Fic: The Earth and Heaven to You (Part 9)

[dauntperplexity]

 

Part 9

Dean gave up his weapons and promised not to hunt anything for twenty-four hours. That night, he couldn’t sleep. First, because it was the day before his birthday. Yay, happy birthday. And second, because he knew that the world was going to start crumbling around him.

He was right.

People got hurt. It killed him not to be able to do anything to stop it.

The hotline rang nonstop that he had to unplug it. He couldn’t lift a finger to help, or the deal he made would have been useless. He wanted to cry.

As soon as dusk broke, he got into the Impala and drove all the way to the outlook he was at not even a day earlier. Dean needed to think and he didn’t want anyone disturbing him.

LRLRLRLRLRLRLR

Castiel found Dean sitting on the hood of his car at the outlook they were at the night before. “Dean,” he whispered.

Dean’s hand shot up to stop Castiel from saying anything else. He couldn’t let Castiel talk, because he knew that if he did, he would probably forgive him. “Don’t.”

“Please.”

“People are getting hurt. More people are going to get hurt. And it’s my fault.”

“It’s not your fault.”

“You’re right.”

He knew exactly what Dean meant, and he was ready to take the blame for this entire ordeal. “Dean.”

Dean spun around, facing Castiel for the first time since they first started talking. “You lied to me, Cas.”

“Not about everything,” he pleaded. “You have to understand”

“No, you have to understand. People are going to die. I can’t do a thing to stop it.”

“Dean.”

“You have to go.”

“No.” He didn’t want Dean to just send him away.

“Cas. I don’t want to yell at you.”

“I want you to,” Castiel yelled. It would be his only form of solace. “Because I don’t like that you’re being this passive. Yell at me. Hit me. Just… stop being so nice to me. Not when I don’t deserve it.”

“Cas,” Dean pleaded. “There… there are more important things to worry about than castigating yourself.”

With those words, Castiel knew that he wasn’t going to be able to get through to Dean. “I’m sorry, Dean.”

“I have to do something. I can’t just hide out here doing nothing when people are dying.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out his car keys.

“Dean, what are you going to do? You don’t have your weapons.”

“I’ll do what I can without them. Now, get out of here.”

Castiel nodded, knowing that hew as being dismissed. He slipped his helmet back on and climbed onto his bike.

He wanted to get the hell out of town. There was nothing there for him anyway, and it was probably going to be a pile of ash in a few hours.

But he knew that he couldn’t just leave. He knew that the Angel in him wouldn’t allow him to. He rode down the street, weaving through cars that were making their way out of Kansas.

Fifteen minutes, and four near-accidents later, he arrived at Dean’s place. He jumped off his bike, not caring to put up the stand and ran to the front door. He pounded on the door, hoping that someone would answer.

After five minutes, the door swung open. “Sam,” he said, relieved.

Sam slammed the door in Castiel’s face. “Go away,” he yelled through the door.

Castiel leaned forward, resting his forehead on the door. “Sam, I need your help. Please.” He would beg if he needed to. He was ready to.

“What do you want?”

“Your brother is about to do something stupid.”

“Well he won’t listen to a word I have to say.”

“I don’t want him to get hurt.”

“Well you should have thought about that before you lead him on and then made him give up his weapons. Do you know what a Hunter is without his weapons?”

Castiel looked to the ground, unable to keep the gaze of the young Hunter. “Something like an Angel without wings,” he whispered.

“Cas,” Sam whispered. There was something in his tone that Sam knew the statement meant something more to him.

Castiel shook his head, wanting the attention to be off of him as soon as possible. “I know that he won’t listen to me. But you know who he will listen to.” He waited for Sam go give him a response, but the boy said and did nothing. “Sam, please. I’m trying to save your brother’s life. Just let me do that, and you’ll never have to see me again. I promise.”

“Okay.”

“We have to find Bobby and Pastor Jim,” Sam said.

“They aren’t here?”

“They left last night after Dean flipped out at them. But they haven’t gotten far.” He grabbed Castiel’s wrist and pulled him into the house. “They’re still in town.” Sam closed his eyes and transported the two of them to a parking lot.

It was across from the diner where Castiel and Dean had dinner. “Which room?” he asked.

Sam pointed straight ahead. “Room twenty-three.”

Castiel ran straight to the door and knocked on it.

Bobby answered the door pointing a shotgun at Castiel’s forehead. The world was ending, he didn’t care about having a gun pointed at someone out in the open. “You better disappear before I put a bullet in your head.”

