Chapter Six

That's all Castiel needed. He was so worried Dean didn't want him to be an Angel anymore, even if he was fallen, because of how their relationship was. But with that simple nod from him and hearing Dean's approval, Castiel grabbed the Grace he had touched earlier, and opened the jar. Dean and Sam shielded the children's eye as the grace took over Castiel, and finally settled after a brilliant bright light. He blinked, and looked to the children and the Winchesters.

"Cas?" Dean looked worried, almost terrified as he watched Castiel move to pick up Clara, who rushed to his side the moment she could.

"I'm ok." He smiled at Dean, and looked over to Clara. "Let's get out of here." They left the supply room, and only made it halfway down the hall before Castiel cried out in pain, and had to put Clara down. He felt like he was on fire and numb at the same time.

"Cas!" Dean rushed to his side as the angel fell to one knee, and began shaking. "Cas what's wrong, what's happening?!"

"I...I'm not sure...I'm...hot…." Dean pulled him close to him, and pulled the back of his shirt up.

"Shit...that grace is doing the same thing it did to the kids...Cas...your back…" He watched as the skin started to bruise and swell, Castiel clutching onto Dean for support. He never thought his wings would feel like this. Even in his vessel, he could feel a faint tug of them behind him, and only seemed to use them when he needed to, but this...this felt like going into Hell all over again. Dean pulled off his jacket, and let Castiel bite down into the leather, as the sound of bones cracking and blood gushing filled the hall. Finally, after what seemed like hours to them all, Castiel's wings finally pulled away from his back, loose skin tearing as they stretched. Dean never thought he'd see anything like this again. The sleek black feathers were soaked in blood, but as Castiel gave them a careful shake, the blood didn't stick, letting his full black wings shimmer before them.

"Told you his wings were pretty…" Clara said, smiling. Dean helped Castiel stand, and he gave a weak smile to Sam and the kids. Sam chuckled, and picked up Clara to get ready to leave. They all stopped and tensed when they heard the slow clapping from behind them.

"Bravo, Castiel. You managed to stumble upon where I keep the grace I produce." Raziel stood behind them, clearly annoyed. "So not only have you fools tainted my first successful batch of new fledglings, you also took some of the grace that could have been used to make more of us. What do you have to say for yourself?" Raziel growled, angel blade in hand.

"Wait…" Castiel put Clara down, and moved in front of everyone, wings extending to hide his family. "You don't have to do this Raziel."

"What are you talking about? Of course I do. This is what I was created to do. While our father is away, I create new fledglings, new grace, and even if I have the time new species. Now that heaven is closed and all I have is the grace I produce, why wouldn't I make more of us?!"

"Why not help the ones that are already here Raziel? Our brothers and sisters, who are weak, and dying. Those who are confused and scared. I've heard of the tales that you were also, a doctor, when God was in heaven."

"...That was a long time ago." Raziel's eyes seem distant, remembering the days that if there were any battles, he would heal his brothers and sisters. That was before God gave him his new task, and he took on so many other responsibilities.

"But you still know how to. Our brothers and sisters, they need help. They need you, Raziel." Castiel watched as the angel before him considered his words.

"And the children?" Raziel said after a moment.

"I will take care of them. They will be safe, and happy. Away from the pain that our brothers and sisters face now."

"You alone can't take care of two fledglings." Raziel glared, tensing a bit.

"He won't be alone." Dean gently pushed on Castiel's wing, to let him step up. "I'm going to help him."

"So a fallen angel and a hunter are going to take care of my only two successful fledglings, while I go back to what I was originally created to do?" Raziel blinked, and lowered his blade, considering the possibilities of such an agreement. He looked back to Castiel, the "traitor" as his brethren kept saying, and his...hunter? Lover? He couldn't tell.

"What do you say, Raziel?" Castiel asked, after giving Raziel a few to think everything over.

"I say...no." And with that, he threw the blade at Castiel. Castiel tensed, but before the blade could even touch him, he was shoved, hard, and heard a grunt of pain coming from his side. "I say that I'd rather do this. I'll keep taking human children, pure, human children, and making them into angels." Castiel could hear Raziel continue to talk, but wasn't focusing on his words. He was focusing on the yell of Dean's name from Sam, on how Clara screamed, and how Alex cried out, as Dean fell back in pain. The angel blade was sticking out of his chest, blood seeping from the wound.

"NO!" Castiel, with speed he wasn't even sure he had before, attacked Raziel. He wanted to go to Dean, but knew that Raziel would keep attacking until Castiel himself was dead, or he got ahold of the kids.

"Dean, Dean!" Alex was at his side at an instant, while Sam helped pull Dean up to his lap, to let his head rest up. Dean winced, and watched as the two angels battled. "Dean!" Alex cried again, and grabbed his hand. Clara was crying next to Alex, scared that the man who helped her, who comforted her and said he'd take care of her and her brother, would die.

"Hey buddy…" Dean smiled at Alex, making sure to focus on him instead of Castiel. "I'll be ok…" He knew he was lying through his teeth, but he didn't want to see Alex any more upset.

"Don't...you can't go!" Alex held his hand tighter, and watched with tears forming as Dean started to choke a bit at the blood coming up his wind pipe. "Don't you dare die on us! You promised!" Alex grabbed at the blade, and gasped when he felt warmth flow through him.

He knew what he had to do.

