Any and all mistakes are my own, this is unbeta'd so any errors I apologize for.

Disclaimer: I don't own Supernatural, I'm only borrowing the characters for a bit for my own amusement, love to know what you think, and the title is only 'cause I couldn't think of one, therefore its subject to change sometime in the future.

Warnings: References to torture, M/M pairing, possible future mpreg.

Note: A very special thank you to silmarlfan1, Carmichaelcarr and CrimsonRose26 for leaving me such lovely, wonderful reviews! The fact I got such feedback on the last chapter made me immensely happy!

As always I hope you'll all enjoy this next chapter, but especially so to Carmichaelcarr, due to you also having your exams coming up soon and your event on Friday, good luck, and I hope that this helps take your mind off things for a little while at least!

Chapter Nine - Revelations

With the flutter of his wings, Castiel found himself in a field that was two and a half miles away from Dean. Close enough to be there in a second if he was needed while still not having to use up another precious piece of his grace in the process, but still also far enough away to give himself some time alone to think on the events of the day in peace and tranquility. Usually when Castiel liked to think or just muse over a day's particular events or prayers, he'd go to the heaven that he favored, that of the eternal Tuesday afternoon of an autistic man who drowned in a bathtub in 1953. As it was, heaven wasn't exactly against orders for him to visit per-say, but Castiel was unsure about how undertaking such a trip would affect him, especially now he was in a weakened state. It wasn't something he wanted to dwell on either. That wasn't why he'd come here to think.

Surveying the empty field that he had flown to, Castiel quietly sat down on a large cylinder shaped rock that he found before placing his head in his hands and morosely wondering how it had all gone so badly off script for him. Of course he knew the answer to that, but he didn't exactly wish to dwell on that matter either. It would seem he'd have to be careful about what he thought on; a lot of things were now 'off topic', as Dean would say. Lifting his head and gazing at the sky, Castiel thought back to the first time he'd officially met the righteous man, and how he'd stabbed him upon Castiel moving close enough for him to do so. It's was odd, but now even just that memory brought a smile to his face. Many memories did now, memories that included Dean that was. Castiel hadn't had emotions in the human sense of the word before then, so therefore his memories before that moment weren't exactly what one would term 'happy' or 'sad', they were just moments that he remembered, like details one might read upon a book. Interesting, but not necessarily anything that would spark any more emotion than that. Getting emotionally entangled with his charge seemed like one of them inevitable things to Castiel now, because who couldn't get emotionally involved with such a soul as Dean?

Sighing to himself at the unstoppable nature of it all, Castiel slowly removed the other angel blade from his pocket, and repeatedly began to read the name carved there in Enochian. He'd truly missed this brother, as much as an angel could feel loss that is, after he had lost him in the beginning of the great battle, the one to lay siege to hell, where many had fallen but Castiel had flourished. Balthazar had often favored him over other angels, and Castiel had thought him to be the closest equivalent of a friend that he would ever have. This was before Castiel spent time with Dean, before their bond had been properly established, and then eventually Balthazar became nothing more than a vague memory of a time past, nothing more than another brave angel who had fallen in battle.

This is what angered Castiel. The brother he remembered was forthright, honest and a true fighter. He knew that he was dead, he had been there in the battle beside him, and had seen him fall, his angel blade falling with him. But then that just raised the question now, what was going on? Castiel knew there was a lot more to this story, pieces of the puzzle he was missing, and he had a pretty good idea where to get them. However just as he was about to take flight and attempt to enter heaven something, or namely someone stopped him – Dean.

It was like a pull at the edge of his consciousness, but since the beginning Castiel was attuned to this, now more than ever before it would seem since their bond had first been forged. Something was wrong with Dean, he wasn't sure what the feeling coming through their bond was exactly, but he did know that it was making Dean's breathing erratic, and that he had begun to move in sleep, something which the elder brother did not usually do when he was simply restless. Castiel frowned. He'd been so deep in his thoughts that he hadn't even noticed when the change in Dean had begun. What else had he missed? With that question carried on the edge of his mind, Castiel immediately flew back to Bobby's and was greeted with a sight that… he wasn't expecting.

