Chapter Twenty-Nine

Family Pains

TW/CW: Homophobia and tense father-son relationships

Random Warehouse: July 20, 2010

"Oh, this isn't suspicious at all." Sam's sarcasm carried over the group, and Castiel chuckled.

"Seems achingly familiar doesn't it?" he asked. "At least Gabriel seems predictable at this point."

"Don't even say that!" Azrial exclaimed. "Now the universe is going to screw us."

"Don't be dramatic," Crowley huffed. "How creative can he actually get? Both scenarios previously were the same type of magic simply used in a different way."

Azrial threw up her hands. "Don't say I didn't warn you! Have none of you heard of Murphy's Law?"

"Yeah, but that ain't actually a thing," Dean pointed out.

Azrial pouted at Bobby. "Tell me you're at least on my side?"

Bobby snorted, but eyed the warehouse skeptically. "I ain't about to underestimate the bastard, if that's what you're askin' me."

"Finally, someone with sense," Azrial said.

"Either way, we need to go in there," Sam firmly cut in. "So are we doing this all at once or in pairs?"

Castiel frowned, looking down the wall of the warehouse. He wasn't fond of them separating, especially since Gabriel was able to keep him away from Sam and Dean last time.

"I think there is a loading bay down there," Castiel said. "If we go in through that door, we can all enter together."

"Works for me," Dean said. "Let's get this over with."

They made their way down to the loading bay doors, checking their weapons as they went. Castiel frowned as the feeling of grace seemed to increase the closer they got. It was as if the building was bleeding holy energy. He glanced at Azrial, wondering if she felt it as well. She gave a slight nod, but didn't say anything. Not that it would matter. They had to go in and get Gabriel, even if it meant walking into a trap.

"Hey," Azrial said. "Let's pair off human and non-human, just in case. He can't fuck with all of us at once, after all."

Bobby nodded. "Good idea. That way if we do get separated, no one is left on their own without some type of power."

Castiel watched as Azrial glanced at Crowley. The two seemed to have a silent conversation before she walked over to Sam.

"Looks like you're stuck with me then," she teased Sam. "After all, you're Gabriel's favorite."

Sam groaned. "Don't remind me. We all set then?"

Crowley stepped closer to Bobby and Castiel didn't have to move since he was already at Dean's side. Azrial stepped up to the loading bay door with a sigh.

"Well, it's now or never."

She pulled the door up, letting it slide into the ceiling. Nothing happened. They all shared a look before tentatively stepping into the warehouse. As soon as everyone was inside, the door slammed shut. Before any of them could move, a bright light lit up the whole warehouse. Castiel shut his eyes, reaching out for Dean.

GET OUT!

The Enochian screech echoed throughout the warehouse. The light burned brighter, and then everything went dark. Castiel felt like the ground had been yanked out from underneath him, and all he could do was keep a firm grip on Dean's arm. Something was moving around them at a rapid speed, and he couldn't pin down what it was.

Murphey's fucking Law indeed.

Line Break

Dean barely stayed standing after the world stopped spinning and had to blink several times to regain his vision. The world finally came back into focus, and he saw Castiel struggling to his feet.

"Are you okay?" Dean asked, helping the angel up. "What the hell happened?"

"Gabriel happened," Castiel grunted. "He threw the six of us into different time periods."

"Well, when are we then? I'll also take where if you know."

Castiel glanced around, and Dean finally took the opportunity to take stock of the situation as well. They'd been dropped in what looked like a deserted cabin, but Dean knew many hunters had safe houses that looked like this. He was just grateful it didn't look like anyone was here.

"It's August 2002," Castiel said after a moment. "As to where we are...somewhere in Colorado."

Dean frowned, trying to remember what he'd been up to in 2002. It hadn't been a good year for the Winchester family. Sam had left for Stanford, and he and Dad had gone their separate ways. Without his dad's journal in front of him though, he couldn't remember what hunt either of them had been on.

"Wonderful," he sighed. "We better get out of here. This looks like a hunter's cabin."

Castiel followed him toward the door. "Where should we head?"

"Maybe Bobby's? As long as we don't run into my dad, I'll be happy."

They'd almost made it to the door when it started opening. Castiel yanked him back, shielding him from the door as he drew his blade.

"Who the hell are you?"

The demand made Dean groan, and his head fell against Castiel's back. "Why is this my fucking life?" he demanded.

"John Winchester?" Castiel asked, disbelief dripping off his voice.

"Yeah, and who the fuck are you?" Dean heard a gun cocking alongside the question, and stepped out from behind Castiel.

