Aftershock (Sequel to Writing's on the Wall Destiel)

Chapter 8

After Gabriel's visit, things got a little better. Dean was relieved that the Impala was back to normal, but he told Sam he felt weird every time he got inside. He and Castiel were able to talk a little more and be around each other when the tension levels weren't too high. They were able to communicate as friends, just as they did before they fell in love. Dean secretly hid the fact that his love for Castiel grew a little more each day, and Castiel reluctantly admitted to himself that he was doing the one thing he promised himself he wouldn't do.

They were spent. For nearly an entire week, the schedule had been the same. Wake up, eat, research, eat, go to sleep. Dean could barely concentrate; his eyes were so tired and his frustration at not finding anything was clouding his mind. Sam's head was hurting from all the things about lore of people raising others from the dead. Castiel was more tired every day, both emotionally and physically. He hoped that his grace wasn't failing again, but it was because he sympathized with the brothers.

One day, they finally found a lead. Sam had been, out of boredom, flipping through the same lore books he'd been looking in for the past weeks and a day when something caught his eye. Frowning, he scooted closer to the table and peered at it. What he saw shocked him. Sam's eyes grew wide. How have I not seen this before? "Dean. You've got to see this."

Dean leaned over Sam's chair and glanced at the book he was reading. "Find anything?"

Sam pointed to a thin line of writing. " 'There is only one being known to have skills of holy fire powerful enough to burn the earth at will, a being with many names. Some call him Beelzebub, some call him Satan, some call him Lucifer....' "

Dean's face seemed to close. His eyes grew dim. He clenched his jaw just like he did every time to control his anger. "So Luci-douche is the one who raised Cas?"

"Apparently, yes."

Dean sighed. "Son of a bitch, "he said tiredly. "How am I gonna tell Cas? He's not going take this well."

"I don't know, Dean. I think you're just going to have to tell him. Or, I can do it, if you want."

"No, no, I'll be fine. I still have to, you know, make it up to him."

Dean left the room, thinking of ways to tell Castiel that wouldn't break him anymore. "How the hell am I supposed to tell him something like that?"

He walked inside his room and sat on his bed, closing his eyes. "Hey, Cas, um, it's me. We finally got a lead on...whoever raised you from the dead. So....you might wanna zap your ass over here."

The sound of wings immediately followed and he heard Castiel's voice say. "Who is it, Dean?"

"I don't really know how to tell you, it's kind of difficult for me to say and more difficult for you to hear."

"What makes you say that?"

"The one who raised you.....is Lucifer. Cas.....I'm so sorry."

Castiel's jaw had dropped slightly. His eyes were paralyzed by fear, then resignation. He bit his lip and cast down his gaze to the floor. "It's not your fault. I should have it would be him."

"Don't do that, Cas. Look, we'll find a way to....." Dean trailed off as he saw a tear slid down Castiel's face. Without thinking, he reached out his hand and brushed it away. "Don't cry."

Castiel just looked at him so forlornly, it broke Dean's heart to say the least. He took two steps forward and was just able to catch Castiel, letting him sink into his arms and cry. He rubbed Castiel's back soothingly and whispered, "Shhhh, it's okay. It's okay."

"It is not okay, Dean."

"Then we'll make it okay, okay?" Dean felt Castiel's hand make its way into his and inwardly gaped. He still couldn't believe that Castiel had decided to accept his comfort rather than Sam's. But he had to be there for his angel. So he gripped his hand firmly and promised, "Cas, I won't let him do anything to you, I promise. But you gotta trust me first. We've gone through some crap as hell times, but none of that matters now. We've got to stick together, me, you and Sam, if we want to keep you safe. Do you trust me?"

"I trust you," came the quiet answer. Dean sighed and rubbed Castiel's back. "Don't get me wrong, I wish this weren't happening. And believe me, I want that son of a bitch to pay as much as you do. I want to kill him for what he did to you. I will never forgive him for that. So let's help Sam a little, okay?"

Castiel just nodded and let go of Dean's hand. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be. I don't blame you for anything."

"Maybe you should."

"Cas...I don't want to. Look, I don't know how else to say it. I don't want to blame the one that makes me believe in something again. And I'm pretty damn sure you know my real feelings for you." Dean rested a hand on Castiel's shoulder. "Don't worry. Everything will be fine."

As he walked away, Castiel watched him sadly. "I don't believe you."