Castiel stood in the doorway quietly, pondering whether or not he should move towards the elder Winchester brother at a time which Castiel knew he'd want privacy. Cas could still remember the first time Dean had caught him sleeping, and he was loathe to repeat that now. He had learnt that it wasn't simply a matter of invasion of privacy, but it was also a matter of an invasion of trust too. Dean rarely trusted anyone, and due to this fact Castiel didn't want to give him another reason in a long line of many as to why he was right to protect himself this way. Castiel didn't want to lose the trust that Dean placed in him, but he couldn't leave him if he were having one of his recurring dreams of hell again, not when he knew from experience that just his presence beside him could help him sometimes. Cocking his head to the side slightly, the angel was confused. Dean didn't necessarily look distressed; in fact he looked oddly happy. In sleep, Castiel noticed how Dean's features smoothed out, the lines that were beginning to appear on his face around his eyes had disappeared, and he looked almost… peaceful. A look he hadn't had since he was four years old. Castiel still remembered what Dean had looked like back then; it was his first true contact with the righteous man, back when he was still nothing but an innocent child, the day after the Winchester family had lost Mary. A loved wife and an adored mother. He'd heard Dean's calls to bring her back, that if the angels were always watching out for him like his mommy had said, why couldn't they do this for him too? Castiel had always heard Dean, but back then what seemed so long ago, he still yet did not know of his significance in the grand scheme of heaven, hell, and his own existence. He was merely another voice in the throng of people who prayed to the Angel of Thursday.

But Castiel didn't dwell on these thoughts for more than a couple of seconds, as almost against his will one foot started to step in front of the other and before he knew it he found himself edging ever closer to the man laid out on the bed. He could feel his own pulse beating rapidly and all the more erratically the closer he got to the person on the bed, the person who was unequivocally the most important being in his existence. The person who always managed to surprise him, and who held a higher place in his affections now than even God himself, something which Castiel would have sworn to be impossible when he first met Dean Winchester. Oh how times did indeed change.

Before he was fully aware of his actions Castiel was stood at by his friends beside and was leaning closely above Dean, his own face bathed in the shadows of the night while the light from the open window that Dean had forgotten to close and draw the curtains across let in the weak moonlight which in turn covered Dean's face in a warm glow.

Castiel was just about to retreat from his position, thoughts running through his head of what Dean would say if he caught him looming above him like this, about how much he valued personal space and that that was right now being invaded by Cas when the hunter quickly and stealthily moved again, however his right hand managing to locate Castiel's tie that dangled between the two of them, and even in his sleep he quickly dragged the angel down, so that he was now positioned half covering Dean's form with his own, while the other half of his body had to lean on the bed to support himself and keep the weight off the man laid prone below him.

Castiel felt his breathing begin to speed up and his pulse start to beat even more erratically again at this closeness to his charge. He could feel Dean's firm body where it was pressed close to his own beneath him, his hand itched almost with a will of its own to place itself on the hips which his hands had grazed across earlier when he attended to his wounds, while his other hand started to move by itself to rest beside Dean's head, wanting to stroke through his soft hair. Castiel was startled by this at once, what was happening to him?

He was about to quickly move from the Winchester's prone form beneath his own despite the fact that his tie was still being tightly gripped in Dean's hands when the hunter moved once again, face only an inch apart from Castiel's as it was - he quickly closed the divide, lips ghosting over Castiel's which had already parted slightly in shock, they were so close to kissing, but yet not quite there.

It was during this time that Castiel had closed his eyes, all of his body humming in sensitivity, he could feel his breath mingling with Dean's for a very few short seconds before he heard the softly whispered voice that he could never confuse for another's calling to him.

"Cas."

At this his blue eyes automatically snapped open, the blown pupils changing back to normal almost automatically while the rest of his body froze as a fear so palpable arose within him. Dean had woken up. What would he think, finding Castiel above him like this? The very thought made Cas' stomach curl and knot in dread. It was a couple of moments before he took in Dean before him again, who had moved slightly away from him, he noted. He saw how his charges breathing was still deep, his eyes firmly closed and realized that surprisingly, Dean was actually still asleep. He had slept through everything, and would most likely not even be aware in the morning of what had nearly transpired between them barely moments ago.

It was in this moment that Dean rolled over, his grip on Castiel's tie loosened until he dropped it completely, allowing Cas the chance to quickly and stealthily step away from the bed until his back hit the wall behind him. His hand reaching up to his face, Castiel felt over his lips quickly, many emotions beginning to overtake him. He could still feel the heat of the other man's lips, so close to his own, if they had been slightly closer, had there just been that little bit of pressure, they would have truly kissed… Running his fingers over his lips still in shock, Castiel sneaked a glance at Dean again, but guilt swept in almost as soon as he looked at the man's face, and with it, his lips.

Castiel was unsure of what to do about the situation now. If he told Dean he knew the hunter would feel awkward, that he might even outwardly blame Castiel for it, all the while blaming himself for something that Cas knew he couldn't control. Castiel was also unsure of friendship with Dean. He felt like it was shifting slightly, into territory he didn't know, and which he didn't want to process right now. What he did want to do was deal with a situation at hand that he could truly deal with, and that's what sealed it for him.

