Massive fic
Title: We’re Not Broken - Part A
Author: bellacatbee and nileflood
Rating: PG-13
Genre and/or Pairing: Dean/Castiel, Sam/Gabriel
Warnings: Mentions of rape and recovery from rape. Some disturbing themes.
Includes: Discussion of mental health. Sexually transmitted diseases.
Word Count: Approx. 21,000
Summary: AU: When Dean stops to help a stranded motorist on his way to work he doesn’t expect to feel such an instant connection to the man or to be pulled into his life. A standalone no angels/no hunters AU based on the trope of what would have happened if Gabriel had taken Castiel with him when he ran away?
A/N: All depictions of depression are based on personal experience and are not intended to invalidate anyone else’s experiences.
Part A Part B Part C Part D
Castiel didn't even know why he'd opened the hood. He dithered at the engine, wondering what part of it had gone wrong. He'd filled up the car with gas that morning so that couldn't be the problem and he'd made sure it was the right sort so that couldn't be causing the issue. He'd checked the oil at the same time and that was fine. Therefore he'd used up all his knowledge on how to get a car to work and was completely at a loss about what to do next. Cars were rushing past him, not one of them slowing down or even looking like they were planning on stopping. He dug his phone out of his pocket and wondered if he should call Gabriel or a garage. He didn't actually know any garages so that lowered his choices down to just calling Gabriel. His brother would probably still be in court at the moment, unable to check his phone and expecting Castiel to be waiting outside as he'd promised.
He sent a quick text message The car is broken. You may have to get a taxi. and then looked back down at the engine. It all looked exactly the way Castiel expected it would look, dirty and metal. He had no idea what part of it was wrong. He shivered a little, looking up at the sky where clouds were gathering. It was going to start raining soon. He wondered if he should call directory enquiries and ask them to locate the number of the nearest garage. He didn't want to be out here in the rain. He already felt exposed standing on the edge of the road with his broken down car. In the rain, with visibility lessoned, he was pretty much tempting fate and there were so many cases of people being hit on highways just like this when they'd broken down. Gabriel normally got the family a good settlement from whoever hit them.
Castiel was considering shutting the bonnet and getting back in his car to make the phone call just as a large black car flicked on its blinker and drew out of the main lane, parking up on the side of the road in front of him. He gripped his phone tight to his chest and waited for the owner of the car to get out. He had a lot of thoughts about what the owner would be like, none of them terribly nice.
The weather really was drawing in, and within a few minutes it would be bucketing down and he'd have to put his lights on, slow down a bit and just acknowledge the fact he was going to be late. Jo and Ellen would forgive him though, he was sure. They weren't a nameless faceless company like whoever it was Sam worked for. He'd be forgiven. But as the sky darkened still further it became obvious that he was going to be even later than he expected. He pulled in, warning lights on and slid out of the car, grabbing a jacket from the passenger seat.
"Engine trouble?" He asked over the roar of the traffic and the young man in a tan over-coat, the sort that wouldn't keep you dry at all if it rained. "Want me to take a look? I'm a mechanic." Maybe the guy had already called out his own garage- it was a nice car, well made and the guy was in a suit, and it didn't look like a cheap one, but Dean didn't know a thing about that.
Whatever Castiel had been imagining was banished from his mind when the car door opened and the man stepped out. He was like something out of a dream, tall but not too tall, maybe just a little bit taller than Castiel himself so if they'd stood face to face he would have had to tilt his head just a little to look into the man's eyes (unlike having to look down at Gabriel all the time and Castiel was hardly a tall man) and he wasn't wearing a suit (everyone Castiel knew wore a suit unless they wore robes. It was nice to see someone in something else) and his eyes were warm even if he was otherwise radiating an air of taking charge which admittedly Castiel needed.
"Would you? I don't really know what's wrong with it." Castiel said, amazed that of all the people who would pull over to stop and help it turned out to be probably the most helpful of all, a mechanic. That was some sort of miracle. He quietly and privately thanked God as he stood on the verge as Dean had gestured for him to do. Dean Winchester; that even sounded like a name you could trust. Castiel was probably strange to believe in portents or signs but no one else has stopped so he considered that God was helping him and contributed a prayer accordingly.
