Silent Angel:

Learning:

"Hey Sammy" Dean muttered down the stairs the next morning.

"What is it Dean?" Sam asked as Dean came down the stairs, snail paced.

"Are you ok with me bringing Cas over tonight?" Dean asked crashing on the sofa again.

"Yeah, of corse. You gonna speak to him about the abuse thing?" Sam asked passing him a plate with a bacon sandwich on it.

"M not sure yet. I do wanna know, I don't want it to see like - y'know. I don't want to sound like a jerk and he won't be able to answer me anyway" Dean explained moving up so Sam could sit down.

"Why you bringing him here anyway? His family to appel pie?" Sam asked looking up.

"No - I just, I thought you might like to meet him. Besides, his family are so close, I can't take him anywhere alone" Dean finished his last bite and took the plate into the kitchen.

"Dean, do you have any idea what you just said?" Sam questioned following his older brother.

"I didn't mean it like that Sam!" Dean shouted,

"I know, yeah it's fine. If you wanna take him off somewhere your own, just remember to stay safe ok?"

"Whatever. Go get dressed" Dean ordered.

When they were both ready Dean and Sam walked to school.

"Sam, if you ever wanna meet Cas, all you have to do is hang out with us during break and lunch, we're in the library, it's like his safety spot" Dean explained.

"I'll see if I can make it. Ruby never really seems to let me have time away from her. But I'll do my best" Sam sighed, "did you ever find out what happened with his old school?"

"No. His older brother said he didn't know. So, I have to wait for Castiel to learn how to talk before I know."

"That sucks" Sam smiled.

"I'll see you after lessons Sam" Dean said ruffling Sam's hair.

"Yeah, see ya" Sam walked off.

Dean was about to head to the library when he heard a voice,

"Hey, Dean"

Dean turned around, it was Alister and Crowley.

"So wheres the angel hiding aye?" Crowley asked walking over.

"I'm not telling you, 'cause you'll only make him angry again and he'll get kicked out. Can't you just leave him alone?" Dean asked.

"Why so nice all of a sudden?"

"His a good kid, he hasn't done anything to anyone" Dean said sternly, "the only reason you are so fascinated is because of how long it took for you to figure out what made him tick. Where did that get you last time?"

"Well, if he does it again, like you said he'll get kicked out and then it won't happen again" Alister explained.

"It won't happen again. I'm helping him"

"Helping him? There is no helping him. He can't even tell you whats wrong with him!"

"We're dealing with that. Now if you don't mind" Dean turned around and carried on walking, looking back now and again to be sure they weren't following him. Finally he was at the library, Castiel too engrossed in a book to keep an eye out for Dean.

Castiel would borrow a book for 2 weeks and bring it back within 2 days. No matter how big it was. It was like the poor guy had nothing else to do. Dean crept up behind him and placed his hands on his shoulders, laughing at him as he jumped up in shock.

"Sorry, man, did I scare you?" Dean sat next to him. Castiel finished his sentence, took a note of his page 213, line 20 and turned to face Dean. Blue eyes meeting green.

"Sorry, I wasn't trying to scare you. So, I think I might have a way to help you learn. Tonight while your at mine, we'll learn for an hour, relax for an hour then learn then rest and so on. Micheal wanted you home by, 8 right?" Castiel nodded, "I can do that. I'll even walk you since my dads got the car, is that alright?" Castiel nodded again. "Cool. Can I copy your maths homework?" Castiel dug through his pocket and pulled out the maths homework, he handed it to Dean, so he could copy it.

To the teachers surprise, 'Dean' got every question right. He thanked Cas when he was sure no one was listening. Castiel went to get up so he could use the toilet and Alister tripped him up on his way.

"Hey!" Dean shouted at him, "leave the guy alone. You alright Cas?" Castiel just walked away,

"go cry to mummy" Alister shouted after him.

