Okay, so I should just point out that I actually am religious. I am very reform religious, if you did not already notice that this is a gay fanfiction. So, of course, no offense is meant when it comes to the religious topics addressed in this chapter. I do feel that to be true to life, everyone who is religious has to go through their 'what the heck is going on' phase. Well, Castiel is there in this chapter, and probably the next few. There will be religious themes in this story, just by the way. I mean, it IS set in the Bible Belt. So, to sum this up, no offense intended, I will not ever be preachy, and please don't hate me for the microscopic religious plot events. PS-My longest chapter yet, yay!

Chapter Rating: T (Language and (tiny amount of) Religious Themes)

Castiel watched his phone as it sat idly on his nightstand. It had been three days since the Midcities rodeo, and the young man had begun to wonder if Dean Winchester would ever call. Castiel knew he should not be disappointed, but he was. He had qualified for the Regions rodeo in barrel racing, and he longed to go as a team roper, too. Dean needed a partner to compete. There was something about the other man that made Castiel really want to help him. He just felt something in his gut that practically screamed, "HE NEEDS YOU!" It was a crazy thought, one that Castiel had no earthly idea what to do with. Since seeing Dean, he had had a cascade of different and foreign emotions, and that made him feel lost. There was only one thing Castiel knew to do when he felt that way. Pray.

"Dear God, I know that you are with me, but I feel very confused at the moment. There is something about Dean Winchester that makes me feel this way. I cannot begin to understand what is happening. I can only assume that this instinct to help him is from you. Maybe you could give me some guidance on this? I would greatly appreciate anything. Just tell me what to do, and I will do it. May to you be the glory, amen."

That very instant, Castiel's cell phone began to ring.

The young cowboy pulled his truck and horse trailer into the Winchester Ranch the next day. Dean had called to offer Castiel board in the Winchester's barn. Castiel had gladly accepted, considering that he had to pay to keep his horse at the Heavenly Gates Stable and Practice Arena since Michael had sold the ranch. He had to pay for all the food and bedding and whatnot, but it would be much easier. Not to mention that it gave him an excuse to be around Dean. This thought gave Castiel pause, as he remembered the teasing Gabriel had given him after he had shared the news of his newfound partnership. Michael had been very supportive, probably thanking God that his littlest brother was branching out into a more masculine event. If everything went well with Dean, they would all be meeting each other at State.

The Winchester Ranch was a modest place. The barn held fourteen horses, about a medium size. The training arena was about half the size of a competitive arena, but that was normal. There were separate pastures for turning out the horses and cattle, as well as pens for pigs, goats, sheep, and chickens. A larger sized ranch house sat in the center of the property, a one story house with wide double doors that were open with only a screen across. It felt like a true country home, and Castiel immediately liked it there. He parked the trailer in a lot next to the barn and proceeded to approach the house, as per Dean's directions. He had barely managed to climb the porch steps when he heard a commotion inside.

Dean burst through the screen doors, causing them to hit the house with a crash, one swung back into place as he held the other open. He flashed a smile at Castiel as an older man wheeled out a giant in a wheelchair. These two were followed by a slightly heavier man in a ball cap.

"Guys, this is Castiel Novak. Castiel, this is my brother, Sammy," he pointed to the giant. Castiel had guessed as much since his leg was in a cast. "This is my dad, John," the older man pushing the wheelchair smiled. "And this is our ranch hand, handyman, and adoptive uncle, Bobby Singer." The baseball hat wearing man grunted, but in a nice kind of way.

"I am pleased to meet you all. Thank you for allowing me to shelter my horse on your property."

Bobby let out a laugh, "Ha! That fancy talk will be the first thing we break you of, my boy!"

This broke the awkward tension of the moment. John went up to Castiel and shook his hand.

"I am happy to meet you, too. I hope that everything works out, Castiel. I look forward to working with you."

"Thank you again, Mr. Winchester."

This caused another snort to come from Bobby, who just shook his head and dismissed himself to start the morning feeding.

