Fiction: Love Under Will 3/3 - Supernatural - R
Part 1
Part 2
Pairings: Dean/Castiel, Sam/Jimmy
Warnings: Spoilers to end of Season 4.
Rating: R
Category: Angst, AU, First time.
Word count: 3,800 (17,200)
Notes: I started writing this May 2009. I'm afraid this means since I didn't know what was going to happen on the show, this story has to be labeled AU. I'd like to thank my three wonderful beta readers. Mr. Goth who was of trendous help and there for me through all my teeth-gnashing, danceswithgary, and Alee. They all helped to make this story much better than it would have been without them. All remaining errors are mine.
Disclaimer: Supernatural is the property of Eric Kripke. No infringement intended.
Summary: Jimmy knows he's going to die.
The first thought going through Jimmy Novak's mind when he awoke was that he was going to die. He found himself on a cold concrete floor in a crumpled heap, his head throbbing, and his body aching.
He opened his eyes, and stared up at a ceiling. He tried to sit up, the attempt unsuccessful as he realized that his hands had been tied behind his back. Rolling onto his side, he took a deep breath, trying not to let complete panic set in, and then tried to shake the groggy feeling away. The last thing he remembered was standing in Bobby's junkyard, an irate Dean before him. It had dawned on him, just before he lost consciousness, that Dean wanted him gone and the angel back. That was when all hell had broken loose, and he'd been whisked to who knew where. Feeling hopeless, he closed his eyes and said a silent prayer.
"Finally, you're awake," said an impatient voice somewhere behind him.
Jimmy turned his head and, in his peripheral vision, he could just make out someone in a light suit. He could also hear the sound of liquid splashing on the floor. Jimmy looked up to see that a man holding a clay jug in his hand was pouring liquid in a circle around him.
"What is that?" Jimmy said as he watched the man close the circle.
"My name is Zachariah," he said, ignoring Jimmy's question. He handed the jug to the man behind him, brushed his hands together, and examined his handiwork. He was smiling, but Jimmy saw no warmth or joy in his expression.
"I'm not Castiel," Jimmy said, his heart speeding up. "Castiel's gone. It's just me, Jimmy. Castiel's gone." He raised his voice on the last words as Zachariah couched down beside him, and reached for Jimmy. Jimmy felt fear build in his chest, and when the cool hand touched his forehead, he tried in vain to shrink away.
"I know that, you moron," Zachariah said. "He left you alone to fend for yourself." He stroked Jimmy's cheek and lifted his chin up so that their gazes met. Jimmy shuddered at the touch. His caress felt noxious, like poison. "I'm an angel. I'm Castiel's superior. Unfortunately, Castiel went rogue and now he has to be put down like a dog."
Jimmy struggled to sit up, trying frantically to loosen the bonds around his hands. The rope cut into his skin, and seemed to tighten the more he tried to break free.
"Don't bother trying to break those," Zachariah said with a gleam in his eye. "I made them myself." He motioned at the ring around Jimmy. "That's holy oil and we're going to make a long distance call."
"How did you find me?"
"Human spies. Sadly we've been forced to use then, but they have proven quite effective," Zachariah said with a sneer and wave of his hand. "But that no longer matters." He smiled and shrugged his shoulders. "New plan since Dean won't play along and Castiel does need to be punished for his disobedience..." He leaned in close with his mouth to Jimmy's ear and sniffed him, sending shudders through Jimmy.
"Get away from me," Jimmy said, his voice cracking. Jimmy found he could no longer hide his fear and felt tears well in his eyes along with the cold lump forming in his gut.
"You've been a naughty boy," Zachariah said with a wag of his finger. He stood up and straightened his tie. "Dean wasn't enough. You had to go for the other brother."
"I don't know what you're talking about," Jimmy said. He stopped struggling and sagged against the floor. He knew it was useless to fight. There was no way to escape and there was no one here to protect him. Sam and Dean had no idea where he was, and Castiel wasn't responding to his silent prayers. Jimmy hung his head and let the tears fall.
"Whatever," Zachariah said with another shrug of his shoulders. "Don't move, or I will snap your tiny, insignificant little neck." He bent and grasped Jimmy by the collar, pulled him up onto his feet, and started to whisper words Jimmy couldn't understand into his ear. When Zachariah finished the chant, he stepped outside of the circle. Jimmy staggered but managed to stay on his feet.
"Come on home, boy." Zachariah looked up to the ceiling. He seemed to be waiting for something to happen. When nothing appeared, he paced impatiently just outside the circle. "This could take some time. That's something I don't have."
"I don't know what you think is going to happen, but they won't come here," Jimmy said.
"I know. How about I speed things up?" Zachariah snapped his fingers. "Every disease known to man," Zachariah snarled and pointed at Jimmy. "You have them all."
Jimmy felt his entire body go numb. He coughed and blood sprayed from his lips, then he shivered uncontrollably and fell to his knees, no longer able to stand. Jimmy screamed out in agony.
