TIME Chapter 8

I do not own the Supernatural characters portrayed in this story.

It's Wincest, but you already knew that, didn't you?

Dean hears Sam yell his name in a strangled, frantic voice and he scrambles the bathroom door open quickly, his eyes darting for his gun.

He stops short when he sees Sam sitting on the edge of the bed they hadn't shared the night before, fully clothed, while Castiel the Angel stands before him.

He watches Sam's face and sees the awed light in Sam's eyes at Castiel's presence. He has always known Sam better than he knows himself, so he understands why Sam is so hopeful that an Angel, an Angel of all fucking things, is visiting them.

Dean is more realistic. He knows Castiel is there to take toss him back into the pit and he steels his spine for the fight that could erupt only if Castiel is unwilling to let Sam be. Sam was innocent. Dean was the sick, corrupt brother. Hell could have him, but they couldn't have Sam.

Castiel's eyes flick to Dean and Dean feels real fear in his stomach, knowing his time is near. Castiel's face holds little or no emotion, and he only looks mildly curious at the moment.

Castiels voice is soft and gentle, a perfect echo of Jimmy's and he speaks slowly so the men will be able to follow what he is saying.

"I have been inside your minds, and I have seen your fears. You both are important to my Father, and it seems the only thing I can do is show you why you are so wrong about yourselves."

At that statement, Castiel holds his hands outstretched to both Dean and Sam. Dean stares at it like it's a snake set to strike him, but he sees the gleam in Sam's eye and inwardly sighs because he just knows that Sam is going to take that hand. The second before Sam's hand touches one of Castiel's , Dean grasps the other in a death grip, because Angel or not, no supernatural dick was going anywhere with Dean's baby brother unless Dean was with him.

They are floating on airs for scant milliseconds before Castiel sets them down in an alien room. The room is lit with muted purple shades, and there seems to be no walls to the room, it just goes on forever, the purplish tinge growing deeper the farther it got from their eyes.

Dean and Sam share a look, because this is by far the strangest thing they have ever seen, and they thought they had seen everything. Castiel doesn't notice, he drops both of their hands unceremoniously and steps forward a few paces. He pauses for a moment, before turning to look at both men and speak.

"What I am about to tell you is against the rules of Heaven, but I see a need to show you this in order to set things on their proper course." Both men look confused and Dean also looks terrified, while Sam looks mainly just confused, and slightly curious now.

Castiel continues on. "In Heaven there is no real gender, no real fixed lines. We are all one, one family, one mind, one joint being, moving through our existence, fracturing off only as needed, but otherwise, always as one. This is the reason I find it so uncomfortable to be away from my brothers and my Father for any length of time. "

Sam nods at Castiel, but Dean just stares, so Castiel keeps going. "Human souls are different from us in some ways, because they have been human, so they are infected with human perceptions, judgments and feelings. Until they come back to Heaven they are unable to see what the real," and Castiel struggles to find the right word, "Point of their existence is."

Castiel looks carefully from one man to the other, and when neither says a word, he speaks again.

"The connection between soul mates is infinite. No matter what life they live, they will seek one another during their time on your Earth, whether they realize they are doing it or not. Some matings are stronger than others, producing a powerful couple that cannot be separated by any circumstances. They are drawn to one another in all forms, in all lifetimes."

He pauses for a long period of time while he lets the knowledge of his words seep slowly into the brother's brains. The light hits Sam's eye first and a smile plays across his face, but Dean is right behind him, unable to hide the hopeful gleam in his eye, but still fearful and wary.

"You have to understand the force of one of the special couples is heaven based, so it is not like the human emotions. " Castiel stops and frowns like he knows that is wrong. "I mean to say, that it mirrors human emotions, but they are magnified by the soul mate connection in such a way they cannot be ignored, regardless of what form the soul has taken."

His words are breaking through Sam and Dean and without realizing they are doing it the brothers move to stand shoulder to shoulder, seeking reassurance by the other's proximity.

Castiel turns then and waves his hand in thin air and sheets of clear glass appear on all sides of the brothers and images scatter across them. A clipper ship sits calmly in the oceanic background as a blonde woman, swollen hugely pregnant, walks towards a swarthy faced, handsome man, who embraces her for an endless moment. Another screen shows a gray haired couple on the front porch of an old fashioned wood cabin, holding hands as they rock back in forth in perfect synchronization. Another screen shows two men, clearly soldiers, faces dirty, eyes wild, laying side by side as bombs go off over their heads.

There are more images, but Dean's head is swimming and he closes his eyes against the onslaught of love displayed in each panel. Sam is dazzled, turning in circles, watching scenes play out on every panel, his eyes wide, and his grin taking up his full face.

Castiel speaks again. "These people, they are you, your souls in different lifetimes. You have been to earth more times than most, and every time, under every test, every possible circumstance, you have found your way together. Your passion for one another is one of the deepest ever witnessed from Heaven. It is why you were chosen by my Father."

Sam is nodding and he is looking at Dean with so much love, that its making Dean's eyes wet, but Dean still has to ask, "Why us?"

Castiel waves his hand in the air, the images and the panes of glass disappearing immediately and walks back towards the brothers, his eyes never leaving Dean's.

Castiel's next sentence carries right through to the center of Sam and Dean's very souls. "Because your capacity to love one another is limitless, and my Father knows that means your love and devotion for him is limitless as well."

With that Castiel grabs both men's hands and blinks them out of the strange purple room.

(break)

Epilogue

Castiel sits invisible in the back seat of the Impala as it races down a midnight highway, headed towards a town with demons taking over. He watches the two men in the front seat in silence, wondering if what he showed them made any difference in their minds. He can only pray it did.

Suddenly, he sees Dean lift his hand, only his hand is not empty. It is entwined with his brothers and with a wink and a smile, Dean brings his brothers hand to his lips and kisses it. Sam smiles back at him hugely and leans a little closer to Dean, drawn unthinkingly towards his brother, his soul mate.

Castiel experiences a new feeling. Satisfaction. He knows there are more tests and perils ahead in the lives of the Winchester brothers, and even Castiel doesn't know what the outcome will be. But at least he has given them the peace they needed to continue on with their fight. Together. As it has always been and will always be, in this life, or in any other.

THE END.