Author's Note: IF THERE WAS EVER A CHAPTER I WANTED REVIEWED, THIS IS IT. I've been planning this for weeks. So please make my day and review! Enjoy the chapter!
Sam and Dean spent the next few days perfecting their gifts whenever they had a bit of time alone. It was about a week before Father's Day when news finally came about Azrael: Asteraoth had escaped capture. Two days later, word came that Azrael had been broken out of heaven's jail. Every angel in heaven and on earth were on the look out for the powerful archangel, but none more so than Gabriel and Castiel. They informed the boys of these developments but tried to make as little of it as possible. They already had plans in place in case of an attack, so there really wasn't any reason to worry over it. at least that's what they tried to convince the boys. Both of them were incredibly suspicious, but didn't say anything about it.
Castiel and Gabriel, meanwhile, tried to keep them from the cabin as much as possible. When they were hunting the two angels took on small jobs in heaven. They always checked the cabin to make sure it was safe for the boys once they got home. They wanted so desperately to protect them that they tried to send them to hunt as often as possible, but their need to be little quickly flared up as the stress got to be too much. So they did the only thing they could think to do and compromised by taking them places for them to be little. Today, Gabriel was taking Sam to the zoo, and Castiel was taking Dean to the park.
The two pairs of fathers and sons went their separate ways and were gone for several hours. However, there was one key difference between the boys that would be crucial in the end: Dean took naps regularly. Sam might take one on occasion, but he often protested that he was "too big" for such treatment. So Gabriel acquiesced to his wishes and didn't force it on him. Castiel however, insisted on Dean's naps. And honestly, Dean didn't blame him. He often pushed himself far past the acceptable limit. That included his sleep. As a hunter he only averaged four hours of sleep at night, so when he was home, he got at least eight hours of sleep a night, plus naps to make up for it.
It was around three when Castiel took Dean back home. His son was already getting cranky from the heat. He didn't think of checking the house as Dean fussed in his arms. He carried him to the nursery and stripped him of his sweaty clothes, changing him into a pair of pajamas. He was already falling asleep by then. Castiel didn't bother trying to feed him a bottle- he was too exhausted. Instead, he slipped a pacifier between his son's lips and tucked him into bed. He planted a kiss on his forehead before turning to leave.
Suddenly, an invisible force flung him against the wall. Castiel didn't cry out; he didn't want to wake Dean up. Then, as he had anticipated, Azrael materialized in the room. He put a finger to his lips.
"Shhh. The baby's sleeping."
With a wicked grin, he began his torment.
Before Azrael could block him, Castiel sent word to Gabriel in code. Gabriel, who was looking at the Monkey exhibit with Sam, heard the numbers 83, 47, 94, 1, and 53 in his mind from Castiel. Each one of them meant something different. 83 was for home invasion, 47 meant bring backup, 94 meant he was being tortured, but 53 and 1 sent a chill down his spine.
53 meant that Azrael was there. 1 meant that Dean was in danger.
Gabriel grabbed his son's hand. "Come on Sam, we're leaving."
Sam could hear the tone of his Daddy's voice change. This was serious.
"Where are we going?" He asked.
"Bobby's. We need back up."
"Back up for what?"
"Your brother and Cassie are in danger."
"You mean...?"
"Yes. Azrael."
Sam's heart rate increased tenfold.
Gabriel put a hand on his shoulder and transported them to Bobby's. Bobby himself was on the couch with a beer in one hand and book of Greek lore in the other.
"Bobby!" Sam exclaimed. Bobby instinctively reached for the gun he kept under the coffee table, leapt to his feet, and pointed it at the voice. When he saw who it was, he put the gun down.
"Damn it boy, you almost gave me a heart attack!"
"There's no time! We need backup and we need it now!" Sam pressed. Bobby sprang into action at the sound of Sam's voice. The only thing that could panic him like that was his brother's endangerment.
"Come on. Let's pick up Ellen and Jo and go."
Gabriel put his hands on their shoulders and took them to the roadhouse.
Ellen and Jo were in the front of the house arguing when the three of them arrived.
"Dean needs help." Said Sam. The two of them shared a look, then went over to them. Gabriel encircled all of them in his arms and took them to the cabin. He stepped inside, bold and unafraid. That is, until he saw his brother lying on the floor of the foyer. His face was black, blue, and swollen. One eye was screwed shut, and his nose was pouring blood, just like his chest.
"Cassie..." He whispered. Castiel looked up at his brother's voice. Gabriel went over and knelt down to him. Castiel gripped him by the collar.
"It's not me he wants. He wants Dean." Castiel strained to speak. "Protect him." He whispered. "Promise me." He begged. Gabriel nodded. He healed his face and chest as best he could before helping his brother up.
Suddenly, a scream resounded through the cabin. Despite the pain it caused him, Castiel ran to the nursery. He got there just to see Azrael looming over the crib, scythe ready to strike.
"NO!" Castiel cried. He ran as hard and fast as he could, and leapt in front of the blade. It hit him in the stomach, piercing through his organs and coming out his back. Castiel looked at him as he took a last shallow breath. Azrael removed the scythe, and Castiel toppled to the ground, dead.