Castiel quickly took flight, his wings embracing the air around him as he made his way into heaven. He didn't see Dean wake a few moment later, didn't see him match Castiel's movements, feeling his own lips for that phantom kiss that still lingered there. By the time Dean was out of bed Castiel had entered heaven. It was time for him to get speak to his brother and get some answers.

-SPN-

Castiel cloaked himself when he entered the Garden. He felt the strong urge to simply watch what would transpire here, knowing that it could reveal several things to him, as it was he could already feel Gabriel's presence deeply. The fact he was an Archangel – and a loud Archangel at that always made him easier to find than several of the other lower ranking or more sedate angels on the heavenly plane. Castiel moved slightly to the side to get a better vantage point for his view, all the while remaining hidden from others who most likely would not notice him if he remained still and silent, despite the fact that it was draining him a worrying amount to do something that had once been as easy for him to achieve as breathing was for humans.

Castiel watched from his part of the garden while Gabriel wandered around his, all the while calling for Joshua. Even Castiel had to admit, it was unsettling to be visiting the garden without the older angel present, as he was always found there. Something wasn't quite right with this situation.

Castiel immediately sensed the moment Gabriel acknowledged his presence; it was like a question between their graces, hanging there slightly before Gabriel pulled back, and turned around to face him. That was when Castiel uncloaked himself. There was no need to keep it up now, and he wasn't sure he'd be able to much longer despite how much he might want or need to anyway.

"Well then little brother, what brings you here?"

Castiel duly registered the look of shock on his elder brothers face before pulling up the last vestiges of strength he had remaining. It wouldn't do to appear weak to his brother now, not when he needed to be strong to get the answers he desired. He needed them not just for himself, but for Dean too, and by extension also for Sam. Who knew what could happen if they continued onwards into this battle blind? Had they not all learnt from the mistakes they had made during the fight to stop the apocalypse?

"A certain brother who isn't as dead as I was led to believe." Castiel replied, letting the words ring out across the garden, his eyes trained on the only other angel there, avidly watching for any sign that he'd discovered some detail of Gabriel's plan. However the more Castiel observed, the more he had to admit to himself that Gabriel's behaviour didn't add up. If he was hiding something he'd be joking or deflecting the attention to some other topic by now, namely onto Castiel but he wasn't. He was just standing there, looking at him, head moved to his left slightly, eyes questioning him silently, 'What are you talking about?' After what could have only been two earth minutes, but seemed like an eternity longer, Castiel finished with,

"Or you either it would seem."

The thought of that, that this brought them no closer to the still as of yet mysterious end goal in Gabriel's mind made Castiel sigh inwardly. He was just so tired. If only he could rest. But Castiel knew he couldn't do that, once he gotten the answers though, then he'd rest, he'd sleep until his heart's content. Before then though he had to be strong, so he continued,

"Is there something you wish to explain to me Gabriel? Since you certainly haven't been telling me everything."

He then observed his brother once more and noticed how he seemed to be weighing up his options, so Castiel decided to show his brother an incentive; he took the spare angel blade from his trenchcoat pocket and threw it swiftly to Gabriel who caught it elegantly and then went straight to reading the name engraved there immediately.

"Balthazar. This is Balthazar's? That angel is dead, you saw him die in battle yourself." Gabriel concluded, but he did not return the angel blade to Castiel, instead he lifted his head to look him in the eye and asked, "Where did you get this? I'm not familiar with the circumstances of this angel's death, but I heard that the blade went with him. Surely you're not suggesting…?" Gabriel let the question hang there, wondering how his brother would answer him.

Castiel didn't take long to reply, "You and I both know that our Father brought both you and I back, what if he brought others back too? And if that was the case, why wouldn't he tell you about it, unless-"

"Unless he didn't want me to know about it, is that what you're suggesting Castiel?" The angel questioned. Castiel knew he was flying on dangerous ground here, taking into account his elder brothers new status in heaven.

"No, that is not what I am suggesting Gabriel. I am suggesting that the only other explanations that make sense would be unless someone else brought him back or he wasn't dead to begin with." Castiel finished, hoping and praying that the answer was neither, even though Balthazar was once the angel he trusted most and therefore 'cared for' most out of his brothers and sisters, to contemplate either idea would open up a whole new slew of possibilities and problems to add to their growing pile. As an afterthought the angel added, "Where is Joshua?"

"I don't know," The Archangel replied quickly, forehead creasing in consternation, "But he's always here, in the garden. This worries me." He finished before taking a deep breath and coming to a conclusion. He knew he couldn't tell his brother everything, but he could provide him with enough information to get him off his trail and also keep him occupied, for the time being at least anyway.

