A/N- Throughout this story, I use several forms of communication. When there is spoken conversation, it's in quotes like normal. When something is written down, typed on a computer, or texted, it is written in italics like this. When angels are speaking to each other telepathically, 'it will be written like this with one apostrophe.' When sign language is being used, 'it will be in italics between a single apostrophe like this.' As you are reading, this will probably become a lot more clear.

Dean opened his eyes slowly and inhaled sharply when he saw Castiel's face hovering over his. "Jesus!" He moved back as Castiel stood quickly. "You scared the shit out of me."

Castiel bit his lip in worry and stepped away from the bed.

Dean rubbed his eyes in frustration. He knew it was really early, much earlier than he would like. "What's wrong?" He watched as Castiel seemed to be hopping between his feet. "You look like you need to pee."

Castiel nodded and tugged at his worn shirt. Dean laughed.

"Then go." Castiel looked at him in confusion. "It's the next room down the hall." Dean waved in the direction of the door. "You don't need my permission to use the bathroom." He set a firm look at the angel to let him know he was serious. He nodded and hurried to the bathroom.

Dean felt a small pull of sadness for the angel. What must his previous owner been like if he couldn't even pee without permission? He sighed and rolled onto his stomach. It was too early to get up.

He must've fallen asleep, because the next time he opened his eyes, Castiel was sitting on the chair again buried under his blanket and watching Dean. Since he was properly awake now, Dean saw something he missed earlier.

"That looks like it really hurts." Dean pointed to his cheek. Castiel's face was dark with bruises around his cheekbones and left eye. They had darkened overnight. Castiel just shrugged.

Dean sat up and pushed his covers off. "I've heard that angels heal faster than humans. Is that true?" Castiel nodded. "That's good. At least it won't hurt as long as it could." The angel shrugged again. It bothered Dean how the angel seemed so conditioned to pain.

He yawned and looked at his clock. It was 8:30 and late enough that his mom probably had breakfast waiting for him. He slipped off the bed and walked to the door. "Come on." He beckoned Castiel with a hand.

The angel furrowed his brows before slowly standing from the chair. He lowered his head and fell in next to Dean. He sighed and opened the door to go get some breakfast.

The smell of pancakes hit him before his bare foot hit the last step of the stairs. Dean's stomach grumbled and he smiled. Castiel had a hand on Dean's shoulder as they descended the stairs and rounded the corner to the kitchen.

Mary was taking the pancakes out of the pan as they entered. Sam was sitting at the counter behind her with a full plate and chattering away about his science project. They both looked up when Dean and Castiel entered.

"Good morning." Mary smiled and plated the fresh pancakes. "Just in time." She handed Dean a plate.

"Thanks." He walked over and sat next to Sam with his food.

Castiel made to follow but stopped when Mary spoke.

"Hey, you too." She held out a plate of steaming food.

Castiel's eyes widened and he looked between Dean and Mary, unsure of what to do.

"Take it before she changes her mind." Dean smiled.

He took the plate carefully and nodded once in thanks. Mary smiled and turned back to make more for John. Castiel shuffled across the floor to take a seat beside Dean, who was pouring a massive amount of syrup on his pancakes.

Dean was about to take his first mouthful when he noticed how Castiel just stared at his food like he couldn't believe it was really there. He put his fork down and nudged the angel. "Eat it before it gets cold." He slid the syrup closer to him.

Mary set a fork and knife next to him and nodded in encouragement. Castiel looked at the three faces staring at him and quickly grew nervous and had to look away. He picked up the syrup and drowned his pancakes, like Dean had done.

Sam looked at his mother. "So, can I go to Brady's tonight?"

Mary turned back to tend to the pancakes cooking. "Did you finish your homework?"

He paused a little too long. "Yes."

Dean huffed out a laugh as Mary turned slowly with a raised brow. "Try that again?" Sam was never good at lying to her.

"I have most of it done." The whine in Sam's voice grew in volume. "Can't I just finish it tomorrow?"

She shook her head. "No, because it'll be Sunday and you never want to do any work on Sunday night."

"I'll do it. I promise."

"I know you will." She flipped the pancakes. "It'll be done before you go."

Sam sagged in defeat. "Yeah, okay." He picked at his remaining food with a frown.

