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You clenched to Castiel’s coat instinctively as he grabbed your shoulders tighter and dragged you closer, in a protective gesture. The growls and barks were coming nearer and you guessed it was more than just one.
“Cas?”
“Yes?”
“How long is this goofy thingy going to hold?”
“I’m guessing not long enough.”
“Can’t we just fly away?”
“They’ve caught our scent. They’re not going to stop looking for you now.” He looked straight into your eyes and you could tell he was terrified. “Wherever we go, they will follow.”
You closed your eyes and buried your face in his chest, clasping your arms around his waist and sinking yourself into him, waiting. He hugged you back and planted a kiss on your hair before resting his chin on top of your head, his eyes opened and fixed in the lowering moon. He was an unmoving stone, standing there protecting you, and you were a mess; all your presence had vanished and you were shivering head to toe, breathing erratically and whimpering every time you heard the hounds padding around you.
“I could fight them,” he said in a steady voice, and you raised your head to look back at him.
“That’s more than just one, Cas.”
“I know. There are three of them.”
“Then no way in bloody hell, hear me? I’m not letting you go all suicidal on me.”
He seemed as if he was going to fight your decision, or your expression, but in that exact moment the lights of a car appeared in the road and stopped a few yards away from you. Sam came out of the Impala, wearing a pair of glasses and holding a shotgun and started shooting round after round into the monsters. Castiel, encouraged by this sudden intervention, loosened himself from you and jumped forward, angel blade in hand, and began to fight them too.
The scene was terrifying and you knew there was nothing you could do to help. Your weapons were useless against the dogs and you weren’t going to risk leaving the protective circle; still, seeing Sam and Cas fighting with all they had gave you a little bit of hope, and planted in your head the thought that maybe, together, you might actually defeat these guys.
So there they were. Sam shooting nonstop and slowing them down, while Castiel fought each of them, one after the other without hesitating even a second. You couldn’t see them, but you could see the blood and the torn fabric in the angel’s arms and coat, and still he wouldn’t stop, there was a new force driving him, something stronger and more powerful than anything before and he was shining in the now pitch black night; fighting as if the world depended on it.
And before you could manage to breathe again, it was over. Sam was taking off his glasses and letting the shotgun hang heavily on his side as Castiel stood there, covered in blood, his blade still strongly clutched in his hand and shaking a little, though you couldn’t tell if out of tension or anger, or both; you had your hands clasped over your mouth as if suppressing a scream that never actually came out.
Seconds passed by and no one moved. Finally, Castiel raised his head to look at Sam.
“Where’s Dean?” there was a little anger in his voice, and you could tell he had been relying on Dean to help him kill the hounds too.
“He’s driving Ghost back to the bunker. He thought it would be a bit of an advantage if they keep thinking she ditched her car.”
“But…” you finally had lowered your hands a little, and slowly were gaining back your posture and your voice. “Won’t they be following him?”
“We reported it as stolen,” he said with a sad smile. “They might buy it.”
“They won’t. Not for long at least,” said the angel, turning back to look at you. “Are you alright?” You nodded slightly.
“We know,” said Sam. “We just want them to stop looking for it long enough for Dean to hide it.”
Sam walked back to the Impala and threw the shotgun back in the trunk and grabbed an empty flask.
“So, what now?” You asked, walking out of the circle and looking all around, as if expecting a dog to jump out of nowhere and grab your throat.
“Now…” Sam explained, while filling the jar with Goofer Dust, “you and Cas zap out of here and into the bunker, while I drive back.”
“What if they come for you?”
“They won’t,” said Cas. “The hounds that had caught our scent are all dead now. They won’t be able to link Sam back to you. Not yet at least.”
“Ok, then!” Sam clapped his hands together. “If we all agree it’s a good plan…?” he fixed his gaze on you, asking for your approval, and something made you run to him and grasp him in a hug.
“Thank you, Sam.” You muttered into his chest. “Thank you for coming back for this old gal.”
He hugged you back and smiled a little “Anything for my baby sis.”
You let out a laugh and give him a slight punch in the arm before walking back to Castiel and holding his hand, ready for the trip.
“Don’t you dare get caught. Hear me, boy?”
“Don’t worry about me.” Sam said with half a smile. “Travel safe, lovebirds.”
And before you could shout anything back at him, your knees were bending as you hit the hard floor of the bunker’s library and you fell forward, avoiding the collision with the floor with your hands. A moan escaped you throat. You were feeling dizzy and weak, and your head was spinning.
“Y/N!” Castiel was kneeling at your side grabbing you by the shoulder.
“I’m guessing humans are not supposed to do this kind of traveling this often…” you said in a whisper, and then everything went black.
———————-
You woke up in a bed, everything was dark and the door was closed. Someone had removed your jeans and jacket and you were lying under the sheets only with your t-shirt. You reached for the light blindly, knocking things down until you found the switch and turn it on.
You were in your room in the bunker. Your gun and knife were lying on the night stand along with a glass of water; and everything else was just where you had left it before running away. On a chair near the wall were your clothes, carefully folded.
