chapter 5
Cowering on hands and knees, Castiel's vessel recalled how pain made him gasp for breath, pant and writhe against the tendrils of agony spreading from the point of origin through his whole system. Even though the angel did not actually need to breathe, he went through those motions in order to deal with the hurt.
Only slowly, the pain subsided, but when it did, Castiel felt something else:
Weight.
A growing weight where the bones recently had felt way too light.
Too light because the feathers that once grew there were burnt.
My feathers!
Hardly daring to hope, Castiel concentrated on how the sensation in his back changed. He did not need to look around. For millennia, he knew the feeling of full-grown wings. Now he sensed return what he had sorely missed.
Opening his eyes, he noted that his whole appearance shone with grace, melting the snow beneath him. About to stand up, he realized that that hardly was appropriate. Remaining on one knee and foot, he bowed his head.
"I humbly thank you, Father."
Actually, he did not really expect God to answer, so he was surprised at hearing him in the back of his mind.
"You earned it, Castiel. Your wings are courtesy to my sister, though."
"Amara?"
Stunned, the angel did not know what else to say.
"Yes, Castiel," she replied. "You may look up."
When he lifted his head, she stood right in front of him, her black dress billowing in the wind that still howled around them but that neither of them felt.
"Thank you, Amara."
"You're welcome, Castiel," she said. "You're Dean's best friend. He gave me all I ever wanted, so it's only just to repay him... starting with giving you your wings."
Apparently, his confusion could be clearly read off his features, because she laughed softly.
"I honestly like you, Castiel," Amara stated, "I can see now why my brother values you so much. Dean needs you. He will always need you. And I'm sure that eventually, you both will find what you are looking for."
An all too human flush colored Castiel's cheeks.
"You are cute when you're embarrassed," Amara chuckled. "I don't want to keep you, though. Go! Use your wings and find them!"
Castiel did not need to be told twice. Inclining his head, he once more thanked her. Then, he spread his wings wide and flapping them twice, he was gone.
xXx
"Dean!"
Sam's scream still rang in Jody's ears when she punched one of the pack members. Knowing that they could put him back together, she pulled out her hunting knife and cut off his head. Then she knocked one of the two out that fought with Sam, and together, they wrangled the last one down. Quickly, they tied him up with tape.
"Oh, my God," Sam panted as they got back up. "She's got Dean!"
It all happened so quickly. One moment, they had been sitting at the fire, playing cards, and the next, Sam was grabbing both his and Dean's coats, his weapons, and stormed out the door despite her yelling after him that he should stay.
As she could not afford to waste time, she turned to the fallen Nachzehrer and tied him up as well. To be sure, she checked on the prisoners again before she took the severed head to put it back on its body. It still was disconcerting to watch how it healed back together.
"Sheriff?" a young, wavering voice echoed down from the attic.
Of course, the brawl has woken the kids, she thought ruefully.
"We're all doing fine," Jody assured them. "Go back to bed."
"Daddy?" the little girl whimpered.
Right, one of them is their father, Jody admonished herself. They must get scared seeing him tied up.
"Your father is alright," she assured them. "I'm protecting him. Stay upstairs. You're safe there."
The little girl, Tempe, was crying and her brother pulled her into a hug to shush her. Seeing their anxiety, Jody did not find it in herself to leave them on their own.
"Alright, I'll come and get you down," she assured them. "But I need to make sure it's safe down here. Understand?"
"Yes, sheriff," the boy muttered, squeezing his sister.
"Alright..."
While Jody once more tested all bonds, though, she noticed something different about her captives. The eyes of Mr. Nolan seemed to clear and he looked up at her with obvious confusion.
"Sheriff Mills," he muttered. Attempting to move, he noticed his ties, looked frantically around and saw the others. "What happened? Why are we bound?"
"What do you remember?" Jody asked back, surprised that he suddenly seemed to be back to his senses. Though Sam had told them that killing the alpha would revert the others back to human, this was the first time she observed it.
"I... was on the way to my car," he replied. "Then... nothing. How did I get here? And who tied me up?"
"The bonds are for your own safety, Mr. Nolan," Jody informed him. "You were... in a manic state. Once I'm certain you're no danger to yourself or others, I'll release you."
"Did that happen to me, too?" Mr. Potter asked.
