The pure white hallways of Heaven, bathed in luminous brilliance, always seemed to shine that much more brightly to Cas after his visits to Earth, as if his time away from home was time spent wandering a barren darkness and his return to the light burnt his eyes with its stark contrast. Or at least, it used to. Now it seemed the walkways and halls shone less and less brightly with every return. Only barely, only fractionally, but still, he was sure he could sense a change.

He wondered what, if anything, that may mean; was he becoming accustomed to the transition? Or was it some effect of the Seals being broken, one by one, slowly leaching at Heavens Grace? Perhaps it was the death of angels, their numbers depleted and lost through countless battles. Or perhaps something else entirely. Whatever the cause, Heaven did not feel as pristine on his returns as he left it on each departure, as though within the span of each absence, some of Heaven's Grace was sullied and lost. As though some blight crept and grew in its midst, marring Heaven's perfection, and it was only through his absence and eventual return that the subtle, gradual diminishing became noticeable.

As he strode through the halls with purpose, he ignored the thought as best he could. He was on a mission after all, to find those who had abandoned their posts as guardians to Sam Winchester and his family. His idle musings would only get in the way of that, and they were, after all, merely groundless concerns.

If any non-angelic beings were to ever walk these hallways, they would consider them serene, possibly clinical, but ultimately empty, quiet, and still. This was not the case for angels however, who were attuned to Heaven's frequency, and therefore upon entering Heaven, could hear and feel every thought, every command, and every emotion, of every angel within. It was this that Castiel was navigating as he walked, filtering through the noise to pinpoint those he sought. It was troubling to him that he could not hear them.

Eventually however, after having searched for what felt like an eternity, he heard it, a faint whisper grazing the edge of his consciousness. As he followed the muted sensation, he became aware he was wandering farther and farther away from Heaven's sanctuary. At a distance that was almost beyond Heaven's Grace, he finally stopped. There was a door, much like any other in Heaven but one that was so much further away than all the others. Castiel had never wandered such a distance within Heaven. This room felt almost forgotten, or cast out, a vestigial appendage that could just as easily not exist. And yet he knew, instinctively, that one of those he sought, was here.

He pushed the door open and saw one of his brothers, one of those he had been seeking, in the room beyond. The angel didn't notice the intrusion, busy as he was binding what appeared to be unending papers into files, and then filing those into the cabinets that endlessly spanned the walls on all sides. The papers contained nothing of any worth at all, as far as Cas could tell, but the angel seemed frenetically focussed, as though he were falling behind some unknown schedule.

The angel had once been a fierce and loyal warrior, taller and broader than Castiel, but was now a mere shell of his former self, hunkered over and almost withered, scuttling from table to cabinet and back again. Castiel had intended to blaze the full extent of his ire upon those who had abandoned their posts, but standing there, in the doorway of this insignificant room, he was taken aback by the change in the angel in front of him. He stared in silence for a moment, shocked by the extreme disparity, before finally stepping forward and calling out to him.

"Turiel."

At the sound of Castiel's voice, the angel jumped, startled, dropping the papers in his hands. He stared at Castiel, as if trying to recall his name, before staring at the papers now scattered at his feet.

"No, no, no, no, no. I am a vessel of Heaven's decree. I do as I am commanded. Not by you. Not by you. I am a servant of Heaven. I serve the Will of our Father. Through my loyalty to His Grace, I am redeemed. I am redeemed."

"Turiel," Cas repeated, more concerned, stepping forward and placing a hand gently on the angel's shoulder. "What are you doing? Why have you abandoned your post?"

Turiel stilled for a moment, not raising his head, though seeming about to speak, before his eyes darted to the papers again. In a sudden movement he was crouched on all fours, gathering up the papers from the floor, muttering to himself as he did so.

Castiel watched him again for a moment, before crouching down and placing his hands over the angels to still them. The angel flinched from his touch, but Castiel held firm, till the angel finally relented and his movements calmed.

"Turiel, what has happened to you?"

