Bobby hung up the phone marked FBI shaking his head. Dean and Sam were out on a hunt, and apparently the authorities were starting to doubt about their cover. That was the third phone call in just two days.

"idjits" he murmured, and that's when the burnt smell hit his nose.

"Damn it!"

He rushed to the stove, frantically moving the pan with what was supposed to be his meal off the fire.

Then the crush echoed through the junk yard, shaking the very core of his house.

His hand darting at the gun he kept always close by he leaped to the door, ready to face whatever or whoever was stupid enough to disturb his lunch. But when he swung the door open nothing, no one was there.

"Show yourself you spineless piece of garbage!"

Nothing.

He walked around to reach the back, barrel pointing in front of him, prepared to face almost everything. But not that.

Sprawled on top of one of the cars there was something, or better someone, and Bobby had to wait for the dust to settle before being able to recognize Castiel. His jaw dropped. And not because the angel had dented the top of the car, or because his chest was still going up and down despite almost all he could see was blood, but because of the big, black wings that somehow spawned from under him.

Bobby lowered the gun, closing to the figure, and at every step he could see how much damaged the Angel was. His trench coat and his pants were torn and stained red and brown from both old and new blood, that was also gushing from cuts on his legs and holes on his chest, the white button down shirt completely shredded and soaked burgundy. Bobby was about to climb on the car when the Angel's eyes shot open, a scared shout coming out of his throat as he branded the angel blade with one hand.

"Shit!"

Castiel's eyes followed Bobby's voice, but it seemed to the old hunter that it took him way too much time to focus them.

"What happened?"

Castiel didn't answer. Instead he propped himself up with the arm that was still holding the blade and slowly slid down of his position, ending with a tud on the ground, but he didn't hold the upright position for long, swaying dangerously, and Bobby had to lunge forward to avoid him collapsing on his face. He helped the Angel sit down with his back against the car.

"What the hell?"

"Hell has nothing to do with this" Castiel answered, before coughing up a good amount of blood.

"I mean what happened to you?"

The angel wheezed, and even tho Bobby didn't know a lot about Angels he was sure they weren't supposed to wheeze.

"Raph- Raphael's spies were after me... I escaped"

"Barely!"

The angel shot him an annoyed look, but he wasn't in the position to disagree.

"But why are you here?"

Bobby could've sworn the angel lower lip trembled a little, and his already low voice cracked when he answered

"I... this is the safest place I could think of"

he tried to straighten his back, failing miserably with a cry. Bobby furrowed his eyebrows. There? Safe?

"I will not disturb you. I promise I will leave soon. I just need a moment to... recharge"

he looked back at him, jaw clenched, and Bobby would've bet his right hand, in those freakishly blue eyes he could read the word "please". Of course he knew Castiel would never say it out loud. Even more proud that Dean he was, that sorry excuse for a parakeet.

"Idjit"

"I understand... I will leave"

Bobby could see Castiel's eyes sink even deeper, and realized the Angel thought he wanted him to go away.

"Stop talking and help me get your ass up!" he snapped. Castiel's head shoot at him as he crouched down, grabbing the closest arm with intention of putting it over his shoulder and lift him up, but letting him go immediately when at his movement Castiel cried out, again something not so usual for an angel. That's when he noticed that on the side he'd chosen the shoulder was hanging out of the designated socket, and the wing was looking pretty bad, he could clearly see slashes through the feathers and a dark gush oozing out from different points.

"Balls!"

Walking around him he pointed at the angel blade

"Make that disappear, I'm not risking my ass"

Castiel didn't even raise his eyes this time, and the blade was gone in a flash.

"Ok feathers, let's go"

Castiel slumped on the couch were the hunter had lowered him with a gentleness he'd not expected from him. His head lolled back and he closed his eyes. Not only his Vessel was hurt and broken, what was worse was the condition of his grace. Between the battle in Heaven and being called by Dean every other day, he hadn't had the chance to recharge it, and now it was just bits and pieces, floating around, just enough to not bleed out. His eyes fluttered open at the feeling of the hunter's hand examining his wounds. He didn't like being touched.

"It was not necessary to bring me inside I just needed -"

"Shut up"

Castiel pride stung. He wondered why of all places he had teleported there. Initially he had thought because that was a place Dean regarded as home. But Dean wasn't gonna be there. Castiel knew it even before crushing down. Castiel home was in heaven, or so he thought. Then why did he instinctively came there, from were it came from, that safe sensation he'd felt as soon as he'd thought of that place?

