Wow. Who'd have thought Michael could be wrangled into being reasonable? That hypnotism thing really did the trick!
Castiel honestly wasn't all that surprised when the first thing he and his magical 'partner in crime' saw as they exited the operating theatre was the two sidelined Winchesters. Standing bowstring-taut only an arguably safe distance down the hall.
Neither was he particularly surprised with the way the pair descended upon the two of them. Considering how long the procedure had taken and, consequently, how long they'd been forced to wait.
"Did-did it work? Are they okay? I-Is Dean and-and Michael-"
"Yes, Sam," Cas said, pushing his expression as far to the reassuring side as he could. "The transference was a success. Both souls are now where they were meant to be."
"But it's going to take time for the poor devils to adjust to the change," Rowena was quick to add, expression much the same as his own, when Castiel glanced to check. "I'm afraid it'll be at least until morning before either wakes, though you're welcome to sit with them if you'd like."
"That won't disturb any magic fields or circles or-"
"There is no need for worry, Mary," Castiel informed with a small smile he hoped bolstered. "The spells have run their course and Michael and Dean are both safe and sound within their own bodies."
The relief that swept across the mother and brother's faces at the news was like something out of a movie, thought Castiel, rather caught up in the glory of the image.
After all, Mary and Sam had both done so much, suffered so much with only the hope of keeping Dean safe and alive. For the idea of him ever reclaiming his autonomy had, even to Cas, felt like a pipe dream. Up until Michael himself had suggested it.
"I'd bear in mind though," came Rowena's clear voice, cutting across the growing smiles like a cold breeze on an otherwise warm day, "Dean's soul is up to the task of running its own body once again, but not much else I'm afraid."
"What does that mean?" Asked a once again quite concerned Mary.
"Mostly that he won't be a world class conversationalist for some while. If he ever was one to begin with, of course," the witch amended. Wry eyebrow seeming to assure no one.
"A soul is not something easy to heal," Cas offered, drawing the Winchesters' concerned gazes back to himself. "As I'm sure most of us are aware, human souls are analogous to nuclear reactors; nearly pure, boundless, volatile energy. Only, unlike a nuclear reactor, were we to attempt to work closely with its core and something were to go amiss, bringing about some uncontrolled form of fission or even meltdown..."
"You wouldn't have any spiritual cooling rods to reign it in," Mary finished for the angel. Earning an impressed raise of the brow from the witch in their midst.
"That is the theory, yes. Therefore, though it may be possible, we dare not meddle with the healing process any more than proven to be safe," Cas regretted to inform.
"But you're already speeding it up, right?" Asked a Mary looking between the two magic wielders as if they were her son's most trusted personal physicians. A thought which, for some nebulous, unsure reason, made Castiel suddenly far more uncomfortable with the situation than he'd yet been.
"Oh yes," Rowena said with an emphatic nod. "In fact, Castiel here has made it his mission to run himself utterly ragged doing exactly that. Why, if you hadn't called me when you did, I fear the poor thing wouldn't have lasted the-"
"Rowena is being dramatic," insisted a suddenly flustered angel, speaking up before his friend's eyes could grow too large. "I'm fine and there's nothing to worry-"
"Castiel, you will know when I'm being 'dramatic'," the witch cut in, flashing a stormy glare her interrupter's way.
"But," she restarted, calm look back the moment she set her eyes front again, "since this is obviously a sore subject, I'll leave it at that and retire for the evening. I'll expect the agreed upon payment delivered to my quarters before breakfast is served."
"Uh, right, no problem," assured the Sam she'd directed her last comment to as she turned to leave the group to their own devices.
"Castiel, are you really okay?" Mary asked soon as the three of them found themselves alone.
Unsure how to respond in the face of such concern, Cas averted his gaze from that of the Winchester mother, only to be rooted to the spot by what he found on her son's.
"You didn't have a choice, did you, Cas?" Asked a man beset by far more than his fair share of both sadness and regret. "They really were that bad off, weren't they?"
To that, all Cas could do was nod. Unwilling to lie to his friends even if it might temporarily have spared them an ugly truth.
"So you secretly work so hard you almost kill yourself and Rowena's the one being dramatic?" Accused the woman with the hands on her hips and the censorious set to her brow.
"I... didn't want to worry you," the angel admitted, sending the mother a contrite look as he did.
"We were going to worry either way, Cas," Sam insisted, one hand moving in an unconscious gesture of frustration. "If you'd told us how hard this whole thing was on you... maybe we could have done something to help."
"Like called in the witch sooner," the senior hunter suggested with a reproachful look. "Or maybe figured out how to knock those wardings down a few notches ourselves. Enough to take the edge off anyway."
Then, words of both penitence and absolution on his tongue, the angel was silenced by a gentle motion from the woman bringing herself a demonstrative arm's length closer.
"I don't think I've said it yet, Castiel," Mary began, a reassuring hand lighting upon her colleague's elbow. Nothing but sincerity in her eyes as she went on. "Thank you. For everything. Without you... Dean wouldn't be here with us now."
