Title: Under the Influence of Djinn
Chapter: Twenty-four
Summary: AU: The Djinn siblings created a terrible detailed nightmare for Dean out of revenge, nearly killing him, Lisa, and Ben. With Sam alive, Castiel missing, and Campbell cousins in tow, he tries to pull himself back together.
Rating: T
Disclaimer: Supernatural was created by Eric Kripke. No disrespect in intended with this work of fan fiction.

Gabriel was alive.

Castiel sat on the edge of the bed in his room pondering that development. That he'd known to come here and felt an urgency for that had to mean something. He supposed it pointed towards that angelic future he wanted to avoid.

He sighed. Bummer.

Jo sat down beside him.

Gwen was currently out buying reading material and Dean and Sam were retrieving Gabriel from the diner Death had told Dean about.

"You want to talk about it?"

"You mean about how my life is changing yet again? About how I'm never going to be just one single thing? How about how I can't be what I now want to be? Or maybe we can talk about how I can't ever get free of stupid angelic politics? Is that what you want to talk about, Jo?" He couldn't help the bitterness of his tone.

"If you want. Or maybe we can discuss what powers have come back that you're trying to hide from me. From us."

He sucked in a long breath and blew it out slowly before turning to look at her. She was wearing that blue blouse with the wide neckline that Dean always tried to look down and had put on makeup. Jo was wearing makeup most days now and he wondered how long until she and Dean gave in to their own urges. "You knew?" He'd been ignoring the increase Moira had mentioned, trying to pretend it wasn't happening.

"I suspected something was up. So did Dean. What can you do now?"

"It's not much really. My intuition is sharpening further. I know things I shouldn't, like how much you and Dean think about each other."

"That one is something of a no-brainer, Cas."

"True." He relaxed a tiny fraction, slumping. It felt good to slump now and then. "I can see other things than ghosts. Reapers. Not demons yet, but it'll probably come soon. So far I can't use my wings. I guess it's fairly certain I still have them. Moira pretty much confirmed it." Pointing a finger at the tv, he concentrated until it came on. "I can turn on the tv without getting up or using a remote. And…. I can stop time and start it back up again."

"That's not not much. That's a lot."

"The last two weeks have been…eventful in my development into whatever the hell I'm becoming." Lying back, he stared at the ceiling. "And now Gabriel is alive and here."

"Isn't that a good thing?" She laid down beside him, head propped on her hand. "Gabriel can go up to heaven and do something about Raphael. Archangel versus archangel."

Castiel snorted. "Gabriel isn't exactly a fan of taking responsibility for anything. Sure, he did die helping Dean and Sam, but otherwise he's not who I'd want in charge."

"Okay, but would he be better than Raphael?"

"Oh, without a doubt." He shook his head. "I just don't see him sticking around for long. He ran away and hid and…." If he went up there with Gabriel, helped get rid of Raphael, and Gabriel ran away again, would he be stuck running everything?

Reaching out, she grasped his hand and gave it a squeeze. "What are you afraid of?"

"I don't want to be stuck up there in a bureaucrat's life doing his job when he inevitably runs away from his responsibilities."

"You don't know that'll happen. You don't even know if you're capable of going up there like this. Besides, what about Naomi?"

"Can we talk about something else?"

She sat up and released his hand. "Like what?"

"Like when are you and Dean going to do something besides talk?" The flirting between the two was heating up. Gwen and Sam had a bet going on how long before Dean and Jo did more than flirt. Castiel hadn't joined in on that bet. Sitting as well, he leaned back on his hands.

Jo smiled. "Don't know. It's part of the journey. Why?"

He eyed her with a slight touch of cynicism he was sure he hadn't had before. "You might want to get to it before one of you dies again."

Her brows rose. "Wow. Aren't you a real Deputy Downer today?"

"Sorry."

"No, you're not, and I guess it's a valid concern. Just not your concern. More like mine and Dean's."

"No, I'm sorry. I am. I've been out of sorts since Moira stopped by. You and Dean are none of my business."

"Sure we are. In a way. We're your, Sam and Gwen's business as long as we're all together. By the way, you won me twenty the other night."

"Only twenty?"

"Wasn't sure of the odds, so I bet safe."