The heavens opened then and Dean handed the slender men his jacket. And gestured him to get onto the verge where it was a little safer. "The name's Dean. Dean Winchester."
"Castiel Novak." He said and hoped straight away that Dean didn't mention that advertisement or anything to do with Gabriel and his face grinning at people from television screens and the sides of busses and that billboard he'd had till it was vandalised. Gabriel spent more on advertising then he did on anything else. Castiel knew; he was the one who had to add it all up at the end of the month. Maybe he should just bite the bullet and get it over with. "Yes, like that Novak and yes, he's my brother and I'm supposed to be picking him up. If you don't want to fix my car now I do understand."
Or worse it wouldn't be Gabriel he thought about but Michael and the commune which was not a cult whatever people insisted on saying and he'd also probably leave Castiel by the road side. Which was worse, lawyer or leader of an alternative religious group (not a cult!)?
Dean had smiled as the man introduced himself, "Nice to meet you." He said, and then stuck his head into the car's innards, getting to work. He liked working on cars. It was the only thing that he felt he'd ever been any good at. He'd never done well at school, he'd not really graduated as per say, and he'd never really wanted to do anything. He didn't want to be a doctor or a police officer or anything like that. He'd ended up being a mechanic, well, out of sheer luck. But he loved the work, and Castiel wasn't the first stuck motorist he'd stopped to help on the roads- he did it for the love of finding out what was wrong, and because, well, he was helping, he guessed. Especially when no one else would help. He'd made sure people could pick up relatives from the airport on time, he'd helped people get to work, he'd made sure that a holiday wasn't ruined for a couple and their kids. He wasn't sentimental, but he liked that feeling. Being useful.
He touched the metal of the engine, still a little hot, but he ignored that, ignoring the dirt and grime getting over his hands or under his nails. He was pretty such he knew what was wrong, what had happened to the car. He popped his head up from beneath the bonnet to share the goodness, and there was Castiel, talking already, and Dean was a little lost as the man continued, talking ten to the dozen.
"What?" He said, when Castiel had, it seemed, paused for breath. "Novak? The lawyer?" He asked, when his brain caught up with him, and he understood what the rather cute rain-coat wearing man was on about. "The one with his face on the buses?" He asked, and then offered the man a grin. "If it's any consolation, you look nothing like him."
"Yes, Gabriel Novak." Castiel said, feeling his cheeks getting hot. He should be used to it now. Gabriel had always been a little over the top and since he'd stopped working on behalf of the commune and gone into business for himself he'd just got better at being loud and abrasive and in everyone's face. He had to be. He was supporting himself now and supporting Castiel. He had to get work. "Everyone says that." Castiel nodded. It wasn't surprising. He and Gabriel didn't share a mother, he didn't think he was a full sibling to any of his brothers and sisters, but they did share a father and Gabriel had always taken care of Castiel.
Dean stopped, the tension in the other’s frame apparently melting away as Dean leant on the car and folded his arms. The rain was beating down hard, loud and angry against the bonnet. "I think I know what’s wrong. Looks like the valves, it's not really a problem. Easily fixed but not on the roadside. So... I'll get Jo or Ellen to come by with a truck, take it up to the shop and fix it for you. And... I'll take you where you need to go. Sound good?"
Castiel's face fell as he realised he would have to leave the car there. Gabriel wasn't going to be pleased. The car had cost a lot and Castiel had managed to break it somehow although he didn't really understand what Dean was saying about it. He brightened up when Dean said he'd drive him over to pick up Gabriel. "Really? That would be wonderful. Can you take me to the court house?" He asked, texting Gabriel as he moved slowly towards Dean's car. Coming to pick you up. I've got a lift from a new friend.
"The Courthouse? Your brother working on a case? Murder? Insider trading?" Dean asked, but shook his head then, he was pretty sure that, like doctors, there was probably some sort of lawyer-client confidentiality thing. But the law and lawyers were interesting and Castiel could tell him. Dean wasn’t going to tell anyone if he did. Maybe they didn't exactly solve crimes like Matlock did; although Dean was certain inside a courtroom was a great place to be a fly-on-the-wall. Lawyers and judges and juries, they had affairs, solved crimes, and saved lives. He was sure TV was right about that.
