Once Castiel brought in the second basketful of potatoes, Karen's husband got home. He was glad to have another man in the house who could help out when his wife needed it. And he thought she needed a lot.
"Hoy, Cashteel. M'name's Bill. " He spoke with a heavy Maine accent. "
"Hello, Bill." He looked directly into his eyes. He was terrified of this large, lumbering man.
But the reaction he got from Bill was unexpected. Bill blinked and laughed heartily. Clapping a hand around Castiel's shoulder, he told him about how he had been waiting for him for a long time. It suddenly hit Castiel that Bill knew him from somewhere. He turned towards Karen, who smiled warmly towards Castiel, blinking her careworn black eyes.
Black eyes? Castiel turned and backed away from Bill. Bill leered at him and blinked.
They're demons. They found me.
"What are you doing here?" Castiel nearly shouted at them.
"What, you dont recognize us?" Bill said with a thick Scottish accent.
"Crowley."
"What took you so long to get here anyhow?" Karen asked, with a British accent, but with a hint of Scottish in the mix.
"Bela." Karen turned to the newcomer. Dean dumped holy water towards them and screaming ensued.
Castiel had never been so glad to see him in his life.
Dean grabbed his arm and yanked him out of the house at breakneck speed. He started the Impala and turned out of the road, hurtling to Bobby's house as fast as they could think to do.
Ever since rebuilding Singer Auto, Dean had stayed there.
"Cas, where the hell have you been? I've been calling you nonstop."
"Dean, I-"
"Sam's missing and you don't bother to let me know about anything?"
"Dean-"
"You've dragged me out of Hell and I saved you from Purgatory, the least we could do is keep each other notified of what's happening."
"Dean-"
"Damnit, Cas, I thought you would have at least been there when I called you."
"Dean-" Castiel was beginning to get frustrated.
"CAS, YOU DON'T EVER LISTEN TO ME, TO SAM, AND YOU WENT OFF TO HEAVEN, AND REMEMBER WHAT HAPPENED LAST TIME YOU WENT OFF HALF-COCKED AND DIDN'T LISTEN?"
"Dean, I remember." He stared at Dean, obviously cross with him.
Castiel's piercing blue eyes and exhausted face made Dean instantly regret bringing up the Leviathans.
"Cas, I'm sorry. I just need you to find Sam."
"You don't."
"Yes, I do."
"I can't help you. Dean, I'm sorry."
"What are you talking about?" Dean was bewildered. Castiel turned to look at him, his face full of despair. Then Castiel turned away.
"I have lost my grace."
"What, like Anna?"
"Worse. I have no recollection of falling from heaven. I also do not have any trace of heaven in me. I didn't lose it voluntarily. It was stolen from me. I am human." Castiel gulped, not wanting to continue talking about it.
He pulled into the driveway after a long and silent drive back. Dean looked at him, wide-eyed and in shock. His friend, the all-powerful angel, was now sound asleep in the fetal position in the back seat. His parents were dead. The man who he considered a father was dead. His brother was god knows where. He was alone.
Dean looked in the rearview mirror at Castiel.
Not quite.
Dean got out of the car after a good hour had passed, absorbed in thought. Dean opened the back door to the car and saw Castiel, curled up with a serene, peaceful expression on his face. he decided to try to move him. Dean yanked on one leg, carefully moving him towards the door. Castiel didn't stir. Dean reached inside to pick him up. He was heavier than Dean originally thought. After he opened the door to the house, he noticed three people staring at him from across the street.
Jeez, I must look like a husband carrying his wife in. Only his wife happens to be a dude in a trench coat. Dean thought. There's something familiar about the tall man, though.
Dean shrugged it off and laid Cas down on the single bed and let him sleep while he went to get a beer from the refrigerator. He grabbed the remote and sat at the head of the bed to watch TV. He didn't get much sleep that night.