Fairytales are Real Part 5: Prepare for the fight scene!
When Dean awoke, it was to a cool sensation on his forehead. A gentle hand rested on his chest and he knew for a fact it wasn't Crowley's hand. It was smaller, softer, and somehow familiar. Dean threw his eyes open, jumping up in a panic. The hand pushed him back down and a deep, gravelly voice said soothingly, “Relax, you're okay now.” Dean found himself obeying the voice and laying back. His eyes met the figure that the hand belonged to. It was a young man, a little older than himself. He had messy dark hair, stubble across his jaw, and the most intense blue eyes Dean had ever seen. Dean could only gape. There was something about this man, something ... he was almost radiating.
“Wh-Where ... Where am I?” Dean managed to gasp out before erupting in a fit of coughs. The man passed him a glass of water, feeding it to him slowly.
“You're safe. My name is Castiel. I have saved you.” Dean could only stare at the man. As a rule, he didn't trust strangers, but he didn't really have a choice. He was still weak, but his wounds had healed up completely. He had thought for sure that he died. There was no way he could have lived through that injury. He wondered how much time had passed, and he had to get to his brother- somehow.
As if sensing his thoughts, the man gently stroked his hand over where the wound should have been, “I have healed you of all your scars.” The touch was so gentle, too intimate. No one touched Dean like that, not even the girls he had fooled around with. Here was a complete stranger who had just met him and was claiming to have saved him, to have healed him. And he was touching him with such a reverence, as if Dean was the only light in a dark and twisted forest.
Dean turned his head away from it, “Yeah, well ... thanks and all, but I really should be going. I, uh ... gotta find my brother.”
Dean tried to sit up but Castiel put a gentle hand to his shoulder, willing him to lay back again. Dean glared at the man. There was no way that he survived being imprisoned by some crazy son of a bitch demon and he was going to be held back by some wimpy looking dude with bewitchingly blue eyes. The man suddenly eased up on his shoulder, “You're not a prisoner, Dean. But you are still weak, you should rest.”
Dean frowned; he didn't remember telling the man his name. He ignored that thought in favor of rifling around the room for his clothes, “Yeah, well, I have things to do. No time for rest.” As Dean dressed he suddenly noticed a very strange scar on his left arm, it looked almost like a handprint. He thought the man had said he healed him of all his scars? But he couldn't even remember getting this one ... He shrugged the thought off in favor of getting out of there. Dean dressed quickly and was out of the door without another word. He stumbled slightly on the pathway out of the small cottage and the man, Castiel, was instantly at his side. “Look, Buddy, personal space. Okay?” Dean shrugged his hands off of him and Castiel had snapped back, stung. “I appreciate the help, but I really gotta go.”
Castiel followed him all the way down the road before Dean finally twirled around and glared at him, “There a reason why you're following me?”
Castiel just stared at him solemnly, “Yes.”
“Care to elaborate?” Dean gestured wildly with his hands to show off his annoyance.
“I need your assistance.” Dean raised an eyebrow, what could this guy possibly need with him? “When I saved you, I was looking for a righteous man. I believe you to be this righteous man.”
At that, Dan began outright laughing at the man. “Are you serious? Me, righteous? Buddy, you got the wrong man. Sorry you went out of your way to help a poor schmuck like me, but I'm nobody. I'm just some guy from Lawrence who went out looking for my father. I found him, he's dead now, and all I want to do is go home to my little brother. I've given up everything, lost almost everything; I even gave up my only chance at my own fairytale to find my father. And don't get me wrong, I would do it all over again- for my father. But I am nothing. I am not the man you're looking for. So could you just leave me alone? I just want to find my brother.”
When Castiel looked at him with the most crushed face, Dean couldn't help but feel bad for the poor bastard. Looking for some knight in shining armor all this time, and thinking Dean was it, all for nothing. But, Dean really had to get out of there. Castiel approached him cautiously. He stopped a couple of feet in front of Dean, clearly remembering that talk about personal space they'd had earlier. He reached out to stroke Dean's cheek with his hand gently, “You don't think you deserve to be saved.” Dean closed his eyes at the touch. After a few moments, he remembered his mission and pulled away, glaring, “You're more important than you think, Dean.” Castiel stared into Dean's eyes, and Dean got the strange sensation that Castiel could see deeper than his surface, as if he could look into him and measure up his worth.
Dean rolled his eyes, “Yeah right.”
