Earthbound (Without these wings I learned to fly...) Epilogue
Title: Earthbound (Without these wings I learned to fly...) Epilogue
Author: fate_incomplete
Character(s): Castiel, Dean, Bobby
Rating: PG
Word Count: ~22,000
Warnings: The usual Winchester angst
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Castiel had been keeping to himself over the last couple of weeks since Sam had returned. Dean had to admit he hadn’t really noticed at first as he had been so relived and happy to have Sam back. He found Castiel in the panic room reading some sort of lore book. So much had changed over the last year, yet so much was still the same. Castiel might not be the fully-fledged angel he had first met, but there would always be something otherworldly about him, Dean thought as he looked at the former angel.
Castiel seemed to have regained all his strength after the vampire attack. His eyes were once again bright, with that unfathomable depth to them that seemed to be able to see inside of him. Those blue eyes were fixed on him now as he lent against the door frame.
“Dean,” Castiel said in his customary greeting, causing a smile to tug at Dean’s mouth.
“You’ve been hiding down here for the last couple of weeks,” Dean said.
Castiel tilted his head, “I’m not hiding.”
“Hmm, well you feel like hitting the road?” Dean asked casually.
“Why?” Castiel replied with just a slight furrowing of his brow.
“No reason, just thought you might want to come with me, look for our next job,” Dean said.
“Our next job? I thought you would want to stay here with Sam.”
Dean shrugged, “Sam wants to stay here with Bobby for a while. I thought me and you might head out. I get itchy feet if I stay in one place too long.”
Castiel glanced down at Dean’s feet, his brow furrowing further, as he thought the offer over. “I’d like that,” he said, looking back up at Dean with a small smile.
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Dean and Castiel had been on the road for a couple of weeks. They had done a few small time jobs, a couple of spirits, nothing major. They kept in regular contact with Sam and Bobby, not in any real hurry, just doing whatever jobs they came across. Sam was enjoying his rest at Bobby‘s after all he had been through, but Dean and Castiel were finding the run of the mill hunting life all the relaxation they needed. They finished up their lastest case together and decided to head back to Bobby’s. Dean noticed as soon as they started heading back that Castiel had gotten quiet.
“Hey Cas, something on your mind?” Dean asked. Castiel was looking out of the window of the Impala, as he had been for the last two hours.
He seemed distracted. “Hmm? No nothing,” he said as he continued looking out the window. “Dean I was thinking I might meet you back at Bobby’s,” he said a few minutes later.
“You got somewhere you have to go?” Dean asked.
“Something like that.”
“You know I’m happy to drive you where ever it is, save you the bus trip,” Dean offered.
Castiel looked over at him, “it’s not important. I can just meet you back at Bobby’s.”
“Hey it’s not like I’m in any hurry. So where we going?” Dean persisted.
Castiel considered him for a while, “Indiana.”
Dean nodded knowing what Castiel was going to do, though waiting for him to tell him anyway. “Sure, no problems.”
Castiel had given Dean the directions to the cemetery where Gabriel was buried. Dean parked the Impala and turned it off. They both sat looking out over the cemetery.
Castiel made no move to get out, “Gabriel is buried here,” he said without looking at Dean.
“I know,” Dean replied.
Castiel turned to look at him briefly before looking back out the window in silence again.
“I don’t know why I keep coming here,” he said after a moment.
Dean looked over at Castiel smiling fondly. “It’s a family thing Cas.”
Castiel looked back to Dean and held his gaze. “I guess so,” he said returning the smile.
.................................
Raphael studied Castiel as he sat by the grave of their fallen brother. He had once destroyed this upstart little brother of his. However, here he was, alive, if somewhat less than he had once been. He had come here many months ago to tidy up loose ends after the end of the apocalypse. He had every intention of either blowing Castiel to pieces again, or dragging him kicking and screaming back to heaven, to face the justice of the host for his actions. Yet he hadn’t.
Castiel was a curiosity. At first Raphael had thought it would be best to leave Castiel here, in this pitiful existence, no longer an angel but not human either, as a punishment. He had left him to rot in this half existence, but now he wasn’t sure. There was something about Castiel he couldn’t quite put his finger on. So instead he had kept an eye on Castiel.
