Righteous Man (Demon!Dean Destiel AU)

Chapter 15

"What do you mean, he wasn't alone?!" Naomi all but shouted, hands on her hips and mouth set in a serious line. Castiel bowed his head, feeling awkward and foolish. He should have gone through with it. He shouldn't have come back with his task unfinshed. He was a failure.

"Three hearts beat in that room. I could not go in."

The young angel shrugged, barely holding back a frown or a string of broken apologies. Rolling her eyes, Naomi stepped forward and gestured for Castiel to seat himself in a large, over stuffed leather seat. This was the first time Castiel really noticed where he was since he arrived, and he took a moment to appreciate it. The walls were a delicate pearl-white, with beams of colour glowing and shifting, almost like living creature. The desk in front of the leather seats was a modern looking box, coloured the same as the elegant walls. It all felt pure, but awfully unwelcoming. Not wanting to further anger his superior, Castiel sat down.

"You know what I think, Castiel?" Naomi said, pacing stiffly in front of him, hands knotted behind her back.

Castiel shook his head.

"I think you didn't want to do what I had asked." There was an edge to her voice that sent a small shiver down Castiel's spine. She sounded cruel, malicious, and exasperated. Her eyes reflected the same emotions, but thousands of time more powerfully.

Castiel couldn't find it within himself to answer.

"I've tried fixing you... Michael's tried reasoning.. Torture... You've left us no choice, Castiel."

Cocking his head to the side, Castiel furrowed his brow. No choice? What were they going to do? It couldn't be good. Surely, they were going to kill him.

"No choice?" Castiel asked calmly, in a sort of state of deep contentment. He didn't mind the thought of dying, really. All it was was rest and peace. He'd had enough his messy life, and without Dean there wasn't much of anything for him. Naomi obviously wouldn't understand. She probably thought Castiel was going to cry and plead for forgiveness with his death looming over his head. She didn't understand love. None of these Angels did.

"I'd sit still if I were you, Castiel." Naomi said quietly, her grey eyes flicking up to the air behind him, and drooping slightly in what Castiel could only guess as pity. It was a strange emotion on her, making her face come alive with colour and humanity. For a moment, Castiel forgot everything she'd done to him... That was, he'd forgotten until a strong, thick arm wrapped itself around his shoulders and brought a knife across the delicate skin of his vessel's neck. Cold air blasted at him - the real him - and he shuddered. It could only mean one thing..

My grace is slipping away....

Fear seized Castiel, and he jerked back, eyes going wide and terrified until his head became woozy, and his body weak. His mouth opened in a desperate attempt to call out, shrieking and for them to stop, but the cut upon his throat was apparently so deep it caused him too much pain to breathe, let alone speak. Brilliant, glowing blue radiated before him, blinding him, and searing into his eyes with a frightening power. It pulsed ans swirled, twirling down into a vial that Naomi had held out before his throat, catching each and every last drop of Castiel's grace like it was water from a tap.

The last thing running through his mind, was a fading prayer from Dean, barely making its way into the last angelic parts of Castiel's brain.

"Cas! Babe! Come back, please... I, I reall-"


The world darkened around Castiel as the last bits of his radiance seeped out from him, and with a small mumble of Dean's name, he passed out.

~~~

Everything around him was wet, cold, and hard.

The grass, which typicallly offered him comfort and rest, was now a prickly deathtrap that tickled his arms and neck in a nearly painful fashion. Rocks dug into his cheeks, and dirt was collecting in the tear tracks streaming down his face. Opening his eyes, Castiel took in a deep breath of air.

"It hurts..." He murmured, pushing himself up to his knees. Either condensation or his own tears stuck pebbles and soil to his skin, and with a pained grimace, Castiel brushed it off. His bones, his flesh, practically every inch of his body ached horribly, throbbing in time with his pounding heart. But, despite the physical pain, there was only one thing on Castiel's mind.

"Dean..."

~~~

Eyes closed, and palms pressed close against one another, Dean shot out a rushed and heart broken prayer

"Cas! Babe! Come back, please, I... I really need you. I've been stuck in this fucking awful Devil's trap for days - and my geek brother isn't helping with anything..."


Across the room, Sam and Gabriel talked in hushed voices.

"What do you mean he isn't healed?!" Sam hissed, crossing his arms over his broad chest and glancing towards Dean's hunched form.

