Chapter 7: Getting Answers
Dean shifted and stirred, tossing around on the bed. He felt strange, like he'd one too many energy drinks. He shifted again and a warm hand brushed against his brow and the strange feeling began to fade. With a groan he opened his eyes and were met with smiling gold eyes. He startled a bit and looked around, not remembering how he got to a bed.
^We carried you up here.^
Dean turned back to the angel. "I can hear you. How the hell are you doing that?"
^As long as I have a physical connection with you I can project my thoughts into your mind. It's a bit harder to do without the connection but it is possible as I proved to you at the mansion.^ The angel said softly. ^Is my voice the first you've heard?^
Dean nodded. "Yeah. I haven't heard anything since I woke up after the accident."
^I'm sorry to hear that. How do you feel? Is the barrier working?^ He asked with a tilt of his head. ^With you passed out I wasn't sure how well it would work to keep the energy at bay.^
"Its working great. Thanks." Dean hesitated. "It's Gabriel right?"
The blonde nodded. ^Glad you remember my name. I have to say I loved how you drove Crowley up the wall. That was beautiful.^
"Just something to pass the time. Where's my bag?"
Gabriel stood and picked up the bag from it's place on the dresser and brought it over to him. ^What's so important about this bag?^
The hunter gave him a funny look. "You mean you didn't open it?"
^Nope. It belongs to you. That means I need your permission to open it. Since you were out you couldn't do that.^ Gabriel said softly. ^Would you like to join us for breakfast?^
Dean looked around. He was a bit confused but happy to see that they only thing that had removed from him was hit boots. He sat up slowly pleased that the energy from the lay lines wasn't as strong. With a heavy sigh Dean couldn't help but relax even though he was in the presence of an angel that could most likely snap him like a twig.
"Thanks for getting me out of there." Dean said softly as he stood, looking for his boots. "I was getting tired of Crowley's advances. Last night was the first night he actually tried something. I really could care less about him and his plans or being the Prince of Hell. And after what I found I could care less about whether all of heaven and earth is out to kill me as long as get the answers I want." Dean paused as he pulled his boots on. "Sorry. I guess I'm not making much sense am I?"
Gabriel chuckled. ^I blame it on lack of food. Come on. Everyone's waiting downstairs.^
Dean followed the angel, slinging his bag over his head to rest comfortably across his back. The house itself didn't seem very big but he could tell that a bit of magic had been used meaning that the house could be huge and not look any different. Going down the stairs led them to a kitchen where the two humans were sitting at the table and the other angel was sitting at the counter. They all gave him a smile when he came in.
Deciding that it was the one place where he could see everyone clearly he took a seat next to the dark haired angel. Blue eyes regarded him curiously but the angel made no move against him. The taller human stood and went over to the coffee pot and poured a cup of coffee before adding some sugar and a small splash of cream. The human gave him a smile, setting the cup in front of him before returning to his seat. He stared down at liquid before picking it up and taking a sip, surprised to find it just the way he liked it. Gabriel sat a plate filled with bacon, eggs, and sausage, with a side of toast in front of him and then took a seat between the two humans.
He felt a tap on his shoulder and turned to look at the angel next to him. "Morning."
Dean gave him a weak smile. "Castiel right?"
The angel nodded. "I'm glad you remembered my name."
"Sorry about the kiss. I know it was a bit rough and sudden." The hunter said.
The angel gave him a blinding smile. "You don't have to apologize. I greatly enjoyed it."
"Good to know. You were the first person I can ever remember kissing."
"If it means anything..." Castiel said with a blush. "You were my first kiss as well."
Dean's eyes turned soft but he didn't say anything. Instead he looked down at the food and after a few moments decided that he would it eat. After all if they had wanted him dead then they could have easily killed him when he passed out. At his first forkful of food his eyes went wide at the taste and he had to admit he must have looked like a pig but damn it all if he wasn't hungry. As soon as his plate was empty Gabriel refilled it with a smile.
"So...This happen often here?" Dean asked looking around. "The whole eating together thing?"
"All the time." Sam said turning to face him. "Meal times are family times here."
"Not sure I get it but okay." Dean admitted. "It was...Sam?"
Sam's face lit up. "Yup."
"I recognized you from the pictures but I didn't have a name to go with the face. Castiel was the only name I had to go on and even then I wasn't too sure if I had the right name with the right angel. None of the stuff was labeled." The hunter said around a mouthful of food. "Sorry."
"What do you mean nothing was labeled?" Sam asked. "Does it have to do with why you asked us to come to you?
