Fic: Come Wander With Me (2/2)

[be_found]

First part



Part Two

V
February 2011 - Sioux Falls, South Dakota

Castiel had stumbled back into the guest room Bobby had provided for him during their visit. He was still disoriented when Dean came storming into his room looking confused at Castiel’s presence.

"Cas where the hell have you been?"

"I was here sleeping" Castiel rarely lied to Dean, it was a habit he found hard to break and every time he hid something from the man he always found himself unable to look at him directly, right now he seemed fascinated by the aging carpet rather than by the face of his friend.

"Bullshit Cas, I was just in here looking for you and you weren’t here and now your back, what the hell is going on?”

Castiel wandered around the small room, he hadn’t closed the curtains before going to bed and he could see the beginnings of dawn outside the window, he must have been gone at least five hours, no wonder Dean was worrying.

"Dean I" The words lodged in his throat, could he really tell Dean about what had been happening to him? He felt like promising him a savior in Mohinder would be a cruel thing to do if Castiel couldn’t convince the man in question to come with him or worse what if he couldn’t even get back to that place again? Every trip felt like it could be his last, was it too late already?

Dean sat down on the bed, he looked exhausted in his boxers and t-shirt like he had attempted to get some sleep - then a pang of guilty hit Castiel hard, he hadn’t been there to wake Dean from his nightmare and now the man had probably screamed himself awake. He was meant to be there for Dean, he was meant to make sure everything was okay and he had been too busy pursuing insane theories that some mad man in a different universe could help save this world. Castiel felt that all too familiar feeling of despair - he was disappointed in himself for letting ridiculous notions of fate and destiny get in his way of being there for the only person that really could save them, Dean.

"I’m sorry I left you, I should have been here, I made a mistake"Castiel bowed his head and continued his intense study of the carpet.

"I don’t need a babysitter Cas, I was just worried that’s all" Dean’s initial anger had faded and he motioned for Castiel to join him on the bed "I dreamt about Sammy, he was strung out on bitch Demon blood Cas, it felt so real, it could be real right, they could turn him by getting him hooked again?”

Castiel pondered Dean’s anguish, it was too much to see him like this, pleading for answers, begging for his brother’s safety, he placed a hand on Dean’s bare thigh, maybe it was too intimate he was never sure the boundaries to push but when Dean didn’t pull away Castiel moved closer.

"Dean something’s happened, I think it’s a good thing, I didn’t want to tell you in case it doesn’t work out" Castiel was whispering now, sometimes when he touched Dean even just a brush he could still feel a trace of the connection they had when he had first pulled Dean out of Hell, it had nearly faded now but every so often a spark would be there and it filled him with such a strange notion of contentment that he didn’t want to break the contact.

Dean still didn’t move away but placed his head in his hands rubbing his eyes "What are you talking about Cas?”

"When I sleep I go places”

Dean laughed at that - a weary laugh that had replaced any ones filled with genuine happiness a long time again "Yeah Cas it’s called dreaming remember we spoke about this”

"No you don’t understand I literally go places, like I used to, I travel mentally, physically through time”

"I didn’t think your mojo could do that anymore?" If Dean seemed surprised by Castiel’s revelation his voice didn’t show it, he seemed more confused than intrigued or excited by the prospect.

"I didn’t realize I was doing it for a while but Dean I have been across the history of this Earth and into the past of another and there is this man and I think, no I know he can help us, he can cure the Croatoan virus and if we can stop that Dean we can stall Lucifer’s plan we might have a chance of finding Sam, we might win this!" He had moved so close now he could feel Dean’s heart thudding and the familiar stench of whiskey on his breath.

"All because you had some dream about some special man who can save us, Cas I know you are trying your best but I’m worried the stress the losing your abilities is effecting your judgement”

Dean was being rational, calm even and now Castiel was the one talking about foolish plans to save everyone, the role reversal would have come as a shock a year ago perhaps but Castiel was slowly but surely being influenced by the people around him and he would do anything for Dean to understand that he wasn’t making this up, he wasn’t trying to give him any kind of false hope he just wanted to give him something to believe in for once.

"I’m not imagining this Dean!" His frustration began to grow, he had spent too long this day trying to convince people to listen to him and now Castiel could feel that whirlwind of emotions sweep through him again, he was aggravated and desperate and whereas before with Mohinder he thought he might end up begging for his help, he now actually found himself on his knees in front of Dean imploring him to listen "You said so yourself I wasn’t in this room when you checked then you came back and I was, I can’t control it like before but it’s definitely happening and I am going to bring back Mohinder and show you that fate isn’t always against us Dean”

"Cas" Dean whispered and looked down at him like he was afraid to destroy his friends hope "Why do you keep on following me? Keep on trying to find a way of out of goddamn mess?”

"You know why, I’ve told you on many occasions" Castiel was bewildered, surely after two years of this chaos Dean knew why he stayed, how many times did he have to reassure him?

"Because you think I’m going to save the world?" Dean snorted he looked different from this angle, vulnerable even though he was the one towering over Castiel "Is that the real reason because the chances of it happening are pretty much zero and yet every morning you’re still there instead of trying to find a way back home and Cas I don’t understand why?”

"I believe in you"

"Why?"

Castiel found himself holding onto to Dean’s hands as they fell into his lap, the feelings he had, the emotions that Dean ignited in him they were impossible to accurately describe, it was the contentment he once found in his home and brothers mixed with the knowledge that even if he died trying to help Dean it would feel a worthy death if it meant his friend would have the help he deserved, the companionship he desired

"The same reason I wake you before the nightmares do, the same reason I spent the last few hours trying to convince a man who is just as stubborn as you to help us and that was more frustrating than even our first meeting”

Silenced followed Castiel’s speech but though Dean didn’t react he still didn’t move away either.

