Oh, yeah, everything is unbeta'd. All my mistakes are my own. Also, didn't do quite as many re-reads and edits so there will probably be more mistakes than usual.
Disclaimer: Kripke owns all Supernatural characters. I'm only borrowing them.
Pairing: Dean/Castiel - very graphic. This is my first attempt at something like this because this muse wouldn't leave me alone. Please let me know what you think, constructively.
Overall Warnings: Rated M for swearing, graphic sexual content with S and M undertones, implied forced sexual torture and other adult subject matter.
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Chapter 37 – The Travel Plans
Sam stood outside the upstairs bathroom door, waiting on his older, pregnant brother to finish. Sam shook his head slightly, thinking that things just couldn't get any weirder than this. Immediately afterward, he knocked on the wooden banister softly.
Dean stepped out of the door only to be brought up short by Sam lying in wait for him. He paused and questioned curiously, "Sammy? What's up? You okay?"
"Yeah, sure," Sam replied acidly. "I'm great, except I have this older brother who has a majorly overgrown martyr complex and who will never do what right for him."
Dean narrowed his eyes at Sam and stated firmly, "You done."
"No, I'm not done," Sam argued hotly, totally not getting the fact that it hadn't actually been asked as a question.
"Yes, you are," Dean insisted firmly. "Because I'm not going to stand hear and listen to you. You already said your piece downstairs and I heard you loud and clear. You talked. I listened. Now you need to leave it alone."
"Dean," Sam tried again persistently.
"Haven't you figured out yet that the more you harp on this, the more unlikely it will be for me to do it?" Dean elaborated with more than an underlying hint of frustration and a lot of warning.
Sam started again but stopped himself as he acknowledged the truth of Dean's words. Dean saw that he had finally gotten through to his hard headed brother, for the moment anyway. He knew it wasn't over but, at least, it was delayed for the time being.
Knowing his time was limited, he questioned hesitantly, "Uh, look, Sammy." He paused, rubbing the back of his neck under the collar that he was reluctantly getting used to. He wasn't sure how to ask what he needed to, other than just going for it, but then that really was the only way to do it here.
"Yeah, Dean?" Sam prodded curiously. "What is it?"
Dean's face flushed beet red both from angry embarrassment over the whole episode. Finally, he forced out, "Uh . . . look. I think that Cass, or Gabriel, could, um, erase the . . . you know . . . so you don't . . ."
Sam held up a hand and admitted quickly, "Yeah, Gabriel already took care of most of that. I mean, I know what happened but it's not graphically imprinted like it was."
"Good," Dean commented then asked hesitantly, "Uh . . . could he . . . uh, fix . . ."
Sam smiled with high amusement then observed casually, "You know, for someone who used to go out of your way to embarrass me with the graphic description of your one night stands, you sure changed your tune when you went for . . . dick."
Dean flushed even more then felt some of his color drain from his face as another déjà vu moment happened relating to the 'dick' joke. He closed his eyes a moment then stared at his brother and questioned tightly, "Could he?"
Sam stared at his tense brother and knew what was going on. He had the same reaction when he heard about Dean and Castiel, although it seemed like that relationship was on the rocks now. He figured he could be honest with Dean as Dean had opened up with him, "He couldn't clear it out of my system but he said that he could fight it in his. He offered to take me to someone else but who else is there? Like you said a while back, not worth the risk of passing it one to a normal human being without a clue. So . . ."
Dean sighed heavily, mentally berating himself for letting Sammy down again. Sam seemed to realize this because he put a hand on Dean's shoulder and clarified, "Hey. Don't do that, Dean. It wasn't your fault and, to be honest, it was pretty damn good."
"Ugh, and ew, but you . . . aren't . . ." Dean argued persistently.
Sam shook his head then explained, "No, I'm not really gay, or bi, but I had experimented before. Went to college. Remember? Did some parties before I realized how bad being drunk at one of those was and end up doing some things that I wouldn't normally do. But, the bottom line here is that I am okay, not traumatized or anything, so let it go, man. Worry about yourself right now, Dean, because you are the one in danger here. Not me."
