The sun is blinding, everything is flying by
Finally, it was finished.
Dean was damn proud of himself. That must have been how some award winners felt. He might have been a little too taken aback by his own performance, but screw him. He created a chicken coop entirely from scratch. And at this point, he was in front of it, admiring the exquisite workmanship.
“You’ve surpassed yourselves. It looks fantastic.”
Cas left the home, closely followed by Miracle, whose tail was already wagging briskly. Dean didn’t have to pray actively for Cas anymore most of the time, probably due to their bond still getting stronger. They learned that Dean could also detect when Cas was thinking about him. Dean was undoubtedly experiencing something, like a warm shower flowing over his entire body, somewhat familiar with the experience when he was cured by Cas, even though he couldn’t explain what his angel was thinking specifically at the moment (for now; no one could predict how their bond was going to evolve further).
That indicated that their bond was growing, and Dean occasionally questioned why he was acting so casually about it. He wasn’t going to hide the fact that he was a little eager to see how their bond and relationship progressed.
“It is. Only the chickens are missing at this time.”
“Sarah will visit tomorrow to look at the chicken coop. Additionally, the chickens must remain in quarantine for a minimum of three additional days.” Cas reminded him.
Sarah, the animal shelter’s veterinarian, was Dean’s age. She was sassy, perceptive, and honest. Sarah was very explicit about the fact that she wasn’t charmed by Dean’s attempt to flatter her when they first met, which made him like her even more.
“Those poor birds. It’s sad that you can’t heal them right now.”
“Yes, I can only make sure that they don’t suffer too much right now.”
“I knew you were sneaking away when I’m sleeping.” Dean triumphed. He had questioned Cas about his recent whereabouts at night. The angel denied leaving, but their bond told Dean otherwise. Dean was feeling when Cas was far away from him even in his sleep, despite the fact that he was now content enough to not wake up and become anxious. Dean guessed that the angel flew to the location where the chickens were quarantined. The theory Dean outlined has now been validated. That the angel had lied to him still hurt a little.
“If not, too many of them would be dead. And I apologize for not telling you the whole truth. That I make such a big deal out of a few birds is a little embarrassing.”
Cas rubbed Miracle’s head since he was unable to look him in the eyes.
“Nah, it’s fucking adorable.” Dean tried to comfort him. When Cas smiled at him, it made his knee weak. Dean wondered if he would ever get used to Cas’ smiles. He secretly hoped that would never happen.
Dean was incredible.
That was a fact, just like Newton’s law of universal gravitation, and Castiel never questioned it. Nevertheless, his mate never failed to surprise him, as was the case with the new chicken coop Dean made on his own.
The idea of adopting more animals has already been brought up in conversation. Just two weeks after they moved into their new house, the shelter contacted him and asked if they could care for another pregnant goat. Darla, Sally, and little Pippin—Dean insisted on calling him Pippin—now shared a contented home.
Dean ought to have chosen chicken next simply because he wanted to have fresh eggs every morning. And it wasn’t long until the refuge saved a sizable group of them from a terrible farm. Every bird was ill, and they were in poor shape. The chicken had to live in boxes that were too small for it to even move around in, and the food wasn’t healthy or adequate. The majority of them would be deceased at this point if Cas hadn’t visited them.
They instantly replied “yes” when the shelter asked if they could take some of them. Eight chickens would be taken, Dean and Cas decided.
The selection of the coop was what took the most time. Cas believed that ordering one online would be sufficient, but Dean insisted that they must be examined first. So, after visiting three different hardware stores, his partner decided to construct his own. Castiel was still perplexed as to why none of the pre-builded appeared adequate. But he had faith in Dean to do the job. And the outcome was simply incredible. The chicken coop not only complemented the home and barn flawlessly, which, despite Dean’s refusal to acknowledge it, was his main motivation for building it alone. Furthermore, it was secure and more than spacious enough. It would be possible for the birds to enjoy a happy existence at last. And if everything went well, they would adopt more.
“Did you schedule a time to get the beehives?” He was yanked from his thoughts by Dean.
“Next Wednesday in the afternoon, we can pick them up.” Castiel replied.
If the angel hadn’t noticed some beehive blueprints on the kitchen table, he wouldn’t have looked for used ones. It took a lot of convincing to get Dean to buy them, but at least once Castiel was successful. But only because Dean had pretty sure the next project in his mind. Castiel already saw the bags of concrete in the barn. Castiel was certain that whatever it was would astound him once more.
“I don’t like the look on your face.” Kaia told Claire while they were making breakfast for themselves and Dean.
“What do you mean? This is how I usually look.” Innocently, Claire said. She was conscious of her wide grin.
“Yes, it’s the usual one you’re making when you plan something wicked.”
“I’m simply considering what to get Dean for Christmas. A cooking apron would be nice. You know, one with flowers and ruffles.”
Kaia chuckled.
“Sam-san had the same thought, therefore I recommend a different gift. Besides, Jody-san already got them some.”
The plates Claire was meant to set on the table almost fell off. The two women turned to face a young child with dark hair.
“You must be Yumiko.” The first person to recover was Kaia. Claire was still holding her breath.
“That is me. Welcome, and please accept my sincere apologies. I didn’t intend to frighten you.” She gave them a bow. Claire let out a final sigh.
“This is my girlfriend Claire; my name is Kaia.”
“You are staying here for a couple of days as Castiel-san informed me. I hope your visit is enjoyable.” She made another bow before leaving. Kaia and Claire exchanged perplexed looks.
“That was weird.” Claire said.
“Yeah. Now let us finish preparing breakfast before Dean and Cas come back.”
Claire peered out the windows towards the backyard. Dean was again at the chicken coop he had presented them last night proudly when she and Kaia arrived here. Cas informed them during dinner that if all went well with the veterinarian, some chickens would soon reside there.
The preparations were almost done when the angel entered the kitchen with a basket in his hand. It sent out an appealing scent.