"I did everything I could Sam, it's just... He's too far gone." Gabriel looked to his feet, frowning. " The damage is irreversible. I've managed to balance it a bit, though. We should be able to reason with him. But... I don't think he'll ever be the same."

Sam's face contorted into a look of pain, and with a last look towards Dean, he rushed out from the room, and to Bobby who was outside paying for another few nights.

Dean, eyes wide, looked up from his prayer.

"What was that about?"

He looked to Gabriel with a fearful look, but the Angel just sighed.

"Nothing." His whiskey coloured eyes lingered on the door Sam burst out of for a few moments before he walked up to Dean. "If I let you out of this trap, you promise to behave?"

The demon nodded enthusiastically, getting to his feet in a swooping movement. An eager smile was tilting his lips, and he watched closely as Gabriel touched a single finger to the charred carpet. Immediately, the burns faded in that spot, and Dean breathed out a long breath of air, almost like a gasp or sigh.

"'Bout damn time..." He said, stepping lightly from the circle. Cat-like, Dean stretched out his muscles and let his arms swing limply at his sides. He had a stupid cocky grin on his face, and Gabriel rolled his eyes.

What does ol' Cassy even see in this guy? Gabriel wondered. Dean was flawed, malicious, stuck up... But, Sam... Sam was damn near perfect. If Gabriel hadn't been concious of Dean, he would have drooled right then and there.

Suddenly, the door swung wide open, slamming hard against the mustard coloured walls. It boomed, echoeing around the room, and the sound was followed by Sam's panicked voice.

"Dean-" He said, breathlessly " You gotta come out here quick."

~~~

Finding Castiel's way back to Dean wasn't too hard. All it took, really, was some begging for change on the streets and a few quiet words with a waitress at an old, run down Biggerson's Diner off the side of some Highway. Walking, of course, was horribly tiring and Castiel wished with everything in him he could just fly to the motel. But no. He was human. And humanity meant suffering.

The neon lights blazed painfully in Castiel's eyes, and he squeezed them shut. It offered little relief. His head still pounded, his body still ached and he still felt overwhelmingly exhausted. It was a strange feeling - a wooziness in his head and a heavy weight upon his body. He felt as if he were going to collapse.

Luckily, though, Castiel was able to trudge his way a few more meters to tap weakly upon the old door of the motel room. He wasn't sure if it was the right one. His memory wasn't nearly as good as it used to be, Cas noted. But it was what he had to work with.

With a weak, and shaky hand, Castiel reached up and tapped his fist against the door. The sound was eaten up by the evening air, and the fallen angel slumped down to his knees. He was just so tired.

"Castiel?" A gruff voice said questioningly. It was coming from behind him, but Castiel didn't have the strength to look around him.

"Bobby?" He asked softly, lifting his heads from his hands. His eyelids drooped and he struggled to keep himself awake.

"Jesus, boy, what happened to you?" Bobby immediately jogged up to him, reaching under his arms to help him to his feet. Cas leaned heavily back, and rested his head against Bobby's shoulder. He was safe now. He could rest.

"Go get Dean." Cas heard Bobby urge to someone, and the name was like an injection of adrenaline to his veins. Pushing aside his exhaustion, Cas perked his head up, blue eyes wide and searching.

~~~

Without question or comment, both Gabriel and Dean ran from the room, leaving the door wide open behind them. Dean knew something was up, and it probably had something to do with Cas. His stomach flopped nervously.

Rounding the corner, with Gabriel on his heels, Dean called out to Bobby and Sam;

"What's happening?!"

All three men turned to look as Dean approached them, eyes wide and arms opened in a silent question.

"Dean...?"

A weak voice asked, and Dean let his green eyes flick down to the weak form of his Angel. Cas was slumped back against Bobby, eyes half closed, framed by dark rings. He had a deep cut upon his cheek, as well as many other cuts, and his arms bloomed with shades of purples and blacks. But it wasn't the bruises, bumps, or scratches that Dean really saw at first. It was the horrible, emptiness of his back.

He had no wings.

"Shit! Cas!" Dean said, rushing forward and taking his fallen angel from Bobby's arms. He was light and frail feeling, and Dean clutched him close against his chest.

"Come on, babe, let's get you some dry clothes..." Dean cooed, carrying Cas back to their room. The others watched silently, but no one followed.