Castiel knew Dean had never truly been close to anyone who wasn’t his brother and he wasn’t sure if he could ever really let himself be loved and this could all end up being another terrible mistake that signaled just how fragile and human Castiel had become but he needed to express his emotions even if they would never been reciprocated, Castiel rose slightly from his position on the ground and brought his the hand that still held Deans to his friend’s face stroking the coarse skin "I could never leave you Dean, even If I wanted to I would still be brought back to you, our connection it’s still there it grows dimmer like my fading powers but it’s still there and I..”

"I know Cas" Dean interrupted his frantic appeal - Castiel was genuinely surprised to see a real smile forming in his lips as he let Castiel continue tracing his skin with his fingers.

"You do?”

The gentle contact of Dean’s lips against his own somewhat startled Castiel, it wasn’t a greedy kiss like he had witnessed humans engage in but a light touch of skin against skin and fingers running through cropped hair and all the spark and verve Castiel hadn’t felt since he raised this very man from damnation and pieced him back together - his physical being, his very essence.

After they pulled away from each other, there was a stillness in the room, it wasn’t filled with the usual unease or anguish, Dean looked for a brief moment peaceful.

"I need to get some sleep before we hit the road again"Dean declared stretching out on what had been Castiel’s bed.

Castiel nodded, he rose from the floor and made sure the curtains were closed and the lights were off before turning to leave "I understand "

Dean who was now under the covers, sighed "Cas I didn’t mean you should leave, keep me company okay, I don’t think Bobby will appreciate me waking him up again"

"Okay”

He was unsure how he had ended up being kissed by Dean and now sharing his bed but it felt right somehow - it was meant to be, the pair of them close instead of pulling away from each other. Dean rolled on his side, Castiel removed his shoes and coat and ended up on top of the sheets, hand cautiously resting on Dean’s shoulder.

After a while, Castiel assumed Dean had fallen back to sleep but then he spoke "This guy you mentioned Mohinder?”

"Hmm”

"Convince him to help us I’m tired of fighting this bullshit war by ourselves" Dean declared slipping off into what Castiel hoped was dreamless sleep.

Castiel’s eyes fell shut, he knew he wouldn’t be traveling again not now, he needed rest and Dean needed him there but he smiled knowing that Dean approved of his plan.

VI
January 2009 - New York City

Mohinder watched the snow as it covered the abandoned skyscrapers, the snow never left the city looking like a winter wonderland but more like the fall out of a A-Bomb, the dirt and pollution left by mankind’s departure sullied the whiteness and left Mohinder with an vacant feeling.

It had been over a month since that stranger had entered his existence rambling on about destiny and different worlds, he had promised to return but nothing had come of this. Mohinder had quickly become convinced that this Castiel had been a figment of his imagination after all. Perhaps a desperate attempt from his sub conscious to find some meaning to his life, perhaps an unwanted side effect of knocking back too many anti-hallucinatory tablets over the past year - he was blocking out the ghosts of his past only it seems to make up savior figures instead. Fantastic.

Sylar had visited not long into the new year, the same careful scenes acted between them once more - once again a promise to end Mohinder’s life unfulfilled. Mohinder was beginning to wonder if Sylar took pleasure in teasing him with this means of a final escape, that he never really aimed to actually do it but liked watching Mohinder practically beg him to get on with it.

Mohinder padded into the kitchen, it was 6am, he couldn’t remember when he last slept, maybe the day before last, perhaps not since the weekend, could time really hold any meaning if you were the only person experiencing it?

The sudden crash in the living room surprised him, he was so used to the mere hum of the generator and his own mumblings that actual noise echoing around the small apartment caused him to almost trip over one of the dining table chairs. When he turned around to see the source of all the chaos he was astonished to see Castiel laying by his work area seemingly covered in blood.

"Mohinder" the man croaked and Mohinder’s instincts immediately kicked in, he rushed over to Castiel and it was then he saw the full extent of the his injuries. He wasn’t just covered in blood, his jacket was shredded, his shirt ripped and Castiel seemed to be holding desperately onto a knife that dripped blood.

"What in god’s name happened to you?" Mohinder found a discarded shirt on the sofa and quickly tore it in strips trying to dab at the jagged cut on his patient’s forehead but every time he thought he had stopped the bleeding he noticed another cut, slashes against this man’s torso, knuckles bruised.

Castiel was barely conscious, he seemed to be speaking in a form of Latin interjected with the occasional mumble of "Dean”

Mohinder rattled of a series of questions, he needed to get Castiel speaking before he went into shock so he asked again and again, what was he doing here?, what attacked you?, why didn’t you come back when you said you would? Mohinder gained no response and could feel the panic rising in him.

He hadn’t been able to save a life in what had felt like an eternity now and here he was presented with a chance to help someone and he couldn’t stop the bleeding, he couldn’t stop his face from swelling or his breathing from becoming shallow.

Mohinder wished he still had faith in the gods his grandmother would teach him about when he was still young enough to be terrified and in awe of their powers, if he still believed they existed he would offer prayer and ask for guidance in what to do but he had lost his loyalty to them a long time ago.

Still he continued cleaning the wounds, wringing out cloths stained in red, whispering his questions - he just wanted to hear one response to no matter how weak.

The sudden grabbing of his wrist and the drained voice that spoke brought Mohinder out of his growing terror.

"I have to get back, I can’t heal in this reality" the words were choked out, punctured with coughs and wheezing.

"I, what can I do?”

