Chapter 6: Ben…
Back on Main Street, Ben is lying on his bed reading Cthulu Tales and listening to *Loudest Alarm* by *Scars On 45* on his iPod. Downstairs, Matt sits on the couch watching baseball. Lisa brings him a drink and sits down next to him.
(BASEBALL COMMENTATOR: And he's four for his last seven against with uh, two extra base hits... He dives back in…)
Matt groans and Lisa laughs. Suddenly a demon breaks the door down. Lisa gasps.
"No!" Lisa cries.
Upstairs, Ben hears a noise and takes out his earphones.
The demon grabs Lisa. She screams and struggles.
"Just let her go, okay? Just -" Matt pleads.
"No!" Lisa cries.
A second demon comes up behind Matt and snaps his neck, killing him instantly, while Ben watches from the top of the stairs. When Lisa sees him and the demons follow her gaze; Ben runs into his room, closes the door and puts a chair under the handle.
"No!" Lisa screams.
Ben grabs his phone and calls Dean, who is hanging out in the compound library with Bobby and Sam. Dean's phone begins playing *Smoke on the Water* and his expression turns stony the minute he hears who's on the other end.
"Ben?" Dean answers.
"There's men in the house." Ben says franticly.
"What?" Dean replies.
"They killed Matt. They got Mom. They're coming, I hear them." Ben says, his voice a frantic whisper.
"What are they?" Dean asks tersely.
"I - I don't know." Ben replies shakily.
"Did you see their eyes?" Dean asks.
"No." Ben answers.
"Teeth?" Dean interrogates.
"No." Ben states.
"This is important Ben, I need to know." Dean says channeling John Winchester in his fear.
"Dean, I don't know." Ben states.
"Okay, where are you now?" Dean asks again.
"In my room." Ben answers.
"Can you get to your mom's closet? I left a shotgun in there." Dean suggests, as worst case scenarios flash through his mind.
"No. Dean, what do I do?" Ben pleads.
"Okay, Ben, listen to me. Go to your window and jump." Dean tells him resigned and serious.
"What?!" Ben blurts.
"Any bones you break won't compare to what they're gonna do to you, Ben. You've got to jump." Dean tells him.
"Okay, I'm going." Ben says bravely. Ben pushes some things off his desk. He climbs up and opens the window.
"I'm coming right now." Dean says into the phone, as he gets up.
The demons kick Ben's door open. Ben looks back in horror.
"I'm coming to get you and your mom, I promise. You with me, Ben? Ben? (There's no answer.) Ben?" Dean says looking at his phone in horror.
In Ben's room, Crowley picks up Ben's phone from the floor. While Dean again looks at his phone's display.
"Hello, Dean." Crowley says, Hearing Crowley, Dean quickly puts his phone back to his ear. "Fancy a chat?" Crowley continues.
Upon hearing Crowley's voice, Dean leaps off the couch and starts towards Baby, Sam right on his heels. Leaving Bobby yelling after them about not rushing in like idjit's without doing their research like some sort of Rambos.
"If you harm, even ONE hair on either of their heads, Crowley!" Dean threatens into the phone.
"You'll what, Squirrel, sic Moose on me? Crowley taunts quite sure of his upper hand.
"I'm sure our very own and Sherman can use their "WAYBAC" machine and fix you good, Crowley." Dean taunts, hoping Sam will catch on to his reference and call in the calvary.
"Does that make me Fearless Leader? Yes I like that." Crowley monologues like a true TV villain. He may as well be twirling his handlebar moustache while monologuing his evil plans.
"Fat chance Demon, we have our own Fearless Leader on Team Free Will." Dean retorts.
By this point the brothers have already driven out of the garage and are barreling down the closest interstate to Lisa's house. Unbeknownst to Crowley who is still caught up in the Rocky and Bullwinkle references and threats.
They are two minutes out when Gabriel flutters into the back seat and Dean snaps the phone shut.
"Get us to Lisa's stat!" Dean cries out. Gabriel flies them in and they alight in the home of Dean's former family to find Dean's replacement dead, along with Lisa. The only non-possessed souls Gabriel can find are curiously... Winchesters.