Dean nodded slightly then glanced at the guest room and asked uneasily, "Look, can you do me a favor?"
"What?" Sam demanded suspiciously.
Dean smiled faintly then shook his head and argued ruefully, "Nothing like that. Just let them know that I'm lying down for a while because I really am beat. Maybe something will come to me when I'm not so dog tired."
Sam studied his brother for a moment then nodded, "Yeah, you do look a lot like hammered crap."
"Thank you, Miss America," Dean snarked lightly, moving past Sam and toward the guest bedroom.
"Hey, Dean?"
"Yeah?" Dean called over his shoulder then turned at the doorway when Sam didn't answer.
"Look," Sam started uneasily then became more confident. "After the past few days, I can understand better what happened with you . . . uh, and Cass. I get that it wasn't your fault, or Cass's. Neither was this last time. But you don't have to keep going with it, you know, if you don't want to. You know that. Right?"
Dean stared uncompromisingly at Sam before he enunciated very carefully, "What is going on with me and Cass is our business, Sam. Not yours. And what I do with it is my decision. Nobody else's. So, yes, I know that. But it is a hell of a lot more complicated than what you just went through, Sam, so don't make judgments without knowing all the facts like you normally do, because almost every time you have done that you've been wrong."
He sighed heavily, knowing his comments probably fell on deaf ears. He stated wearily, "Good night, Sam. Wake me up for lunch." With that, he closed the bedroom door.
Dean ran a hand over his face and through his hair, relieved that it wasn't a sticky mess anymore. His neck under his collar itched slightly so he reached up and scratched up under it. He laid down and realized that he couldn't quite get to the itch. He knew better than to take it off so he only loosened it slightly and sighed in relief when he finally was able to scratch the itch. His eyes closed and he fell into a very welcome, hopefully dreamless sleep.
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"Well," Missouri started after a few moments of uncomfortable silence. As she rose from the table, she announced softly, "Since I'm not needed here anymore, Castiel, could you take me back home now?"
Castiel hesitated uncertainly, glancing at Gabriel who told him easily, "Go ahead, Cassie. Balthy and I will keep an eye on him . . . and them," Gabriel added when he stared pointedly at his arch-brothers.
"Very well," Castiel drew up formally then offered a hand to Missouri.
Missouri told Bobby as she gave him a quick kiss on his leather cheek, "It was good seeing you again, Bobby. Let me know if you need anything else, especially where those two boys are concerned. Watch out for yourself as well."
"Do my best," Bobby promised vaguely.
Missouri took Castiel's hand and couldn't stop the flinch as his pain and turmoil flowed into her. Castiel checked the room one more time and paused long enough to see Sam reenter the room. He announced that Dean was resting and Castiel searched out with his grace to confirm that before he left.
Once he was satisfied that his mate wasn't going to do anything stupid in the few seconds he'd be gone, they departed. In a blink of an eye, they both were gone. Castiel hoped things would be just as calm when he returned but knew with the mate that he'd picked, the chances of that happening weren't that good.
They landed inside Missouri's modest home in the foyer and Castiel tried to draw his hand away to return to Bobby's but Missouri held fast. Castiel looked into her eyes and she demanded abruptly, "You love that stubborn boy, don't you?"
"I . . .," Castiel started then paused uncertainly.
"Don't you play his games with me," Missouri warned harshly. "For one, you aren't as good at them as he is and, two, this is way too important for that. Now, do you, or do you not, love Dean?"
Castiel's postured deflated slightly but his verbal answer was yet another evasion. "It is not of import."
"Of course, it's of import," She snapped back irritably. "You know as well as I do that you have to love him in order to put up with all his crap and the stuff that life is constantly throwing at him. Now, do you love him?"
He started to answer but she warned hotly, "If you say, 'it's not of import' again, I will wack you with my spoon. Just see if I don't. You two definitely belong together if you are being this stubborn about it. You actually act like I don't already know the answer to this question."
