Gabriel halted at a corridor and looked down at his ankles covered in water. It was freezing as ice and he bit his lip staring down the corridor.
"Sam?" he bellowed down it.
Sam who was resting against the wall breathing hard heard clearly and straightened up shocked.
"Gabriel?" he shouted banging his fists against the door. "I'm in here! I need help!"
Gabriel ran towards his voice and looked at the locked door; he tried the handle and cursed when it remained locked.
"Sam, if you can try and stand back!" he shouted shoving his shoulder hard against it. Sam stepped away from the door leaning back against the towels and covering his face when Gabriel booted the door hard causing it to splinter and give away. Gabriel slammed his foot against it causing it to creak and groan falling apart till Gabriel could reach in and pull him out.
"Why the hell are you in here? This isn't the time for hide and seek games!" Gabriel shouted clinging to him.
"It was Zach! He took Dean and I followed but these two men threw me in there!" Sam shouted back and breathed out. "I need to find Dean"
"I need to find Cas!"
"Well they'll be together, so come on" Sam shouted tugging him with him as they ran down the corridor together.
Castiel scrambled running up the stairs calling for help and searching along the different corridors.
"I need help!" he shouted and looked around desperately. "Damn it!"
Castiel ran down and stopped leaning against the wall breathing hard and fast feeling an oncoming panic attack and opened his eyes to see the lights dim. He swallowed looking up and hyperventilating till the lights flickered back on and he was losing hope when his eyes caught sight of the fire axe hanging on the wall. Castiel lurched forward grabbing the hose and smashing the glass brutally and ripping it off before heading back towards the stairs and went to run down when he stopped startled to see water higher than ever,
"Oh my god" he whispered looking behind him and shrugging off his coat losing it to the water and climbing carefully down till he was up to his neck in water. He gasped shocked at the sudden hit of the cold and carried on walking through the water and kicking the door through the water to see Dean straining back from the water.
"I couldn't find anyone but I found this!" Castiel said lifting it up. Dean looked at in surprise and nodded.
"It could work! Okay, spread your hands out okay?"
Castiel nodded trembling from the cold and stared at Dean who spread the chain against the metal and looked over to him.
"You can do this, I trust you" he whispered looking into his eyes. Castiel looked at the axe and back to Dean, Dean tucked his face against the other metal pole looking away as Castiel squeezed his hands shut and swung the axe hitting the metal, the chain linking the cuffs and breaking it apart. Castiel breathed out staring at Dean who looked at his hands and laughed loudly in relief.
"You're incredible!" Dean said jumping down pulling him into his arms and kissing him. Castiel responded and touched his cheek pulling away.
"This water is fucking freezing!" Dean hissed as they moved through it. "Fuck, it's cold!"
Castiel nodded grabbing his hand and pulling him with him and stopping.
"That was the way I came" he said looking at the bubbling water and back towards Dean.
"We have to find another way" Dean said dragging him towards the other end and down the corridor. They ran towards the other end when Castiel heard a wailing and stopped Dean looking down the other corridor and the door which was withholding water.
"Cas, that door…"
"We have to save her, we can't leave" Castiel said looking at Dean who was soaked with water. Dean nodded heading towards her and scooping the crying girl up and looking at the straining door.
"We can't get through that!" Castiel shouted at Dean who looked the other way staring at the gushing water from the other end.
"This way!" he said moving when he heard a woman cry out in a different language heading towards them grabbing the crying girl and going back for her luggage.
"No! Don't…" Dean shouted back to her when the door burst open throwing open the doors and a gush of water flooded out knocking the woman off her feet and under the water whilst dragging Dean and Castiel down the corridor till they hit the closed metal gate. Castiel gasped in pain feeling the rush of the water push against his back and the unbearable cold strike him over and over again, Dean grunted shifting around and moving to the wall.
"Cas, give me your hand!" he yelled hauling him towards him with a grunt and a tug till Castiel was leaning into him gasping. "Come on, come on, come on"
Castiel gasped for air when he shoved him towards the stairs and they climbed up hitting the gate while Dean shook them furiously.
"Shit!"
"Dean, what do we do?"
"I don't know" Dean said shaking the gates and they both looked down when the water struck their feet. Castiel closed his eyes in despair shouting for help when they saw a crew member running towards the stairs.
Dean whistled at him. "Oi!" Two citizens here, let us out!"
"Please!" Castiel begged looking at him with pleading eyes. The crew man looked up and shut his eyes before nodding pulling out keys with shaking hands.
"Hurry up!" Dean shouted at him causing him to flinch and shake with the keys under the water. Castiel shook watching him struggle and his face pale as he stared down at the water.
"I dropped the keys"
"What?"
"I'm so sorry" he said moving away. "I'm sorry"
"No, you can't leave us here" Castiel shouted at him and looked at Dean who inhaled deeply and ducked under the water. Dean reached out blindly searching for the keys and could feel the cold water sting his skin aggressively. A tight band wound around his lungs and he struggled for breath and felt something metal under his hands and gripped it rising to the surface.