"Castiel! I'm going to destroy your meat suit." Zachariah snarled. He pulled a matchbook out of his pocket, and lit one of the matches. He held it up and stared at the dancing flame. "You think you can fuck with me. You think you can frighten me. Maybe the others are afraid of you, but I won't be. I don't care who brought you back from the dead."
The wall to their left exploded and chunks of plaster and brick flew around the room. Barely able to stand the pain, Jimmy watched as Sam stormed into the room, weapons ready. Dean and someone Jimmy had never seen before rushed in right behind him.
The lit match fell and hit the circle of oil, setting it on fire. Jimmy felt the heat from the flames scorch his face and clothes and skin, and he screamed out in pain. He pushed himself to his knees and struggled to stay in the center of the burning circle.
"I told you he'd come." Zachariah turned to face Dean, and paused. "What the hell is this?"
"Zachariah." The stranger drawled the name, eyes fixed on the angel. The two angels that had helped Zachariah rushed at the newcomer but paused in their flight when he turned his gaze on them. "Bye, bye, boys," he said. With a snap of his fingers, the two angels vanished.
Dean rushed forward and grabbed hold of Zachariah, flinging him across the room to smash against the far wall.
"You can't do this," Zachariah said as he scrambled to his feet.
"I can and I have," Dean said with eyes wide.
"Castiel?" Jimmy groaned the name. He could barely see through the rising flames, but there was no mistake. Castiel had taken Dean as a vessel.
Dean rushed Zachariah while Sam hurried to help Jimmy. Eyes dazzled by the firelight, Jimmy could just make out that the remaining man was short with a messy head of hair and wore jeans and a shirt with a dark brown jacket. Standing with his arms crossed, the stranger calmly said, "You're not supposed to be here, Zack."
Zachariah stopped, his eyes going wide. Even at a distance, Jimmy was sure he saw fear in them. "Gabriel?"
"That's right," the man said. "It's me, and I'm not happy to see you." A crash of thunder drowned out all other sounds and lightning flashed in the room.
There was a flurry of movement and a thrash of wings. Jimmy squeezed his eyes shut and prayed. The heat become unbearable and his insides felt twisted into knots. He knew it was the end for him, knew that he would die here, and nothing could stop the outcome.
Someone jumped into the flames beside him, and cut the ropes from his wrists. Jimmy opened his eyes to find Sam with his arm around him. Sam pulled him up onto his feet and held on tight. Jimmy saw that part of the circle had been broken with a piece of wood that Sam had used as a bridge.
"Come on," Sam shouted. They stumbled over the wood just before the fire consumed it, flames licking at their heels. Jimmy slammed into Sam as they fell against the far wall and they rolled, Sam covering Jimmy's body with his own. Jimmy cried out in pain when his arm broke from the fall.
He watched through tear-stained eyes as Castiel and Gabriel cornered Zachariah. In the blink of an eye, Zachariah was gone and the sound of thunder died down. Castiel and Gabriel stood in the center of the room, Gabriel's hand on Dean's shoulder.
"Thank you for the assistance," Castiel said.
"No prob, bro," Gabriel said. "Any time you need me, just ring." In a flash of blinding light, Gabriel vanished before anyone could say more.
Sam knelt beside Jimmy, careful not to jolt him. Jimmy clutched at his bruised and battered ribs, and leaned against Sam. He coughed again and blood dripped from his lips. Jimmy felt his head spin. Everything was happening too fast.
"Hang in there," said Sam.
Jimmy slid his hand into Sam's and squeezed it as tightly as he could.
"Thank you for everything," Jimmy said. He shivered uncontrollably and Sam tightened his grip on Jimmy's hand. Jimmy managed a feeble smile.
"You have to hurry," Sam said. He released Jimmy's hand and moved aside to make room for Castiel.
"I can't stay in here much longer. The oils are starting to wear thin," Castiel said. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a white cloth. Castiel wiped Dean's eyelids and mouth with the cloth. White light started to bleed from the corners of his eyes.
Jimmy saw the expression of worry in Sam's eyes as Dean crouched down to take Jimmy's face in his hands. The glow was immediate and Jimmy felt his heart race with panic. He took one last look at Sam, and felt his chest constrict with regret.
"I am sorry, Jimmy," Castiel said.
Jimmy felt relief flood his chest and he stared up at Dean's face, strangely somber beneath the weight of Castiel's thoughts.
"It's not your fault," Jimmy said.
"I will end your pain." Castiel tilted Jimmy's face up and pressed a gentle kiss to his forehead. With a sigh of relief, Jimmy Novak gladly gave in to the possession, his own thoughts fading into the oblivion. He could already feel his body begin to mend. As Castiel's essence flowed from Dean to Jimmy, filling every cell of his body, bones knit together and damaged tissue reformed.
Dean collapsed to his knees, clutching at Jimmy's coat.