Castiel narrowed his eyes slightly then questioned harshly, "If you already know, why are you . . ."
"Asking?" she interrupted abruptly. "I am asking because I don't think you know. I know Dean doesn't and uses any-, and every-,thing to avoid feeling anything. Now I am going to ask you one more time. Do. You. Love. Dean?"
Castiel exhaled heavily then finally admitted reluctantly in a harsh whisper, "Yes! But it's not . . ."
"Of course, it's of import," She cut in insistently. "Don't you see? He won't let anyone love him or put him first. He never has since I've known him. But he won't make it through this alone. And, he won't admit to feeling anything in the process."
"Of course, he's protecting everyone, except himself," Castiel agreed grimly. "Which is why I need to get back there."
"Not yet you don't," Missouri countered firmly. "First, you need to know what he's going to do."
"I already know that," Castiel snapped out impatiently. "He will run as soon as he thinks he can get away with it and try to have the baby on his own. He knows that he, and the baby, are in danger. He is completely unwilling to allow anyone to make the stand with him."
"Second," she continued as if Castiel hadn't spoken, "you need to figure out how you will stop him, if you are going to stop him."
"I am going to stop him," Castiel promised angrily.
"Even though, your brothers are part of the problem?" she questioned cautiously.
"Even so," Castiel vowed solemnly.
She stared at him, measuring his resolve, then continued, "And how are you going to convince him to not try it again? And again? Until one or both of them are dead."
Castiel stared hard at her, reading all the probabilities in her eyes, and finally surmised dryly, "I will have to make him understand the power of our bond. Make him understand who is in control."
Her eyes widened slightly then crinkled with amusement as she smiled and guessed quite correctly, "You have your work cut out for you then." Then she frowned and wondered hesitantly, "And your brothers? What are you going to do about them?"
"Evasion seems the best option at the moment," Castiel observed dryly.
"It will do in a pinch but not so good in the long run," Missouri concluded firmly.
Castiel sighed slightly then cocked his head and questioned her curiously, "Did you also touch Dean while he's been pregnant?"
She nodded and reinforced quietly, "I have. You want to know if I felt it. I have, faintly, mind you. There is no demon in it. No hint of evil. But, as you should know, evil doesn't have to be inherent. Sometimes power is enough to corrupt and your child, Castiel, your child has power. A lot of it."
She sighed heavily and related sorrowfully, "I don't have the ability to see the future. As you know, not many do, especially those who can change it. I do know, though, that between you and Dean, you can guide this child down the right path. You both have such bright spirits and so much ability and resolve to do the right thing, no matter the cost to you personally. Yes, I believe you both can make this child's future a good one."
She smirked slightly as she added wryly, "Of course, you'll have to convince Dean of this, and your love, first. Not to mention, control his martyr complex as well as your own."
She stared at him solemnly and advised insistently, "We may only be human but you of all angels should know by now that we can create miracles if we really put our minds to it. Your mate has shown you that, repeatedly."
Castiel sighed heavily, "Yes. I am well aware of his intense, unrelenting stubbornness which has actually saved the world more than once. But he cannot do this one alone. He needs me."
"Yes, he surely does," She agreed dryly. "I'm not the one you have to convince. You know that." Castiel nodded solemnly then smiled with a hint of wickedness to it. She saw it and abruptly dropped his hand while she had to comment, "Oh, Lordy, I so do not want to know what you are thinking right now."
Castiel's smile grew even more wicked as he agreed easily, "True. You really don't. It will, however, benefit Dean . . . in the long run."
She scoffed with amusement then offered as she said goodbye, "I will leave that to you two to work out. Thank you, Castiel. It was a pleasure to meet you. Let me know if there's anything else you or the boys need help with. I know you will be good for Dean, eventually. Take care."
She turned and headed toward her kitchen then threw over her shoulder, "Let me know if you want to borrow my spoon."