"Well, it's a bit of a long story."

His dad's expression was priceless for several seconds. The man clearly recognized him despite his older look. The gun moved onto him, and Castiel's arm shot out to shield him.

"Do not aim your gun at him," Castiel snarled. "His father or not, I will attack you."

Dean grabbed Castiel's shoulder, trying to calm the angel down. "Cas, he's probably on a hunt. You don't need to threaten him."

The angel shot him a worried look, but his dad cut into the conversation. "You have some damn nerve taking my son's face."

"Dad, it's me," Dean argued. "I'm willing to do whatever tests you want to prove it. Cas and I were on a hunt, and things went to shit. We got pulled into a time spell."

His dad frowned and slowly started to move to the other side of the room. His gun never shifted away from them. Dean pulled Castiel with him and gave his dad space until they were standing on opposite sides of the small cabin.

"What was Sam's first word?" John demanded. Dean couldn't help but smile despite the situation. Whenever he thought about that moment it gave him the warm and fuzzies.

"Dee. He couldn't quite manage my name."

"What's the safe word you and your brother use?"

"Poughkeepsie. We work it into conversation if we are being held hostage or under duress. We chose it after a hunt went south in the Catskills." Dean could see his dad was starting to believe him. He dug under his shirt, pulling out the amulet Sam had gifted to him. "Look, Sam gave this to me for Christmas, remember? You were out on a hunt and it was just me and him."

His dad dug something out of his pocket and tossed it at them. Castiel caught it before he could, frowning at the flask.

"What is this?" Castiel demanded.

"Drink it," his dad snapped.

Castiel frowned, though Dean already had an idea what was going on. "Cas, it's holy water. Probably mixed with whiskey or on its own. Here, give it to me."

"No," Castiel said as he unscrewed the top. "I'll drink it first to make sure that is all it is."

Dean rolled his eyes, but didn't stop the tense angel. When Castiel went into guardian angel mode, there was no use arguing with him. Dean watched him take a swig, and after several seconds he nodded in approval.

"Bobby's whiskey is better," Castiel said. "But it is what you said."

"He's my dad, Cas, I like to think I know him a little." He took a deep swig, enjoying the burn on his throat. Today had been messy and the taste of alcohol was soothing. "Well, we obviously aren't demons," Dean joked as he tossed the flask back at his dad. The man caught it with a nod, and some of the tension bled from his shoulders.

"Alright, one more then." His dad offered a silver knife to him, and Dean took it with a sigh.

"Garth's idea with the silver and iron bracelets is so much better," he muttered. He cut into the pad of his thumb and handed the blade to Castiel. The angel rolled his eyes, but made a thin cut on his own thumb, showing the blood.

"Good, good," his dad said. "So you said a hunt went wrong? And where'd ya meet this Cas guy?"

Dean took a deep breath, wondering how much he should even tell his dad. He glanced at Castiel, trying to gauge what the angel wanted to do. Castiel tilted his head, and glanced at John in thought.

"Your son and I met due to circumstances outside our control. He saved Sam's life, and ended up in a situation where he needed help."

Dean could kiss Castiel, but refrained because that was a whole other conversation that could cause a fight. He really wasn't sure how his dad would handle the fact he was going steady with a guy. John frowned, but slowly nodded.

"Sounds like my boys. You know Bobby?"

"He's like a father to me," the angel declared. "A fine hunter, and a good man."

Dean knew Castiel felt close to the old hunter, but hearing him say it was something else. He smiled, nudging Castiel with his elbow. "I'll pay you to tell him that."

Castiel snorted, shooting him an amused look. "No chick flick moments," he teased. Dean laughed, the stress of the situation easing now that they were on safer ground.

"Fair enough," Dean said. "But yeah, that's how I met Cas. He's been hunting with Sam and I since. Things aren't exactly rainbows and roses in the future, ya know?"

John hummed, and gestured to the table. "Well, tell me what I can do to help ya. I doubt it would do anyone any good to have you in the past."

"Amen to that," Dean sighed as he took a seat. "Getting tossed into the past always sucks." Castiel hummed in agreement as he fell into the chair next to him, and John raised an eyebrow.

"This has happened before?"

"Well, not in the same way," Dean said. "But yeah, this ain't our first rodeo. The issue is the person who sent us back is a helluva lot more powerful than we are used to."

"What exactly sent you back? I doubt there are many creatures that could manage."

Dean hesitated, but realized he couldn't get around this. "You're right. There's only one I know of."

"Two," Castiel quietly corrected. "A powerful enough demon could do it as well."