Every time Castiel would come here to sit by the grave of Gabriel, Raphael would sit here with him, silent, invisible. There was a strength in Castiel that he didn’t understand. He was a younger brother, a foot soldier, nothing compared to the power of an archangel such as himself. Yet here he was. Castiel had survived the apocalypse when three other archangels had fallen. It made no sense. He had survived it, even without most of his power.
Castiel’s powers had slowly leeched away since he had been cut off from heaven, but that hadn’t stopped him, he had kept fighting, no matter the cost. Then he had blasted out what was left of his power in a suicidal mission. Raphael no longer hated him for his rebellion. He was just curious. So it became that each time Castiel would come here to talk to their fallen brother, or other times just to sit silently by his grave, Raphael would sit with him trying to understand.
Raphael watched as Castiel stood, looking sadly at the simple headstone he whispered “goodbye brother,” and walked out of the cemetery. Raphael remained, perched atop the headstone on the plot next to Gabriel’s, staring vacantly at the patch of ground where the body of the vessel Gabriel had hidden in for countless years lay. Gabriel-his brother who had stood by his side for eons, before abandoning heaven-who had eventually chose to side with humanity. It was another curiosity.
Raphael watched as Castiel drove off in the Impala with Dean. If he had been human he would have smiled, but he wasn’t. He merely tilted his head to one side. His little brother had chosen his path. He seemed...happy, at peace. Maybe even free Raphael thought. Such a strange concept. He may not understand completely, but he thought he understood enough. He had watched Castiel for long enough, his brother had chosen his path and Raphael would let him walk it.
A flutter of wings and a slight shifting of the loose leaves was all that announced the departure of the angel from earth. He returned to heaven, his home, but there would always be one angel who would remain behind, one angel who would be earthbound, by sacrifice and devotion to the human who taught him what it was to feel.
Perhaps Castiel would be forgotten by most of his brothers, but Raphael would remember him; perhaps even fondly.
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Author: fate_incomplete
Character(s): Castiel, Dean, Bobby
Rating: PG
Word Count: ~22,000
Warnings: The usual Winchester angst
.................................
Castiel had been keeping to himself over the last couple of weeks since Sam had returned. Dean had to admit he hadn’t really noticed at first as he had been so relived and happy to have Sam back. He found Castiel in the panic room reading some sort of lore book. So much had changed over the last year, yet so much was still the same. Castiel might not be the fully-fledged angel he had first met, but there would always be something otherworldly about him, Dean thought as he looked at the former angel.
Castiel seemed to have regained all his strength after the vampire attack. His eyes were once again bright, with that unfathomable depth to them that seemed to be able to see inside of him. Those blue eyes were fixed on him now as he lent against the door frame.
“Dean,” Castiel said in his customary greeting, causing a smile to tug at Dean’s mouth.
“You’ve been hiding down here for the last couple of weeks,” Dean said.
Castiel tilted his head, “I’m not hiding.”
“Hmm, well you feel like hitting the road?” Dean asked casually.
“Why?” Castiel replied with just a slight furrowing of his brow.
“No reason, just thought you might want to come with me, look for our next job,” Dean said.
“Our next job? I thought you would want to stay here with Sam.”
Dean shrugged, “Sam wants to stay here with Bobby for a while. I thought me and you might head out. I get itchy feet if I stay in one place too long.”
Castiel glanced down at Dean’s feet, his brow furrowing further, as he thought the offer over. “I’d like that,” he said, looking back up at Dean with a small smile.
.................................
Dean and Castiel had been on the road for a couple of weeks. They had done a few small time jobs, a couple of spirits, nothing major. They kept in regular contact with Sam and Bobby, not in any real hurry, just doing whatever jobs they came across. Sam was enjoying his rest at Bobby‘s after all he had been through, but Dean and Castiel were finding the run of the mill hunting life all the relaxation they needed. They finished up their lastest case together and decided to head back to Bobby’s. Dean noticed as soon as they started heading back that Castiel had gotten quiet.