Castiel tried to sit up a little before collapsing back into Mohinder’s lap "I won’t be able to come back here anymore, I think I’m too weak to manage it again, please come with me, I made a promise to get you to help us, I don’t want to let him down he believes in me”

Mohinder gently propped Castiel against the sofa as he walked into the adjourning bedroom "Give me a few moments okay" he shouted. This was completely insane even by his standards and yet there he was packing his bags, preparing to what time travel with this dying stranger all because some higher power maybe thinks it should happen? He thought about how absurd that sounded how this all could be an complex hallucination sent to drive him over the edge but then looked at his hands they were covered in blood, that definitely was real he could see it, feel it, smell the copper tinge and if he didn’t agree to it wouldn’t he just end up dead by his own hand or that of Sylar’s?

He went back into the living room gathering some of his equipment, switching off the generator watching as the lights powered down and the constant companion of the hum died.

Kneeling back beside Castiel bags over his shoulders he held his hand "So how does this work then?”

The push and the pull grabbed hold of Mohinder and dragged him out of the apartment and world he knew.

+++

Early March 2011 - Jamestown, North Dakota

The first thing that hit he was the change of air - it was different, clean almost, well relevantly clean compared to the stench he had grown accustomed over the past couple of years and then it was the shouting all around him that shock him to his senses.

He had landed on his front on a dusty floor which looked like a warehouse perhaps, blinking to take in his surroundings he realized it was an old factory, beside him was Castiel looking just as bad as he had in Mohinder’s apartment and even more disconcerting was the fact that they were surrounded by a group of at least half a dozen men.

"Oh look the little angel that could is back and he brought a friend”

Mohinder grabbed his satchel and pulled out his gun, he could the adrenaline pumping through his body like so many times before when he had been faced with Sylar, he was acting on impulse "I really wouldn’t get any closer if I was you, I have a very trigger happy finger" he slowly got up from the floor pacing in the small space he had been encircled in.

His attempts of bravery were merely mocked by his attackers, they almost seemed insulted by his use of a gun.

"Didn’t Castiel here tell you guns don’t work on us pretty boy"Mohinder nearly tripped over Castiel’s body when he saw the six sets of eyes on him turn black, what was this place he had been taken to? It hardly seemed safer than the Hell he had left behind.

Mohinder felt them closing in reaching out and grabbing at his clothes, he began to function like he did when faced with his hallucinations, completely blank everything out and focus on what he had to do. Guns may not work in his creatures but he was pretty sure like with Sylar they would still hurt like hell if fired. He took no time in testing his theory shooting the nearest man twice in the chest, he doubled over for a few moments before getting up again.

He was thrown to the floor next to Castiel in an instant, cheek scrapping against the sawdust and a heavy foot constricting his breathing as it imprinted a footprint in his back. Mohinder looked desperately towards his companion hoping to god he would have some kind of plan. He closed his eyes and prayed it would be over with soon - the release of his weak hold on life finally loosened.

"Hey you sons of bitches really not liking this school yard bullying thing you have going on" Mohinder frowned at the new voice echoing around the warehouse he looked up and saw a man holding a gun, well he knew that wasn’t going to work right?

"My my my Dean Winchester, should have guessed when there are pretty boys in need of saving there you are like a knight in shining armor"

This was Dean Winchester, the man Castiel was so desperate to help? Mohinder could barely breath with the weight of the man’s foot on his body but he focused in on this Dean and watched as he casually without any sense of fear or panic fired a shot into the head of all six men. Everyone of them fell to the ground, Mohinder rolled out of the way before being crushed, covering his eyes when light seemed to explode from their bodies.

Dean rushed over to where they were, ignoring Mohinder completely and rolling over Castiel’s body.

"Cas, Cas wake the hell up okay" He began shaking the limp body in his arms.

"Dean is it? Your friend here he is seriously injured he said he needed to come back here to heal but I’m not entirely sure what he meant"Mohinder was by their sides now checking Castiel’s pulse, it was strong, clearly he was tougher than he looked.
Dean looked him up and down "And you are?”

"Mohinder Suresh" Mohinder extended his hand then pulled back again, now wasn’t the time for formalities "We need to get Castiel to a hospital, do you know where the nearest one is?”

"Can’t do a hospital" Dean was taking in all of Castiel’s injuries but seemed less worried than Mohinder had been when faced with his slumped body in his living room

"Are you serious? This man is dying, I’m a doctor I can’t allow you not to get him help!" Mohinder was dumbfounded, this was the great Dean Winchester? He seemed like a stubborn fool who didn’t give a damn about the man who devotedly followed him.

"He spoke about you, said you are going to help us save the world from this goddamn plague”

"Apparently so yes”

Dean gathered Castiel in his arms, lifting him off the ground "Well you can start by helping me get him to the car”

Mohinder grabbed his bags, helping guide Dean out of the factory, he wanted to argue with the man but already in this world he had been faced by men who looked possessed by evil so maybe he was prepared to accept he didn’t know everything about what was going on.

"Here bring the car around" Dean threw a set of car keys and Mohinder eyed the only vehicle in the deserted lot.

When he got back Dean placed Castiel in the back seat and took the driver’s seat for himself.

"So welcome to typical bullshit day in the story of Dean and Cas" Dean laughed pulling out of the car park and dashing down the highway

Mohinder fluctuated between watching Castiel in the mirror the entire car journey, watching as he slowly gained consciousness and studying the passing landscape which fascinated him, this place looked like the America he had once known and yet there it was alive with humanity.