"Well if it isn't the lethal plaid and denim duo and their… Epp... Archangel Mate?" Crowley snarks at first, but he quickly realizes just how badly he's stepped in it, and flees along with his goons who smoke out flashily, covering their "Fearless Leaders" exit. Dean grabs up Ben in a tight hug and starts checking him for injuries.
"Dean, Dean-O, he's fine." Gabriel finally says, after he gets over his shock. Gabriel uses hand signals and their bond to ask Sam if he knew. Of course everyone seems to be in the dark.
"Alright, okay. I suppose we should be getting home. No doubt someone's already called the cops, with all this, going on in here." Sam says his hand on the back of his neck.
"Can't, just, leave, mom." Ben pleads his voice stilted by his grief choked sobs.
"This is going to be pretty hard to explain to the cops, Ben. Especially us being here. If we stay then you'll have to call the cops yourself. Your cover story is: they didn't know you were here, and after they killed Matt and Lisa they just left. You're still a minor so you'll get put with CPS until they can track down your next of kin." Dean tells Ben as calmly as he's able.
"But I wanna stay with you." Ben pleads with puppy eyes that rival Sammy's to Dean's recollection.
"Then you have five minutes to grab everything you absolutely need and get it into a bag. We can come back for the rest later, when the cops have cleared out." Dean tells Ben, who after a moment of hesitation, nods sombrely and heads upstairs. The Winchesters and Gabriel are left to listen to the sounds of drawers and closets being riffled amongst their own thoughts.
Ben clatters down the stairs less than three minutes later, bag in hand.
"Ready." Ben says looking towards the door, very clearly avoiding looking into the living room where the bodies lay.
"Cheer up kid, and welcome to Team Free Will." Gabriel says and hands Ben a lollipop, before 'Angel Airing' them all back into the Impala, which conveniently has been pointed back the way they came, and moments later Gabriel has them driving into the garage at the compound. "Thank you for flying Air Angel, please tip your stewards as you exit the vehicle." Gabriel jokes as they clamber out of Baby.
"Ben, in case I forgot to introduce you in all the craziness this is your Uncle Gabriel, and yes, that Gabriel. And of course you remember your Uncle Sammy?" Dean makes the necessary introductions as they exit the garage. However, upon exiting the garage Ben is too surprised to respond, at the sight of the tree house compound. Ben is surprised that it's so cold here; snow still on the ground, he reasons that they must be much further North than his home town.
"Pretty sweet digs huh, Ben? Castiel, he's the man to thank for all of this." Dean tells Ben, pride clear in his voice. Castiel hearing his hunter thoughts through their bond, alights among the newly returned hunters.
"Dean." Castiel starts, but cuts off when he sees Ben Bradaen and simply stares at the boy with his head tiled to the side.
"Cas, I'm glad you're back, this here is Ben." Dean says with fatherly pride, hands on Ben's shoulders.
"I'm aware, why is he here?" Castiel asks bluntly, his head again titled to the side.
"Crowley." Dean replies, and when Castiel looks like he's gearing up to say something.
Gabriel interrupts, "Cassie, can I speak to you for a moment?", and both Angels disappear.
"You'll get used to that kiddo." Dean tells Ben, when the boy takes in a startled gasp at the sudden departure of both Gabriel and Castiel.
"But, but…" Ben stutters, waving his arms about, as he spins in circles looking for the vanished Angels.
"Yeah, I know kid, they do that a lot, trust me. It's worse when they show up unannounced, and scare the crap out of you." Dean continues to explain, while chuckling under his breath. They make their way up to the main compound areas, where they assume Bobby might still be.
"Where are we?" Ben asks, still looking around in wonder, noticing something new everywhere he looks.
"Frankly I have no idea. Cas built this place off the grid, as a precaution against… Well, what happened to your mom and Matt." Dean explains, voice softening as he explains.
"So, we're safe here?" Ben asks voice small.
"Yes, son, you're safe here with us." Dean reassures Ben as best as he's able to.
"That statement is more true than you realize, Dean-o." Gabriel says having alighted silently, within the public space of the compound.
"What are you on about now Feathers?" Bobby grouses from his seat. Where he's been, obsessively pouring over what looks to be an incredibly rare scroll of parchment, since the brothers left him behind.
