Hey, sorry it took a while to update but my internet died, and then I had to go into therapy and recover from the emotional trauma that this caused! Thanks so much for the amazing reviews, I will reply to the ones from Chapter 3 individually since they were all so lovely and I would like to show my thanks properly! There have been some questions about whether this is a Destiel and the answer is…it's up to you. Leave a review saying if you want it to be or not, and I will keep a tally. I will write accordingly, anything to please you guys :) Anyway…enjoy xxx

Chapter 4

Sixx:A.M - This Is Gonna Hurt

Hey, hey, hell is what you make, make.

Rise against your fate, fate.

Nothing's gonna keep you down,

Even if it's killing you,

Because you know the truth.

Listen up, listen up,

There's a devil in the church,

Got a bullet in the chamber,

And this is gonna hurt.

Let it out, let it out,

You can scream and you can shout,

Keep your secrets in the shadows and you'll be sorry.

It wasn't till late the next morning that Cas finally stirred, alone in his bed. He glanced around weakly and propped himself up, ignoring the familiar throbbing pain in his shoulder and nose, he was sure that Sam and Dean would provide him with more painkillers soon. Castiel rummaged under his pillow for the motel Bible and began to read it, turning the pages as quietly as possible so he would not draw any attention to himself. Cas knew that something bad was going to happen that day, he could sense it, a kind of tingling sensation which he would gain just before a beating. However, when he tried to get more comfortable, Cas knocked one of the dark bruises on his abdomen, causing him to let out a small gasp, which attracted concerned glances from both Winchesters.

"You alright Cas, you don't look so hot…" Castiel nodded slightly and pushed himself into a sitting position, before scurrying into the bathroom for a long shower. A very long shower. By the time he came out, steam billowed from the bathroom door and he looked ready to cry, or pass out. Neither options seemed particularly appealing so Sam quickly went over to the boy and handed him a glass of water and some tablets.

"Drink up, then we really need to talk." Cas took the pills and gulped them down gratefully, allowing Sam to guide him over to the sofa. Dean, who had been cleaning out his favorite pistol glanced up and smiled at Castiel, who was now sitting rigidly on the sofa next to Sam.

"Mornin' Cas. I guess you already know this but we really need to sort this Lucifer jerk out." Cas flinched at his brother's name being spoken, but other than that made no signs that he had taken in what Dean said. You can't go. He will kill you! And then he will kill me, and then we're all dead!

"We know you're scared…" Sam tried to interrupt and make his brother's speech less harsh, considering the fact that Castiel was already shaking like a leaf, but Dean had gone into business-hunter mode, carrying on regardless. He could mop up the mess later, now they needed to sort out the jackass who did this to Cas, and kick his ass into next week.

"But, we need to talk. Me and Sammy are going to head down to the cottage today, and sort out this Lucifer jerk. We need you to stay here, will you be alright on your own for a few hours." Castiel shook his head quickly and opened his mouth to protest. They can't go on my own, he will kill them and it will be all my fault.

"We have to go Cas, we wont be long."

"No." Cas finally found his voice and regained control of his legs, so hurried over to the motel door, blocking the way out.

"What do you mean no? You will be fine, you are safe here."

"You c-can't go."

"Why not?"

"He will kill you!"

"Not if we kill him first." Castiel flinched at that, he didn't want his brother to die, no matter what he had done. Lucifer was the only family Cas had left and despite everything, he still loved his brother to pieces. He had managed to delude himself into thinking that this was a phase, a long phase, and that his relationship with his brother might improve if he was good.

"Please don't go. You are my f-friends. I don't want you to get hurt because of me. I can't have anyone else die for me, I just can't. I won't let your deaths be on my shoulders as well. I won't. I won't let you go! Please?" The words came tumbling out of Cas' mouth before he could stop them, and the boy blanched when he realized that he had spoken out of turn, a lot. He began to fiddle anxiously with one of the buttons on the beige trench coat Sam had bought for him to wear. It wasn't the most fashionable garment ever but Cas loved it, he hadn't been given new clothes to wear since he and Lucifer had run away from the care home, spending his time in clothes that were handed down from Lucifer or that were far too small for him.

