiel's lips he instructed Castiel to drink, only letting a small flow of water enter the other man's mouth before pulling it back. Gabriel knelt down beside Castiel, tears rimming his eyes as he said, "I'm here Cassie."

Castiel cocked his head, his eyes unfocused as he asked, "Where's Samandrial?"

Gabriel choked, one tear slipping down his cheek before he answered, "He's not here Castiel. Hasn't been for a long time."

Castiel shook his head slightly, his face full of confusion as he stated, "No! I saw him yesterday! We were going to go to the market today. He wanted an orange so bad…" Castiel started panicking, his chest rising and falling with each rapid intake of breath, eyes skittering around the room.

Denathus put his hand on Castiel's back as Samthrian made each Athenian take several steps back, his brown eyes full of concern. Denathus rubbed small circles on his back, making the other man bend down, his head going between his knees. Denathus spoke softly, his words barely more than whispers, "Breathe Castiel, slowly. Deep breath in, deep breath out. Try and match me." With that he moved, sitting side by side with the other man, just enough contact for Castiel to feel the expansion and collapse of Denathus' torso along side his own. Castiel's family watched as his breathing slowed down, the shaky breaths finally becoming the solid like the soldier's beside him.

Castiel could hear Samthrian telling his family to leave the room, the tallest Spartan leaving after them as the soft creak of the door finalizing their departure. He kept his head down, pulling his knees up to rest his forehead against. He wrapped his arms wound his knees, pulling them tight into his chest as the memories came flooding back to him, each one just as vivid as if he was living them again. Every second of his life came rushing back to him, his head pounding with the strain. The only thing that evaded him was the night before, no matter how hard he tried to recall the circumstances; there was nothing that could bring that moonlit evening back to him.

He could feel Denathus' presence at his side; he did not need to see the face of the man beside him to know that his protector was none other than the golden Spartan. He knew in the same way that a mother knew her child, with complete and perfect certainty. The words that flowed like the sweetest honey reached Castiel's ears, the hand on his back stilling as the Spartan spoke, "Castiel, do you remember where you are?"

Castiel nodded, his head rubbing up and down on the blanket covering his form before replying, "My bedroom."

He must have answered well as Denathus' voice was lighter when he asked the next question, "Do you know what season it is?"

Castiel remained still this time, "It's the first season of the year, the new moon was just last night."

That didn't seem to be the answer that Denathus wanted as the hand on his back tensed for a second before the man spoke again, "The new moon was four nights ago. You've been unconscious for three days Castiel."

Castiel looked up at that statement, searching Denathus face for any trace of a lie, any strand that he could hold on to. But the Spartan had no flaw in his armor, nothing to tell Castiel that what he had just said was anything less than word of the gods. "What- what happened?"

Denathus' brow came together, his eyes hard as he asked, "Can you not remember?"

Castiel faintly shook his head, his expression that of utter hopelessness. Denathus turned Castiel's downcast head towards him, catching his blue eyes with his green, "What can you remember?"

Castiel sighed, his gaze moving to the blank floor at his feet as he struggled to relive the night before, "Gabriel and I were sparring in the garden when you called out for us to stop…or was that Samthrian?" Castiel raised his head, his eyes helpless, "I- I can't recall."

Denathus took a deep breath, running his hand through his hair before recalling, "After I stopped you and Gabriel sparring, there were words exchanged that resulted in you picking up your sword and fighting me. I landed several blows on you, the final one resulting in a head injury that should not have been as bad as it was. You have been asleep ever since."

Castiel took in Denathus' words, watching as the Spartan refused to meet his eye as he told the story, the wall across from them seemingly more important than Castiel. Castiel was stern as he spoke again, demanding Denathus' attention, "What did you say Denathus?"

Denathus turned back to the other man, his demeanor screaming that this was a subject that he did not want to discuss, "It doesn't matter-"

"What did you say Denathus?" Castiel snapped, his eyes blazing dangerously similar to those of Lucifer.

"I called you an abomination okay?! Are you happy now?" Denathus blurted out, no source of an apology to be found in his words.

Castiel's face hardened, his voice a low rumble in his chest, "Get out."

Denathus did not need to be told twice, standing gracefully to his feet and out the door, the swirl of his cloak the only reminder of his presence. Castiel watched with a fury growing his belly, bile rising in the back of his throat at the mere thought of the other man.

Denathus swept down the hallway and down to the center room where the rest of Castiel's family waited, never having left each other's sides the entire time. He spoke calmly and without a trace of emotion, "Castiel needs rest, only soft food for the first several days and increasing amounts of liquid. His body will be weaned back after such a lengthy amount of time without. Samthrian, I must speak with you and Gabriel privately."

Denathus left the room, a confused Samthrian following after him, Gabriel trailing with an admirable gap between him and the taller man before him. Denathus headed to the garden, stopping and turning in the middle of the open space. He hardly waited for the other two men to join him before speaking, "I am no longer able to train Castiel."

Gabriel huffed, crossing his arms, as he remarked, "No shit Dean-o. Most people don't come back from a vicious beating asking for more."

Denathus glared at Gabriel, his eye never leaving the other man as he spoke to Samthrian, "I was hoping that I could train Michael and Lucifer."

Samthrian and Gabriel both called out at the same time, each one just as passionate as the other, "No!" "Oh gods no!"

Denathus looked between the two of them, not quite grasping the problem with his suggestion, "Why not?"

Samthrian crossed his arms, his gazed iron clad, "There is nothing you can say that would make me want to train Gabriel."

Gabriel scoffed, "I'd rather be castrated than spend another moment looking at his ugly mug."

Samthrian muttered under his breath, turning his face away from the smaller man, "You'd be doing the world a favor."

Gabriel opened his mouth to respond, but thinking twice he just closed his mouth and punched Samthrian in the nose, a sharp crack echoing through the garden. Samthrian's hand flew to his nose, blood streaming between his fingers. His eyes were wide, more from disbelief than shock, a steady flow of curses coming from his mouth. Denathus watched the exchange with wide eyes, his mouth hanging open before a laugh erupted out of him. Denathus kept laughing, each day of stress lifting from him. Gabriel and Samthrian both watched him, Gabriel with unbelief and Samthrian with confusion, Denathus' behavior shocking them both.

The blonde's eyes filled with tears, one leaking out of the corner of his eyes before his laughter settled down to mere heavy intakes of breath. Running a hand under his eyes, Denathus chuckled, "Come on Sam, let's get that nose set."

As Denathus and Samthrian walked past Gabriel, Denathus turned his head to Gabriel, giving the other man a smirk and a nod, congratulating him on shutting Samthrian up. Gabriel smiled smugly, crossing his arms across his chest and grinning like the Cheshire cat.