Hello all! I'm so happy with the response to this fic! Thank you everyone who is reading, everyone who favourited, followed and reviewed! You all have my eternal gratitude because I love knowing people are reading and enjoying things that I love writing so much. Because of you guys I ended up getting another chapter out today which surprised me, I didn't think I'd get another one done until next week but there you go. I hope you like it. It hasn't been edited yet because I'm feeling pretty lazy so I'll get to that later.

Warnings for derogatory, homophobic and psychophobic (same kind of deal as homophobia, people treating mentally ill people awfully and blaming it on fear - "you are not afriad, you are just an asshole") language. Sorry in advance.

For the entire week Dean and Sam sat with the Novaks. On Wednesday Jo joined them, warmly accepted into the fold and instantly friends with both Anna and Gabriel. She was slightly confused by Dean's tendency to throw questions at Castiel and then act as if he'd answered but didn't comment on it, too pleased to get away from Crowley and Gordon. Dean was starting to really love his lunch hour. Spending it with his little brother, his best friend and his three new friends was just what he needed. There was no pressure at that table, on any of them. It was fun.

But Dean couldn't help but feel the heavy weight of stares coming from what he was starting to consider his old group. He knew it was going to come to a head sooner or later and he just hoped Castiel wouldn't be in the way when it happened.

Of course, he's a Winchester, so he should never have expected things to go the way he desperately wanted them to. It was on Friday and just as he and Gabe were heading out to go and fetch Castiel, Gabriel was called back by the teacher. He barely had to shoot Dean a glance before he was nodding and motioning for Gabriel to go, he could handle getting Castiel on his own.

Dean arrived at Castiel's class and waited for the last kids to exit before he stepped in and whistled cheerfully to get the younger boy's attention. Castiel looked up at the sound and scrambled to his feet, grabbing his bag when he spotted Dean. He always reacted with his own version of enthusiasm when he saw Dean was getting him from class. Dean wasn't sure how to react to Castiel's – was interest the right word? Curiosity was probably better – curiosity for him but he supposed he didn't have to. Castiel probably did just think he was insane.

"Come on Cas, lunch time," Dean said, gesturing for him to follow. Castiel went willingly, his teacher watching the pair go with a warm smile. Dean ignored her look. Everyone gave him that look, like he was performing some great service by being nice to Castiel. Screw that, he was a human being damn it, everyone should be treated that way.

Dean's stomach dropped when they barely made it ten feet down the hall before being stopped by Gordon and Crowley. Castiel glanced at them both briefly before shrinking behind Dean. Anna had told he, Jo and Sam that Castiel was an excellent judge of character most of the time. It figured he would recognised the douchebaggery in front of them for what it was.

"What do you want?" Dean growled, tensing his muscles automatically. He glanced back quickly to ensure Castiel was right behind him where neither of the idiots could reach him and set him off.

"Aw look at him Crowley, protecting the little nutjob," Gordon cooed stupidly. Dean's eyes narrowed dangerously. Crowley smirked.

"Gone and become a pussy little faggot have you? Gonna fuck the little freak because that's the only play you can get?" Crowley asked with a snicker.

Dean raised one eyebrow. "Seriously? Are we forgetting which one of us has slept with every girl in the grade? And which one of us hasn't had a girlfriend since middle school, Fergus?"

Crowley snarled but a steadying hand on his arm from Gordon stopped him launching at Dean just yet. People were stopping to watch the confrontation with interest. The idea of Dean Winchester being attacked by his own followers was amusing to most of them – some probably thought he had it coming. He didn't care. His only goal in this was to stall until Gabriel came and then as soon as Castiel was safely away he was going to beat the shit out of these two dickheads.

"Come on Dean, don't hide behind your words," Gordon sneered. "Wanna prove you're not fucking the little freak? Hand him over to us. Let's get him used to some touch, hey?"

Dean bristled angrily and he heard Castiel whimper. Dean really hoped he had no idea they were talking about him, but he probably did. He was socially incompetent, not stupid.

Dean was about to take a step towards the two in front of him when Castiel's teacher suddenly appeared.

"Okay boys, let's break this up before one or all of you get sent to the principal," she said firmly, eyes narrowed towards Gordon and Crowley. They both grumbled and shoved past Dean who automatically stepped back so they wouldn't touch him, meaning he left Castiel open for Crowley's foot to swing out and catch his ankle, yanking hard.

Without even stopping to consider how badly it would turn out for him, Dean's hands shot out to grip Castiel's shoulders, steadying him and moving him out of the path of the other students dispersing now that there would be no fight. Realising, far too late – a split second before Castiel reacted – what he'd just done.

