Bright light was filling the room. The prophet's hand on his shoulder squeezed, briefly, giving encouragement before letting go.

I disobeyed, but I did what was right. I know I did. The thought made Castiel smile for a bit…

… and then the light swallowed everything.


Pain.

There was so much of it, like every bone of his body had been set on fire. He tried to open his eyes, but it hurt too much, the light was blinding, made his head feel like it's boiling…

Something was pressed against his mouth.

"Hush, dear… Drink, it will help."

He didn't want to, but the voice was so gentle, so worried, he didn't want it to sound so worried, so he took a sip. Warm water, with a bit of an aftertaste due something that human used to keep their waterpipes clean and open.

"Good, good… Can you take another sip? Please, Castiel…"

He tried, mostly because he didn't want to disappoint the another. After few sips he felt his conscience wash away again.

"Thank you, dear… Rest now, you're safe…"


Next time he woke up wasn't any better. He was startled awake from dream – nightmare – and tried to get up from (bed? coach?) he was laying on, only to fall down on a graceless lump.

"Hey, hey, hey! Little warning would be nice!"

Someone tried to grab him, and he lashed out, trashing blindly around.

"Manchester's sake, kid, are you trying to dislocate something in you?" that wasn't the gentle voice from last time, that voice he didn't know or trust into. "Damn it, kid, I'm not trying to hurt you!… Aziraphale! Come and try to get kid-brother of yours back to bed!"

Sounds of footsteps, and then,

"Oh, dear… Castiel, it's okay, I'm here…"

He wept; reaching his towards the voice, wanting to be held and comforted. I've missed you, he wanted to cry out. Please don't leave me again, I'll be good, I'll be good, just don't leave…!

Gently he was pulled into a strong, warm embrace. "Hush, dearheart… I'm here, I'm here, you're safe…"


Waking up third time, Castiel felt way more coherent than before, and tried to sit up, making his head protest loudly. Groaning, he laid back down, and curiously looked around.

The room he was in was cozy; bookshelf, few armchairs, small desk just front of the window. The owner of the room seemed to be infatuated by tartan, since it was everywhere, but Castiel really didn't mind it. The bed was soft and so were the bedsheets, and he felt temptation to fall under again…

"I see you've decided to join us in the land of the living, eh?"

Castiel's head whipped around in a flash; the door had opened and now there was a familiar demon standing in the doorway, smirking down at him.

"You", Castiel croaked, "what are you doing here? What did you do to Aziraphale?!" he tried to get up again, only to be pushed back down by the demon. Cursing his weakness, Castiel glared the demon, who calmly sat down on the armchair closest of the bed.

"Even though I would love to play these games with you, I really need to go straight to the business this time. First: I'm here because I was invited. Secondly: Aziraphale is downstairs, having cup of tea with my mentor. Thirdly (though you didn't ask): None of us know how you ended up here, but you were in a shaken shape."

Castiel looked unconvinced. "Why would any angel allow a demon in close vicinity with him?"

The demon shrugged. "Why would any angel rebel against his kind for a mere human? Sometimes you feel closer with those who should be your enemies than with your own people – especially when your people try to put an end to all that you've learned to enjoy of."

"But – but…" Castile wasn't sure what he should say for that; the whole situation was absurd!

"No time for that! Listen, this is urgent: Lucifer has risen (which means that you totally messed this up, darling!), and we'll have to do something for it (since there's no way you're going to handle this by yourself), but the most important thing is: Do not tell Aziraphale any of this!"

Castiel raised slowly in sitting position. The demon's grave voice implied that this was truly significant revelation.

"Why? Why should he go without warning?"

The demon puffed. "Because he wouldn't be able to just sit through it! No; if he gets to know what is happening, he'll want to take a part on it. And even if that wouldn't be all that bad, but he would drag my mentor into it, too, and that just won't do! I have my disagreements with both of them, but that doesn't mean I want them to kick the basket or anything."

"So… Aziraphale doesn't want this war to happen?" Castiel asked, as pieces of puzzle started to click together. "Is that why he distanced himself from me?"

The demon rolled his eyes. "A real Sherlock, aren't you? And yes; he didn't want you to get pissed of him and give him away to Heaven's mercy. Since what we have heard, they aren't all that merciful, nowadays…" he added pointedly, looking at Castiel's weak form.

"I… I understand." And he did, no matter how much he despised the truth that had been showed to him. "Heaven's not… well, at this moment."

"Has it ever been…? But let's make this clear now: Aziraphale – and my mentor – will be kept out of this. Are you with me on these terms or not?"

Castiel wasn't quite sure if he was, and he opened his mouth to say so, when they both heard footsteps from the staircase. The demon sent a warning look towards Castiel, and just then Aziraphale stepped in the room.