"I apologize," Castiel said. "I hadn't expected my mission to take so long."
Sam looked up from Dean, his expression shifting to one of sorrow.
"You're going to be fine, Dean. You shouldn't feel any side effects," Castiel finished.
"What about Jimmy?" Sam asked.
"He is already healed," Castiel said. Castiel flexed a hand to demonstrate. The blood was gone from his lips and his face looked healthy again.
"Damn," Dean moaned as Sam helped him stand. "If I'd known I'd get the mother of all headaches, I would have said 'no thanks.' You weren't kidding when you said it could be overwhelming," Dean said with a deep breath.
"We need to get out of here before Zachariah returns with reinforcements," Castiel said. He raised his hands and touched his fingers to Dean and Sam's foreheads, not waiting for permission.
*
They were in Bobby's home moments later. Dean stumbled and Sam caught him before he hit the floor.
"Whoa, I think I'm going to be sick," Dean muttered as he bent over, clutching at his stomach, but he wasn't sick, and Sam led him over to Bobby's sofa to sit him down.
Bobby rushed into the room. "I guess your cockamamie master plan worked," Bobby said, wiping his forehead with one hand.
"Yup, Cas wore me to the party," Dean said with a humorless chuckle. He clutched at his side and bent forward. "I feel like I've been turned inside out, but at least we got Cas back." Dean glanced up at Castiel. He was already starting to regain color in his face and he sat back, slumped in the sofa, breathing a sigh of relief.
"No smart remark about how I was inside you," Castiel said with a quirk of his lip.
Dean paused and stared wide-eyed at Castiel.
"Was that a joke?" Dean said. His expression changed from pain to one of amusement.
"You said I should try to be more... human," Castiel said.
"Sorry, smart remarks are what I'm good at," Dean said as he rubbed his temple. "Fuck that hurts."
"I'm sorry," Castiel said. He moved to Dean's other side and sat on the armrest of the sofa beside Dean.
"It's cool, Cas," Dean said letting out a breath. "Good thing that oil worked. Remind me never to go along with a dumb idea like that again."
Castiel opened his mouth to say something, but closed it at Dean's warning glare. Sam stood up.
"I think I'll go get you a glass of water," he said and left the room.
"It's probably a good idea for you to get some rest," Bobby said. Dean closed his eyes and hummed in agreement.
"I think I'll just sleep the rest of the apocalypse away at this point," Dean said. "Oh fuck," Dean groaned, "Damn, Cas, did you have to ride me so hard?" He cracked an eye open and smirked up at Castiel.
Sam came back with a glass of water and gave it to Dean, who took it and managed a sip before handing it back to Sam.
"By the way," Bobby said. He examined something that he was holding in his hand. "While you were all out saving the world, I was doing some research on those trinkets we brought back from Brad's place." He held a round object up between his thumb and index finger that glittered in the light. "This little bauble has some interesting properties. It's been cursed with a spell to capture a heart."
Dean opened his eyes at Bobby's words and stared at the gem. It looked like the one he'd placed on the bedroom nightstand. Sam's eyes went wide, and Dean noted his sudden nervousness. Castiel sat quietly, expression unchanged. Dean sat up and rubbed at his neck, feeling like he'd just swallowed a lump of lead.
"I'm working on a lockbox for it," Bobby said as he stared at the gem and shook his head. "It's a tough one because the spell is so strong. It makes anyone near it fall madly in love. I had better get back to work. The sooner I get this thing locked away, the better." Bobby turned to leave the room then turned back to face Dean. "I found this thing on the nightstand of my spare bedroom. You boys know better than to leave something this dangerous lying around."
"I just thought it was a gem," Dean said with a shrug. He swallowed nervously at Bobby's glare. "I thought we could make some quick cash."
"You thought wrong," Bobby said, turning and leaving the room. It was obvious from his body language that he was angry with them.
Sam sat down beside Dean, still staring with wide eyes. Dean reached out and patted his brother on the leg.
"It's a good thing nothing happened," Dean said with a nervous chuckle.
"Yeah, it's a good thing," Sam nodded and muttered something under his breath that Dean couldn't hear. When they turned to look at Castiel, the angel had vanished.
*
The sun was shining and the weather had turned warmer than it had been in a long time. Dean stood on the front porch of the house with a coffee cup in one hand. He sipped at the hot drink and sighed. His mind had been racing all night with what had happened between him and Castiel in that bedroom. The moment had all felt so right, and now it seemed that all those feelings turned out to be the product of some curse. They hadn't seen or heard from Castiel in a few days, and Sam had remained mostly silent. Dean was glad for the peace. He needed it after the ordeal he'd been through, and the fallout of his own stupid mistake with that cursed gem. How was he supposed to look Castiel in the eye? How was he supposed to explain to him that what they'd felt was nothing but the product of a curse.
"Hey," Sam said from behind him. Dean turned to find Sam standing in the doorway, holding a mug of coffee. "How are you feeling?" Sam moved to stand beside Dean and took a long sip of his coffee.
