"I'm just saying, it's not your first hunt! Since when do you need a baby sitter! then go look for those information yourself!"

Castiel stirred a little, slowly gaining consciousness at the sound of the hunter's voice, and immediately the pain assaulted him again. That was not good. His grace was still shredded, and his vessel ached and stung. That's when his mind picked up Dean's voice. He was calling form him. It didn't seem like he was in any danger.

"Sam, just tell Dean to stop calling the Angel! Just put him on the phone!"

Dean's voice in Castiel's head disappeared. The angel opened his eyes, and in doing it he had to put a lot more effort that he'd liked. But he couldn't see anything. It took him a moment to realise that he had a warn cloth laid on his eyes. The sensation was soothing, and against every fiber in his body he grabbed it and moved it out of the way.

The room was lit, the sun was shining in. From his position on the couch he could only see the back of the hunter.

"Dean? No what I said... would you let me finish?Well if he hasn't answered you maybe he's busy. What? Of course no, why would I know where your angel is?" A pause. Then the hunter looked at his phone. "Idjit" he said, hanging up and putting it in his pocket.

"I'm not "Dean's Angel" Castiel finally said. Bobby spun around surprised

"Well hello sleeping beauty!"

"I don't understand that reference" Castiel replied, bracing himself to get in a sitting position. Every muscle in his vessel screamed in protest.

Bobby walked up to him, his hands in his pockets

"How are you feeling?" he asked, his eyes trailing off from his face to something behind him

"You can still see my wings?"

Bobby nodded, picking up the cover that had slid off on the ground and looking at the black stains on it where it was laid on his wing "and it's not looking good"

Castiel looked down. He'd stained the couch too, the wound on his left side had bleed through the dressing. He noticed Bobby's eyes on him

"I apologize"

"Why?"

Castiel weakly gestured to the mess

"You're bleeding out! Who cares about a stain!"

Again he felt it, that wave protectivness.

"And by the way, why are you still bleeding? How long does it take for your mojo to recharge?"

"I... I should fine by now. I don't know why it's taking so long"

"Well maybe you just burned the candle from both ends and now you need time"

Castiel cocked his head, not understanding what he meant, and the hunter just waved a hand

"Whatever... let's see... last time you were low on mojo you touched my soul to recharge... wanna try that again?"

Castiel was confused

"That procedure was painful for you... why would you go through it again? No one is in danger right now"

"Well you're not looking your best!"

"What?"

Bobby sighed

"I would do it for you Castiel! Why is that so hard to understand? That's what family is for!"

"I am not related to you..."

"Well neither are those two dumbasses on a hunt now but I would still do for them. Family doesn't end in blood."

Castiel was about to rebut but Bobby cut him off, impatient

"So should we do it?"

"No"

"Why? is a one time thing?"

Castiel paused for a moment. To feel the human soul would have repaired the damage to his grace immediately. But he was shaky, unsteady, and even with a firm hand the subject would have felt unbelievable pain and maybe risk permanent damage since it was already the second time. Of course it was logic to do it. Raphael's army was getting stronger, his angel radio still worked. And the human was offering.

"Yes. It's a one time thing" he lied. He didn't want to harm that man. He wasn't going to.

"Ok... then let's just change the dressings."

He came back after a while with new bandages and the clear liquid tha stung, sitting beside him, careful not to hit his wing.

Castiel laid back, swallowing while looking up. He still didn't like being touched and probed, but he let the hunter examine him.

"Well... I thought it was worse... some cuts are actually almost healed" he commented, moving what remained of his button down aside.

"How can you say it?

"I did give you a good look yesterday, here you had a bad looking hole and now it's almost gone" he replied casually brushing his fingertips on his lower abdomen. Castiel instinctively sucked the air in, expecting to feel pain, pushing himself back against the cushions to get away.

Bobby removed his hand looking at him. Castiel could see worry in his eyes

"Easy..."

"I..."

"If you're gonna say you're sorry just shut up. You got beat up so much, it's normal to react like that"

The angel relaxed a little, and the other continued

"Now I need to change the dressing... it will hurt, I'll try to be as gentle as possible"

Bobby had spoken while staring in his eyes, and Castiel felt a wave of trust he'd felt only for his brothers and sisters in Heaven, or for Dean and Sam. He nodded.

Somehow it hurt more than the day before. Castiel figured it was because now he was more conscious about what was happening. The hunter worked fast and precisely, responding to his every hiss or moan with an "almost done" and a "you're doing great".

Once finished he moved away to give him space. Castiel realized he was holding the former warm cloth tightly.

"What was this for?"

Bobby turned back at him

"A warm cloth"

When Castiel raised an eyebrow he elaborated, shaking his shoulders

"You kept squinting while sleeping. I thought the light bugged you"

Castiel was about to reply when the man raised a hand to stop him

"Listen, I have things to do and you have to rest. Just stay there and shout if you need something"

And Castiel rested. He saw the man do research, answer at least fifteen phone calls, pretending to be different agencies. Castiel wondered why he was alone... so once he felt like his grace was getting stronger he extended his mind. What he saw in the mind of the hunter shocked him. His past, his lack of self love, how much he thought he deserved his loneliness.

-

Bobby was in the junk yard when from his living room a shot of light lit up the evening. Rushing in he saw the angel standing in the middle of the room. His clothes were as good as new, and most importantly, his wings were gone.

"Well I'll be damned"

Castiel tilted his head

"Why would you be?"

"No it's just... what I mean is that you're good as new"

"Yes... Thank you"

"Oh I didn't do much"

Castiel closed the distance between them, putting a hand on his upper arm. Bobby suddenly felt a wave of warmth he was not used to, and realized his eyes were starting to water, but he couldn't peel them off of Castiel's. It felt like the angel was staring at his soul

"Yes you did. I promise I will look after you. You deserve it. You are a good man. Always remember this."

Bobby blinked and the angel was gone. His knees gave out, and he found himself sitting on the floor.

-

The angels appeared a week after Castiel had vanished.

"Where IS he? Where is Castiel?

Even if he wanted to answer he couldn't, he was choking on air. He felt the blood drip down from the cut on his head where the angel had struck him.

"It's a waste of time... let's just check is memory" said one of the Angels, and air came rushing in Bobby's lungs. He spat out, finally free, trying to get up from the ground but failing.

"I don't know... his mind seems strong. We could risk to damage it..."

"Our mission is more important, than one human."

One of them grabbed him by the collar, lifting him up to face him.

"Last chance human. Where is the traitor?"

Bobby laughed

"Go to hell"

As the angel raised his fist to hit him the point of an angel blade appeared at the centre of his throat. The angel screamed, lights flashing from his mouth and his eyes, then crushed at the ground, pulling Bobby with him.

The hunter raised his head in time to see the other one encounter the same fate.

"Castiel?" he whispered, his eyes following the man in the trench coat as he approached him and lift him on his feet without any problems.

"What are you doing here?"

The angel looked at the two bodies on the ground. Bobby realized he probably knew them by name.

"Thanks feathers.."

"It is not necessary to thank me. I told you I would look after you."

Bobby opened his mouth but didn't know what to reply. Castiel turned at him. He looked tired, blue eyes popping out of dark circles around his eyes. But a faint smile tinted his lips

"This is what family is for."