Ok, so here's the next chapter. I love love love writing Castiel! The next chapter will be the big one and will probably be in two parts, I will be working on it over the next few days so you won't be kept in suspense for too long! I hope you enjoy this as much as I love writing it, thank you for your lovely comments and reviews. Happy reading!
Part XX
Bobby raised his cap from his head, shifting it slightly before settling it roughly back down. He sighed sharply with annoyance.
"Why in Gods name are you still here Winchester? Thought I told you to get the hell out of my house"
"I wanna help Bobby…" John replied from where he sat, clasping his hands tightly together in front of him on the kitchen table.
He looked over at the older hunter. Bobby was clearly unhappy that he'd decided to stick around, and he made no effort whatsoever to hide it, but it hadn't deterred John from doing so. As per usual John Winchester did whatever the hell he liked.
He shook his head.
"Whatever you might think of me, I'm still their father…they're still my boys…"
"Don't give me that bull crap, you lost your right to call yourself a father the minute you sold out your son…" Bobby retorted, pointing an accusing finger at John, who glared back irately.
"I didn't do it for me…" he said firmly.
"No? Then who exactly d'you do it for huh? Cos it weren't for Dean and it sure as hell weren't for Sam. Who you tryin' a fool?"
"She's their mom, Bobby, of course it was for them."
"Even if that's true, which I doubt it is, it don't make it okay dammit! Sam's your son, your flesh and blood, and you used him to bargain with a demon! Now tell me that don't go against everything you stand for…"
Bobby looked to the man in exasperation. No matter what he said, or how he put this to John, the stubborn bastard wouldn't yield. Couldn't admit that he was wrong.
"it doesn't matter now anyway…Crowley went back on his word." John looked away from Bobby and rose to his feet.
"Doesn't matter?...Doesn't matter? That rat bastard's still got your son, how can than not matter to you?"
"I said I wanna help didn't I? what more can I do? I wanna kill that son of a bitch…"
Bobby snorted judgementally
"Yeah, I'll bet you do…" he mumbled.
A moments silence passed and the air grew abundantly tense around them as they continued to glower at each across the room.
"What exactly are you saying Bobby?" John asked quietly, his tone low and steady, verging on threatening.
"I'm sayin'…your deal with Crowley went belly up, and now you want revenge. This aint got nothing' to do with getting Sam back, this is you stampin your feet cos y'didn't get what it was you came for!" Bobby bit back harshly, ignoring the edge of danger in John's voice.
John's expression turned undeniably cold and an angry smirk twitched at his lips.
"A deal's a deal Bobby…" he said.
The words were like ice to Bobby's heart, and John's sudden indifference made the older hunter see red. He was all geared up to lunge at John when another voice broke in to the room.
"Enough!…Enough with your petulance!"
The two men looked around in astonishment. Having been so consumed by the moment, they had failed to hear the gentle flutter of wings.
…
"Cas?" Bobby asked gingerly, recoiling a little as he took in the wrathfully charged glare the angel was protruding upon them both.
His eyes travelled slowly between the two hunters, head unmoving, eyes unblinking.
Unspeaking, for what seemed like an eternity. So Bobby tried again.
"Cas, what are you…?"
"Oh believe me, I have no desire to be here. I had hoped at very least… that you might have rid yourself of your… houseguest." He said, looking to John who scowled indignantly at the remark.
"Trust me…he's leavin'…" Bobby replied throwing an accompanying scornful look towards the other hunter.
"I'm not goin anywhere Bobby, not until I…"
"This… would be a good time… for you to be very…very quiet." Castiel strode slowly towards John and halted within an arms-length of the man.
"I have no time, for your petty bickering, and I certainly have no time for you. So please…do me the courtesy, of keeping silent"
"I wanna help" John insisted adamantly.
It hadn't taken much, but the angel's tolerance had already been tested well beyond its limits over the past few days, and he lost his cool quickly with the hunter.
He stalked closer, and John retreated hesitantly, his simpering look silently defying the angel to have any real superiority.
But Castiel wasn't playing ball, he could see right through John, and he had no intention of justifying the supremacy of his power to the man.
"I have no need of your assistance…you…repulse me. It's people like you, who give mankind the reputation that it has…Keep…silent."
With his eyes still fixed upon the oldest Winchester, Castiel withdrew slowly.
He turned his gaze to Bobby.
"But I do need your help Bobby." He said.
"Sure thing, what d'ya need? I take it you had no luck findin' where Crowley's keepin'Sam?"
Castiel shook his head once and averted his gaze.
"No. But there's more now, things have…changed. It's bad."
"How d'you mean bad? What's happened?...Cas?"
Castiel sighed, gaze fixated firmly on the ground. His brow furrowed tightly as he looked back up at Bobby.
"I mean… Crowley has taken Dean also…and I have no idea where."
The shock of the revelation forced Bobby to sink back in to the chair beneath him. His expression contort with horror as he looked up at the angel.
"How the hell'd that happen? I thought he was with you…?"