+++

He watched as Dean and Castiel quietly exchanged words, Castiel was still too weak to move very far but the wounds that had covered his body were practically healed now. Mohinder had seen this kind of ability before but still it surprised him to see the skin that had only an hour previously been tainted with lacerations now unblemished - the only evidence that Castiel had even been in a fight was the pile of bloodied clothing thrown on the floor by Dean during his inspection of their patient’s body.

Mohinder turned away from their conversation on the motel bed, it seemed intimate and he felt uncomfortable staring as Dean tried to convince Castiel to get some rest. He had noticed the way Dean gently touched his companion shoulder, left him with a soft kiss on his forehead, Mohinder had been wrong in his assumption at the factory. Dean did care for Castiel he just couldn’t afford to let the anxiety and worry of losing a friend take control of the situation - he had been strong and focused for the sake of Castiel.

Dean joined him at the small table Mohinder sat at, he was unsure what to say to this man, he could ask if Castiel was going to be alright but clearly he was, or he could try to introduce himself again like before but somehow it seemed they were pass those small conventions. He was grateful when the other man spoke instead.

"So we should probably get all the bullshit out of the way first"Dean leaned back in his chair, Mohinder noted how exhausted he looked, he must have been in his early thirties if that and yet the eyes staring back at him were drained, and the face pale.

"What happened back then those men who attacked us, who were they?" Mohinder was unsure just how open Dean was going to be to his questioning but he needed answers before the all too familiar anxiety began thrumming in his chest.

Dean moved forward, taking a sip of the soda can left on the table "Just what did Cas tell you about this place?”

"He said there was a virus spreading across the country and that he believed I could help find a cure because I was immune to the disease that destroyed my world" Mohinder explained, realizing just how ridiculous this was sounding.

Dean motioned towards his sleeping friend "See Cas here, he tends hold back from telling people the whole story, it’s not like he is deliberately misleading you it’s just that I guess he is so determined to get people to listen to him that the little details aren’t that important”

"What does that mean there isn’t a virus here?" Mohinder questioned.

"Oh there is and trust me when I say it is a deadly son of a bitch, a nasty piece of work created by those goddamn bastards purely to watch as everyone is devoured. I’ve seen the consequences of it up close and really Mo it is worse than any zombie movie I’ve ever seen, do they have zombie movies when you come from?”

"I guess so" Mohinder pondered, he hadn’t really been a movie going kind of person back when such things still existed, even in his previous normal life back in India or his time spent at Cambridge he had always been too engrossed in books and research to really attempt to live life like everyone around him seemed to.

"Well the thing is when you’re watching those flicks it’s all fun and games, you wanna see the big damn hero of the story chop the heads of, you laugh when the doomed high school bully gets torn apart by flesh eating Zombies" Dean paused before turning serious and keeping his voice low when he noticed Castiel shifting slightly on the bed "The reality is it turns people into savages, parents turn on their children, teenagers do what they always do and turn on themselves, entire communities are slowly wiped out and in the end this land, this world is a rotting corpse. The movies never tell you how you have to snap the neck of a baby to put it out of its misery, or burn a small ‘never done anything bad before’ town down just to try and stop it from infecting us all”

Unease filled the silence between them, Mohinder wasn’t sure if Dean was trying to shock him or was just telling the truth.

"It sounds more vicious than what happened to my world, the virus took lives but people just wasted way in hospitals, in their own beds, they didn’t fight each other"

Dean responded with a shrug and Mohinder continued "Those men back at the factory did they have the virus?"

That question provoked a low chuckle "They were demons, you know from the very depths of hell kind of deal. When I said Cas hadn’t filled you in on the whole epic saga I wasn’t kidding”

Dean continued speaking, telling Mohinder about a war between Angels and Demons, about a destiny forced upon him and his younger brother, how Castiel had rebelled, how Sam was probably being tortured somewhere, everything it seemed came tumbling out, like this poor man was relieved just to unburden it on someone. When he finally finished his story he simply got up and went to check on Castiel, Mohinder remained seated.

"I thought Castiel was speaking metaphorically when he said Lucifer was going to rise and take over the world”

Dean sat on the edge of the bed gently stroking Castiel’s hair "One thing about Cas, he always speaks literally, he tells you your soul is purer than the skies of heaven, he means that kind of shit, he can’t help but speak like that. Part of why I love the crazy son of a bitch. I find it strange how easily you’re accepting all of this”

Mohinder let out a laugh of his own now "I’ve seen people fly, travel through time, jump of buildings and survive. I know, well knew people who walked through walls, could hear a thunderstorms brewing hundreds of miles away. You may think what your telling me is the craziest thing I’ve ever heard but unfortunately for me it isn’t”

"You have superheroes in your world?"Dean frowned.

"Had. Past tense" Mohinder corrected him before continuing "Even with all their abilities they couldn’t stop the natural order of things, that in the end the greed and arrogance of men will always led to their downfall. There is always someone who thinks they have a god given destiny to decide who should live and who should die”

VII
April 2011 - Des Moines, Iowa

It had been almost a month since Mohinder had come back with him and Castiel welcomed the sense of relief his presence brought. Their situation was still far from safe, there had been no progress on finding out where the Demons were keeping Sam and the virus had now spread across states. The government had reluctantly admitted this was a new strain of the flu pandemic and that their scientists were working night and day to find a solution but Castiel knew they were merely stalling the blood hungry media and the panicked citizens. In reality the authorities couldn’t even begin to comprehend what was happening to their country, this wasn’t a bad case of the flu and they knew that but equally they had no idea how to deal with a population slowly being driven into savages. Every town infected quickly became quarantined or if Dean got there before the police did then the town was set alight and left to burn.

