"C'mon, Cas, where are you.." Dean muttered to himself.
He was leaning over Charlie's shoulder, staring at the laptop screen as it played several different camera streams at once. His fingers tapped impatiently on the table, and he completely missed Charlie's eye roll as she sipped at her coffee.
"Dean." She growled lowly as she shot him a look and a frown.
"Right. Sorry. I'm going."
He pushed back off the table with a huff and walked away for the fifth time in the past hour, the warnings from Charlie becoming less polite each time. He knew he was annoying her, but dammit, he just wanted to find his... Boyfriend? It didn't sound right in his head. Cas. He had to find his Cas.
Someone nudged his shoulder, and he turned to see Sam standing beside him with a sympathetic face and a fresh cup coffee held out. He took the cup gratefully, sipping at it as he stared blankly ahead. He was dimly aware of Sam's comforting arm moving to rest lightly over his shoulders.
Usually, he'd pull away. No chick flick moments. But this time.. No, this time was different, and he'd changed lately. Right now he welcomed the support - and he noticed the way Sam stiffened in surprise when he leaned against his big-little brother, resting his head sideways on his shoulder.
"Shut up." He muttered quietly, cradling his cup in both hands as he watched Charlie, unmoving.
"Wasn't going to say a word." Sam responded, his arm tightening slightly around Dean's shoulders.
Then, because nothing nice seemed to last long, the banging started.
"Uriel, please-"
Castiel broke off as another fit of coughing took him over. Agony seared through him, though he was getting used to the feeling. The right side of his chest was in constant pain, especially when he took a breath - he was pretty sure his ribs were broken - and as if that weren't enough, any movement he made pulled at various cuts and burn wounds over his chest and arms.
He felt like he'd been here days, living through the various forms of torture Uriel cooked up until he passed out again, skewing his sense of time. He had no idea if days had passed, or only hours, and the latter was a terrifying thought. The entire left side of his face, including his eye, was swollen and purpled. The right side was only slightly better, in that he could open the eye half way to watch what Uriel was doing. He wasn't sure if being able to see made things better or worse.
"Please, if you're going to do this, just do it. Finish it." Tears slipped from his eyes as he admitted the inevitable outcome.
"Oh, giving up so easily?" Uriel purred as he turned and, with a wicked grin, made his way back over. "Sorry, Castiel. Your time is far from done. You have many sins to be punished for."
Castiel glanced at the item in Uriel's hands - a length of rope, the ends twisted around each fist, leaving a foot or so of rope held taut between his hands. The man moved around, then behind him, leaving Castiel puzzled as to this next form of torture.
Then he felt the rope press against his neck, a sudden pressure, and he couldn't breathe.
"Ready, boy?" Bobby asked gruffly as he stared back at Dean, one hand on the door knob.
Dean sighed and wet his lips, adjusting his grip on the gun Bobby had given him. Nervousness settled in the pit of his stomach as he held the weapon steady, trained on the door that was still being hammered on ten minutes after it started. Sam stood beside him, mirroring Dean's stance with his own weapon. The rest of the group were carrying on casually in the lounge room, ignoring the commotion.
Bobby gave them a quick, affirmative nod, then flicked the lock and swung the door open-
Only for a short, brown haired man with champagne eyes to fall straight into him and knock them both to the ground.
"What the f-" The stranger began to exclaim.
"Don't move!" Dean yelled, cutting him off.
He watched as the stranger froze, moving only his head to glance up at the weapons trained on him. His eyebrows shot up and his eyes widened comically, quickly followed by his hands moving up in a surrendering gesture.
"Okay, woah! Easy there tiger, no need for anyone to die today."
"Then tell me what the hell you were doing hammering on my door at-" Dean glanced at the clock quickly. "Seven Am?! Are you freakin kidding right now?"
"Your-? Oh." A saddened expression crossed the man's face, completely changing his demeanour, and he sighed. "I apologise. He must have moved, I should- I should go."
Dean gestured with the end of his gun for the man to stand, but he didn't lower the weapon. He watched as the man slowly got to his feet, hands still in the air, though all aggression appeared to have drained from him now. His eyes were cast down, and disappointment was written over his face.
"Dean," Sam warned, but he ignored it as he moved closer slowly.
