Seven

The ruins that Castiel sat by mocked him.

The 'Big House', as it had often been affectionately called, stood half destroyed in the center of Heaven. It's alabaster walls were crumbling in on themselves, having taken several hundreds of hits over the past few years. It was hard to even imagine what it had once looked like before all the wars.

Before Castiel had ever taken that fateful trip to Hell.

Castiel turned his gaze upon the pool of water forming at the base of the building. So much of Heaven's infrastructure had changed since the war between his brothers had gone awry. Castiel supposed he had never truly noticed until now.

Without truly meaning to, he managed to manifest Dean in the pool of water. His voice echoed in Castiel's head.

"And why would an angel, rescue me from Hell?"

"Castiel."

A familiar voice yanked Castiel from his staring and the image of Dean vanished from the water just as quickly.

"Cathalsis." Castiel nodded.

"We haven't spoken for a while," Cathalsis, the official Healer of Heaven, came forward, his vessel's vibrant eyes hidden behind glasses that belonged to the man he'd possessed. His medic robes hugged his body.

"Well," Castiel bowed his head and swallowed hard. "There has been a lot happening."

"That's the understatement of the century," Cathalsis replied. "Where's Father, now right? Now that everything he claimed he loved is crumbling."

"As much as I hate to admit it," Castiel said, his eyes meeting Cathalsis' once again.

"I have been asking myself the same damn thing."

-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-

"This garden used to more vibrant," Cathalsis said. "So full of life. I miss it."

The Garden of Eden was hardly anything to write home about any longer. Most of the plants had either shriveled up and died or were well on their way. What was once a seemingly long beautiful walk to the other parts of Heaven, the parts the souls were kept in, was now a short tearful one. Castiel and Cathalsis sat upon an iron bench, often used by the gatekeeper to the garden to keep watch.

"Do you remember the day you were chosen?" Cathalsis asked with a tiny smile.

"Better than any other day of my existence." Castiel replied.

There was a crowd. A rather large crowd of angels. God's children, all waiting patiently for a piece of the moment that would change everything. They had heard vicious rumors. The kind that wouldn't sleep and carried on through the night like lost souls without a purpose. Their long-forgotten brother was planning something, something big.

"Settle down!" Raphael had cried out. The angels had quieted immediately.

It was then that Raphael had called his strongest angels forth. It was then that Castiel and those chosen to follow him into Hell had walked behind closed doors and had been briefed on what they were supposed to do. It was then that Castiel had seen Dean's face for the first time and he knew deep down that he had finally found his purpose.

"You were so happy that day," Cathalsis playfully shook his head. "I hadn't seen that emotion from you, practically ever. Not since you and your sister were born."

"I had a purpose," Castiel replied. "A mission from God, or so I thought…"

"We all began to question things after that day," Cathalsis nodded. "There were orders coming from voices I didn't recognize, and even scarier still voices that I did. Voices that weren't our Father. Voices that had once spoken to Lucifer in the same tone, agreed with him."

"And you did nothing?" Castiel questioned.

"I wasn't sure then," Cathalsis replied, looking downward as though ashamed. "I couldn't tell if it was coming from God or not. The orders. The stories of hope. I just knew that you would save us by saving Dean Winchester. That I knew for sure."

"It was all a lie though," Castiel turned to his friend. "Everyone wanted our archangel brothers to fight. I was simply a cog in the machine."

"Castiel you led a revolution," Cathalsis turned to face Castiel and placed his hands on his shoulders, forcing him to look him in the eye. "After you begun to question things, everyone did. It drove those assholes insane, you basically becoming one of the humans. Encouraging others to follow in your place. I believe the phrase became "all because of one man"."

Castiel turned his gaze to the ground. The dirt below him was half dead too.

"I didn't intend to turn anyone against Heaven." Castiel sighed.

"None of us can change our fates," Cathalsis replied, getting up from the bench both of them sat on. "They simply just happen as they're intended to."

Cathalsis walked away, leaving Castiel staring at the back gate and the entrances to the various Heavens.

Castiel begun walking.