"I..." Cas's mouth went dry when he realized he had no idea what to say to that. His frazzled thoughts though stilled completely when he realized that the woman's words had brought a tear to his eye. To both eyes.
To all eyes, the angel was shocked to find when he forced his gaze up to meet the others'.
There wasn't a dry eye in that hallway. And it was all Mary's fault. Though, the mother would likely contend that it was all the healer among them's fault. And Cas wouldn't have it in him to argue the point. Not against the hunter pulling him into her arms and burying her head against his trench coat.
"Thank you, Castiel," he heard murmured against his front. "I have my boy back, thanks to you."
He returned the hug as a pair of wet tracks slid their ways down his cheeks. Reveling in the warmth that was a righteous soul's sincere and unabashed gratitude.
"Yeah, Cas, you don't know how much this means to us. Or, actually," a close at hand Sam corrected with a quick clear of his throat, "we understand how much this means to you. After all, you worked yourself harder than any of us and because you did... Dean's got his body back. So, thanks. Thanks and- heh, honestly, 'thanks' will never be enough because-"
"You're welcome. And your thanks is more than enough," Cas found himself assuring, feeling Mary pull away from his reciprocal embrace as he did. "Having Dean free and safe in and of itself is the greatest reward I could ever have hoped for."
"Amen," the mother said, stepping back to put a reassuring hand on her son's arm.
"Yeah, amen," the son agreed, raising a hand of his own to rub the sadness from his eyes. A move which Cas mirrored with a blush as he remembered himself.
"Just remember, Castiel, the next time you feel like you have to go it alone: we're here for you. We'll always be here for you. Because you, me, Sam, Dean? We're family. And around here, that means something."
"Thank you, Mary. I won't forget," the angel said, doing his best to commit the words to memory. Along with the feeling they stirred within him. Warm and reassuring and exactly the sort of thing he and his brethren had never been trained to expect.
Been trained never to expect.
"Well, Rowena said we can see them?"Asked Sam, eyes considerably dryer than moments before.
"Oh, yes, absolutely. Right this way," Castiel confirmed, motioning back the way he and Rowena had come. "There are chairs and-"
"Wait, where'd the beds come from?" Asked a Mary stopped in surprise at the chamber's entrance.
"Rowena felt it prudent to transmute the tables into beds. Wiser than inadvertently causing unanticipated damage by moving Dean or Michael prematurely," Cas explained as he led the hunters closer.
"You transmuted the tables?" Asked an incredulous Sam, scrutinizing the hospital styled sleeping surfaces as the three of them drew up close to the recuperating pair.
"Yes. Or, rather, Rowena transmuted them. I 'assisted', as she so eagerly put it," Cas admitted, not interested in taking credit where credit was not due.
"Well, now I've seen everything," claimed a Mary looking more confused than impressed as she situated herself in the chair closest her recovering son's side.
"She- Rowena transmuted the tables... into beds?" Asked a Sam whose incredulity hadn't lessened since they'd entered the space.
"...Yes. If that's a problem I expect she'd be willing to change them back, once we can safely move-"
"No, that's okay, Cas, we didn't need them anyway," Sam reassured with a perplexed shake of his head. "It's just, I didn't think transmutation was actually possible. At least, not on this level."
"It is quite the acquired skill," Cas agreed, giving the beds his own looking over while the looking was good. "Most texts on the subject have been lost to the annals of history, but there was once a sizable community of monks, sorcerers, and scientists capable of all manner of alchemical feats."
"But how does-"
"As fascinating as the subject is," cut in the only one among them in a seat, not sounding near fascinated as she'd suggested, "the two of you look dead on your feet. Why don't you take a leaf out of the witch's book and go catch up on some beauty sleep," Mary suggested, scrutinizing her companions as she did.
"I think I'll stay for a while; keep you company. If that's alright?" Checked a Sam who, to Castiel, looked like he was the one in need of company.
"Sure, Sam. But I'm kicking you out soon as your eyes start drooping," chided the mother with the understanding twist to her mouth. Before her eyes snapped up to meet those of the angel standing just beyond the foot of the beds.
"You on the other hand are going straight to bed, mister," she informed, tone puzzlingly as friendly as it was firm.
"Alright, but I'll return at midnight to check that their conditions are progressing as expected," the angel promised, knowing it would ease everyone's concerns if he did.
"Sounds good. And we'll call if anything happens. Anything at all," Mary promised, settling deeper into her chair as Sam took the one nearest hers.
"In that case, I look forward to not hearing from you until then."
And to the dawning looks of surprise on the Winchester's faces, Castiel followed in his fellow healer's footsteps and took his leave. Ready as she had been for a regenerative few hours of that so aptly entitled 'beauty sleep'.
I guess the poor boys are going to have a bit of a recovery to go through. Good thing they have some world class hunters around to keep an eye on them while they heal up!