A few days after Castiel had fully recovered from the demon attack, they had moved to Des Moines. Mohinder had requested some form of laboratory to conduct his research in and Dean had scouted this place out, a closed down medical school laboratory that hadn’t been used since the mid 1990s. It was a derelict building, the hallways home to rats and cockroaches but Mohinder had assured them he had seen a lot worse and he seemed to be a lot brighter working away with the blood samples they had gathered from a victim of the virus.

Castiel would often watch him when Dean went out scavenging for information on what the demons were up to, he would study Mohinder’s working practices which much like the home made work space he had back in his apartment seemed to involve lots of mumbling, writing on whiteboards and studying blood under microscopes. When Dean would come back usually with some form of take out for their dinner he would ask Castiel how Mohinder was doing and truthfully he couldn’t really answer, he had no idea if more frantic scribbling was a good sign or if Mohinder staring at the same slide for forty minutes meant he had possibly found something. He usually responded to Dean’s question with a reassuring ‘things are progressing well’. Castiel kept feeding Dean snippets of hope, whether they were real or not because these last few weeks with Mohinder by their side had been the most relaxed he had seen his companion since Sam’s disappearance - that had been over six months ago now.

He walked through the hallways away from the lower levels of the building, it had it advantages living here, they had found the old bedrooms of the student housing and so this place served as both workplace for Mohinder and home for them all. He entered what passed for a bedroom, they used most of the generator’s power for Mohinder’s work and so had grown accustomed to finding their way around in the near dark. Castiel was surprised by Dean’s presence in the room, it was still fairly early, he usually came back from the center of the city by seven at the earliest.

"Hey Cas" Dean was sitting on one of the two single beds that the room accommodated, his greeting seemed solemn rather than the brightness Castiel had grown used to in the last few weeks. Something was obviously wrong.

Castiel sat down beside him, ever since their brief kiss back at Bobby’s things had become a lot easier between them, there was less arguments about what to do, Castiel even noted Dean was drinking less but apart from that one exchange and the fact that they shared a bed together nothing else had even happened. The next day they had hit the road again and Dean didn’t bring any of it up. Castiel wasn’t sure if he was expected to talk about it, but the one thing he always understood about Dean was if he wanted to talk he would.

Then Castiel had been ambushed by those demons, everything had happened so fast he had no idea how he ended up traveling to Mohinder’s apartment and convincing him to come back, all of it was a blur, a painful experience he would rather not suffer again. After that Dean had began sleeping in the same bed as Castiel, apparently this was all just a logistical decision, if Mohinder was going to be traveling with them then they needed to save money and have two beds rather than three. Whether Dean was being truthful with his intentions or not Castiel did not mind, a tranquility always consumed him when they shared the same bed, knowing Dean was that close comforted him and he was near enough to hear the first signs of Dean’s night terrors and could wake him before screamed himself hoarse.

Their arrival at this building though at resulted in Dean’s gradually pulling away again. They spent less time together now that Castiel stood guard of Mohinder during the day and at night Dean was often so tired they would eat together then they would fall asleep in separate beds.

Now Dean was there wanting to talk, Castiel waited for him to break the silence.

Dean sighed "They have locked down the entire state of Tennessee, no one in or out, everyone out there in the real world are panicking Cas, they have no idea just how worried they should be”

Castiel knew things were getting bad out there but he had spent so much time inside he hadn’t really grasped how dire the situation was. Dean continued talking telling him of the media panic, the sudden increase in people leaving the country but how some other nations had locked their borders down already refusing to let anyone from America in. Then there were the demon attacks, they seemed to be increasing to the point that not even the most deluded average everyday person could not really continue to deny something bad was happening. The demons had become way more confident in their attacks, openly taking hostages during the day to get their kicks. Hunter numbers were dwindling, Dean spoke of four other hunters who had died over the last fortnight. Castiel realized as Dean told him all of this that it had been going on ever since they got here but Dean had been keeping it to himself.

"Things are progressing well with the cure" Castiel interjected, he was desperate to bring some kind of optimism to the conversation but Dean merely laughed that bitter drawl that seemed to increasingly taint his every word.

"What does that even mean Cas?”

Castiel shifted on the bed, he felt uncomfortable under Dean’s scrutiny, uncomfortable in this new clothes he had been forced into wearing after the was incapable of repairing the ones he took from Jimmy any longer. "Truthfully I have no idea, but Mohinder seems positive, when you talk to him”

"You mean when he finally stops talking to himself?”

"I told you he was all alone in that city, surrounded by the dead, it affected him" Castiel explained, Dean couldn’t really understand the state he had first found Mohinder in, pushing away at ghosts who weren’t there "But it doesn’t take away the fact that he is a highly capable individual, it’s only been a month we can’t expect a cure straight away”

"I’m not even sure if Mad Scientist of the Year down there even found a cure it would be enough anymore" Dean fell back on the bed kicking his shoes of.

"You don’t mean that"

"How do you know?”

"Because if you had truly given up you wouldn’t still be here you would have taken off in the Impala with an insane notion of killing yourself or every demon you could find"

"Doesn’t sound too bad of an idea Cas”

"Dean" He wanted to tell his friend how much he liked it when they shared that kiss how he had felt shear contentment in those few moments, how sleep which had once terrified him always seemed easier when they shared a bed but he was never able to accurately describe his feelings to Dean so he found himself moving onto to the cramped bed and leaning down to meet Dean's mouth.