"Yeah. After the festival I went back home. I'm not going to lie but I always felt like something was wrong ever sine I woke up after the accident. When I saw Castiel at the festival I had the strangest urge to kiss him. I didn't understand it. Then he showed me his wings. They matched my feather. Dad told me that everyone was burned alive in the car, my mate included. I only survived because my seat belt broke and I was thrown." Dean said softly, looking down at his half finished plate. "He said that when he showed up...He could hear their dying screams as the car burned. I had been trying to get them out when one of the angels hit me over the head. When Dad showed up they took me and fled. By that time it was too late to save any of them. Dad thinks my memory loss is from that."
Gabriel stood and came over to Dean holding out both hands towards his face. "May I?"
Green eyes narrowed. "What are you going to do?"
"I am not only the Messenger Archangel but I am also the Archangel of Healing. I'd like to look you over if I have your permission?"
Dean glared at the angel but after a moment nodded. The minute those hands touched his face he couldn't help but let out a loud moan at the warmth in them. He shuddered from the warmth of an angel as it was such a different feeling then the cold hands of the demons he was used to. The feeling spread from his face, went down his neck and soon filled his whole body. His eyes closed and he leaned into the touch and actually whined when Gabriel pulled away. He felt dazed as he opened his eyes to find the laughing faces of the angels and humans.
Dean felt himself flush. "Do all angels feel that warm or is it just you?"
"Not just me but I am warmer then most." Gabriel said. "Dean...You've had no injuries in the last six months. The last injuries that you sustained are the ones from my battle with Crowley."
"You fought my dad and won?" Dean asked, looking the angel up and down. "No offense but...You're a bit on the short side aren't you?"
"And yet I managed to put the fear of me into him."
The brunette was silent for a few minutes before looking back up at him. "Why...Why did you cut your wing off?" That had the whole kitchen tensing and the Nephilim was able to feel the change in the air. "Sorry. I should have kept my mouth shut. I was told it always got me into trouble."
"It's not that." Castiel said. "It's just a very sore subject with us. Our wings are the most sensitive part of our body. The fact that Gabriel had no choice but to remove it, knowing the pain that would come with it...Most angels would have rather died then take that pain."
Dean pulled his bag off and opened it and shuffled through the pictures until he came to the one of Gabriel after cutting off his wing. He dropped it on the counter next to his plate and closed his bag. The reactions were not what he was expecting. Gabriel swayed dangerously and Sam rushed to steady him while Castiel looked like he wanted to throw up. The last human came over and picked up the picture staring at it.
"I always knew he was sick, taking pictures and shit but I think this is going a bit far even for him." The human said.
Dean stared at him for a minute. "You're...Bobby-" A spike of pain shot through his head and he flinched. "Damn."
"Dean?" Castiel turned and put a hand on his mate's arm and watched as the pain began to fade.
"That hurt. It's just a headache." He said holding a hand to his head
Castiel frowned when he realized what occurred. Dean had called him 'Bobby' and yet Crowley introduced him as 'Robert'. Dean had turned to look at Gabriel, who was watching Dean from Sam's embrace. Those gold eyes were calculating and the younger angel could almost see the numbers running through his head. His brother was trying to put a time line to seal. Every symptom was a clue to how long they had. He turned back to Dean who was looking over the picture with Bobby.
"Just how many more of these do you have?" The older hunter asked.
"There was quite a bit of stuff in the envelope. Not to mention the dvd. I just skimmed through it. I was worried about getting caught so I couldn't watch all of it." Dean said holding tightly onto his bag. "I was hoping that you guys could tell me most of what this stuff was."
"Let's get comfortable then. I have a feeling that what you found won't be pleasing to look at." Gabriel said heading into the living room.
Everyone else filed in and got comfortable. Gabriel took his oversized armchair and Sam sat on the floor in front of him. Bobby decided on taking the love seat while Castiel took the couch. Seeing no harm in it Dean sat next to the angel, missing the smile that crossed his face when he did so. Dean pulled out the large envelope and sat it on the table.
"I'm going to warn you now. Some of this stuff is not pretty. The dvd is even worse and I'm sure it has sound." Dean warned opening the envelope and dumping it onto the table.
The pictures scattered across the table. Dean shifted them around until they were all clearly visible. He looked up and the pain was clear on their faces. Sam seemed angry as he took in the pictures of Gabriel, while the angel just seemed pained. Castiel was staring at the pictures with a look of regret and heartbreak. Bobby looked over each and everyone, having not been present during either of these events. When he was done the hunter picked up both contracts and read them over.
"I think this second one was meant for Gabriel." Bobby said looking it over.
Sam looked up at him. "What makes you say that?"
"This contract says that the signer of this contract agrees to give Crowley a child any time he wants and that the person agrees to become his personal sex slave." Bobby said passing it to him.
Sam read it then held it out to Gabriel. "Have you ever seen this Gabe?"