"Dean!" Castiel shouted trying to keep his head above the rising water.
"I don't know which one"
"Try…try that one, the spiked one" Castiel whispered in a harsh breath.
Dean struggled fighting for his own breath attempting to jam the key into the lock.
"Shit!" he cursed when he nearly dropped them and stared at Castiel who was gasping for breath and about to go under when he felt justice be served and the gates click open. Dean ripped them apart hauling Castiel with him as they gasped for breath and climbed the stairs panting and shivering.
"I need to find Sam" Dean hissed gripping his hand tight as they ran up the dozens of stairs.
~0~
Sam rushed down the third class corridor searching wildly for any sign of Dean and stopped looking down each end and groaning.
"He could be anywhere! What is he's down below dead?" he said looking to Gabriel who shook his head.
"Don't think like that, Sam"
"How can I not!" he shouted kicking the wall behind him.
"Sam!"
Sam turned and gasped running towards Dean and hugging him tight, Dean closed his eyes in relief clinging to him and stepped back. Gabriel looked at Castiel who smiled in relief moving towards him.
"Are you okay?"
"Yeah, yeah, they locked me in a cupboard but Gabriel found me…why are you so wet?" Sam said looking at them both dripping and soaked.
"Fighting for our lives down there, Sam, this whole place is going to go down! We need to get out"
"The gates are locked, they're not letting anyone out" Sam protested.
"Well we'll have to find another way" Dean said determined reaching back for Castiel's hand who took it and the four of them walked down. Dean ran up the stairs to see a gathering people from third class demanding to be let out.
"Open the gate"
"Go back to the main stairwell and everyone will be sorted back there"
"Open this fucking gate!" Dean shouted at him.
"Go back to the main stairwell like I told you!"
Dean turned away looking at Castiel who stared up at him closing his eyes in defeat.
"You goddam sonofabitch" Dean shouted kicking and shaking the gate before spinning around and looking at Sam and Gabriel before looking over to the bench and nodding at them both. Castiel realised what they were doing and gasped.
"Move" he ordered to the people near the gate. "Move to the wall!"
The three of them ripped it off the wall moving it along and aiming it at the gate.
"Better get running sunshine otherwise I'm knocking you down with it!" Dean shouted to the panicking crew member who took off running in the opposite direction as they rammed it hard over and over again until it bent in.
"Come on" Dean said as they climbed out and all headed towards the top deck. Sam looked around shocked and looked back to Dean.
"All the boats are gone!"
"No, they'll be more down the front" Gabriel said gripping Sam's wrist and pulling him with him. The deck was filled with crying men, women, and children saying their goodbyes as they women and the children climbed into the boats leaving the men behind. Gabriel found a boat that was filling by the minute and nodded rushing forward.
"Taking any men?"
"Only women and children"
"Well you know you what you dick, you're taking this one" Gabriel said shoving Sam forward who cried out alarmed.
"What? No"
"Yeah and this one" Dean said with a smug smile shoving Castiel gently with him as the crew man looked at them stunned.
"Fine, only two" he hissed at them much to the protest of people around.
"Good man" Gabriel said with a glare.
Sam stepped shakily into the lifeboat and turned shaking his head.
"No, no, I can't leave you both!"
"Yes you can, Sam, because if anyone is going to live it's going to be you and you" he said to Sam and Castiel who he pushed gently into the boat.
"No, Dean"
"Yes, Cas"
"I can't leave you, both of you, Gabriel, please" Castiel begged.
"Lower away!" a voice called him and the lifeboat jolted shakily.
Castiel stared at Dean who smiled at him softly and shook his head.
"No, no, if anyone is going to live it isn't going to be me" he said moving and jumping towards the desk just in time.
"Cas!" Dean said alarmed when Castiel landed on the deck causing alarm and gasps of shock. Castiel reached forward gripping hold of Gabriel and pushing him in his place, Gabriel cried out in alarm and was caught by Sam.
"What are you doing?" Gabriel shouted up to him as the lifeboat was lowered down.
"Keeping you together, Gabriel, we'll be okay"
"You can't know that!" Sam protested keeping a hold of Gabriel who was struggling against him as they were lowered slowly down into the water.
"I'll see you soon, Sammy!" Dean called down and looked over to Castiel turning him around roughly gripping his shoulders.
"What did you do that for?"
"Did you really think I'd leave you?"
"Cas, this ship is sinking!" Dean said cupping the side of his face and staring into his eyes.
"Then we go down together" he whispered kissing him softly.
Dean lingered on his lips a moment longer before looking up and around. A deafening roar and groan sounded around them and they watched in horror as one of the tunnels snapped crashing down to the water below.
"This ship is falling apart and we have to move!"
"Where?"