His dad stiffened so Dean quickly continued. "Two then. Look, you're gonna call us crazy, but only angels and demons can pull this time travel BS."

He watched his dad carefully, waiting for a response. He'd been in outright denial, but Sam had been hopeful. He wasn't sure where his dad would fall on that spectrum.

"Angels?"

Dean gave a cagey smile. "Angels," he said. "There are some good ones, but most are dicks with wings, honestly. They don't view humans as much more than insects."

"Go figure," John snorted. "I've never heard of them though."

The skepticism in his dad's voice was understandable, but before Dean could say anything else Castiel cut in.

"The hunt we were on was for the archangel Gabriel. He is known to make personal dimensions with an array of traps, but normally they just aim to humiliate or maim. This is the first time he used a time spell."

"So you're out to kill the bastard?"

Dean winced when he saw Castiel frown. "No," Castiel said bluntly. "Even if we wanted to kill him, there are only a handful of things that could do so. Believe me, you and I are not among them."

His dad looked annoyed, and Dean cut in to avoid the two men having a go at each other verbally. "Cas is right. Besides, we need Gabriel's help. Remember how I said things were messy in the future? Well, long story short the damn world is ending. We need Gabriel's help to try and stop it."

John leaned back in his chair, and Dean remained silent. It was a lot to take in, but hopefully his dad would accept the fact that there were things that couldn't be said. Castiel glanced at him, and Dean gave a shaky smile in an attempt to reassure the angel. He felt a foot gently tap his, and relaxed a bit. He may not be able to show his feelings, but at least he knew Castiel would always try and reach out.

"Well, it sounds like you're on one hell of a hunt," his dad said. "Is there anything you can tell me about the future?"

Dean bit his lip, shooting a glance at Castiel. He could feel his dad's gaze on him, but tried to ignore it. He really didn't know how much they could say, but hopefully the angel would have an idea.

"I can guess what you're asking about," Castiel said slowly. "All I can say is this; do you think your sons would allow that creature to walk free if they could help it?"

Dean winced. The truth about Azazel had been a smack in the face. They may have learned it after killing the bastard, but finding out he was a fallen angel* still left a bitter taste in his mouth.

"You say creature like I don't know the bastard is a demon," John scoffed. Castiel snorted, looking away.

"How little you understand," Castiel muttered.

Dean shot him a concerned look. It was clear Castiel was starting to lose his patience with John, which didn't surprise Dean. He knew Castiel didn't have a high opinion of his dad from the few talks they'd had on the subject.

"I've spent years hunting that demon, boy. I think I know a thing or two."

Castiel snorted, rolling his eyes. "Whatever you say."

"Cas," Dean muttered. "Please."

The angel glanced at him and grunted softly. "I'm sorry," he said tersely. "I've had a long day."

John frowned, but hummed in acknowledgement. "I'm sure getting tossed through time ain't fun. Let's work on getting you boys back where you belong. I need to finish up this hunt first though."

Dean sat up straighter, glad to be on a safer subject. "What are you hunting? Cas and I make one hell of a team, even without Sam. We can lend you a hand and finish up quickly."

"A vamp nest," his dad said.

"Why were you hunting it alone?" Castiel asked. "Bobby bit my head off last time I tried that."

Dean snorted, remembering Bobby's reaction to Castiel's nonchalant announcement over dinner one night. "It was wonderful to see him yelling at someone else," Dean chuckled.

"I don't hunt with anyone but my boys," John said flatly. "Not much of a team player."

"I see."

An awkward silence followed Castiel's statement, and Dean cleared his throat. "So, vamp nest."

This entire experience was going to suck, he already knew it.

Line Break

Castiel watched Dean trail behind his father with a frown. The sun was at its peak, and they were following John toward the nest. Dean had been quiet since his father had barked several orders at them that had Castiel begging the Host for patience. He always knew he wouldn't get along with John Winchester, but also never thought it would matter. Now he was stuck around the man for a prolonged period of time while having to bite his tongue bloody over how he treated Dean. He was going to be drunk by the time they got home, he was sure of it.

"Stop," John muttered.

Dean obeyed near instantly, and Castiel sighed as he scanned the area. "It's a deer," he said dryly. The hunter shot him a dirty look, but it seemed Fate was on his side because a doe sprinted past them. Castiel couldn't help but smirk at John. "See?"

Dean shot him a worried look and Castiel eyed his lover sadly.

"You always such a smart ass?" John demanded.

"I thought I was being helpful, my apologies," Castiel dully intoned.

