Separated

Being a baby angel was scary, but being a baby angel separated from the only family he has is petrifying. Cas sat on a bench in the carnival, shivering with fear as he looked through the herds of people in hope to see someone. No such luck. He had just wandered over to watch some kids play the pick a duck game and when he turned around he was alone. Cas tried calling out, but all he got were looks from the people passing by. Something flashed behind Castiel's eyes for a moment. A dark woods and haunting shadows clawing closer to him. Castiel shook himself, heart hammering in his chest and he ran down the dirt path. He called out repeatedly for help, but no one paid him any attention. Pretty soon fat tears were rolling down his cheeks and he tripped on a puddle of melted ice cream under his foot. The angel screamed as he fell to the gravel and stared at his bleeding palms and torn knees. Blood oozed from the wounds and the angel started to panic as he cried. Flashes of blood leaving his and his brothers' bodies in the woods and cavern burning through his memories. He prayed for someone to hear his crying and help him, but the crowd just walked past the crying angel, too worried about themselves to notice the tiny angel.

"Oh my! Are you alright, Hun?" Cas looked up, hoping to see Charlie, but this woman wasn't Charlie. She was a round old woman with grey hair and thick round glasses. Plastic beads decorated her blouse and her shoes didn't look like they fit her big feet well enough. Her dress had tons of fluffy animals printed on them too. Cas squirmed away from her, tears continuing to fall. The woman smiled at him gently. "Hey, it's ok. I'm Maggie. Do you have a name?" Castiel hesitated for a moment.

"C…Castiel," the angel told her, still sniffling.

"Now aint that cute?! My son named his boy after the angel Gabriel," the woman beamed.

"That's my brother's name too," the angel said, momentarily forgetting his worries and fears. The woman's smile grew.

"Well, aint that somthin!" She laughed. "Where might your brother be?" she asked, holding out a hand. Cas took her hand and the woman helped him up onto his feet.

"I don'ts know. I lost them," Cas whimpered tears returning back to his eyes as he looked around the crowd in false hope that he would see them. Maggie brushed the tears away gently, lifting Cas into her arms and hugging him tightly.

"Oh, calm down, Dearie! I'll help you find them. Where did you see them last?" she asked.

"It was at the pick-a-duckie game," the angel whimpered. The woman smiled down at him and began walking.

"That's probably the last place they saw you too then. I bet you they're heading their right now." Cas beamed up at her.

"Really?" Maggie nodded and she continued walking.

When they got there Dean and the others were nowhere to be found. The angel began to cry again, calling out for his family and Maggie rocked him back and forth gently.

"Hush now, Castiel. I'm sure they're on their way. Why don't you and I play this game?" Maggie asked, pointing at the game next to the pick-a-duck. It was a darts game with big blue balloons. Cas nodded and Maggie carried him over to the game, handing a young man behind the booth a dollar and the man handed her and Cas each a set of darts. Cas frowned at the darts for a moment and Maggie chuckled softly. "You have to pop a balloon with a dart to win a prize," Maggie, told him. Cas' eyes drifted to the stack of stuffed animals piled in a corner. On the very top sat a blue eyed kitten that reminded Cas of one of the cat's on Maggie's dress.

"Otays," Cas said, throwing a dart. Maggie followed suite and soon the two were so engrossed they barely noticed the time ticking by them until there was a loud popping sound.

"Nice throw, Castiel!" Maggie cheered for the angel as he popped a big blue balloon. The man running the game handed Castiel the fluffy stuffed white kitten with blue buttoned eyes the angel had been staring at. Cas hugged the kitten tightly and Maggie clapped for the angel's victory.

"CAS!" Dean's voice shouted over the crowd. Castiel turned to see Dean, Sam, Bobby, Kevin, Charlie, and his brothers rushing towards him and Maggie.

"Dwean!" Cas cried, jumping from the booth and lunging into Dean's arms as the hunter dropped to his knees. Dean embraced the little angel, hugging him tightly.