Slowly, you sat up and tried to stand. Your legs were still a little weak but you could easily support your own weight, so you grabbed your jeans and put them on and carefully ventured out into the hallway. You could hear voices coming from the kitchen, but you were unsure as to who had arrived yet and who hadn’t.
Come to think of it, you didn’t even know how long you had been sleeping.
You walked slowly but not with the intent of going unnoticed. When you reached the war room the chatting became clearer. The three of them were all in there.
“What we do know, is that it’s clear now that they’re trying to get rid of her,” Dean was saying and you could tell his voice was tired, as if they’d already have this conversation.
“Yeah, but we’re still missing the why,” Sam’s voice reached you.
“It doesn’t matter why, Sam, we need to save her,” said Cas, surprisingly quiet.
“Of course we do. I’m just pointing out that knowing the cause to all of this might give us a clue as to how to keep her safe.”
“Oh, please.” You said with a smile, leaning against the doorframe. “You know perfectly well that is not an option. You can’t keep me restrained.”
Dean ran to you and lifted you in a hug.
“Oh, it’s so good to see you awake… Don’t you ever, ever, run away from us again. Ever.” His voice was stern but his eyes were sparkling.
“You don’t need to worry about that. I’ve come to realize there’s no way of getting rid of any of you…” Cas smiled a little at this comment but stood still, resting against the countertop.
“How are you feeling?” asked Sam.
“Oh, like I’ve been sleeping for three days… I haven’t slept for three days, right?”
“No, no, no…” He answered. “Just two.”
“Oh, good. I didn’t want to oversleep.” You walked to the stove and put the kettle on “Who wants some tea? And I’m starving… please tell me you have done some shopping while I was away!”
“There’s pizza from last night…” ventured Dean, but stopped as soon as he saw your gaze.
“You lazy little lads!”
“Hey! We’ve been looking for you! And taking care of you!” the older Winchester replied a bit annoyed, and you burst into clear laughter.
“Oh, well, I guess that makes up for it. Tea and pizza doesn’t sound so bad either.”
“I’ll go get something less… cold,” said Sam and he walked out of the kitchen, but when he was leaving he shouted back, “DEAN! You’re coming with me!”
Dean swore under his breath and took off after him, shouting something unintelligible, leaving you and Castiel alone.
“Resting seems to have restored your good mood.” Pointed out the angel, smiling a little.
“Yeah, well… It wasn’t just the resting…” you answered and your face went entirely red, so you walked to the counter to grab some mugs. “Tea?” you asked as you walked back with two cups, a lot less confident than a second ago.
“Always.” He answered softly, gingerly caressing your arm with the back of his hand, as if afraid to touch you.
There were no trails in him of the fight you had witnessed a couple of nights ago. His coat was clean and sharp as usual, and so was he.
“Is it too late for breakfast? I don’t even know what time it is now, maybe we should be heating up the pizza.”
“Believe me, you don’t want to eat that pizza.” He said with a chuckle. “And you can have breakfast anytime you want. Though, it’s sometime around three in the afternoon, if you really want to know.”
“Oh lord, no wonder I’m hungry.”
“Yes. Probably the two days you spent sleeping have nothing to do with that.”
You put down the box of tea bags you were grabbing and rested your hand on the counter, the other on your hip, looking at him with a little amazement.
“Castiel, angel of the Lord, is that sarcasm I’m hearing coming out of your mouth?” He laughed a little and fixed his gaze on his shoes.
“Was that even any good?”
“Oh, yes, that’s the kind of tone that would make Dean lose it.”
You finished preparing the tea and handed him a mug, grabbed yours and leaned against the counter next to him in silence. The vapor of the tea crawled up and filled your lungs, and the previous teas shared with the angel came back to your mind, as did all the little touches and shots of electricity whenever you felt his skin meet with yours. And suddenly you felt it again. He was looking at you now, his thumb slightly caressing the side of your face, sending the little shots of electricity down your spine, forming goosebumps on your arms and rising the hair in the back of your neck.
His eyes were so close now and you just couldn’t look away anymore, lost in the ocean that they were and not ever wanting to leave it. You felt warm and safe, and for the first time in your life, like you belonged. You belonged in those eyes and in his arms, forever. And as you closed your eyes with a sigh you felt his lips on yours and you melted into him, completing a kiss that felt so long overdue.
When Sam and Dean returned, you and Cas had moved to the couch in the library to finish your tea and you had fallen asleep again in his lap, still holding the empty mug. He was slowly stroking your hair with a soft smile on his lips and in his eyes.
“She asleep again?” asked Dean, leaving the bags over the table.
“She is carrying a big burden,” he said quietly.
“I wonder if she knows she doesn’t have to do it all alone,” Sam commented.
“I do believe she has reached that conclusion.”
——————-
You woke up alone in the couch. Your mug was gone as well as Cas and again you followed the voices into the kitchen. Dean and Sam were laughing strongly and Cas was slightly smiling. It looked like a picture of another time, and it felt right to see them have a relaxing moment in the middle of it all.
“Hey!” Dean greeted you. “We brought donuts and pie!”
