A/N: Longest chapter yet. Song is called "Ghosts That We Knew" by Mumford & Sons.

Disclaimer: If you recognize it, I don't own it.

~So lead me back
Turn south from that place
And close my eyes from recent disgrace
'Cause you know my call
We'll share my all~

Castiel groaned as he stood up. his left arm hanging at a strange angle, his entire body feeling, well.. He didn't know, but he supposed this was pain. And somehow, the pain wouldn't go away. So they hadn't just stripped him of his wings, but had taken his healing powers as well. He supposed he truly was the 'Fallen Angel' now.
As he tried to take a step, his body collapsed onto the ground again and he groaned in pain. He had no idea where he was. And for the life of him, he couldn't get back up, no matter how hard he tried, his body just simply did not comply.
And then he remembered.. This cellular phone Dean had given him. "For emergencies", Dean had said, though in the past, the both of them often used it just to reach one other, seeing as Dean and Sam couldn't be located by angels anymore.

It rang.. Once, twice.. "Cas..?" he heard on the other side of the line and Castiel let his body sag in relaxation. "Dean, I-..." Groan, hiss. He tried to turn around, which apparently, judging by his body's reaction, was a bad choice to make.
"Cas?! Are you okay, what's wrong?" He heard. There was panic in Dean's voice. Castiel chuckled, against his better judgment, it made his chest hurt. "I fell.. Dean.." he simply replied. "You fell? What the hell man? Just get up and walk it off, it's not like you can't shake it off." Dean replied, slightly exasperated. "No, Dean.. I fell!" Castiel repeated, before groaning in pain again. The other side of the line stayed silent for a while, Castiel presumed this was due to some sort of shock. "Cas, where are you?" He heard, apparently, the panic had made its way back into Dean's voice. "Earth.. I don't know my exact location.. I think I'm hurt." Castiel replied again. "Stay still and do not, whatever happens, fall asleep. I will find your location through your phone. I'm on my way, just.. Hold on.." Dean urged, before Castiel heard the trademark click of the phonecall ending. So he kept still, lying there, and waited..

~So give me hope in the darkness that I will see the light
'Cause oh that gave me such a fright~

Cas had just about fallen asleep before his mind was brought back to reality due to an incessant ringing coming from right by his ear. His phone, he remembered. He moved his right arm with a groan, picking up the phone, only to be greeted by Dean's voice once more. "We found you, Cas.. Hold on, okay? We've sent an ambulance and me and Sammy and Bobby are leaving for the hospital right now, alright? We're not too far out, only about a three hour ride. Help is coming, okay? Just.. Hold on." Dean's voice said and with that, Castiel passed out.

"Sammy! Would you hurry up?!" Dean growled, pacing next to the driver's side door of Bobby's truck. Bobby shoved him aside to the passenger door in the back. "Get in. You're in no state to drive. One wounded man is already more than enough." The old man grumbled as Dean climbed into the backseat. Sam ran up to the truck and got in as well, before the truck took off with screeching tires. The last thing said in the truck, before falling into an uncomfortable silence, was "That fucking idiot.."

When they arrived at the hospital, the three men stormed up to the reception desk. "We're here for the guy we called about earlier. His name is Castiel." Dean said, urgency in his voice. "Last name?" The nurse behind the desk simply asked and Dean fell silent.. He drew a blank. How would he know what last name he would use?!
"Winchester. Castiel Winchester." Sam stated. Dean looked at him as if he'd gone crazy. 'Trust me' Sam simply mouthed back at him, while the nurse was looking into her computer.
"He's on the second floor, you can wait in the Emergency Room waiting area." She simply stated again before the three men took off in a hurry, climbing the flight of stairs three at a time.

~You saw my pain, washed out in the rain
Broken glass, saw the blood run from my veins
But you saw no fault, no cracks in my heart
And you knelt beside my hope torn apart~

When they were finally allowed to see him, hearing the doctor drone on way too long about "broken arm, punctured long, bruised ribs, lots of bruises", Dean's heart broke at the sight of the Angel. His Angel.
He sat down next to the sleeping form and whispered. "Cas, you stupid moron.. What the hell did you fall for, huh? Why did you have to do something so..stupid?!"
Dean nearly jumped out of his chair when he saw the Angel's eyes open up ever so slightly, the blue in them, while still brilliant, dulled by all the pain medicine. "Dean..?" The angel croaked out and Dean shot up, covering Castiel's (now in a cast) arm. "It's okay Cas, I'm here.. We're all here. You're gonna be fine, most of the damage is superficial." Dean quickly said. And when Sam and Bobby made their way into the room, Dean quickly retracted his hand from Cas' arm.

"So.. You fell, huh?" Sam asked, quite crudely if you'd ask Dean. "Sammy.. Time and place man! Time and place." Dean grumbled with a sigh, but Cas shook his head slightly. "No, it's okay.. Yes, Sam.. I fell. It wasn't quite what I planned, but.." Sam nodded, Cas didn't have to tell him why, he knew why. What he didn't understand, though, was why he didn't seem to heal. "What happened?" Sam simply asked, searching for clarification.
Castiel turned his eyes away, focusing on the beeping machine that was standing next to his bed. "I couldn't be a leader any longer. I'm a soldier. My place is here, on Earth, helping to restore peace. My brothers and sisters understood, but.." Cas interrupted himself, his face contorting in pain as he slightly coughed, Dean's hand immediately shooting out to gently, but firmly, grab onto his shoulder.
"They felt the need to strip me of my wings, and apparently my healing powers, so I wouldn't stray from the purpose of returning God to Heaven." He continued. "Dicks." He heard Dean utter, before Sam chuckled. He understood, the other angels had stripped him of his 'angelhood', for lack of a better word. They had disguised it as some kind of insurance so Cas would stick to his goal, but in actually, they'd punished him. Punished him for choosing them over Heaven.

~But the ghosts that we knew made us blackened or blue
But we'll live a long life~

After a couple of hours, Sam and Bobby had retreated back to the motelroom they rented, Dean refusing to leave. "Someone has to make sure he stays safe, guys. And you know I barely sleep anyway." Dean had said. A half-truth. He couldn't leave Cas. Not when he looked so.. Broken.

"Dean..?" Castiel softly whispered out in the middle of the night, Dean immediately sitting upright in his chair. "Yeah, Cas? What is it?" Castiel turned around a little before using his good hand to lift up the backrest of his bed somewhat, giving him the ability to sit upright a bit more. "I'm sorry.. For walking out back when.. Back then." Castiel said, slightly biting his lip and averting his eyes from Dean to focus on the blinds covering his window instead.
"Water under the bridge, Cas." Dean said. Castiel grumbled a little and turned his head to Dean, his eyes glistening. "No. Don't do that. Don't go easy on me, just because I am stuck in these ridiculous clothes, in this ridiculous bed." Castiel replied, frustration clear in his voice.
"What do you want to hear then, Cas? Huh?!" Dean replied angrily. "That you're a dick? That you had no right.. No fucking right to walk out on us like that? On me like that?! And then to make a decision like this.. All by yourself? Why the hell would you do that?!" Dean had stood up at this point, pacing by the side of the fallen angel's bed.
Cas swallowed, painfully, ashamed. He lowered his eyes. "I was.. Lonely." He simply said, chewing the inside of his cheek slightly.
At this, Dean immediately stopped his pacing and pulled his chair close to the bed, sitting back down in it and putting his hand on Castiel's shoulder again, leaning in a little. "It's gonna be okay.. You're home now." Dean replied, sincerity in his voice.

~And the ghosts that we knew will flicker from view
And we'll live a long life~