"We need to get to the top" Dean said linking their hands together and hauling him up to the top.
The ship creaked and groaned as water spilled onto the desk and with all the lifeboats now gone it was up to everyone on board to find their own way to survive as the bow of the ship started to lift up out of the water. Dean fought his way through the crowd as people clung onto the various items or throwing themselves off the boat and into the water below.
The water flooded in causing the ship to rise higher and higher creating more difficulty as people began to slip down the deck into the water with a scream or a shout. They reached the back of the ship when Castiel was one of them as he lost his footing and gasped slipping down only to be caught in time by Dean who grunted hauling him up.
"Don't go falling on me" he murmured clinging to the railing holding him up.
"I think I already did that"
Dean chuckled and looked up at pole he was clinging to and down below watching everyone fall around them. Castiel buried his face into his chest breathing hard.
"We're going to die"
"No, we're not" Dean murmured pressing his nose into his hair and breathing hard. "We can survive this"
The Titanic crumbled underneath them as the bow split in half, one half of the ship sinking into the Atlantic and the other falling back into the ocean. A collective scream of terror rang around as people clung on to anything and everything for support.
In the ocean being rowed away Sam and Gabriel could only watch in united horror and despair.
"We shouldn't have left them!" Sam said shutting his eyes and burying his face into his hands. "I left my own brother"
"Sam, look at me!" Gabriel said taking his face into his hands. "I left my brother too but there's nothing we can do now…what do you think Dean would want…you on that ship with him or save in this boat"
"I shouldn't have left him" Sam whispered closing his eyes in despair and feeling tears leak out of his eyes. Gabriel wrapped his arms around him holding him close as he sobbed into his shoulder leaving Gabriel to stare at the boat.
"Come on, brother, you can do this, you can do anything"
Dean grunted feeling a throbbing in his head and looked around startled. "We gotta move!"
"What?"
Castiel gasped reaching for his hand as Dean hauled him up till he was over the rail and landed on the other side. The other end of the ship bobbed on the ocean like a cork for a few long minutes before finally flooding and starting to sink.
"Oh god this is happening, this is really happening!" Castiel cried gripping the rail tight and looking over to Dean.
"Cas, I need you to listen to me and listen carefully, okay? The ship is going to suck us right down and you're going to struggle to breathe and fight your way back up but don't let go of my hand!" Dean shouted squeezing it tightly. "We're going to be okay, trust me"
Castiel nodded speechless staring down at the black water below and feeling the impending doom of the sinking, the bow hit the water and he inhaled deeply taking a deep breath and closing his eyes as they entered the freezing water. The ship sucked them right down and somehow along the way Castiel found himself empty handed. He looked around frantically in the water till he broke the surface with a gasp.
"Dean!" he shouted searching around kicking his legs to stay afloat and looked around the shouting people around him.
"Come back!"
"Return the boats!"
"Help us! Please! Don't leave us behind!"
Castiel choked swallowing freezing salt water and gasped when someone grabbed him from behind.
"Dean" Castiel breathed in relief.
"I need you to swim!" he called and turned back around swimming across the ocean with Castiel who fought through the freezing water till they reached furniture in the water. Castiel gripped the edge of a door floating on the sea and hauled up collapsing with a smack on the wood and knelt up breathing hard.
"Dean" he said turning around to see him breathing hard looking up at him.
"It can only support you"
"No, no, no, give me your hand" Castiel hissed at him gripping it and grabbing his shoulder as he hauled him up. The door bucked and bobbed dangerously on the water as Dean landed next to him.
"I think I returned that favour" Castiel whispered looking over to Dean who carefully repositioned his body so he was lying down and nodded trembling. Castiel swallowed hard looking out across the water and lay down next to Dean who turned towards him staring into his eyes.
"I'm so cold" Castiel whispered shivering violently and closing his eyes.
Dean wrapped his arms and intertwined his legs with his holding him close and pressing his forehead against his.
"I know…I know but you…you have to stay with me, Cas" Dean stuttered and linked their hands together. "Think of someplace warm"
"The back of that car" Castiel murmured to Dean who smiled at him faintly.
"You want to know two things I am thankful for right now? My brother on that lifeboat safe and sound and winning two tickets in a lucky game of poker…I got my reward" Dean whispered to Castiel who blinked tears coating his eyes.
"Don't cry, they'll freeze"
Castiel exhaled and coughed feeling the cold hit the back of his throat and hurt his lungs.
"I love you, Dean"
"Is that a goodbye?"
"No, the truth"
"I love you too, so that's why you have to keep on fighting because they're coming back for us, Cas, those lifeboats out there are coming back and we need to be alive and kicking" Dean murmured tucking him closer feeling Castiel's breath on his cheek and let him rest there.
It would be a long while before the one boat would come back around and with the temperature below freezing and people slowly freezing to death in the water, how much time did they have?
A/N: Thank you for the reviews!