"Oh, Castiel! You've woken up, what a delight! Fergus, why on earth didn't come to tell me that he was awake?"

The demon – Fergus? Was that his name? – smiled pleasantly. "I thought that it would be okay to let you at least finish your tea before dragging you back here, especially since he didn't seem to be inclined for panic attack or anything this time", he replied.

"Still", Aziraphale insisted, before turning to smile at Castiel. "Oh, dear, you really made me worry! None of us knew what had happened to you; you just appeared on my doorstep, out of cold!"

Castiel, despite his confusion due the all new information he had just gotten, still found himself smiling. Aziraphale's affection towards him seemed so forthright.

"How are you feeling? You must be famished – Fergus, could you ask your father to bring some tea? It will be good for your nerves, dear", he added, and sat down on the bed. He's hand found Castiel's and he started to rub it soothingly.

The demon rolled his eyes but left the room, which made Castiel feel a little nervous. It was completely different thing to stand in the same room with the demon – when he at least knew where he was and could predict his movements, even if he probably was too weak to fight, had he decided to attack – than have a demon running around out of his sight.

"Why – why have you allowed him in, brother? Even if you two work together – and that's already bad enough! – do you really have to fraternize with him?"

Aziraphale laughed little sheepishly. "Castiel, there's probably lot of things in me that you'll find wrong or tasteless – and I'm not trying to make excuses for myself – but I have to admit that I associate myself with Fergus and his father, not because we work together, but because I honestly enjoy their company."

Castiel had a hard time to believe what he was hearing. "Enjoy? Spending time with these abominations-?"

"Hey, watch your mouth, kid! Just who are you calling abomination?"

The voice, though unfamiliar, wasn't all strange – Castiel could remember it from during his panic attack – but when he looked towards the door, he suddenly felt – fear.

The newcomer was tall and little lanky, stylishly clothed and groomed, and he would had easily passed as an average human, had there not been yellow reptilian eyes looking from his little pissed-off face's. But the eyes weren't what got Castiel so disturbed – it was the aura.

The newcomer was an angel – angel who had fallen all the way down, becoming so twisted and unforgiven that a whole new term had been created to call them with – demons. The original ones, those who fell with Lucifer.

Dukes of Hell.

He was trembling now, unable to hold it down. He didn't have his knife, where was it? Had someone took it…?

"Castiel, dear, what is it? Anthony, give me that tea, now! Castiel, take a deep breath… doesn't this smell like home?"

"He's one of the fallen", Castiel squeaked out. "What have you done brother? … His kind should have never been allowed to rise from Hell again!"

They had been bound, not like Lucifer in his cage, but in to Hell anyway, making them unable to leave it. Now that Lucifer had risen, it might be no longer an issue, but from what Aziraphale had implied, this one had been out here a very long time…

Aziraphale looked honestly confused, but the fallen started suddenly laugh. "The kid things that you busted my sorry self out of Hell!" he chuckled. "Like some Rambo in tartan…!"

"I fail to see what is so funny in that picture", Aziraphale said bitingly.

"The tartan!"

Aziraphale shook his head and turned back to Castiel, smiling reassuringly. "It's nothing like that, Castiel; Anthony has all rights to be here – out of Hell, I mean. When Father sent me to live here, Anthony was announced as my counterpart; symmetry and balance, you see."

"But – Shouldn't you two be sworn enemies, then?"

At that point, Aziraphale and the Fallen (Castiel really couldn't start referring him as Anthony, no way), share a surprisingly fond look. "Oh, we were; for a thousands of years. But you see, at one point, we both had the same realization – this was our home. Not Heaven, not Hell; Earth. And we wanted to protect it", Aziraphale explained.

"After that, we became lazy", the Fallen continued. "No more glorious fights – we still called each's other names when we crossed paths, but that's about that. It was like a habit, you know… until we once ended up into a drinking contest."

"And while we were at it, we finally realized that we actually had more common with each's other than with our own flocks", Aziraphale said, and then flushed a little. "Of course, we both tried to deny it first; it was something that no-one could had thought of! But after a while, we had to admit the truth."

"So we made an Agreement: One good deed there, little temptation here, and scales stay in balance. We won't interfere with each's others works, no-one loses and everybody wins!"

"And it's been working out perfectly", Aziraphale added proudly. "We even prevented an apocalypse, once."

Castiel balanced, and the fallen shot an irritated look at Aziraphale. "Hey! Didn't we promise to never bring up that again?"

Aziraphale looked little chastised. "I'm sorry… But surely we can make exception in this case? We already made one for Fergus, you know…"

"Well, he's my son! We don't know if this kid of yours isn't going to rattle us all out for Heaven!"

Aziraphale looked at Castiel. "Are you planning to do that?" he asked solemnly.