"Much better," Dean said, rubbing his eye.
"Good," Sam said with a worried expression. Dean hoped his brother wasn't about to get all mushy and want to discuss their feelings because he wasn't in the mood. He was worried about Castiel.
Sam went to say something else, but Dean glared at him, hoping he'd get the hint. Except this was Sam and even if he got the hint, he'd still keep talking.
"If something did happen between you and Cas..."
"Nothing happened," snapped Dean, turning on Sam. He narrowed his eyes. "What about you. You slept in the same room with Jimmy. That thing was on the nightstand the whole night."
Sam shook his head and clenched his jaw, unable to make eye contact with Dean. "What difference would it make. Jimmy's gone anyway." He shrugged his shoulders, and took a sip from his cup. "I'm going to go inside," he said, motioning at the front door.
Dean watched as Sam went back inside and closed the front door behind him, the weight of Sam's words hung in the air. Dean tried to pretend that they didn't mean what he thought they meant. At least now, he knew the reason for Sam's recent brooding mood.
Dean felt a twinge of guilt of his own for the lie he'd just told Sam and started to turn to follow his brother inside when Bobby's truck pulled up. He parked and got out, a paper bag in one hand. Bobby silently stomped up the steps and paused in front of Dean.
"It's done," Dean said, more than asked. Since the box was no longer in Bobby's possession, he already knew the answer to the question, though asking made him somehow feel better.
"It's done," Bobby said. "The box is secured in John's storage locker, behind the strongest lock I could conjure." Bobby stared at Dean as though he wanted to say more, but then started heading inside. Dean grabbed his arm and stopped him.
"Thanks, Bobby," Dean said, his voice gruff.
Bobby just nodded and went inside, Dean following close behind him. He took his empty cup into the kitchen and rinsed it out in the sink. Sam sat on the living room sofa with a dusty old book in his hand. Dean made himself a big sandwich and joined Sam on the sofa.
"This is about that gem," Sam said. He flipped to the next page.
"Well, Bobby has it locked away so there's no point reading up on it now," Dean said, taking a big bite out of his sandwich. He hummed with pleasure at the flavor, and his stomach rumbled. "Don't worry, baby, it's coming," Dean said patting his stomach.
"Don't talk with food in your mouth," Sam said. He flipped another page. "Listen to this," Sam said, pointing out a paragraph. "The Grant gem, named so because the person who cursed it was named Arthur Grant, has the properties to illicit love from any within close range."
"Yeah, so," Dean said with a nod. He took another eager bite from his sandwich.
"The gem will bring forth deep-seated desires that even the possessor of the stone would not realize," Sam said, enunciating every word. "He or she would express love where it would otherwise have remained silent." Sam stopped and leaned back, scrunching up his face, and closed the book. "It doesn't really sound like a curse."
Dean set his half-eaten sandwich down on the plate, pondering what his brother had just read.
"So if it wasn't there to begin with, then nothing would have happened," Dean said, thinking aloud.
"Looks like that's exactly the case," Sam said. Their eyes locked and Dean felt the urge to say something else here in light of what Sam had said earlier on the porch, but the knowing look in Sam's eyes silenced him. They looked up at Bobby.
"Better safe than sorry," Bobby said with a shrug. He took the book from Sam and put it back on the shelf in its spot.
*
Dean turned to find Castiel in the room. He'd gotten the phone call just a few seconds before and asked that Castiel make his appearance. As usual, Dean couldn't tell what was on the other man's mind. His expression was blank, and he wished that this weren't the case, especially at a time like this.
"Other angels have fallen in behind Gabriel and joined our ranks," Castiel informed him.
"That's great, Cas," Dean said, moving in closer. He wasn't surprised that he was glad to see Castiel. It had been almost two weeks since Castiel had disappeared. Dean hadn't sat idle during that time, but he'd thought nonstop about what had happened between them and what he would say when they saw each other again.
"He holds weight up in heaven," Castiel said, taking a step back as Dean moved in closer. "I am grateful that he agreed to join our cause."
Dean took another step forward and Castiel moved back until he bumped against the wall and couldn't move any more.
"That's great, Cas," Dean said, reaching out and fingering the lapel of his trench coat. "Now shut up and kiss me." Every conversation Dean had gone over in his mind vanished from his thoughts. Dean leaned forward and kissed Castiel. He hadn't known how he would handle all this until just this second. He was sure he would just write it all off and pretend as if it had never happened, but with just one kiss, Dean knew what to do.
"Does this mean personal space is no longer an issue?" Castiel asked when the kiss ended.
"Oh it's an issue all right," Dean said as he pulled Castiel in closer. He kissed him again to show just what he meant. Dean sighed with relief when Castiel kissed him back. He couldn't imagine his life without Castiel and come hell, high water, cursed stone, or apocalypse, he wasn't going to let this slip away.
