Angel Grace
Castiel kicked off his sheets with a moan and glared at the sun beaming through the window. It made his head pound, but he couldn't keep the covers over his face any longer. He was too hot to be under the heavy blanket. Sweat already soaked his curls and dampened his skin. His tummy hurt too, but not like it usually did when he was sick. His stomach didn't threaten to send him running to the bathroom or anything like that. It just ached.
The blue eyed angel let out a pitiful whine and sat up, looking at the puppy watching him on the floor by the bed.
"Is Dwean home yet?" he asked Custos. The puppy yapped and shook himself. Cas' shoulder's slumped. Dean had left with Cas' brothers ages ago to get some medicine, but still had yet to return. Castiel was lonely sitting up in Lucifer's room all by himself and he was sick of sleeping.
Carefully, Castiel slid off the bed and onto the floor. He stumbled a little, but spread his wings out to keep some balance until he finally reached Custos. The angel crawled up onto Custos' back and hugged the puppy's neck. Custos seemed to understand Cas' actions and carefully carried Castiel to Jody's living room. Sam, Kevin, and Bobby were sitting on the couch, watching an old black and white film. Cas could smell something cooking in the kitchen and hear soft chit chat between Jody and Alex.
"Cas, what are you doing up?!" Sam yelped on noticing the angel and puppy. He rushed over to Cas, picking him up off of Custos.
"Don't wanna be alone," Cas murmured, snuggling against Sam's chest. Worry drained from Sam's face and he squeezed the angel in his arms lightly.
"Okay, Cas, come here," he whispered, carrying Cas to the couch where Kevin and Bobby sat. Custos let out a little yap and left the room, following his nose to the kitchen.
Cas tried to get comfortable in Sam's arms, but he couldn't. His head was pounding harder than before and everything was getting hotter. It felt like someone was ringing a bell in his ear too. He twisted and turned in Sam's hold, wishing that it would all stop.
CRACK!
Kevin, Sam, and Bobby jumped, swearing as thunder blared outside. Kevin rocketed over to the nearest window and peered outside. There wasn't a cloud in the sky. The sun was high in the sky and the birds sang happily in the beautiful weather.
"Okay, that's weird," Kevin commented. "It's beautiful out."
"Damn it!" Jody yelped from the kitchen. There was a sound of something shattering and then heavy feet pounding against the wood flooring. Jody rushed out seconds later from the kitchen with Alex hot on her trail. Their clothes were covered in exploded cake batter. "Are you upsetting that angel of yours? He just made our bowl shatter."
"Sorry," Cas whimpered. "Can't help it." Another rumble sounded from outside, but this time a streak of lightning lit up the clear blue sky. Kevin leapt back from the window. Jody scowled and knelt down beside Castiel, pressing a hand to his forehead.
"His temperature feels fine. Why the hell is he sweating like that?"
"Yeah, and what's up with the thunder and lightning?" Kevin added, walking back over to the couch. Sam chewed at his lip and looked to Bobby. The hunter was staring at Cas carefully, piecing the clues together.
"Remember when Balthazar got sick, but didn't have a temperature?" Bobby asked. Sam frowned, thinking back. It had been ages ago. It had been during a time before all of heaven was de-aged. "Remember the boat? Remember when lightning hit it out of nowhere?" Sam nodded, eyes widening. They'd been feeding ducks when the boat had exploded from the arch of light. There wasn't a cloud in the sky either.
"Wait," Kevin interrupted. "Balthazar wasn't sick though. Hannah and Lucifer made that clear. His..."
"His grace was maturing," Sam finished. He stared down at the angel in his arms. "Oh crap." Sam looked to Alex. "Call Dean and tell him to get his ass over here," the Winchester ordered. Alex nodded and bolted from the room in search of the home phone. Sam looked back at Cas then, watching the angel's eyes glow slightly bluer than usual. "What are we going to do? Gabe and Balthazar had Michael, Lucifer, and Hannah to help them. Cas doesn't have anybody."
"He's got us," Bobby corrected. He reached out, stroking the sweaty strands of hair covering Cas' head. Cas whimpered, closing his eyes tightly.
"Dean's on his way," Alex announced, hurrying into the room again. She knelt down in front of the couch, staring sadly at the pitiful looking angel.