"I… I am repenting. I am to be redeemed."

Castiel shook his head. "I don't understand. Why did you leave your post? Where is Tamiel?"

At the mention of his twin, Turiel flinched again, ducking his head to hide his face. Castiel squeezed his grip on the angel's wrists.

"Answer me."

Turiel tried to twist away from Castiel's grasp, and where his strength would have once made such a thing effortless to him, he now merely writhed and squirmed without consequence, unable to break free.

"I'm following orders!" he cried out at last, sobbing on the words as he met Castiel's gaze briefly, before looking away again. "I am doing what Heaven commands."

"Your orders were to watch over Sam Winch–"

"Heaven's command! Not yours! Not yours! I am a servant of Heaven. I am Loyal to the Word. And if I redeem myself, I will be allowed back home."

As he squirmed, his robes shifted, and Castiel saw markings of fresh wounds criss-crossing his skin. In his shock, Castiel's grip became loose and Turiel instantly freed himself, rubbing his at his wrists as he shuffled backwards.

"Those wounds…," Castiel whispered gravely. "Did something happen on Earth? With the Winchesters? Were you attacked?"

Turiel shook his head.

"Then what happened? Speak!"

"Those who are wicked, are punished. It is through suffering they see the error of their ways, and their path back home becomes clear."

"Who are you speaking of?"

"My path back home is clear." Turiel repeated, rocking back and forth gently. "I see the error of my ways. I serve Heaven. I am loyal to Heaven. If I complete my task, I will be allowed back into Heaven's light."

Despite his initial shock at the angel's wounds, Castiel felt his irritation growing. "Your task was to protect the Winchesters." But Turiel continued to merely rock back and forth and Castiel's patience was quickly spent. "Where is Tamiel?" he demanded again. "Perhaps your brother will speak more sense than you."

Turiel shook his head, a pained look crossing his face as he responded.

"Tamiel… resisted."

"Resisted? So, you were attacked. By who? Who did this?" Cas placed his hands on Turiel's shoulders. "Speak to me, brother."

Finally, Turiel met Castiel's gaze, and though still seeming irrationally fearful and meek, he appeared to finally see Cas. It seemed he were about to speak then, when a shadow fell across his face and his sight focussed beyond Cas. His eyes grew wide, before he lowered his gaze quickly, recoiling backwards further, beyond Castiel's reach, somehow becoming even smaller.

"Turiel," a rich, low baritone boomed from over Castiel's shoulders, seeming to fil the entire space, and Castiel turned to see who had entered. A tall form stood silhouetted against the doorway, tutting at the cowering angel as Castiel stood.

"Turiel," the newcomer said again, shaking his head. "Have you not yet learnt your lesson?"

Turiel, still cowering, buried his head in his knees, whimpering but saying nothing.

"Uriel," Castiel greeted the angel, recognising his brother. "What has happened here?"

"An error has been remedied," Uriel said, his small white teeth shining as his lips parted in a smile. He gave the cowering angel a final look before focusing on Cas. "Brother, I've been looking for you. Come, we have things to discuss."

While Castiel was surprised to see Uriel, he was also relieved. He was sure Uriel would have the answers he sought. He and Uriel had fought many battles shoulder to shoulder, and were even now battling to stop the Seals from breaking. As the two walked away, Castiel sent a glance back towards Turiel, catching a glimpse of the shrinking angel, before the door closed on him once more. It seemed to Cas, as the door had shut, that there was a glimmer of recognition on the angel's face, and in that instant, Turiel's eyes seemed to convey something. A plea perhaps. Or an explanation at least. But it was too swift and too brief for Cas to comprehend and analyse.

"What has happened to Turiel?" Cas asked as he and Uriel walked away, unable to wait for answers. "And where is Tamiel? Were they attacked on Earth? Do you know what has happened to Sam Winchester's family?"

Uriel sneered.

"The Winchesters," he said, spitting the name out as though it were bile on his tongue. "We do not need to concern ourselves with what happens to them."