"Cas, I'm so sorry! Are you alright?" Dean questioned looking over Castiel's skinned knees and hands. Cas nodded, pointing up at Maggie.

"Maggie tooks care of me while we waited for you," Cas reassured the hunter. "I'm otays. I promise." Dean got up to his feet, taking Cas up with him, refusing to let go of the angel.

"Thank you," Dean said thankfully to Maggie. The woman smiled at him cheerily.

"Oh, no problem, Love. We had a lot of fun together, didn't we Castiel?" Cas nodded, snuggling his kitten. She smiled brightly at him and then looked at the two angels standing on either side of Dean. Maggie smiled down at them. "Well, aren't you two adorable? You two must be Gabriel and Balthazar?" she said, remembering Castiel's descriptions of his brothers. The boys nodded and Maggie ruffled their hair gently. "It's nice to meet you both," she chuckled, eyes then slowly turning back up to Dean.

"Are you their Father then?" Dean opened his mouth to explain, but Gabriel beat him to it.

"Yeah, Daddy, are you?" Gabriel teased. Dean glared at the angel and Maggie just laughed.

"Well, whatever you are to them they sure do love you," Maggie said before glancing at the watch on her wrist. "Oops! Better go! My kids are visiting soon. It was nice meeting all of you," Maggie said with a smile and then she leaned forward and planted a gentle kiss on Castiel's cheek. "Take care, Sweetie," she whispered.

"Here," Cas said with a big smile as he pushed the kitten into her arms. "To remember me?" Maggie smiled at him.

"Oh, I'd never forget you, Darling. Take care of yourself," Maggie said, kissing him one more time before walking away with the kitten cradled gently in her arms. Cas waved goodbye until she was out of sight.

"You sure you're alright?" Dean asked as he rocked Castiel back and forth in his arms as they sat on the faros wheel, looking out over the carnival. They had bandaged the angel up with bandages and tapes after momentarily getting some supplies from the Impala. Cas nodded sleepily, staring up at the starlit sky as Dean held him. "I honestly didn't mean to leave you alone…"

"You didn't, Dwean. Maggie took care of me," Cas whispered, snuggling closer to the Winchester. Dean still didn't look convinced. The angel stared into the hunter's eyes sadly. "Why you keep blaming yourself?"

"Because I made another promise I couldn't keep," Dean revealed. "Because whenever I close my eyes, turn my gaze, or let the three of you step out of sight for just a second I can hear the three of you screaming like you had at the cavern. I can smell the…the blood, hear your pleas for help, but I can never save you." Cas scowled at Dean with his big blue eyes and jumped from the hunter's lap. Dean watched the angel scurry over to the edge of the box they now sat in and fling himself over the edge. Dean cried out as the angel disappeared over the edge and sprang into action. He threw his hands out, grabbing Cas by the coat and yanking the stupid angel back into the cart and into his chest. "What the hell, Cas?!" Cas stretched his body up a little, kissing Dean's chin and smiling proudly at the hunter.

"See, you saved me," the angel said sweetly. "Happy now?" Dean raised a brow at the angel.

"No, Cas, I'm feeling a bit guiltier for failing you three the last time. Not for almost losing you over the freaking faros wheel!" Dean shouted. Cas rolled his eyes at the hunter cutely, flopping his head to the side like a cuddly puppy.

"Then justs makes sure that last time is the last time," Cas bargained. Dean stared into the angel's eyes for a long while before sighing. He wasn't going to win this argument. He understood that. He hated himself for not saving the angels the first time, but Cas was right. The incident at the cavern was in the past and Dean still had the chance to make sure something like that never happened again. With a long sigh the hunter smirked down at his little angel and he sat back down in his seat in the box, plopping Castiel in his lap.

"It's a deal, Cas," the hunter whispered. Cas smiled up at him thankfully before pushing his little thumb into his mouth and staring up at the stars starting to light up as the sun slowly set. Dean's fingers gently stroked the angel's now showing black wings and he too went back to staring out into the night.

Thanks zabani-chan for the request!