"Is this going to happen to Luce?" she questioned. Sam shook his head, but stopped himself. Lucifer was a baby yet, but when he'd grow up he would and then they would have a problem. Lucifer was an archangel and when archangels hit angel puberty…
"Yeah, but we'll cross that road when we come to it," Sam told her. Alex nodded, but didn't look at all comforted. She joined Bobby in petting the whimpering angel. Her fingers traveled down to his wings and scratched lightly at the black feathers.
The rumble of the Impala roared from the driveway and everyone sighed in relief. In the next second Dean burst through the doorway with Lucifer in his arms and Gabriel and Balthazar running close behind. He handed Lucifer off to Jody and dropped down beside Alex, reaching out for the panting angel wrapped in Sam's arms.
"Hey, buddy," Dean whispered, brushing at the sweaty skin just below Cas' right eye. Cas forced his eyes open. They were glowing brighter than they had before and this time some white shimmered along with the blue.
"Hello, Dwean," the angel moaned softly. Dean picked the angel out of Sam's arms and sat cross-legged on the floor with Cas bundled close. When Gabriel and Balthazar wiggled to his side Dean turned Cas towards them so they could get a better look. Gabriel huffed, face creased in a scowl.
"Figured it be popping up soon," Gabriel hissed. "That light when he fought the demon was actually a little bit of his grace."
"Then why hasn't it started up sooner," Kevin questioned. "That was a while ago already." Gabriel shrugged in answer and looked to Balthazar. Balthy licked his lips and stroked a few of Cas' flight feathers between his fingers.
"Cas used up a lot of grace," he said at last. "It probably went dormant for a little bit after to recharge, but now it's coming back to come out fully."
"What do we do?" Jody asked, bouncing Lucifer lightly in her arms.
"Focus!" Lucifer squealed, his face serious as he stared down at his brothers. Gabriel snapped his fingers.
"That's right. I focused my grace on Michael and Balthazar focused his on Lucifer. If Cas does that he'll be fine." Jody pulled Lucifer closer to her protectively.
"He's not a full grown archangel anymore though," she protested. "What if it's too much?" The room went silent. Jody was right. Last time, Lucifer had been full grown and teaming with power. Now he was the size of a two year old and had no power to protect himself from the blast of fresh grace.
"Can he focus on something else?" Sam questioned. "I mean he focused his grace on something during the attack, right?"
"Cas?" Dean whispered. "Do you remember what you were thinking about during the fire?" Cas' eyes widened and he looked at the humans and angels around him.
"B…Balthy," Cas stuttered slowly. "A…and Gabby." Balthazar and Gabriel shared a look, but Cas quickly explained. "You told me to wake up. You said to come back so I did."
"So together we were enough to help half of his grace?" Balthazar summed up.
"Yeah, so maybe if he focusses on the both of us again the other half will come forth," Gabriel added. He leaned in close to his little brother. "Cas? Hey, little bro, can you focus your grace on us?"
"Hurts," Castiel whimpered.
"We know," Balthazar cooed. "It'll be okay. Just focus your grace on us. Come on, Cassie."
Castiel stirred in Dean's arms, sitting up carefully. He reached out to his brothers and the two took his hand. The light of Cas' grace slowly started to beam out of the angel until it fully exploded. Balthazar and Gabriel flinched as they were engulfed, but didn't pull away from their little brother.
"Shut your eyes!" Bobby shouted and everyone dived for cover, protecting their eyes until the light finally dimmed.
When they opened their eyes Cas hung limply in Dean's arms, snoozing peacefully. The sweat was gone from his skin along with the bright glow of his grace.
"It worked," Dean sighed. He looked to Balthazar and Gabriel. "You two okay?" Both angels nodded.
"Yeah, but I could go for a nap," Gabe huffed, rubbing wearily at his eyes. Sam picked Gabe and Balthazar up and stood to his feet. Dean stood too, clutching Cas close.
"One nap here we come," Sam whispered, carrying Gabe and Balthazar out of the room. Dean followed his brother, giving the others a quick nod. Custos trotted out of the kitchen as they passed and followed them to Lucifer's bedroom. He hopped on the bed as Gabe, Balthy, and Cas were set down and swaddled in the thick blankets on Lucifer's bed. He cuddled close to the angels, licking their faces gently. Sam and Dean scratched the pup's ears and watched as their three graced up angels slept off the day's excitement.