"Congratulations! You're a father." Gabriel blurts out bluntly, just as Castiel alights directly behind Dean.
"What are you talking about Gabriel. Make sense, damn you." Dean splutters, clearly at the end of his rope.
"Dean, relax it's good news." Castiel says, wrapping his wings around his hunter, unavoidably enveloping Ben along with Dean.
"Cas?" Dean asks, turning around to face his Angel.
"Ben is your son, Dean. Lisa lied." Castiel tells Dean never breaking eye contact. Dean's knees threaten to buckle and Castiel has to transport him to the nearest chair.
"You're my dad?" Ben asks unsure.
"Come-here kiddo." Dean says, shaking off his shock at the warble in Ben's voice. "Everything is gonna be okay, alright." Dean starts, arms raised in Ben's direction, only to be rebuffed by Ben starting to pace and rant.
"All this time, I was so sure you were my Dad. Why wouldn't mom just tell us?" Ben says, his voice raising with each word until he's shouting his face red with anger.
"Ben, son, she did it to protect you. It's not very safe to be a Winchester, or even to just know a Winchester." Dean tells him the bald honest truth, eyes cast low in shame.
"Our dad, he kept us in motels growing up, never staying anywhere for more than a few months, usually it was just a few weeks." Sam interjects when Dean comes up blank a moment too long.
"It's not as bad as all that son, don't let these two worry you. When was the last time you ate anything, son? You must be starving, I'm sure we've got something around here you might like. What do you say?" Bobby scolds and soothes at the same time. Ben looks to Dean questioningly, who nods.
"Go with your Grampa Bobby, Ben. We'll be right here." Dean says reassuringly.
"Grampa?!" Bobby crows.
"Well if I'm the kids father then, hell yes you're Grampa Bobby." Dean replies, standing to make his point all the more clear.
"Well, then, if you put it that way. Welcome to the family kid. Now lets go get something to eat." Bobby replies cheeks flaring pink, while he readjusts his ball-cap, and herds the kid towards the kitchen.
"Cas? You okay with all this?" Dean asks Castiel quietly once Ben and Bobby have left the room.
"Of course Dean. I'm just sorry I couldn't tell you sooner. Gabriel pointed out my oversight. I suppose I must have been preoccupied with Sam and the Cage, and then with Raphael." Castiel explains ashamed at having let down his hunter, yet again. Castiel's shame floods their bond, and Dean pushes it back with his understanding and love.
"I'm not upset about all that, Cas. I'm sure you would have told me had you known." Dean replies. "So, you're really okay with Ben? I mean this is going to change a few things, now that his mom's gone and Crowley's after him." Dean continues, sending insecurity and hope through their bond.
"It is simple enough for us to make room for him here, with us. And we are perfectly safe from Crowley, here within this compound." Castiel tells Dean, his confidence beaming through strongly.
"Done." Gabriel adds intrusively reminding the couple that they in-fact have an audience to this personal conversation.
"Gabriel!" Sam cries and swats at his mate for his insensitive behaviour.
"What!" Gabriel retorts, and pops another lollipop into his smirking mouth. Both Castiel and Dean take Gabriel's intrusion in stride having expected it on some level. Eventually Bobby and Ben reemerge from the kitchen with a whole platter of sandwiches, bags of chips and pops. Ben hands out the pops and chips and Bobby sets the sandwiches down on the nearest table.
"Well it's not gonna eat itself." Bobby grouses and everyone except Castiel goes through the motions. After ensuring Ben and Sammy have taken their fill, Dean hives off enough for two and settles back in his seat and motions for Castiel to join him. Dean gives his Angel half of his booty and waits expectantly until Castiel concedes and takes his first bite. Satisfied, Dean inhales his portion with gusto, eventually finishing the rest of Castiel's as well.
Ben of course isn't blind and notices the way his father interacts with Castiel. They aren't as blatant as Uncle Sam and Gabriel who occasionally share bites of their lunches oblivious to their audience. But it's obvious to him that they are involved as well.
"So what's the deal here, anyways?" Ben asks gesturing about randomly, as soon as he is finished with his meal. Ben's question pulls the others out of their private little bubbles.