-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-

Bobby Singer hadn't known that Heaven would have been anything like it was.

His Heaven changed. Daily. He could make it anything he wanted it to be, day in and day out the happiest memories of his life, and yet, he always felt as though there would be an end. Something to shock him back to reality. Some monster lurking around a corner that he'd have to kill, but it never came. Honestly, it was the best thing that could have ever happened to him.

Today it was sitting in his recliner in the living room, stuck in a memory from about thirty years prior.

"Bobby," young Dean's voice rang out pitifully from the couch in the other room. "I need you."

Bobby stood, immediately waltzing into the other room, and coming over to young Dean's side. Dean was covered by a warm blanket, he shivered, and his face was quite pale. Bobby paused only upon hearing a flap of wings behind him.

"Figured you'd show up eventually," Bobby said, turning to face Castiel. "Bout time."

"My apologies," Castiel replied, hands in his pockets. "I was simply just wandering Heaven and ended up here. I guess I was seeking solace."

"You and me both kid," Bobby chuckled and then turned to face a young sickly Dean again. The younger version of Dean had fallen asleep again, sweat pooling on his forehead, and Bobby sighed louder, placing his hand to the young man's forehead.

"Do you go back to this memory often?" Castiel cocked his head at the sleeping younger version of Dean and he felt something leap ever so slightly in his chest.

"I was like a dad to these boys," Bobby explained. "John did the best he could, but it wasn't enough. I was the one who hugged them when they cried. The one who bandaged the bruises and brought down the fevers. The one who cleaned up the vomit and taught them how to be good men. John didn't do that. I did."

Castiel heard the crack in Bobby's voice and he came closer to the younger version of Dean, taking his hand and wiping back the boys hair that managed to stick to his forehead. Dean didn't wake.

"I go back to this memory," Bobby said. "Because it's one of the ones where I gave at least one of them a sense of normalcy. I have other similar memories with Sam. I just loved them so much and it hurts me so much to know what their lives have become because of you."

"I-." Castiel began, but then swallowed his words. He looked away and then started to leave the room.

"I wasn't finished," Bobby stated and Castiel stopped. He faced the older hunter once more.

"You may have started this whole thing on the wrong side, but you proved a lot of things I thought wrong. You let Sam live after all he was groomed for and all he did. You sacrificed an entire family, all you ever knew, for my boys."

Bobby placed a hand on Castiel's shoulder.

"You love them for everything that they are," Bobby nodded. "And everything they've yet to be. Especially Dean."

Castiel stammered. He tried to find words. There were none. He felt cornered like a snake and a hungry mongoose.

"It would take more than a blind man to miss that," Bobby gave him a crooked smile. "Dean told me once, in his own jumbled drunken words and in confidence, about himself. I never told a soul because I knew he was terrified. He still is, but you make him less afraid of everything somehow. He seems…safe around you. Happy. It's all I could have ever asked for him no matter who or what he ended up with."

"Was he afraid of his father's disapproval?" Castiel asked.

"In the beginning yeah," Bobby shrugged. "Then mine and Sam's, then the rest of the world, and finally you."

"Me?" Castiel cocked his head.

"I think the damn idjit's really just afraid of you rejecting him." Bobby explained.

Younger Dean let out a few hard coughs and Bobby turned to face him.

"I'd better take this," he motioned to the kid and Castiel nodded, turning to leave.

"Bobby," Castiel said. "Thank you."

Bobby nodded and the angel disappeared in a flap of wings.

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A/N: This was more of a Castiel centered chapter, but I figured he deserved some of the spotlight. It is Destiel after all, he's an important part of the ship. Castiel is dealing with a lot of his own mixed feelings regarding Dean and fairly soon they'll come to light. I am really sorry this chapter took so long; I have been mildly depressed lately and am trying my best to bounce back from it. Hopefully, future chapters will not take as long, and I hope everybody enjoyed this one.

Another note: Cathalsis is an OC of mine that's been in a few other fics of mine. He's Heaven's healer and does a fantastic job. Hope everybody liked him.

See you next chapter!