Thank you C1B12 for all your kind words and support! Feedback is a fan fic writer's life blood and you're so sweet with your. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Author's Note: Okay so I had a really hard time with this chapter. Still not sure about it but I can't keep playing with it because I'll never move on. So I hope people enjoy this part. Also there is a another Author Note at the bottom.

Thanks again!

Val

Chapter 12

Jo took a deep breath as she looks down at the red velvet cupcake on the plate she was carrying before opening the door to the angel warded room.

Gabriel turned around when he heard the door open and the usual smirk he wore when speaking to either of the Winchester brothers faulted ever so slightly and if Jo hadn't been watching him so closely, she may have missed it.

"Hello Gabriel, I thought you might like a snack. Red velvet with cream cheese frosting."

Gabriel eyes the woman across from him and gave her a genuine smile as he lifted his hand to take the plate and cooed, "hello Darling."

Jo walked over to the chair against the wall and pulled it towards the center of the room as he sat down on the bed. "Don't stand on ceremony Gabriel, please eat. I know it's your favorite."

The archangel angel peeled back the paper wrapper and took a bite. "Good," he murmured as he continued to eat the cupcake until it was gone. He licked his fingers as he watched Jo's face.

"Glad you liked it." She said smiling.

He narrowed his eyes as he studied her. "Well I prefer it over you pulling a gun on me."

"Gabriel, tell me where Castiel is."

He snorted in amusement, "what's wrong, Dean missing 'his' angel. They can be adorable together when they aren't both being drama queens. Always kinda rooted for them but Dean's such a homophobe he's never truly followed through on those deep dark desires. Just too taboo for him to even say it to himself.

"Really?" She sighed. "I expected more than you trying to undermine my relationship with Dean by hinting he may have had a passing gay fantasy about Castiel. I might not be a psychologist, but same sex fantasies aren't that unusual and certainly doesn't mean somebody is gay but nice try."

He shrugged his shoulders. "Can't blame an angel for trying."

"Guess I won't hold it against you. Again, where is Castiel?" She asked.

Gabriel rolled his eyes. "So sad to see you becoming just as predictable as those two. Can't see anything even if it's right below their noses. Neither can think outside the box and it's sad that it's rubbing off on you."

Jo stared at him before standing up. "I'm not going to play this game Gabriel. I'll come back when you actually want to talk."

He laughed as she walked over to door and knocked to let Dean know she was ready to come out.

Dean looked down at Gabriel as the archangel decided to lay back and winked at him. He opened his mouth to say something but stopped when Jo placed her hand on his chest and mouthed 'don't' as she passed by.

He looked at Gabriel one last time before closing the door and following Jo out. They quickly made their way to the map room where Sam was waiting for them.

"I have the footage queue up." He announced as they stood behind him and he began playing the video, glad that he had decided to place the hidden cameras in the various holding cells they had, especially after what happened with Nick. Maybe things would have be different if he had truly monitoring him.

Sam felt his brother stiffen at the attempt to imply that he was secretly in love with Cas and hurt Jo.

"Once an asshole always an asshole." Dean said as he sat down next to his brother.

"I think it threw him off that you didn't take the bait about Dean and Cas." Sam said as she continued to stand behind him.

"Could you play it again please Sammy?" She asked.

"Why didn't hear enough about me being deep in the closet or you just want to listen to him sprout cliché sayings."

Jo ignored Dean as Sam rewound the video and she watched it again. She asked Sam to play it a few more times as she went and grabbed a pad of paper and a pen. She began to scribble some notes as she watched it one last time.

"Care to share with the rest of the class Joanna Beth." Dean said as he watched her writings her notes.

"They're not just cliché saying, I think they're clues kinda like a scavenger hunt." She said as she looked up grinning.

Sam frowned as he contemplated what she was saying. "He does like to play with us, make us figure out puzzles." He said beginning to think Jo was onto something.

"He said you and Dean are always predictable. That you can't see anything even if it's right there below your noses and can't think outside the box."