"And as to your question regarding Balthazar, I have no idea about that either. There were whispers circulating in the ranks of the fledgling angels that he wasn't quite as dead as we were all led to believe, some have even claimed that they've felt his presence once." Before Castiel could interrupt, Gabriel hurried on to finish his point, "But that's all they were, whispers. This was some time ago though, before I could draw my own investigation and in response to that my own conclusions into the matter, other factors came into play and that subject was dropped." Gabriel finished, the bitterness in his mouth an aftereffect of the information he was about to share with his younger brother, and the damaging results that this information could have on his plans for him.

"What other factors brother?" Castiel asked, eyes serious as ever in his world weary vessel.

"Missing angels." Gabriel's reply came quickly, getting to the heart of the matter in two sentences flat.

"Who is missing? And how is that possible, who could even be behind it?" Castiel questioned in outrage, a frown marring his features. To take an angel against their will was a serious crime, and the action was believed to be going against God himself. The price for such a crime was steep, that had been demonstrated to all angels during Lucifer's rebellion.

"I believe that given the information I have now received from you regarding Balthazar that he is amongst those angels who have been taken. The rest, where he has been, whether or not he truly died to begin with is circumstantial right now. Rachel and Joshua are also missing; I can only presume that the likes of Virgil or some of the other angels working for Raphael have taken them to try and weaken my position." Gabriel concluded morosely.

"Raphael? You mean to say… does this mean that you are at war with him brother?" Castiel questioned, feeling a clenching sensation in his stomach at this new piece of information. He had been on the receiving end of this particular brother and his smiting before; he knew how unpredictable Raphael could be, especially when he couldn't have what he wanted.

"Mehhh, you say 'at war' like it's some great big bad battle when in actual fact it's nothing more than a little spat for me and Ralphie – however I must say this for him, he's gotten more petulant while I've been away." Gabriel concluded weakly, for it was no use, Castiel could see through him like a pane of glass, and could see that he was troubled. That in itself was worrying news; they'd all have to be very careful now.

"Do you think it's possible that Raphael is the person who is working with the demons that attacked me and Dean earlier?" Castiel asked sharply, as it then suddenly fell into place and started to make sense, that would explain why Crowley had been so sure of himself, why they'd been so brazen as to attack an angel and a seasoned hunter, a Winchester at that.

"I'm unsure, but either way that's enough for now baby brother, you need rest. And before you argue with me, remember, Archangel you're talking to." To demonstrate his point he flexed his wings, allowing them to be in full view fleetingly before tucking them silently away again, "And before you ask me, yes, Sasquatch is fine and dandy with living at my abode. I'm sure if you stick to your end of the bargain, him and boy toy will be reunited soon, so I think that's all there is to it now. And Castiel, be careful." He tacked the last sentence on the end like a half forgotten message he had to relay, but there was too much emphasis in the words for them to be taken as anything but serious. And with a snap of his fingers before he could be questioned about these matters even more than he already had been, Castiel was gone from his presence and Gabriel breathed heavily in the now overly empty garden.

-SPN-

When Castiel finally felt himself land after being whisked out of Heaven by his brother, he was surprised at the care the Archangel had put into making sure he landed softly. However when he noticed where he had been placed upon landing he groaned to himself, but had to quieten so as to not wake up Dean. He'd been gone from earth for longer than he'd thought, as he surmised it was early evening again, and his charge was currently sleeping in the bed closely beside him.

Castiel went to move off the bed but just couldn't bring himself to get up. His whole body ached, that last flight into heaven had really taken the air out of from under his wings so to speak, and everything had now accumulated to take its toll on him. Before the angel knew it he was already in a half sleep, and as he thought about where he and the hunter now stood in Gabriel's grand scheme of things, he slowly became less aware of their new problems, and more aware of the steady breathing of Dean beside him, and that filled him with a strange feeling of safeness. Whatever problems they had now, they would deal with them tomorrow.

Within five minutes of landing, the angel soundly slept.

A/N's: I hope you guys liked this chapter, it certainly took me to new places music wise while writing it, however I was unsure about most of the content in it, but my Muse pushed this idea and I just couldn't get it out of my head so I flew with it, whether or not to my peril I will let you all decide, but it certainly leaves me in an interesting place to write them all now!

After next week updating regularly will be a little tricky for me due to my exams (I have eight days of hell coming up) which I desperately need to revise for, so I do apologize as I cant guarantee a regular update after that for at least a month, however you should at least get one update between that time, if not more (I tend to write and vid more under pressure, go figure) so just rest assured that I am in no way abandoning this story!

I'd really love it if you guys could leave me a review, next chapter is already coming along nicely, I hope you enjoyed this chapter despite its faults, so until next time then!

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