"Yes," Jody nodded, taking two steps back so she could face the whole group at the same time. Struggling for an explanation, she told them, "It happened to all of you. I don't have all the information yet, but it looks like you were... poisoned. Also, we're currently trapped in this cabin due to a blizzard. As soon as I'm able to contact our station, I'll get backup and everything will be sorted."
Her gaze drifted to Byron. According to what they had learned about him, he had been turned decades ago, and she was curious whether he remembered anything of the years since then, or if he was hurled back into his last memories before he was bitten. Now was not the time to question, him, though. She made a mental note to make sure that he was taken care of separately, interviewed by herself and maybe one or both Winchesters.
Thinking about them, she wondered whether they were alright.
The storm's bad. I should have stopped Sam from going after the alpha. Inwardly, she chuckled wryly. I wouldn't have stood a chance in hell. Dean's his brother after all.
Feeling confident that the worst danger was over, she allowed the children to come down from the attic. As soon as they reached the bottom of the ladder, they stormed over to where their father sat on the floor, still tied, and threw themselves at him.
Right at this moment, another person appeared in the cabin, his arrival announced by collective startled noises.
Whirling around, Jody found...
"Whoa! Castiel! How did you get here?"
"I tuned in on you," he replied in his gravelly voice, looking around for the brothers. "Where are Dean and Sam?"
"The alpha, she took Dean," Jody explained. "Sam followed them." If she did not know better, she could have sworn she saw panic reflect in the angel's eyes. Only reluctantly, he took in the current situation at the cabin, looking each of the captives over.
"These persons are no danger," he finally declared. "I do not see any trace of wrongness. We can release them."
"Good to know," Jody sighed and just turned to Potter and his kids when the bonds of all captives opened and fell away. Perplexed, she realized that Castiel had to be responsible. Knowing that time was of essence, she asked, "Are you going to search for the boys now?" but the angel was already gone.
xXx
In the thick flurry, Castiel searched for the Winchester brothers. A human would have gotten hopelessly lost, incapable of seeing much through the swirling mass of snow. Flying at a speed that made it appear to others as if he teleported, simply appearing at his destination, Castiel could cover a lot of ground as he flew in a spiral fashion around the cabin. Ultimately, his angel senses picked up on the alpha's trail when he reached the forest's boundary.
Consequently, Castiel found the Nachzehrer's body out on the frozen lake. Knowing that it was not wise to leave it for anybody to find, Castiel picked up the body to take it back to the cabin. His arrival startled everyone, especially given the corpse he carried.
"Castiel!" Jody called out indignantly and vigorously strode up to him. Taking him by the arm before he could drop the body, she steered him to the door. "Here," she declared, putting her car keys on the creature's stomach. "Stash her in the trunk or something. Just take her out of here! Now!"
When his puzzlement kept him from reacting, she opened the door and shoved him out into the storm that began to rage stronger again.
So Castiel crossed over to where the sheriff's jeep parked and found only a mound of snow. Frowning, he put the body down and lifted a hand to will the drift away. As if a huge hand wiped over it, the mass of snow swept off the vehicle, Castiel opened the trunk and put the body in quickly.
With a flap of his wings, he returned to the lake. Standing on the spot where he found the alpha, Castiel contemplated, in which direction the brothers might have turned.
Of course, it made the most sense to walk back to the bank, but had they been able to determine where they had to go?
"Dean!"
Pausing to listen, he strained his ears but heard nothing but the howling wind.
"Sam!"
Once more, he strained his ears.
Nothing.
Taking flight, Castiel resumed his search.
Being an angel, flying fast was not his only ability. To him, the short moment he needed to spiral out from where he found the alpha appeared much longer. As a result, Castiel could scan the forest thoroughly for any sign of the missing hunters. What he could not change was the ever-thickening snow flurry that forced him to fly close to the ground. Otherwise, not even the angel could see enough to try and detect any trail.
Where are you?
Concern tightened Castiel's chest.
They cannot have gone too far in that blizzard. I need to locate them fast or they will freeze to death.
Approaching the bank, he heard a prayer within his mind.
Sam!
Slowing down to hover over the edge of the lake, Castiel felt the storm catch in his wings, making it hard to stay above a certain spot. His angel senses allowed him to find a trail beneath the snow where the brothers had clambered off the ice. Fighting against the wind, Castiel managed to land there. At once, the sensation became stronger.
By foot, the angel traced the path Dean and Sam had taken.