“Good morning Claire, good morning Kaia. How do you sleep?” he asked.
“Great, the bed is really comfy.”
While Claire tried to snoop into the basket Cas had placed on the kitchen counter, Kaia responded on their behalf. It was full of paper bags and a bottle with juice.
“What’s in there?” Claire was curious.
“Oh, just a few things we were out of, and some things for breakfast today. There are German sausages and Dean’s preferred coffee from a Brazilian roaster. Along with the orange juice from Sicily, I also received some freshly cooked croissants from France.”
Cas put the items away or on the table as he listed them.
“Do you always spoil him like this or is today special because we are here?” Claire wanted to tease the angel a bit. She had been successful, based on Cas’ scowled expression.
“He just gets the things he deserves. And since my powers have fully returned, this is no effort at all.” the angel simply stated while watching Dean out of the window. The retired hunter was still fumbling around the coop.
“But how did you get fresh croissants? It must be evening in France?” Kaia questioned. Knowing her smart girlfriend, Kaia already had a theory and only needed confirmation. Cas, on the other hand, actually blushed. Claire was now equally curious.
“Maybe I did some time travel to get them, okay. Just please don’t tell Dean. I don’t think he would like that.” Cas begged.
Claire looked at Kaia who was looking back at her. She nodded.
“Promise.” they said in unison.
“Promise what?” Dean asked when he entered the kitchen.
The two girls and his angel were staring at him as if they had just committed a crime. Dean grinned because he couldn’t help it.
“If this is about Cas’ time travels to get some food from anywhere in the world, I already know that.”
“How?” The culprit looked at him with round eyes.
“Really, Cas? I thought we were sharing a profound bond.” Dean responded, took a seat at the table, and filled a glass with juice before continuing.
“It’s kind of weird, actually. Each time you do this, I immediately remember feeling two angels at some time in the near past.. And because I’m a smart guy, I added two and two together.
Not for the first time Dean imagined himself with two Castiels. It was some very inappropriate thoughts, even without two young women in the same room. To clear his mind, he shook his head.
“You are, indeed.” Cas simply smiled and concurred.
“But why haven’t you said anything before?” the angel now asked with his trademarked head tilt.
“I trust you to not do anything reckless.” Dean gave a shrug.
“I bet that you are secretly hoping that future Cas would some day team up with past Cas to have a some sort of pervert threesome.” said Claire with a grin.
Luckily Dean hadn’t taken a sip from his juice at the moment, otherwise he would have spit it over the table or he would have drowned on it.
However, he could swear that Claire had gained some psychic abilities as a result of sharing a home with a dreamwalking girlfriend.
“Anyway. What exactly gives us the pleasure for you two being here? Haven’t you had some college classes to visit?” Dean attempted to switch the subject. Yesterday, the girls unexpectedly arrived and requested to remain with them for a few days. Being able to host them made Cas really happy. And who was Dean to deny him that. Not that he minded them at all.
“It’s spring break and we wanted to see the house Donna was going into raptures all the time. Also, we wanted to make sure you two didn’t get rusty.” Kaia replied slyly.
Dean was still taken aback by how much Kaia had evolved from the anxious, insecure teenager to a confident, capable adult. Dean reasoned that’s what results from being with the proper person.
“I’m very content with having you there. Nonetheless, I am more than capable to make sure that neither me nor Dean are getting ‘rusty’” Cas put the last words in air quotes with a dead serious face. Dean suddenly felt a flood of deja vu. The memory from years ago seemed to be from a total different time, a time Dean was more than relieved to leave behind.
Dean, Kaia and Claire looked at each other for a brief moment before the three bursted into laughter. Dean glanced at Cas out of the corner of his eyes after he had recovered a little. Judging the content smile, his mischievous angel had intended for their reaction right away.
Sam’s phone started ringing as he was preparing to leave the bunker. He spent the last few days more at Dean’s place than here because Eileen was now at a friend’s house. Sam was a little hesitant about sleeping over despite his brother’s repeated offers. He needed to sleep for at least a few hours every night, but with a couple that appeared to still be in the honeymoon stage and a ghost roaming the night, it might be challenging.
Sam noticed that an Ed Henson was calling after glancing at the screen. It took a moment to remember that person. He was a few years older than Ed, who gave up hunting nearly two years prior. If Sam remembered correctly, he was now caring for his twin daughters after his late wife passed away in a car accident. They had just met a couple of times and hardly knew one another before Ed resigned.
Sam picked up the phone, eager to learn what the ex-hunter wanted from him.
“Hey, Ed, how are you doing?”
“Sam, I need your help.” The man said without any further greeting.
“What can I do for you?”
“I failed a hunt, and I don’t know what to do now.”
Sam grimaced. He had no idea that Ed had returned or what hunt he was on. After Sam had established the hunter network that almost everyone was using, he had a grip on what was going on. Whatever Ed was hunting, he was doing it on his own.
“Okay, I’ll go see Dean and talk to him now. Send me your location and everything you have. We’ll figure something out.”
“Thanks, Sam.”
Sam made a brief detour to his room after the phone call was over. In case they needed to drive to where Ed was, he grabbed his bag.
“What was he thinking? You don’t go out and hunt these things alone. And they are a real bitch to track down.” Dean bragged after he read the information Ed sent to Sam. The young hunter was in Baxter Springs to kill a butzemann.
“Yes, that was foolish. But at least he called for help before something bad happened.” Sam answered.
“So, what are we going to do about it?” Cas enquired.
“Unfortunately, there is no one close to him, except us.” Sam responded.
“To me, it sounds like family business. Or what were you thinking, Sammy?” Dean grinned at his younger brother.
“You mean just you and me?” Sam asked and Dean nodded.
“Hey, what about us?” Claire almost yelled. She was sitting with Kaia and the three men at the kitchen table, breakfast already finished.
“Before you return to studying, take advantage of the fact that you two are on vacation. Second, I need someone to watch over Cas so that he doesn’t set our house on fire.” Cas rolled his eyes dramatically as Dean continued.