End
Thank you for reading. Feedback is love.
Part 2
Pairings: Dean/Castiel, Sam/Jimmy
Warnings: Spoilers to end of Season 4.
Rating: R
Category: Angst, AU, First time.
Word count: 3,800 (17,200)
Notes: I started writing this May 2009. I'm afraid this means since I didn't know what was going to happen on the show, this story has to be labeled AU. I'd like to thank my three wonderful beta readers. Mr. Goth who was of trendous help and there for me through all my teeth-gnashing, danceswithgary, and Alee. They all helped to make this story much better than it would have been without them. All remaining errors are mine.
Disclaimer: Supernatural is the property of Eric Kripke. No infringement intended.
Summary: Jimmy knows he's going to die.
The first thought going through Jimmy Novak's mind when he awoke was that he was going to die. He found himself on a cold concrete floor in a crumpled heap, his head throbbing, and his body aching.
He opened his eyes, and stared up at a ceiling. He tried to sit up, the attempt unsuccessful as he realized that his hands had been tied behind his back. Rolling onto his side, he took a deep breath, trying not to let complete panic set in, and then tried to shake the groggy feeling away. The last thing he remembered was standing in Bobby's junkyard, an irate Dean before him. It had dawned on him, just before he lost consciousness, that Dean wanted him gone and the angel back. That was when all hell had broken loose, and he'd been whisked to who knew where. Feeling hopeless, he closed his eyes and said a silent prayer.
"Finally, you're awake," said an impatient voice somewhere behind him.
Jimmy turned his head and, in his peripheral vision, he could just make out someone in a light suit. He could also hear the sound of liquid splashing on the floor. Jimmy looked up to see that a man holding a clay jug in his hand was pouring liquid in a circle around him.
"What is that?" Jimmy said as he watched the man close the circle.
"My name is Zachariah," he said, ignoring Jimmy's question. He handed the jug to the man behind him, brushed his hands together, and examined his handiwork. He was smiling, but Jimmy saw no warmth or joy in his expression.
"I'm not Castiel," Jimmy said, his heart speeding up. "Castiel's gone. It's just me, Jimmy. Castiel's gone." He raised his voice on the last words as Zachariah couched down beside him, and reached for Jimmy. Jimmy felt fear build in his chest, and when the cool hand touched his forehead, he tried in vain to shrink away.
"I know that, you moron," Zachariah said. "He left you alone to fend for yourself." He stroked Jimmy's cheek and lifted his chin up so that their gazes met. Jimmy shuddered at the touch. His caress felt noxious, like poison. "I'm an angel. I'm Castiel's superior. Unfortunately, Castiel went rogue and now he has to be put down like a dog."
Jimmy struggled to sit up, trying frantically to loosen the bonds around his hands. The rope cut into his skin, and seemed to tighten the more he tried to break free.
"Don't bother trying to break those," Zachariah said with a gleam in his eye. "I made them myself." He motioned at the ring around Jimmy. "That's holy oil and we're going to make a long distance call."
"How did you find me?"
"Human spies. Sadly we've been forced to use then, but they have proven quite effective," Zachariah said with a sneer and wave of his hand. "But that no longer matters." He smiled and shrugged his shoulders. "New plan since Dean won't play along and Castiel does need to be punished for his disobedience..." He leaned in close with his mouth to Jimmy's ear and sniffed him, sending shudders through Jimmy.
"Get away from me," Jimmy said, his voice cracking. Jimmy found he could no longer hide his fear and felt tears well in his eyes along with the cold lump forming in his gut.
"You've been a naughty boy," Zachariah said with a wag of his finger. He stood up and straightened his tie. "Dean wasn't enough. You had to go for the other brother."
"I don't know what you're talking about," Jimmy said. He stopped struggling and sagged against the floor. He knew it was useless to fight. There was no way to escape and there was no one here to protect him. Sam and Dean had no idea where he was, and Castiel wasn't responding to his silent prayers. Jimmy hung his head and let the tears fall.
"Whatever," Zachariah said with another shrug of his shoulders. "Don't move, or I will snap your tiny, insignificant little neck." He bent and grasped Jimmy by the collar, pulled him up onto his feet, and started to whisper words Jimmy couldn't understand into his ear. When Zachariah finished the chant, he stepped outside of the circle. Jimmy staggered but managed to stay on his feet.
"Come on home, boy." Zachariah looked up to the ceiling. He seemed to be waiting for something to happen. When nothing appeared, he paced impatiently just outside the circle. "This could take some time. That's something I don't have."
"I don't know what you think is going to happen, but they won't come here," Jimmy said.
"I know. How about I speed things up?" Zachariah snapped his fingers. "Every disease known to man," Zachariah snarled and pointed at Jimmy. "You have them all."
Jimmy felt his entire body go numb. He coughed and blood sprayed from his lips, then he shivered uncontrollably and fell to his knees, no longer able to stand. Jimmy screamed out in agony.