Dean patted his back in sympathy and then ruffled his hair just to annoy him. Sam smacked his hands away and Dean tried to get a hold of him again.

Castiel looked up in worry as they both stood up and Sam tried to run as Dean grabbed him, easily picking him up off the ground.

"Let me go!" Sam kicked his feet and pulled at Dean's hold.

Dean laughed and set Sam down using both hands to mess up his long hair. Sam turned and pushed Dean away, causing another round of almost wrestling.

"Boys, calm down." Mary didn't have to turn around to know what her boys were doing. "It's too early for this."

"Sorry, mom." Sam gave Dean one last push before running up the stairs to his room.

Dean chuckled and sat back down to eat. Castiel was watching him with a worried look. "Don't worry. We fight because we love each other." He smiled at Castiel's even more confused look. "Just eat."

"Dean, I think you should have Castiel take a shower before you go to the station, and let him borrow some clothes." She smiled at the angel.

It was obvious that Castiel hadn't been properly clean for a long time and had been wearing the same clothes just as long. It would be nice if he could at least feel somewhat clean again, especially if he wasn't able to stay with them.

"Yeah, that should be doable." She smiled at Dean and took the fresh food to John. Dean turned to Castiel and watched the angel eagerly eat the pancakes. "Good, huh?"

Castiel looked at Dean and nodded. He couldn't remember the last time he'd had a hot, fresh meal.

"Good."

Once they were done eating, they went back up to Dean's room. He looked in his dresser for a shirt he could let Castiel wear. He pulled out an old pair of jeans, underwear, and socks that the angel was holding behind him. He was looking for a shirt that buttoned in the front that he could tear open for the angel's wings.

"Aha!" Dean found one that he hadn't worn for a couple years. It was a plaid shirt that Dean had gotten as a present years before and only worn a couple times. He nodded and held it up to the angel to check the size. It would be big on him, but that would work.

"Let's go." Dean led Castiel to the bathroom and put the clothes on the counter by the sink. "Okay, towels are here," he pointed to the drawer above the toilet, "and you can just leave your old clothes on the floor by the door and we'll throw them away."

Castiel nodded and opened the drawer with the towels. Dean looked down at Castiel's feet and saw a part of his shoe move apart from the bottom, exposing his toes.

"I'll find you a pair of shoes to wear too. Yours look shot." He pointed to his feet.

Castiel glanced down and moved his toes, making the flap of his shoe open and shut.

"I'm assuming you can handle this alone, right?" Dean honestly didn't know what kind of care Castiel had growing up.

The angel nodded with a small smile. "Good. I do think I should help you get that old shirt off though." It was full of holes and would require being pulled up over his head, which would be almost impossible with his broken wing. "I think I might need to just cut it off. Hang on."

Castiel didn't like the sound of that. He stood in the middle of the bathroom as Dean went to his room. His body started shaking as he waited.

Dean returned with his pocket knife in hand. When he flipped it open, Castiel jumped back with wide terrified eyes.

"Whoa, take it easy." Dean held his hand up and stilled his movements. "It's okay. I won't hurt you." Castiel stared at the knife in mistrust and kept his distance.

"I understand that you're worried, but I'm very good with this. I just need to cut the shirt a couple times so we don't have to pull it over your head." He kept still and looked Castiel in the eye. "Trust me."

It took the angel a few moments, but he finally took a couple steps closer to Dean. When he could reach the shirt, Dean held the edge gently and pulled it away from his skin so he didn't cut him and made a quick swipe through the fabric.

A few cuts later, Dean was able to pull the broken shirt off the angel and dropped it in a pile by the door. Without the cover, the angel's emaciated state was more obvious. He was incredibly thin and his abdomen was covered in bruises and cuts from the fight. But there were older scars over his chest and back when he turned to face the tub that made Dean feel sick as he thought of the abuse that had to have happened to leave those marks.

"I'll leave you to it then. If you need anything, I'm here." Dean smiled and left the angel alone in the bathroom.

Mary was writing out a grocery list in the living room when Dean came down the stairs. She glanced up. "Everything okay?"

"Yeah, he's taking a shower." He sat on the couch next to his mother. "I gave him some old clothes to wear."

She nodded as she wrote another item down. "Good. Hopefully that'll make him feel a little better." She looked up when Dean just nodded and made a noise in agreement. "What?"

