Chapter Text
Castiel knew Dean and Sam quite good after all the years, they spend together, but sometimes they still managed to confuse him greatly.
"I thought we were doing a vacation?" Castiel asks again and he slightly tilts his head. He can see in the rearview mirror that Dean rolls his eyes at him. Even Sam sighs quietly.
"Yeah man. But we can't let this hunt go, right? There are people in danger and from what Sammy said, it could be the mother of all witches." Dean explains and Castiel nods at that. Actually he was relieved, that they would take a break.
"Sam."
"What?" Dean asks and looks at Sam. Castiel would feel better, if Dean would watch the street and not his brother.
"My name is Sam. How many times do I have to explain that to you. Sammy was a 5-year-old. He is gone." Sam answers angrily and Castiel watches Dean's reaction carefully. He sees how Dean rolls his eyes again, but he can also see the hurt in his eyes.
Dean Winchester is good with hiding his emotions, but Castiel learnt to read them anyway. He knows, that Dean would do anything for his brother, already died more than once for him, but Castiel never met anyone who would care as much as Dean does.
"I don't know much about the mother of the witches." Castiel says, before Sam and Dean can start to bicker again. They do that a lot lately. That's why Castiel thought a short vacation would do them good. They even had found a quiet little house right at a beach.
"I hate witches." Dean mumbles under his breath and Sam looks back to Castiel.
"Well I suppose she is just as nasty as other witches. Just like… older. Way older." Sam explains and Castiel nods. He actually shares the hate for witches with Dean.
"We'll stop there. Kill the witch and then finally take a break." Dean says and he actually sounds happy. Castiel wishes he could see Dean smiling like this more often. Dean isn't as carefree as he always was.
"I don't think it will be that easy." Castiel says and Dean huffs loudly. He turns his music louder and ends the conversation like this. Castiel looks out of the window.
Why has he such a bad feeling about this?
*
They actually wait till the next morning, since they found a small motel in the town and because Dean was yelling at them, that he needed his goddamn sleep.
Castiel sits already outside on a bench and watches the other people around the motel. He is still amazed of the human species, even after watching them for so many years. Right on the other side is a young woman with a little child. The boy is running around the grass and laughing loudly.
"Hey Bro."
Castiel isn't one, who gets easily surprised, but this time he nearly jumps up at the voice. To his right is Gabriel sitting, sucking on a bright lollipop.
"Gabriel!" Castiel says angrily and he tries to straighten his now rumpled trench coat.
"What's up?" Gabriel asks calmly and he looks as well to the mother and her child. Castiel looks ashamed to the ground. Of course Gabriel knew what he thought.
"Dean and Sam found the mother of all witches." Castiel says and Gabriel puts the lollipop away with a loud smack of his lips.
"I know, that's why I'm here. Wouldn't want our favorite hunters to die, right?" Gabriel says and Castiel raises his eyebrows at that. He knows that Gabriel does care about them, but he never fought with them before.
"So bad?" Castiel asks and Gabriel nods.
"Yeah she is… a real pain in the ass. And not the fun way, like I am." Gabriel says and he looks back to the mother. Castiel does so too and for a few moments, they just sit there in entirely silence. It's nice.
"Could you maybe stop reading my mind?" Castiel says, after he feels Gabriel's grace just way too close to his current thoughts. He is sure Gabriel knows them anyway, but it still feels weird. Normally he likes feeling Gabriel's grace around him. It calms him down and he is glad to have is brother back.
But not now.
"Why little Bro? Scared I find something you try to hide for years?" Gabriel is actually smirking at him and Castiel turns away. When they were a lot younger Gabriel had practically raised him. When Gabriel disappeared Castiel was left behind heartbroken. He always thought about raising a younger angel, too. But he never actually did it.
Instead he watched the humans, who showed love very openly and yeah Castiel arches to be a father. He saw how Jimmy did it with Claire for years, but when he got to see her a few months ago she was happy to see him, but called him only his uncle, with a smile.
"Stop it." Castiel says halfhearted and Gabriel sighs.
"I thought you liked being an angel." Gabriel says and Castiel nods. He is glad to be an angel. He missed his powers when he was human for a short time. He loves his wings way too much. But he liked to eat human food and actually enjoy it.