"Why would I need your spoon?" Castiel wondered, completely at a loss over the subject change.
She paused in her kitchen doorway and turned to answer wryly, "Why, to wack him over his hard head with it. Knock some sense into that big hormonal head of his."
Castiel smiled slightly over the image then told her solemnly, "I will let you know. Thank you, Missouri, and call if you need anything." With that, he disappeared abruptly.
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Castiel flew back into the kitchen to hear Sam's impassioned ire sounding out from where he stood by the kitchen table. Sam was actually moderating his voice but his frustration sounded loud and clear. It only took Castiel a moment to figure out what had Sam so wound up.
"I'm telling you, he won't do it," Sam snarled irately in a low hiss.
"Sam," Bobby started patiently.
"Don't 'Sam' me, Bobby," Sam bit off impatiently. "That thing inside him is killing him and he's not going to do squat to stop it. It's his normal self-sacrificing crap and I'm sick of it. I'm not going to let that demon spawn kill my brother. Not while I'm around to stop it."
"Hmmm," Lucifer voiced contemplatively then critiqued, "Very 'Good Wife' like, Sam. Emotional level definitely a ten but facts . . . eh, more like a five, and that was being generous since you didn't have a lot."
He turned and spied Castiel so he announced authoritatively, "Castiel, your position. Five minutes. Go." Lucifer hit the timer next to him while Castiel cast a helplessly confused glance over at a noticeably irritated Gabriel.
Gabriel had been waiting for the glance and quickly summarized for his brother, unable to keep sarcasm out of his voice in parts, "Sammy, here, seems to think that killing Dean's baby, or, sorry, what did Sam call it again, oh, yeah, the soul sucking creature inside his brother would be the best way to go. He's spent the past ten minutes trying to convince the rest of us to follow his lead on it."
"Four minutes, Cassie," Lucifer warned, causing Castiel to glance at him before returning his gaze back to Gabriel.
"Our extremely irritating brother here has set himself up as judge over the subject and is playing at being a professional moron because Judge Judy, he's not," Gabriel snarked snidely.
"Hey," Lucifer objected strenuously. "That's it, Mister. You're in contempt."
"Oh, I haven't even begun to be in contempt, you jack . . ." Gabriel growled warningly.
"Gentlemen, or, rather, angels," Balthazar interrupted what looked to be a definite grudge match. "We are going a little far afield, don't you think?"
"What do you mean?" Bobby wondered, anxious to discuss any subject other than the current one.
"I am simply referring to the dubious creature that set all this up, including and not limited to, our most recent brothers' union which I find beyond suspicious," Balthazar retorted with irritating logic.
"But the thing in Dean . . ." Sam started again, extremely worried about his brother's apparent failing health.
"Is protected by a force field that we cannot penetrate," Balthazar interrupted acidly. "So, please tell me how you expect to accomplish committing this act of murder and betrayal against your brother? Especially without said brother finding out about it before the final coup d'etat?"
Castiel didn't know how to thank his brother at that moment for pointing out the most obvious and logical argument against Sam's plan. He saw that Gabriel felt the same way as did Bobby. He took a moment to search out his mate with his grace and sensed that Dean was still upstairs resting quietly.
"Oh, dear," Lucifer exclaimed with faked disappointment. "Your time's up. Sam wins by default. Now how do we kill the little . . . ack!" There was another crash as Lucifer once again went out the window that was instantly remade.
"Oh, we so have to get you a massage, Cas-tee-el," Michael smirked mockingly from his lounging position on the kitchen cabinet next to the refrigerator. "Way too tense."
"Or you have to control Lucifer," Castiel gritted out angrily.
Michael pursed his lips thoughtfully then shook his head with a slightly smile and replied with amusement, "Nah, a massage would be so much easier." Castiel growled low in his throat, trying to keep his frustration and ire under control.
Lucifer poofed back in and asked vaguely, "What 'd I miss? Nothing? How disappointing. So where's Dean then?"