Castiel smiled softly. Everyone knew the sort of cases Gabriel took on, at least anyone who'd seen the adverts he ran. Gabriel was an attack dog; people hired him if they fell down the stairs at work because someone left a folder on them or if their boss kept hitting on them at the office party. He was good at what he did but he wasn't doing the glamorous stuff. He hadn't trained in that. He'd trained to be able to fend off allegations that their father ran some sort of brainwashing cult and now he used that knowledge to make sure the families of the victims of gross negligence in the workplace received more than adequate compensation. His adverts might make him a laughing stock because Gabriel didn't know how to do subtle but you wanted him in your corner. Castiel knew that better than most. "No, personal injury."
They’d both climbed into the car by then and Dean waited until Castiel had got his seatbelt on before starting the engine and turning back into the traffic. "So..." He started again, after a moment of just looking at his unexpected passenger out of the corner of his eye. Castiel really did have very blue eyes, if you gave yourself a minute to really look at him. "You know what I do, Castiel, what do you do? And better question, what would you prefer to do? You know, dream-job, sort of thing."
"Me? I don't really have a job." Castiel said, looking down at his hands in his lap. Thirty-two and without a job. Dean was going to realise very shortly that all avenues of conversation regarding working weren't terribly fun were Castiel was concerned. "I work for Gabriel in a manner of speaking. I'm whatever he wants me to be today. Normally that's a house keeper and PA but today I was supposed to be a chauffeur but I don't seem very good at that." He was surprised at Dean's question because he never really thought about what else he might like to do. He was perfectly content. "I'm not sure. I like helping Gabriel. He needs someone to sort things for him. Before I started helping him he kept all his case notes under a paperweight shaped like a sleeping cat. Now at least they're in a file and properly organised."
**
Gabriel hated rain. He hated it, hated it hated it. It could spoil the best of days. He'd made a lot of money, for himself and for his client and that would normally have been cause to celebrate. But as the session had finished he fished around in his jacket pocket for his phone, turning it on and waiting for the little notification to flash up that his other clients had left voicemails or that Castiel had texted him to say he was waiting. Castiel's name did pop up but not with the message Gabe was expecting. He groaned, the thought of getting a taxi souring his victory slightly. The whole reason for having a car would mean he and Castiel, especially Castiel, would never, ever have to use public transport. The phone trembled again and another message appeared. Gabriel hoped his brother had the thing working but apparently not.
The lawyer's eyes widened and he cursed, heading out of the building and down the steps out front in a panic. Castiel should have known better. Gabriel had tried his best, god knew, to teach his baby brother that no matter how friendly they seemed strangers were always bad news. It seemed that the message just hadn't got through to Castiel at all. He juggled the suitcase in his hands, his grip tenuous thanks to the rain, his coat in the trunk of his stricken car. He had to call Castiel, but the water on the touch-screen of his phone made dialling impossible and he cursed again (relishing in it, as he always did. Cursing was not allowed in the cult). He'd just have to hope that Castiel had met a saint and that he wasn't going to come to any harm.
**
As they drew nearer to the court house Castiel could see Gabriel there already, standing on the steps in the rain and he blanched slightly, remembering that Gabriel's coat was in the back of his car on the way to a garage somewhere. As Dean drew up to the curb Castiel opened the door, gesturing Gabriel towards them. "I'm so sorry! I don't know what happened to the car. It just stopped. This is Dean, he's a mechanic. He said he'd give us a lift." He reached back and unclipped his seatbelt, tumbling out of the car onto the pavement.
"Whoa!" Dean managed as Castiel leapt from the car before they'd come to a full stop. They weren't going too fast, and there wasn't much traffic, but he could just imagine Castiel slipping on the wet pavement, falling backwards and ending up under a wheel. Thank god it didn't happen, and Dean got the car stopped properly, handbrake on.
He got out the car, the rain sliding down the back of his neck, just to see Gabriel- surprisingly short, really. Dean didn't really remember the pictures of the guy he'd seen on the side of buses and on billboards. He was lighter-haired than Castiel, with a completely different face-shape. And, in the flesh, was a good deal shorter. You'd certainly not think they were brothers at all and Dean wondered if they were adopted. Sure, there were a few differences between him and Sam, mostly the height, but they still looked sort of the same.