There was something... familiar, about this man. Something in him recognised the guy, though he was sure they had never met. He wasn't quite sure what it was. He mentally checked a list off in his head; brown hair, champagne eyes, slightly older guy, looked like he was up to no good pretty much all of the time... It sounded familiar, in a way that he had heard it rather than laid eyes on the man. Some memory was surfacing, but he wanted to be sure before he gave away any details.
"Who were you looking for?" He asked quietly, stepping within a few feet of the man.
"Nobody, it's nobody. You wouldn't know them.."
"Who?" He pushed.
"...My brother." The man sighed, his shoulders dropping. "This was where I was told he'd be, but... Cas appears to have moved."
The silence was deafening. The three men just stared at the stranger in surprise, though the weapons were never lowered. Bobby glanced over at Dean and, with a gesture of his head, Dean watched him close the door and lock it again. The stranger glanced back fearfully at the door, then once more to Dean.
"Look, I'm not here to cause trouble. Just let me go."
"Wait, just wait..." Dean frowned, trying to sort out his thoughts. He knew this guy, knew his name, he was sure. Then it clicked. "You're Gabriel, right?"
"Have we met? I'm sure I'd remember-" The man paused to flick eyes up and down appraisingly. "-you..."
Dean just rolled his eyes and lowered his gun, signalling the others to do the same. He tucked the weapon back into his belt and sighed, releasing some of the tension that had built up.
"Heard a fair bit about you. Might as well come in and join the search party." Dean commented as he led the group back into the living room. "I'm Dean, by the way. I'm Cas'... friend."
His throat burned on the word, but he wasn't sure if Castiel would want their relationship revealed. Gabriel, however, seemed to see straight through the diversion, staring at Dean with a raised eyebrow and a slight smirk. He coughed to clear his throat and continued, pointing around the room to introduce everyone in turn.
"My brother Sam, Uncle Bobby, Charlie is Cas' manager, Kevin is a friend, and Jo Harvelle. Everyone, this is Cas' brother, Gabriel." When Charlie tensed, he sighed and finished off with, "The good one."
"Welcome. Now stay out of my way and Dean, another coffee." Charlie commented grumpily, fingers flying over the keys.
Dean nodded quickly, and went to do as asked. Within minutes he had another coffee placed in front of Charlie, and was back in the group huddled near the wall, which was pretty much everyone except Charlie and Kevin. Gabriel still looked shocked, staring around at everything.
"Okay... Who's gonna tell me what's going on? And when's little bro gonna be back?" Gabriel asked finally, pulling a sucker out of his pocket and shedding the wrapper. He popped it in his mouth with a grin as he stared at the group expectantly.
"You don't know?" Sam asked in Dean's silence, looking at Gabriel disbelievingly.
"Well, considering I don't know what you're referring to, I may or may not," Gabriel scowled at Sam. "All I know is that Castiel's taken off - I got sent to find him, an order which I wasn't going to argue since I haven't seen little bro in forever."
Dean felt his chest constrict in sympathy. Gabriel had shown up here with no idea that his brother had been taken, and that this was a rescue mission. He could only imagine how he would feel if someone took Sam. With that thought in mind, he grabbed onto Gabriel's shoulder and dragged him to the kitchen, shooting the others a look that begged for privacy.
"Hey, hands off! What the hell?" Gabriel grumbled, pulling away as Dean finally let him go.
"Gabriel, he's missing." Dean turned and snapped at him.
Wow, way to break the news. As soon as the words left his mouth he regretted it - it was his stress and worry talking, but he knew he should have been more gentle. Guilt coursed through him as he sighed, turning away as he ran both hands through his hair.
"...missing? As in-" Gabriel stopped, worry leaking into his eyes.
"Taken. We've been trying to find him, but-" Dean sighed, throwing his hands up in the air in frustration. "We can't get an exact location.
"Oh. Oh, god..." Gabriel muttered.
After a few beats of silence, however, Gabriel's face lit up. Dean stopped and stared, confusion crossing his face at the odd reaction.
"Wait! Does he still wear a bracelet? A blue one, with a step counter thing in it?"
"Uh.." He frowned, trying to think back through his confusion at the unexpected turn of attitude. "Yeah, his fitness band. Wears the freakin thing all the time. Why?"
