An UnKindness of Crows
~Part Eight~
Zachariah Adler had his own family plot in the local cemetery and that is where Castiel and his sister were buried. Their graves were a few yards away from a large tree with thick branches, their headstones made of the finest marble. Castiel wished that he could dig them both up and move them somewhere else, anywhere else. After what his so-called Uncle had done the last thing he wanted was to be near him when he finally died. Not to mention the funerals were probably more for show than anything else.
The area was quiet and there were flowers placed neatly by each of their names. Idly he entertained the idea of Dean visiting his grave when he was released from the hospital and bringing fresh flowers for him. He didn’t want Dean to dwell on his “death” but he also didn’t want to be forgotten.
It was odd however because he’d expected to feel some type of release once they were all dead. He did but it wasn’t all encompassing. After all he and Anna were still dead; their lives still stolen away from them but at least the anger was gone. They only conciliations were that Alastair and his horrible gang were probably burning in hell right now and unable to hurt anyone else. And that his dear Uncle would pay for his outrageous crimes. Yet he didn’t think Zachariah expressly asked for him to be murdered. He was a bastard but he wasn’t psychotic.
Mostly likely he wanted him too terrified to print anything but Azazel and his people took matters into their own hands. His blood and his sister’s blood were on Zachariah’s hands either way though. He could only hope that his Uncle felt some type of remorse when he learned of their deaths. But if he didn’t he was punished just the same. Perhaps not with a grisly death but jail could be a hideous sort of hell for a man who once had everything.
Dropping to his knees in front of his tombstone and tracing the etched letters of his name, he grunted at the pain in his back and slouched, his head hanging low.
And then he waited.
He could see Dean’s face as clear as day in his mind. In the end he’d done exactly what he had tried so hard to avoid. He’d put that sullen look in Dean’s eyes and broke his heart. He would give anything to change it.
Castiel was certain fifteen minutes passed of him just sitting on the cold dirt before a hand touched his shoulder and he found himself looking up into sparkling blue eyes. “Anna.”
“Hello Castiel,” She said smiling. “I have been sent to bring you home.”
He nodded slowly. “Yes. Right.”
“You don’t seem too happy about that.” She dropped to her knees beside him. “Why? What could possibly be more important than returning to paradise?”
Oddly enough he felt that she already knew the answer to her question. “Having paradise on Earth?”
She hummed in response. “Dean. You know you could have let him die. Then he would have been with you forever.”
“Yes but I could never do that to him. He deserves a wonderful life just like we did,” He replied softly. “Besides if there is truly such a thing as fate and I believe there is, we will meet again.”
Anna picked up a flower and started pulling the petals off. “Perhaps. Though by then he’ll probably be looking for the person he spent his life with.” She paused and looked at him. “You saved his life. You made a selfless decision to give up the one you…” She smiled again. “…hold dear even though you knew it would cause you further pain. You would have given yourself in my place that night if it had spared me wouldn’t you?”
He swallowed hard. “Of course.”
She fluffed out her dress. “If you could have anything little brother, anything in the world, what would you want? And be honest because I’ll know otherwise.”
Castiel pressed a hand to his stomach where he was stabbed, blinking when the crow landed on his shoulder. “I should want you to be alive and I do. I do. You’re my sister and I love you very dearly. One of my biggest regrets is that you died with me because you were innocent. I was murdered but they just stole your life away. It’s not fair.”
She chuckled lightly. “Life isn’t fair. But you didn’t answer my question.”
His tongue slicked along his bottom lip. “I just want Dean. Does that make me a horrible person?”
“No. I completely understand and I know had I had someone in my life like Dean I’d have done anything to keep them. Anyone would.”
“I suppose. However choosing him over my own family seems wrong.”
“You just want a chance to create a new family. An extended family. Besides if you can’t give up Heaven for love, what’s the point of falling in it in the first place?”
“I didn’t say I was in love.”
“True but why would you want to stay on Earth otherwise? Down here there is pain and heartache and violence. In Heaven there is nothing but love and light. It wasn’t enough for you before and it won’t be enough for you now.”
“Am I going to Hell then?”
Anna laughed and kissed his cheek. “Every since we were children it was obvious that you were destined for great things. And that is true now more than ever before. Just do me a favor Castiel. Name your first daughter Anna or at least a variation of it.”
