In the Light

Chapter Thirty-One: Training

Ruby couldn't sleep that night. She tried not to wake Sam up as she slid out of bed; being tiny has it's advantages. She could leave the room without making a single sound. She walked outside where Castiel was standing, staring up at the sky.

"Hey. What are you doing?" She stood next to him and looked up too. She could see so many stars. It was beautiful.

"I'm listening to my brothers and sister," he said simply.

"The angels? Do you miss them?"

"Very much, yes."

"What are they saying?" She was curious.

He sighed. "They're mostly talking about the humans. We're meant to protect you." He paused. "Some are angry with me. They say I've grown too attached. Perhaps they're right."

"You're afraid you love humanity more than God." She'd been there. That's why she became a religious sister. In college, she'd been so in love with Sam. Nothing else mattered. She couldn't function without him. It wasn't supposed to be that way.

"Yes. God should come before anything, but I... His creation is so beautiful. You humans are magnificent; flawed, but magnificent. You know, I've...I've been here for a very long time. And I remember many things. I remember being at a shoreline, watching a little grey fish heave itself up on the beach and an older brother saying, 'don't step on that fish, Castiel. Big plans for that fish.' I remember the Tower of Babel...All 37 feet of it, which I suppose was impressive at the time. And when it fell, they howled 'divine wrath'. But come on - dried dung can only be stacked so high." Ruby laughed. "I remember Cain and Abel...David and Goliath...Sodom and Gomorrah"

After a long pause, Ruby said. "The way I see it, God knows everything. He wouldn't have sent you here if it wasn't where you were meant to be."

"I suppose that is correct." There was still doubt in his voice. After a minute, he said "Why are you out here."

"Couldn't sleep. I'm too 'revved up' as my mom would say. I was going to play something." She went inside and got the guitar along with the Kansas song book. "I think you'll like this one." She opened the book and began to play the acoustic version of Carry on my Wayward Son.

She looked up at the end of the song. "That was nice," Castiel remarked.

"Nice?" asked a voice next to Ruby. She gasped. If she hadn't recognized the voice as Dean's she would have whaled on him. He didn't notice. "That was amazing. You're voice is amazing. I thought you were playing it off your phone or something."

"Thank you. You're just lucky I didn't hit you when you scared me."

"Maybe we should work on your reflexes." He took a fighting stance. She looked over at Castiel. He was looking at the stars again.

"Right now?" She rolled her eyes. "Okay. Just let me change." She was wearing a tee shirt and pajama shorts.

"You can fight in that. Come on." He punched her on the arm.

"Not without a bra."

"Woah." He put up his hands in surrender.

"What? Did you forget that I'm a girl?" She went past him.

When she came out a few minutes later, Cas and Dean were standing very close. Cas wasn't good with the whole "personal space" thing. They didn't seem to be talking about anything important, so Ruby jumped on Dean. She wrapped her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist. She turned his head to the side, fake-breaking his neck. She got off him. "Constant vigilance! I win." She grinned.

"That was only round one." Dean took a fighting stance.

A few rounds in, Dean hit her a little too hard. It was probably an accident, but still. She went on the ground. She stayed there a second, biting her lip to keep from crying or shouting.

"Shit. Ruby, I'm sorry. Are you okay?" Now, she could have been the bigger person and said it was okay, but she didn't. When she was hurt physically or emotionally, she always struck back. It was purely instinct. In one swift move, she turned, stood up, and kneed Dean in the crotch hard enough to put him down.

"Crap, crap, crap. Dean, I'm sorry! It was instinct. I didn't mean to. I'm sorry."

Dean was still on the ground. It seemed like he got the breath knocked out of him. "Yeah, I know." He groaned.

Cas approached him and put a hand on his shoulder. "Dean, I can heal you if-"

"No, no. Cas it's fine." He still hadn't moved.

"I don't understand. You're hurt. Why won't you-"

"I just won't, Cas. Leave it alone." He groaned again.

Castiel reached out his hand. "I need you to let me touch it."

"Ookay. I'm just going to leave. Uh, get you something to drink or. Yeah." Ruby had trouble standing up, but neither men noticed. She went back into the motel. She felt bad, but she laughed quietly. She winced suddenly.

When she went back outside, Castiel had pulled Dean off the ground. Castiel must have healed him. She gave Dean the glass of water. She'd never actually seen him drink anything other than beer, but he drank from the glass. "Sorry I hurt you first. You don't have to apologize. I get it. You were defending yourself."

"I can heal you too," Cas put in.

"That's okay, Castiel. Just a little ice and I'm good to go." She'd brought out a washcloth with her to put some ice in. Dean took it from her. "I'll get it. You go inside."

It hurt a lot worse than she was letting on. She thought he might have even cracked a rib just a little. It didn't matter. Her depression had been bad lately and the pain helped.

She went inside to the bathroom. She lifted her shirt. There was a huge bruise already forming. She looked through the toiletry bags until she found what she was looking for. It was a bottle of pills from when Sam got shot. She took one then splashed some water on her face and went outside.

Dean was at the table holding the makeshift ice pack. "Let me see." He gestured for her to come forward.

She picked up the ice pack. "It's fine. I already checked. Not even a scratch." She got Sam's laptop and sat down on the couch. She'd be asleep soon enough.