“This was one time and Yumiko took care so nothing happened. I’m not residing here in the manner of a housewife.”
For a little while, Dean was at a loss for words and simply gasped like a fish.
“Did you forget that the hens are going to arrive in a few days? ” Dean finally found his voice. He was reaching to grab Cas’ hand from across the table.
“In any case, I will immediately pray to you if something goes wrong. This allows you to swoop over and save my miserable ass of a damsel in distress in the manner of a shining knight. I know that this is one of your favorite fantasies” Dean gave the angel a wink. Sam appeared a little horrified, and the girls were gagging.
“I hate to say it, but you make some valid points. Just assure me you won’t go overboard.” Cas answered.
“Awesome. Let’s go, Sammy. Time for the Winchester brothers to hunt again.”
Sam felt kind of uncomfortable, which made the whole situation seem even stranger. He and Dean hadn’t been on a hunt together since that horrible hunt of the vampire nest. Sam was quite pleased with how things had changed since then. Dean appeared at ease, even though the monster they were about to kill was probably going to be messy. Perhaps it was because of the backup angel they have.
“Hey, don’t you think that Cas agreed way too fast when I suggested that he stay at home?”
Dean broke the silence between them. Sam considered Dean’s question as he turned his attention to the road in front of them. It seemed more like Dean was anticipating something than like he was still unclear of his relationship with the angel. Sam made the choice to lightly tease his older brother. He also intended to learn Dean’s long-term plans. It was hard not to grin widely.
“Maybe he’s not just waiting for your chickens.”
“Not possible. I would know this.”
Sam took a look at his brother. Dean was undoubtedly pouting.
Yeah, Sam was going to have fun with him.
“Cas could prepare a surprise for you, like you did with the house. Oh, maybe he is going to propose to you.”
There was a significant dangling in Dean’s driving, luckily they were the only ones on the street right now. Dean had his eyes wide open and focused forward. His knuckles grew white from holding the driving wheel too tightly. It was growing more difficult to keep a straight face for Sam, but Dean didn’t seem to notice.
“What you’re talking about.” Dean’s voice was higher than usual.
“I just think this is the next logical step for you two.” Sam replied.
“Come on, Sammy. An Angel of the Lord has no interest in any kind of paper that certifies our relationship.”
Sam observed Dean shifting agitatedly in his seat. Yet he wouldn’t let his older brother away easily.
“What about you, though? Since you are meant to be dead and Cas doesn’t exist in the eyes of the authorities, there is no way to obtain a formal ceremony. However, a little celebration of your love with some friends in a lovely location with food and booze seems nice. You two can then take a lengthy beach honeymoon after that.”
Sam looked at Dean whose gaze went to him repeatedly, but he didn’t say a word. Sam sighed.
“Listen, Dean. It’s okay to want things. And I’m pretty sure Cas would bring down the moon, if you ask him for it.”
There was still no answer.
“And FYI, I already gave Cas my blessing.”
“You did what?” Dean shouted.
“Eyes on the road.” Sam yelled back. Fortunately, Dean listened to him and turned his head towards the street.
" I.GAVE.HIM.MY.BLESSINGS.” Sam repeated slowly and every word emphasized.
“Phew, as if Cas would need this.” Dean snorted.
“Well, it’s considerate and I’m your closest relative alive. Unless Cas wants to fly to heaven and ask John for your hand, I have to be enough.”
When someone has spent almost their entire life with a person together, they learn to read the other person like an open book. And Sam didn’t have to take a second look at his brother to know that what he just had said was somehow hurting Dean. The man behind the steering wheel was rigid and his breath turned faster.
“Dean?”
“Mmh.” The hum was barely audible.
“I’m sorry for what I just said.”
“Mmh.”
Sam was sure that Dean wasn’t really listening to him.
“Dean?”
“Mmh.”
“Stop at the sideline, please.”
Sam spoke slowly and calmly so as not to frighten Dean. His brother quickly came to a stop with the Impala. Dean was eventually able to get his breath, let out a loud sob, and lay his head down on the driving wheel. Waiting patiently was all Sam could do at this moment.
“Fuck, I’m so pathetic.” Dean whispered. Sam wasn’t sure if he even should have heard this.
“No, you’re not. You’re healing.” Sam tried to assure him.
“But how long is this healing going to take? I’m going to therapy for almost a year now, yet I still freak out from time to time when someone mentions Dad. It’s so fucking exhausting.” Dean told him, his gaze still fixed on the ground.
“You have to be patient with yourself. Years of trauma don’t go away because of a weekly appointment and some meds.”
Dean did nothing but gaze skyward. There was a brief pause in their conversation as only a few automobiles passed them without even slowing down.
“Dad won’t like this when he hears I’m dating an angel inside a male vessel. He would probably find a way from Heaven just to hunt me for all eternity.” Dean finally spoke again.
“There is no way that Cas is going to let something like that happen. Or me, and I can almost guarantee that Mom would kick his ass, too”
A small smile appeared on Dean’s face.
“Mum actually told me once to ask Cas out. She thought at first that we were dating. I think she was a bit disappointed when I told her the truth. I should have listened to her.”
“Sounds like her. She was much more open minded than Dad. So I guess you have her blessing as well.”
“And that’s more than enough for me.” Dean replied.
The vibration of Dean’s phone interrupted their little ‘chick-flick-moment’, as his older brother would call it.
Dean picked up his phone and started to message someone.
“Cas?” Sam asked.
“Yeah, he just wanted to make sure everything is alright.”
“Was this a coincidence or because of the bond?” Sam was curious. Given that nothing like this had ever occurred before, he was intrigued by the relationship between the angel and his brother. He was informed by the pair of what they learned from Chuck. To confirm that the former God had told them the truth, Sam and Cas carefully examined all the facts they had at their disposal. Although they didn’t find anything, they were still gathering and recording everything.