Gabriel was glaring. Normally of course he didn't need to glare, so Dean got the very best glare he could muster. Castiel didn't know better than to just jump into the cars of 'friendly' men. It was only luck that this guy had brought Castiel here and not to some abandoned warehouse or something. Still, he wasn't about to accept a lift home- he didn't want this so-called Samaritan knowing where they lived. Even if it meant taking a taxi. "Castiel, what have I told you about strangers?" He muttered to his brother’s ear, his grip around the taller, slimmer man tight. Just in case.
"God bought him to me." Castiel said serenely to his brother. He knew Dean was not a bad person. A bad person would not have stopped and would not have offered Castiel a lift or arranged for the car to be towed. Dean had been nothing but wonderful for the time that Castiel had known him. All he'd needed was for him to be there and Dean had managed that. Gabriel was too worried. Castiel couldn't go through life never talking to people in case they proved to be dangerous. He had had a bad experience, yes, and it had been a terrible one but not everyone was that man. Gabriel had to let him at least try to live something of a normal life.
Oh god. Now if that wasn’t something a crazy person would say then Gabriel didn’t know what was. The last person they should be thanking, or talking to, or about, was god. He was going to have to remind Castiel about that, but he couldn’t here. Not in public. "Thank you for your help." He added, attention moving to Dean, his words and manner stiff. "We shan't require any more of your time. Just tell me where my car is."
Dean raised an eyebrow, looking to Castiel and feeling suddenly sorry for the guy. His brother was odd. Very odd. Castiel wasn't some little kid. "Erm, it's at the Harvelle Garage? Or it's on its way there at least? I called my boss and she and her daughter are on the way to get it with a tow-truck."
"See, Gabriel. I told you Dean knew what to do." He touched his brother's arm, trying to suggest to him that they should be moving towards Dean's car. He thought that Gabriel would like Dean's car if he got into it. He'd mostly likely enjoy the radio station Dean had the car tuned to. "Please, let’s get in. Dean has to go to work. He came out of his way to help us. Please, Gabriel." Gabriel needed to trust Castiel. Sometimes Castiel thought Gabriel blamed him for what had happened, that he thought Castiel had done something to tempt that man or will him on. It was an awful thing to think but the way Gabriel treated him sometimes Castiel did have to wonder. It had been what Michael though after all.
Gabriel sighed. Castiel was an innocent- a sweet, good-natured and trusting man but one that could bend Gabriel to his will so very easily. Besides, the rain was getting worse and Gabriel just wanted to get back home. It had been an early morning start and early mornings reminded him of the bad times, the times in the commune when he had to be up at the crack of dawn to do chores or pray and he'd hated that. Now, with his work done, he could go home and have a nap. He deserved it.
"Alright." He said, giving in and moving towards the car and the man stood, leaning his arms against the roof. "We won't take you too far out of your way, I promise." Gabriel told him. They didn't live too far out from the centre of town, in a nice, modern apartment building which suited Gabriel's rather luxurious tastes and certainly not in keeping with their Spartan childhood.
Dean was smiling towards the brothers, although his attention was really focused on Castiel. "I'll drop you off wherever you need." He said, moving around the car to open the passenger side. "Do you want to ride up front with me, Castiel?" He asked, waiting for Gabriel to get in and sit down before he spoke- it wasn't difficult to get the feeling that Castiel's brother didn't like him much.
"I'd like that, yes." Castiel agreed. The choice between riding up front with Dean or riding in the back with Gabriel like a child was easy to make. Gabriel was dripping wet and Castiel knew he wasn't much better since he'd been standing out in the rain trying to convince his brother that Dean was not an axe murder but at least he wasn't glaring. Gabriel was almost always smiled. When he was unhappy it was unsettling. Castiel settled back in the front seat, staring in front of him and ignoring Gabriel for the moment. "It was very kind of you to do this Dean." He said thoughtfully, knowing Gabriel would most likely later forget to offer any kind of thanks without being prompted. "Gabriel and I are both very grateful."
Gabriel settled in the back, in his own little puddle of cold and damp, grunting when Castiel said his name. He hated rain and he missed his car and he did not like the way Castiel had got to sit up front with this strange lift-offering man who was no doubt memorizing where they lived so he could rob them later. He would tell the security guy to be extra vigilant.