"He was. Unfortunately it appears that Crowley was one step ahead of us…" Castiel paused and shook his head solemnly. "That's definitely not a good sign"
"Huh…y'think?" Bobby huffed quietly.
Castiel stiffened at the negligible retort.
"It means…that whatever he has planned, Dean is at the centre of it."
"How do you work that one out?"
"Because taking Sam, was just a ploy to draw him out, to make him go directly to Crowley…it seems that Dean was the one he really needed."
John shook his head, daring to break his silence.
"No. No Crowley wanted Dean to help me… Sam was only…" John quietened and his gaze dropped to the ground.
"Go on." Castiel said impatiently.
"Yeah John…Sam was only what now?" Bobby glared at the hunter, still fuming over John's previous apathy over his son.
"Sam was only…he was only handed over in exchange for Mary" John replied, a tinge of guilt audible in his voice.
Bobby growled, ready to hurl another stream of angry obscenities, but Castiel raised his hand, silencing him.
"I'm sorry John, but I don't think that was the only reason Crowley needed Sam. He had much bigger plans. Did it occur to you why didn't he just ask you for your soul in return for Mary? Why Sam was more important to him than something of such tremendous value?"
John shook his head. No
Castiel looked over at Bobby, who shrugged his shoulders cluelessly, eyes curiously wide.
"He wasn't interested in your soul John, because that's exactly what it is, just one soul."
John and Bobby frowned identically in confusion.
"Crowley doesn't want one soul." Castiel continued. "Why would he? when he could have millions?"
…
"Purgatory?" Bobby asked disbelievingly. "You mean actual purgatory?"
Castiel sighed with frustration.
"How many other purgatories do you know Bobby?."
"well…none until about thirty seconds ago"
"Yes, actual purgatory…"
"You know for sure that's what he wants?"
Castiel paused and looked away remorsefully. He nodded once,
"I'm certain of it."
"How?"
"Because I shared his desire to find it. He was…assisting me."
"You were workin' with Crowley?" Bobby stood up and looked over at the angel in disbelief.
"No." Castiel responded adamantly. "No, he was merely…useful to me. he helped hunt out the monster that would give us the answers we needed to locate and open purgatory."
"Yeah but still…Crowley?..."
"I don't think either of you are in any position to call judgement on my misconceptions." Castiel countered furiously.
Bobby held up his hands palms splayed, averting the challenge from the angel cautiously.
"Okay okay…touché! But you're not tellin me Crowley helped you outta the goodness of his heart…" he said, hoping he'd managed to successfully stifle the argument, not wanting their focus on finding the boys to be diverted.
"I promised to share with him the souls housed in there. He would harvest one half, the other half would be mine. That's what I led him to believe anyway." Castiel responded, climbing slowly down from the previous outburst.
"You mean you double crossed him? Great that's all we need, one seriously pissed off Demon on a power trip!" Bobby huffed.
"I merely absconded with the source of information Crowley had located for us. I had no intention of allowing him to enter purgatory."
"So you got him to do your dirty work for you, then left him high and dry…boy I wouldn't like to be in your shoes when he catches up with you."
"That's just it." Castiel said solemnly. "He already has."
"huh?"
The angel sighed and looked down at the ground. His face lined with remorse and concern.
"Earlier I heard Dean calling me. His voice was vague…distant. He told me that he was sorry, that he had to protect Sam…"
"Sounds like Dean." Bobby commented. He watched the angel with compassion, noting how Castiel's gaze had still not left the floor.
"He was desperate, pleading for my help. But something just wasn't right…"
"You think Crowley took the boys to get to you" Bobby said gently.
It wasn't a question, and Castiel didn't receive it as one. Bobby had merely confirmed the angel's judgement, and he nodded despairingly.
"He knows it's the only way to draw me out. Taking Sam to get Dean…and using Dean to get to me. He knows how much I care for the boys, Dean and I in particular share a strong bond…that's why he was able to contact me despite the obstruction Crowley has created between us…and that's why Crowley is using him against me. He wants this to hurt."
The room fell silent for a few moments while the two hunters absorbed the latest revelation.
It was Bobby who spoke first.
"So…where do we start?" he asked
Castiel straightened up and squared his jaw with determination. He nodded over at Bobby.
"I need you to be prepared. Wherever they're holding the boys, I can't enter. I'll need you for that. We just need to wait for the call."
"And in the meantime?" Bobby asked.
"Right now there's someone I need to find. I have an idea…I think it'll work, but i'm going to need a power stronger than my own."
"We can't just leave the boys to rot without at least trying to find out where they are?" Bobby protested urgently.
The angel shook his head.
"I sincerely doubt we'll be kept waiting" Castiel replied. "So I have to move quickly if we have any chance at succeeding."
He smiled solemnly over at the hunter.
Another gentle flutter of wings, and he was gone.
Bobby huffed in frustration, blinking in to the now- empty space before him.
"Might help if we knew what the plan was" he mumbled
"idjit!"