"What exactly are you wondering about kiddo?" Dean says, clearing his throat, and straightening his back while subtly shifting towards Ben, away from Castiel; clearly on edge.
"What are you two?" Ben asks point blank indicating the Angels.
"Archangels of the Lord, at your service." Gabriel says leaping up for a comedic sweeping bow, before falling back into Sam's side a smug smirk on his face.
With an air of put upon aggravation Castiel continues. "He speaks the truth, we are Archangels of the Lord." Castiel's wings stretch out in pride at the sentence and the lights flicker briefly in response to his Grace.
"Whoa!" Ben exclaims unconsciously shuffling back in his seat, his skin crawling, as the hairs on the back of his neck stands up.
"There is no need to be frightened of us, Ben." Castiel placates, as he settles his wings back into their place next to his hunter.
"Cas! Urg you're almost as bad, as chuckles over there… Ben the long and short of it, is; Angels are real, so are Demon's, Heaven, Hell, and the whole shebang. In fact, pretty much everything you've ever heard of, that most everyone thinks is a legend or myth, is true." Dean explains more fully.
"Ben at this point all you need to know is that they can basically do anything: fly or teleport, telekinesis, telepathy, dream walk, alter matter, manipulate reality. And those are just the extra special ones. They are of course super strong, can heal, don't need to sleep or eat, plus a bunch of other ones too. Basically they are pretty bad ass. Plus chuckles here is with your Uncle Sam, and the holy tax accountant in a trench coat is with your dad." Bobby explains, listing off the pertinent details of life with Angels, well these two angels.
"Bobby!" Dean cries out.
"Well, it's true isn't it?" Bobby asks, hands spread while Dean splutters indignantly.
"You think, maybe Dean wanted to ease him into all this, Bobby." Sam explains on his brothers behalf.
"There's no reason for the boy to be kept in the dark. He's old enough to know what he's getting into by joining this family." Bobby replies and stands to clear the dishes into the kitchen without waiting for Dean to get his mouth to work again.
While everyone can hear him muttering about idjits this and idjits that from the kitchen. Ben decides to get his own answers from his father.
"Relax Dean. It isn't like I didn't figure it out on my own. I'm actually glad to know for sure instead of having to guess or ask you about it directly." Ben says further jamming up Dean's thought processes. "Is he always like this?" Ben asks Castiel with a small smile.
"Unfortunately." Castiel replies with an indulgent twitch of his vessel's lips, his wings however wrap tightly around his mate. Castiel sends soothing emotions through their bond. "Dean we should show Ben our quarters here." Castiel suggests quietly, calmly.
Dean shakes himself and stands with his Bondmate. "Good idea, Cas. Ben come on this is only part of the compound. It's setup as the public areas for all of us: kitchen, dining, and living, plus a library for our research and stuff. You already saw my Baby's garage, but each of us has our own place here too." Dean explains as the threesome depart and head towards Dean and Cas's private sphere suspended high in the tree boughs. They make their way there slowly, the human way, to allow Ben to adjust to his surroundings.
Castiel brings up the rear and lets Dean show his son their new home. Upon entering their home, Dean notices a door that wasn't there the last time Castiel and he explored. After allowing Ben to gaze about the vast room, Dean directs him towards the new door. The door leads to a room that resembles the room he left back on Main Street enough that Ben's eyes tear up.
"If it's not to your liking, I can easily alter the space." Castiel attempts at the sight of Ben's tears.
"No. It's not that." Ben cries. "Well maybe a little, it just reminds me of mom." Ben explains, as he slumps down onto his bed.
"Oh." Castiel says, his wings slumping in discouragement.
"Ben, I know it's going to be tough without your mom." Dean says, sitting next to his son on the bed. "But eventually the grief will fade. But I want you to know that your memories of her won't, you're old enough now that you'll always be able to remember her." Dean reassures him, and Castiel wraps his wings around his mate and by extension Ben when he hears Dean's train of thought go to his own mother.
Dean and Castiel's bond flares and the next stage emerges laying their thoughts bare to their bondmate. Without realizing, they telepathically conclude that they should alter Ben's room to be less similar to his old room. Castiel concentrates his Grace and lets it flow into the room, altering it before his families eyes. The shape of the room, alters to be more spherical like their own and the windows into large portholes instead of traditional house windows. The interior walls become frosted glass revealing the ensuite and exposing the closet and storage.