Author: bellacatbee and nileflood
Rating: PG-13
Genre and/or Pairing: Dean/Castiel, Sam/Gabriel
Warnings: Mentions of rape and recovery from rape. Some disturbing themes.
Includes: Discussion of mental health. Sexually transmitted diseases.
Word Count: Approx. 21,000
Summary: AU: When Dean stops to help a stranded motorist on his way to work he doesn’t expect to feel such an instant connection to the man or to be pulled into his life. A standalone no angels/no hunters AU based on the trope of what would have happened if Gabriel had taken Castiel with him when he ran away?
A/N: All depictions of depression are based on personal experience and are not intended to invalidate anyone else’s experiences.
Part A Part B Part C Part D
Castiel didn't even know why he'd opened the hood. He dithered at the engine, wondering what part of it had gone wrong. He'd filled up the car with gas that morning so that couldn't be the problem and he'd made sure it was the right sort so that couldn't be causing the issue. He'd checked the oil at the same time and that was fine. Therefore he'd used up all his knowledge on how to get a car to work and was completely at a loss about what to do next. Cars were rushing past him, not one of them slowing down or even looking like they were planning on stopping. He dug his phone out of his pocket and wondered if he should call Gabriel or a garage. He didn't actually know any garages so that lowered his choices down to just calling Gabriel. His brother would probably still be in court at the moment, unable to check his phone and expecting Castiel to be waiting outside as he'd promised.
He sent a quick text message The car is broken. You may have to get a taxi. and then looked back down at the engine. It all looked exactly the way Castiel expected it would look, dirty and metal. He had no idea what part of it was wrong. He shivered a little, looking up at the sky where clouds were gathering. It was going to start raining soon. He wondered if he should call directory enquiries and ask them to locate the number of the nearest garage. He didn't want to be out here in the rain. He already felt exposed standing on the edge of the road with his broken down car. In the rain, with visibility lessoned, he was pretty much tempting fate and there were so many cases of people being hit on highways just like this when they'd broken down. Gabriel normally got the family a good settlement from whoever hit them.
Castiel was considering shutting the bonnet and getting back in his car to make the phone call just as a large black car flicked on its blinker and drew out of the main lane, parking up on the side of the road in front of him. He gripped his phone tight to his chest and waited for the owner of the car to get out. He had a lot of thoughts about what the owner would be like, none of them terribly nice.
The weather really was drawing in, and within a few minutes it would be bucketing down and he'd have to put his lights on, slow down a bit and just acknowledge the fact he was going to be late. Jo and Ellen would forgive him though, he was sure. They weren't a nameless faceless company like whoever it was Sam worked for. He'd be forgiven. But as the sky darkened still further it became obvious that he was going to be even later than he expected. He pulled in, warning lights on and slid out of the car, grabbing a jacket from the passenger seat.
"Engine trouble?" He asked over the roar of the traffic and the young man in a tan over-coat, the sort that wouldn't keep you dry at all if it rained. "Want me to take a look? I'm a mechanic." Maybe the guy had already called out his own garage- it was a nice car, well made and the guy was in a suit, and it didn't look like a cheap one, but Dean didn't know a thing about that.
Whatever Castiel had been imagining was banished from his mind when the car door opened and the man stepped out. He was like something out of a dream, tall but not too tall, maybe just a little bit taller than Castiel himself so if they'd stood face to face he would have had to tilt his head just a little to look into the man's eyes (unlike having to look down at Gabriel all the time and Castiel was hardly a tall man) and he wasn't wearing a suit (everyone Castiel knew wore a suit unless they wore robes. It was nice to see someone in something else) and his eyes were warm even if he was otherwise radiating an air of taking charge which admittedly Castiel needed.
"Would you? I don't really know what's wrong with it." Castiel said, amazed that of all the people who would pull over to stop and help it turned out to be probably the most helpful of all, a mechanic. That was some sort of miracle. He quietly and privately thanked God as he stood on the verge as Dean had gestured for him to do. Dean Winchester; that even sounded like a name you could trust. Castiel was probably strange to believe in portents or signs but no one else has stopped so he considered that God was helping him and contributed a prayer accordingly.