"Clara!" Clara looked confused, before sniffling and going to the other side of Dean. Sam watched as both kids grabbed the blade with of their hands, and with the other, put their hands over the wound. Sam choked back a laugh as he saw the familiar glow of grace from their hands, as they healed Dean. Dean groaned, it wasn't like Castiel's grace, which was familiar with healing This was new and inexperienced, which made it hurt, but finally they pulled away, and through the mess of blood and the hold in Dean's shirt, they all could see his was healed. Dean chuckled and pulled both kids close.

"Told you I'd be fine." He muttered, before looking up to the fight. Castiel hadn't noticed Dean being healed, was more focused on fighting Raziel.

Raziel, unfortunately, was winning, not blinded by emotions as Castiel was. He was however blinded by his pride and his calculations, only focusing on Castiel. He never noticed Dean coming up from behind him. He didn't realize the hunter was fine until the angel blade he had used earlier was in his back, sticking out of his chest. Even Castiel jumped a bit, before looking behind Raziel and seeing Dean.

"Dean!" Dean pushed Raziel away, and watched as he died, before looking up to Castiel and getting an armful of surprised and relieved angel.

"I'm ok Cas...the kids got me." Castiel looked to Clara and Alex, who were holding hands, the same hands that healed Dean, still covered in some of his blood. He smiled, before looking to Sam, who looked just as relieved.

"Let's get out of here then."

They didn't have any problems getting to the impala. Castiel sat in the back, exhausted from everything, and pulled his wings around the children as they rested on him. Dean watched from the rearview mirror, before looking to Sam.

"I want to get to the bunker as quickly as possible, but the angels in the back are exhausted, and I'm exhausted and-"

"I'm honestly exhausted too Dean. Let's just get out of town, grab a motel, and grab some food and rest. Two rooms?" Sam looked to his brother, grinning.

"...Yeah, two rooms." He looked back to Castiel, who was listening to them, but didn't chip in anything. He just smiled and nodded to Dean, before closing his eyes.

Half an hour later Dean helped Castiel get the half away kids into one room, while Sam went to the local diner to get some takeout for everyone. Clara was still sleeping, her wings fluttering every once in a while as she slept, while Alex managed to wake up and help Dean and Castiel get the beds ready for them both.

"Hey Dean?" Alex spoke suddenly, while Castiel went to get cleaned up from the wings.

"Yeah?"

"Does...this mean you're our dad?" Dean tensed, and looked to Alex, who looked scared for even asking.

"I-If you want to call me Dad…" Dean's voice cracked. He never thought he would hear those words, or even live long enough or find anything who'd want to have children with him. Ben never called him dad, it was always Dean, and now…

Dean looked to the bathroom door, where Castiel was still getting cleaned up. Did Castiel want to share this with him? This life, where he, Dean, Sam, and now these two fledglings, saved people, hunted things, the whole family business. He looked back to Alex, who was still confused, his wings slowly wrapping around him as if to hide himself away in case Dean got upset. He cleared his throat, and smiled at him.

"If you wanna call me Dad, that's fine. I'm not gonna force it. You can still call me Dean if that makes you feel better." Alex nodded, before giving a small smile.

"I'd like to call you Dad...you...you've been more of a dad to me than my actual dad." Dean smiled back, before going over and hugging Alex close.

"Then Dad it is. I'm gonna go talk to Cas for a bit ok? Sam should be coming back with food, so don't let anyone but him in ok?" Alex nodded, his wings fluttering with excitement. Dean went to the door, hearing the shower turn off earlier, and knocked. "Cas, I'm coming in." He tried the door and found it unlocked.

Inside was still steamy and warm from the shower Castiel had just gotten, luckily he had his pants on, and was trying to dry his wings as best he could. Dean smiled, watching him a bit before going over and grabbing the towel from him.

"Here, let me." He spoke softly, and began to dry them as he did for Alex. Castiel sighed, and let him, all the while closing his eyes.

"Thank you Dean."

"Anytime Cas." He let a moment of quiet go by, before speaking up again. "Alex asked to call me Dad." Castiel's eyes opened and he looked to Dean.

"What did you tell him?"

"I told him he could call me dad, or Dean, didn't matter. He said he'd rather call me Dad." Dean finished with the one wing, and went to the next. "This is why I'm in here, actually. I...We need to talk." Dean looked over to Castiel, green meeting blue. "About us...and what happened before you and Clara got taken."

"You mean...the kiss?" Castiel visibly gulped, his adam's apple bobbing. Dean bit his lip as he watched said adam's apple, before his eyes looked back to Castiel's.

"Yeah. Cas...I care about you. A lot. I...Shit I'm not good with this." Dean sighed, his hands dropping from the wings while his mind tried to think how to say what he felt without a chick flick moment happening, but all was forgotten when Castiel suddenly grabbed Dean's face and kissed him. Dean closed his eyes and pulled the angel closer, kissing back with all he had to say but couldn't say. Finally Dean pulled away, smiling a bit as he watched Castiel's eyes open.

"Me too Dean." He spoke softly, knowing it was hard for the hunter to speak about his emotions. "Do you think...Alex and Clara...wouldn't want-"

"Of course Cas." Dean interrupted, giving him a gentle kiss. "Let's go talk to them about it before Sammy arrives back with food, ok?" Castiel smiled, and nodded, letting his hand touch Deans, and smiled even more as Dean took it and held it.