"Why aren't you healing yourself?" Bobby asked, now probing the shoulder he'd dislocated while trying to escape from the grip of one of Raphael's spies. Castiel bit the inside of his mouth, swallowing the whiny sound that tried to escape from his lips

"I... am tired"

"What?"

Bobby peeled the former white button down from one of the wound on his side and this time Castiel flinched

"What does it mean you're tired?"

"I... haven't had the chance to recharge my grace... it has been quit erratic lately" the angel growled, but the hunter didn't seem to pick up his signals to leave him alone and was now bent to look at the slash that went from his knee to half his thigh.

"So you can actually run out of mojo?"

"Yes."

Castiel was getting impatient, and was almost glad when his mind picked up Dean's prayer.

He used his good arm to push himself up

"What the hell are you doing?"

"I need to go"

"What? Why? Are the Angels coming?"

Castiel shook his head, slowly, since the room was already spinning

"Dean is calling for me"

He'd expected the man to step aside, to feel relieved that he was leaving, or to ask if Dean was ok. He was not expecting him to raise his voice, his face turning red

"Now you listen to me, you brainless pigeon. Sit your feathery ass down! Dean's a big boy, he can manage without you for two seconds. You're hurt and need to rest, and I'm not an expert on birds but I'm pretty damn sure wings are not supposed to have holes!"

Castiel sat back without a sound. Surprising even himself. Even as broken as he was, he could've easily swatted the man in front of him on the nearest wall. What stopped him were the waves of protectivness that the old hunter emanated. He was worried about him and Castiel didn't understand why. It baffled him, so much that it took him a few seconds to register his words.

"Wait... you can see my wings"

he asked, furrowing his eyebrows and looking up

"Yes!"

Castiel sunk deeper in the couch

"What?"

"It is not a good sign"

"And why is that"

Castiel eyes fell in his lap

"If you can see my wings it means I don't have enough power to conceal them anymore. Your eyes have not exploded. That means I have so little grace that even a human can lay eyes on part of my true form without suffering the consequences"

"Well sorry for that" Bobby replied

"There is no need to be"

"I was being sarcastic"

Castiel could feel his hands shaking. He was getting worse.

"If we heal you the old fashion way... would that help you restore your grace?" the hunter asked, taking off his cap and scratching his head

Castiel thought about that for a moment.

"It would help. If the bleeding stops I would not have to use my grace to avoid... well bleeding out"

"Ok... let's start from the easiest thing" The man got closer putting one knee on the couch beside him and Castiel instinctively inched back

"Don't be a baby!"

Castiel squinted his eyes but stopped backing up. The hunter grabbed his shoulder "Ok, I'm gonna count to three... one, two..." then with a sudden push he placed his shoulder back in its socket. This time Castiel screamed, his body jerking forward, his eyes suddenly watery, and it took him a couple of seconds to calm down. That's when he felt Bobby's hand gently rubbing his neck

"It's done... it's over. You did great". Castiel leaned on him, feeling a wave of tiredness overwhelming him. He felt Bobby tense up for moment, but the hunter let him rest against his side, until he laid back again.

"I'm gonna go get something to patch you up". His voice was low, reassuring.

Castiel felt shame at the sudden fear he felt when the old man left him alone. His presence was somehow comforting.

He returned carrying cloths and a bottle of some kind of clear liquid. He sat next to the angel.

"Now this is going to sting"

And it did, at least at the beginning. But soon Castiel started to feel numb to the pain, blackness pooling at the brink of his vision. Not a good sign. Angels did not sleep, but the only thing he wanted to do in that moment was to pass out.

He felt Bobby's hands removing his clothes, cutting them to expose the worst wounds, and after what seemed a very long time slowly pushing him in a laying position, pulling gently at his wings so that they wouldn't get stuck under his body

"Now listen, I'm not gonna touch your wing, you'll take care of it when you get your mojo back. I'll put on more wardings, so just rest."

Castiel eyelids were too heavy to keep open. He felt Bobby lightly patting him on the chest before something warm was drawn over him. For the first time in his life he was not the one who was taking care of someone, he was the one being taking care of. It was... strange. He knew humans usually thanked their saviors, so he extended the good arm, but with his eyes closed he could only manage to grab Bobby's flannel sleeve as he was walking away.

"I know feathers... I know"