Chapter Thirty-Two

The Expected Outcome

TW/CW: Homophobia, PTSD, and controlling parents

Unnamed Motel: Year 2002

Dean was ready to rip his hair out. They'd been stuck in 2002 for about two weeks, and that was two weeks too damn many. His dad was helping them avoid other hunters, but being with him for days on end was nerve wracking. John clearly didn't know how to handle him and Castiel. Sam and Bobby had accepted it like they'd seen it coming, which they probably had if Dean were being honest with himself. On the other hand, John jumped between disgusted, annoyed, and silent judgment. It was driving him nuts, especially because he needed Castiel now more than ever. His Hell nightmares were poking their ugly head into this already shitty situation, and Castiel was the only one who could handle them. It was extra grating because John insisted on getting one room, and then gave them dirty looks when they tried to sleep together.

All of which led to his current situation. He'd slammed the bathroom door, ignoring his dad's demands about why he'd just woken up screaming. A quiet whoosh made him look up just as Castiel sat on the floor next to him.

"I can't handle this," he mumbled. "It's too much."

"You aren't sleeping well and your father is stressing you out." Castiel sighed, draping an arm around his shoulders. "It's a nasty combination, especially since you struggle to sleep normally."

Dean leaned against Castiel and shut his eyes. "I don't know if I can keep this up."

"What do you want to do?"

"Find Gabriel, beat the shit out of him, and tell him to fix this."

Castiel hummed, dragging a hand through his hair. Dean relaxed at the touch and melted further into the angel's arms.

"Then we do that."

Dean glanced up at Castiel. "What?"

"We find Gabriel in this time, beat the shit out of him, and then make him send us home."

Dean chuckled and rolled his eyes. "It ain't that easy, Cas."

"He isn't hiding currently," Castiel said. "We know how he acts, and I'm sure we can find leads on a trickster without much hassle."

Dean frowned, pushing down the ball of hope that formed in his chest. "Cas, that went horribly back home."

"Back home he is hiding behind powerful wards and illusions within his own dimension. Here, the most he's probably doing is creating illusions to live in while he watches his pranks play out."

"You really think this could work?"

Castiel pulled his chin up, brushing a kiss against his lips. "I will move the world for you, Dean. Your suffering is unacceptable, especially when it is so easily remedied."

"You're a sap," Dean laughed. "You make it sound like a normal hunt."

"It's our normal. Your father needs to accept that."

Dean knew that was a loaded statement and decided not to dig into it. Hopefully they'd get home soon and he wouldn't have to deal with his dad anymore.

"Can you put me to sleep?" Dean whispered. "Not being able to sleep with you is killing me."

"Of course," Castiel said. "Let's get you back to bed and I'll do it as discreetly as possible."

Dean leaned forward, kissing the angel firmly. "I love you. Please know that."

"And I love you. Never forget that, my mate."

Dean blushed, rolling his eyes at Castiel's teasing tone. "I'm totally telling everyone how you went all alpha on me."

"I'm sure the others will find it quite amusing," Castiel chuckled. "Now up. Sitting on a motel floor isn't how I wanted to spend my night."

Castiel pulled him up just as there was banging on the bathroom door. "Dean, come out!"

Dean winced at his dad's demand, leaning into Castiel's arms.

"Great," he muttered. "He's not going to let this rest."

"He will. One moment."

Dean didn't have time to respond to Castiel's growled comment as the angel flew from the room. The banging suddenly stopped, and a moment later Castiel opened the door.

"Get comfortable in bed," the angel prompted. Dean glanced at his dad's bed, raising his eyebrow when he saw the man was passed out.

"He's gonna be pissed with you when he wakes up," Dean pointed out.

"Tragic," Castiel said drily.

"I'm too tired to argue with you," Dean snorted. He fell into his bed, trying to ignore the layer of cold sweat still on the sheets. Castiel laid down next to him, and Dean rolled into the angel's arms with a pleased sigh. "You can't be here in the morning," Dean mumbled.

"I know, and I won't be. Rest, Dean. I'm here."

Dean had never heard anything so reassuring in his life.

Line Break

John didn't know how to act around his son or Castiel. At first Dean was what he expected: headstrong but obedient. It wasn't until Castiel started to argue with him that Dean became moody. The so-called angel seemed to bring out a protectiveness in Dean that he'd only seen the boy exhibit with Sam. Castiel clearly looked out for Dean's well being, but John wasn't sure how to feel about the situation. It was hard enough to come to terms with the fact his son was with a man. That situation became even more difficult when he factored in that Castiel wasn't human, and had no problem showing off that fact as needed.

"So, we have a new plan."