They continued to talk, the light conversation soothing Castiel's nerves.

The archangel was exactly where Death had pointed Dean, sitting at the counter of a small diner. It amazed Dean that Gabriel was just sitting there eating, like he didn't have a concern in the world.

"Hey, Gabe. Miss us?" Dean leaned against the counter on one side of the archangel and Sam leaned against the other.

His eyes widened. "What the hell are you two doing here," he hissed. "How did you find me?"

"We are just that good at what we do."

Gabriel snorted, grabbed Dean's shirt and tugged him closer. "No, really. I've been good. I haven't played any tricks. Well, maybe just one. But that guy had it coming. He was a dick. How did you know I was alive?"

"Who else eats like this?" Dean gestured at the counter. In front of Gabriel were stacked plates that still had remnants of various desserts on them.

"Tricksters?"

"Them and you and since Death told us you were here…." He shrugged.

He frowned. "That bastard."

Sam cleared his throat. "We should have this conversation in private. Trust me, Gabriel, you want to hear what we have to say."

Dean returned to the motel first and found Castiel sitting on one bed with Jo beside him. She appeared to be giving him some sort of pep talk. "They'll be here in a few minutes."

Castiel looked up, hands moving to rest on his knees. "He's actually alive? Death was telling the truth?"

"He is."

"This is the town from that article all of you ignored." He drummed his fingers on his knees.

"I realize that, Cas."

"He did it, didn't he? That freak accident wasn't a freak accident, but one of Gabriel's pranks."

Dean crossed his arms and sighed. "Fine. You told me so. You were right, okay?"

"Thank you. I knew we needed to be here. Maybe next time all of you should listen to me."

Jo slid her attention up to Dean. "Almost like he knew Gabriel was in danger. Like they're connected."

"It's a possibility," Dean conceded. "Something to think about."

They were finding a lot to think about recently and Dean suspected the next few hours would bring up even more.

For having been dead, Gabriel's presence hadn't diminished at all. He came through the door with a swagger and for a second, Castiel could see his true form nestled in his vessel.

Great, he thought. Now that was coming in again, too. Just when he'd gotten used to humanity, he had to change into something else.

Jo had tried to lighten his mood and had succeeded until Gabriel walked in. Now he was feeling petulant.

"Well, well. The gang's all here." Gabriel slid his hands into his jeans pockets. "Hello, Castiel. Hello," in that brief pause, Castiel knew Gabriel was finding Jo's name in their minds, "Jo Harvelle. Pleasure to meet you."

Castiel had been skeptical about Death's information, though he knew he shouldn't have been, Death had a stake in this somehow. Raphael was probably messing around with Death's sphere along with Moira's sphere. "Gabriel." He nodded in greeting.

Gwen was missing from this meeting, not offended by Dean's request that she not attend. She was taking the time alone to take a bubble bath. Cas wished he was with her instead of here. He'd love to watch the bubbles slide along her naked body.

Gabriel cast a sharp glance his way and stepped forward. "What's been done to you?"

"I'm human now."

He snorted. "No, you're not." Reaching out, he poked a finger in Castiel's cheek.

Jo ran her hand along Castiel's back, gently rubbing the tense muscles.

"Yes, I am."

"Mmmm…no. The genetics are different. I mean, there's a human element," grasping Castiel's chin, he turned his face right and left, "but you're not human. It's just the basic structure melding with…." Sliding a glance at Dean and Sam, he let go and stood back up. "Never mind. What did you want to talk about?"

"No, no." Sam waved a hand. "Go on. The human structure is melding with what?"

"Pure conjecture on my part and probably wrong. You have an agenda with this talk boys?"

Dean stared at Gabriel for several seconds. "You tuning in to angel airwaves at all?"

"No." Gabriel reached out and picked up the big box of chocolates Gwen had left in the room. Opening it, he perused the selection. Gwen had already eaten the caramels and most of the creams. "Was I supposed to be?"

"You weren't curious what was going on after you magically appeared alive?"

"No."

"Why not," Castiel asked. "You died assisting Dean and Sam. Didn't you want to know what happened?"

He shrugged. "I rose up a little while after dying, which was something of a disappointment really, as dying for the cause was nicely heroic."

"Yeah, you're a big damn hero," Dean drawled.

