Author's Notes: I came in late to the Supernatural party, but I felt the need to write this. Slight AU, and a "what if". Enjoy!
Take 1 Tablet and Call Me in the Morning:
It had been a week since Castiel had left Dean in the crypt, and the older Winchester was still fuming, snapping at anything and everything Sam tried to get him involved with. "How could he do that? Why doesn't he trust me?!" had become an everyday phrase.
"Dean, instead of stomping around here yelling at me, why don't you do something to take your mind off this?"
"Like what, Sam?" The taller man shrugged and ran a hand through his hair.
"Like... Anything? Have you tried-"
"He's not answering his phone, and his voicemail is full. I've tried praying, and that obviously hasn't worked." Now Sam frowned.
"I wasn't talking about anything to do with Cas." But his brother was pacing now.
"He just flew off and left me down in the crypt, and I need an explanation."
"Dean... You know damn well that he doesn't usually give us any insight when he does stuff like this. All we know is what you heard: He has to protect that Tablet from everyone."
"What the hell is it gonna take to get him to trust me?!" Now Sam was getting annoyed.
"Look, you've both done stupid things and kept it from the other. I have too. None of us are blameless in that. And you have to remember that Cas doesn't think like we do."
"Yeah, because sometimes he doesn't think at all. He's probably got Angels and Demons breathing down his neck, and we have no idea where he is."
"Maybe he wants to keep us out of things, for once." Dean stopped his pacing, frowning.
"That's not his call to make. He knows we would help him if he asked."
"I think that's why he hasn't," Sam shot back, folding his arms. "If things get bad enough, I'm sure we'll hear from him."
"Or find him lying in a ditch somewhere..." Dean shook his head to quickly clear that horrible thought out, and made a sound of frustration. "I need a beer."
"Kinda figured." But as the older Winchester took a step towards the kitchen, his phone began to vibrate, and he frantically fished it out of his pocket. Sam saw the shock on his face, and could easily guess who was on the other end.
"Cas?"
"Hello Dean." As usual, the Angel's voice gave nothing away over the phone.
"Where the hell are you?"
"Actually, I was hoping I could come to the Bunker. I seem to have a lot of people looking for me." For a moment, Dean felt a weight lift off his chest that the Angel was safe. However, that was quickly followed by the anger he'd been stewing in all week.
"You still have the Tablet?"
"It's safe."
"Are you sure?" There was a heavy sigh.
"Yes, Dean, I'm sure." Sam heard his brother's teeth grind as he closed his eyes for a moment.
"...Fine, just get your ass over here." Dean hung up, and a moment later Castiel appeared, putting his phone back in his pocket.
"Thank you." But Dean just brushed past him, and Castiel sighed as he watched the human angrily leave the room.
"Give him time," Sam advised. "Your words hurt him."
"Which words in particular?"
"The ones about keeping the Tablet from him. He thinks you don't trust him." The Angel shook his head, looking upset.
"I do. That's part of the problem."
"What do you mean?" But again Castiel shook his head and started heading for the bedrooms.
"It's... Complicated. And I don't have the energy for that right now." Sam tilted his head as he watched his friend stumble for a moment, but catch himself on the wall.
"Cas, are you okay?"
"I'll be fine, Sam." He shuffled off, and Sam raised his eyes to the ceiling and sighed.
"Stubborn idiots; the both of you." Then he went back to what he'd been working on.
Dinnertime found the brothers eating, with Castiel sitting at the table leafing through a book Sam had been reading. "So, where did you go after ditching me?" Dean asked, breaking the silence. The Angel looked up and rolled his eyes.
"I didn't "ditch" you, Dean. I left to make sure Naomi's hold on me was truly gone."
"Is it?"
"From what I can tell, yes."
"Because of the Tablet?"
"It seems so."
"So what made you stop trying to kill me, then? You didn't have the Tablet in your hand yet." Now both brothers saw him blink and look down at the table.
"...I don't know."
"Bullshit," Dean snapped back. "There had to be some reason, Cas."
"There was, but-"
"Then what was it?" Dean stood and leaned on the table, and Sam instantly knew this had turned into an interrogation by his stance. "And for that matter, what was that bullshit about needing to keep the Tablet away from me?"
"Because it's powerful and dangerous!" Castiel also stood, fists clenched at his side. "No one should have that power."
"Not even if what's on it helps us save the world?" Dean came around the table to get in the Angel's space. Sam got to his feet, hoping this argument wouldn't come to blows.
"When has anything ancient and powerful ever just been a good thing?" Castiel demanded. "Practically everything we've ever dealt with has had some kind of price for its powers."
"Dean, he's got a point."
"Not now, Sam. And that's not the point."
"Then what is?" the Angel asked.
"You don't trust me with the power of the Tablet?" Dean's voice was low, but Castiel could hear the anger under his words. He took a deep breath before replying:
"I don't trust anyone with it." He looked into the narrowed eyes, knowing that what he'd said had been hurtful. But it was the truth. "I'll just leave you alone for-" Dean had him pinned against the wall a moment later, one arm across his chest, screaming into his face:
"You sonofabitch! How dare you say that to me after everything we've been through!"