The blonde nodded sadly. "I got to see it once a week, every week, for eighteen months. I think he was hoping that I'd give in on my days of reprieve. I think he wanted me to see it as a way to make the pain stop for good instead just having one day a week where I was given three meals a day and treated like and actual person and not a prisoner."
"You didn't tell me it was that bad Gabe." Sam said looking up at him.
"I wanted to forget that it happened Sam." The angel said kissing him softly.
Castiel picked up the picture of him on his knees before Crowley. At the time he saw no reason to protest being trained like that by the demon. Once he mated with Dean, however, he became ashamed of those skills and refused to use them on his mate. Crowley had called him the perfect little slut for his talents and it made Castiel fear what Dean would say. A warm hand reached out and carefully took the picture from his hand.
"Was that a common thing?" Dean asked him softly.
Castiel nodded. "At the time I saw no reason to say no even though I didn't really want to do it. I didn't dare to hope that we could have worked out things between us. Now...Now I am ashamed of what I learned from him.
Dean frowned. "You said we...Meaning you and I?"
Castiel nodded. "I made a mistake. The only way to save myself was to accept the contract. When you found out you were furious. I thought you hated me. Instead you hated what I had been reduced to. You told me once you wanted me to be the old Cas. The one you remembered me being before I became Crowley's slave. I didn't understand then that you wanted me to be the Cas that you fell in love with and not the one that kneeling at a demon's feet and being treated like a prized dog."
"He really treated you that bad?"
"Gabriel had it worse. Crowley made him eat out of dog dishes as a punishment."
The Nephilim made a face at that. "That's disgusting. I didn't know he could be so cruel. So all of this is from that time? You two were there together?"
"No." Gabriel said. "I ended up taking Cassie's place after I did something that I shouldn't have. I ended up poisoned and tortured for the following nineteen and a half months."
"Why so long? Why didn't the other angels try and save you or something?" Dean asked. "Dad said they protect their own and never go anywhere alone."
"Because other then Castiel no other angels know I'm alive. No one had a reason to look for a dead angel. Cassie and Sammich along with yourself told me not to come back for a while. By the time you realized that something was wrong it was already too late for me." Gabriel said. "But we're better now. We've come out from this stronger as a family."
"A family..." Dean whispered looking down at the pictures. "And I was a part of this family?"
"You still are." Sam said. "You're my brother. My big brother."
"You are the son I always wanted. You and Sam both." Bobby said with a gruff smile
"You are the son that I desperately wanted once more." Gabriel said softly.
Castiel gently placed his hand over Dean's. ^You are my soul mate. The one who matters to me above everyone else.^
Dean stared down at the pictures. They were his family. They were alive and not burned up in a car crash. His family were angels and hunters. He was a hunter. He had a brother and a mate. Crowley had lied. But did he really lie about everything?
Dean held up the dvd. "Do you want to see what's on this?"
Gabriel stood and took it from him. The blonde took it and placed it in the dvd player and grabbed the remote for it and the tv before returning to his seat. He hesitated before turning on the tv and pressing the play button. The first images that came up were dealing with Castiel and his time as Crowley's slave. Then it turned darker, going into the sexual acts and then whipping. The last bit of it all took place in the cellar with the angel seemingly ill and the demon continuing his abuse and escalating it even when it was clear that Castiel couldn't take anymore. Castiel's screams were heartbreaking to the four in the room that cold hear them. It made Dean glad that he couldn't hear.
The screen darkened and came back the camera turning on seconds before it showed Gabriel tumbling, head over heels down a set of concrete stairs. The angel landed rather awkwardly and his leg was trapped under him with a sickening snap. The scream that rang out made the audio go haywire and the screen to turny snowy for a minute before the Gabriel on the screen seemed to pull himself together, crawling across the floor. Crowley entered a few moments later wearing an evil grin.
^"How does it feel Gabriel?"
"Feels like I broke it. Thanks for asking." The angel snarked.
Crowley came over and gave the broken limb a kick sending the angel into screams once more. "If I were you, I'd get used to this pain Gabriel. They told you to leave. They don't want you any more. If I were you I'd just give in. No one is coming to save you. No one even knows you're here!" The demon said with glee.
Gabriel glared. "They'll come for me. They're my family."
Crowley kicked the angel's leg once more. "Until they do...You're my bitch."^
Sam reached up and grabbed the remote and turned off the dvd. There were tears streaming down his face and Gabriel wasn't much better, with the archangel seemingly having a panic attack. He turned and flung himself at Gabriel and the archangel held him tightly. Castiel rushed over to help calm his brother as did Bobby.
Dean watched them for a moment before getting up and heading down to the beach. They needed family time and right now he felt like anything but family. As he sat down on the beach Fergus curled up next to him and as he did, Dean couldn't explain why he started crying.