"Well, Sam, like I said, this is Castiel. I, uh, well..."

"Hiya, Castiel. I hope you and my brother do well. No hard feelings about being my replacement. Although I still am hurt about Dean finding a new partner the night of my injury."

"Oh, Sam, you know I feel bad about that and I-"

"Shut up, Dean. Just joking."

"Bitch."

"Jerk."

The two brothers both began to laugh. Castiel could not help but smile at the friendly teasing. His family did not have a relationship like that, and seeing one gave the man a bittersweet feeling.

"Well, the Lord works in mysterious ways. Maybe it was just meant to be that I happened to be racing that night."

The laughter grew quiet. John stiffened slightly and turned very pale. Dean's shoulder's slumped while Sam let out a huge breath.

"Well, let's go get your horse settled in, Castiel!" Dean said, a little too cheerily. John nodded and moved to roll Sam back into the house.

"You just take your time settling in. I'll get Sam set up with something to study, and I'll come out after... a little while," John smiled sadly and left with Sam. Sam gave one last wave over his shoulder. Castiel could not help but feel guilty, assuming that he had managed to offend the Winchesters in his very first moments of knowing them.

As the two men walked to the barn, Castiel turned to Dean, "I'm sorry if I offended you all in any way."

"Oh, no. It's not you. My mom was just super religious before she... passed away. We just hardly ever hear that stuff anymore, you know? Aside from the prayers before the bigger rodeos and the pretentious rodeo queens, of course."

"I am sorry."

"No need to apologize. Actually, it's kinda nice. I forget stuff like that sometimes. She used to always say things about how God was working in our lives. It didn't matter if it was a miracle near accident on the tractor with my father or just a pretty day."

"Your mother sounds like a fantastic woman."

"She was."

They passed over the rest of the distance in uneasy silence. When they reached the barn, Dean visible shook himself and entered. Inside, he was a different man. He smiled led the way to the first stall on the right hand side of the stables.

"This is the stall we were going to let you use if it's cool with you. Mine's the one just across the way. I moved Sammy's horse father back because he won't be used as much until he gets better. We have eight horses total, nine counting yours. We have three pregnant by our one stallion. We try to keep them bred most of the time. We break the foals at age two then sell them."

"The stall is wonderful. How do you take care of the entire ranch with just four men?"

"It's a challenge, but a good one. It keeps us busy."

"May I see your horse before we bring mine in? I didn't have time to get acquainted with her at the rodeo."

"Oh, sure. I am really proud of her. She's a draft, and I named her Baby. I know that's really girly, but she means a lot to me."

"She is beautiful. Sixteen hands?"

"Yep, one tall girlie."

"I think she and Anna will get on wonderfully. They seem to have the same kind of temperament."

"Don't let her sweet looks fool you, she is a stubborn rascal."

"Just like her owner, I'm sure."

The two men laughed, the last of the tension finally slipping away. Anna was settled into her stall and Castiel's tack unloaded in under an hour. They talked and got to know each other a little better, from Dean's obsession with rock music to Castiel's fascination with classic literature. When they finished, they took their horses out to walk in just a halter and lead rope, trying to give them time to acclimate.

"So you've never heard of Guns N' Roses?"

"No, I have not."

"That's just blasphemous man."

"You just told me that you've never read anything by George Orwell!"

"Not the same, Castiel."

"Yes, it is, Dean."

"Okay, whatever, Casti- Can I just call you Cas? Castiel is kinda a mouthful."

"Uh, sure."

"Cool."

Castiel had never had a nickname before, unless you counted Gabriel calling him Cassie. He liked he fact that Dean had come up with it. He like the fact that Dean felt comfortable enough to give him a nickname to begin with. He liked the way Dean said it. He liked-

Castiel was a little lost in his thoughts. He did not realize that Dean was talking to him until he got a playful punch on the arm.

"Earth to Cas, come in! You zoned out, dude."

"Oh, sorry. You were saying?"