“Hey Cas, something on your mind?” Dean asked. Castiel was looking out of the window of the Impala, as he had been for the last two hours.
He seemed distracted. “Hmm? No nothing,” he said as he continued looking out the window. “Dean I was thinking I might meet you back at Bobby’s,” he said a few minutes later.
“You got somewhere you have to go?” Dean asked.
“Something like that.”
“You know I’m happy to drive you where ever it is, save you the bus trip,” Dean offered.
Castiel looked over at him, “it’s not important. I can just meet you back at Bobby’s.”
“Hey it’s not like I’m in any hurry. So where we going?” Dean persisted.
Castiel considered him for a while, “Indiana.”
Dean nodded knowing what Castiel was going to do, though waiting for him to tell him anyway. “Sure, no problems.”
Castiel had given Dean the directions to the cemetery where Gabriel was buried. Dean parked the Impala and turned it off. They both sat looking out over the cemetery.
Castiel made no move to get out, “Gabriel is buried here,” he said without looking at Dean.
“I know,” Dean replied.
Castiel turned to look at him briefly before looking back out the window in silence again.
“I don’t know why I keep coming here,” he said after a moment.
Dean looked over at Castiel smiling fondly. “It’s a family thing Cas.”
Castiel looked back to Dean and held his gaze. “I guess so,” he said returning the smile.
.................................
Raphael studied Castiel as he sat by the grave of their fallen brother. He had once destroyed this upstart little brother of his. However, here he was, alive, if somewhat less than he had once been. He had come here many months ago to tidy up loose ends after the end of the apocalypse. He had every intention of either blowing Castiel to pieces again, or dragging him kicking and screaming back to heaven, to face the justice of the host for his actions. Yet he hadn’t.
Castiel was a curiosity. At first Raphael had thought it would be best to leave Castiel here, in this pitiful existence, no longer an angel but not human either, as a punishment. He had left him to rot in this half existence, but now he wasn’t sure. There was something about Castiel he couldn’t quite put his finger on. So instead he had kept an eye on Castiel.
Every time Castiel would come here to sit by the grave of Gabriel, Raphael would sit here with him, silent, invisible. There was a strength in Castiel that he didn’t understand. He was a younger brother, a foot soldier, nothing compared to the power of an archangel such as himself. Yet here he was. Castiel had survived the apocalypse when three other archangels had fallen. It made no sense. He had survived it, even without most of his power.
Castiel’s powers had slowly leeched away since he had been cut off from heaven, but that hadn’t stopped him, he had kept fighting, no matter the cost. Then he had blasted out what was left of his power in a suicidal mission. Raphael no longer hated him for his rebellion. He was just curious. So it became that each time Castiel would come here to talk to their fallen brother, or other times just to sit silently by his grave, Raphael would sit with him trying to understand.
Raphael watched as Castiel stood, looking sadly at the simple headstone he whispered “goodbye brother,” and walked out of the cemetery. Raphael remained, perched atop the headstone on the plot next to Gabriel’s, staring vacantly at the patch of ground where the body of the vessel Gabriel had hidden in for countless years lay. Gabriel-his brother who had stood by his side for eons, before abandoning heaven-who had eventually chose to side with humanity. It was another curiosity.
Raphael watched as Castiel drove off in the Impala with Dean. If he had been human he would have smiled, but he wasn’t. He merely tilted his head to one side. His little brother had chosen his path. He seemed...happy, at peace. Maybe even free Raphael thought. Such a strange concept. He may not understand completely, but he thought he understood enough. He had watched Castiel for long enough, his brother had chosen his path and Raphael would let him walk it.
A flutter of wings and a slight shifting of the loose leaves was all that announced the departure of the angel from earth. He returned to heaven, his home, but there would always be one angel who would remain behind, one angel who would be earthbound, by sacrifice and devotion to the human who taught him what it was to feel.
Perhaps Castiel would be forgotten by most of his brothers, but Raphael would remember him; perhaps even fondly.
.................................
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