"Castiel! I'm going to destroy your meat suit." Zachariah snarled. He pulled a matchbook out of his pocket, and lit one of the matches. He held it up and stared at the dancing flame. "You think you can fuck with me. You think you can frighten me. Maybe the others are afraid of you, but I won't be. I don't care who brought you back from the dead."
The wall to their left exploded and chunks of plaster and brick flew around the room. Barely able to stand the pain, Jimmy watched as Sam stormed into the room, weapons ready. Dean and someone Jimmy had never seen before rushed in right behind him.
The lit match fell and hit the circle of oil, setting it on fire. Jimmy felt the heat from the flames scorch his face and clothes and skin, and he screamed out in pain. He pushed himself to his knees and struggled to stay in the center of the burning circle.
"I told you he'd come." Zachariah turned to face Dean, and paused. "What the hell is this?"
"Zachariah." The stranger drawled the name, eyes fixed on the angel. The two angels that had helped Zachariah rushed at the newcomer but paused in their flight when he turned his gaze on them. "Bye, bye, boys," he said. With a snap of his fingers, the two angels vanished.
Dean rushed forward and grabbed hold of Zachariah, flinging him across the room to smash against the far wall.
"You can't do this," Zachariah said as he scrambled to his feet.
"I can and I have," Dean said with eyes wide.
"Castiel?" Jimmy groaned the name. He could barely see through the rising flames, but there was no mistake. Castiel had taken Dean as a vessel.
Dean rushed Zachariah while Sam hurried to help Jimmy. Eyes dazzled by the firelight, Jimmy could just make out that the remaining man was short with a messy head of hair and wore jeans and a shirt with a dark brown jacket. Standing with his arms crossed, the stranger calmly said, "You're not supposed to be here, Zack."
Zachariah stopped, his eyes going wide. Even at a distance, Jimmy was sure he saw fear in them. "Gabriel?"
"That's right," the man said. "It's me, and I'm not happy to see you." A crash of thunder drowned out all other sounds and lightning flashed in the room.
There was a flurry of movement and a thrash of wings. Jimmy squeezed his eyes shut and prayed. The heat become unbearable and his insides felt twisted into knots. He knew it was the end for him, knew that he would die here, and nothing could stop the outcome.
Someone jumped into the flames beside him, and cut the ropes from his wrists. Jimmy opened his eyes to find Sam with his arm around him. Sam pulled him up onto his feet and held on tight. Jimmy saw that part of the circle had been broken with a piece of wood that Sam had used as a bridge.
"Come on," Sam shouted. They stumbled over the wood just before the fire consumed it, flames licking at their heels. Jimmy slammed into Sam as they fell against the far wall and they rolled, Sam covering Jimmy's body with his own. Jimmy cried out in pain when his arm broke from the fall.
He watched through tear-stained eyes as Castiel and Gabriel cornered Zachariah. In the blink of an eye, Zachariah was gone and the sound of thunder died down. Castiel and Gabriel stood in the center of the room, Gabriel's hand on Dean's shoulder.
"Thank you for the assistance," Castiel said.
"No prob, bro," Gabriel said. "Any time you need me, just ring." In a flash of blinding light, Gabriel vanished before anyone could say more.
Sam knelt beside Jimmy, careful not to jolt him. Jimmy clutched at his bruised and battered ribs, and leaned against Sam. He coughed again and blood dripped from his lips. Jimmy felt his head spin. Everything was happening too fast.
"Hang in there," said Sam.
Jimmy slid his hand into Sam's and squeezed it as tightly as he could.
"Thank you for everything," Jimmy said. He shivered uncontrollably and Sam tightened his grip on Jimmy's hand. Jimmy managed a feeble smile.
"You have to hurry," Sam said. He released Jimmy's hand and moved aside to make room for Castiel.
"I can't stay in here much longer. The oils are starting to wear thin," Castiel said. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a white cloth. Castiel wiped Dean's eyelids and mouth with the cloth. White light started to bleed from the corners of his eyes.
Jimmy saw the expression of worry in Sam's eyes as Dean crouched down to take Jimmy's face in his hands. The glow was immediate and Jimmy felt his heart race with panic. He took one last look at Sam, and felt his chest constrict with regret.
"I am sorry, Jimmy," Castiel said.
Jimmy felt relief flood his chest and he stared up at Dean's face, strangely somber beneath the weight of Castiel's thoughts.
"It's not your fault," Jimmy said.
"I will end your pain." Castiel tilted Jimmy's face up and pressed a gentle kiss to his forehead. With a sigh of relief, Jimmy Novak gladly gave in to the possession, his own thoughts fading into the oblivion. He could already feel his body begin to mend. As Castiel's essence flowed from Dean to Jimmy, filling every cell of his body, bones knit together and damaged tissue reformed.
Dean collapsed to his knees, clutching at Jimmy's coat.
"I apologize," Castiel said. "I hadn't expected my mission to take so long."