"I was just asking you about your family."

"Oh, that's a long story. Well, I have two brothers..."

As Castiel began to talk about himself, he tried to ignore the fact that his arm was still tingling where Dean had touched him.

"Okay, Castiel. I first want to see just how you are with a lasso. That's why we are going horseless today," John explained, setting up a dummy steer to practice on. He placed another next to the first, about ten feet away, for Dean. "Okay, show me what you normally do."

Castiel nodded and took in a deep breath. He swung him arm in the air a few times, just getting a feel for the borrowed piece of rope. He swung one last time and aimed for the dummy's horns, catching them in the loop perfectly. John let out a whistle.

"That was pretty good. Much better than most rookies I've seen. At least I don't have to do any basics or intermediate work with you. We need the fine tuning. Basically all you need in better speed and distance. We can trim time by making your swings faster and making you able to throw sooner. That's important because the sooner you whip the steer around, the sooner Dean can stretch them."

"Okay, Mr. Winchester."

Dean stepped up to his dummy, which had it's hind legs raised just a little. He sent his lasso flying and pulled up, catching the legs.

"This is much easier on a horse."

"Yeah, well, you are doing well, son. We need to get that speed into your swing, too. And more strength. You rely on Baby's size too much."

"Alright, Pops."

The men continued working on their swings for the better part of two hours, and Castiel was satisfied that he was improving rather quickly. John seemed to be happy, too, because he called the practice over at lunch.

"You boys go and eat lunch now, I'll put this stuff up. Talk some more and get to know each other. It's important to be able to connect with your partner. It was easy for Sam and Dean because they are brothers. You guys, let's face it, are still pretty much strangers."

"Will do."

"Yes, Mr. Winchester."

Dean led Castiel into the house. The main hallway was lined with photographs of the Winchester family, most featuring a very pretty blonde woman that could only have been the late Mrs. Winchester. She was always smiling for the camera, and she seemed to smile right at Castiel. The house was large, but it had a cozy feel. The kitchen seemed to be the biggest room. Dean went to the fridge and pulled out a pitcher of iced tea and some meat in a tupperware container.

"Tea and chicken for lunch?"

"Sounds great."

"And guess what, I made pie last night, and I might just let you have a piece."

"Should I feel privileged?"

"Yep. Bobby's the only one not blood related to me that has ever had my pie. Nothing forms a Winchester bond like my pie."

"I am intrigued."

"You should be," Dean smirked, with a wink.

Castiel grabbed the tea pitcher and followed Dean back outside. Dean took them to the barn and sat down in the hay on the side away from the sun. It was a nice day with a cool breeze, but Castiel could already feel the sweat slick his back. He had not been in the house long enough to really cool off from working. Dean did not seem to mind the heat. He just lounged on the hay bale. Castiel could not help but let his eyes wander, noting that Dean was sweating, too. He shook his head, clearing the stray thoughts.

As they began to eat, the conversation began.

"So, Cas, you told me about your brothers. What about your parents?"

"Well, my mom died when I was little, and my father not long after. I don't really miss them."

"Sorry."

"That's my line."

"Ha! Whatever. Anyway, you ask a question. I don't know what else I have to share. You already know my favorite band and whatnot."

"What's your favorite color?"

"That's not exactly a serious bond forming question."

"Just answer it."

"Fine. Blue. You?"

"Green."

Castiel tried to ignore the fact that until a few seconds ago his favorite color had been yellow. Looking into Dean's eyes, seeing the green color, made him fall in love with it. He had never seen such a pretty green. There was a tension in the air that Castiel could not read. Thankfully, Dean spoke again.

"Okay, well, what got you into barrel racing?"

"Oh, well, my mom always wanted me to ride horses. That's one of the only memories I have of her, really. Her helping me ride. After she died, horses became my life. I never really got into anything else. One day I realized I was pretty good at going fast, so I tried the barrel pattern. I've been trying to get better ever since. What about you and Sam team roping?"