Dean and Sam exchanged glances after Cas' outburst, the eruption of emotions was so unlike the silent and brooding Cas they were used to. Also, what did Cas mean by 'as well,' surely that implied that he had caused someone else to die? Questions spun around the Winchester's heads, but they decided not to pick Cas up on it, he was already in distress and the last thing he needed was a cross-examination.

"We'll be fine Cas, we hunt monsters like your brother who hurt people, he really won't be able to harm us." Well, it was a half-truth, they did hunt monsters, and surely an abusive brother was just as much of a monster as a vampire or Wendigo, if not worse!

"I'm coming with you then!"

"No way, it is too dangerous!" Cas scowled back at Dean and shifted closer to the door, making it clear that if the Winchesters wanted to leave, they would have to forcibly remove him from the exit. Something that neither brother were willing to do, the last thing they needed was to frighten or scare Castiel and make him run away, where else would he go?

"Fine, but you are staying in the Impala." Sam could see that they were getting nowhere and came up with a compromise that both Dean and Cas accepted, although Cas had no real intention of staying in the car. There was no way he was leaving the only friends he had to face his brother alone.

The drive back to the cottage was silent, Sam and Dean in the front whilst Cas sat rigid in the back. Although he was no longer shaking, the way his shoulders and jaw were set made it clear to the Winchesters how terrified Cas was. Their friend was staring blankly out of the window, no emotions showing upon his face; even his deep blue eyes were expressionless and devoid of any emotion. It was almost as if he had switched off, decided to seal off his emotions to avoid getting hurt. It broke the Winchester's hearts to see how much Cas had regressed during the short journey, but they hoped he would snap out of it and go back to a normal human with a full emotional range once they sorted Lucifer out and returned to the motel.

A painfully long five minutes later, Dean was pulling up into the driveway. He glanced up at Sam as he stopped the Impala, giving her a quick pat on the dashboard and mumbling, "back soon baby," before swinging his legs out of the car. Sam quickly followed and both Winchesters began to collect their weapons from the boot, two knives, a couple of guns and some spare bullets, just in case. They were just about to head off, when the slamming of the trunk was far too loud. Both brothers looked up in confusion to see that Castiel had climbed out of the car, and had slammed his door simultaneously with them, creating a cacophony of sound.

"Uh, Cas, you need to stay here. You'll be safer in the car."

"Yeah, someone needs to keep my Baby safe for me." Cas shook his head, finding himself wondering how Dean was so attached to his car. It was just metal and yet the love that Dean poured into the engine, more so than petrol, was strange to Cas. Cas wondered bleakly whether all those years having the shit beaten out of him had damaged him in some way. Maybe there is something wrong with me? Why can't I feel such strong love like they do? I wish that they loved me half as much as they love each other, and that I could return that love properly. Maybe when all of this is over I could leave with them, like a new family?

Cas realized that he had completely blanked out for a few minutes, not taking in what Sam and Dean were telling him.

"….so yeah, it would be too dangerous. Are you alright? Did you hear me?" Sam looked concernedly at Cas, who was scowling even more than usual. In any other situation Dean would have laughed at the look of concentration on the boy's face, making him look as if someone had stuck something up the kids ass, but this situation was not funny at all, and Dean knew that this blank looking Cas was far more vulnerable than a crying one.

"Yes, I mean, no…I. I'm coming with you."

"No." Both Winchesters immediately shot down that response, but before they could even think about manhandling Cas into the car, the latter had already sped towards the door of the cottage, away from the safety of the Impala. He stood in front of the cottage door and hunched his shoulders, a steely gaze informing the Winchesters that they were fighting a loosing battle. It looked as if Cas was coming in with them, if they wanted him to or not.

"Fine, but you keep out of trouble, understand?"