“Well, it was the bond.” Dean replied.
“You seem quite calm about this. Normally you freak out about everything that concerns your feelings”
“And I would with everyone else. But it’s Cas, he’s different, okay.” Dean was squirming in his seat.
“Do you feel Cas’ emotions, too?”
“Only if he is concentrating on me, like a prayer. Now, can we move on. Me and Cas, we are not your research project.”
“One last question though. Couldn’t you just pray to him that everything is okay?” Sam chuckled.
“Shut up, bitch.”
Castiel got nothing.
Even though he had done much investigation, what he had discovered so far was insufficient. And the angel was still unsure of when, where, or how to carry out the procedure. Maybe he should abandon his idea. After all, it wasn’t really necessary to begin with. He focused on his mate in an attempt to distract a little. Dean’s anxiety almost disappeared, just as he had written earlier. Castiel always found it difficult to resist the urge to fly to his hunter whenever he felt uneasy. Especially his therapy sessions are hard for Dean, but the angel promised to not disturb him and his therapist.
“What are you looking at?” Claire asked from behind him. Castiel must have been so lost in his thoughts that he didn’t notice her. She had already gotten close to him and was attempting to get a glimpse of his laptop’s screen. Castiel shut it quickly.
“Nothing.” He responded far too quickly.
“Mmh, I could swear I saw some rings. But perhaps my vision isn’t as excellent as it once was. Would you kindly check it for me?” Claire asked. The angel turned around a bit, only to be greeted by her puppy eyes. They both knew her eyes were in excellent shape. She only wanted to annoy him. There was no doubt that Castiel had been captured by Claire as he sighed in defeat.
“Yeah, I was looking for a ring.”
“I knew it, you want to propose to Dean.” She triumphed.
“Wanted, past. I think I have to give up. I wanted to do everything properly. But so far, I got nothing. Not even a ring, everything I found is plainly ordinary. And Dean deserves something special.” Castiel confessed.
“Aren’t you a cosmic being? I bet you could make one out of star dust if you want to.”
Castiel looked up after letting his head drop. Why hadn’t he considered it sooner.
“This is a fantastic idea, Claire. It shouldn’t take long, but could you bring the goats inside the barn if I won’t be back till 6:30?” Castiel asked, stood up and left the house with the rush of his wings.
“Cas? Where are you going? You know I was kidding. Cas?” Claire yelled into the empty living room.
She let herself fall into the chair where Castiel had been sitting moments earlier with a huff. She unlocked the laptop, which was obviously still running and not password-protected. The page with the wedding bands was still open. She read through it and thought everyone was more gorgeous than the next one, so she couldn’t figure out Cas’ issue. But on the other hand, their relationship was different and a special ring was somehow a must.
“Could we wait with a wedding until we finish college?” Kaia leaned over Claire’s shoulder and whispered to her. Claire came close to bouncing off the chair.
“That’s from Cas. And I agree with you. I have enough going on that I don’t need a wedding on top of it.”
“Great. So Cas is going to propose to Dean? I’m not surprised about that, but can you imagine Dean as a groom?” Kaia questioned her.
“I kinda hope that he will turn into a groomzilla. This would be so funny.”
Both girls laughed at that thought.
“And where is Cas now?”
“I think he went up to space to create a ring.”
“Poser.” Kaia snorted.
“Yeah. Anyway, what are we doing today? Any wishes? All we have to do is to be back at 6:30 to put the goats away.”
“I don’t know. The weather is nice today, so something outside, maybe.”
Kaia looked at her a bit unsure.
“There is a nice lake nearby, just about 20 minutes by foot.”
Claire was startled once more when Yumiko appeared out of nowhere like she did yesterday. Even though she was kind despite her love of pranks, she thought it was more than odd for a spirit to be at a hunter’s home. She and Kaia discovered their socks entirely rearranged this morning.
“Could you stop coming out of nowhere?” Claire asked the zarashi wakashi. The little girl just shrugged.
“But that’s no fun. You must see Dean-sama. His yelps are, according to Cas-san, cute.”
Yumiko hid her smile behind her hand.
“Now I want to see that. Anyway, could you show us the way to the lake?” Kaia questioned her.
“Unfortunately, I can’t leave the house. But I will describe the way to you.”
When they got to the motel, Dean noticed that Cas had practically disappeared. It wasn’t like when the angel traveled through time and the hunter couldn’t feel anything at all. It had been a miracle he hadn’t lost it the moment Cas traveled into the past for the first time. Instead, he quickly added two and two together. Now, Cas appeared to be far away, like he had never been there before. Even though it was very faint, he was still feeling their connection right now. Dean inhaled deeply to quiet his agitation. Everything would be OK as long as he felt their connection, he assured himself. However, Dean needed a distraction for now, so he decided to concentrate on the hunt.
“Hey, I got us a room, unless you want to sleep in the car. ” Sam spoke to him through the open window on the passenger side.
“Shut up, bitch. I totally haven’t missed sharing a motel room with you, but sleeping in Baby isn’t an option either.” Dean grumbled and got out of the car. He received one of the key cards from Sam.
“I would never deny a princess her beauty sleep.” Sam grinned broadly and bowed mockingly in front of him. Dean grunted. There was nothing wrong that he finally developed a healthy sleeping schedule. Since he started dating Cas, his sporadic 4-hour slumbers, which were typically only possible with a lot of alcohol, were a thing of the past. And even without Cas on his side Dean’s sleeping quality became better.
“Bite me, Sammy. I’m getting old, so sleep is mandatory. Mark my words, young man.” Dean changed his voice to sound like a granddad.
“Great, now you sound like Bobby.” Sam said with an eyeroll.
“I’ll take this as a compliment. So, where are we going to meet Ed?”
“He’s in the same motel as us. I wrote to him that we had arrived and he sent me a room number. I guess that we are going to meet him there.”
“Awesome, let’s put the bags into the room before. I need a bathroom.”
