Author's note: It has not been a very good day, my friends. To be honest, I'm rather sad. Don't worry, I'm coping, I'm just... not in the best place right now. Sorry, just needed to get that out.

Enjoy!

"Taken?" Cas demanded. "To Heaven? You mean, he was kidnapped by other angels?"

Sam could only nod.

Dean should have returned to heaven hours ago. Instead, they had come for him. This was bad.

Cas' heart began hammering uncontrollably as the truth began to sink in. Dean was gone. Dean had been taken back to Heaven. After all Cas had heard about his superior, about duty...

"Why are you still here?" he asked more harshly than he intended. If they were after Dean, they must be after Sam too; he was more or less a renegade angel. So why had Sam escaped?

Had he left Dean to his fate? Cas couldn't believe it. On the other hand, they were angels and angels didn't feel like humans did.

The reminder hurt more than it should have.

Sam looked... guilty?

"Dean sent me away. I couldn't move; I suspect they tried immobilizing him too. I have no idea how he managed to do it."

Cas did. He knew the power of having to protect someone. And it had become very clear to him that Dean did see Sam as his brother, in the human sense of the word.

Sam looked away.

"He should have saved himself."

"He would never have done that" Cas replied. He might not have known him for long, but he felt certain of that. He just wasn't sure Sam would understand.

But apparently he did, because he sighed and answered, "I know. He's always been... protective of me. I understand it in battle, we all have to protect our brothers and sisters. But..."

He stopped, then continued, as if determined not to let himself be hindered by the fact that what he was about to say was wrong for an angel to even think.

"We have been close for a long time. The human way, I mean. I am not surprised he decided to send me away."

Cas had only known him as a doubting soldier who followed his own path; but there must have been a time when he was obedient, when he blindly obeyed. He must have slowly come to the realization that there was more going on than he was told, and Cas doubted he'd had the support he was now giving Dean.

Plus, he was probably blaming himself. If he hadn't shown up, if he hadn't been so close to Dean –

Cas didn't blame him. Dean certainly wouldn't, either. But he didn't know what Sam was feeling. The angel was more difficult to read than Dean.

"Where's Dean's – " he stopped himself before he could say "body"; it was a vessel, of course; but Dean had said that was in Heaven; so there must be an empty body left.

"He's upstairs." Sam seemed to realize that he'd brought a body into the house and quickly turned to Adler, but he just shook his head.

"It's not the first time, and it certainly won't be the last."

That raised some questions that perhaps Cas would care to find answers to once they had managed to get Dean back.

"What do we do?"

Sam didn't look hopeful, but at least he didn't dismiss Cas' question outright. So maybe there was a way.

"He'll be held in a part of Heaven few angels are allowed to enter."

"There has to be something" Cas implored him, well aware that he was sounding desperate. But this was the angel who had saved him from Hell. The angel who had in the process unwittingly given him a new goal in life, even if it was mainly to survive. And stop the Apocalypse.

They had to save him.

"There might be... someone who can help us" Sam said slowly. "In Heaven. He was a strong soldier, but he retired millennia ago to take care of the word of God."

"Heaven has a library" Adler observed matter-of-factly.

"If you want to call it that" Sam replied. "But him and us" and he didn't need to explain that he meant "me and Dean" "were close. He was the first angel we fought under."

He seemed almost nostalgic now, and Cas wondered how long ago this had been. Had earth even existed then? Or had there only been angels, fighting against whatever evil had existed at the beginning of time?

"Can you contact him without anyone noticing?"

"It's not going to be easy" Sam answered. "I would have to get past the guards and into the inner circle of Heaven."

"But it can be done?"

"Theoretically."

"Not that this is going to stop me from trying" Sam announced simply. "I can't allow them to do this to Dean."

Cas had a feeling that he should probably ask what "it" meant but part of him didn't want to know. No matter what they were doing to Dean at this moment, it couldn't be good.

"On the other hand... " Sam began slowly. "We could try to summon him."

Cas had known demons could be summoned and had done so on occasion when a job required it. But he had not yet considered that angels could be summoned as well. In hindsight, it was a stupid oversight, of course.

"Can't we summon Dean?" he asked hopefully. If they could bring him here and perhaps make the place safe... There had to be a spell, a sigil to keep the other angels out –

"They won't allow it" Sam explained. "But I doubt anyone thought of taking the same precautions with Bobby."

"Bobby" Adler muttered to himself "Sam. Dean. Not exactly the angel names I read about all these years. What do we need?"

Thankfully he had been hoarding magical artefact and ingredients for longer than Cas had known him, and it turned out he had everything they needed in the house and that miraculously, nothing had been destroyed by the ghosts.

Sam quickly drew the symbols necessary on the living room floor while Cas and Adler mixed the ingredients.

Sam quickly took the bowl when they were finished and through the ingredients in the fireplace, chanting Enochian.

They waited. Nothing happened.