Dean looked at Jo and snorted. "Right under our noses...hay maybe he's hidden Cas somewhere in the bunker." He teased.

Sam shared an amuse look with his brother, but his amusement was replaced with a sickening feeling that Jo was onto something. "You know there are rooms in this place that we never go in."

Dean sat back in his chair. "But only one room that can contain an angel which Gabriel is currently occupying, and I certainly didn't see Cas hiding in the corner when I opened the door."

"Couldn't he had just drawn the angel proof sigils himself in one of the rooms you don't go into?" She asked as she stood next to Dean.

"Not without taking a chance of trapping himself." Sam explained.

"Well he can't claim you don't think outside the box." Dean told her as he pulled her down onto his lap and kissed her cheek.

Sam's head shot up. "Think outside the box...Dean may be there isn't another room that would hold an angel but there is something in the bunker that would hold an angel."

"Something?"

Dean stomach churn as he realized his brother was referring to the Ma'lak box that he had built to contain Michael and had ended up trying to trap Jack in. "The Ma'lak box," he whispered.

The three quickly got up and Jo follow the brothers to an area of the bunker she had never been to as Dean explained what the Ma'lak box is.

"Oh God," Jo said horrified at the thought of Castiel being trapped inside the box Dean described. "Didn't you say Jack blew it apart?"

"Yeah but I'm sure some archangel mojo could put it back together again with no problem." Dean said.

They stopped in front the room the Ma'lak was stored. Sam took a deep breath as he opened the door and flipped on the overhead lights as they stepped inside to see the stand the box rested upon was bare.

"Son of a bitch!" Dean hissed angrily as their worst fears were confirmed. Gabriel had obviously managed to put the box back together and had moved it.

"Damnit Dean he could have him stashed anywhere inside that box." Sam said defeatedly.

Jo saw the sadness in each of the brother's eyes. "I still think he's here," Jo murmured as she walked further into the room and studied everything inside of it.

Dean nodded his head. "We could start a grid search."

"Right, grid search." Sam agreed.

Jo ran her hand along a shelf as something nagged at the back of her mind. "Why would he do all this just to put him in a random room that you could have stumbled across him at any time?"

"Who the Hell knows why he does what he does." Dean said as he swept his eyes over the room one last time before walking out of it.

Jo and Sam exchange a look before following Dean out of the room. He looked over his shoulder at his brother. "Let's start drawing up our grid search." He said as he started walking back towards the map room.

Soon him and Sam were sketching out maps of the difference levels of the bunker. Jo grabbed Sam's laptop and watched the video of her speaking with Gabriel. She rewound and watched the part where he tried to taunt her about Dean's relationship with Cas.

"Sweetheart, could you please stop playing that." Dean asked.

Jo paused the video. "Dean I know you're not going to like this, but I think this is the final clue."

Sam arched his eyebrow at what she was saying before shooting a look at his brother worriedly.

"Can't be a clue when what he said was bullshit."

"Cas is your best friend Dean." Jo said tentatively. "You've been through so much together. He literally raised you from Hell. Having feelings for him is more than normal..."

"Enough Jo," he said in a warning tone.

Jo stared at Dean. "You're going to let someone you love actually continue to suffer because of your fragile male ego?" She said unable to keep the shock out of her voice.

Dean looked at Jo and winced when he saw the look of disappointment written so clearly on her face before clearing his throat. "Sammy would you mind putting on a fresh pot of coffee."

"Ummm yeah, sure." He said as he quickly got up and left the couple alone.

Dean waited until his brother left the room. "What the Hell Jo? You believe Gabriel's bullshit? What? You think I'm secretly in love with Cas?"

Jo softened her features as she reached out and put her hand over his. "Being in love with someone doesn't have to be sexual. Even if you had some fleeting thoughts about being with Cas doesn't make you gay Dean. Just means you have a strong bond with him."

Dean looked over at the door to make sure Sam wasn't there. "Jo, you know how we were raised...the kind of man our father was..." he said blushing at what he was about to admit to.