Dean's voice broke his thoughts, and John looked up from his breakfast. They were at a dinner in the middle of nowhere. He'd been in a fowl mood when he woke up after realizing the angel had knocked him out. It spoke of how little respect the creature had for him when Castiel didn't apologize or even try to justify his actions. Instead, when John had started in on Castiel the argument had been halted by his son. Dean had said the angel was trying to protect him and to let it go.

"And what's that?" he gruffly asked.

"We will take the fight to Gabriel," Castiel declared. "He won't be hiding now, and Dean is familiar with how to track him."

"That such a good idea? Ain't he an all powerful angel?"

"We'll need supplies you don't have," Dean admitted. "But Gabriel is over confident. We can use that to our advantage."

"Fine. Say this works, how are you going to convince him to send you back?"

Castiel and Dean exchanged an amused look. "Well we can always threaten him with his and Cas's sister," Dean snorted. "If that fails, we'll keep him captive until he agrees. Gabriel likes his privacy, and he won't be thrilled that a future version of himself is threatening his quiet life."

"Sister?" John asked skeptically. "If she's around, why not just go to her for help?"

"We may have to if Gabriel doesn't help, but there are issues with doing that."

John frowned at Dean's cagey response. "Like what?"

"I thought they were apart at this time?" Castiel directed at Dean. "It would be a solid backup if our plan with Gabriel fails."

"That's just us guessing," Dean said. "She said they hadn't been together for a few years, so it may be too early yet."

"I see," Castiel sighed. "It isn't worth the risk then."

"The risk of what?" John demanded. "I don't like being kept out of the damn conversation."

"Dad, your voice," Dean warned.

John glanced around, noticing a few people had looked over. He sighed and sipped his coffee, trying to calm his temper. Castiel eyed him critically before glancing at Dean. They seemed to have a silent conversation and Dean threw his hands up.

"You tell him then. I'm not dealing with the blow out."

"Tell me what?" John growled.

Castiel sighed and sipped his coffee before responding. "The apocalypse affects everyone," Castiel began. "Heaven, Hell, the supernatural on Earth. Everyone will be touched by it if we fail to stop the war that's coming."

"So what? Less monsters is a good thing."

Castiel chuckled, and John glared at the pitying look the angel sent him. "If only that were true. Your sons have found out first hand how delicate the balance of the world is. Wiping out supernatural beings will never be possible, not really."

"The hell do you mean?" John demanded. "You saying there is no point in hunting at all?"

"Don't be childish," Castiel scoffed. "Hunters provide a much needed service. If you are able to find a supernatural being, more often than not they've committed some type of crime against humans. In those cases, it is necessary to put them down before they harm more innocents."

"So why not kill all the bastards? Seems like a solid plan to end the issue."

"Because not every monster you meet is out to harm humans." John opened his mouth to argue, but Castiel didn't give him the chance. "Answer me this, what would you do if you ran into a child who'd been bitten by a werewolf? Better yet, what would you do if it were one of your sons?"

John's blood ran cold at the question. Dean had looked away from him, clearly not wanting to hear his answer. Castiel stared him down, clearly waiting for an answer. What could he say though? That situation was a hunter's worst nightmare. He knew many who'd simply walk away, not wanting to kill a child even if it may go on to harm someone. On the other hand, there were those who would kill a turned child without hesitating.

"The fact that you have to think so long underlines the problem," Castiel said. "Hunters struggle to understand situations that are not black and white in my experience. Bobby is one of the few I have met that was able to adapt in the face of the world changing around him at a rapid pace."

"What, are you working with a werewolf then?"

John's annoyed question made the angel roll his eyes. It was hard not to snap at Castiel for being disrespectful when he looked Dean's age. He constantly had to remind himself that the angel could kill him with barely a thought. His only saving grace seemed to be the creature's relationship with Dean. Every time things got tense his son would look over and try to smooth things out. It reminded him of when Sam was still hunting with them and Dean had to keep the peace between him and Sam.

"No, not a werewolf," Castiel said after a moment.

"Then what?"

Dean sighed and looked over. "You ain't gonna like it, but like Cas said this affects everyone. Hell, we met Death recently to give you some perspective."

John stared at his son, wishing he was lying. Dean's eyes were hard and his jaw tight, a clear indication that he was telling the truth about a serious topic.

"How are you alive?" John whispered. "Why didn't he kill you?"

"Because he needs us to do a job," Dean said. "Think of us like the universe's bodyguards. The issue is we didn't pick our team, and a lot of this shit was going on way before Bobby, Sam, and I got involved. Before Sam and I were even born in some cases."

John fell silent and stared down at his cold breakfast. What could he say to that? If things were this far out of control, there was no telling who or what his sons were working with. A sickening thought surfaced, and he eyed both men across from him.