The touch was still as beautiful as he remembered from before, he felt encouraged by Dean's hands on his neck moving him closer and his position shifted so that they were both on their sides. His lack of experience didn’t seem to be worrying Dean who unsurprisingly began to take control, pushing against Castiel, trailing of his hands down towards his hips and moving him close. When they broke away Dean continued with the touching, persistent kissing along his collarbone and up towards his neck. Castiel felt a rising heat consume every fragment of his being - overwhelming his physical body and the remnants of his true self. He struggled to form any kind of coherent noises and just let the pull and the push of Dean’s actions devastate him.

Dean began whispering his name, manipulating Castiel out of his shirt, fingers playing with the zip of his slacks and then their warmth as they slipped through the thin material and tentatively began to tease. Castiel felt all thoughts of the end of days and the fear he associated with it leave his mind - he could only focus on the yearning of his body, the need to kiss Dean continually until he found a perfect rhythm.

Dean rutted against his hips, jerking one hand with a slow rhythmic agonizing movement and using the other to trace circles on his exposed stomach.

"Dean please!"Castiel managed to breath out, he reached for the belt loops of Dean’s jeans and pulled him on top, Dean seemed encouraged by the change of position, pulling down Castiel’s trousers and boxers to offer more relief before straddling his hips and increasing the pace of his hand.

Castiel was vaguely aware of what was happening, of the control Dean had over his flesh but he never realized the complexities someone could feel from small actions that gradually built and built until he just wanted it over with - the pressure to be released, this paradoxical need to want it this over with but to wish Dean could carry on touching him forever.

Castiel bit down hard on his lip, he was terrified to let this be over with, scared of the consequences of losing oneself completely, to be at the absolute mercy of a fellow being. Even if this man was Dean and he loved him without question, he fell further back into the pillows, letting his eyes full shut as Dean leaned over him and whispered words of encouragement.

"Cas its okay, let yourself enjoy this, god you look so amazing so beautiful"

He felt Dean’s kisses against his neck, across his face, on his lips, everywhere they could find and Castiel let himself go, moaning shamelessly, grabbing onto Dean’s shirt as he tugged and pulled, his whimpers swallowed by a Dean in a kiss.
He had never felt a real need to breathe before but as he came down from the ecstasy, from the pure elation of Dean coaxing him into bliss, he felt himself suck in a long deep breath before collapsing down onto the mattress.

"Dean" he reached out to bring Dean’s body closer, the bed was way too small to fit them comfortably, but he could feel Dean trying his best to clean his stomach before helping Castiel back in his clothes and then holding him close as he shifted uncomfortably on the mattress.

"You know I love you right you beautiful crazy son of a bitch" Dean murmured stroking his hair.

"I love you too" Castiel whispered back.

He no longer traveled in his dreams, he had felt that loss deeply at first but now resting against Dean he felt like he could truly let sleep take hold without any fear of the consequences.

VIII
May 2011 - Des Moines, Iowa

Mohinder sprinted up the flight of stairs towards their sleeping quarters, he was certain that Castiel and Dean would be awake and he had to see them now even if they weren’t. He hadn’t slept for two days now, despite his companions constant pleas to get some rest, Mohinder hadn’t listened, he was close he knew it and now he had realised what he needed to complete the vaccine his body pumped through with adrenaline had guided him up here, his body was living of the rush and excitement, if he even attempted to stay still he feared he would collapse with exhaustion.

He banged on the bedroom door, several times in fact, enough to hear Dean swearing as he stumbled across the room and answered "Mo”

Mohinder smiled, he found it rather sweet how the men had found each other and even amusing that they seemed to think they were keeping it a secret from him when he had noticed their intimacy the first day he arrived in this world. He laughed at Dean’s attempts of modesty, a bed sheet wrapped around his lower torso and Castiel seemingly hiding under the comforter.

"Morning Dean" Mohinder tried to walk into the room but Dean blocked his way, Mohinder peered into the room and waved at the other man sharing the bed "Hello Castiel, sorry to wake you, but I really need to talk to you both, I’ve found it!”

Dean grumbled pushing his guest out onto the landing "You know I find that wild eyed mad scientist thing you got going on almost endearing Mo but a little privacy please"

Mohinder found a door slammed in his face "Oh yes sorry, I’ll wait outside" he added, unsure if Dean could even hear him but he was impatient he could wait "Dean listen to me, I worked it out, I know what we need to do to complete the cure, I need your brothers blood, we have to find Sam, he is the missing piece”

There was silence from the other side of the door, Mohinder considered repeating his news until the door swung open again and he was faced with extremely angry Dean Winchester.

"Excuse me?" He shouted, in a way that screamed ‘what the hell do you know about my brother, about my efforts of finding him’

Mohinder walked into the room, he was living of nervous energy now, he knew he couldn’t get into the complexities of his findings but had to make Dean understand what he was talking about "You told me how Sam was immune, well my blood it works only so much, in neutralizes the virus for a short period of time, so I used the viral of your blood you gave me last week and it’s so close to working but your genetic makeup it’s just slightly different from that of your brother, the combination of my blood with Sam’s it would not only neutralize the virus it would destroy it completely and it could be use as a vaccine to prevent anyone else from being infected!”

Dean was pacing the room now, Castiel had walked over to him trying to calm his fury but Dean had shrugged him aside, instead focusing in on Mohinder "Mohinder this is all fine and dandy but in case you haven’t noticed we can’t find Sam and even if we could do you think an army of demon soldiers would just let us walk in and out with my brother like we are picking him up from his first day of fucking pre-school?”

"Dean, Mohinder is just trying his best" Castiel tried reasoning with the man but Mohinder could see all his rage was aimed at him.