"Because it's got a tracker in it!" Gabriel announced happily, grabbing Dean's face in both hands and kissing his cheek in overwhelming emotion. "Oh, thank the stars he still has it!"
Dean blinked in shock, only to see Gabriel bolt to the dining table. Within seconds he had kicked Charlie, cursing and yelling, off the laptop and was typing a web address into the search bar while he talked.
"I gave it to him when he left, but I didn't tell him it had a gps tracker in it. I was worried about him, and I wanted to be able to find him. Didn't think to check it before I left home, I've never really had trouble finding him-" He paused, clicking a few buttons as he bit down on the sucker. He typed some more, then growled angrily. "Damn, can't remember the password."
"Amateur." Charlie commented, rolling her eyes as she leant over Gabriel's shoulder and moved his hands away so she could type on the keyboard. "I'll crack this in five minutes."
Dean sighed and leant back against the wall, trying to appear calm. His heart was racing, however - he knew that they were closer than they had yet been to finding Castiel. It was only a matter of time now, time they didn't have.
He noticed Sam coming up beside him, and this time, he initiated the comforting embrace they had earlier, both facing the group, Dean's head on his brother's shoulder. Sam's arm around his shoulders grounded him, giving him the calm he needed to wait this out.
Castiel gasped in air as the pressure on his throat was released. He'd lost count now how many times Uriel had choked him, releasing him just before he passed out. His eyes swam with tears, his lungs burned, and his head spun. He could hear Uriel saying something, but he couldn't make sense of the words.
He felt his lips moving, and soon became aware that he was whispering continuously between sobs. Just two words, over and over, that somehow kept him hanging on.
"Please.. Dean..."
"Uh, Dean-o - were we planning on getting there alive?" Gabriel called from the back seat of the impala, his knuckles white on the edge of the seat.
"Shut up, Gabriel!" Dean growled for the third time, his eyes narrowing as he focused on the road. His hands tightened on the wheel as he muttered quietly to the impala, foot flat to the floor on the accelerator. "Sorry, baby, I know I'm pushin', but we gotta be fast."
"Dean, it's a car. You don't have to apologise to it." Sam groaned from the passenger seat, his head in his hand.
Dean didn't respond - he just shot him a glare that told him to shut up before he ended up walking. Sam cracked one eye open enough to see it, then rolled his eyes and shook his head.
"We're almost there, guys. Pull over in a few minutes and we'll hike in, that way the noise of the engines don't give us away." Charlie commented from beside Gabriel in the back, her eyes glued to her phone screen.
"Oh for-" Dean grumbled and slowed a little. "How much time are we gonna lose, and how tired are we gonna get?"
"Do I look like a tour guide to you?" Charlie snapped, her eyes narrowing at him.
"I just don't know if it's worth sacrificing time for stealth!" Dean snapped back, then pursed his lips. "Why can't we just storm the place?"
"Because," Charlie sighed, clearly struggling to be patient. "The moment he hears us coming, he could kill Castiel. I don't know about you, but I'm willing to sacrifice some time and energy to find him alive."
The entire car fell into a shocked silence at her words. The reminder of how Cas' life hung in the balance brought a burn to Dean's eyes as his hands tightened on the wheel again, turning his knuckles white. Charlie seemed to notice, her sigh loud in the quiet of the car.
"I'm sorry, Dean. You know I didn't mean-"
"I know." Dean mumbled, trying to hold back tears. "Let's just... We'll do it your way. And no talking about, you know... possibilities. We're going to find him, we're going to get him out, and he's gonna be fine."
Nobody really knew what to say to that. Sam squeezed his shoulder supportively; Gabriel caught his eye in the mirror and nodded to him. The next few minutes were quiet, until Charlie told him to pull over. Moments later Bobby's cruiser pulled up behind him, and the engines of both vehicles were cut. They started to pile out of the cars, grabbing gear from each trunk quickly for the six of them. Kevin had stayed home, getting emergency medical supplies and food ready for their return.
"What's the plan?" Bobby asked when they were all out and geared up, standing between the cars.
