Chapter 4
He'd been sitting in the devil's trap long enough to become a bit dozy and if it wasn't for the uncomfortable pressure in his bladder he might have fallen back to sleep. Whether it was after effects of being knocked out or just plain boredom he couldn't decide. In any event Dean let his head fall forward, chin resting against his chest and closed his eyes.
He heard the door open and close quietly and soft footsteps crossing the room. Footsteps that sped up with urgency the closer they came and a hand gripped his shoulder and another gently lifted his chin. Breaking from his reverie, Dean opened his eyes and pulled his head back from the soft grip. "Henry?"
"Yes." Henry smiled down at him, straightening up. "How are you feeling, Dean? I understand that John and Sam were a little rough with you."
"Understatement." Dean muttered. "So you're the good cop, huh?"
"No," Henry's smile widened. "But I am the one who explained to them that not only is your story plausible, it is probable."
Dean didn't hear his own sigh of relief, but Henry did and taking it as a good sign, began working on Dean's bonds.
"So you believe me?" Dean could hardly accept it. But he had reached a point where not too much was surprising him. Like seeing Henry. Sure, why not? Because he wanted to be surprised that Henry was here, but couldn't raise the energy. And now he half expected Samuel Campbell to show up next. Too many surprises already this morning.
"Oh, yes. Theories of multiple worlds or timelines go as far back as writings of the ancient Greeks. Even so, your presence alone is proof enough, as we lost our Dean a few months ago. You also, I gather, passed every test. Be that as it may, since he was salted and burned, the only test that meant anything was silver. Which Sam overdid I see." Henry had succeeded in releasing Dean and he indicated the knife wounds on his arm and throat. "For now though, let's get you to the infirmary."
Dean stood slowly, stretching some kinks out of his back. "First I gotta-"
"Yes, yes, of course." Henry cut him off with an uncomfortable smile.
"When you are finished, please join me in the infirmary." Henry headed for the door leaving Dean standing there, mutely rubbing at the rope burns on his wrists, and wondering if he was really being trusted or if this was some sort of elaborate test.
Thirty minutes later Dean sat in the galley musing into a cup of coffee. Henry had taken meticulous care for what were a couple of scratches in Dean's eyes but he bore the attention silently, letting Henry assuage his own guilt for the rough treatment. When finished, Henry excused himself to continue his work, suggesting that Dean dress then wait for Sam in the galley.
Deciding his best bet was to keep things on an even keel he went back to his room to dress, in what he realized were his alter's clothes. No matter, at least they were similar to his own. Then he went to the galley and helped himself to coffee and tried to come to grips with the events of the morning, mostly, why he was in another timeline that was not his own.
He didn't notice Sam come in until he sat across from him at the table, hands loosely around his own cup of joe. Dean looked up, meeting Sam's eyes, but waiting for the latter to speak first.
"Look, I'm sorry about this morning."
Dean waited a moment before answering, taking another sip first. "I get it."
"I mean, it's fucking weird, man."
"You're telling me," Dean couldn't help but crack a grin at the look of consternation on Sam's face.
"Anyway," Sam paused a bit, as if he had something important, but distasteful, to say.
"What?"
The look on his face saying he'd changed his mind, Sam simply waved a hand in the air.
"What, Sammy?" Dean surprised himself, falling into familiarity without really thinking about it.
Sam looked off into the distance for a beat, then, obviously changing lanes asked, "You know about leviathans?"
"Yeah. Already sent them back to Purgatory. Course doing that sent me and Cas there, too. But, you know, after a year of running for our lives we, well I, found a way back. You know, because you left me there."
"I left you there? Why would I do that?"
"Cause you hit a dog." With effort, Dean stopped himself. This wasn't Sam, at least not his Sam. But it was a little satisfying to grouse and see the uncertainty and discomfort that had been lacking in his Sam's face when he'd bitched about the same thing to him. "I mean, not you, my Sam."
"What?" Sam almost laughed, "And he's still alive? I wouldn't do that. Leave you behind anywhere, I mean. And who's Cas?"
Brow furrowed, Dean regarded Sam, "You know, Cas? Scruffy trench coat, no people skills. Cas."
Sam shook his head.
"Castiel. The angel who saved me from Hell?"
"Angel? What are you talking about? Saved you from Hell?"
Dean scrubbed a hand down his face. "I think we better both start from the beginning. I wanna know how Dad's still here, and what happened to Mom? And for that matter, me."
"You still have Mom in your, uh, timeline?" Sam looked hopeful.
"She died when you were a baby."
Sam nodded, trying to hide his disappointment. "And Dad's...gone too?"
"Yeah. A few years ago, the yellow-eyed demon we think." Their gaze met and they each saw sorrow in the other's eyes. "And we met Henry last year but Abbadon killed him a few days later."
"Henry helped us trap Abbadon. He found some kind of spell and we sealed her in a warded box."
They both fell silent for a moment before Sam gently slapped his palm on the table. "I'm going to fix you some breakfast." And he rose, heading for the refrigerator. "Keep talking, dude."