"Shit," Dean gasped just as Castiel began screaming and wrenched himself from Dean's grip, flinging back into the lockers, breathing heavily and shaking his head, hands over his eyes. There were no words in his cries and that somehow made it worse. The small boy slowly sank to the ground, huddled in his oversized trench coat, crying, rocking and shaking his head frantically as Dean and the young teacher looked at each other fearfully, no idea of how to proceed.

"Cas, Cas, I'm sorry!" Dean said over his cries. He dropped to his knees in front of Castiel but the boy flinched away, curling tighter on himself. He peeked out at Dean between his fingers, blue eyes dark and filled with tears and – Dean's stomach jolted painfully and he felt sick when he saw it – betrayal.

It was then that Gabriel sprinted over, skidding down beside Dean with a terrified expression.

"What happened?" he demanded of Dean, hands fluttering uselessly in mid air as he cooed to his brother, waiting for Dean's response.

"I... I... uh Crowley tripped him and I... caught him. Gabe, I'm sorry. I didn't-"

"Dean!" Gabriel said, eyes darkening. "How could you?"

"I'm sorry!" Dean snapped. "It was an accident."

"Gabriel! What happened?" Anna had arrived, cell phone in hand, texting one of their older brothers.

"Dean happened," Gabriel spat, glaring at Dean who felt offended. He hadn't meant to upset Castiel. Then guilt speared him as he looked at the boy who was quieting now but still crying and rocking back and forth in his little ball, as far away from Dean as he could get with two people kneeling around him, stopping him from going anywhere.

"Cas," Dean said but his cries started up louder and he sighed.

"How dare you lay a finger on him?" Anna shrieked, glowering at him. "Castiel is fragile! He doesn't need someone we thought we could trust harming him!"

Dean flinched.

"You should just go," Gabriel hissed before turning to his brother and crooning comforting words. Dean climbed to his feet and walked away slowly with a heavy step. It wasn't like he did it on purpose. He spotted Sam staring at him in shock down the hall and he ignored him. He didn't want Sam judging him too, like everyone else around him was. They were all sending him looks of shock and disgust – it was Crowley who tripped the kid. Dean just...

Dean just broke the most important rule Gabriel had emphasised to him - do not touch Castiel.

He sighed. Of course they were angry. He didn't blame them.

He made his way outside and found a secluded place to sit alone until the end of the lunch hour. He didn't have an appetite now anyway. He just wanted to think up some apology that would be acceptable to Gabriel. He really liked the guy and didn't want to lose him as a friend over a mistake, no matter how huge it might be to him.

He started pelting rocks in his frustration as he waited. He was sure Gabriel would come to find him.

Sure enough, halfway through the hour Gabriel appeared in front of Dean who leapt to his feet, apologies flying out of his mouth in incoherent sentences until Gabriel's glare made him freeze.

"Dean-"

"Gabe, please, I am so sorry. I didn't mean to. I wasn't thinking and-"

"You're right, you weren't thinking."

Dean bowed his head. He totally understood Gabriel's anger. If someone had made Sammy that upset... he would tear their lungs out.

"Seriously I just... he almost tripped. It was instinctive," Dean tried one more time. Why would they think he'd want to hurt Castiel on purpose? Hadn't he proven that he just wanted to be friends with all three of them?

"Dean... I know. I'm sorry, I guess it's just habit to be so... protective."

Dean looked up to see Gabriel rubbing the back of his neck. "I really am sorry. I didn't mean to upset him."

"I know. And Anna knows that too, she's just-" Gabriel pulled a face and Dean smiled. Just like that the tension was diffused and they sat. "We just get really touchy about it because Cassie never used to be that bad."

Dean raised his eyebrows. "How?"

"Well, we could never hug him, that's the truth – he used to panic if he felt trapped and hugging most definitely made him feel trapped – but we could touch him briefly. Like steadying him if he tripped. Touching his hand for a few seconds was like our own version of a hug. And Luci used to ruffle his hair every morning. It wasn't much but for us it was incredible because we could at least be affectionate with him in those small ways even if only for a few seconds before he got upset."

Dean nodded. "What changed?"

As soon as Gabriel's face darkened he knew the answer. "Our mother tried to kill him. She had her hands on him for such a long time and I think Michael hurt him when he pulled him away from her – we never knew because he wouldn't let anyone near him for weeks and by then he seemed physically healthy. But ever since then he can't even stand the lightest, briefest touch – they all set him off."

Dean frowned softly. "So... is the real reason you guys were angry because I touched him... or because it was my "friends" who tripped him?"