"You’re not listening to me Dean, the Croatoan virus its demonic in nature right? Don’t you get it! My blood it can weaken the demons, can’t exorcise them or whatever it is you guys do but if you pumped one full of my blood it would be knocked out cold for well I haven’t determined how long, could be ten hours probably just ten minutes, maybe even just a few moments but it would give us an advantage"

Dean backed Mohinder against the door "Do you know how crazy that sounds? It’s one thing curing a disease but stopping demons that is borderline stupid!”

Castiel choose this moment to intervene, pulling Dean away "Mohinder do you believe this can work?”

Mohinder began circling the small room now, it helped his thought process, helped calm him as well, he knew Dean wouldn’t actually harm him but it brought back too many painful memory being backed in a corner by a wild animal "Yes yes I do and I think I know how to find Sam as well, I’ve been tracking the spread of the virus. The first case it wasn’t in Texas like you thought, three weeks before that there is a record of a normal everyday family man who turned on his wife and daughter, it took five armed police to bring him down, the police report said it was like he was ‘consumed with pure rage’”

"So?"Dean snapped but Castiel remained stoic.

"I found the medical report, someone had leaked it online, he had the same toxins in his system as all the other victims this was the first case Dean and it happened in Detroit" Mohinder continued, he saw the look of anger turn into anguish on Dean’s face.

"Son of a bitch" Dean lashed out kicking the nearest wall, Mohinder instinctively flinched.

"Castiel told me about the future you saw how your brother let himself become overtaken by the Devil in that very city, I don’t think it’s a coincidence I think it’s where they have him" Mohinder finished, he could tell this was tearing Dean apart, the idea that they might find Sam but he could be beyond saving already, might have said yes already, could have let the world be damned but from what Mohinder knew of the younger Winchester from the stories Castiel had told him he was certain the man was still alive, still in need of saving.

Dean pulled Castiel to one side and quietly exchanged words, Mohinder waited for their decision with an growing unease, if they didn’t agree to get Sam then all of his work would be a failure, the entire country by his calculations would be infected by the end of the year, how far it spread after that was too hard to estimate, but this world would be as doomed as the one he had left only two months previously.

Dean walked back over to him "You better get some damn sleep I don’t want us facing these sons of bitches with you half dead, got enough to worry about and then you better make sure we have enough of your special blood bullshit because trust me Mohinder there will be an army waiting for us and I want to be armed to the teeth”

IX
May 2011 - Detroit City, Michigan

Castiel rounded the corner seeing where Mohinder and Dean were waiting and ran back over to them. It had been four days since Mohinder had presented them with this plan to get Sam back, Castiel had secretly thought it was as crazy as Dean had declared it but after arriving in Detroit he knew Mohinder had been correct, Sam Winchester was here. Castiel he could sense the fear of its citizens, apparently terrified to go into the eastside of the city because it was overrun by ‘a gang’, Castiel knew better he could smell the stench of the demons that roamed the nearby streets, this was definitely the place.
"How many did you see Cas?"Dean questioned, Castiel could tell he was both petrified and exhilarated by the prospect of seeing his brother again. This would no doubt be their final stand, if they failed it would end in all their deaths but if they somehow succeeded Sam would be safe, maybe with his blood even the world would be.

"Four guarding the door, at least three more entered the facility whilst I was watching”

"Half a dozen men doesn’t seem like a lot" Mohinder observed. Castiel knew that whilst Dean was a mixture of nerves and determination, Mohinder was full of pure resolve, this man was so far removed from the person he had first watched alone in that decaying store room frightened by the tricks his mind played on him.

"Could be a trick, could be that these idiots got complacent, thought we weren’t ever going to show" Dean replied "Either way we are going in, so time for a weapons check, I have the Colt, Cas you have Ruby’s knife and Mad Man Mo here has his syringes”

Castiel saw the look of disdain Mohinder gave Dean, it seemed like he like many before had fallen victim to the Dean Winchester nickname game, he didn’t seem to appreciate the references to his mental stability at all.

Dean counted down to ten as they rushed around the block.

+++

Castiel charged the nearest guard, slicing him with Ruby’s knife as he heard Dean fire the Colt into another. The chaos that engulfed them had been expected but they stood their ground for now, Mohinder waiting to join them at the side of the road. As Castiel took out the last of the initial guards he motioned for Mohinder to come and join them.

"Well that seemed liked it worked then" Mohinder smiled walking over the dead bodies and joining Dean as he picked the lock of the door that attempted to keep them out.

"Don’t speak too soon" Castiel warned and as they entered the building, a former storage facility, they came faced with the army Dean had predicted - a dozen demons perhaps even more than that turned and faced them.

Castiel quickly stormed towards the group nearest to them, he was lost in a daze of fists pummeling him and desperate attempts to stab them, it wasn’t easy but he managed to take one down. He could hear Dean shouting in his direction but the outbreak of commotion amongst the demons made it too noisy to understand what he was trying to say. Instead he focused on the fight at hand.

Mohinder was tossed to the floor by a woman that looked like she could hardly weigh more a hundred pounds at yet there she was throwing him around like a ragdoll.

"I find it so endearing how Dean keeps picking up strays, I don’t think any of us have had the pleasure of meeting you" she sneered kicking Mohinder in the stomach, now was definitely the time to use his only weapon. He quickly reached into his bag and produced the syringe.

The demon looked at him curiously before Mohinder crawled over and stabbed her in the thigh pushing the needle in and pumping her full of what he believed would be toxin to her.

"What the hell was that you fucking idiot "She screamed grabbing hold of her leg, before collapsing in front of Mohinder. He got up well aware that his actions would result in some serious attention from the other creatures.