"I do, the John in the other dimension was hardly tolerable of alternative lifestyles."

Dean took a shaky breath. "I told you that we lost Jack once before the showdown with Chuck."

Jo nodded her head. "Yes."

"After he died...Sammy couldn't be there with the body and left the room. Cas was crying and I just wanted to let him know I was there and pulled him in for a hug...when we pulled apart... he was so...lost...and...the way he looked at me…like I was his last life line…and I…Jo... I...I kissed him." He admitted to her as he ducked his head embarrassed.

Jo watched Dean carefully and saw the shame in his eyes. "Baby, you both lost a child together... you sought comfort from each other...there's nothing to be ashamed about..."

Jo closed her eyes as everything clicked into place. "Jesus...shame...taboo...Dean I think I know where he's hidden Cas."

Dean's head shot up at her words and he shook his head in disbelief. "No...he wouldn't!"

They both got up and ran into Sam as he was walking back into the room. Dean looked at his brother and commanded, "come on!"

The trio hurried through the corridors until they stopped in front the door to Jack's room. Sammy gulped when he realized where they thought Gabriel had hide the box and hissed, "shit."

Dean took a deep breath as he reached for the door handle and turn it. The door swung open and the light from the hall filtered into the room and illuminated the

Ma'lak box lying on the late Nephilim's bed.

SPNSPNSPN

Sam slowly walked into the room as Jo turned the overhead light on. The hunter looked over his shoulder at Dean who nodded his head towards the box, indicating for Sam to lift the lid.

Jo reached down and grabbed Dean's hand as Sam lifted the lid. She squeezed it when they heard Sam suck in a deep breath and whispered, "Cas."

SPNSPNSPN

Dean rushed forward when he saw a hand stretched up to grasp Sam's arm. Soon the angel was standing before the brothers and Jo.

Castiel look around the room before his eyes fell on the Ma'lak lying on Jack' bed. He turned to Dean and hissed, "where is my brother?"

SPNSPNSPN

"Damnit Cas when did he shove you into that box?" Dean said as he handed the angel a bottle of water as they sat around the kitchen table.

He had convinced Cas to take a little time to pull himself together before confronting Gabriel.

The angel quickly drank the bottle of water before placing the empty bottle down. "The third morning after Joanna and Gabriel got here."

"What? Our fight, you coming to me after I prayed to you in the hospital, the nursery...that was actually all Gabriel?" Dean said angrily.

"But why?" Jo asked.

"Because I saw your true soul when I healed your hand."

"My hand...true soul...I don't understand." Jo said as she exchanged a quick look with Dean.

Cas watched the way Dean moved his chair closer to Joanna and placed his hand on her back. The angel cocked his head slightly as he assessed the obvious change in their relationship.

"I am sure my brother altered that memory."

"We're pretty sure he did more than altered that one memory. We know he planted the memories from the other dimension they came through." Dean said as leaned over to kiss Jo on her temple reassuringly.

"Yes, I saw that too." Cas said.

"Cas maybe you should start at the beginning." Sam suggested.

"Very well. That morning Joanna sliced her hand while cutting some fruit. When I went to heal her, I saw into her soul and saw who she really is, and I saw that the memories she spoke of were false memories implanted by Gabriel." He explained.

Jo swallowed the lump in her throat. "You know who I am? What dimension that I was pulled from?"

Cas stared at the women across from him. "You weren't pulled from another dimension. This is your dimension."

Dean shook his head in confusion. "You mean they grabbed a woman who looked like our Jo?"

"Oh God," Jo said as felt her fears growing.

"No, you misunderstand. She is Joanna Beth Harvelle."

"But you said she's from this dimension and our Jo is dead." Sam argued.

Cas reached out and placed his hand over hers. "No Sam, our Joanna was dead."

TBC

Author's Note 2: Alright...honestly, how many saw that twist coming ;-). Okay I'm so not into Destial but I needed something that Dean would feel was taboo and that was all I could come up with so that I could get the characters in Jack's room to find poor Cas.