"I do. But sometimes…well I know there are a lot of kids, who wished for a father." Castiel says and he stands up, before Gabriel can ask some more embarrassing questions.
But to be fair, Castiel is done with hunting. He had done it all his life and he can understand why Gabriel vanished, when Michael and Lucifer started their war. But now Lucifer is gone and Castiel just wants…a normal human life. Well as normal as it can be for him.
"What is he doing here?"
Castiel turns around, he was so distracted with Gabriel, he didn't hear Sam coming. Sam looks as if he hadn't slept at all, but that is actually just the normal look for the Winchesters anyway. Castiel is still worried.
"Helping us." Castiel says and Gabriel actually bows in front of Sam.
"Samsquatch. I'm so glad to see you, too." Gabriel says and he grins. Sam just shakes his head and goes over to the impala. He puts something in the trunk and then glares at the ground.
"He is…a bit exasperated." Castiel tries to explain, but Gabriel looks worried for a few seconds. Before Castiel say anything more, Gabriel goes over to the impala and stands close to Sam.
"Where is Dean?" Castiel asks and Sam just growls quietly. Castiel decides to leave Sam with Gabriel and look after Dean. Normally Dean would be the first out of bed and behind the steering wheel.
The motel room is quiet and also still dark. Dean is sitting on the bed, but his eyes are closed and he rubs over his forehead. Castiel frowns at that and closes the door quietly behind him.
"Dean?"
"What the hell, Cas!" Dean says angrily and he turns even more away from Castiel, who tries very hard not be hurt by that action.
"Are you alright, Dean?" Castiel asks and he knows, that Dean wouldn't tell him the truth. Or maybe not all of it. So when Dean nods, he sighs quietly, but he knew it.
"Just had a small fight with Sammy. Sam." Dean says and he rubs his forehead again. Castiel had noticed that the brothers tended to fight a lot more in the last weeks. Dean always thought he had to protect Sam from just everything.
"We can call some other hunters and…" Castiel begins, but Dean just turns around and glares at him. Castiel holds both of his hands up and then squints at Dean.
"What?" Dean asks annoyed.
"Are you hurt?" Castiel wants to know, because yes he doesn't read Deans thoughts anymore, since that is apparently "rude". But he can feel his soul anyway. And Dean isn't well today.
"No. Just a headache. Nothing special. Now wait outside. I need ten minutes." Dean says and as Castiel leaves the room, he can see how Dean takes some pills with alcohol. He sighs.
Sometimes he really wishes Dean would let him help.
"Fuck you, Gabriel!" Sam yells, when Castiel comes back to them. Gabriel is laughing at him and Sam frowns at the archangel. Castiel isn't sure what happened, but Sam seems really angry.
"Where would be the fun in that?" Gabriel asks back and Sam shows him his middle finger, before he sits down in the Impala. Gabriel rolls his eyes but smirks at Castiel.
"Dean will be here shortly. But he has a headache and I think he is a bit drunk." Castiel says and Gabriel claps his hands.
"Sam is angry at Dean and he hasn't slept a single minute." Gabriel answers calmly and Castiel wants to scream.
"So are we ready?" Dean asks when he comes out and he actually stumbles on the way to the car.
Ready to die maybe.
Castiel thinks. But he doesn't say anything.
*
"SAMMY!"
Castiel is too slow. Just as he said the witch is way to strong and she also has lot of helpers with her. Castiel knows that Gabriel is with her right now. But his powers aren't as strong as they used to be. Same goes for Castiel's. They aren't weak. But they are tired. Castiel's grace feels like it is shaking.
"IT'S SAM!" Sam yells back, but he is distracted because of that and one of the younger witches takes that chance. Castiel sees the bright light and he sees that Dean tries to run to Sam.
Castiel hears someone screaming and he isn't even sure who it is. Maybe he is the one screaming. But then the light gets brighter and it hits Dean square in the chest. Castiel sinks to his knees and yes he realizes, he is the one screaming.
Dean goes down and the light hits Sam as well and Castiel sees everything in a blur. He doesn't even realize that his own tears, are blurring his sight. But he is sure Dean and Sam are…
"Cas! Come on brother. Cas please." Gabriel is talking to him, but Castiel can only look at Dean. His eyes are closed and he seems so calm. His whole body seems relaxed and even his face looks as if he is at peace.