"Still sleeping. Leave him alone," Castiel ordered menacingly. "He needs rest."
"Well, you would know, wouldn't you?" Lucifer countered snidely. Castiel arched an eyebrow in arrogant cockiness to which Lucifer made a childish face to. "Ew, gross. So didn't need to know that."
"Then you shouldn't have asked," Castiel bit back snidely.
Gabriel rolled his eyes slightly at Castiel's quick fire moods. It was almost like his brother was the pregnant and not his mate. He really just wanted to do something other than listen to the idiotic brothers present. Yes, he was including Sam in that because he'd never thought that Sam would take the position he had taken.
He asked Balthazar bluntly, "What exactly are you suggesting, Balthazar?"
"Oh, nothing much. Only that we might want to consult the source," Balthazar suggested airily.
Gabriel pondered that for a second before he ruminated, "Hmmm. Go to Fairy Land and visit Cosmo and Wanda, totally skip the mother-in-law, though, or make sure the Titans are still curbing their wrath. Best idea, so far."
"Ooooh, oooh, I vote for Fairy Land," Lucifer piped up with his hand raised as he bounced in his chair reminiscent of Arnold Horshack from Welcome Back, Kotter. "They actually understand me there."
"Sure, they do, big boy," Gabriel taunted sarcastically, unable to help himself this time. "You just keep telling yourself that." Lucifer sent him an icy glare.
"Why check on the Titans?" Balthazar wondered curiously. "Dean said that Eve was the third component. And she is quite dead from what Cassie told me."
"She is," Castiel grounded out with stoic firmness, not wanting to remember how low he had sunk last year.
"Case closed on that potion, then," Balthazar surmised easily.
Gabriel shook his head then argued vaguely, "Just a hunch. You and Luci can check out Fairy Land, head's up for Jorgen, while I check out Aphrodite. Talk about a babe. Too bad she's in the promise ring club."
"What are we going to do about Asmo?" Michael wondered curiously. "After all, he was in on the last thing with her."
Castiel narrowed his eyes and suggested logically, "We leave it alone for the moment since he's hiding behind Trinity. She's the bigger threat right now. Especially if she can make angels bond against their will."
"Oh, really?" Gabriel verified curiously. "And who exactly did she make do that?"
Castiel motioned with his head but Michael caught it all the same. He smirked wryly, "Oh, no. I totally knew what I was doing and he did, too, although he tries to play the victimized idiot."
"Hey!" Lucifer objected irately.
"See, what did I tell you," Michael smirked arrogantly.
"Why did you do it then?" Castiel wondered curiously. "It wasn't because of love."
"Are you saying that I don't love my brother?" Michael demanded ominously.
"Not that way, you don't," Castiel argued firmly, holding his ground.
"Then why did you have us set up like that?" Michael insisted hotly. "You cannot tell me that you didn't have an idea that it would happen. You knew that we couldn't fight it."
"Uh," Gabriel interceded boldly. "That's where you are wrong, big bro. See, if you fought it off from the beginning as I did, it wouldn't have been able to take you over completely. See, I watched while you two played along with the creature because she was doing your job for you, tormenting Dean, and Castiel in the process. As long as you two dicks were getting what you wanted, you let her venom run amok in your systems."
"I, on the other hand, didn't. I analyzed it for what it was. A very direct attack of the hormone produced to incite our heats. Like we said, she has some angel in her somewhere. Allowing it to build up in your systems, triggered your own heats to come out. Shorter duration but much, much more overwhelming and intense."
"That still doesn't explain the elopement," Balthazar pointed out.
"Are you sure?" Gabriel taunted mockingly. "After all, Mikey here has been trying to control this particular little brother for some time now. Neither one of them believe that any other being is even close to their equal so it's not like they were ever going to find their true mate. Why not use the mating bond to keep Luci in check. Right, Mikey?"
Michael glared at him and evaded tightly, "Believe whatever you like. Father knows, you will anyway."
"What the hell does all this have to do with the creature killing my brother upstairs?" Sam snapped out irately.