"What does that mean?"

"It means they are not worth our time."

Castiel took a breath to calm his rising annoyance, aware that his questions were still not being answered. He placed a hand on Uriel's arm to stop him from progressing further.

"Tell me what has happened."

Uriel looked down at Castiel's hand which held firm on his forearm. Had it been anyone else, he would have ripped the hand off without so much as a second thought. But he still considered Castiel to have potential, and still considered him a worthy soldier, so he simply smiled again, allowing the hand to linger.

"What is it you are so eager to know?"

"Where is Tamiel?" Cas repeated, feeling like it was the millionth time he were asking the same questions. "Why did he and Turiel abandon their post? And what has happened to Turiel? What has happened to the Winchesters?"

Uriel bowed his head, contemplating his response before finally speaking, the creases in his obsidian complexion catching the light and gleaming as though with inner radiance.

"Tamiel… disobeyed. He chose to rebel, and so he has been cleansed. Purged from Heaven."

Castiel was shocked, unable to believe what he was hearing. "That can't be possible… Tamiel was–"

"Misguided." Uriel said, cutting Cas off. "Misguided and corrupted. Turiel confirmed it," Uriel paused, shrugging before he continued. "Upon questioning."

Castiel narrowed his eyes at that. "Questioning? You mean he was tortured."

"I mean he was encouraged to share the truth. Which he did. Eventually."

Castiel shook his head, still unable to fully accept what he was being told. He knew that a handful of Lucifer's sympathisers were still amongst them, but he would have never suspected Tamiel to be one of them. He wished he had known what had been happening.

"When did this happen?" Cas pressed as the pair began walking again.

"I had suspected for some time. When the opportunity presented itself, those suspicions were confirmed."

"And what of Sam Winchester's family? Does this, your suspicions, have anything to do with the disappearance of his wife and child?"

Uriel shrugged dismissively, as if irritated by the repeated question.

"Who knows? Frankly, it doesn't matter."

"Of course it matters!" Cas snapped, his annoyance rising. "Did you not think to replace Tamiel and Turiel? Why have their posts been left unassigned?"

"There will be no more assignment to any Winchester, other than Dean." Uriel stated resolutely. "And even then, it will be only to convey orders. Nothing more."

"We are charged with their safekeeping."

"Safekeeping!" Uriel growled. "We are not babysitters for those filthy hairless apes! It is beneath the Glory of Heaven's Grace to lower ourselves to such menial, debasing tasks."

"Take care of how you speak Uriel! Dean was chosen to be saved from Hell. Surely you are not questioning the value and worth of one chosen by our Father? Dean is after all the one who will lead us to victory."

"Our Father chose to save the Michael Sword, which Dean may be. But he is merely a sheath, a receptacle. An empty container waiting to be filled. It is Michael who is touted to defeat Lucifer. Dean is simply the vessel through which Heavens Fury will be dealt."

"You are wrong Uriel. And you are wrong to speak of Dean in that way. It verges on blasphemy."

"Why? Because he was plucked from the billions of others? He could be any one of them. And without us, he would be nothing, just like the rest of them. Just another mud-monkey, a pointless blot defiling and sullying our Father's creation."

"Dean has proven his worth more than once! He has fought in Heaven's name in the battle against evil. He is far from pointless."

"Pah! Without Heaven to guide his path, his existence would have no worth. Without Heaven's intervention, he would be no warrior. After all, what good would a sword be, if it were not forged and tested in battle?"

"What does that mean, without Heaven's intervention? What intervention?"

"Have you forgotten, brother, the depths you had to plunge to rescue him from Hell? And for what? He is a weak, pathetic creature, from a weak pathetic species. Without Heaven to save him, without Michael to empower him, without our guidance to direct him, he would be lost to obscurity like every other mud-monkey."

"He is chosen," Cas repeated, eyes glinting with anger. "A bloodline forged over millennia. If for no other reason than that, you should show him some respect."