Gabriel averted his eyes. "I don't even know why you are friends with them Dean. Those guys are such dicks and you're-"

"Exactly the same," Dean cut him off, wincing as he thought back on the times he'd joined in on the tormenting of the unpopular kids. Or, even worse, standing back and watching as his friends made somebody's life hell and doing nothing to stop it because he'd rather they didn't turn their attention to him.

Gabriel was staring at him in shock. "No, Dean, you're not."

"Yes. I am. Gabe, I'm just as big a jerk as the rest of them. I'm a screw up. You shouldn't even be friends with me. You could do better."

"Dean." Gabriel grabbed his shoulder and squeezed hard before standing so Dean was forced to meet his eyes or else feel very awkward about looking anywhere else when his friend was in front of him. "Listen to me. Nobody – and I mean nobody, not even his own family – has ever made Cassie feel so at ease before. You make him fucking comfortable and nobody has ever done that. And you know why? It's all because of that silly thing you do where you talk to him as if he'd reply. As if he was-"

"Normal?" Dean supplied.

"Yes! Dean, you're such a good person for treating him that way. Nobody ever does. We're all guilty of babying him and giving him special treatment. But you treat him like one of the guys."

Dean shrugged his shoulders helplessly. "Only because I don't know what I'm actually supposed to do. I'm nothing special and I don't know a thing about autism."

"You want to know the truth?" Gabriel looked sad all of a sudden. "Nobody does. Not a single person. Not even all those "professionals" and "experts" who like to poke and prod at Castiel as if he's not human. They say they're going to help him but then they use words like "cure" and they run tests and make him stressed and upset – which is definitely not helping him. Cassie is happy the way he is until someone reminds him he isn't like everybody else - and that's what those people do - and then he reverts further into himself making it less and less likely that he will ever emerge from his shell."

Gabriel tugged on his hair before he continued, apparently on a roll with pent up frustration he'd never had the chance to let out before. Dean let him go, making sure he didn't get too worked up but he figured it was best to get it out. He had no idea how none of that family had imploded yet with the amount of feelings they bottle up. It's not like Dean could talk but at least he had Sammy to force him to unload on the occasion. These guys were all too scared of one of them going the same way as their mother that they couldn't bring themselves to confide their fears and worries to each other.

"This country puts such a stigma on mental illness, no, the whole world does. That's humans though isn't it? Whenever they come across something different and strange – black people, ethnic people, tribal people, gay people – they either kill it or they try to change it and when they can't they label it and put it in a box so that it always knows how different it is, that it will never fit in. They forget that people who possess those differences are just that: people. They have thoughts and feelings and they are being crushed by the rest of the world who can't take the time to stop and really try to understand."

There were tears streaking down Gabriel's cheeks now but he didn't seem to notice.

Dean's heart ached for his friend. All he wanted was for his little brother to be happy and safe and healthy but the rest of the world was always trying to stop it from happening.

Before Gabriel could get so far as to condemn the entire human race to hell, Dean grabbed him and pulled him back down onto the table beside him, tucking the smaller boy into his side and hugging him. Gabriel froze and Dean grit his teeth, knowing the question was about to come.

"What are you doing?" he sniffled.

"If you tell anybody about this I will kick your ass," was Dean's only answer and Gabriel gave a shaky half laugh, half sob before resting his head on Dean's shoulder.

"Thank you."

Dean rolled his eyes. They could never just leave it, could they?

"So... how is he?" Dean asked softly.

"He's calmed down. We're waiting for Michael to come get him."

Dean worried his bottom lip between his teeth. "Are you going to tell him it was my fault?"

"It wasn't your fault. It was Crowley and that's what I told the principal and what I'll tell Michael. Castiel would have panicked anyway if he had fallen. It was unavoidable. God I hate that guy."

"You and me both, Gabe. I promise I'll figure out a way to make them leave Cas alone."

Gabriel laughed weakly.

"What?"

"In our family if you make a promise then you can't break it. It's our code. It keeps us strong."

Dean smiled. "Consider me an honorary brother then because I won't be breaking that promise any time soon."

Gabriel nodded in thanks.

Dean shifted uncomfortably. "What do you say we end the chick-flick moment here before we both grow vaginas?"

Gabriel burst out laughing and fell backwards out of Dean's grip. Dean joined in, grinning down at him in amusement, glad nothing was going to be off between them now. All he needed was Anna's forgiveness.

And... well, Castiel's... only he wasn't sure how to go about getting that. One thing was for certain though, he wouldn't be getting the image of Castiel's devastated, betrayed eyes out of his head until he did. And maybe even after that.