"I understand." Cas bit his lip and watched as Dean moved around him, entering the cottage and giving the rooms a quick sweep with his gun poised, before beckoning for Sam and Cas to enter. Sam took the rear, pointing his own gun out towards the driveway in case Lucifer turned up behind them, but he didn't.

Sam and Dean weren't prepared for this eventuality, they had hoped to just storm in, shoot the dick and leave, it now looked as if they were going to have to hang around. Castiel seemed to relax a little, and strode into the living room, where he crawled between the bookcase and a sofa. Dean and Sam thought for a moment that Cas was having another panic attack, or had just completely lost it, but sighed with relief when Cas backed out again, holding a rather battered looking Bible. The book was practically falling apart, a few pages were hanging out and fluttering around as Cas carried it and the pages themselves were torn and yellowing. The book looked as if it would fit in perfectly on one of Bobby's bookshelves, alongside the books of ancient runes and the diaries of past hunters. It was clear however, that despite the Bible's appearance, Cas loved it. The Winchesters watched as Castiel began thumbing through the familiar pages and sank down onto the sofa. Normally, he was only allowed in the lounge if he was good and Lucifer was in a good mood, so he reveled in the freedom to sit on the dusty, falling apart couch. It wasn't much, but it was here, on this sofa that Cas had felt as close to 'at home,' as possible during his stay at the cottage.

Dean couldn't help but think that this was probably one of the worst times in human history to start reading the Bible. They were on a hunt for God's sake.

"C'mon Cas, you have got to be kidding me?! We need a strategy, and you need to hide somewhere so Lucifer can't beat the crap out of you again! Castiel flinched slightly before replying in a curt voice, which was almost aggressive and far lower than usual, which was saying something considering how low and gravely his usual tone was.

"I am not kidding you." Cas clearly hadn't picked up on the rhetorical element of Dean's exasperated question and turned away, staring at the Bible in his now shaking hands.

"Look, I was just saying. I didn't mean to…c'mon, chill. We're friends, ok."

"I'm sorry Dean, my people skills are rusty. Pardon me but I have spent the past few years being beaten up and locked in a cupboard. It kind of messes with your emotions after a while." Cas' voice was so cold that Dean flinched back, there was no trace of trust or friendship left in Cas' eyes and it looked as if Castiel had completely shut down, again.

"Well done Dean, I think you hurt his feelings." Sam gave his older brother one of the bitchiest bitch faces in history, which was saying something, before sitting down on the sofa next to Cas, the seat creaking loudly in protest and emanating a huge puff of dirt into the air.

"Cas, it's alright. Dean's just a bit worked up, don't listen to him." Sam carefully wrapped an arm around Castiel's shoulders and flinched slightly at how prominent Cas' shoulder bones were. Despite their best efforts, Cas still only picked at his food even though he was clearly hungry. It was almost as if he was punishing himself, denying his body any pleasure or relief. Cas flinched away from the contact briefly considering making a run for it, but forced himself to calm down. Sam meant him no harm. Cas slid back fully into the sofa and shifted so that there was less pressure on his arm, before resting his head weakly on Sam's chest and continuing to read.

Dean felt slightly guilty, but forced himself to remain focused. They were on a hunt, like any other and needed to keep their emotions out of it. He stationed himself by the door and kept an eye on the hall, waiting for ten minutes before he heard a car pulling up the drive.

"He's here. Cas, get back." Castiel had jumped to his feet at the sound and had poised himself ready to lash out. He was damned if he was going to let his brother walk all over him again. No, this time he was going to be strong. Even if his Mum's death was his fault, he was sure that his Dad would not want him to be treated like this. Despite what people often thought about his father in the business world, he had been fair and just, even if he had been harsh at times and been made to make hard decisions. He was not a bad person, and nor was Cas. Well, that is what Cas was trying to tell himself in an attempt to qualm the panic that was rising up inside him. Get a grip Cas, fight back. Don't let him walk all over you. Just talk to him, Lucifer loves me really. He's family; this is just a big misunderstanding. Cas set his jaw and tensed his shoulders, refusing to back away as Dean had instructed. He was determined to put an end to this once and for all.