"I know full well of his stock," Uriel acknowledged. "Yet with all that promise, what became of his parents? His father sat sleeping while his mother burned. And Dean himself ended up in Hell. They are all the same."

"Meaning what?"

"An ape descended from an ape is still an ape. Humans are weak, Castiel. They are merely instruments for Heaven's cause."

"Heaven's cause is precisely why his brother should be protected. They are innocents in all this. Why were guardians not reappointed to protect them?"

"There was no reason to, no cause to necessitate it."

"I assigned them. You did not stop to think I considered there to be a cause?" Castiel demanded.

"You don't need to know every detail of every plan that Heaven sets forth. Nor do you control or dictate all that occurs here… Or perhaps you believe you have such rights?"

"Of course not," Castiel allowed, grinding his teeth. "But I do need to know why his family was left unprotected."

"Because they are not involved in Heaven's plans. Because I chose to bring our brothers home when they were suspected of heresy."

"You chose? I thought it was Heaven's decree?"

Uriel smiled, allowing a beat to pass before he replied, seeming to choose his words more carefully.

"I chose to have done what I knew would best serve Heaven's needs. We are at war Castiel. Or at least, are preparing for war. We do not have the luxury to spare numbers from our ranks on such trivial errands as minding hairless apes."

"Protecting Dean's family is not a trivial errand. I gave him my word that we would protect them!"

Uriel sneered at Castiel's argument.

"What are we? Demons? To be bound by the rules of such petty and trivial agreements as deals?" He seemed disgusted at the thought. "We owe them nothing."

"I gave him my word!" Cas repeated.

"Then that was your mistake!" Uriel shot back, momentarily irritated but instantly regaining his composure. He knew how loyal and pure Castiel was. How fierce an implement of Heaven he had proven himself to be, and Uriel knew full well how formidable a warrior that made Castiel. He was not keen therefore, to push him into a confrontation. "Listen brother," he appeased. "We are fighting a war. And there are other things that have come to light. Things of grave concern."

Despite his anger, Castiel couldn't help his intrigue. "What things?" he asked, relenting to the curiosity Uriel's statement had roused.

"Time has been altered. Events have been changed."

"How? By who?"

"We don't know. Nor do we know when it occurred. But something has been changed. Do you not feel it brother?"

Castiel sighed. "I have felt something amiss," he admitted at last. "I had thought it was the Seals being broken. An imbalance caused by Hell."

"It may well be caused by Hell, but not by any broken Seal. Something else has changed the course of time. To what end, we are not certain. But it cannot be left unchecked. The Fates must be questioned."

"You want me to uncover the cause." Castiel surmised after a pause. "I already have a task," he reminded Uriel, referring to Dean.

"Dean is Michael's vessel, and as such, he is protected. It is no longer your concern."

"I will not leave Dean to face this alone," Castiel stated, surprising himself with the conviction of his statement. "I gave him my word, and I will keep it."

"You serve Heaven, not some human. Frankly, your affinity with them, your affinity to him, hasn't gone unnoticed."

Cas narrowed his eyes. "What does that mean?"

"It means that perhaps you are becoming too familiar with them. Too accustomed to their company. I would not want you to lose yourself amongst the filth."

"If you have something to say Uriel, speak plainly. I'm growing tired of your insinuations."

"Very well. You are a servant of Heaven. A weapon of Heaven. Not of some human, whether he is chosen or not. And yet, even with our numbers so depleted, you seem intent on focussing our attentions on him and his cancerous brood, instead of where our focus would be better served. Perhaps your extensive time spent away from Heaven's Grace has confused you in some way?"

Castiel growled. "I am not confused."

"Then you know where your loyalties lie… Just as you know that if you were to go against your orders now, against Heaven's orders, it may appear that you are aligning those loyalties with our enemies."

Castiel smiled humourlessly. He was reminded keenly of why Uriel was so good at his job. "Is this how you interrogated Tamiel?" he asked. "How you came to decide him to be misguided? How you twisted his words? Assumed his meanings, his intent?"