'Cass, I know you can't fly, but... we're lost. If you know any other way to get out here... we could really do with your help right now.'
Right! He does not know about the grace Amara bestowed on me. Hold out, Sam! I am on my way!
Unfortunately, prayer only worked in one direction and Sam could not hear him.
If Amara wants to repay Dean for what he has done for her, she should mark him and Sam in a way that allows me, and only me, to find them.
Sighing inwardly, he plowed through the snow drifts. Now he could sense the brothers more strongly. They had to be close by. All he could see were snow-covered trees and thick snowflakes that would rob everyone but the angel of his breath.
"Sam!"
xXx
"Dean?" Sam murmured, nudging his brother's cheek.
With trepidation, the younger Winchester noted that Dean did not respond. Apparently passed out, he leaned against Sam who would have panicked if he could not feel his sibling's regular breathing. Holding him close with both their coats zipped up together, he could sense the rise and fall of Dean's chest against his own body.
Sam had been joyed to find his own scarf where he had stuffed it into the sleeve of his coat when he had hung it up in the cabin. Doing his best to protect his brother from the icy cold, he had pulled the fur-lined collar up and wrapped the scarf around Dean's neck and head, only leaving his nose and eyes out.
At least we're protected from the storm. In the wind, the felt temperature is even lower. Maybe I'm mistaken, but I think it's less cold in here now.
Still, chilliness seeped into him from below. His jeans did not much to protect him from the cold soil they were resting on. Roots made the seat uncomfortable. Both were small downsides compared to being exposed to the blizzard.
"Cass, I know you can't fly but... we're lost," he muttered the prayer to himself. Hugging Dean even closer, he went on, "If you know any other way to get out here... we could really do with your help right now."
Taking comfort in his brother's closeness, Sam rested his cheek on top of Dean's head. How much did he wish he could sleep. It had to be in the early morning by now. Why did they not try to get some rest when they were at the cabin? They could have stood guard in turns.
Yawning, Sam fought his tiredness. As long as he sensed Dean breathe, it was alright that his brother slept, but they could not afford that he dozed off as well. In sleep, they could both freeze to death without regaining consciousness before.
"Sam!"
At first, Sam believed to have misheard. The snowdrift covering the tree they took shelter under muffled every sound, even drowning out the howl of the storm. So Sam really was not sure whether he actually had heard something. Only when the shout was repeated, he lifted his head to listen intently.
Yes, there it is again.
"Hello?!" he yelled back. "We're here!"
Feeling Dean stir, he turned to his brother. Despite his shouting, Dean did not wake.
"Sam!"
The soft yet gravelly sound made Sam look around to see...
"Cass!"
"I am so glad to see you," the angel stated with undisguised relief. Concern darkened his blue eyes as he took in Dean's unconscious form. "How is he? How are you, Sam?"
"We're... Cass, how did you...? I mean..."
"In order to comprise an otherwise lengthy explanation," Castiel muttered, reaching out for the brothers with both hands and resting his palms on their foreheads.
Sam wanted to respond, but before he could do as much as open his mouth, he felt a quickly passing nauseousness. All of a sudden, the support of the tree trunk was gone. Instead, there were steadying hands, and when he opened his eyes...
"Cass! Are we back?"
"At Jody's house," Castiel replied, squatting beside them and grabbing the zipper of the combined coats to undo it.
Recognizing the office and the guest bed, Sam stammered, "But how...?"
"Amara," Castiel cut his question short. "Help me, please. I know that Dean would certainly dislike me using my mojo to undress him and we need to warm him up." Glancing at Sam, he added, "You as well."
"So you... got your wings back?" Sam hedged. Using his teeth, he tried to remove his gloves. Strangely, he felt even colder than before, his stiff fingers unable to assist the angel in freeing Dean from his clothes. All he managed was to awkwardly push away his own coat. Aside from that, he could only watch and shudder with cold.
"As a matter of fact, I do," Castiel murmured, fully concentrated on the hunter in his arms. Upon discovering the wound, he laid his hand on Dean's thigh and called on his grace to heal him. Shifting his gaze to Sam who sat slumped over, hugging himself and shuddering violently, Castiel reached out for him as well.
Closing his eyes, Sam relished the sensation that coursed through him. Castiel's healing touch did not chase the whole cold away, but it restored his feeling in hands and feet and his ability to function.
"Thanks, Cass."