Gabriel spread his arms with a smirk. "Of course I am…." His smirk faded. "Naw, the world didn't end. Obviously, Lucifer didn't win the fight. What else is there? The world went on. You put him back. I had no reason to listen in." He popped a piece of chocolate in his mouth. "Mmm. Toffee."

Sam crossed his arms. "How about Michael fell in the cage with him and Raphael is running heaven?"

He looked at all of them, even Jo, who nodded. "Can't be."

"Why not?"

"Because Michael never trusted Raphael to lead anything. Raphael's not a leader. He's not the following type."

"She. She has a female vessel now, which you'd know if you'd listened at all." Castiel could feel his back and shoulders becoming more tense.

"Oh." He ate another chocolate. A replacement appeared in the box. "Well, in the event of Michael's displacement, which would never happen, Naomi was to assume control and keep things together until they could…." The fast change in his expression to alarm and resignation was almost comical. "Oh, crap."

"Until they could what," Dean coaxed. "Come on, Gabe. Spit it out."

"With Luci gone, Mike chose me to replace him if something went wrong."

"Did Raphael know that?" Castiel pulled away from Jo and stood.

"Of course. Michael laid it out for us. Raphael was fine with it and it wasn't like it'd ever happen -"

"But it did and she's killed angels, Gabriel. She did this to me."

Gabriel quirked a brow. "I highly doubt Raphael did that to you. Archangels don't have the juice for the changes in you. Besides, genius Rafe ain't, lemme tell you."

Dean cleared his throat. "Death said to find you before Raphael. Seems Raphael guessed you're alive and has an assassin after you."

"She wouldn't kill me," Gabriel protested.

"Lucifer killed you," Dean pointed out.

Gabriel waved a hand. "That was Lucifer. He was always a little," he made a noise that sounded like 'cuckoo, cuckoo'. "Raphael wouldn't hurt me. We're bros. We're good."

Dean shook his head. "By whose definition? You're standing in her way of running heaven without anyone looking over her shoulder. Naomi came to us, wanted us to resurrect you. She let Cas go through hell to get him where she needed him for her spell."

"Spell? What spell?" Gabriel's brows raised. "Oh, you mean the archangel resurrection spell?" He snickered. "That thing wouldn't work. It's a piece of crap. I made it up once. See, I was having this contest with a soldier names Azariel to see who could come up with the most nonsensical fake spell and slip it into the official books. I won. He never got past the librarians. They totally didn't believe he was a regular there."

"You made it up?" Somehow, Castiel wasn't surprised to hear that. He rolled his eyes. Of course Gabriel and Azariel had known each other.

"I did. So you're telling me that Naomi believed it was real? Seriously? Mission accomplished. I am awesome." He grinned.

Castiel noticed Dean trying to keep from smiling and, if it hadn't personally affected him, he might find it amusing as well. "It is sort of funny, but it wouldn't have been if she'd tried it and it didn't work. Not to mention she let me be tortured for months before Raphael completely cut off my tie to the power of heaven."

"Man, if I could have seen her running around trying to get you two," he flicked a finger between Sam and Dean, "to get all the ingredients together…." His pleased grin faded. "Maybe it's better this way. She hates being made a fool of even more that Raphael. To tell you the truth, the chick's a little OCD. Control issues. Big time. Makes Kali look like a fluffy baby chick. Mmm. The times we had together before I left…. Naomi. Rowr!"

"You have a thing for the dangerous ones, don't you," Dean mused.

"They're never boring." He clapped his hands together. "That all you wanted to talk about?"

"You need to go up there and stop this." Dean's tone made the words almost an order.

"Why? I'm no politician."

"No, but you're the archangel Michael put in charge in the event of his demise." Sam moved close to him, looking down at him.

"Michael's not dead."

Sam's expression was stony. "No, but he's in the cage, which, as far as we're all concerned, is as good as dead because to open the cage releases Lucifer too. No one wants that."

"Except maybe Raphael," Dean added, "but who knows what her full plans are these days? Destroy heaven, tear earth apart," he cocked a brow, "murder the other archangel on earth at present?"

Gabriel sighed. "I'll think about it."

It was then that Naomi arrived, uninvited, to join the meeting.