"I'm taking lead with Charlie. She's got a lock on Cas, so it makes sense. Bobby, you're with us." Suddenly Dean's anxiety disappeared, his training coming into play as he slid into the role of leader. "Sam, Gabriel and Jo, you three stick together. Stay back, but not too far. I need you to still see and follow us. Once we can see the building, we'll brief before we go in, but in case we can't - Bobby, Charlie and I go in first. Whoever is in there won't be expecting a second group. Remember, we don't know if it's just Uriel, or if he has help. So ears and eyes open and watch each other's backs. Capiche?"
Everyone nodded silently, and Dean was slightly surprised to see flashes of admiration in Bobby and Sam's faces. He cast his eyes down, feeling like he didn't deserve it. He hadn't been able to keep Cas safe in the first place, after all, and the fear of what he would find was forefront in his mind.
"Let's head out."
Castiel sobbed in the empty room, trying not to move. Moving brought pain. Uriel had left awhile ago, though he had no idea how long it had really been. Maybe the man had lost interest and left him to die slowly, alone in this chair. That, he thought, was possibly the best outcome he could imagine.
By this point, he knew he wouldn't leave this place. Nobody was coming to save him. He was certain he had been here more than a week, though the rational side of his mind insisted if that were true, he should have died of dehydration already. He ignored it. He knew he was seriously dehydrated, running his tongue over dry, cracked lips. Perhaps it was just taking longer for his body to succumb.
He let his good eye slide closed, wishing that he would simply go to sleep and not wake up again.
"It's too quiet." Dean muttered quietly. "I don't trust it. You're sure he's in there?"
"For the fifth time Dean, yes," Charlie hissed at him, showing him the phone.
Dean stared at the device that showed a little red dot as Castiel's location. There were little icons at the bottom of the screen, and Dean pointed at them in confusion, as they weren't there before. Specifically, a little heart on the bottom left.
"What's that?"
"What's what? Oh - Oh my god - it's linked! Dean, that's his heartbeat! We're close enough that it's picked up the signal!" Charlie whispered excitedly, then her face formed a frown after she tapped the little heart. "Oh. It's... It's a bit slow."
Dean growled quietly and, without warning, turned and moved toward the little cabin. Sooner than he had taken a few steps, however, a hand grabbed the back of his shirt and pulled him back.
"Don't just go crashing and banging in there, ya idjit!" Bobby growled at him, holding him tight. "Don't look at me like that boy, we'll go in there. But quietly, dammit!"
"Fine, fine." Dean grumbled, shaking the man's hand off.
"Right. Let's go. Quietly." Bobby nodded at him, and Dean took the lead again.
Crouching down, the three made their way through the shrubs and trees, keeping themselves relatively hidden. Charlie stowed the phone and pulled out a gun of her own; Bobby and Dean already had theirs drawn. Dean moved stealthily, keeping his eyes peeled for any sound or movement, but there was none.
He felt more confident knowing that Cas was in there, alive, but the lack of any movement was unsettling in the least. As they crept towards the door, he shot Charlie and Bobby a look to be careful. The two nodded, and he glanced back the way they had come - a moment later a hand shot above the shrubs, obviously Sam assuring him that they were there and ready.
He crept along the front wall, his eyes peeled outwards for any sign of life out here. Bobby and Charlie were watching as well and, comforted by the cover, he turned and carefully tried the door knob. It turned silently and, carefully as he could, he pushed the door an inch open and paused.
Nothing happened. And somehow, it did nothing to ease his fear.
He took a deep breath and, with one big push, sent the door flying the rest of the way open, quickly dropping back against the wall and aiming his gun at the entrance. The door banged, and he waited with bated breath, Bobby and Charlie frozen beside him - but again, nothing happened.
He remained in a crouch and slowly crept forward until he could peer around the corner. The room was empty. He signalled Bobby and Charlie forward with one hand to follow, then made his way inside, his eyes darting everywhere. Once he had cleared the room he raised up to his full height, taking in his surroundings.
There was a small kitchen, a table, and a couch. Someone had been in here recently, judging by the track marks through the thick layer of dust. He scanned the kitchen and table - signs of use in the kitchen, but only one seat was clean at the table. That was a good sign.
He motioned to Bobby, pointing out what he had seen. Then he pointed to three doors in turn. Holding Bobby's gaze, he pointed to himself, and the first door, then pointed to Bobby, and around the room. Cover me, he was saying, and Bobby nodded an affirmative.