The heavens opened then and Dean handed the slender men his jacket. And gestured him to get onto the verge where it was a little safer. "The name's Dean. Dean Winchester."
"Castiel Novak." He said and hoped straight away that Dean didn't mention that advertisement or anything to do with Gabriel and his face grinning at people from television screens and the sides of busses and that billboard he'd had till it was vandalised. Gabriel spent more on advertising then he did on anything else. Castiel knew; he was the one who had to add it all up at the end of the month. Maybe he should just bite the bullet and get it over with. "Yes, like that Novak and yes, he's my brother and I'm supposed to be picking him up. If you don't want to fix my car now I do understand."
Or worse it wouldn't be Gabriel he thought about but Michael and the commune which was not a cult whatever people insisted on saying and he'd also probably leave Castiel by the road side. Which was worse, lawyer or leader of an alternative religious group (not a cult!)?
Dean had smiled as the man introduced himself, "Nice to meet you." He said, and then stuck his head into the car's innards, getting to work. He liked working on cars. It was the only thing that he felt he'd ever been any good at. He'd never done well at school, he'd not really graduated as per say, and he'd never really wanted to do anything. He didn't want to be a doctor or a police officer or anything like that. He'd ended up being a mechanic, well, out of sheer luck. But he loved the work, and Castiel wasn't the first stuck motorist he'd stopped to help on the roads- he did it for the love of finding out what was wrong, and because, well, he was helping, he guessed. Especially when no one else would help. He'd made sure people could pick up relatives from the airport on time, he'd helped people get to work, he'd made sure that a holiday wasn't ruined for a couple and their kids. He wasn't sentimental, but he liked that feeling. Being useful.
He touched the metal of the engine, still a little hot, but he ignored that, ignoring the dirt and grime getting over his hands or under his nails. He was pretty such he knew what was wrong, what had happened to the car. He popped his head up from beneath the bonnet to share the goodness, and there was Castiel, talking already, and Dean was a little lost as the man continued, talking ten to the dozen.
"What?" He said, when Castiel had, it seemed, paused for breath. "Novak? The lawyer?" He asked, when his brain caught up with him, and he understood what the rather cute rain-coat wearing man was on about. "The one with his face on the buses?" He asked, and then offered the man a grin. "If it's any consolation, you look nothing like him."
"Yes, Gabriel Novak." Castiel said, feeling his cheeks getting hot. He should be used to it now. Gabriel had always been a little over the top and since he'd stopped working on behalf of the commune and gone into business for himself he'd just got better at being loud and abrasive and in everyone's face. He had to be. He was supporting himself now and supporting Castiel. He had to get work. "Everyone says that." Castiel nodded. It wasn't surprising. He and Gabriel didn't share a mother, he didn't think he was a full sibling to any of his brothers and sisters, but they did share a father and Gabriel had always taken care of Castiel.
Dean stopped, the tension in the other’s frame apparently melting away as Dean leant on the car and folded his arms. The rain was beating down hard, loud and angry against the bonnet. "I think I know what’s wrong. Looks like the valves, it's not really a problem. Easily fixed but not on the roadside. So... I'll get Jo or Ellen to come by with a truck, take it up to the shop and fix it for you. And... I'll take you where you need to go. Sound good?"
Castiel's face fell as he realised he would have to leave the car there. Gabriel wasn't going to be pleased. The car had cost a lot and Castiel had managed to break it somehow although he didn't really understand what Dean was saying about it. He brightened up when Dean said he'd drive him over to pick up Gabriel. "Really? That would be wonderful. Can you take me to the court house?" He asked, texting Gabriel as he moved slowly towards Dean's car. Coming to pick you up. I've got a lift from a new friend.
"The Courthouse? Your brother working on a case? Murder? Insider trading?" Dean asked, but shook his head then, he was pretty sure that, like doctors, there was probably some sort of lawyer-client confidentiality thing. But the law and lawyers were interesting and Castiel could tell him. Dean wasn’t going to tell anyone if he did. Maybe they didn't exactly solve crimes like Matlock did; although Dean was certain inside a courtroom was a great place to be a fly-on-the-wall. Lawyers and judges and juries, they had affairs, solved crimes, and saved lives. He was sure TV was right about that.