"Maybe – " Adler began but suddenly a bright light filled the room. Cas recognized it as the light that often accompanied angelic encounters and closed his eyes, calling out for Adler to do the same.

When the glare disappeared from behind his eyelids, he opened his eyes to see –

Someone he hadn't been expecting. When Sam had talked about his former leader, he had imagined an imposing, vengeful angel, and had assumed his vessel would reflect that.

Instead, he was looking at a gruff older man with a bear and a... baseball cap on his head.

He looked pissed, but nowhere near righteous.

"You better have a damn good explanation for this..." he began, eying Cas and Adler before sensing the angel behind him.

He turned.

"Sam?"

"Hello, Bobby."

Cas didn't think he'd yet seen a more spontaneous human reaction than the pleased smile on the older angel's face.

"Good to see you, boy. It's been a while."

"Several millennia" Sam confirmed.

"What's that human expression? Time flies."

Bobby looked around as if he expected someone else to be there, and Cas had the impression that he was looking for Dean, even if he must have felt that no other angel was near.

"Where's Dean?"

"They've taken him, Bobby."

If Cas hadn't known better, he would have taken them for humans. Their obvious worry for Dean calmed him down somewhat; with two angels on their side, and one of them old and experienced, they stood a better chance than before.

"You mean – "

"John. They want him to be... reset."

Sam forced the word out, and a peculiar expression passed his face. Cas suddenly had the impression that Sam knew exactly what he was talking about.

"I wouldn't expect anything less. But why?"

Sam looked at Cas. Bobby studied him.

"Ah. Castiel Novak. The Righteous Man. It didn't went exactly as foretold, I hear."

Cas shook his head, although he was unsure whether the angel was addressing him.

Apparently he was, because Bobby demanded, "So, tell me what happened then."

Cas did. He wasn't sure why the angel would rather have him tell the story, as opposed to Sam, who could probably give a more coherent narrative. But he did his best, trying not to let certain... details filter through.

He was rather sure that Sam would have taken no exception to his feelings. But he had no idea about Bobby.

He simply nodded when Cas was done.

"I see. Dean always had too much heart."

"He has quite enough" Cas spat before he could stop himself. Bobby just chuckled.

"I see why he likes you." He snapped his fingers. "First things first."

He took a few steps toward Cas and touched his breast; pain seared through him and he buckled up before it vanished as quickly as it came, standing up just in time to see him do the same to Adler.

"What was that?"

"Now angels won't be able to find you. Also keeps you from getting possessed. You're welcome."

"Why are you helping us?" Adler demanded and Cas realized it was a completely understandable question even as he felt unreasonably angry.

He trusted Bobby because Sam, and, according to the other angel's words, Dean trusted him. Yet he had never seen him before. A year ago, he would never have believed him so freely.

But a year ago, he hadn't yet met Dean. A year ago, he hadn't known the angel with the bright green eyes and childish enthusiasm who had turned his life upside down in more ways than one.

And what Sam had said about resetting him – would it destroy the angel Cas knew? Turn him into an obedient soldier again? They couldn't let that happen.

A needle. The needle again. He remembered now, he remembered they had brought him and Sam here before... It had hurt then, it would hurt again... He didn't want them to hurt him... But he also didn't want to do what they told him to – he couldn't – Cas – Cas –

"Because I happen to like these two idjits. They've always known what the real mission was. Protecting God's work. That's what I wanted too. Why d'you think I came to look after the scriptures? If I'd stayed in the field, they would've noticed my doubts eventually."

"Doubts..." Sam echoed almost reverently. Bobby nodded.

"I know it ain't easy, boy. But I always thought if any angels could break through the mind control, it would be you and your brother."

You and your brother, Cas noted. Again someone noticing the close relationship that existed between Sam and Dean. Sam didn't even try to object.

Apparently Adler was reassured by the human-like demeanour of their guest. He stayed quiet.

"So what do we do?" Cas asked. It felt like he'd asked that question a lot in the last half hour, but he simply hated feeling helpless.

"I'll return to Heaven and see what I can find out. They shouldn't miss me yet – they're so used to me being holed up in the library, they probably wouldn't notice me being gone for years. Still, better if I get back soon."

"And we're supposed to wait?" Cas asked.

"First of all, get out of here. You got a safe place you can stay?"

"Several" Adler answered immediately. Cas looked at him, surprised. "You can't be too careful. I have copies of my most valuable books there as well."

"Always a good idea" Bobby agreed.

Cas was mostly glad that something was about to be done.

The needle – the pain – scared – he was scared – but Cas – and Sam – Father, please don't allow them to find Sammy – I sent him as far away as I could – It might have been a sin, but I was only trying to protect him – please, please watch over them –

No, no – Not the needle – his vessel shuddered – thank God the soul of the hunter – what was his name again? – had long since departed – No – No –

Important – work –

Obedience –

But Cas –

Cas –

Ca –