Fic: The Earth and Heaven to You (Part 8)

[dauntperplexity]

 

Part 8

Castiel, what are you doing?

What? Okay. Sorry. I forgot that I’m telling this story.

So, Lucifer found out Dean’s weakness. His weakness was that he was starting to fall in love with Castiel. But the feelings between the two of them were mutual.

But Castiel cared too much about Dean to let Lucifer hurt him. As much as he wanted to fight Lucifer, he couldn’t do much. Lucifer still held his grace and wings, which made him Human.

Lucifer was going to do whatever it took to make sure that his overthrow didn’t fail.

What the two of them didn’t realize was that while they were having their conversation, Bobby and Pastor Jim happened to be walking by the alley. They had heard everything that the two of them had said about Dean being the main event for Lucifer’s plan. Unfortunately, they didn’t hear the early parts of the conversation, so they just thought that Cas was trying to mess with Dean.

They ran off to get to Dean as soon as possible.

While all that was going down, Dean went to the House of the Hunters to talk to his dad.

LRLRLRLRLRLRLR

Dean went to the House and waited for the moonlight to hit the statues so that he could speak with his father. Ten minutes later, the moonlight touched the heads of the statues.

As many times as he’d seen it before, it always left him in awe when he saw his father go from a statue to a living being. “Father?” he whispered.

“Dean. It’s good to see you, son.”

“Good to see you too.” He really wanted to hug his father. And it was a lot worse now that they were standing so close. Soon he’d be able to see his father and mother. “It’s been a hectic couple of weeks.”

“Oh yeah,” John said, surprised.

“Yeah.”

“Tell me about it.”

“How much time do you have?” Dean asked.

“Enough for a story or two.” He walked over to the bench that they had their first conversation all those months ago. Fortunately, this time, there was a lot less awkwardness between the two.

Dean followed his father and sat down on the bench. They were sitting closer than the last time. The two of them sat in silence, waiting for the other to break it.

Finally, after some time, Dean let out a loud sigh and rubbed his hands up and down his thighs. “I went to Bobby and Pastor Jim to train.”

“Oh, yeah?” John said, relieved that the responsibility wasn’t left to him to start the conversation. “And how was it?”

“I learned that I have a sliver of Hunter essence or whatever still in me.”

“How did you figure that?”

“Sam didn’t kill me.”

“He’s a good training partner, isn’t he?” John said with a smile.

“Yeah. But he’s jealous that I actually get to be trained by the two best Hunter trainers in the universe.”

“That they are.”

“So, the two of them kicked my ass for months. Hand to hand combat. Weapons. First aid. Reading. It was like school all over again.”

“Did you think it was going to just happen?” John said with a laugh.

“No. But I didn’t think that I’d be taking enough painkillers to need a new liver. But it was worth it.” Dean nodded a couple of times. He leaned back into the bench. “I probably would’ve been killed when I went into the house.”

“What house?”

“To save the baby. A crap ton of Demons and witches and people that worshiped them kidnapped a baby. They were going to sacrifice her. I mean, how messed up is that?”

John leaned over and patted his son on his back. “It happens,” he said, calming his son down. “So what happened?”

“A lot of yelling. I tried to get the regular people out of there. The witches disappeared. But the Demons stayed. And I had to fight like six of them. And I killed a few of them. I think.”

“Dean.”

“I don’t feel bad,” Dean said when he realized that his father was trying to comfort him. “They were going to kill the baby. And they were trying to kill me.” He took a moment to gather himself. “So, the Demons I didn’t kill bailed, but not before starting a huge fire. It was so hot. But I got out of there. And I saved the baby.”

“Good for you.”

“And then, overnight, I became this huge celebrity. And there were statues and monuments and I have a hotline. It’s so convenient having a brother who can transport me anywhere that the Bat beam shines.”

“Bat beam?”

“Batman. You know, that light that people shine into the sky when someone’s in danger.”

“You have a light?” John asked.

“I have a hotline. That rings way too often. But I get there, do my Hunter thing, of course with Sam’s help every now and then.” Dean paused and smiled. He looked up and around at all of the statues surrounding them. “And then I get my thanks. It feels so really good to get a thanks like that. I must have saved and helped like hundreds of people, but it never gets old.”

“So is that the reason that you summoned me?” John asked.

“No, of course not,” Dean replied.

A confused look appeared on John’s face. “Then, what is it?”

“I’m ready.”

John sat up a little straighter on the bench. “For what?”