"Oh wow, Castiel. This is so great." Ben exclaims upon noticing the changes, the only unchanged item being the bed.
"I am glad that you approve, Ben." Castiel replies, their bond surging with approval and love.
"We'll leave you to yourself for a bit, Ben. We're just through that door, and your Uncles and Bobby are around too." Dean reassures his son as he and Castiel take their leave and retreat into their own rooms.
"He's a good kid, but loosing his mom like that is gonna make things difficult for a bit." Dean warns Castiel.
"I understand Dean." Castiel assures his hunter.
"I'm not sure you do, Cas." Dean retorts mildly concerned that the Angel is incapable of understanding human emotions.
"That isn't the case Dean, I am quite capable of understanding human emotions." Castiel repeats Dean's thoughts word for word, his own tinged with hurt at the insinuation.
'I'm sorry Cas…' Dean thinks through the bond.
"It's alright Dean, I understand." Castiel replies, not noticing that Dean hadn't spoken aloud.
'Cas I didn't say anything, aloud.' Dean again thinks to his bondmate.
'Oh. I have been expecting this.' Castiel replies, the bond swelling with pride and giddiness, his lips curving into a genuine and gummy smile.
"You have, have you?" Dean says his eyes rolling at his bondmate's reaction.
"Yes, this is the next stage of our Bond forming." Castiel replies, wrapping his wings around his bondmate and flying them to their nest.
'So what are these stages again?' Dean thinks.
'First you could hear Angel wings and sense our arrivals and exits. Then you could see my wings, and then the wings of other angels. Thirdly the emotional bidirectional link, followed by this mental one.' Castiel explains telepathically, as they lay limbs intwined in one another, eyes locked.
'What's next?' Dean asks, running his hands over Castiel's fight feathers, causing Castiel's eyes to roll up in pleasure.
'Next, we shall be one.' Castiel thinks cryptically, and after a moment Dean rolls on top of his Angel.
'And so we shall, we shall.' Dean thinks as he captures Castiel's lips in a hungry kiss.
'Not that I oppose. However I'm not sure if this is what I meant.' Castiel can't help but think back, even as he responds enthusiastically to Dean's advances, deepening the kiss, hands and wings tightening their holds.
"What? What do you mean, Cas?" Dean asks aloud, huffing his annoyance at being distracted, as they reposition themselves in their nest.
"Angelic bonds with Humans are so rare; that there is little known about them other than vague lore and conjecture, at this point. Gabriel has been researching, however the knowledge is lost even to him." Castiel admits with a sigh, the moment gone.
'Oh' Dean thinks, hands idly stroking Castiel's wings, as if with a mind of their own.
'Mmmmm' Castiel purrs, and shifts more of his wing into his Bondmate's grasp.
"You're like a cat getting it's belly rubbed while basking in a sunbeam." Dean says, his affection and humour clear through their bond.
'Less talking, more grooming.' Castiel requests, as he lifts his primary set of wings revealing the sensitive downy underside of his wings to his bondmate. Dean takes full advantage, hands burying into the soft feathers, grasping, questing, stroking. Castiel's cry is layered in his true voice when Dean finds what he's searching for; Castiel's leaking oil glands.
Ecstasy and lust pingpong back and forth through the bond. Both sets of hips stutter and thrust against one another, as Dean gently prods the walnut sized glads, encouraging the viscus fluid to flow.
"Do you want me to stop?" Dean asks, eyes crinkling and twinkling with mirth and love.
"Never," Cas admits softly leaning into his bondmate's touch. "I never want you to stop touching me. I don't know how I lived for so long doing this by myself. You spoil me." Castiel replies a blush staining his cheeks.
'Cas. Oh my God!' Dean thinks hazily as they devolve into tongues and teeth, fingers and wings. With their bond it's no wonder that it's only moments before they both cum screaming the others name. Grace and Soul both exploding and intertwining and finally resettling back into their proper places, as they both gasp for air that only one of them genuinely needs.
It's a good thing that their rooms are of course sound proofed.