Sam looked up from Dean, his expression shifting to one of sorrow.
"You're going to be fine, Dean. You shouldn't feel any side effects," Castiel finished.
"What about Jimmy?" Sam asked.
"He is already healed," Castiel said. Castiel flexed a hand to demonstrate. The blood was gone from his lips and his face looked healthy again.
"Damn," Dean moaned as Sam helped him stand. "If I'd known I'd get the mother of all headaches, I would have said 'no thanks.' You weren't kidding when you said it could be overwhelming," Dean said with a deep breath.
"We need to get out of here before Zachariah returns with reinforcements," Castiel said. He raised his hands and touched his fingers to Dean and Sam's foreheads, not waiting for permission.
*
They were in Bobby's home moments later. Dean stumbled and Sam caught him before he hit the floor.
"Whoa, I think I'm going to be sick," Dean muttered as he bent over, clutching at his stomach, but he wasn't sick, and Sam led him over to Bobby's sofa to sit him down.
Bobby rushed into the room. "I guess your cockamamie master plan worked," Bobby said, wiping his forehead with one hand.
"Yup, Cas wore me to the party," Dean said with a humorless chuckle. He clutched at his side and bent forward. "I feel like I've been turned inside out, but at least we got Cas back." Dean glanced up at Castiel. He was already starting to regain color in his face and he sat back, slumped in the sofa, breathing a sigh of relief.
"No smart remark about how I was inside you," Castiel said with a quirk of his lip.
Dean paused and stared wide-eyed at Castiel.
"Was that a joke?" Dean said. His expression changed from pain to one of amusement.
"You said I should try to be more... human," Castiel said.
"Sorry, smart remarks are what I'm good at," Dean said as he rubbed his temple. "Fuck that hurts."
"I'm sorry," Castiel said. He moved to Dean's other side and sat on the armrest of the sofa beside Dean.
"It's cool, Cas," Dean said letting out a breath. "Good thing that oil worked. Remind me never to go along with a dumb idea like that again."
Castiel opened his mouth to say something, but closed it at Dean's warning glare. Sam stood up.
"I think I'll go get you a glass of water," he said and left the room.
"It's probably a good idea for you to get some rest," Bobby said. Dean closed his eyes and hummed in agreement.
"I think I'll just sleep the rest of the apocalypse away at this point," Dean said. "Oh fuck," Dean groaned, "Damn, Cas, did you have to ride me so hard?" He cracked an eye open and smirked up at Castiel.
Sam came back with a glass of water and gave it to Dean, who took it and managed a sip before handing it back to Sam.
"By the way," Bobby said. He examined something that he was holding in his hand. "While you were all out saving the world, I was doing some research on those trinkets we brought back from Brad's place." He held a round object up between his thumb and index finger that glittered in the light. "This little bauble has some interesting properties. It's been cursed with a spell to capture a heart."
Dean opened his eyes at Bobby's words and stared at the gem. It looked like the one he'd placed on the bedroom nightstand. Sam's eyes went wide, and Dean noted his sudden nervousness. Castiel sat quietly, expression unchanged. Dean sat up and rubbed at his neck, feeling like he'd just swallowed a lump of lead.
"I'm working on a lockbox for it," Bobby said as he stared at the gem and shook his head. "It's a tough one because the spell is so strong. It makes anyone near it fall madly in love. I had better get back to work. The sooner I get this thing locked away, the better." Bobby turned to leave the room then turned back to face Dean. "I found this thing on the nightstand of my spare bedroom. You boys know better than to leave something this dangerous lying around."
"I just thought it was a gem," Dean said with a shrug. He swallowed nervously at Bobby's glare. "I thought we could make some quick cash."
"You thought wrong," Bobby said, turning and leaving the room. It was obvious from his body language that he was angry with them.
Sam sat down beside Dean, still staring with wide eyes. Dean reached out and patted his brother on the leg.
"It's a good thing nothing happened," Dean said with a nervous chuckle.
"Yeah, it's a good thing," Sam nodded and muttered something under his breath that Dean couldn't hear. When they turned to look at Castiel, the angel had vanished.
*
The sun was shining and the weather had turned warmer than it had been in a long time. Dean stood on the front porch of the house with a coffee cup in one hand. He sipped at the hot drink and sighed. His mind had been racing all night with what had happened between him and Castiel in that bedroom. The moment had all felt so right, and now it seemed that all those feelings turned out to be the product of some curse. They hadn't seen or heard from Castiel in a few days, and Sam had remained mostly silent. Dean was glad for the peace. He needed it after the ordeal he'd been through, and the fallout of his own stupid mistake with that cursed gem. How was he supposed to look Castiel in the eye? How was he supposed to explain to him that what they'd felt was nothing but the product of a curse.
"Hey," Sam said from behind him. Dean turned to find Sam standing in the doorway, holding a mug of coffee. "How are you feeling?" Sam moved to stand beside Dean and took a long sip of his coffee.