He sighed and leaned back into the couch. "Castiel has an owner, mom."

She put her pen down and looked at Dean in understanding.

"He told me. I know we'll find the record of it and dad will make me return him."

"You knew that was a possibility."

"He can't go back. His last owner was a jerk and removed his vocal cords. Castiel didn't run away either, he was thrown out." Dean's voice rose as he grew angrier. "I just don't understand how we can be expected to give him back to someone like that."

"Dean," Mary grabbed his hands gently, "nothing has happened yet. Try not to get upset before anything is decided." Dean rolled his eyes and turned his head away. "And don't get angry with your father. He's just doing his job."

"I know." Mary patted his hands before turning back to her list. Dean really did understand. He knew that his dad had to play by the book or risk his job, but he could only imagine what Castiel had been through and he didn't want to throw him back into it. "I need to go find a pair of shoes for him to wear." He stood and returned to his room.

Dean searched through his closet for a decent pair of shoes that he wouldn't miss. He didn't have many to pick from, but he finally found a pair of sneakers he hadn't worn for a long time. He sat on his bed and waited for the angel to finish in the bathroom.

He had waited about twenty minutes when he decided to bring his shoes out to the hallway. He just shut the door behind him when the bathroom door opened and Castiel's head popped out with a worried look on his face.

"Hey, you okay?" Dean could tell he didn't have a shirt on and his hair was still dripping wet. He was hiding behind the doorway, as if worried someone other than Dean might see him. "Do you need help with something?" He nodded and looked at the floor, like he was ashamed to ask.

Dean smiled and made his way to the angel. "I'll help you."

Castiel stepped away from the door as Dean got closer. Dean closed the bathroom door as he entered and put his shoes on the ground. The angel had put on the jeans and socks Dean gave him, but was holding the shirt and glaring at it.

"Can't get the shirt on over that bad wing, huh?" The angel nodded. Dean thought that might be a problem. "Here, let's do this first." Dean picked up a towel and dropped it on top of Castiel's head.

The angel tensed as Dean roughly ran the towel over his hair and dried it. He was careful to avoid his bruised face. He then tossed the wet towel behind him and took the shirt from Castiel. He walked around to his left side and gently slid the shirt over the angel's good wing and tapped his arm so he would lift it and Dean helped him get it in the shirt.

Dean then moved behind Castiel and lifted the shirt's opening over the injured wing and slowly moved it over, only brushing the bone slightly, making Castiel flinch. "Sorry." After that he was able to get Castiel's other arm into the shirt and let him button up the front.

"I brought you new shoes too." Dean pointed to them and smiled. Castiel nodded while focusing on his top button. "I'll be downstairs whenever you're ready. I'm sure my dad will want to go soon." His smile fell as he spoke and Castiel looked up as his voice changed. He quickly opened the door and retreated downstairs before Castiel read too much into it.

The three of them were on the way to the police station a few minutes later and none of them made a sound. Dean knew what would happen but was trying to keep his anger until after he was forced to send Castiel away. John had a feeling he knew what would happen as well, but he didn't want to make Dean upset yet.

John led them into the building, ignoring the strange looks a few of the officers gave them at the sight of Castiel. He kept up a fast pace as they neared his office.

"Morning, Sheriff." Jody Mills smiled as John sighed and turned to her. She was a new officer, fresh from the academy and John could already tell she was going to be one of the good ones. "Isn't today your day off?" She smiled and sipped her coffee.

"You never saw me." He unlocked his office and let Dean and Castiel inside. "As far as anyone else is concerned, I'm not here."

Jody laughed. "Yes, sir."

John closed his door and the shades on the widows to his office before sitting at his desk and turning his computer on. Dean and Castiel were sitting on the chairs across from him. "Castiel, all I'll need you to do is come and let me scan your finger." He took out the small machine from his desk and held a hand out for Castiel.

Castiel glanced at Dean before standing and holding his hand out and extending his index finger. John gently pressed the tip of his finger against the scanner until it beeped and a page opened on his computer. He let go of him and looked over the file that had opened.

Dean felt his stomach drop when Castiel closed his eyes and dropped his head. John had found his owner's file that showed his ownership of Castiel. Anger grew inside Dean and he was ready to fight to keep the angel away from the past owner.

"Dean," John was frowning, "it looks like Castiel has an owner. Gregory Tully got Castiel from a breeder when he was eight and still legally owns him."