"We just got into it as teenagers. Bobby thought we could practice with it as a hobby. We got better, and my dad decided to coach us. It's as easy as that, really."

"I am sorry that Sam got hurt."

"It's nobody's fault. Just a stupid accident. And then he drops the bomb on me that he is actually planning to go to college. He wants to be a lawyer, of all things. He has been doing online high school, apparently. He kept it from me because he thought I'd be mad. Honestly, I'm just mad that he didn't tell me sooner. College is a pretty cool accomplishment."

"I agree. I was originally planning to go to college for literature, to become a teacher, but I just never did. I guess I was just not ready after high school. I a least finished that. I still don't know if I'll ever be ready for anything like college."

"I never really wanted to go. I guess I respect people who do and whatever, but I just don't see the point. I dropped out of high school first chance I got to work here. I like the outdoors, not being in some crappy classroom."

"Do you ever want to graduate?"

"Nah, I'm fine how I am. I'll do the rodeos until I am too old, then I'll keep up this place and coach rookies. I am perfectly fine with that."

"At least you do have a plan. I have nowhere in mind to go. I mean, I want to barrel race, and now I want to team rope with you, but after? No idea."

"Doesn't matter yet, does it?"

"Guess not. I just wish I did know. I pray about it sometimes, but it seems like I'm in a No Service zone."

"Yeah, the Big Guy seems to have a knack for saying 'fuck you' sometimes."

"I resent that. I'll get an answer someday."

"I believe you, dude. I think some people are all right and dandy and great when it comes to, you know. I just think that there are some of us that get overlooked."

"Just have faith."

"Whatever, man. I'm not gonna screw around with this topic when I don't have to. Anyway, wanna talk about something else?"

"Sure."

From there, the conversation turned to much simpler things. Castiel enjoyed his time with Dean. As he got to know the other man, the confusing feeling flared up again, stronger than before. Castiel watched Dean closely. He watched as his eyes glowed when he talked about Sam, how his lips formed the words, how his neck looked when he threw his head back and laughed. After Castiel had to shake himself back to reality for the fifth time, Dean went to get the pie.

Dean came back with two huge sliced of pie, no doubt more than half of the whole.

"Here it is, Cas! Dean Winchester's famous apple pie!"

"Apple is my favorite!" And it was. Castiel always appreciated a good pie, but apple was his favorite flavor by far.

"I really think we will get along great. A man that loves his pie is always awesome in my book. Go ahead, try it. Feel the mystic Winchester magic!"

Castiel tentatively took a bite of pie. The instant the dessert was in his mouth his taste buds were on fire. It was by far the best pie of Castiel's life. He made a moaning noise and shoveled more into his 'piehole'.

"Glad you like it! I've been told it's almost supernatural, so you agree?"

"I think I love you, Dean Winchester," Castiel's eyes widened. He prayed to God, literally, that Dean did not take that the wrong way. The other man just laughed.

"Yeah, knew you would. The pie basically makes you an honorary Winchester. You're family now, whether you like it or not," Dean joked, elbowing Castiel in the ribs. Castiel smiled and continued inhaling his pie, and Dean began to do the same next to him.

After the pie was finished, the rest of the afternoon was spent in easy conversation. They helped Bobby with the afternoon feeding. After making one final check on Anna, Castiel prepared to leave, promising to John that he would be back in the morning to train before it got too hot. He also promised to Dean that he would bring a few barrels from his garage so that he could practice his barrel racing at the ranch as well. The thought of another reason to be at the Winchester's made Castiel's skin crawl in the best way possible.

Castiel unhitched his trailer and got into his truck. He rested his forehead against the too hot leather and breathed, trying to quell the light feeling in his midsection. His chest felt to heavy for his body, and his head was spinning. Castiel ended up blaming it on dehydration and drove home. At the house he shared with his brothers, he went straight to his room, ignoring Gabriel's questions about his day and Michael's concern.

That night before bed, Castiel prayed again.

"If you really are fucking with me, would you please stop? Amen."