“If you insist on finding your brother, I can assist you with that.” Dean huffed, he didn't like the idea, but he didn't really have much of a choice. He didn't even know where he was; let alone where to find Sammy. He hoped that Sam had returned to the village, but he had a strong suspicion that he wouldn't have left until he found Dean. They were brothers and they would do anything for one another. Dean had risked his own life so that Sam could escape, and Dean knew that Sam would be just dumb enough to try and find some way to rescue him instead of returning to safety. So, Dean and Castiel set off in search of Sam.
***
Dean had always been good at tracking, but Castiel had an almost unnatural sense of direction. They began by returning to the spot in which Dean had last saw Sam, then they were able to distinguish the tracks the demons made from Sam's and the horses. It didn't take them very long to find Impala, as she had stayed close to where she had lost her owner. The two of them rode on Impala, following the tracks left by Sammy. Dean had found himself quickly warming up to Castiel.
“So, you raised your brother Samuel since he was six years old?”
“Yeah, Sammy has always been my responsibility. He's the only family I have left now and I've gotta look after him; make sure he's safe, you know? At least till he's old enough to go off and find his own fairytale. He's always been so smart and resourceful. I'm sure if anyone can do it, it'll be him.”
Castiel smiled at Dean and wrapped his hands around his waist more tightly, “You don't give yourself enough credit, Dean. You are destined for great things.”
Dean chuckled, “You keep saying that, but I'm nothing special.”
“You'll see soon enough.” He then buried his head in Dean's shoulder.
“Hey, hey! Personal space, remember?”
“Right Dean.”
***
After several hours, the journeyers came to a town. Dean asked around, describing his brother to the locals to see if anyone had seen him. After getting a couple of positive ID's, Dean had determined that Sam had passed through town and left with a young woman who most of the locals did not trust. Someone gave them directions to where they believed the girl's camp to be located.
“I don't like this, Cas. Sam knows better than to go off on his own with strangers.” Dean was frowning at the idea of it.
Castiel smiled at Dean's use of a nickname, it made him feel as though they were finally getting somewhere, “Maybe he thought she could help him find you somehow? You said your brother would most likely try anything to get you back.”
Dean grimaced, “That's what I'm afraid of, Cas. What if he did something really stupid?”
Cas just shrugged his shoulders, “I will do anything in my power to help you, Dean.”
Dean couldn't help smiling at the prospect.
***
It was sundown when they made it to the outskirts of town where the camp was. The two of them scoped out the area before approaching. It seemed like there was about half a dozen figures, one of them was a girl and one of them looked like it could be Sammy.
“Dean, Dean, I have something to tell you.”
“Shh, Cas. We're on a stakeout, you're supposed to be quiet.”
“But this is really important! I think the people your brother is involved with are demons.”
“Demons!?!?” Dean was suddenly very alert to what Cas was saying. “You mean to tell me my brother is hanging out with demons? Sammy would never do that. He knows better than that.”
“I understand, Dean. But I can assure you, that your brother's current company is made up of demons. I don't know why he would be hanging out with demons or what his deal with them is, but I can assure you that they are hell spawn. They cannot be trusted, Dean.”
Castiel searched Dean's eyes meaningfully. Dean knew better than anyone that demons were dangerous, and he had begun to start trusting Cas, but he couldn't believe that Sam would be that stupid. He could understand doing anything for family, hell he'd sacrificed himself for Sam, but making deals with demons?
“Let's go find out.”
Dean approached the camp cautiously, but that didn't prevent one of the demons from getting the drop on him. Before he truly understood what was going on, two demons had him pinned to the ground and the female held a knife to his throat. Beside him, Castiel was also being pinned to the ground by demons. “No, Ruby! Wait!” Sam came running to Dean's side, blocking the path of the girl's knife. “That's my brother.”
“Your brother?” The girl raised her eyebrow questioningly, but didn't move to put her knife away.
“Yes this is Dean, the brother I told you about? I don't know who that is ...”
“My name is Castiel ...” Cas tried to introduce himself but the demons holding him down just hit him and told him to shut up.
“Sammy, what are you doing hanging out around demons?!?” Dean demanded from his submissive position.
“Dean, I can explain. Let him go.” The demons holding Dean released him but stood close by. Castiel cleared his throat, trying to signal to the others they should let him go too but he was ignored.
The two brothers ignored everyone else in favor of having a silent conversation between them. Sam threw up his hands in frustration, clearly upset with whatever Dean's eyes had told him. “Dean, you were kidnapped! By Crowley! The King of Hell! I had to do something! And Ruby has helped me, she's helping me. I know you don't trust demons and I know they can't be trusted.” The demons around him grunted in displeasure. “But Ruby can help me, she can help us. We're working on something, Dean. I think this could be my chance at my own fairytale. I know what you're going to say ...” Sam held up his hand to stop Dean from interrupting, “But, I'm not too young. I think I've proved that over the last few months. I helped you find Dad, and I helped kill Azazel's demons, and I lived without you for months! Ruby and I have been hunting. There's this woman, she's known as the White Witch, Lilith. She's very powerful. Ruby and I have been hunting her. She's real bad, Dean and has been killing people. I think defeating her could be my destiny!”
