Hello again. I would like to thank rainystv for the review.
So here we are. Next chapter. I hope you like it.
Disclaimer: I don't own Supernatural.
the next morning it was a calmer Castiel who set out on the journey across the country to his family home. It was a distance he knew could be covered in a few days, or at least it was if you had Dean Winchester at the wheel of his baby, but Anna took it at a more sedate pace. They finally rolled into town as the sun was setting and when he directed Anna to his family home her mouth dropped open. The place was huge. Pulling up outside the large brick building she was wondering if she could bring herself to get out of the car.
Castiel of course had no such qualms, this was the house he had grown up in after all. With that he made his way up the stone steps that fronted the place and plied the brass knocker, turning to Anna to motion her to join him.
As she got out of the car she saw the door open to reveal a blonde haired man who she recognised from the photos online. Though he looked a lot worse now than he did in them. She guessed that was what happened when you lost your brother. But he was back now.
Gabriel had been sitting in the living room of the mausoleum of a house in which he lived. His parents had left, they couldn't take it here any more, not after Castiel was gone. And so he was sitting there contemplating the open bottle whiskey in front of him while looking through the old photo albums. It was a year to the day that he had lost his brother, and he knew that this was not a night he would be able to get through without the help of alcohol. The only question was, when would he start the drinking? He had just got a glass when there was a knock on the door. Who in hell would be stupid enough to disturb him tonight of all nights? He briefly thought of ignoring it but he couldn't. There was only one person he could think who could be on the other side and he couldn't turn away a fellow suffer. As such he got up to let Dean in. but when he opened the door it wasn't his brothers blonde haired best friend on his doorstep, but his brother himself. His dead, lost at sea brother, just standing there smiling at him. Was he going mad now? Seeing things like this? But then the apparition spoke and he knew that whether this was real or not he didn't care. His brother was in front of him and that was all that mattered.
Castiel stood waiting impatiently for someone to answer the door, he was wondering what was taking so long when the door was opened by none other than his brother himself. He couldn't help it, the sight of Gabriel made him smile, even if his brother did look a bit worse for wear.
"Hello Gabriel." He said in his gravelly tone. He then found himself being pulled into the older moans arms and hugged as if his life depended on it.
"It's you, it's really you." Gabriel murmured into his brothers hair as he held him and tears streamed down his face. He had no idea how this miracle had come about, and he didn't care. He had his Cassie back.
"Yes Gabriel its me. Can we come in?" Castiel asked struggling to breathe.
"We?" Gabriel asked letting go of Castiel and for the first time seeing the woman with him. Looking at her he raised his eyebrow at his brother as if to say 'oh really?' making Castiel roll his eyes at him.
"Gabriel this is Anna, she was the nurse who helped me. Anna this is my brother Gabriel, I warn you not to take a word he says seriously." Castiel said in a dry tone making Gabriel pretend hurt at his words.
"How you wound me Cassie. Anna it's a pleasure, come in and tell me how your alive, and how I only find out about this a year after the fact." Gabriel replied pulling them both into the house and taking them through to the living room.
And with that Castiel proceeded to do just that, telling his brother everything, well almost everything. It took a while, a good hour of talking, though neither of the brothers brought up the topic of conversation that Castiel really wanted to discuss. As such he knew he was going to have to be direct.
"Gabriel, do you know where Dean is?" Castiel asked trying to be as casual as he could but he didn't miss the wince in his brothers eyes at the question.
"Up at the old Singers place. Doing it up or something." Gabriel replied not looking at Castiel. He was ashamed of the way he had behaved with Dean, and then there was the fact that he had told his brothers best friend that said brother was in love with him. And now said brother was alive. Oh Cassie was so going to kill him for this one.
"Why?" Castiel confused. Dean had never shown much interest in the house once they had all moved down to California.
"I haven't a clue." Gabriel replied, though over the last few months he had started to have his suspicions. He had seen Dean around town after all. Not that the Winchester ever spoke to him, hell he didn't even acknowledge his presence most of the time. But again Gabriel had an idea of why that was too.
"What do you mean?" Castiel asked. Surely if Dean and Gabriel had been in the same town they had talked, they got a long well enough Castiel knew, so why didn't Gabriel know what Dean was doing?
"Dean-o and I haven't really spoken since about two months after your funeral." Gabriel finally said. Castiel was going to find out soon enough anyway, Gabriel wasn't stupid enough to think he could keep Dean and his little brother apart. And you never know, this could be good for them.
"Why?" Castiel asked again, though this time his eyes had narrowed at his brother. He had a horrible feeling he wasn't going to like the answer to this question.
"We may of have a slight falling out." Gabriel replied with a shrug trying not to squirm under his brothers stare, damn he had forgotten how intense they could be.
"What did you do Gabriel?" Castiel demanded. He would not be happy if Gabriel had upset Dean.
"I might have got a little angry and told him to get his sorry ass up and start living his life because my little bro would not want the man he loved to be pinning for him." Gabriel replied as nonchalantly as he could.
At his words Castiel's eyes widened as he realised what his brother had just said. He had told Dean his secret. Dean knew he loved him, Dean knew. But... why would Dean pine?
"You were dead Castiel. I didn't know you were going to come back did I?" Gabriel defended hoping Castiel wouldn't get too pissy at him.
"I need to see Dean, now." was all Castiel said standing. Though what he was going to say now he had no idea. Thank you very much Gabriel.
"It's a bit late Cassie. Plus today? Probably not the best one to go." Gabriel replied hoping that Castiel would think about it before he went storming off. Though if Gabriel suspicions were correct... maybe he should go find Dean-o and they could sort it out themselves. Maybe they would actually be honest with each other for once.
"Why? What's so different about today?" Castiel asked confused by the end of Gabriel's sentence.
"It's the anniversary of the day you went missing." Gabriel replied gently making Castiel look round the room and he suddenly understood why his brother was sitting with all the photo albums and an open bottle of whiskey. He was remembering him, and Dean…
"I have to go. Now." with that Castiel was out the door. Anna went to follow him but Gabriel stuck out his hand and grabbed her arm to stop her.
"I've always found it best to leave Cassie and Dean to resolve things alone. Come have a drink, allow me to thank you for saving my brothers life and bringing him home." Gabriel said gently to her.
"I didn't do anything Gabriel." Anna replied. And it was true, she had just been his friend after all.
"You've travelled half way across the country with him to get him back to me. Trust me, that's a lot more than most would do." Gabriel responded pouring them both a whiskey.
"I wanted to see how the story would end." Anna replied honestly with a shrug as she took the glass.
"Yeah, you and me both. But I think it might be a while before Cassie returns from Dean's." And In his head Gabriel added an 'if he does'. For he had come to the conclusion over the last few weeks and months of watching Deans behaviour in town that maybe he had been wrong. His brother wasn't the only one in love with their best friend, Dean was too.