“To receive the Mark of the Hunter,” Dean said, as if the answer were obvious. The Mark of the Hunter was given to a Human or a Hunter after they had finished their training. When the Angels deemed them worthy, they were given the Mark.

“Dean,” John said. His voice sounded like he was about to deliver the worst news he possibly could. And in a way, he was. “Son, you haven’t done anything to earn that title.”

Dean shot up from his seat and started to pace in front of his father. “But I’m kicking ass down here. Everything I’ve come across I’ve defeated. They are talking about having me in a calendar.”

“Dean, I didn’t need to know that.”

“Why can’t I come and see you?” he asked. “The real you. And my mother.”

John stood up and stopped his son’s pacing by holding him by his shoulders. “Dean. It’s not that we don’t want you to join us on the plane. There is nothing that me and your mother want more than to be able to wrap our arms around you.”

He shrugged his father’s hands off of him. “Then what is it?” He wanted to know the answer so he could do it and finally meet his family.

“You have to do something worthy.”

“Well, then tell me what it is and I’ll do it.” There was no limit to what he would do. He had already done so much.

“It isn’t that easy, Dean.”

“Nothing about my life has been easy, father.”

“I can’t tell you what to do. It just has to happen. And then you become a Hunter. There isn’t some council and we vote, because we would all easily vote you in without a second though. You have to prove yourself.”

Dean groaned out loud and rubbed both of his hands down his face. “Then what have I been doing all this time?” he yelled, flailing his arms around.

“Getting ready for the moment.”

“Father,” Dean sighed. He wanted answers, but he felt like he was just getting more riddles.

“Dean. I have to go. I wish I could stay and talk, but I have duties to attend to.”

“Of course.”

“Hey, come here.” Timidly, Dean walked toward him. He put a hand on his son’s neck. “You’ll become a Hunter. Soon. You just have to wait for your moment. I promise. You just have to find your moment.”

“No hints as to what I’m looking for?” John shook his head and walked back to where his statue needed to be and turned back to stone in front of Dean’s eyes. “Of course not. Thanks a lot, John.” He groaned and fell back into the bench.

He was feeling discouraged. All of the work he had been doing for the past few months had been for nothing. All the lives he’d saved. All the training.

He tried not to think about it so much, but it was difficult. He wanted to know how long he’d have to wait for his moment.

His anger and frustrated quickly dissipated when he thought about everything that had happened to him in the last 24 hours. He thought about all the time he had spent with Castiel and it brought a smile to his face. He didn’t want to say it, but he was falling for the other man. Fast.

He thought back to Castiel and how happy he felt when he saw him again. And the food at the diner. Then the drive to the outlook. And what happened in the Impala. He could not believe what happened. He kept replaying those moments over and over in his head.

“Dean.”

Dean shook out of his reminiscing. He found Bobby and Pastor Jim standing right in front of him. They had to have been there for some time, but he hadn’t noticed. “Bobby. Pastor Jim. What are you doing here?”

“Been looking everywhere for you,” Bobby said.

“Why?”

“Dean,” Pastor Jim started. “We have to speak with you.”

“About what?”

“Dean,” Bobby said. He sounded strangely comforting.

“Why do you guys sound like you’re about to tell me something I don’t want to hear?”

“Because we are.”

“What’s going on?”

“Dean, do you know someone named Castiel?” Pastor Jim asked.

“Why?”

“Blue eyes, messy brown hair?”

“Okay, yeah. I know him,” Dean said slowly. “Why?” he repeated.

“We heard some bad news. About him.”

Dean’s eyes widened. His mind and thoughts immediately went to the worst situation possible. “Is he okay?” he asked, worried. He was with Castiel a few minutes ago. He hoped the other man wasn’t hurt.

“He’s fine,” Bobby said through gritted teeth.

“Dean, what do you know about him?”

“That first night in Illinois, I saved him from this guy.”

“That’s where you got the Angel sword?” Bobby asked. Dean nodded. “He gave it to you?”

“No, he was the one being attacked. The guy tried to stab me with the sword.”

“You won a fight against an Angel?”

“I guess. But seriously, why are you asking me about Cas?” He didn’t want them veering too far from what they initially wanted to talk about.

“Dean, Castiel is working with Lucifer.”

“Lucifer?”

“Yes.”

“As in the Fallen-Angel who rules Hell?”

“Yes.”

“Cas is working for him?”

“Unless you another Castiel in the universe,” Bobby said. He was becoming impatient with Dean’s useless questions.

Dean was about to ask another question, but stopped when he saw how irate Bobby was becoming. “No,” he said, adamant. He shook his head. “Cas wouldn’t do that.”

