Broken, a Destiel Story

Part 29

Sam was sitting in the bunker when he heard the rush of angel wings and then Castiel appeared, bracing himself against the staircase.  He was covered in blood and looked exhausted.

"Cas?" Sam said, rushing over to the angel. But Castiel collapsed before Sam could get there. "Cas?!" Sam repeated, kneeling and raising the angel's head off of the floor. "Cas, what happened?" Sam asked. "Where's Dean?" He looked around frantically for his brother. But the angel didn't answer him. He was unconscious. Sam scooped Castiel into his arms and stood up, carrying him to his and Dean's bedroom. "Jack!" he yelled.

Moments later Jack appeared in the doorway.  "Sam, what's wrong?" he asked, but then he saw Castiel.  "Oh, no," he said, walking over to him.  

"You have to wake him up," Sam said urgently.  "We need to find out what happened to Dean."

Jack nodded and touched Castiel's forehead with his fingers.  The wounds disappeared and Castiel's eyes opened. He didn't have time to even get his bearings straight before Sam was talking.

"Cas, what happened?" Sam said.  "Where's Dean?"

"Dean," Cas said weakly.  He moaned, pushing himself up. He was remembering everything, and his anxiety was spiking again.  He gripped his head in his hands and he could feel tears starting to form in his eyes as he closed them, trying to calm his anxiety. 

Sam's heart started to sink.  "Cas, is Dean dead?" he asked.  

"No," Cas replied, rocking back and forth slightly. "At least, not yet."  He wiped the tears from his eyes.  He felt so ashamed.  How could he have let this happen?  He had promised to protect Dean and he had already failed.  And Gabriel . . . Gabriel was dead.   His head was reeling.

Sam tried not to overwhelm the angel.  Knowing his brother was alive made it a little easier, but he still had questions.  "Cas, what happened?" he asked, more calmly this time.

Cas's lips were quivering when he said, "Uriah."

"What?" Sam said, shocked.  "Cas, we killed him, months ago.  What are you talking about?"  

"He's back, Sam," Cas said, crying again. "I don't know how, but it was him.  And several other angels, they . . . they took Dean." 

"What?" Sam said, horrified.  "Why would they do that?"

"Because of me," Castiel said, sobbing now.  He brought his knees up to his chest and buried his face in his arms.  

Sam didn't know what to do.  He'd never seen the angel so emotional.  He took a deep breath and rested a hand on his friend's shoulder, trying to calm him, reassure him. 

Sam saw Jack was looking up at him with sympathetic eyes.  He could tell the young boy was worried about both Castiel and Dean.  He gave Jack a look telling him everything was going to be okay, but he wasn't sure he believed it.  He only hoped Jack would.  

"Cas, it's okay," Sam said gently.  "It's okay.  You're safe.  Just tell us what you mean."

Castiel lifted his head, sniffling and wiping more tears away from his now puffy eyes.  "Sam, they took Dean to hurt me," he said, looking at the younger Winchester.  

"Why would they want to hurt you?" Sam said, confused.  

"Because . . . because of my love for Dean," Cas said, looking down.  "When they tortured me, all those months ago, Sam, that was why.  It was because of Dean.  They knew about my feelings for him and they wanted it to stop.  They wanted me to end our friendship, and when I said no, they hurt me."  He looked up at the hunter.  "Now they want to take Dean away from me," he said.  

"Cas, we're not going to let that happen," Sam said firmly.  "Okay?  We will find him."

"Sam, I think they want us to find him," Castiel said, and Sam moved to sit at the foot of the bed.  "At least that's the way Uriah made it sound. He said that with who they have on their side we'd never win even when we did find him, and that whoever came to try and save him would end up dead. Everyone except me.  It's like they're expecting us to come.  They want me to watch them kill Dean and everyone else I care about."

"Who do they have on their side?" Sam asked.  

"I don't know," Castiel said.  "But someone powerful enough to bring Uriah back from the dead.  And there's something else."  He paused for a minute.  "Gabriel is dead," he said solemnly.

"What? Sam said, surprised.  "How?  I thought the only thing that could kill an Archangel was another Archangel.  And Michael's dead."  Suddenly a spark lit in his eyes as he realized who Uriah was referring to as being on their side.   "Lucifer," he said.

"No," Cas said, growing even more disheartened.  "It can't be."

"I don't want to believe it either, Cas, but it's the only thing that makes sense.  He probably came over at the same time as Michael and he's just been laying low."

"But, why would he care about Cas and Dean?" Jack asked.  

"I don't know," Sam said.  "But listen, even if it is Lucifer, and even if we don't have Gabriel, we still have us.   If Jack was strong enough to take on Michael, then there's a chance he's strong enough to take Lucifer on too."  He looked at the young boy who nodded at him.  "And we are not going to give up on Dean. We will find out where they took him and we'll find a way to get him back."

"Sam, I can't ask you and Jack to do that. To go up against Lucifer and a host of angels, knowing it's a trap?  Last time it was just Michael.  We have no idea how many angels Lucifer might have with him.  Dean wouldn't want you to risk your lives like that."

"Well, you know what, Cas, no offense, but screw what Dean would want," Sam said. "You're not asking us to risk our lives for him, and you'll never have to ask us to, because we're family, and we take care of each other.  Now, I know he's your husband, and I know how much you love him.  But he's my brother, and there is nothing I wouldn't do for him.  So, trap or not, Lucifer or not, we're going after him.  And if we die, then at least we died trying."

Castiel nodded, wiping away the last of his tears.  "Sam, I'm so sorry," he said, knowing how worried his friend was about his brother.  

"Cas, look at me," Sam said.  "This is not your fault, okay?  You need to believe that.  Let's just focus on getting him back."

**********

Castiel, Jack, and Sam stood outside of a large gray, abandoned building, several stories high.  It was dark, and there were no cars parked out front, no angels posted, nothing.  Not even warding. 

"Looks pretty trap-like to me," Jack said.  "Kinda screams it, actually.  You sure Dean's in there?" He looked at Sam.

"Well, Lucifer is in there, we know that much. We used the same spell when we found Michael.  It tracks Archangel grace.  So, yeah, I think we're in the right place," Sam said, staring up at the building.  "It's ominous enough."

"Cas, you sure you're ready for this?" Sam asked the angel.  "Uriah, he's going to be in there, too, I'm guessing.  He probably has Dean."

"I know," Castiel said.   Although if he was truly honest with himself, it wasn't fear or anxiety coursing through him right now.  It was anger, rage even.  And he was taking that with him into this fight.  He let his angel blade slide out of the sleeve of his trench coat and gripped the hilt tightly. 

Sam nodded.  "Let's do this," he said, and they ran inside.