"You mentioned Hell earlier. Why?"

Dean looked away again and Castiel pinched the bridge of his nose. "As I said, this fight affects everyone. Humans fail to realize that Hell serves several purposes. If something were to slow down, or Father forbid stop, the flow of souls from entering Hell it would be a disaster."

"And what does that have to do with anything? Shouldn't that shit happen naturally?"

"No," Castiel growled. "It does not. When God left, souls still had to be sorted to the appropriate afterlife. A death god took over the task, weighing a person's deeds to sort them accordingly." Castiel paused, glancing toward Dean in concern. "Once souls arrive in Hell, punishments vary. Inevitably though, every soul will break. Once they break, they become demons."

"Cas, I'm fine," Dean muttered.

"You are not. Your heart rate is well above normal."

Dean blushed, staring pointedly out the window. Castiel sighed and turned back to John. "My point is that those souls need to be overseen. Punishments allotted and the more animalistic demons and hell beasts kept in their place. If there is not someone to oversee things, creatures will slip through the cracks and roam Earth."

"You're telling me one demon rules over the rest?" John couldn't keep the skepticism out of his voice.

"Yes, but not all demons were initially human either." Castiel's voice was tight, and a dark look had passed over his face. "The more powerful ones...well, there are multiple ways to become a denizen of Hell."

"You're working with a demon then?" John couldn't understand why he sounded so calm. He was furious. He wanted to scream at his son and demand answers. How could Dean betray everything they'd worked so damn hard for? How could he betray Mary?

Castiel hummed. "We are. The next King of Hell, to be precise. I wasn't overly fond of the idea myself at first, but he has proven his value."

Dean snorted at Castiel's dry commentary. "You ever gonna admit that he ain't that bad?"

"Perhaps when I die," Castiel huffed. "How would you feel about a demon sleeping with your sister?"

John spit the coffee he just sipped back into the mug and slammed it down onto the table. "What did you just say?" he demanded.

Dean laughed as Castiel rolled his eyes. Clearly the two of them didn't see the seriousness of what they'd just implied.

"It's great when it's someone else reacting to that news," Dean chuckled. "Dad, don't worry about it too much. It literally doesn't matter."

"You're telling me an angel and demon fucking isn't a big deal?"

Castiel scrunched his nose in distaste. "I never said that. In fact I'm not a huge fan of it myself, but telling my sister what to do is as effective as advising the sun not to rise."

"I think it's less effective than that," Dean said. "She's stubborn."

"Pot and kettle, Dean."

Dean rolled his eyes, snorting in amusement. He hadn't seen his son look that alive in years. Yet bickering about a damn angel and demon sleeping together seemed to brighten his mood. Was there any point continuing this conversation? He doubted Dean would listen and Castiel was clearly set in his ways. The most he could hope to do was guilt Dean into changing before they left.

"What do we need to trap this bastard?" John gruffly asked.

Dean shot him a searching look at the change of subject. "Holy oil. Maybe some candy to bribe the bastard."

"Candy?"

Dean snorted. "You'll understand when you meet him. Gabriel is a bit out there, and definitely not what you'd think of if someone asked about angels."

Castiel muttered something under his breath, but John ignored him. He had to focus on his son for now. Hopefully before they went back to their time he'd convince Dean that he'd strayed too damn far from the line of what was right.

"Fine. Where can we get holy oil?"

Line Break

Castiel pretended to sleep in the pickup's backseat. He was stretched out since Dean was sitting shotgun, talking with his father. The conversation was centered entirely around their pursuit of Gabriel, so Castiel didn't bother to chime in. The less he had to speak with John the better. He didn't hate the man, but his distaste ran strong. The parallels between John and Michael were striking, and he wondered why the eldest archangel hadn't claimed John as a vessel instead of Dean. They had far more in common with their fanatical love of rules and need to be obeyed. Then again, maybe he was projecting his annoyance at Michael on to John. Either way, the sooner they returned home the happier he would be.

"So when did you and-" John paused. "Castiel, start?"

"Ah, depends what you mean." Dean's voice became softer, clearly uncomfortable with the subject. "We've been friends for years."

"I meant sleeping together."

Castiel could hear Dean shift uncomfortably at John's terse statement. He hesitated to intervene though, especially while the man was driving. He didn't want Dean's life put at risk because he'd started an argument with John.

"Oh, that. Uh, it's recent. Kinda been dancing around the obvious for at least a year though, according to Sam."

"Do you think that's a good example for Sam? Seeing you sleeping with a creature seems like a bad idea."

A tense silence filled the car, and Castiel felt his nails bite into his palm. This entire train of questioning would bring up raw wounds for Dean.