"Much better," Dean said, rubbing his eye.
"Good," Sam said with a worried expression. Dean hoped his brother wasn't about to get all mushy and want to discuss their feelings because he wasn't in the mood. He was worried about Castiel.
Sam went to say something else, but Dean glared at him, hoping he'd get the hint. Except this was Sam and even if he got the hint, he'd still keep talking.
"If something did happen between you and Cas..."
"Nothing happened," snapped Dean, turning on Sam. He narrowed his eyes. "What about you. You slept in the same room with Jimmy. That thing was on the nightstand the whole night."
Sam shook his head and clenched his jaw, unable to make eye contact with Dean. "What difference would it make. Jimmy's gone anyway." He shrugged his shoulders, and took a sip from his cup. "I'm going to go inside," he said, motioning at the front door.
Dean watched as Sam went back inside and closed the front door behind him, the weight of Sam's words hung in the air. Dean tried to pretend that they didn't mean what he thought they meant. At least now, he knew the reason for Sam's recent brooding mood.
Dean felt a twinge of guilt of his own for the lie he'd just told Sam and started to turn to follow his brother inside when Bobby's truck pulled up. He parked and got out, a paper bag in one hand. Bobby silently stomped up the steps and paused in front of Dean.
"It's done," Dean said, more than asked. Since the box was no longer in Bobby's possession, he already knew the answer to the question, though asking made him somehow feel better.
"It's done," Bobby said. "The box is secured in John's storage locker, behind the strongest lock I could conjure." Bobby stared at Dean as though he wanted to say more, but then started heading inside. Dean grabbed his arm and stopped him.
"Thanks, Bobby," Dean said, his voice gruff.
Bobby just nodded and went inside, Dean following close behind him. He took his empty cup into the kitchen and rinsed it out in the sink. Sam sat on the living room sofa with a dusty old book in his hand. Dean made himself a big sandwich and joined Sam on the sofa.
"This is about that gem," Sam said. He flipped to the next page.
"Well, Bobby has it locked away so there's no point reading up on it now," Dean said, taking a big bite out of his sandwich. He hummed with pleasure at the flavor, and his stomach rumbled. "Don't worry, baby, it's coming," Dean said patting his stomach.
"Don't talk with food in your mouth," Sam said. He flipped another page. "Listen to this," Sam said, pointing out a paragraph. "The Grant gem, named so because the person who cursed it was named Arthur Grant, has the properties to illicit love from any within close range."
"Yeah, so," Dean said with a nod. He took another eager bite from his sandwich.
"The gem will bring forth deep-seated desires that even the possessor of the stone would not realize," Sam said, enunciating every word. "He or she would express love where it would otherwise have remained silent." Sam stopped and leaned back, scrunching up his face, and closed the book. "It doesn't really sound like a curse."
Dean set his half-eaten sandwich down on the plate, pondering what his brother had just read.
"So if it wasn't there to begin with, then nothing would have happened," Dean said, thinking aloud.
"Looks like that's exactly the case," Sam said. Their eyes locked and Dean felt the urge to say something else here in light of what Sam had said earlier on the porch, but the knowing look in Sam's eyes silenced him. They looked up at Bobby.
"Better safe than sorry," Bobby said with a shrug. He took the book from Sam and put it back on the shelf in its spot.
*
Dean turned to find Castiel in the room. He'd gotten the phone call just a few seconds before and asked that Castiel make his appearance. As usual, Dean couldn't tell what was on the other man's mind. His expression was blank, and he wished that this weren't the case, especially at a time like this.
"Other angels have fallen in behind Gabriel and joined our ranks," Castiel informed him.
"That's great, Cas," Dean said, moving in closer. He wasn't surprised that he was glad to see Castiel. It had been almost two weeks since Castiel had disappeared. Dean hadn't sat idle during that time, but he'd thought nonstop about what had happened between them and what he would say when they saw each other again.
"He holds weight up in heaven," Castiel said, taking a step back as Dean moved in closer. "I am grateful that he agreed to join our cause."
Dean took another step forward and Castiel moved back until he bumped against the wall and couldn't move any more.
"That's great, Cas," Dean said, reaching out and fingering the lapel of his trench coat. "Now shut up and kiss me." Every conversation Dean had gone over in his mind vanished from his thoughts. Dean leaned forward and kissed Castiel. He hadn't known how he would handle all this until just this second. He was sure he would just write it all off and pretend as if it had never happened, but with just one kiss, Dean knew what to do.
"Does this mean personal space is no longer an issue?" Castiel asked when the kiss ended.
"Oh it's an issue all right," Dean said as he pulled Castiel in closer. He kissed him again to show just what he meant. Dean sighed with relief when Castiel kissed him back. He couldn't imagine his life without Castiel and come hell, high water, cursed stone, or apocalypse, he wasn't going to let this slip away.
End
Thank you for reading. Feedback is love.