Just One Word: Empathize
Empathize
“Hello Sam.”
“Jesus!” Sam stumbled back a step and then glared at Castiel. “You really have to give us more warning. How did you find me anyway? I thought you said we were protected.”
Standing on the step above Sam’s, Castiel sighed quietly to himself. “I asked Bobby where you were.”
“Oh.” Sam ran a hand through his hair and hunched his shoulders. “Dean’s not here. We…”
“Separated, I know. I am not here for Dean.”
The younger Winchester looked confused. “Then why are you here?”
He turned around and walked up the final three steps to the church doors. Without a word he opened the door and walked inside. The moment he stepped in, the holy ground of the church sang through him. There was peace here, a familiar embrace that drained some tension from Castiel’s shoulders and lessened the lines on his face. He took a deep breath and sat down in the last pew.
He could sense Sam still hovering around the doorway, watching him and watching the cross as if he expected something to happen. When Castiel bowed his head and began to pray he felt Sam move closer. Once the man was inside, it didn’t take him long to sit down next to Castiel but he still shifted nervously in his seat.
“Are you still looking for God?” Sam asked, his voice hushed.
“I spoke with Raphael. My brothers truly believe God is dead.” Castiel rested his elbows on his knees and lets out another long breath. “I am still searching.”
“Good, good.” Sam leaned back in the pew and then stared hard at the cross before speaking again. “I saw Lucifer. He said… he said I was supposed to be his vessel.”
That made Castiel sit up, his voice hard. “Lucifer found you?”
“What? No, no, Cas, he came to me in a dream.”
He slouched again, but he didn’t feel any better. “He is more powerful than I thought. The sigils will keep you safe, physically, but I can do nothing to stop the dreams.”
“You can’t?”
“I told you, I’ve lost a great deal of power.”
They lapsed into silence and Castiel contemplated the Winchester next to him. He hadn’t spent any extended time with Sam before. Dean had been his charge and so he had communicated with him. Sam was only the key, the one Zachariah needed to start the Apocalypse. He wondered why he never bothered before now to check in on Sam. Dean’s words about not missing his brother had touched something off in Castiel. His brothers might all be trying to kill him, but he missed his family. He had thought checking on Sam would ease that strain.
“Lucifer is just like Michael, Sam. As long as you do not give your consent, he can’t take you as a vessel.”
“I know.” Sam rubbed at the back of his neck. “But, what if…”
“We cannot think in terms of what if,” Castiel said firmly. “You won’t give in. I will find God. This will end. Have… faith or we’re screwed.”
“Yeah, faith.” Sam sighed, then blinked and looked at him with a confused frown. “Screwed? Just how much time are you spending with Dean?”
“Hello Sam.”
“Jesus!” Sam stumbled back a step and then glared at Castiel. “You really have to give us more warning. How did you find me anyway? I thought you said we were protected.”
Standing on the step above Sam’s, Castiel sighed quietly to himself. “I asked Bobby where you were.”
“Oh.” Sam ran a hand through his hair and hunched his shoulders. “Dean’s not here. We…”
“Separated, I know. I am not here for Dean.”
The younger Winchester looked confused. “Then why are you here?”
He turned around and walked up the final three steps to the church doors. Without a word he opened the door and walked inside. The moment he stepped in, the holy ground of the church sang through him. There was peace here, a familiar embrace that drained some tension from Castiel’s shoulders and lessened the lines on his face. He took a deep breath and sat down in the last pew.
He could sense Sam still hovering around the doorway, watching him and watching the cross as if he expected something to happen. When Castiel bowed his head and began to pray he felt Sam move closer. Once the man was inside, it didn’t take him long to sit down next to Castiel but he still shifted nervously in his seat.
“Are you still looking for God?” Sam asked, his voice hushed.
“I spoke with Raphael. My brothers truly believe God is dead.” Castiel rested his elbows on his knees and lets out another long breath. “I am still searching.”
“Good, good.” Sam leaned back in the pew and then stared hard at the cross before speaking again. “I saw Lucifer. He said… he said I was supposed to be his vessel.”
That made Castiel sit up, his voice hard. “Lucifer found you?”
“What? No, no, Cas, he came to me in a dream.”
He slouched again, but he didn’t feel any better. “He is more powerful than I thought. The sigils will keep you safe, physically, but I can do nothing to stop the dreams.”
“You can’t?”
“I told you, I’ve lost a great deal of power.”
They lapsed into silence and Castiel contemplated the Winchester next to him. He hadn’t spent any extended time with Sam before. Dean had been his charge and so he had communicated with him. Sam was only the key, the one Zachariah needed to start the Apocalypse. He wondered why he never bothered before now to check in on Sam. Dean’s words about not missing his brother had touched something off in Castiel. His brothers might all be trying to kill him, but he missed his family. He had thought checking on Sam would ease that strain.
“Lucifer is just like Michael, Sam. As long as you do not give your consent, he can’t take you as a vessel.”
“I know.” Sam rubbed at the back of his neck. “But, what if…”
“We cannot think in terms of what if,” Castiel said firmly. “You won’t give in. I will find God. This will end. Have… faith or we’re screwed.”
“Yeah, faith.” Sam sighed, then blinked and looked at him with a confused frown. “Screwed? Just how much time are you spending with Dean?”