Bobby was in the living room reading up on supernatural lore and trying desperately not to think about Sam and the possibility of him being blind. He'd never forgive himself if it was true. He'd sent those men in Sam's direction. If they blinded him, he was responsible.
Dean, Bobby also knew would never forgive himself. Dean blamed himself for pushing Sam away. He'd been beating himself up since he learned what happened to his brother. While Bobby agreed that Dean was dead wrong for what he did to Sam, it didn't make him responsible for what happened to him. Dean didn't see it that way though, and if Sam was blind, it would be a thousand times worse.
Bobby's thoughts were cut off when suddenly Dean's voice rang out right in front.
"Dude, what the hell?!
Bobby flinched in surprise as he heard his surrogate son's voice. He looked up and saw him and Castiel right in front of him. "Are you kidding me. You idjits are lucky I didn't have my gun on me!"
"Don't look at me. He just freaking teleported me here with no warning. What the hell, Cas? You know I hate angel travel!" Dean grumbled. This hadn't been what he expected when the angel called him and asked where he was. Cas was barely there two seconds before he put his fingers to Dean's head and brought him here.
"That is why I did it this way," Castiel said matter-of-factly. He knew Dean would argue about driving and he felt that would take too long. Dean and Bobby both needed to know about Sam right away and it was easier to tell them together.
"Yeah, well, this better be about my brother, since looking for him is what you should be doing," Dean said with a glare. He was still pissed at Cas for what happened to Sam. Dean knew he had his own responsibility in what happened to Sam, but so did Cas.
"It is. I located Sam in France with my brother, Gabriel," Castiel said.
"It was him then?" Bobby asked. Given all the similarities, he felt it almost had to be, but he didn't see him himself, so there were still doubts.
Dean narrowed his eyes at Bobby. "What? You knew where he was?"
"A hunter friend had Sam's description and ran into someone he said fit it in France yesterday," Bobby said.
"Yesterday? Why the hell didn't you call me?!" Dean demanded to know.
Bobby glared at him. "Watch it, boy. I didn't tell you because I didn't wanna needlessly get your hopes up, so I asked Cas to check it out."
Dean turned back to Castiel. "So where the hell is he?"
"I told you, he's in France," Castiel said.
"Well, why the hell didn't you bring him back? And who's this dick, Gabriel?" Dean demanded to know.
"Gabriel's an archangel. That's why I didn't bring Sam back," Castiel said.
"Great. Is he working for Lucifer?" Dean asked.
"No, I don't think so. Lucifer was nowhere around, and Gabriel had him out in public. Lucifer would be unlikely to allow that if he was involved. I don't think Gabriel is doing this for anyone but himself and Sam," Castiel said. He didn't agree with much of what Gabriel said, but he seemed to genuinely care about Sam.
Dean snorted at the idea of an angel giving a damn about his brother. "Was my brother okay? What did he say?"
"Gabriel wouldn't allow me to speak to him," Castiel said.
Dean huffed angrily. "What right does this bastard have to decide who my brother can and can't talk to?! Take me to them now, Cas! I'm getting my brother back!"
"I can't do that, Dean. For one, as I said, it was a public place and Gabriel most likely left as soon as we finished. But even if I could take you to him, I wouldn't. He is an archangel. You cannot force him to relinquish Sam. He would be able to kill you before you so much as tried to touch him. It does not help that he holds you responsible for what happened to Sam," Castiel exclaimed.
Dean scowled. He knew he was indeed responsible for what happened to his brother, but what right did some dick angel have to judge him? He didn't know either of them or their relationship with each other. Now, if Sam wanted to blame him, that was fine. He would take every single bit of his brother's anger, but he wasn't going to be judged by some stranger.
"Why does he even care? What does this guy want?" Bobby wanted to know. He refused to believe some angel actually gave a damn about Sam. Angels had proven to be assholes, aside from the present company, and even that was very recent. This guy wanted something from them or Sam.
"I don't know all of Gabriel's motives for helping Sam, but I do believe he genuinely cares for him," Castiel said.
"Yeah, right! If he really cared about Sam, he'd let him go. He'd bring my brother back to me," Dean said.
Castiel knew his next words were going to hurt his friend. "Gabriel claims that he offered that. Sam did not wish to see you. He says Sam doesn't trust you anymore."
Dean felt like a knife had just been plunged into his chest at those words. Nothing could've hurt worse than hearing that his brother didn't trust him. He'd taken care of his brother his whole life, been the one person Sam could trust above anyone else. Now he was hearing Sam didn't trust him anymore. It was a huge blow. The ironic part was that he had said the same thing to Sam not too long ago. He'd caused him that same pain he was feeling now.
"It's coming from an angel, Dean. You don't know that it's true," Bobby said.
Dean nodded. Bobby was right, it could be a lie, though Dean felt he'd deserve it if it weren't. "Even if it is true, this dude is holding him against his will. Sam would never stay with an angel. Either he's physically forcing him or he's using some kind of leverage."
"There's not really anywhere else for Sam to go," Castiel said.
"He's not a child. He'd have no trouble going off by himself," Dean said.
"Yes, actually, he would," Castiel said sadly.
Bobby sighed, knowing what was coming. He'd hoped that Sam being blind wasn't true, though he pretty much knew that was a delusion since everything else he learned yesterday turned out to be. "Dean, sit down."
Dean turned to Bobby. "What?"
"Sit," Bobby said again.
"Hell no! What's going on?!" Dean demanded to know. Bobby seemed to know something else about his brother that he didn't and he wanted to know right now.
"Son, you really need to sit for this," Bobby said gently.
Dean knew that what he was about to hear was bad by the way Bobby spoke to him. Not once in his life had he ever heard Bobby talk like that, with no trace of his usual gruff tone. So he did as he was asked and sat down on the couch.
"The hunter that saw Sam yesterday told me something else. He said that Sam was blind," Bobby said.
Dean immediately jumped up. "He's wrong!"
"No, he isn't, Dean. Sam cannot see," Castiel said.
"Shut up! I won't freaking let you tell me my brother's blind!" Dean exploded. This was not something he could accept. Living with the knowledge that he'd left his brother alone to get tortured was bad enough, but he could not live with him being blinded too. No, this was not happening!
"I'm sorry, but it's true," Castiel said.
"You know, if your asshole brother cares so much, why hasn't he healed him?" Bobby asked, his gruff tone back.
"He can't. Holy oil was used in the method they used to blind him," Castiel said.
Bobby thought of asking what method was used, but he quickly decided he didn't want to know, and it was certainly best right now if Dean didn't know.
Dean, meanwhile, angrily bolted towards the door.
"Dean!" Bobby called.
"No! I am not listening to any more about my brother being blind!" Dean yelled before continuing to the door.