“Cas?” Bobby spat.

“How much do you actually know about him?”

“I know enough,” Dean yelled.

“Dean,” Pastor Jim said, trying to pacify the young man. “You have to trust us on this. He is bad news.”

“No, you’re lying.”

“Dean.”

“No,” Dean yelled. “Cas wouldn’t do that to me. He wouldn’t lie.”

“He said they were using you to find a way to overthrow Heaven.”

“Why would Cas do that?”

“Dean. Lucifer doesn’t just start conversations with anyone. He sounded like he and Castiel have been in contact for years.”

Dean turned around, not able to look at his two trainers anymore. He shook where he stood. “You need to leave,” he whispered. He couldn’t take them saying that about someone he was falling in love with.

“Dean, you don’t meant that,” Pastor Jim said.

“I’m grateful for what you guys have done for me, but I…”

Pastor Jim walked up to Dean and put a hand on his shoulder. “Let’s go home. We need to just get our bearings then we can find a way to go about this.”

Dean shrugged the hand off of his shoulder. “You need to go,” he repeated. “I have no use for you guys.”

“And what about Sam?” Bobby yelled.

“What about him?” Dean yelled back, spinning around. Pastor Jim jumped back when he saw how close Dean was. “He’s already a Hunter. I have to do this on my own. I have nothing else to learn from you guys.”

“You think that a Hunter life is solo?”

“I wouldn’t know.”

“You don’t mean this. You’re just angry. It’s understandable. It’s not easy being betrayed by someone you care about.”

“Don’t… don’t talk to me like you guys understand what is going on with me. You guys had it easy. You don’t know half of the crap that I’ve had to go through in my lifetime.”

The three men in the House were breathing hard. Their eyes flew back and forth between each other. “Jim, let’s go,” Bobby said. “This stubborn ass is done listening to us.”

“We can’t just leave, Bobby.”

“We’ll send Sam in. Maybe he can talk some sense into his brother.”

Dean watched as Bobby and Pastor Jim left him alone. A few minutes later, he saw a silhouette at the entrance. “Sam, I can’t deal with you right now.”

“They’re only trying to help you.”

Dean sighed and walked back over to the bench. He sat down and Sam took a seat next to him. “They told you about Cas?”

“Yeah, they did.”

“And you trust them?”

“Dean, they’re Hunters. Retired, but still Hunters.”

“But what they’re saying about Cas.”

“I know that you care about him, Dean.”

“How?”

“We shared rooms and live in the same house. You talk in your sleep.”

“Damnit.” He was more embarrassed than angry.

“But you have to admit, Dean. His timing of showing up in your life is shady to say the least. And you’ve seen him a whole two, maybe three, times in your life.”

“I know it looks and sounds bad, Sam. But… I don’t know. When it comes to Cas…”

“You like him.”

“Maybe.”

“There is no such thing as maybe liking someone,” Sam laughed. Dean joined in with the laughter when he realized how ridiculous what he was saying actually sounded. Sam then grabbed onto Dean’s wrist and had a panicked look on his face. He looked up to the sky. “Do you smell that?” he whispered.

Dean inhaled deeply, but he couldn’t smell a thing. “What?”

“Sulfur. I smell sulfur.”

“Like rotten eggs?”

“No, Dean. Like sulfur. Like what I smell when Demons are near.”

“Are you sure?” Dean asked. He immediately reached behind him and pulled his gun and knife out of his waistband. He got his guard up.

Sam did the same. “Yeah. I’m sure.”

As if on cue, a man appeared in front of them. “I guess that he ruined the surprise.”

Dean had no idea who the man standing in front of him was. He looked at his brother who was fuming where he stood. “Lucifer,” Sam said in recognition.

“I smell Winchester blood in you.”

“And you smell like ass,” Sam replied.

“Millennia in Hell doesn’t do well for the odor.” He shrugged. “And to think, I was an Angel once.”

“They were right to cast you out,” Sam spat.

“Is that what you learned in your Hunter studies?” Lucifer chuckled. “I think they may have left a few details out.”

“They told me enough.”

“Enough to paint a decent picture of me.”

“Yeah. Decent.”

“Okay, young Hunter, the big boys needs to talk.” Lucifer snapped his fingers and Sam fell unconscious. The Demon-Angel flung his arm out and Sam crashed into the nearest wall.

“Sammy!” Dean yelled.

“He’s fine,” Lucifer said, nonchalant. “He’ll wake up as soon as I leave.”

“Then leave.” He never took his eyes off of his brother.