Leaving his vessel behind felt a little liberating. Castiel hadn’t flown around the universe in his real form in years, primarily because he had lost his wings. And after his second trip back from the Empty, he never again felt the need to leave Earth. Truth to be told, the angel was captured by Dean’s soul. Castiel felt miserable right now since his link to his partner was strained. Dean’s soul radiated love and brightness unlike any other. Even the magnificence of the surrounding universe was incomparable to him. But if he could, he would take Dean along to see the marvels of space. Castiel wished they would be reunited soon. And if everything was going according to his plan, Castiel had figured out how to solve his misery with the ring and the proposal. First things first, he had to construct the ring; one component should be nearby. He just couldn’t remember exactly where.
Dean gave a brief greeting before ignoring the two other men discussing in the motel room. He was sure that something was off, but he couldn’t tell what exactly. He turned to gaze around the space, which was Dean’s second hint. It was a family room, which was much too large and therefore expensive for one hunter. Because of this, Dean noticed that Ed wasn’t alone. But where are the others, and why didn’t he mention them to Sam and Dean?
The young hunter himself was the first indication that unnerved Dean. When Ed opened the door, he appeared restless and it was obvious that he had not slept for days. There had to be more about the monster than that Ed simply lost track of it. So he had lied to them and Dean was going to find out the truth before they would go on the hunt.
A small piece of cloth hidden beneath one of the beds caught his attention. Dean went to pick it up without the others noticing. It was a child’s sock. The bad feeling inside him grew stronger. Sam claimed that the man had twin children. He kind of hoped that the cleaning person was only inscrutable.
Dean moved to face the table where Ed and Sam were seated while holding the sock in his hand.
“Hey Ed, where do you say your kids are staying?” He asked.
Talking to a halt, the other two hunters turned to face Dean. Ed’s eyes briefly widened when they caught sight of the sock in Dean’s palm.
“I don’t know how important this is right now.” Ed retorted dismissively.
“Because…” In case Sam hadn’t seen the sock yet, Dean held it up, “I believe you brought them along as a form of bait. But you messed up and now two small kids are currently out there in the woods, scared to death and waiting to be eaten by a monster. Tell me, how close am I?” The death stare Dean was shooting Ed was not even attempted to be deflected.
“It’s not my fucking fault.” Ed snapped.
“If they would have followed my plan, that monster would be dead by now. But no, they had to get scared and ran away. They ruined it.”
Dean saw red.
When Dean shoved the father off the chair and to the ground, Sam hardly had time to process what Ed had just affirmed. Ed was being sat on by his brother, who was striking him ruthlessly and precisely. Sam was aware that he ought to have intervened, but Ed deserved it for putting his own kids in such risk. Still they needed his help, so Sam pulled Dean away who was trying to get back at Ed. The other man had a split cheek and a broken nose, and he was lying on the ground.
“Dean, you go. Take a walk, eat something or call Cas, just clear your head. I understand that you are angry, but I need you to be clear minded for this hunt, okay?”
With a huff, Dean left the room.
Sam looked at Ed who was still on the ground, pressing his shirt on his nose to stop the bleeding.
“Are you stupid? You can’t take your kids on a hunt, yet use them as bait. Believe me, I know first handed how fucked up this is.”
“As I said before, if they had listened to me everything would be fine. You wouldn’t even know that we were here.” Ed told him, his voice a bit stuffed because of the blood running from his nose.
" Stop with this crap. You could have just called for help before, you certainly did after your kids were kidnapped. And then you didn’t even have the balls to tell the truth. We already could have been on our way to their rescue.” Sam was louder than necessary, but he was also pissed off.
“We still have time. This thing just ate three days ago. It won’t touch them until next week.” Ed said unimpressed.
“But they are probably scared, so let’s hurry up. I know a spell to find them. All I need is something personal from them. I go and get the ingredients, and tell Dean what we are going to do. You wait here and I suggest you stay away from my brother as far as possible. Haven’t seen him angry like this for quite a long time.”
Sam said before he left the room to search for his brother.
Dean leaned against the Impala while gazing up at the night sky. He had some feeling that Cas was up there. Dean couldn’t figure out what his angel was doing over there. He prayed to him with his eyes closed.
‘Hello, Cas! Could you please call me after you are done in space?’
The phone in his pocket started ringing immediately as he opened his eyes. He answered the call without taking a peek at the caller.
“This was pretty fast.” Dean said.
“Of course, I would never make you wait.” His remaining fury vanished when the warm, gentle voice answered the phone. Dean intended to respond to Cas with a snarky response, but his brain was foggy due to silly warm feelings.
“So, tell me what you were doing in space,” He asked instead out of curiosity.
“I took the chance to spread my wings a bit. I haven’t been there since we sent Lucifer and Michael into the cage.”
“Damn it, I really would like to see it.”
“Dean, that would be...”
“Yeah, yeah, I know. Let a guy dream.” Before Cas entered into full lecture mode, Dean cut him off. After hearing it three times, Dean was fully aware of what would happen if he were to see Cas’ actual appearance. It was unfortunate that it wasn’t possible.
“Are you going to tell me now what happened? Before I called you, you seemed angry.” Cas questioned a bit worried. It had been some time since Dean refused to talk about his feelings.
“That shithead Ed used his kids as bait and now they are missing.”
Thinking about what these kids were going through right now made Dean desperate.
“I wish I could help you to find them. But as long as they don’t pray, I am not able to find them.”
“I know, but Sam is probably preparing a locating spell at the moment.”
“Do you want me to help you?”
“Nah, we are okay. Go back to space and fly around a bit.”
Dean couldn’t help himself and smiled, having an image of his angel in his vessel floating around in space.
“I’m done there, but I have another project on my mind.”
“Oh, now I’m curious. More animals maybe?“
Dean took a glance into the side mirror and noticed the soft smile on his face, drawing crinkles around his eyes. Putting the current issue aside, Dean was living the perfect apple pie life.