“Bobby, I’m sorry.”

“Sorry doesn’t stop the world from burning around us. You… how could you do that to him? I should’ve known you were bad news.”

“Yes,” Castiel sighed. He was willing to take whatever the man was going to give him. He deserved all of it. “You were right about me. You were right about everything. But I need your help.”

Bobby dropped the shotgun to his side. “Why would I help you? You have done nothing but cause Dean pain.”

“Because Dean’s about to do something stupid and you and Pastor Jim and Sam are the only ones who can stop him.”

Pastor Jim stood up from his bed and made his way into Castiel’s view. “What is he going to do?”

“I think he’s going to fight one of the Demons. The one terrorizing this town. I think it’s Alastair.”

“Without his weapons?” Pastor Jim asked, but knowing the answer.

“Please,” Castiel pleaded. “I don’t want him to die. I know that I screwed up and it’s unforgivable, but Dean is Human. He’s allowed to make mistakes. Even trusting me. So don’t be mad at him because this is all my doing.”

“Damn right it is,” Bobby said.

“But I’m trying to fix it.”

“Bobby,” Pastor Jim said. “We have to help Dean.”

Bobby nodded once. “Sam, take us to your brother.”

“Thank you,” Castiel replied with a sigh of relief.

“I’m not doing this for you. You may have damned us all.” Bobby looked past Castiel to Sam. “Take us to Dean.”

“He’s on the move.”

“Well, take us to where you think he’s going.”

“He’s going to the House of the Hunters,” Castiel whispered.

“How do you know?” Pastor Jim said.

“I just… it’s where I would go.”

Pastor Jim nodded and agreed with Castiel’s assumption. “Sam, take Castiel to the House. We’ll be there soon.”

Sam grabbed Castiel’s arm and, without warning, transported them to the House of the Hunters. They found Dean standing in front of his mother and father’s statues. Pastor Jim and Bobby appeared soon after. “Dean,” Sam yelled.

Dean turned around and saw the four of them advancing on him. He wiped away the trails of tears, not wanting them to see him crying. “What are you guys doing here?” he asked.

“Trying to stop you from doing something stupid,” Bobby replied.

“Bobby. Pastor Jim. I messed up. I messed up real bad.”

“It’s all right, Dean,” Pastor Jim said.

“No!” Dean yelled. “It’s not. People are dying right now, and they’ll continue dying because of a choice that I made. I have to fix this.”

“Yeah, and how are you going to do that?” Bobby challenged.

“If I can get rid of one Demon, then it will be enough.”

“And how will you do that, Dean?” Bobby asked. “You can’t even touch a weapon.”

“Dean,” Pastor Jim started, walking toward the Human. “Be reasonable.”

“I am being reasonable. I messed up, so it makes sense that I have to be the one to fix it.”

“Then fix it when you have your weapons back,” Sam countered. “You can’t help them if you’re dead.”

“By the time I get my weapons back it will already be to late!” Dean yelled. He bit his lip and took a few deep breaths to calm down. He did not want to get mad at the wrong people. “At least, if there is a Demon here, they will come for me which gives everyone else time to get away.”

“So this is a suicide mission,” Castiel said, speaking up for the first time after landing in the House.

“I’m trying to think of other people instead of myself,” Dean snapped.

Dean’s tone was biting and Castiel could feel it take a chunk out of him. “Dean, at least give yourself a fighting chance.”

“How would I do that, Cas?” Dean asked. “Tell me, because I’m open to suggestions.”

“I don’t know.”

“Well, until you do, we’re doing this my way.”

“I’ll fight the Demon,” Sam said, stepping forward. “I have my Hunter abilities. I can hold off the Demons until you get your weapons back.”

“No,” Dean said, adamantly. He immediately shot down the idea. “It’s not your fight.”

“The hell it isn’t!” Sam yelled. “Lucifer is taking this fight up to Heaven. He has to go through the Hunter plane to get there. Mom and dad are up there fighting right now. And you want me to just sit here and twiddle my thumbs?”

“Then go up there and fight, Sam!” Dean yelled back. “Your fight is up there, not down here.”

“Dean, stop,” Castiel said. “He’s not the one you’re mad at.”

“You’re right,” Dean spat. He spun back around to face the statues of his mother and father. “Tell me what to do,” he whispered. “Please. I don’t know what to do.”