John frowned, but turned away with a huff. "Just stay focused," he snapped.

Castiel sighed. Not a team player indeed. He was going to thank Bobby for shooting the man when they got back at this rate. Maybe even ask to see the damn memory.

They had entered a canopied area, and Castiel frowned as the sound of the forest became muted. Even the birds chirping above them had fallen silent. The hair on the back of his neck rose, and he could hear something moving off to his right. He knew there was no point in telling John, the man would just start a fight with him. He grabbed Dean's hand, stalling the hunter.

"Cas, what's up?" he whispered.

He didn't get a chance to respond to the worried question as a male vampire launched at them. Castiel moved Dean behind him, quickly drawing his blade and slamming it into the vampire's neck. Dean stepped forward and swung his machete, decapitating the vampire and freeing his own blade. Castiel flicked the blood from his weapon with a huff, listening carefully for any other movement.

"What the hell was that?" John demanded.

Castiel couldn't hold back his annoyance at this point. "That was me doing my job," he snapped. The man didn't need to know he meant protecting Dean. He was sure that wouldn't go over well, considering the distance Dean was keeping between them.

"You should have warned us!"

Castiel rolled his eyes. "Like I warned you about the deer?" John looked furious, and Castiel scoffed. "Can we just finish this? We shouldn't be arguing in the middle of a hunt."

"You think you're in charge?"

The demand had his grace rising at the challenge. He'd been spending too much time around Azrial and Sam. He was ready to lash out at John and tell him exactly who was in charge, but that wouldn't end well. He shut his eyes and took a deep breath, trying to calm his temper.

"Hey, it's cool," Dean tried to intercede. "Cas warned me. He isn't used to working with ya, Dad."

Dean's timid voice was only fanning the flames of his anger. Was this how Sam had felt leading up to leaving his family? If so, he owed the younger hunter an apology.

"He should know his place!"

John's annoyed proclamation made Dean freeze, and Castiel shot his lover a worried glance.

"Dean," he said softly. "It's fine."

"Okay, you know what, fuck this!" Dean snapped. John frowned at his son's outburst. There was an awkward silence before the clearing fell into chaos.

A vampire fell from above them, and Castiel attacked. He heard fighting behind him, so focused on felling his own foe before going to help the others. He finally managed to decapitate the creature, and turned to check on Dean. His heart migrated into his throat as he saw a female vampire trying to sink her teeth into his neck, and he rushed forward. He was running mostly on instinct, his mind devolving into his two more animalistic faces. His mate was in danger, and he'd allowed it to happen. He ripped the vampire off Dean, and purified her without a thought. His wings snapped out, shielding Dean as he stared down the two remaining vampires. They were young; teenagers the more human part of his brain supplied. They looked terrified, and he bared his teeth at them.

"Leave!" he snarled, letting his grace leak into his voice. "If you ever cross my path again, I will smite you from existence!"

They took off, not even glancing back at their fallen comrades. A gun cocking had his eyes turning toward John Winchester, and he wasn't surprised to feel his instincts egging him to fell the older hunter as well. He knew enough about Dean's childhood to want John's blood spilled, but also knew doing so would hurt his mate.

"Lower your gun," Castiel snarled low in his throat. "This isn't a fight you will win, John Winchester."

"Get the hell away from my son!" the man ordered. Castiel growled, shifting his body to attack. If John thought he could take his mate, Castiel would prove exactly how he felt about the fool human.

"Cas, stop!" Dean yelled, rushing to step between them. "He doesn't understand what's going on. We just need to explain."

"Step aside," he growled at Dean. "He will not separate us."

"Cas, look at me," Dean begged. "I won't let that happen, you know that."

Castiel faltered, his instincts starting to calm down at his mate's words. "You swear?"

"I swear," Dean said solemnly. "You ain't getting rid of me, you glorified feather duster."

The joking insult soothed him, and Castiel pulled his mate closer. Dean allowed it, though he could feel the man shooting a glance at his father. Castiel ignored it in favor of checking for injuries, keeping the man within the safety of his wings. The only blood on Dean was from wounds he'd inflicted on the vampire before she'd been smote. He allowed Dean to face his father, but didn't let him go. His instincts were going crazy, and he was struggling to calm down. He dropped his head to Dean's shoulder, taking a deep breath as he tried to steady himself. Dean's fingers slowly ran through some of his feathers. He practically purred as his shoulders loosened.

"What the hell is going on?" John demanded. "And what the hell is he?"

"Cas is an angel," Dean said. "We didn't lie about how we met, we just left out where we met because it's not a pretty story."

