Saved by an Angel (a Castiel love story)

Chapter 17: The End?

Cas's POV:

"Castiel!" I hear Dean scream.

He's so frustrating! Can't he leave me be? Does he not know how hard it is to be a good soldier, to show no emotion-especially to Kristena?

But I have orders. So I appear before him to see what he wants. Kristy looks up from the sketchpad I brought her twenty minutes ago. Her expression is impassive, but it's her eyes that always hold the most emotion. I force myself not to look at them.

I argue with Dean, but my mind isn't completely focused on it. It keeps getting sidetracked by Kristena's gaze that feels pointed and sharp on me.

"Cas," she says suddenly, cutting off Dean.

She stands from the gold chair and steps up to me, uncomfortably close. I don't want to look at her. Instead, I stare at Dean, trying to keep the cold, impassive mask plastered to my face.

"Cas," she repeats patiently.

She doesn't touch me, but I feel compelled to look down into her bright violet eyes. They changed back to normal when Angelique went away. But what surprises me is that the expression in them. Not accusing, sad, angry, or pained, but wide and uncomprehending, looking at me with gently imploring.

"Cassie-Castiel. You know this isn't right."

"All I've seen of you humans is greed and sin and hate. "

.Now her eyes look sad.

"Is that really what you think of me? That I'm hateful and greedy? That I'm sinful? So I'm an evil thing that deserves to be destroyed?"

Her voice is painfully soft.

"When I look at humans all I can see is you destroying yourselves. Humans are cruel and merciless and they are selfish creatures. All of them. How can you want this for your world?"

She just blinks up at me.

"It's not my world, Cas. It's not yours either. Or any of the angels for that matter. And I don't think I'm very selfish at all when I tell you that I'm willing to sacrifice myself for even one human being. Or an angel."

I stand frozen to the spot, her words finally penetrating my mind. This isn't right. Kristena...I know Kristena. She's intelligent and compassionate, selfless and strong. She's there when anyone needs it. She's not perfect, but she's as close as it gets.

"Cas. You know this isn't right. For every one of thos bad people you mentioned, there are two other people like me out there."

And that's when I bust them out of the safe house.

"Go help Sam," I tell Kristy.

She hesitates as Dean questions the prophet about Sam and the demon, Ruby's, whereabouts.

"You're not going to make it are you?" she asks quietly, her eyes filling with tears.

I don't answer, but we both know that I won't. She hugs me tightly, her tears soaking my shirt.

"I'm sorry it has to end this way," she sobs into my chest.

I pull her chin up to look at me. I memorize every detail of her face, her amethyst colored eyes, her smooth pink lips, her long dark eyelashes, her smooth slightly flushed skin. And then I kiss her one last time.

Before she leaves with Dean, she places a hand on my forehead and pushes a burst of energy through me. Then she's gone and I'm left to face the archangel filling the room with blinding white light.