“But Dean, we need to talk.” A sinister smile was on his face.

“What in the world could I possibly talk to you about?”

He pointed back and forth between the two of them. “We have a mutual friend.”

“Yeah, who is that?” Dean said.

Lucifer snapped his fingers and the bound Castiel fell between the two of them. “I think you know him.”

“Cas,” Dean said. He tried to step forward, but he found that his feet were frozen in place. “Let me go.”

“Not until you and I have a Human to Demon-Angel conversation.”

Dean looked down at Castiel and made eye-contact with him. “Are you okay?” He watched Castiel shake his head. “Let him go. This is just between me and you.”

“No, it isn’t. He’s fine. The chains are mostly for show. They aren’t hurting him. He just needs to be here to witness what we’re going to talk about.”

“Then start talking.”

“Impatient. That must be a Hunter characteristic.” He stared at Dean without saying anything. “Have a seat.” With a flick of the wrist Dean fell back onto the bench that was somehow pulled behind him. “Now that we’re comfortable.”

“Comfortable isn’t exactly the right word I’d choose.”

Lucifer picked Castiel up. He made him face Dean and kneel in front of him. “How much about me do you know, Dean?”

“Not much. I know that you’re a Fallen-Angel. Michael made you the leader of the Hell plane because you where a whiny brat. And according to every Demon, witch, vampire, werewolf, and every other thing I’ve come across, you want to try and overthrow your brother in the Heaven plane. Sound about right?”

Lucifer shrugged. “A few of the details are skewed, but it’s a good summary for one done impromptu. So I applaud you.”

“Thanks.”

“I’m a fan of you, Dean. I am. I was there when you rescued that baby from those Demons in Illinois. I was impressed. Azazel and Alastair, not so much. But you had me cheering for you.”

“I’m glad that I could impress you.”

“That was until you started messing with my master plan.”

“Well, then I’m glad that I could mess with your master plan.”

“Your existence messes with my plan.” He looked down at his brother who hadn’t moved since he had been put in that position. “Doesn’t he, Castiel? Don’t worry, we haven’t forgotten about you.”

“What do you have on him?” Dean asked, his attention shifting from himself back to Castiel.

“Nothing important,” Lucifer said. He shrugged as he pet Castiel’s hair. “Just some light and a few feathers.”

“Let him go.”

“I can’t do that. See, I made a deal with little Castiel. And if I decide to ignore it, then others will think that they can get out of their deals and then everything is a mess. And I can’t have that. Basically, Castiel is holding the balance of the universe with his deal.

“What does his deal involve?” Dean asked.

“Nothing much. He just has to do everything I order him to do.”

“Because of a deal?”

“Dean, you’re offending me. It sounds like you haven’t been paying attention.”

“I’ll make a deal with you.”

At those words, Castiel began to struggle. Lucifer made a fist and tightened the chains enough that Castiel stopped moving. “What do you have in mind?”

“I want whatever you have of his released. I want Castiel to be free.”

“I can do that. But I need something from you, Dean,” Lucifer said.

“Something like what?” Dean said slowly. He was curious to know what Lucifer wanted in return.

“I need twenty-four hours for my plan to run its course.”

“And what do you need me to do?”

“Absolutely nothing.”

“Nothing,” Dean repeated.

“You can’t do a thing. Can’t hurt any of my Demons. You can’t—”

“Demons?” Dean repeated with his interruption. “What are you planning on doing?”

“My overthrow.”

“And you want me to just sit back and let it happen?”

“Yes. And if you just sit and let it happen for 24 hours, then Castiel gets his grace and wings back.”

“Grace and wings?” he repeated, slowly. He was beginning to put it all together. “He’s an Angel.”

“He didn’t tell you?” he asked. He was just adding salt to the fire. He wanted to make situation much worse.

“No. He didn’t. How much is he keeping from me?”

“A lot. I mean, for the most part, it’s to keep you safe. Quite chivalrous of him.” He sounded almost proud.

“I’ll do it,” Dean whispered. “I’ll let you try and overthrow Heaven. I’ll sit back and watch you fail while eating popcorn.”

“Smug. It’s a good quality to have.”

“Well, go.”

“I will. I need to shake on it,” Lucifer said. He stepped forward and held his hand out to the Human. He stopped a few feet in front of him.

Dean looked down and stared at the outstretched hand for what seemed like an eternity. Dean looked around him to Castiel. With one glance, he took Lucifer’s hand in his and shook. “We have a deal.” He tried to pull away, but Lucifer held onto it.

“And I need your weapons.”