“No, but it is going to be a surprise. So be patient” his angel answered and Dean could hear the smirk on Cas’ face.
“I guess I deserve this.” Dean laughed.
“You know how they say, Karma’s a bitch. Now go back to work and save these kids. I love you.”
“I know.”
Dean ended the call and saw Sam approaching him.
“You seem calmer now. Spoke with Cas?” he asked Dean when he was standing in front of him. Dean nodded.
“Dude’s been in space while we’re on a hunt. Can you believe this?” he told Sam.
“Why not? What’s more weird is that you call Cas ‘dude’ while making heart eyes because of him.” his brother replied with a raised eyebrow.
“Sorry to disappoint you but we don’t do pet names.”
“What a shame.”
“Shut up bitch, and tell me what’s the plan about the monster and the kids.” Dean said.
“Now you are confusing me, jerk. Shut up or tell, you have to decide.” Sam showed him his classic bitch face. Dean rolled his eyes hard.
“You are such a smartass.”
“Thank you. FYI, I have everything for a location spell in the car. As soon as we know where they are kept, we will rescue them and kill that bitch.”
Sam just confirmed what Dean already guessed.
“As much as I hate to say this, we should wait until tomorrow morning. These things are not easy to hunt, especially at night. They will probably be hiding in the forest and I won’t risk anyone breaking his neck because they fall over a root.” Dean mentioned.
“You’re right. So let’s get at least the spell done so we can head out as soon as possible.”
Sam walked to the Impala’s trunk to get the ingredients. Dean took a deep breath to face Ed again. The urge to punch this bastard into oblivion was still there, but the more the merrier.
Yumiko appeared in front of Castiel as soon as he put his phone away.
“Claire-san and Kaia-san are currently at the lake.” She told him.
“Thanks for the info, Yumiko. Do you think I should start preparing dinner after I put the goats away?” Castiel asked for her opinion.
“As long as it is nothing you have to heat up, it should be alright.”
Castiel let out a long sigh. So as a result, you are permanently prohibited from using the kitchen after accidentally setting a skillet on fire. He simply wanted to surprise Dean with a breakfast-in-bed. Unfortunately, Castiel misjudged how long and hot bacon would need to cook, resulting in the grease catching fire. Dean had been pouting all morning and had forbidden the angel from using any heat-related equipment in the kitchen. Castiel was going to adhere to the rule without fail because the kitchen was Dean’s favorite room in their home. The angel regularly found himself fascinated by Dean’s joyful cooking or baking. He had then decided to continue preparing the table and doing other similar tasks.
He felt a little sad as he thought of Dean. The last time they spent the night away from one another was months ago. Until Dean fell asleep or became touchy, they would typically be cuddling on the couch while watching TV or reading a book. Regardless of how they ended up in bed, this was Castiel’s favorite time of the day.
Hopefully the hunt was going to be successful and the Winchester brothers would be able to save the kids. Castiel just wished that he could help them. But he would remain in place until he was called since he trusted Dean’s judgment of the issue.
Castiel certainly knew from the hunter’s memories that his mate was going through a particularly difficult time at this specific time. In his childhood, Dean had to go through such situations like the twins multiple times. Castiel’s hatred for John Winchester was stronger than usual at the moment, and he almost couldn’t resist the impulse to fly to Heaven and punch the man in the face.
To distract himself, the angel went outside to the goats. To be led into the barn, Darla and Sally were already waiting at the gate. It was amazing how quickly animals adhere to a routine, and it made things simple. On the other hand, Pippin either wasn’t used to it at the time or didn’t care. He was joyously leaping around at the moment. The two female goats were brought inside first by Castiel. After a brief chase, he picked up the young goat and carried him to his mother.
When Castiel saw Claire, Kaia, and a drenched Miracle returning with them, he brushed the dust from his dirty gray shirt. They were laughing while holding hands. It was beautiful to see how the girls found peace with each other.
“Having fun at the lake?” The angel asked with a faint chuckle.
He could imagine what they had done there. The lake was quite isolated and he and Dean had been getting intimate there for a few times now.
“I know what you’re thinking, but we had a dog with us.” Claire responded dryly.
“Oh, Miracle really doesn’t care if you two are getting satisfaction through…“
“Ew, stop it Cas. You’re gross.” Claire stopped him and Kaia laughed at her side. This got her an angry glance from her girlfriend.
Yes, he was going to miss Dean, but having the girls with him was going to soothe the pain a bit.
Sam watched his brother getting ready for the hunt. Dean hadn’t appeared this grumpy to him in weeks. The last time he had seen his brother like this was when he and Cas had their first serious fight. They had to acquire some coffee, both for Dean’s sake and for his own.
Sam’s spell was able to locate the kids deep in the forest. The sun was just about to rise when they got up to save them.
Sam knocked at Ed’s room when they were ready. They headed to a parking area in the woods for hikers after purchasing some mediocre coffee and pastries. Sam discussed the strategy Dean and he came up with last night with the hunter on the drive. His older brother hadn’t said a single word to the young father.
They both had the opinion that the butzemann were hiding somewhere in the abandoned mines back in the forest, along with Ed’s twins. The two girls weren’t the only kids to disappear. A child has vanished once every two weeks for the past four months, which matches the information they had. But it remained unclear how this monster got here from Germany.
“Can’t we hunt something that isn’t hiding in the middle of nowhere for a change? Or just somewhere where I don’t get dirty or wet. Like at a nice lake for example. Or in a city, there is no way we can get dirty there.”
As soon as they got out of the car behind him, Dean started whining and continued for the next 30 minutes. Sam was ready to tie Dean at a tree. Sam would have done it if he wasn’t so annoyed by everything like his brother. It was raining, cold and the ground softened. His shoes were wet, and his hair was dangling into his eyes. Sam, though, responded snidely:
“You mean like the place where we defeated Chuck? Yeah, I really like to repeat THAT!”
It came out a bit harder than Sam intended, but Dean just snorted.