-wWw-
"Finally!" Sam nearly startled himself by blurting out the word in his excitement. He'd been in the library for hours and it was already deep into the night. But he'd found it. An angel summoning spell. Hopefully now he could wring some answers out of Castiel.
It didn't take long to prepare the ingredients and recite the short spell in Enochian. Sam prepared everything in the library, and when the spell was done and only the perfume of the herbs and oils hung in the air, he sat and tried to stay calm as he paged through another book and added notes to the cataloging program on his laptop. Shortly, he became engrossed in his work and nearly missed the rustle of feathers, but he couldn't miss the angel that suddenly loomed over him.
"Sam."
"Cas!" Sam shoved his chair back and stood, nearly crashing into Castiel as he turned to him. "Where've you been?"
Castiel looked thoughtful, but when he didn't answer right away, Sam continued. "I've been praying to you! I really need your help, Cas."
Castiel nodded, "of course, Sam."
In his relief in seeing the angel, his anger dissipated and Sam paused for a moment, regarding Castiel. He seemed off, well, more off than usual. But he tabled that for the time being. "I need your help to find Dean. He's disappeared."
"Disappeared?" Cas tilted his head quizzically.
"Yeah. Did you guys take off somewhere?"
"No. We did not."
"Well, where the hell is he?"
Castiel's expression was closed, and he didn't quite meet Sam's gaze. "You know I can't find him."
Sam paused for a beat, one hand unconsciously patting his own chest. "Yeah, yeah, I know. But I was hoping maybe you could help me find him some other way."
Castiel's smile seemed wooden, and Sam didn't buy it, but before he could say anything, Cas patted his shoulder saying, "I'll look, Sam." And disappeared.
Sam borrowed a few of his brother's favorite epithets and slammed a fist on the table. He was still looking for square one on that horizon.
-wWw-
In the silence her footsteps echoed as she walked the brightly lit hallway. She slowed her pace, tried to make each step as quiet as possible as she reached the junction. Peering down both sides of the crossing hallway to be sure it was empty she continued her journey until she reached a set of broad double doors. Sunael paused for a moment and briefly closing her eyes, and concentrated to become invisible before gently pushing one of the doors open a crack.
The expansive room was littered with bloody bodies all bearing the same face. In a far corner her favorite older brother was slashing at a man who remained upright for only a few seconds before he too sprawled dead on the floor.
Naomi walked to their brother and spoke to him so softly that Sunael couldn't hear what was said. But the blank look on Castiel's face worried her. Sunael was only a lowly messenger, which gave her the advantage of being ignored by everyone else in Heaven but there was only one angel of any importance who ever acknowledged her and that was Castiel. After he'd saved the mortal from Hell he stayed primarily on Earth, yet during one of his visits to Heaven he had seen her. Sunael had never been to Earth and didn't think she would ever be allowed, but once she'd overheard the gossip about Castiel she tried to to catch a glimpse of him. He'd seen her watching him and had smiled and greeted her by name. She felt so bold when she replied. Now whenever he was in Heaven she did her best to cross paths with him and he never failed to offer a smile and a kind word.
For a while, she hadn't seen him in the halls and by chance one day she was sent with a message for Naomi. When Sunael arrived Castiel had been in Naomi's office. She entered and handed over the message and Naomi dismissed her immediately. As she left she tried to catch Castiel's attention, but he'd only stared straight ahead as if she didn't exist. Hurt by his cold shoulder she kept tabs on Naomi's office, waiting nearby, hoping to see him when he left. He didn't emerge that day, but before long she glimpsed him there a time or two again, always with the same stone-like expression.
She'd found ways to overhear gossip, and even overheard Naomi talking about Castiel in her office once. That time she'd heard enough to realize that Naomi was going to make Castiel kill someone. This revelation was alarming enough that she sought out the company of the other messengers to hear more of the whispers. Eventually she learned that Castiel was supposed to kill the man he once saved.
Sunael thought on this for a long time. Not understanding why Naomi now planned for the death of the man which scores of soldiers fought their way into Hell to save. As time went by she grew more and more determined to help her brother. To keep him safe from Naomi's machinations. And, finally, she thought of a way.
Once it was done, she allowed herself to feel satisfied. Satisfied and relieved. Her brother was safe now from having to destroy the human he'd fought so hard to save. And secretly, thwarting Naomi pleased her as well. Sunael never worried herself with the politics of Heaven. No matter who was in charge she was lowly enough to avoid notice, and she liked it that way. The gossip and the scheming and the way some of her brothers and sisters disappeared was abhorrent to her. She liked being apart from all of that. But she was also happy to help the only sibling who saw her when to the others she was beneath notice. So she watched Castiel, followed him when she could, and found the human. She watched the mortal for a time, and saw he was a good man, and Castiel's loyal friend. It impressed her that even a lowly human could possess traits of angels. So, she put the human in a safe place where no one would find him. And she still watched him when she could. That is, until she looked in on him and he was gone.