AN: So, here's chapter two. Enjoy!

Two Months Ago

Azrael felt himself being summoned shortly before he found himself standing in a sewage system. Looking around, he saw two figures standing on either side of him. One looked like an Asian man, while the other looked like a Caucasian American. He sensed immediately they were shapeshifters. He studied them before asking, "What do you want?"

"We would like your help with something," the Asian looking one said. "We need an angel for assistance, and we chose you because, after all, your domain is retribution. Besides, you might get a little something out of this. If you don't want to do it we can get someone else though."

"What is it you have in mind?"

"Well, we want revenge on the Winchesters. They killed our brother. The thing is, though, we don't want to just kill them," the American one said. "We want them to suffer before they die. First emotionally, then physically, then we will end them. We want to stretch this out for a period of at least two months if not more, which is why we wanted to recruit an angel. The longer we hold them, the more likely they are to get loose. The more people we have watching them, and the stronger those people are, that possibility of their escape is reduced."

"In what way would this benefit me?" the angel asked.

"Well, the Winchesters are pretty close to Castiel, and it would only increase their misery if we made him miserable, and we know the angels aren't especially happy with him after what he did, making you all fall, so we thought we'd let you come up with something fun for him. We don't have all the details worked out about any of this, so feel free to give any input," the Asian said.

"So, you in?" the American asked.

"I will join you," Azrael agreed.

It only took them a matter of weeks to have a plan in place. About a month after forming their new alliance, temporary as it was, they kidnapped the Winchesters – Azrael took care of that because he would be able to erase any memory of it from Castiel's mind if he happened to wake up while he grabbed Dean, and Azrael was harder to kill if either of the Winchesters woke up, which they somehow didn't.

The Winchesters were taken to a remote location in Nebraska – an abandoned warehouse because Azrael refused to stay in a sewer and the two shapeshifters – Dante and Adriano – agreed it would be a nice change. Once they got there they woke up the two hunters. Before any questions or demands for answers could be voiced, Dante, the Asian looking one, held a gun to Dean's head while Adriano, the American, handed a piece of paper and a pencil to Sam. "Write a note to the angel," he said. "I want it to say this and nothing else, because I don't trust you not to put in some warning or call for help. I want all grammar to be correct as well. If you don't do exactly as I say and nothing more the first time, your brother's brains will paint these walls and this floor. Am I understood?"

"Yeah," Sam said nervously. He wasn't about to try anything now. Not with a gun resting on his brother's head. He hadn't had enough time to evaluate the situation so he wasn't going to risk the dangers that might lie in trying to call this person's bluff. These guys were way to calm about this – they weren't rushing and they seemed like they knew what they were doing. This might be hard to get out of. He just hoped Cas might catch on that the situation wasn't normal when he woke up and they were gone.

"Write out this, exactly: 'Cas, Dean and I got wind of a hunt nearby and decided to take it. We'll be back in a few days. Stay put.' Then sign your name at the bottom."

Sam did as he was told, trying to keep his hand from shaking. He was nervous, adult or not. Adriano examined the message carefully. It was exactly as he had asked. "Good boy. You just kept your brother alive for a few more weeks." That was the last thing either Winchester was aware of before they were both knocked out by the two shifters. Azrael delivered the note back to Sam's motel room and then took all the Winchester's clothes that he could find, being a bit more careful in Castiel's room. He came back to the warehouse carrying two duffle bags full of clothes and one filled with weapons. After depositing them, he left again and found the Winchester's car in the parking lot and transported it to the back parking lot of the warehouse.

Sam woke up with a headache. Putting his hand to his head, he winced when he felt a knot forming. Then he saw Dean laying next to him, out cold on the floor, and the memories came surging back. He had woken up earlier in the night to find that he and Dean had been taken by three… things. He was pretty sure they weren't human. It had looked like they were all in a warehouse. Then one had put a gun to Dean's head and for a second Sam had feared the worst. Then one of the others pushed down on Sam's shoulder and forced him to sit down at an empty table before telling him to write Cas a note explaining that they had left and would be back in a few days. He had been so terrified in those moments that trying something to warn Cas had been out of the question in his mind. There would be other opportunities for escape, he hoped. He just wanted to make sure Dean lived to see those opportunities. After the note was approved he remembered nothing. There was a third guy, other than the one who threatened Dean and commanded him, but he hadn't gotten a great look at him. He wondered if these were demons.