Castiel smiled softly. Everyone knew the sort of cases Gabriel took on, at least anyone who'd seen the adverts he ran. Gabriel was an attack dog; people hired him if they fell down the stairs at work because someone left a folder on them or if their boss kept hitting on them at the office party. He was good at what he did but he wasn't doing the glamorous stuff. He hadn't trained in that. He'd trained to be able to fend off allegations that their father ran some sort of brainwashing cult and now he used that knowledge to make sure the families of the victims of gross negligence in the workplace received more than adequate compensation. His adverts might make him a laughing stock because Gabriel didn't know how to do subtle but you wanted him in your corner. Castiel knew that better than most. "No, personal injury."
They’d both climbed into the car by then and Dean waited until Castiel had got his seatbelt on before starting the engine and turning back into the traffic. "So..." He started again, after a moment of just looking at his unexpected passenger out of the corner of his eye. Castiel really did have very blue eyes, if you gave yourself a minute to really look at him. "You know what I do, Castiel, what do you do? And better question, what would you prefer to do? You know, dream-job, sort of thing."
"Me? I don't really have a job." Castiel said, looking down at his hands in his lap. Thirty-two and without a job. Dean was going to realise very shortly that all avenues of conversation regarding working weren't terribly fun were Castiel was concerned. "I work for Gabriel in a manner of speaking. I'm whatever he wants me to be today. Normally that's a house keeper and PA but today I was supposed to be a chauffeur but I don't seem very good at that." He was surprised at Dean's question because he never really thought about what else he might like to do. He was perfectly content. "I'm not sure. I like helping Gabriel. He needs someone to sort things for him. Before I started helping him he kept all his case notes under a paperweight shaped like a sleeping cat. Now at least they're in a file and properly organised."
**
Gabriel hated rain. He hated it, hated it hated it. It could spoil the best of days. He'd made a lot of money, for himself and for his client and that would normally have been cause to celebrate. But as the session had finished he fished around in his jacket pocket for his phone, turning it on and waiting for the little notification to flash up that his other clients had left voicemails or that Castiel had texted him to say he was waiting. Castiel's name did pop up but not with the message Gabe was expecting. He groaned, the thought of getting a taxi souring his victory slightly. The whole reason for having a car would mean he and Castiel, especially Castiel, would never, ever have to use public transport. The phone trembled again and another message appeared. Gabriel hoped his brother had the thing working but apparently not.
The lawyer's eyes widened and he cursed, heading out of the building and down the steps out front in a panic. Castiel should have known better. Gabriel had tried his best, god knew, to teach his baby brother that no matter how friendly they seemed strangers were always bad news. It seemed that the message just hadn't got through to Castiel at all. He juggled the suitcase in his hands, his grip tenuous thanks to the rain, his coat in the trunk of his stricken car. He had to call Castiel, but the water on the touch-screen of his phone made dialling impossible and he cursed again (relishing in it, as he always did. Cursing was not allowed in the cult). He'd just have to hope that Castiel had met a saint and that he wasn't going to come to any harm.
**
As they drew nearer to the court house Castiel could see Gabriel there already, standing on the steps in the rain and he blanched slightly, remembering that Gabriel's coat was in the back of his car on the way to a garage somewhere. As Dean drew up to the curb Castiel opened the door, gesturing Gabriel towards them. "I'm so sorry! I don't know what happened to the car. It just stopped. This is Dean, he's a mechanic. He said he'd give us a lift." He reached back and unclipped his seatbelt, tumbling out of the car onto the pavement.
"Whoa!" Dean managed as Castiel leapt from the car before they'd come to a full stop. They weren't going too fast, and there wasn't much traffic, but he could just imagine Castiel slipping on the wet pavement, falling backwards and ending up under a wheel. Thank god it didn't happen, and Dean got the car stopped properly, handbrake on.
He got out the car, the rain sliding down the back of his neck, just to see Gabriel- surprisingly short, really. Dean didn't really remember the pictures of the guy he'd seen on the side of buses and on billboards. He was lighter-haired than Castiel, with a completely different face-shape. And, in the flesh, was a good deal shorter. You'd certainly not think they were brothers at all and Dean wondered if they were adopted. Sure, there were a few differences between him and Sam, mostly the height, but they still looked sort of the same.