"Dude!" Dean watched Castiel walk away with tightened fists. Cas slammed the door behind with so much false it broke of it's hinges and they could Castiel throwing punches at the wall on his way down the hall. "I'll go talk to him" Dean shouted running after his friend. "Cas! Cas, hey" Dean managed to stop the toilet door before that too came of it hinges. "Look at me Cas!" Castiel just shut the cubical door behind him. "You need to get over this. I promise, I'll help you but you have to be willing to try, we will get through this together! You lost your mum when you was young right? Well so did I!" Castiel stopped at that second. He pressed his ear to the cubical door,

"I - I lost my mum in a house fire. It was bad. I managed to Sam out but I regret not going back in for her. It hurts everyday. I have to wake up and know that I couldn't save her -" Before Dean could finish what he was saying Castiel had unlocked the door and wrapped his arms around him and he was...crying. "Cas, it's ok" Dean hushed, "it's ok. You'll get through it. I know you will. Your gonna be ok. I'm here for you man. I'm here." Castiel felt ashamed that he'd let himself break down again. But this time it was different. This time he knew Dean was there for him. This time he knew someone cared and it felt...good, to say the least. "Let it out. It's ok."

Dean didn't know how he was feeling, or how he should feel. He knew that hugging a guy wasn't considered 'a good thing' but if it felt good then what wrong with it. This moment was about him or how he felt or how he should fell or what was acceptable. This time it was about Cas. And Castiel needed a hug, he needed a friend and it seemed like he had for a long time and hasn't had one and it felt good to make someone else fell good.

"You're ok" Dean said after minutes of silence (besides Castiel sobs). "You're ok."

"Whats all this then?" came Alister's voice from the door way.

"Alister now is not the time. Cas, is upset and he needs -"

"I get it, he needs cuddly time with Dean. I get it, just the teachers getting pissed off with you being gone so long. Sent me to find out what the hold up is, also pissed about the door but seemed to understand the reason. If you guys want more time alone, I'll just head back and tell them you'll be done after you finish making out" Alister turned.

"Shut up!" Dean shouted, "just leave. Tell her we'll be there soon"
"It now or never!"

"Cas, you ok now?" Dean asked. With a sniff Castiel nodded, "if you still need some time..." Castiel shock his head and Dean led him into the class room. "Sorry we took so long. Someone upset him" Dean glared at Alister as he took his seat back. Crowley laughed and Alister proceeded to tell him what happened.

"You gotta stop listening to those guys Cas" Dean said as they waited for Sam outside the building. "You just do, you can't keep letting them get to you. As soon as you can tell me what it is that bothers you, then I can help you get past it, but you have to be willing to try."

"You must be Castiel" Came Sam's voice from behind them. "I'm Sam" he said offering Castiel the hand Ruby wasn't holding.

"She's not coming too is she?" Dean moaned at the sight of her,

"No. I have to go shopping with my sisters Meg and Lilith. I'll see you tomorrow, Sam" she smiled leaning upwards to kiss him before skipping away. Castiel just raised an eyebrow and tilted his head as he watched her skip away. Dean chuckled.

"Sam, Cas. Cas, Sam. Now we all know each other. Lets go home" Dean said, slapping Castiel on the back, who closed his eyes in pain. "Sorry Cas, I forgot that hurts you. Are you ever gonna tell me whats wrong with it?" Castiel shifted uncomfortably. Sam just watched now he knew what Dean meant about the hole, 'I think he was abused thing.'

"Here we are" Dean sighed happily opening the door, "you ok learning down here or did you wanna go into my room and learn alone?" Castiel shrugged.

"I could help" Sam suggested.

"That ok with you Cas?" Dean asked. He wasn't so sure about it. He wanted to teach Cas alone but he didn't want to say no to Sam at the same time because Sam was his brother and Castiel needed all the help he could get, "no. I'll try alone first but if I ever need help, helping him. I'll call. Thanks"

"No problem. I'll be upstairs doing homework then" Sam darted up the steps to the next floor.

"Cas" Dean said walking over to a set of draws and hunting through them, "come site over here" he pointed to the dinning table and pulled out a pencil and a piece of paper. Castiel who was just standing by the door now moved to sit next to Dean and the table.

"Write the alphabet" Dean said. So Castiel, even though he didn't think it would help wrote A-Z.

"This one" Dean pointed to A, "is pronounced, aye. Thats how you say it. Aye." Dean wrote under the letter A, aye. You try, aye."

After a long time of moaning and grounding and sighing Castiel finally said,
"yuh"

"Wrong letter, lad" Dean smiled, "no biggie. Aye"
"yay"

"aye"

"ye"

"aye"

"a"

"aye"

"aye" Castiel finally said.

"See. I knew you could do it!" Dean shouted, clapping and cheering, he patted Castiel on the back. "This one" he pointed to the letter B, "is pronounced, "bu. Can you say it bu?"

After even more moaning and groaning Castiel said,

"u"

"bu"

"b"

"bu"

"bbbbuuuu"

"bu"

"bu?"