Castiel still had his eyes closed and his hands clasped together in front of him. Dean had to bite his cheek to keep from saying something he'd regret.

"I have to call him." He looked at Dean, wanting him to understand how his hands were tied in the matter. Dean just nodded.

As John dialed, Dean looked at Castiel and saw the angel's lip shake slightly and his wings wrapped close to his body. He could tell he was scared and upset, but what could he do to help him?

"Hello, is this Gregory Tully?" John opened the man's record and didn't see much of anything against the man, officially.

"Yeah, who's this?" The man's voice was gruff with irritation.

"This is Sheriff Winchester. I'm calling to ask you about the angel Castiel."

The man snorted. "What about him?"

"We found him yesterday and were calling to make you aware since you are still in legal ownership of him."

"Right. I never got around to fixing that. I honestly thought he'd be dead by now."

John's skin crawled at the man's statement and he opened a few links on the man's file and found he owned quite a few angels over the years, but never for more than a few years. He seemed to always get them around seven or eight.

"Surely you're not implying that you had any intention of causing his death by throwing him onto the streets?"

"Of course not." His tone was sarcastic and John could practically see him rolling his eyes.

"Can I ask what he did to deserve to be left on the street then?"

"Nothing. He was always very obedient." John bit his tongue. "It was more of that he didn't really work for me anymore."

"Can I assume then that you'd like to wave your ownership of him?" If he said no, John would come up with a reason not to let this man ever see Castiel again. He did not like him one bit.

"I couldn't care any less."

"Great. Thank you." John slammed the phone down before he could hear another word from him and took a deep breath.

Dean was leaning forward with a small hope pounding in his chest. Castiel had his eyes open and seemed more relaxed. "Well?"

"Congratulation, Castiel," John looked at the angel, "you never have to see that ass again."

Castiel's wings dropped in relief and Dean smiled and laughed. "He didn't want him?"

John shook his head and started filling out the paperwork that would free Castiel. "No, and after hearing what he had to say, I wasn't going to let him go back anyway."

Dean looked at Castiel and saw the angel's eyes widen and look away. He wondered how bad it had to have been for Castiel. Dean turned back to his dad. "So…?"

John paused his typing. He knew what Dean was asking. "Do you really think you can handle this kind of responsibility?"

"Yes!" Dean stood up. "I'll help in every way I can and I'll get a job."

He nodded. "He'll be your responsibility."

"Yes."

"Okay. I'll set it up here."

"Dad," Dean felt a little strange about actually owning the angel, "do we have to do all this? Can't we just take care of him and treat him like another person? I don't want to own him like he's some kind of slave."

"I know. Unfortunately, the law requires it if we're gonna take proper care of him. To send him for medical visits and housing when you go to college and after. We see him as an individual, but a lot of other people still don't. I'm sorry."

Dean knew he was right, but he still didn't like the idea of owning someone else. He would find a way to fix that later. Right now he just needed to keep the angel safe. "Fine."

It didn't take very long to get the paperwork done. The only thing they needed to do was to have Castiel checked for any sickness at the clinic and to take a current picture. They agreed to wait until Castiel was healed more before doing either one of those things.

The ride home was just as quiet as the ride to the station but the atmosphere in the car was different: happier. John seemed relaxed as he drove and Dean had his head turned to the window with a small smile on his face. Even Castiel looked calm as Dean glanced at the angel's reflection in the rear view mirror.

John parked his car in the driveway and went inside to tell Mary about what had happened. Dean and Castiel got out of the car and Dean put a hand on Castiel' shoulder and smiled.

"You're safe now, Castiel. No one will ever hurt you again." The angel stared at him like he wasn't sure he could believe it. Dean squeezed his shoulder briefly before turning to follow his dad inside.

Castiel watched Dean walk away and tears welled up in his eyes. Nobody had ever cared so much about him and he wanted to believe what he said, but past experience made him doubt. Of course, nothing could be worse than what he'd already been through and he saw no deceit in Dean.

Dean glanced back as he entered the house and realized that Castiel was still standing in the driveway. He turned back, suddenly worried that he wouldn't come in.

"Castiel," the angel looked up like he had been snapped out of a thought, "you coming in or not?"

Castiel nodded and hurried to catch up to Dean.