He shivered suddenly. It was the end of February and still cold, but earlier they had been in a nice warm motel and Sam had been in a room by himself, so he had slept in boxers and a t-shirt the night before. Technically, he supposed, it might still be night. Anyway, whatever building they were in didn't have a heater, and he was getting cold. He and Dean were surrounded by concrete walls and a concrete ceiling, and the only door was solid metal. There was no furniture.

Soon Dean woke up. He seemed to run through the same thought process as Sam had, before he began to shiver as well. Dean had apparently slept in sweats and no shirt. "You ok, Sammy?" he asked in typical Dean fashion.

"I'm fine. I wasn't the one with a gun held to his head," Sam said. Dean gave him a look that clearly told Sam that he knew Sam had been spooked by the sight. The fact that you've seen your brother close to death a million times – even at death – didn't make it any easier to go through again. "You good?" Sam asked.

"Yeah," Dean said, even though he had the mother of all headaches and he was freezing and he had no freakin' clue how to get out of the place he was in. Then a thought struck Dean. "Cas," he said.

"Yeah, what about him?" Sam asked. It didn't come out rude. He just didn't know what Dean was getting at.

"You think he's alright? I mean, they may not have left any witnesses…"

Sam gave a slight nod of understanding. "I'm sure he's fine. I mean, they made me write that note to him."

"Yeah, I know, but why would they take us and not him?" Dean pointed out. "Not that I wish he'd been taken, too. I'm just trying to get a good understanding of what's going on."

"Yeah," Sam said. "I don't know… Is it just me, or do you get the feeling we won't be coming back when that note says we will."

"It's not just you," Dean said. "Do you think maybe Cas will catch on that this isn't normal?"

"I hope so, but you know him better than I do. What do you think?"

"I don't know," Dean said. He was about to say something, and Sam knew it, but then he hesitated.

"What is it?" Sam asked.

"Well, I shouldn't tell you this because it's kind of private information, but I will because it may affect our situation. Ever since Cas became human, he's had a lot of insecurities. He still blames himself for all the angels falling, and whenever he realizes something useful he can't do anymore because he's human – like healing us, for example – it makes him feel useless. I've tried to talk to him about it, and I think I've helped, but he's still got a lot to work through. I mean, he was thrown into human emotions as an adult – he never really got a smiling, sunny childhood to give him time to adjust to it all. He had to deal with a lot all of a sudden without emotions being thrown in. So it wouldn't surprise me if he reads that note and thinks that the reason we left without him is because we think he would have been too incompetent to handle whatever hunt." Dean was suddenly taken back to that awful day he'd found Cas cutting himself. Apparently it had been the first time and as far as Dean knew the last. He'd had a good long chick-flick moment with Cas after that because damn it Cas was worth it.

Then the door to the room opened and one of the three men came in. Sam recognized him as the one who had stood back while the other's got hands-on with Dean and Sam, ordering them to send Cas a message. "Hello Winchesters, glad to see you're awake. I brought the two of you some clothes from your motel rooms. I believe it might be little less than warm here." As he said this, he put a stack of clothes on the ground near the door.

"Who are you?" Dean demanded. "What do you want with us?"

"My name is Azrael. I'm an angel. As far as what we want with you, we being myself and the two shapeshifters outside, you'll find out soon enough. For now, just be patient and wait." With that he was gone.

"Freaking angels," Dean muttered. "'Be patient and wait' doesn't sound so hot either."

Sam didn't respond. He went over to the stack of clothes and sorted out his and Dean's, grabbing a pair of sweats and an old hoodie for himself before tossing Dean a t-shirt and a flannel over-shirt. Dean grunted his thanks as he began to dress, ignoring how ridiculous he would look in sweats and plaid. "I guess they had to grab our stuff so Cas wouldn't get suspicious," Sam commented.

Dean nodded solemnly. "I wonder what they did about baby," he mused.

"Well, that guy said he was an angel, Dean. I'm sure he would be able to transport your car."

"Yeah," Dean said.

AN: Please drop me a review and let me know what you thought about it/what I could improve on! Plenty more to come!