He frowned and began to ask what she meant but she pressed two fingers to his forehead and the world spun; lit up white behind his eyes so bright that he was sure he was having a seizure.
He didn’t remember blacking out but obviously he had because he was opening his eyes next to someone shaking him gently. “Ugh…”
It was a black man in an expensive suit. “Are you okay?”
“I…” Castiel sat up slowly; Anna was gone. “Um yeah I think so. Who are you?”
“Victor Henriksen,” The man said. “I’m a Detective. Do you need police assistance? Have you been robbed or something?”
“No. No I was just visiting my sister.” He motioned to her grave and noticed that his own had disappeared.
“You’re Castiel Novak-I thought you looked familiar.” Henriksen offered his hand and helped him stand. “Sorry to hear about your sister, and your Uncle. But since you wrote the article that brought him down I guess you didn’t expect to be seein’ him for Thanksgiving either way.”
Castiel stared at him. “Right…”
Henriksen nodded. “Well if you’re okay I have to be going. Try not to fall asleep in anymore cemeteries.”
As he walked away, Castiel scowled and patted himself down. No wounds and no pain. He bit his lip hard as he suddenly realized he was warm. He had a heartbeat. “What? I don’t understand.”
“This is your second chance so don’t waste it. Be happy, Castiel.”
~*~
“You’re mighty quiet.”
Dean glanced up from poking at his jell-o and shrugged. “I was stabbed multiple times by a crazy person. Not really in the mood to be a chatty Kathy.”
Sam shifted in the chair and clicked off Dr. Sexy M.D. “I’m here though if you wanna talk about him. He seemed pretty awesome. And I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t curious…”
Dean pushed his tray away, making a face at the so-called lunch they’d brought him. “You wouldn’t believe me even if I told.”
His brother faced him. “Try me.”
“He was like…a superhero. He just wanted justice. Alastair and his assholes had done something terrible to him and he wanted revenge,” Dean explained. “He got it and now he’s gone.”
Sam gazed at him thoughtfully. “I’m sorry. I know you really liked him.”
“Yeah well…whatever. The good thing is that Alastair is dead and Adler is in jail. And you’re okay.”
“Yeah all of those are good things. But it just sucks that you didn’t get to keep your good thing too. I know you hadn’t known him long but he was obviously someone special to you. Maybe he’ll come back.”
“I highly doubt it. He didn’t belong here anymore.”
“Dean-”
“Drop it, Sammy. I’m too drugged up for this conversation anyway.”
“Okay okay, but we’re gonna talk about this. Um, how about I go get you a cheeseburger or something? I noticed you didn’t touch your bowl of goo.”
“And pie?”
“Sure. One apple pie coming right up.”
Dean grinned and watched him leave, then smoothed a hand across his face. If it weren’t for his wounds and the fact that he was in a hospital, he would have sworn that he dreamed the last couple of days. In truth he still wasn’t too sold on what he should believe. People coming back from the dead to get revenge on those who killed them-it just didn’t make any sense. And if it could happen, why didn’t it happen all of the time? What made Castiel so special?
Everything.
He attempted to wave that thought away but it stuck in his brain like glue, hardened right behind his eyes. Castiel was totally otherworldly but there had been something about him that he’d liked. Hell maybe everything was an accurate term. And God those eyes…those big blue eyes that stared right through you and collected all of your secrets whether you wanted them to or not. Though honestly he felt worse about what he’d never know about Castiel rather than what he did.
And they’d never gotten that coffee either.
But this was just more proof that Dean was terrible in relationships, or at least picking people to have a relationship with. Cassie had been beautiful and feisty, and she found his whole bisexuality thing quite sexy. It would really rile her up when he commented on other guys for some reason. In the end however what she felt for him wasn’t enough to make her stay and she’d taken some job as Editor of some magazine in New York.
Like Cassie, Jake had been handsome and strong. And intensely loyal. Not to mention he also looked good in his army fatigues. But just like before he had left; something about wanting an apple pie sort of life and figuring Dean couldn’t really give him that.
Of course the Lisa shit spoke for itself. Yet they all had the same thing in common where Dean ended up being the one left behind. What he was just wasn’t enough. He couldn’t compete with a dream job or a white picket fence or some old flame. And he damn sure couldn’t compete with freaken Heaven. Maybe he was just destined to be alone.