"Sam literally had a threesome while I was stuck in a blizzard," Dean flatly intoned. "For the record, that was before Cas and I hooked up."

An awkward silence fell over the truck, and Castiel could have laughed. Of the two brothers, Dean was actually the tamer one. Sam had a fire in his blood that craved adventure and a sense of belonging, even if the man denied it. It was part of why he flourished under Rowena's tutelage. If Sam's girlfriend hadn't been killed, he was sure the hunter would have settled into a normal life. That fire would have still burned though, pushing him to try new things and learn everything he could. Dean had a gentleness that he'd learned to associate with caregivers. Raising his brother and caring for his family had left Dean craving stability that their current life simply didn't offer. His one wish was to offer Dean some sense of that stability once the world was saved. Even if it was as simple as going back to the normal hunts the man had grown up on.

"Were they at least human?"

Dean sighed at John's tense question. "Yes."

"Good."

"What the hell is your issue?" Dean hissed. "Cas is an amazing person, and has saved Sam and I countless times. We would be dead ten times over without him."

"That still doesn't make him human," John spat. "We're supposed to kill monsters, Dean, not sleep with them."

"You know what? Fuck you." Dean's voice was practically a growl, and Castiel tensed. "I did everything for this goddamn family. Where were you when Sam needed a dad, huh? Oh, right, too busy chasing revenge to remember you had kids!"

"Watch your damn mouth," John warned.

"Or what?" Dean's bitter laugh filled the car. "Guess what, Dad? You don't scare me anymore. You want to know why I'm sleeping with Cas?" Silence followed the question before Dean continued his rant. "It's because I love him. I love that damn angel with everything I am, and it will still never be enough to make up for what he did for me."

"And what could he have possibly done for you, Dean? This ain't no better than selling your soul to a demon."

"He pulled my soul out of Hell!" Dean screamed.

John hit the brakes hard, and Castiel shot up in the back seat as the truck skidded to a halt on the side of the road. He saw Dean's hands shaking and cursed, quickly getting out of the truck. He opened the passengers door and grabbed Dean's hands.

"Breathe," Castiel whispered.

"I am," Dean muttered. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be," Castiel said. "You haven't said anything your father can actually change."

Dean nodded and Castiel glared at John. The man was staring at his son in open disgust. He wanted to reach over and strangle the man, but refrained for now.

"Are you done?" Castiel demanded.

"So you sold your soul?" John asked, completely ignoring him. "Hope it was worth it."

He couldn't control his anger anymore. He used his powers to make John's door slam open, and before the man could process what happened, he tossed him out of the truck. Castiel appeared on the other side of the truck, ignoring Dean's shout to stop. John had reached his feet and went to punch him. He shot forward, ducking into the man's defense and slamming his back into the truck. Once the hunter was pinned he punched his nose with enough force to break it.

"Cas, stop!"

He went to punch John again, but Dean grabbed his arm. It didn't stop him from glaring at the hunter who was clutching his broken nose with his free hand.

"I could kill you," he snarled at the man. "I could kill you and I wouldn't feel a bit of remorse. I always wondered how Bobby could shoot you. Now I know. Raise your voice to Dean again, make him feel lesser than he is, and I swear they will never find all the pieces."

He dropped John, taking a deep breath. He looked at Dean, worried he'd overstepped. The man looked worried, but he didn't even glance at his father.

"Cas, man, are you okay?"

"Dean, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have-"

Dean cut him off by dragging him into a tight hug. He wrapped his arms around Dean, burying his face in the man's shoulder. He could feel the tension easing in his shoulders as he breathed in Dean's cologne. A gunshot made him pull Dean closer, instinct driving him more than anything. His chest was burning and he slowly pulled away from Dean to see blood smeared over Dean's shirt.

"Cas?"

Dean sounded panicked, but didn't look injured despite all the blood.

"Wonder what a bullet filled with holy oil will do to you," John sneered from behind him.

"Cas!" Dean's shouting had increased an octave, and he felt his knees shaking. A bullet had never hurt this damn much. It felt like it was eating at his skin and it burned. It burned in a way he'd never experienced before.

"Gabriel!" Dean's voice cracked as he screamed. The man was struggling to hold him up, and the world was spinning around him. "Gabriel get your feathered ass here right now! This is your goddamn fault, and I swear to Death I'll take it out of your hide in the future if anything happens to Cas!"

He blinked, trying to stay awake. The pain was becoming unbearable though and he felt himself collapse fully against Dean.

"Sorry," he slurred against Dean's shoulder. His eyes fell shut and he didn't have the energy to open them again.

The next update is Saturday, October 1, 2022