"Dean, what the hell?!" Sam shouted, coming over to them.
"No Sam, I am not gonna have him say he doesn't trust us after we've given him chance after chance when he's lied to our faces about his motives, or who he's working for! I have put my faith in you, Cas. And this is how you repay it?" The Angel's eyes were wide, and Sam realized he was making no effort to fight back.
"Dean, maybe you should-"
"Stay out of this, Sam!"
"Just because you don't like what I said, doesn't mean it's not the truth," Castiel spoke up. "There are a great many objects and weapons that Heaven made that I wouldn't trust anyone with."
"Oh, but we're trustworthy enough to be your little attack dogs, right?" Dean sneered. The Angel looked confused for a moment, but quickly surmised that Dean was upset about him relying on the Winchesters to help him fix things.
"That's not-"
"You come to us when shit has hit the fan and you need us to fix it. Because we're the only assholes who keep saying "yes" even when we get shafted every. Single. Time! But when we have the opportunity to learn things before hand? You go and hide it from us. Because then you can be the hero who swoops in and gives us the missing piece at the ninth hour." Castiel was staring at Dean, the realization of how much pain he'd caused the human clear on his face.
"Dean please, I-"
"No!" Dean shoved the Angel again, resisting the urge to hit him. "I am done listening to your pleas and excuses. I want you out of the Bunker until you can look me in the eyes and tell me you trust me one hundred percent." Dean turned away before Castiel could see how much it had hurt him to say that, and that's when Sam grabbed him and pulled him away.
"Don't go anywhere," the younger Winchester ordered the Angel, who still looked shocked. Then he dragged his brother to the living area, frustration clear on his face. "What the hell are you doing?" he demanded, watching Dean tense up.
"I meant what I said," came the angry retort. "I am not gonna stand there and listen to him talk about trust when he has pulled some monumental shit on us over the years."
"...Okay, fine. I get that. But kicking him out?"
"I don't need someone who doesn't trust me at my back, Sam."
"Dean, it's Cas. He thinks he's doing the right thing. Maybe he even is."
"The hell's that supposed to mean?"
"Whatever is on that Angel Tablet seems pretty powerful, and maybe Cas is right that no one should have it. Could you imagine one of the Angels who hates us getting their hands on it?"
"But if we had it-"
"We don't know if it would do any good. Look, if we somehow found a spell, or ritual, or weapon that could protect us without harming anyone else, I'd go for it. But this Tablet is a huge unknown, and those tend to bite us in the ass." Dean sighed and folded his arms, knowing that while Sam was making sense, he still didn't like it.
"Fine... Fine, he can stay. But I'm not-" They both heard a thud, followed by the sound of retching, and immediately ran back into the war-room. Castiel was on his hands and knees, a puddle of blood on the floor, and more dripping down his chin. "Cas!" Dean knelt down beside him, and saw how pale the Angel was. "What's wrong with you?"
"It's nothing..." Castiel gasped, wincing in pain.
"My ass, it's nothing! You don't usually throw up, let alone blood. Sam, help me get him to the infirmary." They hauled the Angel to his feet and staggered down the hall, depositing him as gently as they could on one of the beds. Sam propped the head of the bed up to a reclining position, and Dean pressed a hand to the pulse point on Castiel's neck. "You're all over the place. What is going on?"
"Side effect..." came the soft reply. The blue eyes were closed, and Dean could see the tension in the Angel's entire body.
"Side effect of what?" Castiel opened his eyes, guilt clear on his face.
"...The Tablet."
"Wait, just touching the Tablet did this to you?" He looked away and weakly shook his head. "Damnit Cas, just tell us what's going on!"
"You'll just get more upset." Dean grabbed the Angel's shirt, bringing their faces inches apart.
"I already am!"
"Dean!" Sam put a hand on his brother's arm. "This isn't helping."
"He's not helping himself." But Dean released his grip, and Castiel bit back a moan as he sagged against the bed. "Fine Cas, if you won't tell us, we'll just have to figure it out on our own." Sam watched as Dean placed his hand on Castiel's abdomen, and the Angel's eyes went wide. "In my experience, throwing up blood means there's internal damage. And since you usually heal from most things, that makes me wonder if you got stabbed by an angel Blade and haven't healed yet." Dean's gaze flicked up to Sam. "Hold him down."
"What are you gonna do?" But Sam complied, grabbing Castiel's arms. He realized the Angel still wasn't putting up a fight, and was getting concerned.
"This." Dean pressed down, watching as Castiel's back arched and he screamed in pain. But instead of feeling soft flesh, the older Winchester recoiled when his palm touched something solid with an edge. "Holy shit!"
"What, what happened?!" Sam asked, eyes wide at the reaction from their friend. Instead of answering, Dean pulled the Angel's shirt up, but saw no wounds on him. Now going a bit more gingerly, he placed two fingers by Castiel's navel and pressed until he felt it again. This brought another choked cry of pain, and Dean stared at the Angel in shock.
"Sam... I think he put the Tablet in himself."