Considering the way things were going earlier, he shouldn’t be moping but he couldn’t help it. For one brief second he’d let himself believe he had something more than his job and his fat cat. But Sam was fine and a dick was no longer alive to hurt people. A series of dicks actually. He’d make it enough.
Even as he thought the words he knew they were bullshit. He had been through a traumatic experience and helping people catch their cheating spouses just wasn’t going to cut it anymore. He wanted-he wanted to make a true difference not just in the world but in peoples’ lives. He wanted to save them and put them at ease, but he couldn’t do that behind a desk or behind a camera.
He was going to become a cop. He was going to re-enroll in the Police Academy and then work his up to Detective no matter what it took. His mother wouldn’t like it but like his father said, he had to do what was best for him because it was his life and he just needed more. He had Castiel to thank for that actually.
Underneath the makeup and cool abilities was still a man that was murdered in cold blood. A man that for six months had no voice and no one to stand for him…or his sister. Not everyone got to come back to life and seek revenge on those that did them wrong. Dean wanted to be a voice for those people. For the innocent victims crushed under the boot of men like Alastair and Azazel. For the men like his father who were just doing their job.
He would be their crow and he would help them get the closure they deserved.
The door to his room opened and a petite brunette breezed in with a little tray of gauze and needles. He recognized her as one of the day nurses, Becky. “Hey Dean! How are you feeling?”
“Okay.” He gazed at her as she tossed his covers back and inched up his white gown.
Carefully she peeled the bandage off his thigh and tossed it into the trash. “Hm not bad. They gave you stitches instead of staples. Stitches take longer to heal though so I doubt you’ll be rock climbing or anything anytime soon.” She giggled and went to work. “Where’s your brother?”
Dean smirked; she obviously had a thing for Sam. She’d looked at him like he was made out of chocolate earlier. “He went to get me some real food but you should stop back in and say hey when he gets back.”
Her grin was luminous. “I think I will!”
She chattered a bit more as she spread some type of cream on his wounds and redressed them, admitting that she was a budding writer and wanted to turn his story into a book where the hero saved the day. Dean mused to himself that he wouldn’t be surprised the hero’s name turned out to be Sam in the end.
After she was done, he was left alone with his thoughts once again about his career change. Until…
Becky poked her head into the room and exclaimed, “Dean! There is a reporter here who wants to interview you!”
He made a face. “I’m not really in the mood for an interview.”
She pouted. “But it could make you famous! Your picture could be in the paper and then you could mention my future book!” She paused and turned behind her, then nodded. “He says to tell you his name is Novak.”
Dean flinched visibly, his throat suddenly dry. “Um, okay. Let…him in.”
She stepped to the side and pushed the door open so that his visitor could walk in. And he did in a dark blue sweater vest over a dressy shirt and denim jeans. But it was his face that caught most of Dean’s attention; his smooth natural skin that was free of the makeup he’d become so accustomed to. Dean just stared at him with his mouth hanging open like he was meeting a famous celebrity for the first time. Or possibly seeing a ghost.
Becky squee’d and gave him two thumbs up before shutting the door to presumably continue with her work.
This can’t be Castiel. Castiel went back to Heaven. This must be his twin though he never mentioned having a twin… “Um…”
“Hello Dean.” Castiel smiled and perched on the side of his bed.
God, that voice.
“You-you…” Dean was at a loss for words. “What?”
“Ah, yes. You’re confused and I don’t blame you. I was confused too. I had every intention of leaving and returning to Heaven but apparently someone had other plans for me. My sister said this was my second chance.” He explained, his hand rubbing soothing circles on Dean’s chest. “Dean, it’s nothing short of miraculous.”
“What do you mean?” Dean asked, still in shock. “I thought you left.” Cas was back.
Taking Dean’s hand, he placed it over his heart, smiling more when Dean blinked at the feel of his heart beating. “I’m…alive. I woke up in the cemetery alive. I decided to do some research before coming to see you and I discovered that things are written differently. My sister is said to have died in an apartment fire-clearly arson-yet I survived. My article from the information Alastair had somehow landed Zachariah in prison; an article which of course I never wrote but it exists. For all intents and purposes Castiel Novak has been alive and well since the fire that claimed his sister’s life.”
Dean swallowed thickly. “But what happened with Alastair, did that still happen? I mean I’m still laid up and stabbed so… And what about what you did to Meg and ‘em?”