“Hey, are the rumors true that you killed the actual GOD?” Ed asked. It was the first time he dared to speak since they went into the woods.
“No, we didn’t kill him. We made him use his powers so that Jack, Lucifer’s son, could suck it up to become the new God. Chuck, this is what God called himself, is now nothing more than a mere human, living in a trailer.” Sam explained, while Dean murmured:
“Did he live under a stone?”
“Still, you two are real legends. It’s a real honor to hunt with you.” Ed said, either hadn’t heard Dean’s remark or he was ignoring him.
With an angry huff, Dean speeded up and took the lead.
After about 10 more minutes, they arrived at the entrance of the mimes.
“Remember, finding the girls is our priority. As soon as we have them, Ed, you are going to lead them back to the car and call an ambulance. Me and Dean are going to hunt that monster.” Sam repeated their plan and the other two men nodded in understanding.
They entered the mine with maps downloaded on their phones, flashlights, and pistols loaded with silver bullets. To avoid drawing notice, they had chosen to move quietly.
They were quickly enveloped in darkness. Dean was the one who first heard the sobs, and he instructed Sam and Ed to follow him.
The noise grew louder, and just as Dean believed they had finally arrived at where the girls were held captive, he was stopped by a hand on his shoulder.
“Hey, I think I saw something.“Ed hissed and ran off.
“Ed, wait!” Sam practically yelled at the young man.
“Sam, go after him. I’ll take care of the kids.” Dean said and Sam left him without hesitation.
The girls were kept in a makeshift cage, just as he had expected. They squint their eyes, blinded by the flashlight. Slowly approaching them, Dean was already checking for any wounds. They were covered in mud, and their skin looked a little pale, but there were no obvious wounds. He knelt down as soon as he was in front of the cage. There were also some water bottles and some snacks inside. How that monster got this stuff was a mystery to Dean. At least it kept the kids somehow alive.
“Hi, my name is Dean. I know your dad and I’m going to save you. So, who of you is Senna?”
The girl closer to him raised her hand.
“So, then you are Violet, right?”
The other one was nodding.
“Great, so let you get out of it.”
Fortunately, Dean had no trouble taking down the bars because they were no match for an adult. The girls escaped their captivity right away, crawling into his arms and shedding quiet cries as they did so.
“Sh, everything is going to be alright.” Dean stroked their backs in soothing motions.
Dean carefully let go of them to gaze at them when they had calmed down.
“Let’s leave now. Can you two walk on your own?”
Senna was nodding, but Violet stared down at the ground.
“My foot hurts.” She whimpered and pointed at her right foot.
“Let me take a look at it.” Dean said before he lifted the pant leg carefully. Her ankle was swollen. Probably sprained, he thought.
“Violet, I am going to carry you, okay. And Senna, I’m sorry but I have a few things to ask from you and you need to be brave.”
Senna nodded again, this time more eagerly.
“You are awesome, both of you. Senna, you have to hold the flashlight for me and show us the way. Whatever happens, don’t lose it. Nothing is going to happen to you, I’ll protect you and your sister.”
They arrived at the mine’s exit without experiencing any problems or hearing anything. The girls protected their still-vulnerable eyes from the daylight.
Fortunately, the rain had ceased, so he continued to move away from the mines for a few more meters before deciding to stop. Dean brought some water and light snacks. From his experience, the twins had to live with the bare minimum to eat the last few days. He suddenly realized that Ed had just brought a rifle and a flashlight with him. As soon as this was over, Dean had to truly talk to the father. Ed needs to look after his children better.
“I know you two are hungry but you have to eat and drink slowly. Otherwise you will throw up, okay?” Dean told them and the girls nodded. He handed them the snacks, as well as two bottles of water. They took his suggestion to heart and ate in small bites and drank in small sips.
He paused to consider his course of action. He couldn’t wait for Sam because it was still cold and he needed to immediately get the twins out of here. It wouldn’t be simple to get them back to the automobile either. Dean realized he needed assistance.
‘Hey Cas, I need some extra hands here. Could you beam yourself to me, but maybe a bit far from here, I don’t want to scare the twins even more.’ he prayed with closed eyes.
He didn’t have to wait long to recognize a familiar figure cowering among the woods. Cas was dressed in his typical ensemble of a trench coat and suit. Obviously, no filth could accumulate on the clothing, while Dean appeared to have crept through the mud.
“Girls, my friend is coming to help us. His name is Cas and he’s the best guy ever.”
The girls looked at the angel he pointed to with their big brown eyes. Dean totally understood their awe.
“Hello!” Cas simply greeted them and the girls waved shyly at him.
“Hi Cas, thanks for the rescue. This is Senna and this is Violet.” Dean told him with a smile.
“Nice to meet you two. How about we get away from here?” Cas asked them and the twins nodded eagerly.
Cas pulled them both up off the ground with little effort at all and held them in his arms. Dean avoided the angel by looking elsewhere. Please, for goodness’ sake, there were kids there. Dean shouldn’t act like a teenager at the moment.
“Wow, are you a superhero, too?” Senna, Dean guessed, asked.
Before Cas could answer, Dean said proudly:
“Yes, he is!”
Dean could feel Cas’ eyes staring a hole in his back as the angel followed him on their way back to the Impala.
“So you two are like Ant-Man and the Wasp?” Now Violet was asking (again,Dean had to guess).
“I would describe us more like Superman and Bat-Man.” was Cas’ answer and Dean had to swallow.
This was probably an unreasonable payback for his comment from before. And of course Cas couldn’t leave it at that.
“Maybe we should do this as Halloween costumes. What do you think, Dean?”
Dean froze and lost all focus as he turned to snarkily comment at Cas. Nothing could have prepared him for the sight of his angel holding the two girls close to him in his arms. Dean would wager his very life that he witnessed Cas’ wings being drawn over their tiny figures in protection. Dean would have snapped a ton of pictures if their present situation weren’t so serious. But they are in a hurry, and he should go back to Sam as soon as possible. Not that his brother wasn’t able to handle a butzemann on his own, but Sam also had to take care of this idiot Ed.