"You said angels looked down on humans. Why the hell are you siding with him?"

Dean sighed, and Castiel could feel the frustration rolling off of him. He tightened his grip around the man's waist in silent support, and felt Dean's hand over his own. Not that John could see that considering most of Dean's body was covered by his wings.

"I also said not all angels felt that way. I know several who are fighting the good fight to keep our world spinning. Cas is one of them."

"Even if I believe that, why the fuck is he hanging all over you?"

Castiel lifted his eyes to look at John, not bothering to stem his grace. He didn't doubt his eyes were a stormy silver, especially considering the way John's finger twitched near the trigger of his gun.

"Dad, I really didn't want to go into this," Dean sighed. "Cas is...fuck I don't have a word for it."

"Mate," Castiel whispered in his ear and Dean snorted.

"Yeah, that ain't gonna make any sense to him, Cas. It barely makes sense to me."

"What did he say?" John demanded.

Castiel rolled his eyes, staring down the hunter. "I called your son my mate, because that is what he is. Our relationship is beyond the human plane, so that is the best word to use."

"Cas, we need to work on your tact."

He glanced at Dean, and couldn't help but smile at the soft blush on his face. "It's the truth."

"The truth may give my dad a damn heart attack," Dean huffed. "Or at least some gray hair. Now stop trying to be all alpha and put your damn wings away. Last thing we need is your family showing up."

Castiel rolled his eyes, but released Dean from his grip. He was calm now, and worse case he'd simply grab Dean and fly off if John continued to be hostile. He stretched out his wings fully, enjoying the breeze that brushed against them before allowing them to vanish once more. Not for the first time, he was grateful for Azrial's advice to make panels in his clothing to allow his wings to appear. He looked at John who was eyeing them both with barely concealed anger.

"So what, you're gay and sleeping with a damn angel?"

Dean shifted uncomfortably, and Castiel frowned. "Is your only problem that I'm male?"

His question seemed to stall John's rant. Dean stared at his dad when John didn't immediately deny it.

"Really?" Dean asked in disbelief. "That's your gripe with this?"

"He ain't human either!" John snapped. "It ain't natural."

Dean took a deep breath, and squared his shoulders as he faced his father. "First off, Cas isn't simply male or female. He's a damn angel who's currently appearing as a male." Dean glanced at him, clearly asking for confirmation.

"Dean is correct. Last time I was on Earth I appeared as a woman."

"See?" Dean asked. "Secondly, male or female, I thought you'd at least have the decency to be happy I found someone to be with considering what a shit show our lives are!"

Dean's annoyance seemed to shock John into silence, and Castiel smiled softly. Nothing could get his mate riled up quiet like someone insulting his family, even if it was another family member doing it.

"And what does your brother think of this?" John gruffly asked.

Dean laughed, running a hand down his face. "Sam was there when I confessed to Cas!" he snapped. "He was happy for us. Funny right? And before you ask, Cas didn't lie about Bobby. He's practically adopted him and knows about our relationship."

An awkward silence fell over the clearing, and Castiel frowned when he saw Dean shaking. He moved forward, ignoring John in favor of comforting his mate.

"I'm sorry," he said. "I should have controlled myself and this wouldn't have happened."

Dean sighed, a small smile brightening his face. "It's fine. You angels always love to cause problems."

"I am nowhere near as bad as Azrial and Gabriel," Castiel argued. His pouting had the effect he'd hoped for as Dean laughed.

"No, guess not." He glanced back at his father with a guarded look. "We can leave and pretend this never happened. Hell, Cas can wipe your memories if ya want and we can go ask Bobby for help. It's not like we intended to seek you out."

Dean's blunt words seemed to crush the anger out of John. The man looked shocked that his son would even consider that option. He could admit he was surprised as well considering how quiet Dean had been around his father up until now.

"You'd go that far?"

John's quiet question made Dean sigh. "I'll do what I have to do. The world is relying on us to keep it spinning."

The silence that followed Dean's declaration could be cut with a knife. Thankfully it didn't last long. John glanced between the two of them with a guarded expression.

"We still need to get you back to your time," John said. "I said I'd help, and I'm good for my word. Doesn't matter if I agree with you or not. It's obvious you don't care about my opinion on this."

Castiel exchanged a skeptical look with Dean, but decided to let the matter rest.

"Well, we better get back to the cabin then."

John grunted at Dean's suggestion, and didn't even bother to wait for them as he started the walk back. Was it too much to hope that they would simply appear back in the proper time?

The next update is Saturday, September 10, 2022