"His intent was clear." Uriel continued, unfazed. "If you are not working to address the needs of Heaven, then what else could it be that you are doing, other than serving the needs of Lucifer? So, tell me, brother, do you serve Heaven?"

"I serve the Will of God, as I have always done."

"Good. Then Heaven commands that you discover what has happened. Find out what has changed time, whatever event it has affected, find out how and why. That is your task."

"Tell me this much at least. Do you know of what happened to Sam Winchester's family?"

Uriel sighed, irritated but resigned, knowing Castiel would not leave without an answer. "No. I do not. Frankly, I don't care. I don't concern myself with inconsequential trivialities."

Castiel eyed him for a moment, gauging his sincerity, before finally being satisfied. Having known Uriel for numerous millennia, he felt he knew the angel well enough to be able to read that much from him. Or at least, he was willing to still believe that he did.

Sensing Castiel's acknowledgement, Uriel smiled.

"Good. So now you can commit to the task at hand. We need to know if this change, whatever it may be, will interfere with our plans. Heaven has worked too hard to have things fall apart now. And as for Dean's brother… I don't know who or what has taken his family. Except that I will not have such hard laid plans set to ruin because Dean is distracted by his personal problems. So, if you are intent on being by his side, then you must ensure he remains on his true path. I don't care what is needed to get Dean to refocus, but he will refocus."

"If he had Heaven's help to locate his brother's wife and child, he would join us again willingly." Castiel offered.

"Perhaps," Uriel allowed, then smiled again, teeth shining bright, gleaming like blades. "Or perhaps we could simply torture his brother and his young runts till he yields. Seeing as family means so much to Dean."

Uriel was renowned amongst the ranks for his wit and humour, but right then, Cas was not sure he found any of what Uriel said amusing. As he took his leave, glad for once to be leaving Heaven, a part of him wasn't sure it had even been said in jest at all.


tbc - thank you for reading

AN - According to scripture, Tamiel and Turiel are a class of Watcher angels who fell. Not that it matters in this story, but I like details like that. Also, while Turiel was in canon in one of the later seasons, that has no bearing on this story, or vice versa.


Long Live BRUCAS - haha, I'm with you on Sam being annoying at times. I really didn't like how much the brothers argued in the show, and yet here I am, making them do the same thing *smh* thanks for reviewing, really appreciate it :-)

Kathy - Oh good, I'm glad it's not dragging :-) Thank you for the feedback, it's great to know that I've managed to put across what I thought I had. Yes, Dean is ever the protector. But he can only protect people and hide his secrets for so long :-(

MewWinx96 - Hi! thank you so much, I'm really happy you're enjoying it, and thank you for commenting :-)

Shazza19 - Ah yes, if he finds out about his trip to hell. We'll see... :-) I'm glad you're enjoying it. Thanks so much for taking the time to comment, it's hugely appreciated :-)

Black Fungus! - Hi! So nice to hear from you again! I'm sorry you're sleep deprived! I'm sorry it was my fault! If it makes you feel any better it's 01:45AM here, and I have to be up at 05:30AM (urgh!). LOL you made me laugh when I read each comment, although I was increasingly concerned for your sleep! I know you're a Cas fan, so I hope you approved of this chapter being all Cas :-)

Soliloquy - You're so very generous with your comments, thank you. I really appreciate the feedback, it means a lot. I'm glad you're still enjoying it, hopefully it will continue to keep you enthralled through to the end. There's certainly a fair amount yet to come :-) I'm with you on Sam's lack of acknowledgement about everything Dean ever did, and everything he himself did. I think it's partly why I started writing, the first story I ever wrote in particular, I really wanted to see Sam acknowledge Dean, but I never felt he ever truly did in the show. Not to the level I needed him to anyway. So, I hear ya!

Black Fungus - go to sleep! ;-)


Thank you to everyone else out there who is reading, following, favouriting (I'm too tired to figure out what's wrong with that spelling) etc. I hope all are well (and I hope everyone manages to get more sleep than me tonight!)