Castiel can't lose him again.
Gabriel lets go of Castiel and goes over to Sam and Dean. Castiel closes his eyes, when Gabriel leans over them. There is another light and Gabriel's grace explodes around him. Even Castiel's grace is leaving Castiel somehow and he feels weaker with every second. Is Gabriel killing them, too?
Castiel blacks out for a few minutes or maybe more. But when he comes back, he can see Gabriel kneeling next to him. His face only inches from Castiel's face apart.
"Gabe…" Castiel mumbles and it sounds weak to his own ears. His whole body starts shaking again and something deep in his bones is hurting. He even has a headache. And he is hungry.
"Cas. Oh baby bro finally. Took you long enough. For a second I thought, I actually killed you." Gabriel says and he carefully helps Castiel to sit up. It takes all of Castiel's strength not to puke on Gabriel for that. He feels dizzy, too. What is happening?
Then it all comes back to him. Dean. Sam. The witches.
"Dean?" Castiel asks and he coughs.
"He is… well he is alive. Sam too." Gabriel says and Castiel nods. He knew that Gabriel's grace did something to them and he actually even managed to get Castiel's grace to help, too. But he isn't sure what happened.
"How?" Castiel says then and he looks around. He can't see Dean or Sam. But he can see the witches around them. They are all dead, even the mother of all witches. Gabriel grins.
"Let's just say I should use my archangel powers more often. But the witches are gone. I knew an old spell and thought why not try it. Dean and Sam…I was too late Cas. I…I mean they were nearly dead, when I was finally with them. So i had to decide… let them die or…" Gabriel explains and he stops and shakes his head.
Castiel squints as him or he tries to. His head is still hurting and he gasps. No.
"Are we human?" Castiel asks, because the last time he felt so much pain and hunger, he was human. Gabriel smiles only a bit and then shakes his head.
"I'm not sure. I mean I can still see your wings and I feel my own, too. But yeah I feel a lot like I imagine a human would feel. I split our grace." Gabriel says then and Castiel's eyes widen. He heard about that. It wasn't really allowed to share your grace with a human and most of the times angel died, when they did that.
But since God isn't around anymore and with Gabriel being not only an angel, but an archangel, it actually did seem to work. Castiel rolls his shoulders and yes he can still feel his wings. But he feels weaker, too. Exhausted and his grace is a lot slower.
"I can feel my grace. But… only half of it." Castiel says in the end, because it really feels like this. Gabriel nods and carefully brushes over Castiel's black wings.
"The other half is now Dean's." Gabriel explains and Castiel's eyes widen.
"How?" Castiel asks and Gabriel at least looks a bit ashamed.
"As I said I split our grace. You gave half of it to Dean and I gave half of it to Sam. They were dying Cas. I could see it." Gabriel says and Castiel shakes his head over and over again.
"Doesn't the grace kill them?" Castiel says and he slowly tries to stand up. Gabriel helps him and then Castiel can't help it, but he leans heavily against Gabriel. He feels too weak to walk on his own and he doesn't even want to think about flying somewhere.
"No but it has some side-effects." Gabriel says and Castiel nods. He doesn't know what his brother means, but he just wants to sit down again. Hopefully in the Impala next to Gabriel with Sam and Dean in front of them.
"I really need this break now." Castiel huffs and Gabriel chuckles, while they walk slowly back to the car. The Impala is still standing there, as if nothing happened and Castiel has to smile. Dean would be over the moon to see, that his Baby was alright.
"Yeah I really think we should take a while off." Gabriel says and he opens the passenger door for Castiel. He helps Castiel to sit down on the passenger seat and Castiel frowns.
"I always sit in the back." Castiel says and he frowns harder, when Gabriel sits down behind the steering wheel. Gabriel sighs loudly and looks to Castiel, before he starts the car.
"The back is a bit…occupied." Gabriel tries and Castiel turns around. He imagined he would find Dean and Sam sleeping, because they nearly died and the fight was exhausting anyway. Maybe he would even see them heavily injured and with blood all over them.
He didn't imagine to see two toddlers, who look a lot like Dean and Sam sleeping on the backseat.