Dean was glaring at his brother, “I know how much you want your own fairytale, Sammy. But, these are demons we're talking about! They can't be trusted!”
“Woah, woah! Family drama! Now, Sam, we're moving out tonight. You can come with us or not, it's your choice. But I won't have me and my men insulted like this.” Ruby glared at Dean, then her and the rest of the demons wandered back to the camp and begin packing up.
Castiel came back to stand beside Dean in a protective gesture. Sam finally noticed him and stared at the other man, “Dean, who's that?”
“Oh, this is Castiel. He saved me.”
“It's nice to meet you, Samuel.” Castiel shook Sam's hand. Sam could only gape.
***
“Cas, I think there's something else going on around here that Sam's not telling me about,” Dean confided in Castiel once the two of them were back at their horses and out of earshot of the demons.
“Well, demons generally can't be trusted. But I, too, sense it. There's a great darkness here. I fear your brother has done something terrible.”
Dean gritted his teeth, looking down at his shuffling feet, “Yea, well, he's my brother and I love him. But, when he get's determined like this ... Also, I'm afraid that demon bitch has corrupted him.”
“Ah, yes, Ruby. They're definitely up to something.”
“So, do you think we should stick around and find out what they're up to?”
“I think it would be for the best, Dean. Until we can determine what kind of a deal Ruby has made with your brother.”
***
That night Castiel and Dean travelled with the group of demons. They were on the trail of a beast from the Other Plains. Sam seemed to be just as nerdy in the company of demons and was busy fawning over his book as Ruby and the other demons prepared their weapons. Dean watched them with a careful eye and Castiel watched Dean, worried.
The beast they were after was a werewolf and would only come out on the full moon, which happened to be that night. The group set out to hunt the monster but it was very elusive and they nearly lost its scent. The demons could sniff out the monsters of the Other Plains like hound dogs, but Dean was still the better tracker because he knew how creatures hid. Dean and Sam worked together to track the monster and Ruby's demons ambushed it from behind. Dean was nearly bit by the beast but Cas pushed him out of the way at the last minute. Dean was, once again, indebted to Castiel for his life, but this time he didn't mind so much. Dean grew very suspicious when he saw Ruby's men tying up the monster and hauling it back to camp.
Castiel and Dean hid and watched as Ruby and her gang unloaded the beast from their wagon and hauled it to a closed off tent. Soon, they heard screams from the creature and moved to get a closer look. They overheard Ruby and Sam arguing, “Look, Sam ... I know now that your brother's back you're hesitant to continue, but you have to if you want to be strong enough.”
“I know, I know. My Gods, I know, Ruby! I just ... I don't like it ...”
Dean could tell Ruby was frowning from the tone of her voice, “Come on, Sam. They're monsters, they're barely human. No one's going to miss them.”
Dean felt shivers rolling down his spine as he heard a ripping sound and crunching that sounded like chewing. Dean wanted to gag.
“Ugh. This is so terrible, Ruby.”
Ruby's voice sounded mischievous now, “Just needs a little salt ... or something else.” Now the distinct sound of kissing could be heard, and Dean knew he would be sick.
He grabbed Castiel's arm and ran as far as he could before hurling. Cas wove his fingers through Dean's hair, trying to comfort him, but Dean batted his hand away swiftly.
“Oh no Cas. Oh no. They're ... they're ... no no no!” Dean was outright crying now. Tear poured down his face as he dry heaved.
Castiel sat on the ground beside him. “They're devouring monsters to gain their strength,” Castiel said very frankly.
Dean felt like he was going to puke again, “Yeah, I got that,” he grunted, “What am I going to do?”
“Dean, if your brother doesn't stop his activities it will change him forever. He will become the next thing you will feel compelled to hunt.”
Dean frowned at Castiel, “Are you saying that this … 'thing' he's doing, will turn him into a monster? We have to stop him, Cas.”
Castiel bit down on his lip, “Dean, I think I might be able to help.” Dean looked at Cas hopefully. “Remember when we first met and I told you I was looking for a righteous man? Well, I was looking for a man to aid my brother. My brother is a very powerful king of the Kingdom of Heaven. I actually come from a magical people, that's how I was able to heal you. I think my brother can help you if you'll come with me back to his kingdom.”
Dean nodded his head, “Ok. If you think he can help my brother, then I'll come with you.”
***
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