Chapter 4

Dean had stayed with Cas on the phone for the next hour and a half before he ran through wide doors calling Castiel's name. Cas called out to him from where he sat on the floor. He was curled up along the wall farthest from the pair of bodies sprawled out on the ground. He had forced himself onto his feet not long after calling Dean for help. He had meant to leave the room completely, but his legs refused to hold him and his head throbbed painfully from the constant abuse it had been put through and movement only made it worse.

"Cas!" Dean cried, rushing to the angel and kneeling down by his side. He forced Castiel to sit up against the wall the angel was slumped tiredly against. He looked Cas over for wounds, but there was no need. Castiel's wounds had healed. Only a few remained as red scars or blemishes. Even his clothes had sewn themselves back together.

"Dean," Cas croaked, eyes flicking over the hunter. They fell onto Dean's arm where his sleeve rode up, revealing unblemished skin where the mark used to be. Cas smiled at the hunter. "It is good to see you." Dean forced a smile back.

"Yeah," he agreed. His eyes glanced around the room briefly before going back to the tired angel. "I wish it were under better circumstances." Dean licked his lips and followed the trails of blood around Castiel's eyes with his own. "How you holding up?" Cas stared into Dean's green eyes, seeing his reflection in the hunter's gaze. Castiel was pale and sickly looking with small rivers of blood running from his eyes and the spots where the headpiece had dug in.

"My head hurts," Castiel admitted. He dipped his head, closing his eyes and pressing a hand to his temple. A hand gripped at his shoulder and Cas forced his eyes open, seeing Dean's worried face. He watched the hunter swallow nervously and reach out. Dean's fingers brushed against the trails of blood running down from Cas' bloodshot eyes. Dean wiped the blood off with the sleeve of his coat, cleaning Cas off as best he could.

"Whatever is going on here, Cas, we'll fix, okay?" He looked at Cas expectantly and the angel slowly bobbed his head up and down in answer. Dean sighed and patted Cas' cheek lightly. "We'll get you back to the bunker where you'll be safe. We'll stop whatever Rowena did to you —"

"You have to lock me up," Cas said suddenly.

"What?"

"You have to lock me up," Castiel repeated again.

"I'm not doing that to you—"

"You have to!" Cas growled a bit harsher than he intended. Dean froze and stared at the angel with wide eyes. Castiel lowered his gaze, looking in the corner of his eye at the two bodies sprawled along the floor. "I'm dangerous," Cas explained. "I tried to kill Crowley and an innocent girl." Cas closed his eyes and swallowed hard. "When Orifiel tortured me I...I couldn't think straight. I was lost, but then...then Hannah bumped the headpiece and drove a screw in and...for a second I could think somewhat clearer again. I got loose. I was free to run and then...then Hannah was killed and I...I snapped. I didn't care that Orifiel was my brother. I didn't care when I killed both him and his vessel." Cas paused and stared at Dean with wide, glistening eyes. "Dean, I don't know what to do…"

Dean dropped his hands from Castiel's face and wrapped an arm around the angel tightly. Cas stiffened in the embrace, but was only squeezed tighter.

"I'm taking you home," Dean said sternly. "You didn't give up on me when you should've, Cas, so why should I?"

Dean started pulling Castiel back onto his feet. The angel swayed, but Dean held him tight. They made their way towards the exit, but the sound of feet patting nearby made them stop. Castiel expected for Sam to rush in, but instead he was faced with the dark, hateful gaze of his sister.

"Castiel," Ingrid spat, putting herself between the two and the exit. "You will pay for your crimes against Hannah and Orifiel." Her angel blade fell into her hand.

"No, Ingrid, I didn't—"

"Enough of your lies!" Ingrid hissed, striding towards them with her blade at the ready. Dean let go of Cas and the angel slumped to the floor. Dean glanced back Cas and then charged. An angel blade appeared in Dean's hand and metal clanged together. Castiel watched them. He expected the rage to force its way to the surface, but it stayed buried in the back of his head. It still whispered to him, acting like the devil on his shoulder. The rage wanted him to pull out his own blade and charge the two. It wanted him to hurt his sister, but what made Castiel's stomach really twist was the fact that it wanted him to hurt Dean.