One by one, they checked the rooms carefully and slowly. The first room was a bathroom, used recently, but empty. The second, on the far wall, was a large bedroom - again, empty, but with signs of use. Dean's heart pounded with fear and hope as he rested a hand on the knob of the third room, then slowly swung it open.
Time froze. Then,
"Cas!" Dean gasped, dropping his gun and bolting forward.
His hands came up to hold cradle Castiel's face, fear shooting through him as the man's head rolled limply. Had he arrived seconds too late? Tears sprung to his eyes as he looked the man over, taking in the various injuries. His fingers stroked gently over the bruised skin of his face, his other hand gently shaking his shoulder to rouse him.
"Cas, c'mon... please! I can't lose you, not now..." Dean sobbed, closing his eyes.
"...Dean?" A raspy voice broke through, followed by a fit of coughing.
"Cas! Cas, oh thank god. You're okay, you're okay. We're here. We're gonna get you out." Dean babbled, his hands cradling Castiel's face gently again, carefully kissing his forehead. "You're gonna be okay."
"Alright princess, have your moment later. Let's get him out, fast." Bobby growled as he stepped up behind the chair.
Within moments the bonds were released, and Castiel flexed his arms as he moved them in front of him. There was still the problem of the blade, however, and Dean frowned as he looked at Bobby. The older man just shrugged, a regretful expression crossing his features.
"Gotta get it out."
"Here, use this." Charlie pulled her top shirt off, leaving her in a singlet, and handed it over to Dean. At his confused look, she quickly explained. "Once you remove the blade, it will bleed. You have to stem the flow."
"Right." Dean nodded, then turned back to Castiel, the shirt balled in one hand while fingers wrapped around the handle of the blade. "Cas, this is gonna hurt, and I'm sorry, but.."
"Jus' do it..." Castiel slurred, his head falling forward limply onto Dean's shoulder.
Dean nodded and braced himself, closing his eyes against the pain he was about to cause. He tightened his grip and with a sharp tug, the blade slid free in one movement, and he pressed the shirt against the wound in the next instant. Castiel cried out, then his whole body slumped limply forward into Dean's waiting arms.
"Shit.. Cas?" Dean worried, wrapping his arms around the man tightly.
"He's just unconscious." Charlie told him, checking his heart rate on her phone. "But we've got to get him out of here. We have enough in here to make a stretcher to carry him..."
"I've got it." Dean muttered as he stood.
He turned to face the others, holding Castiel in his arms bridal-style. The man's head rested limply against his chest, one arm hanging down. His other arm curled over his chest, which was a good position to keep the shirt over his wound.
"Well, look what we have here." Uriel was standing in the door way, a shotgun aimed at Castiel and a grin on his face. "Congratulations. You found me. Too bad you won't be leaving."
"Back off, Uriel," Bobby warned, raising his gun again. "This isn't going to end well for you."
"Oh, you mean your back up?" Uriel laughed, the sound dark and wicked. "Afraid they won't be coming. I knocked those guys out cold when I found them. I'll bring them in, of course, once I'm done with you. Now, you can drop the weapons, or Castiel here will get a bullet."
While the others carefully lowered their weapons to the floor, Dean shifted Castiel to hold him closer, burying his face in the man's hair. His mind whirled - something about the way Uriel had spoken of the guys seemed off, but he couldn't quite place why.
"Why? Why do this?" Dean asked quietly without raising his head.
"Why? Because somebody has to right the wrongs of this world. Somebody must take responsibility." Uriel chuckled, keeping the shotgun trained on them, his finger hovering over the trigger. "I'm just the lucky soul that was picked to do so. Now, put him down like a good boy, or I shoot him first."
A tense silence followed then, as each waited for the other to do something. Dean couldn't see a way out of this, where they would all get out alive. That was, until there was a resounding explosion from the doorway. Uriel stiffened, then as though it were slow motion, Dean watched in shock as he slumped to the floor. His eyes were open, staring in blank shock as blood pooled on the floor around his head.
Dean looked at the doorway, shock leaving him momentarily confused until Jo Harvelle stepped into the room, lowering her gun with a slight grin.
"Good timing?" She asked, and nearly everyone in the room rolled their eyes and grumbled.