“Perfect! How long was I sleeping? Tell me it wasn’t another two days…” you said happily walking towards Castiel and leaning against him as he hugged you reflexively. The brothers exchanged looks and a smile but said nothing.
“Just half an hour,” the angel said.
“Good.” And you grabbed a donut and stuffed it in your mouth “I don’t want to miss any more meals.”
The rest of the day went slowly. It seemed as if an unspoken deal had been made, and none of you mentioned the matter at hand: the demons, the hounds or anything else… and you were okay with it for once. You needed some rest and caring and you were ready to let that happen. You ate the pie and donuts with another cup of tea and then all lay down to watch a movie. As it grew dark Dean made dinner as the rest of you kept him company, chatting and laughing.
Nighttime caught you in your room, already changed into your pajamas, looking at an old picture you had stuffed in the bottom of your bag. It was a photo of you and your parents, a couple of months prior to the train incident. The three of you were happy there, smiling into the camera, and you could recall that day as one of the best days of you childhood.
“I miss you mommy.” You said to picture in a whisper. “I don’t know what’s happening. I’m trying to be strong like you were… but it’s not enough… I met a guy. You would’ve loved him. He’s an angel… an actual angel, really… I wish you were here with me.”
A tear rolled down your cheek and you wiped it with the back of your hand. You put back the picture in your bag as a knock came from the door. It opened a little and Cas’ head appeared in the crack.
“May I come in?”
“Sure, love.” You answered with a smile and he stepped in, closing the door behind him.
“How are you feeling?” he sat next to you in the bed.
“It was a good day. Thank you. I feel a lot better, a lot calmer too.”
“I am glad to hear that.”
You let your head rest on his shoulder and he held you closer grabbing you by your waist, and the two sat like that for a long while, until you started to fall asleep and a question popped into your mind.
“How are we going to get out of this, Cas?” you mumbled.
“We will find a way. We always do.”
“I don’t want to lose you… I just found you; I can’t afford to lose you too.”
“You won’t,” he whispered kindly in your ear, and helped you lay down on your bed. “I’m going to be with you forever.”
You smiled weakly, grabbed his hand and planted a kiss on it, letting the sleepiness take over you.
—————-
You were awakened by Dean, shaking you slightly.
“What?”
“Cas’ gone”
“What?” you repeated, sitting up quickly.
“He was here last night when we went to sleep, but he’s nowhere to be found now. He didn’t say anything to you, did he?”
“I haven’t seen him since I fell asleep; he didn’t say anything about leaving.” You stood up and grabbed some clothes, giving Dean a meaningful look.
“Right. We’re in the war room.” And he left closing the door behind you.
You changed into your clothes and as you were about to leave, something caught your attention. There, on your nightstand, was the picture you had been looking the night before, but you were sure you had left it in the bag, not the table. You grabbed it, and a sudden fear and understanding made your spine shiver.
“Guys, I know who they are!” you shouted running into the war room, but froze as you saw Castiel standing there, his face deadly serious. “I thought you were missing again.”
“Y/N…” he said stepping forward.
“Don’t worry,” there was a weak smile in your lips as you reached for him. “I know.” You showed him the little photo in your hand and he placed a hand on your shoulder and gave you a slight squeeze.
“Okay, care to share?” said Dean “I’m a little confused here.”
Castiel looked at you, looking for approval, and you nodded, handing the brothers the picture and sitting down.
“Remember when I came to you with this job?” asked Castiel.
“A bit hard not to. For starters you fainted, man,” answered Sam, also sitting down.
“Well, you might then remember I was grasping a button, a cufflink.”
“Y/N’s dad’s cufflink, yes.”
“Well, I’ve realized he is the head of this demon organization,” the angel stated and Sam and Dean stared at him with disbelief.
“Wait, what?” Dean’s gaze flew back to you and you nodded again.
“I recognized him, from that picture in Y/N’s bag. So I went to see if I was remembering correctly.”
“So, your dad’s a demon?” asked Sam, still in shock.
“I don’t believe he always has been. But he sure was at the time of the train wreck. That would explain why his body wasn’t found.”
“Okay. But… If he’s the demon, then surely all the train crash was plotted and he must’ve known all this time Y/N was alive. Why is he coming after her now?” inquired Dean to no one in particular.
“What’s changed?” asked Castiel, looking at you. “There must be something in your life that has changed abruptly, or is about to change. Think.”
“I don’t know! I’ve been a hunter here for almost ten years! I haven’t set foot in England in all that time. I haven’t had any contact with that life more than a monthly skype call to the CEOs, where all I do is hear what they’ve done and nod.”
“And there was nothing out of the ordinary last time you called?” asked Sam.
“Not that I can recall. Everything seemed fine; they even are the same guys we named five years ago… Oh.”
“What?”
“This year… they have to go. Before I left, I implemented an innovation and constant change policy in those enterprises, and every five years, the CEOs have to change. They can’t stay.”
“So what, are we assuming they’re demons? But they could easily change bodies, right? That shouldn’t be a problem for them,” said Dean.
“There must be something else… Something I don’t know.” And you rushed back to your room.
“Where are you going?” asked Dean.
“It’s time I make some calls.”