Castiel rose to his feet. He wobbled, but he forced himself forward. Ingrid and Dean didn't notice him approaching and when Castiel's chance opened wide for him he dived between his sister and friend. Angel blades hurled right at him, pausing last second and hovering over his chest and the center of his back.

"Cas, what the hell are you doing?!" Dean cried, pulling the blade in his now shaking hand back. Castiel ignored the hunter and stared into Ingrid's eyes.

"Sister, please listen to me," he pleaded. I admit that I killed Orifiel, but only after he killed Hannah. She tried to stop his duties of torturing me and he attacked her."

"Why should I believe you?" Ingrid questioned. "You are a liar, Castiel."

"Yes," Cas admitted with a heavy heart. "I do not deserve your trust just like I did not deserve Hannah's, but what I speak now is the truth." Ingrid pressed her blade against Cas' neck.

"Look me in the eye, brother, and tell me you are telling the truth," she ordered. "Look at me and say this or I will slice both you and your precious hunter to ribbons."

"I did not kill Hannah," Castiel stated, blue eyes staring sadly into his sister's stern ones. "She was killed by our brother and I in turn killed him." He held his breath then, watching as Ingrid slowly lowered her weapon. She stepped back and let her blade slide back up her sleeve.

"I believe you," she stated and Cas heard Dean let a breath he had been holding slip past his lips. Castiel would have joined him in the feeling of relief, but he knew things weren't over just yet. Ingrid might see him innocent for Hannah's murder, but his crimes against Heaven were unforgivable.

"Will you take me now?" he asked. Dean stiffened by his side and raised his angel blade again protectively. Cas held up a hand, forcing Dean to lower the weapon before looking expectantly back at Ingrid.

"No, Castiel, not today," Ingrid sighed. "For taking care of Orifiel I will look the other direction for now, but realize, Castiel, that when we catch you again your punishment will continue and you will be put down like the dog you are." Castiel nodded in understanding and Ingrid walked out of the room and down the corridor where Hannah and Orifiel's bodies were.

Cas' legs buckle beneath him when she left and Dean grabbed him, holding him up.

"Cas?" he questioned.

"Sorry," Castiel apologized as Dean wrapped an arm around his waist and helped him out of the building. The Impala was waiting outside for them and Dean popped the passenger door open for Castiel. The angel dipped inside and Dean shut the door. The hunter then went around to the driver's side, popping in. He turned the keys in the Impala and stepped on the gas. The car lurched forward, driving hurriedly down the road and away from the building that held nothing but pain and death.

Dean looked over at Castiel as he drove. His eyes were filled with worry and something else Castiel couldn't place. It was probably guilt.

"We're going to fix this, Cas," he promised. Castiel nodded, looking down at his hands. They were shaking. Dean looked too and bothered his lips with his teeth. "You're going to be okay, Cas. I know it doesn't feel like that now, but you will be. You—"

"You asked me not to lie," Castiel interrupted, staring out the window. "You were right, Dean. I wasn't fine then, I'm not now, and I doubt I ever will be. It's not just me either. We have so many problems right now, Dean. The darkness and Rowena are out there this minute stripping away everything we've fought for so please don't lie to me and say everything is going to be okay because it isn't. We're not enough, Dean. We thought we were, but we aren't." He looked to Dean and the hunter stared back with a look of defeat. "Please, no more lies." Dean went silent and looked back to the road. His fingers reached for the radio and he pressed a small button. The sound of a cassette rolling filled the silence for a second before music softly blared through the speakers. Dean started humming after a few moments and Castiel closed his eyes, allowing himself to relax under the soft rumble of the Impala and the hunter's voice.

Well, that's the end. Sorry if you thought this was going to be about Cas throughout the season. I just wanted to poke at what might happen to our favorite angel within the first few episodes of the coming season. Thanks for reading, reviewing, favoriting, and following.