Castiel shook his head. "I… No. I'm not sure if I agree with all that's happening here – I still think that is foolish for you to be this friendly with Fallen, but… I'm not good graces with Heaven even by myself, so I understand that sometimes… sometimes they don't know all." He couldn't help but shudder after saying that. There was emptiness inside of him, where before had been so much… something bright and warm. Trust - faith and love…

And now I only have hope, right, demon? But what I can I hope for now… when all is lost?

Aziraphale looked him with great love and understanding, and even the fallen seemed little sympathizing.

"Well, fine… Do what you want, angel", he yielded and sat down on the same armchair that his son (?) had been vacating earlier.

The story that Aziraphale then told (with some interjections from the fallen) was unbelievable, and Castiel would had gladly called it hoax, but they both looked so sincere – well, at least Aziraphale did – that he just had to believe it. He got the idea that some parts were left out or at least downplayed, but those seemed to be personal subjects, so Castiel decided to not poke them.

"…So, after Adam put everything back to normal, even our actions were forgotten – or, precisely, they never happened on the first place – so we just decided to keep it quiet and let the both sides forgot us."

"Which wasn't very hard, since, well… we hadn't been all that active in centuries before that; I mean, some younger demons don't even know there's ever been other Crowley's in Hell than my son!" Anthony (Castiel had kind of accepted that during the story) concluded.

"The antichrists… Adam… he's still out there, right?" Castiel verified.

"He's best to be left alone, Castiel… He may have his powers, but his heart is human's. He loves his home and won't leave there, if he's just left in peace."

"Let's think him like an endangered species; some of them are dangerous, but the world would be blander place without them", said Anthony. "Besides, he fixed my Bentley… he's not all bad."

It sounded so much like something that Dean could have said, that Castiel laughed a bit… before realizing that he had no idea if Dean and his brother were still alive.

"I… I've friends, two humans… I… left them into a tight spot, and I've no idea if they get out of there in time. Is… is there any way I could contact them?"

Aziraphale nodded. "You got their phone number? I'm sure that either Anthony or Fergus will let you borrow their cells…"

"I'll do it", said voice from the door and Castiel's old acquaintance stepped in. "Could you two step out for a while? I still have to finish my conversation with the wounded angel, here."

Aziraphale seemed doubtful and shot a concerned look at Castiel, who smiled placatingly. "You can go, brother."

"Very well… I hope we'll be able to talk more later", Aziraphale gave in, and allowed Anthony to lead him out of the room.

As soon as they had left, the demon turned towards Castiel. "So, have you decided? Are we going to keep this from them or do I have to make some drastic measures?" His voice was light, but Castiel knew that the demon would feel no remorse for killing him.

"Yes… It's better if they don't know. this time won't be as clean cut as the last one – I won't want to drag Aziraphale into that." Or Anthony, he added, but only inside his head.

The demon smirked. "Well, now we're talking! So, you were inquiring about the Winchesters? It seems that they appeared in to the airplane at the same time as the monastery was blown up; there's some big players on the stage, considering that…"

"So they're alive?" Castiel was filled with relieve; he had no idea how much the idea of brothers' doom had haunted him. At least he had not lost everything…

"When I last checked, yes."

"Then I need to go to them", Castiel said, determinedly, and tried to stood up, but his legs gave up under him. The demon caught him before he fell down, and pushed him back to bed.

"No, you won't… at least not for a couple of days. Look, I'll keep tabs on them for you, and you rest till you're full of mojo again."

"They're in danger", Castiel insisted.

"And what help can you offer them, if you cannot even stand on your two feet? Don't be preposterous! I'll still have use to you, if we plan to get Lucifer back into his box, and by then, I want you to be on your top shape!"

It was humiliating, to be unable to resist the logic behind the demon's words. "…Fine. Two days, and then I'll go."

The demon smirked. "Now that's more like it."

Wanting to throw him out of balance, Castiel said, "So your name's Fergus, then?"

His smirk suddenly vanishing, the demon looked scornfully at Castiel. "It's Crowley, you heathen!"

"No, I'm pretty sure that it's Fergus", Castiel said back.

"I didn't give you the right to use my first name!"

"But Aziraphale is using it – does that mean that he got permission?" This felt… strangely good.

"That's – Are you trolling me?"

"No… I think we are having conversation."

"You… you little piece of shit-!"

"Are we done? Cause I really need to rest – I have to get back on my top shape, as you said."

Maybe it was not wise to aggravate the demon – he probably would need to pay back for it, later – but right now, hearing angry thumps of footsteps as "Fergus" stomped downstairs felt kind of… enjoyable. Like he had finally won one over the demon, even if it wouldn't happen very often…

He felt his mind starting to drift off, and this time he welcomed it with a small, contend smile on his lips.