The three Hunters in the room also looked to the Winchester statues, hoping for a sign. Anything. They were ready to fight and they had their weapons, they only needed a sign.

Castiel stepped in front of Dean, standing between him and his father’s statue. “I’ll go and bargain with Lucifer,” he whispered.

“No.”

“Dean, it’s a few more years added onto my deal. It’s a millisecond on the grand scheme of it all.”

“Don’t you get it, I don’t want people fighting for me.”

“It’s not for you,” Castiel whispered. “It’s for all the people that need saving.” He nodded once and began walking toward the entrance of the House. He felt four sets of eyes follow him and heard some footsteps do the same. “Just get everyone you can to safety.”

“Cas,” Dean said, walking to him.

Cas stopped and spun around. “Dean, you can’t change my mind. This is my fault.”

“I want you to know—”

“Dean!”

Dean’s last words weren’t heard as Castiel shouted his name and ran toward him. He had no time to react when he heard a loud snap that felt like it shook his brain. The next thing he knew, Castiel had grabbed him and tackled him to the ground.

When Castiel spun him around, he caught a quick look at the threat who was there one second, then gone the next. He saw a man was standing behind him and pointing a gun at where he was just standing. The bullet should have torn into his back. He should have been dead. He hit the ground hard.

It took Dean a few minutes to come back to himself. He felt like time stopped for a few minutes. He scrambled into a sitting position and looked down his body for any indication that he was shot. “What?” he whispered when he realized that there were no bullet holes in him. He looked down and saw Castiel facedown on the ground. A small pool of blood was forming underneath him. “C… Cas?” he whispered. He fell down to his knees and rolled Castiel onto his back. He saw the bloodstain growing on his chest. “Cas.”

With much coaxing, Castiel groaned and opened his eyes. “Dean? You’re okay?” he asked.

“What was that?”

“That was Alastair,” Castiel whispered.

“We’re going after him,” Bobby said.

Castiel shook his head and unconsciously moved his hand to cover his wound. “You won’t find him.”

“What the hell were you thinking?” he yelled. He was still staring down at him in shock.

Castiel tried to sit up, but fell back down when the pain in his side spread. He turned on his side and tried to curl into himself. “I couldn’t… let him hurt you.”

“Damnit, Cas.” He throat felt tight as he tried to force those words out. He gathered Castiel into his lap. “You’re gonna be fine.” He looked up when he hear the sound of metal falling around him. His weapons had fallen in a circle around him. He reached for the closest weapon. It was the Colt. With a shaky hand, he grabbed it. “What is this?”

Castiel raised a shaky hand up to cup Dean’s cheek. “It’s a good thing you’re pretty,” he said.

“Cas.”

“Lucifer likes deals,” Castiel said. “He said you’d get your weapons back if I got hurt.”

“Did… did you plan this?”

“Would it impress you if I said yes? It’s the beginning of my apology.”

“Cas.” He blinked and tears rolled down his cheeks.

“Now, go. Your family needs you.”

“But…”

“Go,” Castiel said, adamant. “Go save your family. Go save the world. Go be a hero. Be a Hunter.”

He knew that what Castiel was saying was true, but he found it hard to want to leave Castiel’s side. Especially after the emotional rollercoaster that he had put him on. But he knew that Castiel was telling him the truth. He was needed elsewhere. “But what about you?”

“I’ll be fine,” he said with a smile. “Don’t worry about me.”

Dean sniffled, wiping his nose with the back of his hand. He laid Castiel gently down on the floor. He stood up and looked at Bobby, Pastor Jim, and Sam who were watching him from the distance. “Bobby. Pastor Jim.”

The two elder Hunters walked toward him. “We’ll keep an eye on him,” Pastor Jim said.

“Thank you for coming back.”

“Yeah,” Bobby replied. He couldn’t think of anything more to say without the moment sounding so lovey-dovey. “Now go before we all start drowning in our tears.”

Dean gathered all of is weapons, getting ready to leave. He glanced at Castiel who was watching him while he did. He saw that Castiel was shivering. He shrugged off his jacket and laid it over Castiel. He bent down and placed a soft kiss on his forehead. “Stay live, okay?”

“Of course. Now, leave.” Castiel pushed Dean’s arm with as much strength as he could muster. It wasn’t much.

Dean stood up and walked to his brother. He sent one more look to Castiel before he put his hand on his brother’s shoulder. “Sam, let’s go.”

Part 10