"See. It's easy when you get the hang of it" Dean patted Castiel on the back.

"This one" he said after a few other letters were done and dusted, pointing to the letter G "is said ge." More moaning and groaning and sighing and frustrated huffing,

"e"

"ge"

"g"

"ge"

"eeeeeg"

"ge"

"gggge"

"ge"

"eeege?"

"ge"

"ggggeg?"

"ge"

"ge?"

By now most people would have given up and walked away or at least been bored and frustrated. Dean was actually enjoying himself. He was with his best friend and he was helping him.

"This one" he pointed to the letter T, "is said tu. Can you say it, tu?"

"t"

"tu"

"u"

"tu"

"ta"

"tu"

"te"

"tu"

"tttttu"

"tu"

"uuut"

"tu"

"tu?"

"I told you, I told you could do it. Soon enough you could go home and say the hole alphabet" Dean congratulated him.

Every now and then Sam would come down and make sure things were ok. Dean never really had much time for people who took a long time to do things or learn things, but with Castiel it was like he was a hole new person. He was happy and he was helpful. Castiel was helping Dean too, neither of them knew it, but Sam could see that Dean was slowly becoming a better person. He was happy and that was a huge change. Sam smiled, he hoped Cas stuck around after this because he made Dean so glow and it had been years since Dean had be happy in anyway.

"This one" Dean pointed to the letter Z, "is said zed" he wrote it under the letter, "z-e-d. Can you say it, z-e-d?"

"z"

"zed"

"e"

"zed"

"d"

"zed"

"zde"

"zed"

"dez"

"zed"

"ezd"

"zed"

"dez"

"zed"

"zzzeeed?"

"Cas, your doing great" Dean smiled at him, "come on, let's take a break." Dean pulled the smaller man up off he seat and dragged him to the couch and pushed him on it before sitting next to him.

"Can I join you?" Sam asked walking over with a drink of orange juice. Dean nodded, his arm layed out on the back of the couch behind Cas. "Your doing good Cas. Really" Sam assured him.

"He sure is" Dean agreed looking from his brother to his best friend. "Cas" Dean said, his hand hitting Castiel's shoulder and forcing Castiel's head to face him, "your doing good. Well done. I'm proud of you!" Castiel looked at him, he wasn't aware of it but he was - smiling. No one had ever said they were proud of him before. Not that he could remember at least and it felt nice.

"I'll say it then you say it ok?" Dean asked after their break. "A"

"ay"

"B"

"B"

"C"

"ssseeeee"

"D"

"D"

"E"

"eh"

"F"

"fu"

"G"

"gee"

"H"

"hu"

"I"

"I"

"J"

"gu"

"K"

"ku"

"L"

"L"

"M"

"e-m"

"N"

"e-n"

"O"

"O"

"P"

"pu"

"Q"

"k-u"

"R"

"u-r"

"S"

"e-sssss"

"T"

"teeeee"

"U"

"u-oooo"

"V"

"vvvv-eeeeee"

"W"

"d-u-bbbbb-lllll-u"

"X"

"X"

"Y"

"w-i-y"

"Z"

"z-eeeee-dddddddd"

"A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L, M, N, O, P, Q, R, S, T, U, V, W, X, Y, Z" Dean repeated altogether. Castiel swolled, he was nervous. Dean put his hand over Castiel's, "don't worry, if you get it wrong, finish it and we can always go over it again" he assured him. Castiel nodded.

"Ay, b, sssseeee, d, eh, fu, gee, hu, i, gu, ku, L, e-mmm, eee-n, o, puuu, k-u, u-r, e-ssss, tee, u-oooo, v-eee, d-u-bbb-lll-u, x, w-iiii-y, zzzz-e-dddd" Castiel said, hanging his head. He just couldn't do it.

"You're still learning. You'll get there" Dean assured him, "It'll take a while. You're properly doing better than I was when I started learning. Come on, it's time to get you home."

"Bye, Cas" Dean said at Castiel's front door. Castiel needed to say, thank you. But he didn't know how. So he just hugged him instead. Micheal who had opened the door to them before that was amazed. Castiel, as he has said, almost doesn't communicate at all so to see that was amazing. He just started at Dean in admiration.

"How did you do that?" he asked as Castiel walked inside.

"I don't know" Dean sighed smiling as Castiel sat on the couch between Anna and Gabriel.

"So, Cas" Micheal said closing the door, "what did you learn?"