Chapter 8:

Dean instantly asked Chuck which way it was to Cas' tent, getting an answer and striding straight away, not bothering with a thank you. I rolled my eyes, thanked Chuck who gave me a small smile and jogged off to catch up with Dean. Soon enough we got to the small cabin, hearing quiet music coming from inside. Hmm, last I heard Castiel was some all is holy angel who had a giant stick up the stick in his ass, he doesn't seem like a music kinda guy. I guess time really does change people. We walked into the small cabin, Dean in front. After pushing our way through the beads hanging from the doorframe, again a bit weird for a stuck up angel, and walked in, seeing a scruffy man sitting cross legged in a circle of women. I looked at Dean in surprise and he gave me the same look back, shrugging his shoulders in confusion. This really doesn't look like an angel, it looks more like a… hippy. For a while we just decided to listen to the angel and see what he was saying.

"So, in this way. We're each a fragment of total perception—just, uh, one compartment in that dragonfly eye of group mind. Now, the key to this total, shared perception—it's, um, it's surprisingly physical." He said in a low gravelly voice, looking round the group of women and grinning, leaving them in total awe. Soon enough he spots us and winks in our direction, either at me or his friend standing next to me, who was still in shock. Hmm, the first angel I've ever met. Damn I was not expecting this.

"Oh. Excuse me, ladies. I think I need to confer with our fearless leader for a minute. Why not go get washed up for the orgy?" the man said, making Dean start literally choking on air, making me bite on my fist to hold back the laughter, before patting his back. He quickly moved to shove me off, I just moved back and smirked. Poor Dean is petrified about what happened to his 'precious angel' though he would never say that. Soon enough the women get up to leave, Castiel trailing a hand in their direction, muttering "You're all so beautiful." All I knew was if Dean kept looking at him this gobsmacked I was gonna start laughing and end up rolling on the floor. Seeing his reaction was definitely worth fighting those Croatoan's to get here. Future Castiel stood and stretched his back so it clicked, making small grunting noises. Obviously he'd been sitting there for a while. Well I've got to admit, sitting there pretending for this to be 'spiritual' and shit was one way of getting into an orgy. I had to admit I was kinda impressed with the guy.

"What are you, a hippie?" Dean said, final gathering his jaw from the floor and gaining his voice again. Castiel just sighed, giving us a small lopsided smile. Dean took the words right out of my mouth apparently.

"I thought you'd gotten over trying to label me." The angel muttered, still stretching. Wow, if this is how all the angels are then I want to meet more of them. I hear that Balthazar dude is a fun one.

"And who is this?" he said, gesturing towards me.

"Amelia James, or AJ if you like." I said, laughing at the wink he sent my way. Dean just had an even more unimpressed look on his face.

"Cas, we got to talk." Dean said, all serious now. Castiel finally turned his whole body to properly look at us, looking me up and down before focusing his attention on Dean.

"Whoa. Strange." He said, holding out his arm and swaying on the spot, almost like he had a headache.

"What?" Dean said, confused at Castiel's focus.

"You...are not you. Not now you, anyway." He said, vaguely waving his arm at Dean's form. Wow, angel mojo or not that was pretty impressive. I guess meditating does do something to your inner sight. I have got to try this some time.

"No! Yeah. Yes, exactly." Dean said, falling over his words as per usual. I just rolled my eyes, getting an amused smirk from Castiel. Even though he hadn't said a word to me yet I had a feeling we were going to get on wonderfully.

"What year are you from?" Castiel asked, obviously wracking his brain for memory of this and finding nothing.

"2009." Dean replied after a bit of time, obviously working out what year we were in. This guy was a good hunter but he was a bit lacking in the brains department. Maybe that's why Sam was with him, keeping the poor guy on track. But I have a feeling Dean relies more on his instincts than factual knowledge. I rolled my eyes again, having done it so many times due to the ridiculous man next to me I could trace the exact pattern my eyes follow when they spin.

"Who did this to you? Is it Zachariah?" Castiel said, stepping closer to Dean and searching for something on his face, like there would be evidence of the culprit on it.

"Yes." Dean said angrily, like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Interesting." Castiel said, mostly to himself, leaning back with a lazy grin on his face again.

"Oh, yeah, it's friggin' fascinating. Now. Why don't you strap on your angel wings and fly me back to my page on the calendar?" Dean replied, forever lacking in the manners department. One day I really have to teach this man a few manners and what happens when you don't use them. Castiel just chuckled. Dean gave him a glare that read 'what the hell do you find so funny?'

"I wish I could just, uh, strap on my wings, but I'm sorry, no dice." Castiel replied, a slightly more solemn look flashing on his face before being covered by his lazy grin again. I thought about what that could mean. There was a story my mum had told me when I was tiny about an angel that was up in heaven but they fell in love with a mortal. The other angels laughed at him and banished him, he then 'fell'. Basically he had their powers stripped from them and they were left just as a normal human. I gave Castiel a startled, yet questioning gaze as if to ask him if I was correct, to which he nodded. I guess he was still attuned to reading people like an angel. Dean noticed the small exchange, looking between us.

"What?" Dean said, looking between us quicker like he could drag the thoughts from our minds with his eyes.

"Just admiring how your pretty new friend here has more common sense and brains then the 'famous Dean Winchester' does." He said, smirking at me. I just shook my head, smiling slightly. Dean seemed to ignore that comment, continuing on the insulting questions instead.

"What, are you stoned?" He asked the ex-angel, who sarcastically made a dramatic thinking expression, before answering Dean's question in a deadpan voice.

"Uh, generally, yeah." Making me choke out a laugh, quickly catching it with my fist, but Castiel caught it and grinned.

"What happened to you?" Dean sighed, obviously thinking back to the all business no fun angel he used to know. Castiel simply shrugged sadly and muttered one word.

"Life."