Castiel briefly turned and saw the scene, Mohinder’s insane hypothesis had work, he almost felt relief even though he was slowly being encircled by more demons. Dean shouted out to Castiel that he was going to find Sam and that Cas better keep an eye out on Mohinder before "He gets himself killed". Dean disappeared into a side corridor.

+++

"Mohinder!" Castiel saw his friend fall to the ground, somehow and Castiel really was uncertain how they had managed it but somehow they were left in the main room of the facility by themselves, Castiel had killed at last count maybe six of the demons he really wasn’t sure and the ones that Mohinder had injected for now were still unconscious but could wake up any moment now, Castiel could barely move over to where Mohinder had fallen, if he had the strength he would stabbed each and every one of the comatose creatures but he was beaten and bloodied and knew that helping Mohinder was more important for now.

When he made it over to Mohinder he crouched down to examine his friends injuries, there was bruising already forming on his face and cuts on his hands but considering everything the fact that he was still breathing was a miracle Castiel was keen to savor.

"We better leave whilst we have the chance" He helped Mohinder to his feet.

"What about Dean and Sam? We can’t just leave them" Mohinder was bewildered that Castiel would even consider this.

"I have no attention of doing so, we just can’t stay in this room if these creatures wake up and find us then not even this knife or your blood would stop them from killing us" Castiel followed the path that Dean had taken, guiding Mohinder with him, the building was eerily silent but then as they moved through the maze of corridors and annexes Castiel heard familiar voices in a nearby room.

"Dean?" He called out cautiously, moving into the darkened area, relief thrummed through him upon seeing Dean and then seeing Sam tied up and beaten but at least he was alive and hadn’t given into the destiny his brothers had so wanted him to.

"Cas help me get Sam, I had forgotten just how damn heavy he was" Dean teased, he was actually cracking jokes.

"Cas?" Sam croaked as Castiel wrapped his left arm around his shoulder for support.

"Hello Sam, it’s good to see you again" Castiel smiled "Mohinder could you please led the way”

Mohinder nodded, he was watching this reunion with quiet adulation, he had never really expected his plan to work but here they were escaping with Sam, with the cure for the virus, with the brother and friend of Dean and Castiel.

X
April 2006, Los Angeles, CA

Castiel studied the scene in front of him, a young girl playing in the front yard of a typical suburban family home, she seemed happy, laughing with her mother and begging her father to play with her.

This was from Mohinder's timeline, and the man stood beside him watching the happy family from across the road.

After they had escaped with Sam from the facility, Mohinder had put his theories to test and was proved right, a mixture of Sam's blood with his own acted as an effective cure and vaccine. As the virus spread rapidly across the North America they had managed to easily convince a pharmaceutical company to listen to Mohinder's solution and start to create a synthetic version of the vaccine. The other scientists involved had no idea how this unheard of researcher had found a cure, Mohinder had promised not to divulge the secrets of his and Sam's blood in fear of being experimented on.

The threat though was far from over, Lucifer was still out there, his initial plan for mankind's destruction may have failed but they all knew he wasn't going to just give in, the wait to see his next move was almost more terrifying than everything they had been through already. They had learned through Sam’s experience that Lucifer had spent months trying to get Sam’s permission to become his vessel, weeks of torturing him, then threatening to hunt down Dean but Sam didn’t budge, Lucifer had grown tired of the waiting and had left the city only weeks before Sam’s rescue team had arrived, they had been lucky in their timing and this was something to be grateful for, fate working in their favor for once.

Sam was fully recovered from his ordeal, physically at least, Castiel knew that he had been through enough torture and horror to damage him in some ways for life, but having Dean there certainly helped. Dean himself never been happier or more determined to kick the devil back to hell as he insisted on declaring every morning. Perhaps it was the knowledge that the future Zachariah had once shown him had been averted, maybe a new more terrifying version would emerge but for now Dean had his brother back, had Castiel with him and even had an added ally in Mohinder.

Earlier that day Castiel had told Dean he was going on a small trip and would be back by dinner, Dean looked a little confused but let his companion leave the motel room without further questioning. Castiel was unsure how it had happened but he could feel his abilities slowly returning to him, he wanted to offer Mohinder a chance to return home now that he had played his part in the battle but instead his friend had requested that they came to this time and place instead.

Mohinder had mentioned briefly about being a father and watching his daughter die, Castiel he never really pressed him further on the matter but now he realized the girl they were watching was the Molly he had spoken off. Mohinder had wanted one more look at the child he had loved.

"If I could change things for you, save her I would" Castiel broke the silence.

"This was six months before Sylar came and killed her parents, before her life was torn apart and she ended up with me as a guardian. I have no doubt that you would alter the timeline if you could it can't be changed now, I've watched many men try that before but I know whatever happened happened, only the future can be changed the past is already done. I'm just glad she was happy, she managed to be normal for a little while" Mohinder turned away and began walking back to where they had entered this time, a small alleyway two blocks away.

"Do you still believe your Father led you on this path that he sent you to me?" Mohinder asked as they walked back.

"Some days yes, other days I wonder if it was instinct driving me to search for an answer, a natural impulse to survive no matter what" Castiel confessed, he had no idea if his Father had been the cause of his travels into through time and even dimensions, he had once hope it had been but things were different now, he could survive without the stifling comfort of Heaven and he liked to believe it was because he had faith in mankind rather than the God he had never seen.

Mohinder stopped and smiled "Evolutionary imperative Castiel, you are something in-between a human and an angel, a curious hybrid unwilling to let the natural order of things take control. You and the Winchesters didn't want destiny to decide your fact so you adapted to fight against that, to fight for the whole of your kind. And that, that is pretty damn amazing”

The End

Comments and thoughts are always appreciated