"Sit down, shut up and listen, you blasted idjit," Bobby exploded out irately, worried that Sam's temper tantrum would destroy the actual progress being made finally. "You keep up with your stubborn, single-minded obsession and you're liable to kill your own brother in the process. Just like your daddy almost did, several times. Not only that, the featherheads will probably up and leave us to stew in our own juices, just so they don't have to listen to ya since they have their own idiot to deal with."
"That's you, Gabe," Lucifer crowed with amusement. The others rolled their eyes at him.
"But you're all missing the point," Sam argued hotly.
"What's the point then, Sam?" Gabriel gritted out through clenched teeth, having a very hard time putting up with obsessive Sam.
Sam flushed at Gabriel's obvious anger but continued adamantly, knowing that he was right about this, "If that creature was Eve's daughter, and angels haven't been allowed to procreate since the Flood, what other proof do you need that this thing inside Dean is a monster?"
Bobby arched his eyebrows then commented reluctantly, "Boy's got a point there."
Gabriel ran a hand over his face and countered, "Look, the fact is that we don't know for sure what she was. That's why we are in the middle of planning that research out. You two shouldn't have to be told that monster's lie, regularly."
"In addition," Castiel added, "when we encountered Eve, she was creating monsters from humans that had already been born. That is how she created all of them."
He turned to look at Gabriel, stating firmly, "I am staying here. She might return."
"Why would she return?" Bobby demanded uneasily.
Castiel bit his lip slightly then answered vaguely, "She blames Dean and me for her mother's death. I cannot take the chance that she will not attack him and follow me instead."
"How will that help when she has power to control you?" Sam pointed out irritably.
"I can sense her coming and get Dean to safety instantly," Castiel explained easily, steadfastly ignoring the anger radiating from the younger Winchester. After all, this wasn't the first time Sam had acted this way. Castiel could name several instances and knew listing them wouldn't do a thing about making Sam back down. A righteous Sam was an unreasonable, highly dangerous Sam.
Castiel glanced over at Lucifer who cackled with amusement, "Now you know why I love him so much!"
Bobby ignored them and refocused everyone's attention by reciting the plans so far, "So Balthazar and Lucifer are checking out the Fae. Why are you going to the Greeks again? And what do we do about the angelic part?"
"Duh, Angels," Lucifer snarked bitingly while he pointed to himself and his brothers sarcastically.
"My mistake," Bobby returned with enormous dry sarcastically as well. "Somehow, you and angel just don't seem to mix right."
"Yeah? Well, they did break the mold with me," Lucifer preened proudly.
"Thank Father," replied a heavenly chorus.
Gabriel answered swiftly to keep Lucifer quiet, hopefully, "The angelic angle is covered as well as it can be with us, unless Father decides to make an appearance."
"We could ask Joshua," Castiel blurted out in sudden thought.
Gabriel paused then allowed easily, "True. Good point. Now your job." Castiel started to argue but Gabriel waved it away. "They will watch over Dean for the short time you'll be gone."
"Why can't you . . ."
"Greeks, remember?" Gabriel reminded hotly, "I know what boy toy said but there's something bothering me about all this and I really need to check it out. So," he stated as he clapped his hands, "Everyone have their assignments?"
"Not us, you idjit," Bobby grouched irritably.
"Uh, no, I didn't. Watch Big Momma upstairs. Make sure she doesn't bring down the house. Keep her fed and watered so that she doesn't jump on her PMS cycle and run your butts over. Now, everyone. Break." He clapped his hands together then yelled enthusiastically, "Go Team!" He disappeared an instant later. Balthazar and the other two archs left right after, leaving Castiel as the only angel.
Castiel gave Sam a warning glare and cautioned intently, "No harm had better come to him, or the baby, while I'm gone or, make no mistake, I will throw you back into the box." With a flurry of feathers, Castiel soared to Heaven, praying he was doing the right thing by leaving Dean alone.
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I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Please review and let me know what you think.