Cas asked Dean if everything was alright while gently cocking his head. He gave him a brief nod before turning around to guide them to the parking bay.
“Superman and BatMan aren’t together, you know.” Senna commented, completely oblivious to Dean’s distress. How she could tell that he and Cas were dating, was a mystery for Dean. Either she was incredibly intelligent, or they are more obvious than he anticipated.
“Well, there are many different versions of Superman and BatMan and we are just the ones that love each other.” They were informed by Cas. Dean was already aware of Cas’ expression without having to turn around. The angel was most likely looking at him with these soft eyes and that goofy smile that made Dean’s heart do somersaults.
The girls didn’t say anything, perhaps content with the answer. After halfway through, Dean wanted to check in on them.
“Hey girls, you two are alright over there?”
“Yes, Cas is so warm.” Violet responded.
“And he smells good.” Senna added.
“Next to his strength, these are his best features.” Dean said with a smile. He refrained from turning back to check on Cas to see if he was blushing. The angel turning red was a highly uncommon sight, and Dean usually adored seeing it. However, he wasn’t sure if he would make it through the view at the time, so he concentrated on the path ahead of him.
Dean quickly located the parking space where he had parked the Impala. The rain and the muddy streets didn’t do any good for his Baby. When they got back home, she would get a nice polish.
“So, what’s the plan from here?” When they got to the car, Cas asked him. Of course, the angel was neither sweating nor gasping for air, and he was still holding the twins in his arms. Dean, on the other hand, needed a relaxing nap and a hot shower.
Dammit, that bas… Ed was supposed to call an ambulance and take his kids to the hospital.” Dean answered.
“I think Violet and Senna only need something warm to eat, a shower and a long nap. Or what do you think, Violet?”
Cas put the girls on the ground and Violet was walking for a bit. Her first few steps were a little unsteady, but soon she was walking normally. Obviously, Cas healed them on the way back.
‘Thank you, Cas. You’re the best.’ The angel gave Dean a soft smile as he prayed. He was able to focus on other matters now that the girls were entirely safe.
“Alright, I will drive back to the motel with Violet and Senna. Cas, you go back and find Sam and Ed. We will meet at the motel, then.” he explained.
“See you later, Cas.” Senna said and both girls were waving. Cas waved back before he turned around to walk back into the forest. Dean regretted that he didn’t take a picture of the three. Their interactions had been too cute.
“Okay, let’s get into the car. Hot chocolate sounds nice, or what do you think?” Dean suggested and the girls were squealing in excitement, running to the backseat door.
Just when he opened it, Violet looked up at him and stated:
“There are no child seats.”
Dean flinched. Today wasn’t his day.
“Yeah, let’s just hope that we don’t meet any police.”
Sam applied pressure on Ed’s hip wound. Although it wasn’t particularly dangerous, there was a lot of blood, and if they couldn’t leave the mines quickly, he would bleed to death. Sam’s loss of orientation as a result of their pursuit of the monster was another problem. The man was harmed as a result of Ed’s carelessness, and the butzemann was also once more missing. Most likely, the creature just intended to frighten them off. Adults were not at all their prey; only children were.
He decided that waiting for Dean to come back was the best thing to do. Although Ed was probably dead by then, he was the one to blame. He ignored the plan and chased a monster without thinking. These had been rookie mistakes and now they were in a pinch. Sam hoped that the flashlights’ batteries would hold up.
Suddenly a figure emerged from the shadows and Sam reached for his gun. Cas entered the room without batting an eye at the weapon Sam was holding.
“This looks bad.” The angel said when he came closer. Sam put the gun away.
“Hi, Cas. Good to see you.”
I would have been earlier if you had prayed to me.”
Sam flinched. He hadn’t even thought of Cas.
“Normally Dean is the one doing it. I guess he and the girls are safe, seeing you here.”
“They are on their way back to the motel. I healed their wounds, all they need is food and some rest. Now let me take care of this dumbass.”
Ed groaned, showing that he had heard them. Cas knelt down without much consideration. He let his fingers linger over the wound, and Cas’ graze lighted up the mineshaft. In no time, Ed’s wound healed, and some of the color in his face came back. However, the angel missed to heal the bruises that were caused by Dean yesterday.
“Holy shit, thank you dude.” Still a little out of breath, Ed said.
“The exit is in this way, you are going to wait there. I’ll take care of this monster.” The angel still kind of ignored the hunter, much to Sam’s amusement.
“No offense, dude, but let us help you. ” Ed said and for the first time Cas was really looking at the man. Sam knew the look on Cas’ face and he felt just a bit of pity for Ed.
“I’m an angel of the Lord and I certainly don’t need the help of someone who fucked up twice.”
Sam could swear he felt the growl of Cas’ voice in the air, and Ed looked utterly shocked. Without anything more to say Cas walked in the opposite direction to the exit.
“OK, let’s leave this place before we run out of batteries. ”
Sam grabbed Ed at his arm, before he could run away again. The man followed him reluctantly.
“Angels are real douchebags, aren’t they?” Ed asked him.
Sam stopped in his tracks and turned around to face Ed.
“Listen, Cas saved your sorry ass and he is one of the best persons I know. And you’re lucky Dean isn’t with us. He is already pissed off at you, but this would have been the last straw.”
“Okay, okay, I understand. So the stories about Dean liking the angel more than as a friend were accurate. I had no idea Dean had a thing for guys.”
Sam didn’t like the way Ed was talking about his brother and he had to breathe deeply. He was running out of patience with Ed, and the urge to punch him grew stronger every second.
“For the record, they are actually together. And don’t you dare to speak poorly about them, neither in front of me nor anyone else. You are walking on very thin ice at the moment.”
This made Ed finally shut up and they walked towards the exit in a silence that was very much welcomed by Sam.