Dean and Sam cocked their guns and watched as a tall blonde man wearing a pale grey T-shirt entered the cottage.

"Why helloooo boys. I take it you are boys considering the choice of car. A Chevvy, nice. Anyway, are you the special Castiel delivery services? I have spent quite a while looking for him." Lucifer's voice was full of irony, yet there was a cold, harsh note behind his joking words. He took a few steps into the lounge and smirked at Sam and Dean, who were both pointing their guns straight at him.

"Boys, boys, boys. You've done well for yourself Cassie, got yourself some chiseled hunks. I'm impressed, although I have no idea how you won them over. I hope you didn't catch anything." Castiel, who had taken a couple of steps towards his brother, took a step back. He could feel his limbs locking in position as his brother advanced. What was I thinking? I can't stand up to him! I can't fight my brother!

"Anyway little brother, long time no spooning. Why don't you tell your little friends to leave us alone, we can sort this out between us, can't we?"

"You son of a bitch!" Dean had finally had enough, the terror that had replaced the blank look in Cas' eyes had caused something to snap, and rage poured out of Dean as he cocked his gun.

"What did you call me?"

"I called you a son of…" Dean was cut off when Lucifer lunged at him, knocking Dean to the ground with the full force of his body weight. Cas froze for a moment, unable to move. This is my fault. My fault. My fault.

"Don't you dare talk about my brother like that." Dean struggled wildly, but was only released when Sam kicked Lucifer hard in the abdomen and placed the butt of his gun to Lucifer's head.

"Let him up. Now." Sam's voice was so cold that even Dean did a double take, but he took his opportunity to spring up as Lucifer had relaxed his grip slightly whilst distracted. He was about to grab Cas and haul the boy away somewhere, but Lucifer however, had other ideas. He to managed to jump to his feet, and whilst Sam was checking Dean was ok, he made his way over to Cas and pulled his younger brother into a tight embrace.

"It's aright Cassie. Things can be different now. How about that? We can go back to how things were before; you'd like that, huh? Just tell these friends of yours to leave us in peace. We can move, go someplace nice and start over. I'll take care of you." Castiel hunched up and squirmed as Lucifer squeezed his shoulder, but did not try to get away. There was a chance that Lucifer was telling the truth, he had been so happy before, it would be great if they could go back to where they were before their parents had died, proper brothers. He still didn't quite understand why Lucifer had snapped, but maybe he could make amends and show Lucifer that he still loved him.

"What do you say Cas. You and me, up against the world." Cas gave a small nod and rested his forehead against his brother's chest, relaxing slightly into the hug.

"Don't you listen to him Cas! This is the jerk that used to beat you up. He's lying to you, can't you see that? C'mon. CAS!" Dean took a few more steps foreword but Lucifer shot him a menacing look and pulled a knife out of his back pocket, although Cas, who had his face buried in Lucifer's shirt did not notice. The steely look in Lucifer's eyes made it clear that if either Winchester made a move, he would stab Castiel, literally and metaphorically in the back.

"Ok, ok. Let's just calm down." Sam placed his arms in the air and placed his gun on the floor, along with his knife, motioning for Dean to do the same. Lucifer gave an almost imperceptible nod and motioned for the Winchesters to sit down.

"Now, I have had enough of your fun and games. I don't know who you are, or what you want with my little brother, but I am telling you to leave now. We will be fine, wont we Cas?" Castiel nodded, he hadn't failed to notice the Winchesters put their weapons down and suspected that he had missed something. Lucifer must have sent them some kind of silent threat. Suddenly it became clear that things weren't going to change. Lucifer was still going to hurt him. How was I so foolish, I trusted him. Cas felt sick at he thought that he was currently being hugged by the man that was threatening him and his friends, so squirmed out of his grasp, shooting Sam and Dean a pleading look for help.

"Y-yes Lucifer. We'll be f-fine." Cas stumbled over his words and silently prayed that the Winchesters would help him sooner rather than later, and that was when he saw the knife in his brother's hand.