Elsewhere Sam and Gabriel are in their own personal areas as are Bobby and Ben. Bobby can't quite wrap his head around the worm hole that connects his old salvage yard with this compound. He spends most of his time alone passing back and forth, and testing to see what the limitations are.
Meanwhile Ben explores his new room, happy with the changes in the structure, but also glad for the similarities and the identical contents. Ben can't quite figure out how that was achieved, but decides he'll figure out how to ask that later on, maybe. It's been a long day and Ben quickly falls asleep feeling safer than he's felt in a very long time.
Sam and Gabriel's personal area has elements of traditional and the fanciful and altogether doesn't quite look quite right. You need to tilt your head a little and un-focus your eyes a bit before the rooms will coalesce in the minds eye. Sam is also grooming his bondmate Gabriel's wings while discussing the stages of Angel and Human bonds.
Time flies and soon Ben is adjusted to life after Lisa enough that they start to think about sending him back to school. Dean and Sam argue heatedly on the subject, but it's Castiel who comes up with the perfect solution. Ben will attend a boarding school and a wormhole from bed to bed will be established, and the whole campus will be heavily warded.
It takes a few weeks for the newly formed family of six to decide on a boarding school. They finally settle on St Michaels in Victoria, Canada. Ben insists on co-ed while Sam argues vehemently for academic rigger. Dean simply wants Ben as close as physically possible.
Labour Day looms along with cooler temperatures and a crispness in the air that heralds an end to the humid mugginess of Summer. Ben is both excited and nervous about starting school. The last two weeks of Summer have been spent putting together the items on the list the school sent in his acceptance package. Both Castiel and Dean have been spending one on one time with Ben helping him gather his required items.
As the weekend comes to a close they all pile into the Impala and load a semi serviceable truck of Bobby's with Ben's gear. Both vehicles alight on the highway into Victoria and they continue convoy style to the back of the school as directed. Ben has been assigned to Harvey House and they have a parking lot directly behind the house.
The Campus is alive with students, parents, and faculty dashing to and fro like ants preparing for a storm. The St Michael's House parents and Head of House's are organized and the Prefects are expecting the Winchesters along with the other new and returning boarders. The House is actually two boy's houses split down the middle and stands three stories high nestled amongst the trees in the shade of Mount Tolmie.
Ben is one of the first to arrive and thus gets his pick of the two beds in the double room. Castiel and Dean help Ben move everything from the truck into the room, while the others fan out over the campus to ward and investigate. Castiel is quick to establish the wormhole between Ben's new boarding room bed in Harvey House to his own back at the treehouse compound. It's a special access that requires a password to prevent accidental activation.
Ben tests it out while his father and Castiel putter around his new room awkwardly, having finished warding the room from floor to ceiling. Castiel used his Grace to carve the underside of the floor, walls and ceiling with sigils and blessings. While Dean adorned the room with benign looking but powerful totems and relics.
If Ben lays on his bed and says or thinks "I wish I we're home" the wormhole is activated and seamlessly Ben is laying in both Bed's at the same time and can choose which room to occupy. Satisfied the threesome decide to explore the campus and meet up with the others.
Harvey House is situated on the Northeast corner of the lush green and brick campus. Ivy crawls up the sides of the impressive five story main school house which houses the administration, library and Brown Hall, which for Dean is the most important place on Campus. Walking from the boarding houses through the Quad everyone is struck with the feeling that the decision for Ben to attend St. Michaels is the correct one.
The others aren't hard to find in Brown Hall scoping out the kitchen, well Gabriel is setting up a dastardly prank for the kitchen staff, but the others are doing their best to blend in with the other parents. Sam and Bobby are focused on the administrators and the other parents and students.
Gabriel spends his time while the others are unpacking replacing all the pavers surrounding the school with salt and goofer dust imbued ones with sigils on the undersides. All the fences are now silver and every doorway have sigils carved into the interior of the framing. A cross and prayer are placed and said over the main water source for the whole school and the perimeter have hex bags buried every few feet warding against every known fugly.
It doesn't take too long before everyone is sufficiently assured that the campus is as safe as can be expected. Ben trails behind the adults as they prepare to leave him alone for the first time since his mother died. He considers changing his mind several times, but decides to tough it out and bravely hugs his family goodbye and watches as the Impala rumbles out of sight.