“What? No,” Dean said, fighting to pull his hand away from the Demon.

“It’s an addendum. That’s it. This way, I can guarantee that you won’t do anything stupid. It takes away the compulsion to lift a finger to help.” Lucifer waved his hand and Dean felt the weapons in his waistband lift into the air.

Dean looked up and saw all of the weapons he had ever touched floating in a circle above him. The Colt that he stole from a vampire coven. The Angel sword the got from saving Castiel. One of his Demon killing knives from Illinois. The other Demon killing knife he got from a witch. His shotgun. His Desert Eagle. He saw everything that was stored in the back of his Impala. Even the weapons he had in storage.

“This isn’t necessary,” Dean said.

“It is.”

“Fine, I have one more stipulation to add too then.”

“Fine.”

“Castiel stays safe.”

“That’s what you’re adding?”

“Yeah. He stays safe during all of this. If not, this deal is broken.”

“Fine. Your precious Cas is on the untouchable list. If he gets hurt, you get your precious weapons back. Lucifer waved his hand again and all of the weapons disappeared. All except the Demon knife. He grabbed it and flipped the hand over to cut across Dean’s palm. He dropped some blood on a piece of paper that he pulled out of his back pocket. “I’ll just keep these safe. You’ll get them back in twenty-three hours and fifty-six minutes.” He let go of Dean’s hand.

Dean pulled his hand back and wiped it on his jeans, but he knew that he’d have to scrub it with boiling water for him to ever feel clean again. “Okay, you got what you wanted, now let Cas go.”

Lucifer snapped again and the chains and Castiel was freed. Castiel pitched forward and fell to his hands and knees. He shook in his position. “I told you he liked you,” Lucifer said with a smile.

“What?” Dean asked.

Lucifer grabbed Castiel by the arm and pulled him to his feet. “See, he got to know you on my orders.”

“Lucifer, stop. Please,” Castiel pleaded.

But Lucifer continued as if Castiel hadn’t said a thing. “Obedient little thing. Will do anything he can to make sure he gets his grace and wings back.”

“You lied to me. You were lying to me this entire time?”

“Dean, no. I didn’t—”

“Yes,” Lucifer interrupted before Castiel could somehow talk his way out of it. “Yes, he did.”

“Dean. I—“

“You have to look out for number one, Dean. That’s how you get what you want.” He walked over to Castiel and grabbed his chin. “Castiel, you’ll get your grace and wings back when I’ve conquered Heaven.”

“I don’t want them anymore.” He didn’t. Not if he got them back this way.

“Well, you got them, youngest. Just accept them. And you can thank Dean for it. You were right, he is a good guy.”

Castiel slapped Lucifer’s hand off of his face. “Get out of here, Lucifer. You got what you came for,” he said with a shaky voice.

“Pleasure doing business with you,” Lucifer replied. “Both of you.”

As soon as Lucifer vanished from their sight, Sam stirred awake.

Dean walked over to his brother and helped him to a sitting position. He looked back at Castiel. “You’re an Angel?” he asked.

“I was,” Castiel replied. “That was so long ago.”

“You were working with Lucifer? All this time.”

“Dean,” Castiel started. He wanted to explain.

“Was this all part of the plan? Get me to care about you then you do this?”

“No.”

“Liar!” Dean yelled.

“Dean, you have to understand.”

Dean stared at Castiel. He tried to stay mad, but he found he couldn’t. He wanted to give the man the benefit of the doubt. “Then tell me.”

“I’ve been working for Lucifer for millennia.”

“So when you met me…”

“I was working for him,” Castiel answered. “But not to get to you. He only enlisted my help when he realized how big of a threat you were to his plan.”

“And you went along with it.”

“Yes,” he answered, ashamed.

“You could have said no.”

“I tried.”

“Obviously not hard enough.” Dean’s eyes went to the floor. He was unable to look at Castiel anymore. “I thought that I meant something to you,” he whispered. His throat hurt as he said it.

“You do.”

“And why am I supposed to believe what you are telling me?”

“You shouldn’t.”

“I don’t.”

“Bobby and Pastor Jim were right?” Sam asked looking at his brother, then at Castiel. He was searching their faces for the truth.

“Yeah,” Dean answered.

Sam spun on his heel and charged Castiel. He stopped a foot in front of him. “Leave,” he said. A protective streak was coming out. “If you know what’s good for you.”

Castiel sighed. He knew that he couldn’t take on the brothers. “Tell him I’m sorry,” he said. He spun around and walked to his bike. He put on his helmet and without looking back, he rode off.

Part 9