Gabriel was glaring. Normally of course he didn't need to glare, so Dean got the very best glare he could muster. Castiel didn't know better than to just jump into the cars of 'friendly' men. It was only luck that this guy had brought Castiel here and not to some abandoned warehouse or something. Still, he wasn't about to accept a lift home- he didn't want this so-called Samaritan knowing where they lived. Even if it meant taking a taxi. "Castiel, what have I told you about strangers?" He muttered to his brother’s ear, his grip around the taller, slimmer man tight. Just in case.
"God bought him to me." Castiel said serenely to his brother. He knew Dean was not a bad person. A bad person would not have stopped and would not have offered Castiel a lift or arranged for the car to be towed. Dean had been nothing but wonderful for the time that Castiel had known him. All he'd needed was for him to be there and Dean had managed that. Gabriel was too worried. Castiel couldn't go through life never talking to people in case they proved to be dangerous. He had had a bad experience, yes, and it had been a terrible one but not everyone was that man. Gabriel had to let him at least try to live something of a normal life.
Oh god. Now if that wasn’t something a crazy person would say then Gabriel didn’t know what was. The last person they should be thanking, or talking to, or about, was god. He was going to have to remind Castiel about that, but he couldn’t here. Not in public. "Thank you for your help." He added, attention moving to Dean, his words and manner stiff. "We shan't require any more of your time. Just tell me where my car is."
Dean raised an eyebrow, looking to Castiel and feeling suddenly sorry for the guy. His brother was odd. Very odd. Castiel wasn't some little kid. "Erm, it's at the Harvelle Garage? Or it's on its way there at least? I called my boss and she and her daughter are on the way to get it with a tow-truck."
"See, Gabriel. I told you Dean knew what to do." He touched his brother's arm, trying to suggest to him that they should be moving towards Dean's car. He thought that Gabriel would like Dean's car if he got into it. He'd mostly likely enjoy the radio station Dean had the car tuned to. "Please, let’s get in. Dean has to go to work. He came out of his way to help us. Please, Gabriel." Gabriel needed to trust Castiel. Sometimes Castiel thought Gabriel blamed him for what had happened, that he thought Castiel had done something to tempt that man or will him on. It was an awful thing to think but the way Gabriel treated him sometimes Castiel did have to wonder. It had been what Michael though after all.
Gabriel sighed. Castiel was an innocent- a sweet, good-natured and trusting man but one that could bend Gabriel to his will so very easily. Besides, the rain was getting worse and Gabriel just wanted to get back home. It had been an early morning start and early mornings reminded him of the bad times, the times in the commune when he had to be up at the crack of dawn to do chores or pray and he'd hated that. Now, with his work done, he could go home and have a nap. He deserved it.
"Alright." He said, giving in and moving towards the car and the man stood, leaning his arms against the roof. "We won't take you too far out of your way, I promise." Gabriel told him. They didn't live too far out from the centre of town, in a nice, modern apartment building which suited Gabriel's rather luxurious tastes and certainly not in keeping with their Spartan childhood.
Dean was smiling towards the brothers, although his attention was really focused on Castiel. "I'll drop you off wherever you need." He said, moving around the car to open the passenger side. "Do you want to ride up front with me, Castiel?" He asked, waiting for Gabriel to get in and sit down before he spoke- it wasn't difficult to get the feeling that Castiel's brother didn't like him much.
"I'd like that, yes." Castiel agreed. The choice between riding up front with Dean or riding in the back with Gabriel like a child was easy to make. Gabriel was dripping wet and Castiel knew he wasn't much better since he'd been standing out in the rain trying to convince his brother that Dean was not an axe murder but at least he wasn't glaring. Gabriel was almost always smiled. When he was unhappy it was unsettling. Castiel settled back in the front seat, staring in front of him and ignoring Gabriel for the moment. "It was very kind of you to do this Dean." He said thoughtfully, knowing Gabriel would most likely later forget to offer any kind of thanks without being prompted. "Gabriel and I are both very grateful."
Gabriel settled in the back, in his own little puddle of cold and damp, grunting when Castiel said his name. He hated rain and he missed his car and he did not like the way Castiel had got to sit up front with this strange lift-offering man who was no doubt memorizing where they lived so he could rob them later. He would tell the security guy to be extra vigilant.