Castiel glanced to his injured side with a furrowed brow. “I suppose the only things that were changed were things that would otherwise contradict my newfound resurrection. Everything that happened last night did in fact happen. I suspect you remember the truth because you were directly involved with the situation. You’re still a hero.”
Dean snorted softly. “So you’re back now? For good?”
“It would appear so, yes,” He said. He shifted on the bed and kicked off his shoes, stretching out beside Dean. “I think this is the part where our romance stalls now that I don’t have to say goodbye.”
“Are you kidding me? If I weren’t stuck in this bed I’d show you just how damn happy I am that you’re back.” Dean grunted as he turned a little, nuzzling Castiel’s cheek with his nose. “I’m willin’ to risk opening up my stitches if you’re up for it.”
Castiel laughed. “No. We’ll take your healing time to get to know each other more. I’m going to need a place to live as well.”
Dean’s reply was immediate. “Come home with me.”
“Dean-”
“Seriously, Cas. I know we both probably have some weird kinks and that we might get on each others’ nerves sometimes but I want you to stay with me. You saved my life man…c’mon.”
“I suppose we could try it. Though you only have one bedroom.”
“I have a pull out couch but we both know you’re not gonna use it.”
Castiel was amused. “You are quite sure that we will enter into a sexual relationship at some point, aren’t you?”
Dean tilted his head back so that he could see his face and most importantly, his eyes. Even though it caused his shoulder to give an aggravated twinge, he lifted his hand and smoothed his thumb over Castiel’s lips before tangling his fingers in his messy hair and pulling him closer for a kiss. He didn’t care that the angle wasn’t perfect or that his muscles protested; he just had to make sure this was real.
And as his tongue swept into Castiel’s mouth and the familiar taste of him blocked out all of Dean’s other senses, he knew that it was. The revelation made him almost greedy for touch and sensation, and he wished that he wasn’t so battered and bruised. That he could do more than pull on Castiel’s hair to hear him make a soft noise in his throat, that he could let his hands wander and actually be able to back up whatever they started. But until he felt better all he could do was kiss so he did.
He kissed Castiel like he would never see him again. Like this one had to last him for the rest of his life. Thankfully Castiel gave as good as he got; sucking and nibbling and biting until his lips were red and slightly swollen.
He broke away panting, his cheeks pink and his eyes dark with pleasure. His cock gave a small twitch and he couldn’t help but feel a tiny sense of pride especially considering the amount of pain killers they had him on. However Castiel all flushed, warm and looking incredibly sexy was incentive enough to get even a dead man going.
“Fuck. After that I really hope we do but it’s more than that, ya know?” He sighed, focusing on the threaded pattern of Castiel’s sweater as his fingers trailed down towards his belt. “I didn’t say anything when you left because I didn’t want to guilt trip you or whatever, but I didn’t want you to go. And not just ‘cause I want to get laid but cause it felt like if you left, this whole future I could have had would just fade away. And I’d be alone again. How selfish is that though, huh? I didn’t want you to go to Heaven.”
Castiel remained silent so Dean continued. “I wanted to ask you to stay but how could I? I’ve never asked anyone to give up anything for me but fuck; I wanted to scream it at you. Just stay. But like you said we don’t know each other that well…”
“Yes. And yet here I am.” Castiel said gazing at him. “For what it’s worth, I wanted to stay. Perhaps that is why I now can. Perhaps someone knows more than we do and what we will be to each other is worth putting Heaven on hold for. I am quite inclined to agree with them.”
Dean yawned and frowned as he felt himself getting drowsy. Stupid meds. “Not sure I’m worth giving up Heaven for though.”
“I disagree. Besides I’m not giving it up, I’m simply choosing to stay and make a different sort of paradise with you.” Rolling onto his back, Castiel placed a soft kiss into Dean’s hair. “Sleep. I’ll be here when you wake up. I promise.”
Dean grumbled in complaint but threw his arm across Castiel’s waist and rested his forehead to his shoulder. There wasn’t a doubt in his mind that he was telling the truth and it made closing his eyes this time much easier. “Hey Cas? I’m glad you decided to ditch the makeup. You’re way hotter without it.”
Castiel smirked and rubbed his wrist absently. “I don’t need it now. Alastair is dead and there is no one else to scare. I don’t need to hide who I am anymore. I have you and for the first time in a long time, I’m happy.”
Dean smiled sleepily; that was the best news he’d heard all day.
~Fin~