"Good. Now, I think it is time for us to leave, don't you?" Cas was roughly pulled to his feet by his older brother, his legs almost giving out as he felt the sharp metal blade of the serrated knife being pressed against his throat. He couldn't collapse now, that would result in him slitting his own throat.

"Lucifer, just let the boy go. Please." Sam stared in horror as Lucifer pressed the knife deeper into their friend's throat, Cas letting out a sharp gasp as the blade made a deep cut that sent rivulets of blood cascading down his neck. Although the pain was intense, Cas thanked the stars that he could still breathe. At least Lucifer hadn't cut through his windpipe yet.

"Thanks for the offer, but no thanks. Me and Cassie here have some unfinished business to attend to." Lucifer was now halfway out of the door with his gasping brother when Dean made a move. He couldn't let Lucifer take Cas away, he just couldn't. Years of training as a hunter meant that Dean was able to send a shot at Lucifer, which skimmed his thigh. Dean was a good shot, but with Castiel being used as a human shield he hadn't wanted to aim for the head or chest. That would have been to risky, but seeing what Dean was about to do Lucifer had moved so the bullet caused nothing more than a deep scratch, allowing Lucifer to plunge the blade into Cas' side and draw out his own gun.

"I warned you." Lucifer staggered at the pain in his leg, but he now had the upper hand. His own gun was pointing straight at Sam's chest, and Lucifer knew that Dean would not move if his partner, brother or whatever was in danger.

Lucifer bent down and hauled Cas up by his bad arm, watching in satisfaction as his baby brother doubled up in pain clutching at his abdomen. The Winchesters could see that Cas was already loosing a load of blood. There was a small pool forming on the floor and the previously beige trench coat that he had been wearing was covered in deep crimson patches.

"Cas? Cas! Can you hear me?" Dean called out to the boy, who was leaning heavily against Lucifer and was still barely standing. "Let him go you sick fuck!" Lucifer just laughed at this, and with one last gunshot he left the room with a now unconscious Cas in his arms.

"Sam! SAMMY?" Dean glanced over at Cas in despair before throwing himself down to the floor next to his brother, who had rolled onto his side and was panting heavily.

"D-Dean. Just s-shoulder. Cas…you need to get Cas." Sam removed his hands from his shoulder to reveal that Lucifer had changed his target, the wound was meant as a distraction rather than to kill, and it had done its job. Dean stood up and ran from his brother, but Lucifer's car had already disappeared out of sight, and when he reached the Impala, he saw that his baby's wheels had been slashed.

"Son of a bitch!" Dean resignedly headed back into the cottage, there was no way that he could catch up with Lucifer and Cas by foot and he had to priorities. His brother was bleeding and that seemed like a good place to start.

When he entered the lounge Sam was staggering to the sofa, where he sat down heavily.

"You need to f-follow them!"

"Can't. The dick slashed my wheels; he is going to pay for that with screams! I just hope Cas is alright, god I feel awful, but I had to check you were ok and then he was already gone with Cas. Shit…" Sam nodded weakly, considering the implications of this turn of events. How had they let Cas and Lucifer get away? What was Lucifer going to be able to do in the time they were separated?

"Yeah, shit definitely sums it up."

"We need to get you back to the motel and pick up another car. Why is nothing ever easy for us? Look's like Cas' big man upstairs has it in for us, for all we know he is probably sitting on some cloud drinking booze out of a coconut and laughing at the show! This is just peachy."

With a sigh Dean bandaged up Sam's shoulder and helped his brother outside, both brothers making their way slowly back to the motel where they could work on tracking Cas down, hopefully before it was too late...

TBC

Once again, I hoped you liked the new chapter, a new one should be uploaded by Tuesday at the latest. Please review!

There have been some questions about whether this is a Destiel and the answer is…it's up to you. Leave a review saying if you want it to be or not, and I will keep a tally. I will then write accordingly, anything to please you guys :)