"Don't mention it," the angel replied, focused on Dean again. Examining him closer, he discovered frostbitten hands and feet and beginning pneumonia. Directing his grace at him again, he healed those up as well.
It did not take long until the older Winchester stirred.
"Cass?"
"Yes, Dean," Castiel replied in a voice that was an unusually deep rumble, even for him. "Let us get you in bed."
For a long moment, nothing happened except Castiel taking Dean around the shoulders and under his knees, but when the hunter caught on to his exposed condition and to what Castiel said, he called out with shock.
"What?!"
The sudden outcry made the angel falter with astonishment because it sounded panicked. Dean's green eyes bore into him with suspicion.
"Cass, am I naked?"
"Yes," Castiel replied honestly, not seeing the problem at all.
"Why the fuck am I naked?!"
Unimpressed, the angel answered, "We needed to get you out of your clothes. They are frozen stiff."
"C'mon, bro," Sam chimed in, pushing the covers back so Castiel could lower Dean onto the mattress, "I'll be with you in a moment."
Still scowling, Dean allowed the angel to tuck him in. Watching Sam leave the room, he asked, "How did you find us?"
"Sam prayed to me," Castiel answered truthfully. "I was already searching the area after Jody told me that the alpha took you, but it was Sam who led me to you."
Now that he was more alert, Dean could see that he misunderstood the angel's intention and smiled up at him. "It's good to see you."
Returning the smile, Castiel stated, "It was a good idea of Sam to crawl under the tree for protection."
Dean sighed.
"Yeah. Billie said the same."
"Billie? As in the reaper Billie?" Castiel queried with rekindled anxiety.
"Yeah," Dean groused. "But apparently, she only stopped by to tell us that she wasn't there for us."
The door opened and Sam reappeared, both girls in tow and a grain pillow in hand.
"Here," he said as he crossed over to the bed and pulled the covers up just long enough to shove the pillow in. "That's better, right?"
"That's friggin' hot!" Dean cried out.
Sam laughed.
"What's so funny?" his brother complained.
"It's good to hear you curse," Sam explained. "That means you're alive."
Still scowling, Dean sank back in the pillows. To be honest, it was good to feel some warmth seep back into his body.
"Castiel? Where's Jody?" Claire asked.
"The sheriff is alright," the angel told her. "She still is on the job. I will go and help her wrap the case up as soon as these two here are settled."
"Okay," Alex sighed a breath of relief. Directing her question to the hunters, she asked, "Do you need anything? More blankets? Food? Something warm to drink?"
"Tea and water will be fine," Castiel declared.
"Hey! I'd rather have some whiskey," Dean complained.
Turning his head to shoo the girls away to do as he asked, the angel stated impassively, "I am aware that you would prefer strong liqueur, but in your condition alcohol is not advisable."
"Didn't you heal me?"
"I did," Castiel confirmed flatly, "You still need warmth and a good night's rest, as well as sufficient fluids."
"Why, don't you sound like a doctor!" Sam chuckled, shedding his t-shirt. Then he removed his jeans and crawled under the blankets.
"Sammy, you're frigid," Dean gasped when his brother accidentally touched him.
"And you're not?" Sam shot back. "By a hair's breadth, we both would've ended up as snow sculptures."
"Nobody wants to see that," Dean groused.
Quirking a brow, Castiel followed the exchange. To him, the banter was music in his ears. A light knock on the open door made them all look over to Claire.
"I took the liberty to prepare something else," she said and crossed over to the bed, two huge, steaming mugs in hand. Seeing the hunters eye the drinks suspiciously, she smirked, "I'm sure you'll like it."
Curious, Dean scooted back to lean against the headboard and Sam followed his example. When Dean took the offered mug, he could not help but quirk a skeptic brow at it.
"Hot cocoa with marshmallows... awesome."
"Thanks, Claire," Sam said as he accepted his own mug from her.
None of them noticed the angel's deep scowl, but their noses told them that Claire had spiked the drinks with a dash of liqueur. Smiling at each other, the brothers clanked their mugs together and took a first sip.
"Claire..."
"I'll get you the water now," she declared and headed out instead of waiting for whatever Castiel had to say.
Of course, the angel followed her., but not without looking back at his charges and see them happily nurse their respective cocoas. When Castiel entered the hallway, he stopped dead in his tracks at the sight of the unexpected newcomer.
"Hello, brother."
tbc...